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This Blog is solely private property of Hanz & TheHoneybunch.All the contents are based on the life we lead and sharing from what I learnt & read. We love homeschool and are happily homeschooling our boys aged 7, 3 and a baby for the past 7 years.

We welcome you to share as we would never stop learning because we believe the world is our classroom. Thank you.



Friday, March 18, 2011

How to teach ABC creatively & effectively




How do you teach the alphabet to your child?

Singing the famous 'ABC Song'? Point letter in ABC book? Play the ABC videos to your child?

You are in the right track and those are the same things that I did previously with my elder son, Hanafi. Below are the tools that I've used for him and currently using it to Baby Hambali too.


 
Some ABC books.

I also would like to recommend getting a hold of this well-loved and recommended book in ABC lesson. It is available in videos too and boy, I myself enjoy watching the videos.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Have a look why I emphasise on it.


It features both big and small letter with catchy rhymes and captivating illustration!


Some ABC videos

However, do extend these common methods and consider getting other 'tools' in example as follows for effective imprint of alphabet in your child's mind.

ABC Poster


ABC Floor Mat

Hand-eye coordination toys

Magnetic Alphabet

I do not have to work hard on alphabet teaching to Hanafi as for having those tools available for Hanafi all the time, it does provide significant impact on him. Children learn best by repetition and sight. By age 2, Hanafi did not only can recite the ABC but he knows both big letter and small letter by heart. I just let him manipulate these tools on his own along the common methods I mentioned earlier.

When I did self research prior to my Early Childhood studies, I discovered few interesting activities that can be done for this type of lesson as well. Missed out these with Hanafi but will do it with baby Hambali plus my earlier methods.

Read on...

A selection of holistic activities to help give a child a strong imprint of the shape of letters in their mind's eye.

1. Body letters

Ask your child to make themselves into the shape of given letters ie. "make yourself an s". Child control his body into what he think the letter looks like.

You can model this easily by showing them an 'x' by standing with your feet apart and your arms in the air and wide apart. Or you can show a 'T' by standing with your feet together and your arms stretched out to the sides.

2. Tracing letters

Ask a child to shut his eyes and with your fingers, trace a letter on their hand or back. He must tell you what this is. He can play the games in pairs. There may be giggles as it is ticklish, but this activity requires the child to see the letter in his mind's eye.

3. Air writing

Before writing letters on paper, get your child to stand up and you stand up at the front of your child with your back facing him. Using your writing hand, draw a big letter in the air saying its sound at the same time. Get your child to copy you, moving his arms to form the letter in the air.

4. Letter sculptures

Give out plasticine (soft modelling clay) to your child. Ask your child to make certain letters (or words). He has to concentrate on the shape of the letter and its proportions.

Your child can choose his own letter and make a big one out of plasticine or card, then stick it on a large piece of card. Give out magazines and newspapers and let your child look and find either words or pictures of things that begin with the same letter. He can cut these out and create a collage with his big letter.

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