Reading and Writing in Kindergarten
I am thrilled to be joining the Share a Story, Shape a Future 2013 blog tour with other great literacy, children’s books, and education bloggers!
- Monday (Infants): Maria Burel at Once Upon A Story.
- Tuesday (Toddlers): Carol Rasco at Quietly
- Wednesday (pre-Preschool): Debbie Alvarez at The Styling Librarian
- Thursday (Preschool): Tif at Tif Talks Books
- Friday (Kindergarten): Terry at Family Bookshelf
My contribution is the connection between reading independently and writing for Kindergarteners … more specifically the idea of invented spelling as a necessary step that marries writing with reading.
The Importance of Invented Spelling: The Writing Connection to Reading!
We had the most amazing Kindergarten teacher — Ms. C — for all three of my kids. As rookie parents, she held our hand and guided us gently through the academic rigors of Kindergarten. Seriously, Kindergarten is the new First Grade. Ms. C’s goal was and is to get the kids reading by the end of Kindergarten.
She stressed the importance of writing as an important literacy step towards reading independently. In fact, invented spelling — you know that fabulous and funny spelling kids use when they first start sounding out words — is CRITICAL to teaching kids how to read independently.
“Froshus dobrmn pensr” is an example of invented spelling. What do you think the child is trying to communicate? Yes, ferocious Doberman Pinscher!
Listening to how words break up into pieces is a key element. She stressed letting your child sound out words that he or she wants to spell without assistance! Hearing the syllables is an important step as well as deciphering the consonant and vowel sounds. Yes, the misspelled words will look weird but that’s not the point. Think of it as learning to draw the figure. The first drawings will certainly not be anatomically correct!
The advantages of Invented Spelling are numerous and empowering!
- Independence. An inventive speller doesn’t have to ask for the correct spelling of every word he doesn’t know.
- Fluent and powerful writing. Children can elaborate their stories and play on paper without interruptions to look up correct spellings.
- Efficient instruction. To write “sun,” the beginner may say, “Sun. Sssssuuuunnn, ssss, ssss,” and write a S. Then, “Sunnnn, sunnn, nnn, nnn,” and he writes N, SN for sun. A teacher need not be consulted.
- Early control and responsibility. Children learn to take risks. The worst outcome of an unsuccessful invention is that communication stops temporarily. But if the invention succeeds, their message will reach its audience. Real rewards await the child who writes fearlessly about a FROSHUS DOBRMN PENSR instead of a BAD DOG. from Susan Sowers, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Create Your Own Book Crafts for Kids
Now that your child is fearlessly spelling away, it’s time for your child to write … for fun! Here are some ideas for creating your own book crafts that my kids have done over the years. If your child gets tired or frustrated writing out the entire story, take turns.
Staple paper or notecards to create a book that your child can write and illustrate.
Try using index cards paired with stickers as the basis for a book.
Rip out coloring book pages and tben staple to use as the illustrations for a story.
Make a Fold-In Square book.
Cut two rectangle pieces of paper, both the same size. Criss cross them in to the shape of a cross. Glue the middle squares together. When the glue dries, fold the page flaps down. image from Artists Helping Children
Write a story for a wordless picture book. You can write in the book if the book owner is ok with that, or write on Post It notes on each page.
My daughter wrote out part of the first page of her story for wordless picture book Wave by Suzy Lee. She dictated to me and I wrote the rest of the story for her.
My daughter also made a book using a book kit that was gifted to her.
It was a bound blank book kit like this one.
Imagination Soup has a great and easy way to make a book with a paper clip and rubber band! How cool is that?!!
Most of all, creating a book should be fun! Let your child experience the joy of being an author! It’s a gift that will keep on giving! And treasure this invented spelling phase. It passes all too quickly!
p.s. Related posts:
Write First Read Later: Alien Writing Prompts for Kids
Write Now Read Later: Summer Writing Prompts for Kids
Writing Tips for Children from NS Blackman
Getting Kids Involved with Creative Writing
Writing for Reluctant Readers by Ty Drago
Writing Charming Thank You Notes (FREE Printable): Day 12 of 12 Days of Shopping
Get Kids Writing with a Progressive Story
Writing Tips for Kids Who Write for School Newspapers
Middle School Writing: How to Use the COMMA
My 5 Mentor Children’s Books for Writing an Alphabet Picture Book
Reading and Imagining Writing Exercise For Kids
Writing Revision Tips for Kids: Why Writing is All About Revising
A Teacher Turned Author Inspires Writing Seeds
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Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Massachusetts Book Award Long List
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award Long List
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
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What a fantastic post! Thank you and I couldn’t agree with you more. It’s all about helping children make their own connections. I just had a parents evening at school and my daughter’s class teacher echoed my belief that if a child’s reading is good then everything else will follow.
Thanks so much Redpeffer! I always have to resist the urge to correct spelling during the invented spelling phase but, on the other hand, it’s a wonderful phase that doesn’t last very long! I didn’t realize how much writing and reading are connected through invented spelling.
Many schools are using a reading/writing workshop model using inventive spelling from kindergarten right up into the primary grades. For many children the crossover is effortless. There are still those children who are perfectionists and experience frustration if they feel their artistic and writing results are not what they expected them to be.
Hi Barbara,
I think that is such a great idea! Invented spelling should be used though elementary school. I don’t think we start spelling lists until 2nd or 3rd grade anyway here.
Great post, Mia! I like making books with my kids and we will have to try the fold-in-a-square idea.
Hi Mom and Kiddo,
I tried to find our more complicated Fold in a Square book. It’s here somewhere but I wasn’t able to locate it. I also like the stick on velcro circle to close it. Kids seem to like that snazzy touch!
This is such an important subject. I think Kindergarten is the most important year for reading and writing. Everything else can come afterwards, but these 2 R’s are critical for the child at this stage. Thanks for sharing this post Mia.
-Reshama
Thanks Rashama,
I do think that Kindergarten is the new First Grade since there is so much pressure to get kids reading independently by the time they leave Kindergarten. That’s a lot of pressure on the teacher! Reading and writing can be reinforced at home and these activities can be fun and stress free.
I LOVE this piece. Both my boys love to invent, and LOVE to read. The independence point is so HUGE. I was worried when the first invented all his words, and now he is three years above grade level in reading. I’ll be sharing this post with my son’s classmates’ parents. LOVE IT.
Thanks so much Catherine. That article on Invented Spelling is so great. I think every parent should have access to it!
This is a super post. The hardest part of Kindergarten was NOT correcting our daughter’s invented spelling. We grew up in a time when you had to spell it right … this makes so much more sense!
Every year for my daughter’s birthday I write a letter (that I’m saving til she’s 21!) And every year I include a section of “Catherinisms” – words or phrases she’s made up to name or describe something. Even at 11, she’s still coming up with creative ways to express objects and ideas. Those words are priceless to us.
Hi Terry,
What a wonderful tradition to write your daughter a letter for her birthday with her Catherinisms — I’m sure she will treasure that forever. If you don’t write them down, I’m realizing, it’s so easy to forget these wonderful phases of what kids say and do. I’m trying to capture it via blogging but it’s not easy!
I am a huge proponent of invented spelling- both my for my own children and all the kids I have worked with professionally. It is truly a developmental stage and an important one!
Hi Stacey,
It was a new concept to me until our Kindergarten teacher told us about it at the first Curriculum night and I still like the reminder via the article. I have to say that until she educated me, the invented spelling would make me itch to correct it.
There’s so much written about reading at home with kids, but many parents aren’t aware of how important it is for us to write with kids, in front of kids, and encourage writing at home too. There are some great ideas here Mia, and I love the emphasis on invented spelling!
Thanks Susan,
My wonderful Kindergarten teacher taught all the parents in her class about this, knowing that we’d likely jump in and try to correct our kids. I had her 3 times and each time, it’s a good reminder. I’m hoping that kids will also write more at home but in a fun way that feels like play and not homework.
It’s so fun and absolutely exciting when kids start on the path to try to spell. I think having special little handmade books around can be a great impetus for kids to want to write things out in their very own books!
Hi Jeanette,
I wish my kids made more handmade books. It was mostly my son. My other kids liked to draw more.
Awesome post Mia, my wife is already trying fold-in-a-square with our little ones.
Hi Viren,
Wonderful! Please let me know how it works out with your wife and kids. If you give me a photo of their book, I’ll include it in the post. Thanks!
I still use creative spelling, hahaha! Seriously, thank you spell check although it doesn’t always save me! I love these book ideas too my favorite it the fold out one – I think my son might like making a book like this!
Hi Ann,
My kids were making tons of the fold-out little books when they first learned to make them. They’re fun! And I just found a book that my oldest made while searching for something else. It was a bound blank book meant to be turned into a “published” book. I had forgotten about it. I added that to the post. She did it with her arty friend and it turned out so beautifully!
Wonderful post. OF COURSE creating your own spelling is a step in learning literacy. I still treasure a book made by my daughter (now 33) with very inventive spelling, and illustrations. She even had her own “Abot the ather” section, with a self-portrait. I’ll experiment with the square fold-in book. Looks fun!
Hi Susan,
I love your daughter’s Abot the ather section! I didn’t realize that invented spelling was such an important and necessary phase but it sounds like you are well informed on literacy. What fun to save her books from that time. I’m sure she treasures it now to see her work! Her kids must get a kick out of it as well!
I was interested to read about invented spelling. I bet it makes for more exciting stories.
Hi Erica,
Yes, I do think invented spelling is like a word game to puzzle out their story! It is exciting to read and decipher! I wish I saved all their invented spelling stories. It was such a short but sweet phase!
Invented spelling sounds really fun for the kids. Way to develop their vocabulary.
Hi Shaun,
Also, I didn’t realize it but it’s a really important component of learning to read independently. A kind of phonetic awareness.