The Letter Z is for ZigZag, Zoo, and Zebra!

We just have Q an U left after Z...That alphabet goes by pretty rapidly.  What is exciting is the growth in the kindergarteners.  When we first started out in September, our content was pretty much the sound of the letter and its identification.  Now we not only do the letter, but sight words, and we always create a simple book for them to read.  This week's book title is "Zebra, Zebra, in the Zoo".  We ask a repetitive question about what he sees and have a repetitive answer with rebus pictures to help with comprehension.  Fun, fun, fun. 

I love the Weekly Reader "Animals I See at the Zoo" series.  After checking out Zebras from our local library, I couldn't wait to get home, read it, and see where it would take me.  Kudos to the author, JoAnn Macken.  She does an excellent job of giving just the right amount of information to beginning readers that is manageable.  Her beginning sentences give the student the boost they need with no difficult vocabulary.  "I like to go to the zoo.  I see zebras at the zoo."  Can you imagine the excitement and thrill for those kindergarteners when they see that first page and realize they can read that whole page by themselves with no adult help!!  And it is not a homemade book by the teacher but a real book! 

.Pictures are realistic and simple, also. 

What activities will we do?
Picture sort:  given 15 pictures students will sort the "z" sound from the other sounds.

I am still waiting for creativity to strike here.  How about a sleeping zebra....zzzz 

Until another day,
Kathy