{"id":2078,"date":"2024-02-23T15:34:28","date_gmt":"2024-02-23T15:34:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.scholastic.ca\/scholasticblog\/?p=2078"},"modified":"2025-10-31T18:00:56","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T18:00:56","slug":"how-to-use-what-you-already-have-at-home-to-advance-key-early-learning-skills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.scholastic.ca\/scholasticblog\/2024\/02\/23\/how-to-use-what-you-already-have-at-home-to-advance-key-early-learning-skills\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use What You Already Have at Home to Advance Key Early Learning Skills"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Mastering literacy and language skills doesn\u2019t have to break the bank. Whether you\u2019re on a budget or pressed for time, you still play a critical role in helping your child learn outside the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading aloud to your child and modelling reading behaviours<\/a>, like devoting 20 to 30 minutes each night to reading (together or independently in the same room), is a must for supporting your child\u2019s literacy development. It also builds confidence in your young reader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn-at-home resources like workbooks and learning sets give your child more opportunities to practise what they learn in school. But solidifying key concepts doesn\u2019t always require new materials; it\u2019s likely you already have items you can use at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We tapped teachers across the country for their advice on how to use what you\u2019ve got to help sharpen your child\u2019s skills<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Use words in your environment to sound out letters.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

In kindergarten and the lower elementary grades, children are mastering skills in phonics, phonemic awareness, comprehension, and reading and writing. Sounding out words together is a great place for parents to start, says 1st grade teacher Jaclyn Pearson from Illinois.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSolidifying letter sounds and encouraging children to use what they know about sounds to help them decode words is a skill parents can help with,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pearson also recommends using printed words in your environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you are running errands with your child in the car, talk about the signs you see and what sound the beginning letter of an establishment makes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2. Give multi-step instructions to complete a task.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Being able to follow directions is an important skill that uses memory and comprehension<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf your child enjoys grocery shopping, ask them to find a specific item from the shelf and put it into the cart,\u201d suggests Pearson. \u201cThese two-step directions are so important for young learners.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3. Use claps and coins to count words in a sentence or syllables in a word.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The simple act of clapping can be used as a measure of counting words in a sentence or syllables in words, says 2nd grade teacher Leana Malinowsky. Materials such as coins or other similar objects serve the same purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese activities are helpful for phonological awareness \u2014 the pairing of sounds with words,\u201d Malinowsky says. \u201cFamilies can have their children repeat a sentence and push a coin up from a row of coins for each word they hear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4. Reread favourite books, focusing on a different skill each time.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Malinowsky encourages parents to read the same book twice to their child: once so they can grasp the words, and a second time so they can comprehend the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShorter books are easily read twice,\u201d Malinowsky says. Quick books are also a great solution for parents with busy schedules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While exposure to a variety of books is important for a child, re-reading favourite books is helpful because children pick up on different elements of the book with each read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI stress to my second graders that I read my favourite book from my childhood multiple times,\u201d Malinowsky says. She also recommends reading series<\/a>, which allow children to remain in the same \u201cuniverse\u201d they love while absorbing new words and story lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First grade teacher Pearson adds that parents can ask their child\u2019s teacher for a list of read-aloud books and picture books, if they\u2019re not sure where to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery teacher has favourites that they know are beneficial for students,\u201d Pearson says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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5. Take a ‘picture walk’ through different versions of the same story to gauge comparison skills.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Comparing and contrasting is a skill that, like sorting and classifying, precedes higher-level thinking. For beginner readers with a favourite story \u2014 say, a fairy tale \u2014 Pearson suggests comparing the illustrations of different adaptations. This also helps to create interest in other books, for those children whose hearts are set on a standalone title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor example, if your child loves \u2018The Three Little Pigs,\u2019 find a fractured fairy tale or a cultural adaptation to the book,\u201d Pearson says. \u201cTake a side-by-side \u2018picture walk\u2019 and begin comparing similarities and differences until your child gains interest in another book.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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6. Practise sentence-building skills with index cards.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t underestimate the power of a pencil and paper! This combo is essential for children in grades 1-2 who are working on skills like decoding (sounding out words) and encoding (spelling words).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSimple paper and pencils or crayons allow children to write their own sentences, sound out words, and practise writing skills,\u201d Malinowksy says, adding that a stack of index cards is \u201clike having gold.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey can be used as flashcards, to review letters or words for fluency, or to write words on and build sentences with,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus, keep in mind that plenty of everyday materials can stand in for paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSand, salt, rice, and Play-Doh are also great options for students to write letters and words in, and to practise their sounds and spellings,\u201d Malinowsky says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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7. Bring learning to life with documentaries and virtual field trips.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Parents of children in middle grades still play a role in advancing learning skills. But instead of reinforcing the basics, you become what Avery Lieske, a 3rd grade teacher from Alabama, calls \u201ca learning facilitator.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cParents are not telling their child what to learn, they are taking what is interesting to their child and immersing them in it to make learning come to life,\u201d Lieske says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if your child is reading World War II material for school, introduce them to documentaries or a museum\u2019s online archives to deepen their knowledge of the topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot only does this help children make deeper connections to their texts, but it will help them become more empathetic and curious lifelong learners,\u201d Lieske says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re also looking to stock up on materials, shop best-selling workbooks and learn-at-home resources below. You can find all books and activities at Scholastic Book Clubs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Originally published by Scholastic Parents on February 8, 2024.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mastering literacy and language skills doesn\u2019t have to break the bank. Whether you\u2019re on a budget or pressed for time, you still play a critical role in helping your child…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2079,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[5,6,110,84,53,7],"class_list":["post-2078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reading-tips","tag-book-clubs","tag-book-fairs","tag-early-learning","tag-families","tag-february","tag-parents"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Use What You Already Have at Home to Advance Key Early Learning Skills | Scholastic at School Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scholastic.com\/parents\/books-and-reading\/raise-a-reader-blog\/at-home-learning-activities.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Use What You Already Have at Home to Advance Key Early Learning Skills | Scholastic at School Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Mastering literacy and language skills doesn\u2019t have to break the bank. 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