First Grade Phonics Tips: Follow Along with Learning at School

When possible, reinforce the skills children are learning at school in your everyday home life. Does your child’s teacher send home a weekly or monthly email or newsletter? Do they send home writing projects or completed activity sheets? Ask your child to read aloud what they’ve worked on at school. Show enthusiasm and ask questions to give them practice using these new skills.

Make connections to things you’re doing at home. For example, if children are learning about words that start with blends, point out words you see at home that start with blends. If they’re writing fiction stories at school, talk about the fiction stories you’re reading at home. If they are writing how-to books, engage in conversations about things they know how to do at home.