Beginning Writers Camp (Ages 6-8)

Hi! My name is Abby Riske. I have worked as a teacher for 15 years and my biggest passion is teaching early literacy skills for ages 4-8.

I have worked as a first grade classroom teacher as well as a Reading Recovery teacher. Reading Recovery is a program that works with 1st grade students one on one, who are struggling with reading. This program required a year of graduate level training. I have also worked as a reading tutor for grades K-5. I absolutely love helping kids read! Learning letter sounds, sight words, blending words, comprehension skills; it’s all fun to me and I can make it fun for your child too! I also love helping kids find and read books that match their reading level and building their confidence in reading and writing. 

What I offer:

Reading:  I offer various classes for the 4-8 age group on developing literacy skills. These classes include an ongoing beginning reading series, which takes kids from beginning Kindergarten levels through the end of 1st grade.  These classes follow a guided reading model, where students work on skills while also reading 1 new book per week at their appropriate level.  I also offer a class on learning sight words.

Writing: I teach several different writing classes, each with a different focus.  My "Learn to Write" class is for ages 4-6 and focuses on handwriting and letter sounds.  My "Ready to Write" class is all about writing skills like punctuation, hearing and recording sounds in words, learning spelling patterns, using sight words, and writing complete sentences.  This class is for ages 5-8.  My "Weekly Writing Practice" class is geared towards ages 6-9 and teaches different types of writing, such as informative, narrative, opinion, and creative.  

Life Skills: I love teaching life skills on topics such as how to be responsible, have a good attitude in life, and how to be a problem solver. I teach these skills through books, discussion, activities, and crafts. These classes are offered to ages 6-10.

My teaching style: My teaching style is fairly low-tech and mimics classroom small group instruction.  I mostly teach using a document camera, whiteboard, and visuals.  Some classes use a short power point presentation.  Classes for younger students involve songs, chants, and fingerplays.  There are many opportunities in my classes for students to answer questions and/or share their work.  I am positive and encouraging and love getting to know my students! 

A few thing about me: My absolute favorite thing to do is reading! I have loved reading ever since I was young. I think that if you have a love for books and reading, you will never be bored! I also like crafting with my 2 girls, playing with my dogs, and enjoying summer campfires with s’mores!