As we wrap up our learning unit entitled..."Sticks & Hoops & Alphabet Soups", I wanted to reflect on some key points:
1. It is never too early to teach your children to read. Did you realize that your child begins to recognize certain forms and shapes as early as 2 months. This is a key component in recognizing or "visualizing" what shapes letters can take on in the mind of your infant.
2. Phonetics is a beautiful thing. A suggestion while singing the "ABC" song is to also isolate the sounds that they make. Once your child has heard this song several times to familiarity, start to introduce the sounds as well. A great little activity is to turn your home into "Sesame Street". An example of this would be..."This week is sponsored by the letter "A". Think of as many "A" words as you can...then cut several A's and position them throughout your home...you can also cut out pictures of animals, fruit, toys, etc... that start with "A". The more your child is able to understand "Phonemic awareness", the better able they are to identify and formulate on their own, specific words, which in turn strengthens core reading skills.
3. Incorporate physical skills to enhance reading comprehension. The Little Gym provides the perfect environment for "feeling" what letters are all about. "Can you turn your body into a "Y", a "T", an "L" as an example? Not only can your child experience their own walking-talking alphabet, but have a blast doing it to a background of high-energy music and constant positive feedback.
Stay tuned for next week's blog topic...
"Movement Arts & Body Parts"...a look into knowing and feeling where your body parts are during movement and rotation.
Thanks for reading,
Mr. Joel