Learning at Home

It is essential that students practice newly acquired skills at home with their families.  Please note the following suggestions:

flashcards- Use either numbers, letters or high frequency words.  Make it a game by giving the child the cards that are identified correctly and keeping the cards that are incorrect.  

writing in shaving cream-  Squirt a small amount of shaving cream on a plate. Smooth it down and allow child to practice writing letters, numbers, and words with their fingers in the cream. 

writing in sand tray- Line a small tray or clothing box with a shallow layer of sand.  Allow child to practice writing letters, numbers, and words with their fingers in the sand.  Shake gently to erase. 

counting objects- Give child a handful of dry noodles, dry cereal, small candies, paperclips, etc. to count.  You may also provide paper cups, bowls, or bags with numbers printed on the side and have child place that number of objects in each container.    

rhyming practice- Recite rhyming poems while driving in the car, waiting for an appointment, or while child is in the bathtub.  Emphasize the words that rhyme.  Practice making rhyming words with fun markers, gel pens, magnadoodles, or magnetic letters. 

Letter & Number Stickers- Buy inexpensive scrapbooking stickers and allow your child to create words on paper. Letter stickers can also be used to create small captions for drawings and coloring pages.  

Recommended Learning Toys

These are wonderful Christmas/Birthday gifts!

Magnadoodle, Aquadoodle, or DoodlePro.  These are fun toys that can encourage writing/letter formation practice.

Leapfrog Fridge Phonics- comes with a set of magnetic letters.  Sings a song to identify each letter, sound, and recites the alphabet.

Leapfrog Word Whammer- allows kids to build three letter closed syllable words by trying sounds in different positions.