ABRACADABRA, A Balanced Reading Approach for Children Always Designed to Achieve Best Results for All, is a highly interactive, early literacy web-based tool that supports beginning readers through 33 engaging activities linked to 20 stories of different kinds.
In this Parent Module, you will find information about ABRACADABRA (ABRA) and how it supports early literacy skills. You will discover practical and fun tips for helping your child develop those skills and avoid anxiety.
Interested or want to learn more?
How Can Parents Help?
Learning to read is an exciting time for both children and parents, but reading doesn’t happen on its own. As parents, it is important for you to help your children learn to read by working together with them at home. Using ABRACADABRA, your child can practice alphabetics, fluency, comprehension, and writing in a fun, game-like environment.
Research shows that when parents take part in helping their children learn to read, their child will improve their:
- Reading skills
- Understanding of language
- Communication skills
- Interest in reading
- Enjoyment of reading
- Overall success in the classroom
Because of this research, we believe that parents can play a large role in their child’s learning by bringing reading and writing into the home. ABRA is also used in the classroom. Make sure to check with your child’s teacher to make the best use of ABRA together.
Kindergarten and Grades One & Two
Kindergarten is your child’s entry point into school. During this year, your child will enrich their vocabulary, and continue to discover a love for reading and writing. He or she will also learn to recognize letters and sounds, as well as counting syllables in a word.
The first grade is an important step in your child’s life. Essentially, everything is put in place for them to succeed in learning how to read and write.
During the second grade, your child reinforces their capacity and motivation to read and write.
This document provides an overview of the literacy skills children are likely to achieve in Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2.
A Balanced Literacy Approach
ABRA activities support four key literacy skills: alphabetics, reading fluency, comprehension, and writing.
A Balanced Literacy Approach
ABRA activities support four key literacy skills: alphabetics, reading fluency, comprehension, and writing.
To learn more, select an item on the left selector to continue.
Alphabetics
This skill refers to the ability to associate sounds with letters and then to use those letters to create words. Children need frequent opportunities to practice sounds and words.
Fluency
This skill refers to the ability to read a text out loud accurately, at an appropriate speed, and with proper expression. Fluent readers are able to decode the words in a text quickly, and thus can concentrate on the meaning.
Comprehension
This skill targets reading for meaning, which is the goal of learning how to read.
Writing
This skill addresses the use of letters and words to create sentences and texts for others to read, so that children can learn important lessons about communication.
Alphabetics
This skill refers to the ability to associate sounds with letters and then to use those letters to create words. Children need frequent opportunities to practice sounds and words.
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Fluency
This skill refers to the ability to read a text out loud accurately, at an appropriate speed, and with proper expression. Fluent readers are able to decode the words in a text quickly, and thus can concentrate on the meaning.
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Comprehension
This skill targets reading for meaning, which is the goal of learning how to read.
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Writing
This skill addresses the use of letters and words to create sentences and texts for others to read, so that children can learn important lessons about communication.
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What Is READS?
READS stands for Repository of Ebooks And Digital Stories. A repository or database is an organized collection of material that may be searched. Thus, READS is a bilingual catalogue of digital books and it is accessible through the LTK+ Lobby Page. The books in READS may be used to complement the fluency and comprehension activities in ABRA by providing access to additional stories. The latest version of READS provides easy access to over 700 online books in a multitude of languages and genres. Furthermore, children are taken on an exploration of various cultures, countries, and interesting customs, as we have books published from all over the world!
To learn more, take a look at the Getting Started document by clicking the button below.
