Letter to Parents Explaining Heart Words
Dear Parents and Guardians,
I hope this letter finds you well and your little ones excited about their journey in kindergarten! As we embark on this wonderful learning adventure together, I want to share some insights on the importance of explicitly teaching irregular sounds and its positive impact on helping our young learners master heart words (sight words).
Heart words, also known as sight words, are foundational in building early reading skills. These are words that cannot be easily decoded or sounded out using regular phonics rules. Instead, they must be recognized on sight by memorizing their appearance. While memorization is a common approach, I believe that explicitly teaching irregular sounds offers a more comprehensive and empowering learning experience for our students.
By explicitly teaching irregular sounds, we equip our little ones with valuable tools to unlock a multitude of new words. Unlike relying solely on memorization, which can be limiting and frustrating, understanding irregular sounds allows our students to apply their knowledge to a wide range of words with similar patterns. This approach promotes a deeper understanding of language and empowers them to tackle new words with confidence.
Moreover, explicit teaching of irregular sounds helps our young learners become flexible readers and thinkers. Instead of viewing each word in isolation, they learn to identify patterns and apply their understanding to decode unfamiliar words. This process not only enhances their reading abilities but also fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
When children rely solely on memorization, they may encounter frustration and struggle to apply their skills to new situations. However, by teaching them irregular sounds, we offer them the tools to approach reading with a sense of exploration and curiosity. They will discover that their learning journey is filled with possibilities and that they are capable of decoding and understanding a vast array of words.
As your child's kindergarten teacher, my commitment is to create a nurturing and enriching learning environment that fosters a love for reading and empowers our young learners to become confident and proficient readers. Explicitly teaching irregular sounds is an integral part of achieving this goal.
Throughout the school year, I will incorporate engaging activities and interactive lessons that emphasize the importance of irregular sounds and their application in reading heart words. I encourage you to support your child's learning journey by practicing these sounds at home, exploring new words together, and celebrating their progress.
If you have any questions or would like additional resources to support your child's reading development, please don't hesitate to reach out. For at home practice, I suggest Common Irregular Sounds by TeacherSidekick. Each page has a QR code which leads to an instructional video guide. Each irregular sound is explicitly taught and thoroughly practiced. The video guide allows phonemic awareness and phonics practice that cannot be achieved through a typical worksheet. Together, we can lay a strong foundation for a lifetime of joyful reading and learning.
Thank you for entrusting your child's education to us. I am excited to embark on this enriching journey with your little ones and witness their growth as confident readers and lifelong learners.
Warm regards,
