In kindergarten, we use beanie babies to "help us" use our decoding and comprehension strategies while we read. Each beanie baby represents a different strategy. Good readers use decoding strategies to help us when we are "stuck on a word" or we come to a word we don't know. Good readers use comprehension strategies to help us understand what we are reading.
Students can use the beanie babies in the classroom library to remind them to use their strategies while they are reading. I send home bookmarks with the strategies on them so you can use them at home as well. Here is a list of the Decoding and Comprehension Strategies we will be learning and using all year in kindergarten.
Decoding:
Eagle Eye- Look at the picture
Lips the Fish- Get your mouth ready
Stretchy the Snake- Stretch out the word (slow motion)
Chunky Monkey- Look for word parts
Skippy the Frog- Skip the word, finish the sentence, hop back and try again
Flippy the Dolphin- Flip the vowel
Try in Lion- Try and try again
Helpful Kangaroo- Ask for help
Comprehension:
Picturing Penguin- Make a movie in your head
Spinner the Spider- Make connections
Digger the Dog- Digs for details in the story
Iggy the Inferring Iguana- Predicts what will happen next
Questioning the Owl- Ask questions: who, what, when, where
Jabber the Reteller- Retell the story in your own words
Repair Bear- Use strategies to fix what you don't understand
Be sure to watch this great video on "Beanie Baby Reading Strategies"!
http://www.schooltube.com/video/63f59fca8170d60cb8b8/Reading-Strategies-First-Grade
