Welcome Back!!

Welcome back to the families from last year and I want to welcome all of the new families.  Please check regularly as we will be posting lots of information and ideas and what has been happening in our classroom.

Recognizing the Alphabet Letters

Being able to recognize upper and lower case letters is a skill that is essential to future reading and writing success.  Below are some suggestions to help your child at home to recognize letters.

1.  Letters are made up of curvy and straight lines.  Use materials such as straws, pipe cleaners, yarn and toothpicks to form letters.

2.  Form letters using playdough.  You can trace letters on a paper and your child can cover it up with playdough. 

3.  Write the letters on index cards and look them over at night.

4.   When reading a story look for a few letters in the story.  We use a fly swatter with a hole cut out in the middle to find the letters class. 

5. Post 5 or 6 letters around the house. Have your child go on a letter search. When they find the letter and can identify it, have your child put it on the fridge.

6. Make letters in "finger paint" ways. Use pudding, shaving cream, apple sauce. Say a letter and have your child make it.

7. Put magnets on the fridge and put in order and have your child say the alphabet.

8. Fridge Phonics is a great toy!!!

9. Place 12 upper and lower case letters on the floor. Make your own or you may have some store bought letters. Play a matching game. Match the upper and lower case.

10. Using clothespins(available at the dollar store) write an uppercase letter on the clothespins and a lower case letter on an index card. Encourage your child to clip the clothespins on the matching card and name the letter.

11. Visit PBSkids.org. Click on games. There are numerous letter games that your child can play.

12. Scratch n'Sniff. Use a new sensation to teach the letters. Write letters with glue on paper, then sprinkle with jell-o powder. Makes a super sratch n'sniff when tracing over the letters.

PLEASE NOTE: It is very important to have your child say the letters as they find them or match them, not the adult.