DabblebyDerinda: Book Box {Printable Books}

Monday, March 5, 2012

Book Box {Printable Books}

Hi there!!! For those of you who don't know I am a preschool teacher. I have my California Multiple Subjects K-12 Teaching Credential, but instead of teaching public school I opted to teach private preschool so that I could be with my daughter. She is 4 and will be heading off to Kindergarten this August...sigh. For the last year I've been printing easy to read books for the kids. We read the same book every day for a week and then on Friday the kids take it home and put it in their book box that we made in class (just a shoe box decorated with stickers). I ask that the kids (with a parent) read 2 books every night for homework. The kids LOVE the books and can memorize them in one day. I make sure that they are using proper directionality (left to right) and also that they are pointing to each word when it is read as well as using the return sweep when reading multiple lines. This has improved their reading skills tremendously and offers them a chance to use the phonics we've been working on tediously for the last 2 years. They can all pretty much read every book that I've printed on any given day. Now I know they have them memorized, but that's really the first steps into reading. When they read these books they are picking up sight words, learning new vocabulary, understanding that pictures and print contain messages, demonstrating the concepts of print, and starting to acknowledge punctuation. They also are building confidence in learning how to read. It's awesome!!!! I've been teaching the normal California preschool curriculum as well, but these books are an added bonus. There is no greater reward then teaching a child to read!