No Child Left Behind
At risk kindergarten children share many common characteristics.
There are certainly many children who exhibit these characteristics yet encounter no difficulties when learning to read.
Children who are having difficulty learning to read, however, often do exhibit many of the characteristics outlined below.
1) The child is not familiar with a wide and diverse range of experiences typically linked to language development in children.
Specifically, the child has not been exposed to to, or has been provided very limited exposure to: songs, rhymes, and books.
2) The child has not been exposed to, or has been provided very limited exposure to, a variety of background experiences such as: trips to beaches, stores, parks, etc.
3) The child has not interacted with, or had limited interaction with: crayons, paints, puzzles, blocks, etc.
4) The child comes from an environment which is un-supportive or non-supportive.
The child does not receive a lot of help or encouragement outside the classroom.
5) The home environment may be in trouble.
These children come to school with the potential to fail.
They come unready to learn yet in most cases possess the ability to learn.
Marie Clay states in her book, Becoming Literate, "For the slow learner it takes longer to get adjusted to the new place and new people.
He does not find many familiar tasks around him.
He joins in the group activities but when the teacher asks questions he does not know what to say...
" Children learn to read through meaningful interactions with adults who can read.
Children that are at risk need more time at school to fill in the gaps.
This may be accomplished by: giving him/her a peer coach, having an older child read with him before and after school, getting the child in Big Brother/Sister program.
Teachers must not rely on the home which created the gaps to now fill the gaps.
Homework for these children is a waste of time and actually may do more harm as the student may be practicing skills incorrectly.
Please don't leave these kids behind, they, too, are our future.
There are certainly many children who exhibit these characteristics yet encounter no difficulties when learning to read.
Children who are having difficulty learning to read, however, often do exhibit many of the characteristics outlined below.
1) The child is not familiar with a wide and diverse range of experiences typically linked to language development in children.
Specifically, the child has not been exposed to to, or has been provided very limited exposure to: songs, rhymes, and books.
2) The child has not been exposed to, or has been provided very limited exposure to, a variety of background experiences such as: trips to beaches, stores, parks, etc.
3) The child has not interacted with, or had limited interaction with: crayons, paints, puzzles, blocks, etc.
4) The child comes from an environment which is un-supportive or non-supportive.
The child does not receive a lot of help or encouragement outside the classroom.
5) The home environment may be in trouble.
These children come to school with the potential to fail.
They come unready to learn yet in most cases possess the ability to learn.
Marie Clay states in her book, Becoming Literate, "For the slow learner it takes longer to get adjusted to the new place and new people.
He does not find many familiar tasks around him.
He joins in the group activities but when the teacher asks questions he does not know what to say...
" Children learn to read through meaningful interactions with adults who can read.
Children that are at risk need more time at school to fill in the gaps.
This may be accomplished by: giving him/her a peer coach, having an older child read with him before and after school, getting the child in Big Brother/Sister program.
Teachers must not rely on the home which created the gaps to now fill the gaps.
Homework for these children is a waste of time and actually may do more harm as the student may be practicing skills incorrectly.
Please don't leave these kids behind, they, too, are our future.
Source...