Government studies confirm that children who are read to and and who
recognize the letters of the alphabet have an easier time learning how
to read and thus do better in school, so maximize your children's
exposure to the letters of the alphabet. Give them alphabet books,
alphabet blocks, alphabet magnets and clothing decorated with the
alphabet. Here are some ideas for using such objects in simple alphabet
and spelling games that you can play with your young children, to help
them get off on the right foot, and do it all while making it an
enjoyable part of everyday life.
Make a game of naming the
letters of the alphabet and pronouncing the sounds that they make.
Practice them in alphabetical order and, later, in random order. Sing
the alphabet song, while pointing to the letters of the alphabet. Go
around the room and hang signs on common objects with simple one and
two-syllable names: "table," "bed," "lamp," and such. Help your
children name the letters in them and spell and pronounce the words.
Later, once the spellings are known, remove the signs, but continue to
have the children spell the words for you. Look at pictures of everyday
objects and use movable letters, such as alphabet magnets or blocks or
flash cards, to form the words and practice their spellings.
Always
try to reinforce that magical connection between the names of letters,
the sounds that letters make, and how the letters come together to form
pronouncable words that represent real objects, but always keep it
within the confines of fun and games. Create no pressure and don't
criticize for wrong answers, but give plenty of praise for correct
ones. Be imaginative and light-hearted in your approach.
Don't
force rote learning on young children, and never forget that individual
children learn at different rates. Let them absorb what they can, as
their cognitive skills develop, and reinforce progress made by
practicing it in as many different settings and contexts as possible.
For example, one day it might be pictures in books, another day it may
be alphabet blocks or magnets spelling out words, another day hang
signs on objects, another day wear an alphabet T-shirt and point to the
letters on it. Indoors and outdoors, you might sometimes look at
objects and name them, then write out the words and spell them. At
other times, with a child who's already mastered the basics, you could
make simple rebusses to demonstrate the connections between pictures
and written words.
Create artwork with your children. While fingerpainting a flower, you
might help the child fingerpaint the letter "F" for flower. Guide your
child's hand in forming letter shapes to imitate those seen on alphabet
blocks and such, or paint a letter and work it into a design. Create
letters in paint and in clay, carve them into bars of soap, draw them
in crayon, scratch them in the sand at the beach, form letters in
shaving cream on the bathroom mirror - use whatever is at hand to
create spontaneous moments of joyful sharing with your child.
Variety
of media, times of day, and places will keep it all fresh and fun and
reduce the risk of boredom. Learning should not be dull or tedious.
It's a key part of life and there should be no arbitrary boundaries
between daily life, learning and play. (Also, beyond the immediate goal
of promoting alphabet skills, positive learning experiences at an early
age can make learning, itself, an exciting opportunity for discovery
and feelings of accomplishment. Self-affirming early learning
experiences help children start school with more positive attitudes
that can affect their success in school... and in life.)
Read Full ArticleResources forQ-gifts.com
Post a Comment