Sandpaper letter games are our go-to for learning letter sounds right now. I want to make literacy as fun as possible for Reed, so we rarely drill or sit down and do "flashcards". The only practice we do with any regularity is a quick review of 3-5 letters each night before we read at bedtime.
Reed's favorite game is a letter "race". I scatter several, or sometimes all, of the letters on the carpet around his bedroom. Then I place a basket in the middle of the floor. Reed runs around the room and picks up each letter, traces it with his finger, says the sound, and places it in the basket. After he picks up all of the letters, I usually give him a small prize like a sticker or a sucker.
Reed really loves this "game"- the more he gets to move around, the better the game! Sometimes he will bring his letter box out into the living room and ask to "do his letters". That always makes me really happy!
Reed really loves this "game"- the more he gets to move around, the better the game! Sometimes he will bring his letter box out into the living room and ask to "do his letters". That always makes me really happy!
The second game we've started to play is an idea I found on my literacy go-to site, Living Montessori Now (link). This site is a rich resource with tons of ideas about teaching pretty much anything in a hands-on, "fun" way. I can't say enough good things about this resource. For this game, I lay out several letters and we drag out a basket filled with little toys and random, everyday items. I usually just let Reed dig through the items until he finds one that interests him. He says the name of the item out loud, and then I say it again, emphasizing the first sound (g-g-g-gorilla). Then, he searches for the "g" and places the gorilla on top of the sandpaper letter. He usually makes it through 3-4 items until he gets sidetracked and just wants to play with all the little toys. Ha.
Our journey with literacy has been a fun one so far, and I hope to keep it that way. Our next step: writing! This blog post by White Bear Montessori School is my current food for thought. Know that I will keep you updated!
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