The first step to reading readiness is being able to understanding that there is a relationship between letters and sounds through written language. Children who cannot hear and work with the phonemes of spoken words will have a difficult time learning how to relate these phonemes to letters when they see them in written words. Before reading groups begin, our K Prep students are working hard (and playing hard) to connect each letter with the sound it makes as well as identifying the first sound in a spoken word. How do we learn this important skill in K Prep? Playful learning!
The K Prep students did the first entry in their journals today about what we were thankful for, after reading Bear Says Thanks. We saw a lot of family faces in those entries!
Journal writing is one of the foundation blocks of our language arts philosophy. Each week, the children have a set time to write in their journals. The journal serves as a valuable learning tool. The children are beginning to get their ideas on paper and learn first hand the power of words. Research shows that journaling is one of the most effective ways to teach and learn phonics.
Children at the beginning stages often use “scribble writing” or random letters to represent words. As they progress, they will begin to use the letters that represent the sounds in the words that they are attempting to write (“btrfli” for butterfly). We make good use of the children’s growing phonics by helping them listen carefully to the words they wish to use. Our ultimate goal is for each child to learn to communicate on paper whether it is through words or illustrations.
Children draw pictures as the main part of their communication at these early stages. Drawing helps them find the words they might want to use in their writing. We saw a lot of words in these first entries….very impressive!
We worked today in small groups on sequencing events. Sequencing is the ability to put the events of a story in the order in which they occurred. Teaching sequencing to early learners is important because logical order of thinking is fundamental to reading and everyday life.
Creative Tots has specialized in the private education of both toddlers and preschool age children for over 15 years. We began in the heart of Madeira and now also have a new Mason location. We are specifically designed to focus on early childhood development for children ages 18 months to 5 years.
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