Learning letter sounds and shapes is exciting!
Learning the letter sounds and shapes is an exciting time for a child. It is a time when the “code” of reading and writing is unlocked. It is also a stage when children begin to realize a whole new world is opening up to them.
Do you have a child who is learning the letter sounds/shapes for the first time?
If you have a child learning the letter sounds/shapes for the first time, it is a good idea to keep in mind the varying ways children learn. For many kiddos, phonics instruction needs to encompass auditory, visual, and bodily kinesthetic activities. This means instruction needs to involve more than just a child’s eyes and ears. It is often helpful for learning to involve the body as well.
Often we expect children to learn letter sounds and shapes from passive activities.
Often we expect kiddos to pick up and retain letter sounds/shapes from watching letter-based shows (which is a passive activity). Or, perhaps we expect our kiddos to learn letter sounds and shapes by playing letter-based computer games. Even though this is a less passive activity, it is still mainly eye-based and ear-based. While there is nothing wrong with these types of activities, it is good to pair them with something less passive. Often there is improved retention of letter sounds and shapes if we actually involve a child’s whole body in the learning process.
How can learning the letter sounds and shapes be a bodily-kinesthetic activity?
Little Hands to Heaven uses kiddos’ large and small motor skills in conjunction with their eyes and ears to learn letter sounds and shapes. The guide incorporates a wide variety of bodily activities to get kiddos moving and learning at the same time. For example, kiddos trace large masking tape letters on the floor by tiptoeing on the outline of the letter. As they trace the letter, they say the letter sound. When they reach the end of the letter… they jump off! Kiddos also glue cereal pieces, raisins, or marshmallows on marker outlines of letters. Or, they may trace a letter outline on construction paper using an ice cube or paint.
Through a corresponding finger play each week, kiddos learn hand motions to signify each letter sound. As a flashcard for the letter is shown, kiddos say the sound along with demonstrating the corresponding hand motion. These are just a few of the activities in Little Hands to Heaven that make learning a whole body experience.
What if your child already knows the letter sounds?
Even if your child already knows the letter sounds, he/she will still benefit from the activities in Little Hands to Heaven. This is because these activities are also designed to hone large and small motor skills. The exercises in the guide also strengthen eye tracking skills needed for reading. All of these skills are a great help as children begin to read and write!
No matter what type of learner you have, Little Hands to Heaven is designed to address their needs.
Since Little Hands to Heaven was written with all types of learners in mind, it encompasses all learning styles. This means that no matter what type of learner you have, Little Hands to Heaven was written for you! Taking only 30 minutes each day, Little Hands to Heaven is a Bible-based readiness program that takes no planning or preparation. Designed for ages 2-5, Little Hands to Heaven will help you create wonderful memories with your child using fun learning that seems like play! If you have little ones, consider Little Hands to Heaven today!
Blessings,
Carrie
This Post Has 2 Comments
When I was little, we lived in Germany for a couple of years. I attended Kindergarten there looking back it was so different in many ways than here in America. One difference was word sounds we didn’t learn and say ABC’s like here instead we learned to say them by their sounds. This helped greatly when it came to learning to read words then books.
Little Hands to Heaven does this as well! It worked wonderfully well, and it helped our sons learn to read more quickly.