by on August 6, 2009 in Education

Letter Writing: a fading skill

Writing a letter

A really important activity you can do with your child is to teach them how to write and send a letter. In our fast paced internet-centric society it’s easy to forget how important writing a good letter is. I don’t know about you, but I still love getting an old fashioned handwritten letter from someone I love every once in a while. So pass the tradition on to your child!

Teach them the standard form of a letter “Dear____, {body of the message}, Love, _______”. Show them how to properly address and stamp an envelope, and have fun waiting for a reply… I’m sure Grandma and Grandpa would be happy to be pen pals with their little star grandchildJ Of course this is an activity you want to start around first grade or when your child has a lot of confidence in writing full sentences.  Eventually, you can take traditional letter writing to the computer and show them how to send emails as well. Happy writing!  

Comments { 5 }

by on August 4, 2009 in Education

Reading tip of the day: Talk it out!

 

While it comes very naturally to people to speak, it’s definitely not as easy to learn to read. However having a firm foundation in oral communication is essential to learning how to read and write effectively at a young age. So one thing to pay attention to is how your child’s speaking development is progressing. A guideline as seen at http://www.readingrockets.org/article/28758 shows the typical progression of language skills for children:

Age range

Sound recognition

0-3 months

Coos, cries, smiles

4-6 months

Babbles are more speech-like, includes many sounds such as /p/, /b/, /m/

7 months-1 year

Imitates different speech sounds, longer groups of sounds, begins saying words such as bye-bye, mama, dada

1-2 years

Uses more words each month, puts two words together into phrases, asks questions like "Where kitty?"

2-3 years

Has words for almost everything, uses two to three words together, is more easily understood, especially by those who know child

3-4 years

Says sentences with four or more words, talks about activities and/or people, is easily understood by all

4-5 years

Uses clear voice, detailed sentences, sticks to topic, uses appropriate grammar, says most sounds correctly

 

Remember how important it is for you to talk and interact with your child! Speak properly so they learn proper grammar from the start and have fun seeing your child progress! When in doubt: talk it out! J

 

Comments { 0 }