Hurricanes, Rice, and Writing

The preschool years play a key role in the development of literacy. At this age, your budding writers are engaging in the important work of preparing to read and write. Before the formal study of literacy can be acquired, pre-writing and pre-reading skills need to be mastered. One of these skills consists of phonological awareness. Phonological awareness refers to letters representing sounds, that, when strung together, make words that create meaning. There are several ways to encourage phonological awareness. One thing we do daily is a show and tell of different items that begin with the letter of the week. For this particular week, we are learning about the letter H, so each child selected a particular item begininng with the letter H out of a hat. We then discuss the “H” sound that we hear in the word. We also sing silly songs that reinforce our understanding of this letter. For this particular activity, we used unsharpened pencils to rice to create our very own H’s.

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Poker Chips and Patterns

We have been talking about the letter I this week! Using silly songs, props, and a variety of learning activities, we have integrated this letter into our week of the Ichthyosaurus! Using poker chips and the letter I, we combined math and literacy to supplement our awareness of this fascinating vowel. To start, your child was given a color pattern that they were directed to replicate on their letter. They were then instructed to verbally count their items. Teaching patterns and sequencing to young children is an integral component to the concept of emerging mathematics. They facilitate an understanding of one to one correspondence (i.e. matching sets, recognizing groups) and foster one’s ability to count verbally.

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B is for Block

We have been learning about the many words that begin with the letter B. We began our week with “Butterfly” and “Blocks”. To help make this activity fun and memorable, our task was to place blocks inside a large letter B. By doing this, your little one incorporated several developmental domains. They not only accessed their ability to evaluate space (How many blocks will fit?), but were given the opportunity to work with their peers. Social development is an essential component in many of our activities. They build self-esteem, create community, and encourage conflict resolution, which is essential as they continue to grow and flourish!

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A Creative Way to Learn About the Letter I

Using blocks, a picture of the letter I, and our learning minds, we created our very own letter I! In young children, gross motor skills are the first to develop, therefore creating a need to continually introduce your budding writer to an array of fine motor activities. These activities build a foundation for the later manipulating of various writing utensils. Playing with Lego building blocks, cutting paper with scissors, and putting puzzles together all serve a developmental purpose. They not only promote coordination, but improve dexterity and hand control.

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