Introducing Letters and Sounds-Mnemonics

This is my third post in a series where I share with you my favorite activities and methods to expose our little literacy learners to the letters of the alphabet.  If you missed my first post about how much I love alphabet charts, you can click here.  If you missed my second post where I discuss using the letters in the child's name, you can click here.  This post will discuss my favorite way to incorporate sounds 
using mnemonics.

A mnemonic is a device used to aid in remembering something.  When it comes to the alphabet, the mnemonics are the pictures that begin with the sound made by the letter.  These pictures provide the children with a type of connection to the letter sound as they add it to their memory banks.  
For example an "apple" for the letter "Aa", a "bed" for the letter "Bb", and a "cat" for the letter "Cc".

  I feel lucky that our school adopted a set of universal mnemonics that are displayed consistently in every primary classroom.  We have a very talented retired teacher in the district who sat down and drew the pictures to go along with each letter.  I have these mnemonics up on my classroom wall, in an alphabet chart, and on flashcards. As I introduce each letter in my small groups, I reinforce it by saying the letter name, picture, and sound.  
For example, "A, apple, /a/".


There are so many wonderful letter-sound picture cards out there that can serve as mnemonics.  Here are links to two of my absolute favorites.  Each one uses a good, clear primary font and the picture that corresponds with each letter is very simple and unambiguous for children of all backgrounds.

Annie from The Moffatt Girls

Angelia from Extra Special Teaching

A resource that I love to use that incorporates mnemonics is the LeapFrog Letter Factory video.

Have you seen it?  LeapFrog has introduced the letters in a multisensory manner by allowing the child to attach the letter to its sound by a movement or action.  All of the letters are inside the Letter Factory training to make their correct sounds. They are each in their own rooms as Tad the Frog is introduced to them.  For example, all of the "C's" are shivering because they are "C...C...C...cold".

After each letter is introduced, they sing a simple song with a cute little tune that is easily picked up by children:   "The A says /a/.  
The A says /a/. 
Every letter makes a sound.  
The A says /a/."

I posted about this little video here when I was first introduced to it.  My daughter loved it!  I also found these awesome printable letter cards to go along with the mnemonics used in the movie on a blog called, Running With Scissors.  These letter cards are drawn by hand, didn't they come out beautiful?

I actually recommend this video to all of my parents to use as an additional tool at home to support their child's letter-sound development.  It is fairly inexpensive and can be purchased almost anywhere!  

What do you do to help your little literacy learners connect the letters of the alphabet with their sounds?

Plinko Anyone?

Have you ever heard of the game Plinko?
(I immediately think of The Price is Right, what about you?)

Well, have you ever thought of combining Plinko and Phonemic Awareness?  I sure hadn't but Lakeshore has!  They created an engaging game to help your little literacy learners develop their ability to isolate initial and final phonemes along with producing rhyming words!  

Their Phonemic Awareness Plinko game is a cute game that sits right on top of a table.  It includes 90 illustrated wooden chips with pictures of single-syllable words.  The players take turns dropping a chip and watching it drop down, bounce off the pegs, and then land into one of three categories:

Say the beginning sound
Say a rhyming word
Say the ending sound

Paige loved playing this game.  In fact, the first thing she wanted to do this morning was play the game!  She loved watching the chip fall down into one of the three slots.  In addition to the saying the beginning or ending sound she also named the letter that produced the sound.

I am always looking for fun ways to engage the children as they practice strengthening their foundational skills and was thrilled to be able to give you my honest review this product.  I would definitely recommend it and look forward to using it with my students!

Introducing Letters and Sounds-Names

This is my second post in a series of posts where I share with you some of my favorite activities and methods to expose our little literacy learners to the letters of the alphabet.  If you missed my first post about how I use alphabet charts, you can click here.  

In addition to using alphabet charts, I also like to reinforce the 
letters in the child's name.  

Many of my kinderkids come to school without the ability to recognize their name, let alone know that their name is comprised of letters.  If this is the case, I begin my instruction with name recognition.  As they improve their ability to recognize their name in print, we move on to learning about the first letter of their name, and then the remaining letters.  We talk about the names of the letters, what they look like, and the sounds they make. 

Here are some activities that I have done to help expose children to the letters in their names  (since I am not in school for two more weeks, my daughter had some fun practicing with her name to show you some of the activities):

~  Use or make tactile letters.  I create tactile letters using glue!  Write or print out the name first and then trace over it using  the glue (regular Elmer's glue is fine).  Then let it sit out overnight and the next day the child is able to feel the letters in their name.  As the child traces over each letter, reinforce the name of the letter.  (Adding sand or glitter may help with texture.)  

Here I printed out Paige's name using a font called, "ABCPrint".  You can download it to most computers for free here.  The top picture was just after I traced the letters with the glue.  The bottom picture shows the glue dry on the following day. 

~  If you have a group of students, you could identify the first letter in their names.  Then use the alphabet chart to put the names in alphabetical order.

~  Talk about and count the number of letters in their name.  If you have a group of children you can compare the length of the names and even graph them.

~  Write the first letter (or any of the letters) on an 8 X 10 piece of paper and have the child use a DO-A-DOT marker to trace over letter.  Ask the child to say the letter name and/or letter sound each time they push down with the DO-A-DOT.

Here Paige is practicing her P, saying, "P, /p/" each time she pushes down and makes a dot.

~  Go through magazines and cut out the letters in their name.

~  Match letter tiles, foam letters, or letters cut from an index card to a visual model of their name (or place the letters in the correct order). 

Because Paige is practicing using the proper case when writing her name, I gave her two sets of letters-an upper case set and a lower case set, using only the letters in her name.  She then had to choose the correct letters and place them in the correct order.  I also had her name the letters of her name in order and again randomly.

~  Sing the letters in their name.  Depending on the length of the name I have used the songs, "BINGO", "Happy Birthday", etc...

~  Find the letters in their name using Scrabble Cheez-Its.  They then eat them (the funnest part of course)!

~  Complete a sort: letters in name vs. letters that are not.

Paige used some foam sticky letters that we had.  If you keep scrolling down, you will find a FREEBIE for this activity!  There is a place to write the child's name if he/she needs a visual model.

~  Write the student's name with a highlighter and have the student practice tracing the letters with a pencil to write their name.  If the student is more advanced than this, he/she can rainbow write their name.

~  Use Highway ABC Cards.  Have the child pick out the letters in his/her name and use a car to drive over each letter.

You can find the Highway ABC Cards here.

~ Write letters of name on a paint stirrer (or even an index card) and again on individual clothespins.  The child clips the clothespins to the correct letters to spell their name.

~  Use playdough or bendable wax sticks (like Wikki Stix) to form the letters.

~  Use different writing utensils and materials to practice writing name (paint in bags, chalk, water on chalkboard/concrete, shaving cream, play dough, colored sand, salt trays, etc...). 

Here Paige is practicing forming her letters using some blue finger paint that I added to a Ziploc baggie.  I made sure to remind her NOT to use her fingernail!

All of these activities can be differentiated depending on the child's exposure to the alphabet.  For example, some children need to view a visual model of their name, other children are ready to do it without the visual model.  Some of the children are ready to form the letters, other children need to continue to identify the letters.  Each activity is geared to providing the child with multiple exposures to practice naming the letters.  Throughout each activity I reinforce the name of the letter and sometimes the sound it produces.  

For taking the time to read through this entire post, I wanted to share a FREEBIE with you!  If you click on the picture below, you can download the Letters In Name sorting sheet for free through my Teachers Notebook shop.  I also included some letter tiles to use with it. 

Thanks for bearing with me through this long post.  I would love to hear how you use the names of the children to reinforce alphabetic skills!

Enjoy!

Back to School Events

There are a lot of things happening over at Teachers Notebook that you don't want to miss!  Starting today through August 13th, Teachers Notebook is having their Back to School Bonanza Sale!

I have listed all of my products 50% off!!  Click on the picture to the right to head over to my shop!

Another exciting happening is the Back to School Teaching Expo.  It is coming on August 25th!  This is a fabulous way to earn some professional development hours at your own leisure, while sitting back in your own home!  (Once you view the presentations you are able to print out a certificate of completion to present to your school!)   

Right now, if you donate $10 you will receive a FREE ticket for yourself and that donation will also send 2 other teachers to the expo for free! 

This $10 donation, is half the regular price of a single ticket!  So you will be saving money, getting a ticket for yourself, and helping out two other teachers in the process!  How awesome is that!?

There are some great authors set to present.  In fact, my best bloggy friend will be presenting and I am super excited to see her presentation on Reading Success!

Will I see you there?

The Big Apple

This weekend I headed down to the Big Apple to meet some of my bloggy friends and fellow TBA Authors!  Although the New York City is only a 3 hour drive for me, I do not go there often.  It is intimidating to me and I am petrified of driving in NYC traffic.  But I did it, I did it!!

Many were in NYC to attend the BlogHer '12 conference and we all met for dinner.  Those who were attending the conference shared some tidbits they had learned.  Otherwise we spent the time chatting and eating!  

It was so very nice to meet everyone in person!  

My hubby came with me and was very supportive about driving down to meet people we've never met before!  He is shy and reserved like me, so I was happy to have him by my side because I definitely had some butterflies fluttering around in my tummy.  It was my little one's first trip to the NYC and she had a blast both in the city and socializing with everyone at dinner!!  (She on the other hand, is a little social butterfly!)

Did you know that when you attend a BlogHer conference you get logs and lots of free stuff (swag)?  Well, although I ended up not being able to attend the conference, I came home with the very best swag of all!  

This swag was made with love by my bloggy friends!  

(Thank you Hadar and Teri!)

And look how awesome these pens are!  

They say, "TBA Author and proud of it!"  

(Thank you Leslie!!)

Okay, now let's have some fun.  

Do you recognize all of the ladies in the first picture?  

Here we go, going from left to right:

Leslie from KindergartenWorks

Erica Bohrer from Erica Bohrer's First Grade

Teri from A Cupcake for the Teacher

Hadar from Miss Kindergarten

Charity from The Organized Classroom Blog

Tamara from Teaching With TLC

Angela from The Cornerstone

Crystal from Kreative in Kinder

ME!!
Mel D from Seusstastic Classroom Inspirations

Back to School Bonanza

Have you heard that Teachers Notebook is sponsoring a campaign to raise $10,000 (or more) from corporate sponsors and parents? All of the contributions to the campaign will be given to educators in the form of gift certificates to purchase the educational resources that they need.  How amazing is that?

But, they need your help to make sure educators have access to the educational resources that they need for back to school as well as for the school year. The additional educational resources will enable educators to better reach the varied academic levels of their students. As an educator, you know that we constantly strive to reach students above and below their grade level. Additional resources will help all students be actively engaged and more likely to reach their fullest potential.

Please help spread the word by clicking on the picture to visit the fund-raising site.  You could also help by sharing it on Facebook, your blogs, your Pinterest boards and Twitter. The more people who view the campaign, the more contributions will be made and the more gift certificates can be given away to educators just like you!!

A Whole Pack of Ladders

I am very excited about my newest Word Ladders Pack and I think you will be too!  I have had several requests to make more, so here they are!  These ladders are a fun way for our little literacy learners to build some of their foundational skills.

Background by www.mycutegraphics.com
If you are not familiar with them here is how they work:  the students start with the word on the bottom of the ladder.  As they climb up each rung, they follow the direction to change the the initial, final, or medial letter.  They then write and decode the new word.  With each change they practice the reading foundational skills of segmenting, substituting, and blending the letter-sounds as they decode each new single syllable word.

These can be used in so many ways.  Students can complete them individually or collaboratively.  They can be used with the entire class, in a literacy center, or  in small differentiated groups.  I use them with my small groups during word study as they progress through their reading foundational skills of phonics and word recognition. 

It is easy to pick and choose the ladders appropriate for your students' needs. This 25 page document is set up to include ladders for:

CVC words
words with initial digraphs

words with initial l-blends

words with initial s-blends

words with initial r-blends

words with final blends

mixture of all
*  Just a note-this pack does not include any long vowel patterns.

I have created other Word Ladder sets, so in case you missed any of them you can click here to go to my most recent post about them.  (You will even find a link to a FREEBIE once you are there!)


Hope you and your little literacy learners enjoy climbing their way up through their foundational skills!

Tell Me More...

I have been trying to catch up on some blog hopping and I came across this great little linky party that Mrs. Lemons is having!  Yes, I know I am a little late, but I still wanted to join in the fun!  

So here are some little facts about me, that you may or may not find interesting...


I am definitely a morning person vs. a night owl.  I tend to be go, go, go during the day and it is almost impossible to watch television or read after my daughter goes to bed at night.  I all too often fall asleep the second I sit down to relax!  I love to get up early to get things done anyhow, so I guess it all works out!

My mom is one of the most important people in my life.  Here we are at one of my bridal showers in 2004.

If I were to be stranded on a deserted island and I would only be able to have two items with me, I would choose mascara and KETCHUP of course!  I LOVE ketchup.  It just makes everything taste better!  What would you choose? 

I feel so blessed to have married my best friend.  Poor guy is stuck with me now...

My hair is naturally curly, but I never realized how curly it really was until I knew what to do with it in college!  I do straighten it when I have the time and patience.  Here I am with it straightened a few years ago.

And here I am with curly hair the same month.  Don't mind the close up shot or the goofy girl to my left.  (It's hard to find pictures of yourself when you are always the one behind the camera!!)

I love turtles.  I think they are fascinating little creatures!

I am a Nationally Board Certified Teacher.  Here I am with my colleague, Jill, at a special dinner party a few years ago.

My two children complete our family.  Here they are playing doctor of course!

Speaking of my children, Saydie loves to be covered up and tucked into her own bed at bedtime.  Do you cover up your pet?  Although my hubby would disagree, I think it is a normal thing to do...right?

Lastly, Paige has enjoyed catching so many butterflies this summer that I think she just may turn into a butterfly herself!  (Check out the picture below.  What do you think, should I be concerned?)

So that is it for now!  Make sure you join in the fun too by linking up if you haven't already!!

Emergent Student Book-My 5 Senses

My little one has such a thirst for learning.  She loves learning about letters, words, numbers, science, art, etc...  She has asked if we could read more books about what is inside our bodies.  In addition to the books we have taken home from the library that I will read to her, I created a new Emergent Student Book called, "My 5 Senses" for her to read to me.

I created the book to have somewhat of a predictable pattern, but I varied it a little bit to ensure that she is focusing on the words as she reads and not just memorizing the words by the pattern. Because it is important for her as an emergent reader to develop concept of word, I included dots under each word to encourage her to point to each word as she reads. 

To allow my little one to take ownership of the book, I decided not to include any graphics throughout the book.  Instead, I have asked her to be the illustrator!  This allows her to make it her own as she illustrates each page.


Click on the picture below to access your shop of choice.  The download includes the Emergent Student Book along with sight word flash cards to help reinforce the high-frequency words repeated throughout the book.

The Common Core Learning Standards addressed in this activity include the following:  

K.RS.FS.1:   Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print.

K.RS.FS.1a:  Follow words from left to right, top to bottom, and page by page.

K.RS.FS.1b:  Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequence of letters.

K.RS.FS.1c:  Understand that words are separated by spaces in print.

K.RS.FS.3:  Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words

K.RS.FS.3a:  Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary sound or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.

K.RS.FS.3c:  Read common high-frequency words by sight.

K.RS.FS.4:  Read emergent-reader texts with purpose and understanding.

This Emergent Student Book is similar to the Emergent Student Readers I have created.  Instead of being on a single page, it is set up as a book.
If you missed them, you can check them out by clicking on the pictures below:

and

I am not sure what is happening in your neck of the woods, but it has been absolutely beautiful here.  Because of that, I have been very unproductive when it has come to getting things done!

Thanks and I hope you enjoy!!

There's No Place Like TBA

Happy Summer to you all!
I haven't posted since I was still in school because I have been enjoying every little bit of my first two weeks of summer vacation!  Wooo hooo!The weather has been A.MAAA.ZING!  Hot and sunny each day, which has allowed me to enjoy the new pool we just installed this year!  My days have been spent going to the gym, drinking my iced coffee, floating the in the pool with my little honey, spending time on our boat, and eating ice cream...lots and lots of ice cream!  It has been nice to take a break from thoughts of RtI, APPRs, SLOs, and any other educational acronym for a little bit and just focus on my little one and having fun!
Did you know that today is International Blog-Hopping Day?Over at TBA we are celebrating with a Wizard of Oz theme because there is truly NO place like TBA for educational blogging of course!

My fellow and authors and I invite you to join us in the journey by clicking on the picture above, which will take you to 9 different routes on the yellow brick road.  You will then be able to find some fabulous FREEBIES and link up your own posts along the path if you choose.
I have linked up two FREEBIES for:and

Hope to see or hear from you along the way!  Have fun!!