Hello Book Bums families!
It's been a while since we've been in touch, and we hope you are doing well. We are not currently open to the public outside of tutoring, but we miss all of you and want to remain part of the community. We are kicking off a new newsletter to help us do just that.
If you are a parent or grandparent looking for ways to engage with your kiddos around language and books, this is for you!
If you are a teacher looking for classroom activities, this is for you!
If you are a reader who wants to stay connected with Book Bums, this is for you!
We're looking forward to being in conversation with you about books, reading, language, and learning. Read on for a taste of what to expect.
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Word of the Week
culinary (adjective/describing word) - anything having to with cooking
She enjoyed baking and creating recipes, so she majored in culinary arts.
*Each week we will feature a word to help you expand your vocabulary and experiment with using new words or using words in new ways. Thanksgiving will be a great time to try out this word of the week. It can be highlighted on a chalkboard or with letter magnets on the fridge.
From our Bookshelves
King & Kayla is a kids' book series for newly independent readers. It introduces kids to mysteries and fact-finding, and it also promotes analytical thinking. The stories get interesting because they're told from the dog's point of view. We enjoy watching how this clever golden retriever and his human, Kayla, engage in the process of problem solving.
Tips for Families
One year, students were asked to write a story about preparing their favorite sundaes. This was a standardized test and teachers were not permitted to offer any assistance. Of course, all the students had had sundaes, but they'd never seen or noticed the peculiar spelling of the word sundae. A great number of students could not successfully complete the prompt because of their lack of awareness of the word sundae. So, when you're out and about, be deliberate in drawing attention to the words around you.
Tips for Readers and Writers
When it comes to teaching kids to spell well, repeatedly writing words, naming the letters orally, and drawing kids’ attention to visual characteristics in the words is not overly helpful. The secret to mapping words so they are easily retrieved is what we call “sound spelling.” We heighten kids’ awareness of the sounds within each word, and the students record the letters corresponding with those sounds as they move from left to right across the page.
Say the word chime. Stretch out the sounds in the word like this: /ch/ /eye/ /m/. Then, slide those sounds together once again. Now that we have the sounds identified, we can spell them.
How do we spell /ch/? c-h. How do we spell /I/? In this case it’s an i with a Magic e. How do we spell /m/? With an m. So, to spell chime we’ll use, c-h-i-m-e.
It works for more sophisticated words, too.
Say the word mustache. Stretch out the sounds in the word like this: /m/ /u/ /s/ /t/ /a/ /sh/. Then, slide those sounds together once again. Now that we have the sounds identified, we can spell them.
We acknowledge anything that might be tricky, but we wholly lean into the sounds.
If your kids don’t know the phonics “rules” that govern our code-based language, this can be tricky. A quick Google search (or you can email Dr. Christy @ [email protected]) is often enough to provide the explanation your scholar needs to understand the “why” of the spelling.
If you know someone who would benefit from our newsletter or tutoring at Book Bums, please share this email with them! Thank you.
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