When it comes to teaching letters and sounds, I should really be saying ‘sounds then letters,’ because teaching sounds actually comes first! The ability to hear and manipulate sounds is called Phonological Awareness, and it is the first step in teaching a child to read. In fact, phonological awareness is even more important for…
What is Phonological Awareness? From Rhyming to Reading
As you likely know, I am a huge proponent of waiting until children are developmentally ready to learn skills. It is not developmentally appropriate to teach most 3-year-olds to read. But it is developmentally appropriate to teach most 3-year-olds to rhyme. And rhyming is the very first phonological awareness skill that little ones should learn!…
Phonological Awareness Games… with Building Blocks!
Are you ready to build some strong pre-reading skills? Well, block off some time in your schedule for play—because I’m going to show you how to use building blocks to play some fun phonological awareness games! Not unlike building a block tower, a strong foundation is also necessary when building a reader. Before we teach…
DIY Tactile Letters with Free Printable
Happy Wednesday, my friends! Today, I would like to share a neat little tactile letters activity with you. This activity is wonderful for children who are learning their letters and sounds, as it really reinforces the letter shapes and gets your child to think about the letters in a mindful, focused way. For the activity,…
Letter Games with Free Printable Cards
Do you know how children learn best? Through play! And learning letters is no exception—these letter games are perfect for little learners beginning their literacy journey. The magic lies in the fact that when children are engrossed in play, they become active participants in their own learning process. Their curiosity is sparked, their imaginations ignited,…