Pre-Literacy: Letter Recognition

Letter Recognition: Recognizing the Letters of the Alphabet. You probably put that together on your own. Once you're in the thick of practicing letter recognition, you'll correlate objects and letters and say stuff like, "A is for apple. And Anna. And Alexandra." Just me?

A kindergarten teacher recently told me that almost all of her students wrote their names at the beginning of the school year--in CAPS only. She guessed it was because their parents taught them the capital letters, and then taught them to write their name with those letters. 52 symbols is a lot for a four-year-old to master, and no parent wants their child to be the only one not writing, do they? The pressure to write and read at earlier and earlier ages is intensifying, which I fear is imposing pressure on toddlers rather than facilitating growth in their natural desire to learn. 

Teach and practice letters as early and as often as you and your tot like, but make sure it's for fun! I looked no further than Pinterest to find my favorite letter-practicing ideas (but I'm linking to original sources):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Fishing for Knowledge" (letters written on juice lids fishing game instructions)

magnet letter matching tutorial

Tag Toys motor letters
These are gorgeous but too pricey for me--any DIY ideas? (I am imagining a small peg with buttons attached to each end through chipboard carved with an Exacto knife...)

P.S. ABC books and other alphabet gift ideas
Easy DIY dry-erase magnet board (cookie sheet)

Reading in the NICU or PICU

I am most excited about Day 4 of The Happy Day Project!

I haven't decided yet what book to give to which friend, but I'm hoping to squeeze in a perusal at the bookstore this evening.

Had you heard of The Joyful Life Library? I am so glad I learned about it! We sent Sandra Boynton's A to Z to Rady's Children Hospital in San Diego (selected because of our recent vacation). A to Z is one of the chosen on Baby A's read every day several times a day list, so I hope another child and parent enjoy it, too. 

As a mother and a lover of children's books, the story and cause hit me at my core. Spending just one day in level 1 (least intensive) NICU with Baby A gave me a tiny glimpse of parents who spend so much of their tiny baby's life in worry and wait. I don't pretend to know their feelings, but I hope to lighten their load even a little. And here's an interesting short article about how reading may help with bonding and coping during hospital stays.

P.S. Isn't today's printable just the cutest?

P.P.S. This project is blissing me out with gratitude! Two more weeks until Thanksgiving! Can you believe it?

ABC Gifts

There are so many alphabet-related books and resources. I just gathered up a few special ideas for gifts, or just for fun:

P is for Paintbrush mural:

This is a one-of-a-kind, handpainted watercolor, in an 8x10 frame. Can you find all the a words? I'll give you a clue: there are eight, not counting Alexandra nor and. The artist of P is for Paintbrush is Baby A's Auntie Jenna, and if you'd like to order one, email me, and I'll send you her contact information.

Baby shower activity:

 I recently attended a baby shower for my cousin, and each guest colored and wrote at least one letter for her baby's first alphabet book. How neat! He'll get clever messages from people who love him. This was a scrapbook kit plus markers--easy peasy! And it's fun for people whether or not they like cheesy baby shower games.

Alphabet book that's not just for tinies:

Alison Jay's A Child's First ABC Alphabet follows an adventurer through vibrant and full illustrations with a vintage flair (soft crackle paint look). But the grown-up readers can have just as much fun searching for patterns--a clue about the next page is in every picture. This book was suggested by a friend of mine who bought it at BYU Museum of Art, and when you see it, that seems fitting.

Fun words and animals alphabet book:

 I saw this suggestion at Design Mom, and I trust her taste. I haven't found it yet, but I will! Here's her review of it.

If you're bored of the standard alphabet song, here's a quirky one from none other than our Canadian friends, the Barenaked Ladies', kids' album:

Who would you give these to? (In my head, I'm saying, Actually, I think it is: To whom would you give these? because, yes, I'm crazy.)

W is for Wishing you a Wonderful Weekend!