Arts n' Crafts for the Letter "A"You can help children learn the the letters of the alphabet by reinforcing letters with fun activities. Here are some letter "A" activities shared by Chris Yates of http://www.kidcraftsmagazine.com/.
Thumbprint Ants – Draw an ant hill with a marker on a plain sheet of construction paper. Use a black washable stamp pad or black paint and have your child put a thumbprint on the paper (or several thumbprints). Draw six legs and eyes on the thumbprints to make them look like spiders.
Ant Thumbprint Counting Book – You can also adapt this craft to create “Ant Books” to go along with “The Ants Go Marching” song. Create counting books using one page for each verse of the song. On the first page, make one thumbprint ant. If old enough, have the child write a number one. If not, write a one for them. Continue counting up for as many pages and verses you wish for your “Ant Book” when singing the song. This is a great way to get in a little counting practice with children too.
Stop by tomorrow for our monthly To-Do List.
The first song I ever sang to the infant was "ABCs" and now we have a lot of fun singing it also as she is older. Fun, fun, fun is the name of the game of teaching pre-schoolers. I don't like flash cards or "school like" methods of teaching for youngest kids. We have puzzles and I ask her to show me the "A" in the same fashion I have tried to teach shapes. I love these activities since I'm always looking for FUN ways to encourage learning.
ReplyDeleteWe write the alphabet in many different types and ways as possible. Using sticks and sand at the playground, finger painting, pudding painting, shaving cream painting, cooking spaghetti, bending pipe cleaners. Sensory and tactile. (Those are school like methods that I have learned, trust me, they are fun so don't be afraid to pick up teacher books for inspiration.) I also have been on teacher like websites to get ideas on writing a big letter on a piece of paper then what types of little things begin with each letter to glue on a piece of paper -- like popcorn for p, cotton balls for C, leaves for L. My charge loves looking at what she created. My charge does play hide, seek and hunt for the flashcards to put them back in alphabetical order. She will at 5, now practice writing her letters.
ReplyDeleteIt is said that manuscript printing is direcetly tied to how soon a child can pick up the ability to read. However, with so mandates in our schools something that falls by the wayside in many schools is the time to learn how to print letters. My charge wants to read, so in order to help we do all types of things that involve writing. -- I don't dismiss teacher ideas, they have degrees nand experience with a wider range of children than we nannies have.
Put letters on post-it notes and have the kids run around the house putting the letters on objects that start with that letter!
ReplyDeletethanks for the great ideas newsletter and for more great ideas lisa. i will def try these fun ideas. i make apple everything in the autumn to reinforce the letter A.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first started as a nanny, the family had a 3 month old and at her naptimes I just rocked her and sang The ABCs by the time she could talk, she was singing the song back to me! With the older to children we did flashcards and puzzles!!
ReplyDeleteDarlene: Read books, read books, read books!! I start singing the abcs and pointing in board books as early as possible.
ReplyDeleteSuzanne: We always sing the abc's when we brush our teeth, there is a poster of the alphabets in their playroom and like Darlene said read, read, read and read some more :)
Kari: do a weekly letter Craft.. A then b then C , etc.... Have a parade and a musical instruments ( pot lids and spoons, etc and walk around the room singing he ABC's.. I always sing the Alphabet "wrong" so the children have to correct me.
or you can have A day B day C day, etc food, songs, crafts, etc related to that letter:)
Katherine: I like the ideas of both the above posts! I've also done a Letter-of-the-Week theme. I written the names of objects starting with a particular letter on index cards, and kept them taped to the objects during the week. Depending on their ages, I would also make up silly tongue twisters emphasizing that letter, or draw the letters out on the driveway and let the child trace them. When I read to them, I also point to the words and letters as I read so they can make that association early on. You can also try Alphabet Hide-and-Seek, in which you and the children look for things that start with that letter around the house or neighborhood, on license plates, etc. Another idea is to make an alphabet scrapbook, using pictures from magazines, stickers etc.
Michele: Place Mats you can get them for everything plus just sing the ABC song all the time !! and FLASH CARDS seriously this Nanny 101 !!
Sarah: Get clear contact paper and stick it sticky side out against a wall or sliding door with painters tape. Then get foam letter ( the kind for use in the bath tub ) and allow kids to peel them off and put them back on. You can keep the paper up until its not sticky anymore. Kids have SO much fun with this. My two year old charge knows the entire alphabet, and has for a WHILE now! I also made sure to tell him which letter was which, and the color. Double lesson! :D
Suzanne: I also make sure they are familiar with the letters in their name. Writing their name on everything. Make up a song using the letters in the child's name, Bingo is a great song to switch out Bingo with the child's name :)
Ctr Nanny: Growing up we sang everything we learned first
helping your children learn the alphabet does not require a fancy lesson plan or expensive supplies. Nice share!
ReplyDeleteI am kim - child psychologist in Denver