Reading and Writing

Reading, Writing, and Language Early Learning Activities

Kindergarten Readiness – Learning That Sticks

Stickers are another great fun project for practicing the alphabet and inexpensive, too. To add an extra layer or two of learning, point to the letters and say their names. Or have your child say the names. Randomly pick a letter for your little one to find. Notice which letters look very different, and which the same. This appeals to children with different learning styles: the visual learners like the color and shapes, the auditory ones hear the sounds and names, and the hands-on, kinesthetique learners like to touch and stick. Some children will only want to, or be able to, stick the letters on a piece of paper in any order. Some may want to make the whole alphabet. This activity is flexible enough for various levels of children’s readiness but fun for them all! Lick n’stick or peel n’stick. Helps learning stick. Is this activity stuck on you?
 

Kindergarten Readiness – Stamp It Up ABC

With scrapbooking being popular it is now much easier to find a whole set of alphabet stamps. There’s even a choice in fonts and styles and a missing letter doesn’t involve turning the room upside down and inside out to locate it. Phew. And best of all, ink pads have washable ink! Stamping out a page of letters is an activity that appeals to children with a visual learning style. Kinesthethic kids love the hands-on and stamping action. Auditory munchkins enjoy saying the letters as they stamp away. This project has learning value at several levels. Matching letter names and images is certainly beneficial, but just seeing which way letters go and noticing how some look very different from the others and some look almost the same are also important.Sure is better than the olden days when we had  to make stamps out of potatoes and the ink was goopy tempra, (like we did so long ago in February to stamp out valentines)!

Kindergarten Readiness – Alphabet Eats

Children do not all have the same learning style, nor the same interests. Some children are keen to figure out the alphabet, copy and print letters and learn to write their name. Others are not at all interested to the point where they declare paper and pencil activities their “arch enemies” (direct quote). But all children love cookies. Mix up a batch of dough or use frozen dough–some kinds are better than others. Use only a few letters at a time and just watch how quickly a reluctant learner can identify a letter when the reward is eating the cookie. True, this could also be called bribery but the cookies can be the nutritious kind.

Here are some other ideas for ways to use letters at mealtimes. On pancake mornings pour a little batter in the shape of a letter and wait just a few seconds for the edges to dry. Then pour the rest of the pancake on top of the letter. When you flip the pancake over, it really does show the letter. Oh, the letter needs to be backwards.  For plain pancakes, pour the syrup in a letter. Ketchup can be squirted in letter shapes, too. Carrot slices and circles can make the alphabet. Time for a cup of  T.

Kindergarten Readiness – Fridges and Alphabets

I am almost reluctant to remind families about using magnetic letters as a tool to help children learn the alphabet. Even though it has been years and years, I remember one pre-supper ‘arsenic hour’, when I gave my daughter a few letters to amuse her while I worked in the kitchen. Somehow, one of the letters got caught … Continue reading Kindergarten Readiness – Fridges and Alphabets

Kindergarten Readiness – ABC Activities for Learning Styles

Each of us has a preferred learning style. Some people are visual learners, some are auditory and others are kinesthetic. People with a visual learning style prefer seeing or reading about something new; auditory learners like explanations and stories; kinesthetics need hands-on manipulating and feeling. This is very over-simplified. In reality, we learn using all three … Continue reading Kindergarten Readiness – ABC Activities for Learning Styles

Kindergarten Readiness – Practicing Letters

Motivating a munchkin to practice letters is no trick when the medium is so yummy. Mix up a batch of chocolate pudding, put a couple of spoonfuls onto a big plastic plate or container lid and write away. Licks are allowed. While you are mixing it up, you can take advantage of having close attention and work on … Continue reading Kindergarten Readiness – Practicing Letters

Kindergarten Readiness – A is for Angel in a Tree

One morning this week we woke up to a bright, colorful kite draped across the trees down the hill. The kite wings had an extensive span and the face smiled at us from the treetops. This photo requires lots of imagination, especially because the wind was quite strong and whole hillside seemed to be quivering.  It … Continue reading Kindergarten Readiness – A is for Angel in a Tree