I received some exciting news today in regards to the little cutie pictured above. His mom contacted me last spring about helping him learn the alphabet. She was concerned because, despite being in preschool at a public school, he could not identify all the letters of the alphabet or what sounds each made, nor write his name. Wanting him to be ready for Kindergarten in the fall, she had me work with him 1-2 times per week throughout the spring and a few times during the summer.
I found resources to help him learn a few letters per session in a fun way. He ran cars on letter “roads,” made Play-Doh letters, and wrote letters in salt and in shaving cream. He smacked letter “flies” with a fly swatter and squished dried foam with letters written on top, as I called out their names or sounds they made. Using an ink dabber, he dabbed all of one particular letter printed among others on a sheet. He used a dry erase marker to circle all of the pictures that started with a particular sound. After learning to hold a pencil correctly, we worked on writing the upper and lower case versions of each letter on paper.
He wanted me to teach him how to write his name, “Dad,” “Mom,” and “Ned” (that’s his dog). 🙂
After he had his alphabet identification, sounds, and writing down, we started in on reading. I have used the book Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons with children and found it to be effective. After each lesson, he put a sticker on a sheet, so we could track his progress. I knew he loved dinosaurs, so I got some cool dino stickers for him. He had filled one sticker sheet at the 30-lesson mark and got to keep the sheet (first photo).
Anyway, back to today…
I got a report from his dad about their recent parent-teacher conference. Apparently, his teachers are recommending that I switch to focusing on math with him, since he is above where he needs to be in reading. Hooray! His parents weren’t sure they’d be able to send him to Kindergarten this year, because he hadn’t learned the basics in preschool, but now he is ahead of the game. I’m so proud of how hard this adorable little guy has worked and how far he has come!
Resources Used:
Printable letter activities: https://www.giftofcuriosity.com/literacy-activities-for-kids-page/
http://therelaxedhomeschool.com/free-abc-workbook/
Do-A-Dot markers: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Markers-Rainbow-Washable-Original/dp/B00004W3Y4
Squish the Foam Letters idea: https://www.giftofcuriosity.com/smash-the-puffy-letters-101-ways-to-teach-the-alphabet/ However, this recipe worked better: https://artfulparent.com/2015/07/diy-puffy-paint-for-kids.html. Make sure to get shaving foam and not shaving gel. Let it dry overnight and then use a Sharpie to write the letters. I didn’t put the dough in a bag, but just put dollops on the cookie sheet.
**blog post written and pictures shared with permission of the student’s parents.
