Letter Puppets

Want a quick art activity that could help teach letter names and sounds?  Make letter puppets!  I wouldn't recommend making puppets out of all the letters in one day, but once in a while, it could be fun to add to the puppet collection.

What you need:

1. Popsicle sticks (one or two for each letter).  These are fairly inexpensive to buy at a craft store.  Or just save them after eating your sweet popsicle treat!

2. A printout of a letter and object that starts with that letter from a website, such as:  http://www.enchantedlearning.com/letters/big/index.shtml

3. Crayons

4. Glue

5. Scissors

Instructions:

1. Print out the letter and object of your choice from the above website. 

2. Have your child color the picture.  Talk about the letter, and discuss that the object in the picture starts with that letter.  Make the letter sound together.  Make it a silly game (e.g., "S" is for ssssnake.  Ssssss).

3. Cut out the letter and the object you have chosen.

4. Glue it to the popscicle stick.  If the cutouts seem large, you might consider using two sticks to hold up the paper.

5. Have your child play with the puppet, repeating the letter name and sound. 

Once you have made a collection of puppets, your child can have them interact with each other.  They can be fun sticks to play with. 

Even if he/she doesn't grasp the concept yet, it's okay.  This still provides some background knowledge, which will help him/her understand the information taught in school.

Bit the Bullet and Bought Something

Those who know me really well know how frugal I am.  If I can make due without something, I typically do.  I usually just buy what we need - not that I don't get tempted to splurge.  I'd just rather save the money.  Today, though, I did something a little out of character.  While shopping for another child's birthday gift, I bought a learning toy for my son.

It was actually only $25, and nowadays, that's a steal.  It's the LeapFrog Fridge Words:  Magnetic Word Builder.  It costs almost double that to buy him a plush toy that teaches nothing. 

This toy comes with big magnetic letters that you put together to form words.  My son loves letters, magnets, and talking toys, so I know this will be a hit.  Plus, at a friend's house, he's played with the similar LeapFrog letter game, so that pretty much cinched it for me.

Making the transition from letters to words is not easy, so this will help me guide my son to word building.  Finally, it'll be a kitchen toy, so I can ensure he's doing something productive while I make meals. 

I thought about saving it as a Christmas gift to justify the expense, but then again, what better gift can I give my son than the gift of phonological awareness?  Think of how much more he can learn between now and Christmas.

Position Song

When I took high school French, I was taught a position song in order to learn the location of certain objects (specifically, below, above, in front of, behind, next to, and in).

I taught this song to my 1st and 2nd grade students - in English, of course.  Not in French.  The kids loved singing it and using the hand motions. 

We used our face as the object, and our hand showed position.  Here's the song, sung to the tune of "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush" (description of hand motions in parentheses):

(hand under chin) Below

(hand above head) Above

(hand in front of mouth) In front of

(hand behind head) Behind

(hand in front of mouth) In front of

(hand behind head) Behind

(hand in front of mouth) In front of

(hand behind head) Behind.


(hand under chin) Below

(hand above head) Above

(hand in front of mouth) In front of

(hand behind head) Behind.


(hands on either side of face) Next to
 
(finger pointing toward the inside of the mouth) And in
 
If you try it with your children, let me know how it goes.
 
 

Take a Cue from Your Kid

Your child will tell you when he/she is ready to learn.  I haven't really focused on shapes too much, but lately, my son has been asking if certain shapes are squares, circles, etc.  He's pointed to the dog-food container lid, which have triangles on it, and said, "Look, Mommy!  Triangles."  At the store, he's pointed at the floor tiles, and said, "We have to get the squares, Mommy!"

Okay, it's time.  We're taking a break from (not abandoning) colors, and will be casually/informally pointing at objects around us throughout the day (e.g., the cereal box, the wheels on his trucks, his Lego table, his ball, fruit at the supermarket, furniture).

Arts and crafts are another great way to learn shapes.  You can paste together many shapes to form different objects, like animals or houses.

In Kindergarten, he'll learn circle, triangle, square, rectangle, sphere, cone, and cube first.  So, I'm thinking I'll focus on those before the shapes with more sides.  Even though, if he asks what they are, I'll probably tell him.

So, rather than push him to focus on the topic I feel is important, if I take a cue from my son, he'll be more receptive to learning what I have to teach.

Super Why to the Rescue!

Too much television is never a great idea.  But there is such a thing as quality TV.

I was thrilled to find Super Why! on PBS.  This show answers questions often asked, and covers concepts discussed, in an elementary school classroom. 

In one episode, four Super Readers explore a book in order to solve a problem -- answering the often-asked questions in an elementary school classroom, "How is this book related to me?" or "What would I have done in this situation?"

The characters take viewers on a journey through one book, meanwhile practicing letter identification, spelling, and word families/rhyming.  Toward the end, the viewers are asked to choose which word would appropriately solve the main character's problem and change the story.  This choice is given in multiple-choice form - preparing children for the very rigorous standardized tests they will face once in school.

The best part is, this show is not overwhelming.  My son loves it, and has learned quite a few of his letters this way.

My understanding is that there is at least one school district in California that has included this show in its curriculum.

So maybe some television is good for kids!

Turn it Upside Down and Right Side Up

I am fascinated that my 3-year-old already knows when the cover of a book is upside down.  Maybe all kids his age are like that, but I'm thrilled he's pointing out that detail. 

I plan to use this as an opportunity to teach him Concepts of Print, which is a California state standard for students in Kindergarten and 1st grades.  When children are tested on Concepts of Print, they are asked to position the book right side up, differentiate between pictures and text, indicate that reading is done from left to right, point out a word, point out a letter, identify punctuation marks, etc.

So when reading with your child, it's a good idea to sit side by side, and informally mention some of these facts - maybe not all in one sitting, but a little at a time.  He/She might not get it right away, but by the time school starts, the background knowledge will be there.

Little By Little

Working with my 3-year-old, I'm fighting the urge to break out the workbooks, and feed him all this information at once.  Going over letters and colors with him, I am reminded of the first days of kindergarten when the children's attention span does not exceed five minutes.

Imagine.  My son's not even old enough for kindergarten, and I'm expecting the world all in one day!  So, I have to tell myself to take a step back, and work with the amount of time he allows me to have.

A few alphabet letters, and we're done.  A short discussion on shapes, and it's time to play.  A brief stint with sponge painting, and it's snack time!

It's going to take some getting used to, but I take comfort in knowing he's at least retaining something.  And this way, no one gets frustrated.