- How can I help my child master letter/sound recognition?
- How can I help my child become a better reader?
- How can I help my child with number skills?
- My child is reversing numerals and letters. Should I be worried?
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How can I help my child master letter/sound recognition?
The key is make it short and fun. Flash cards are helpful as long as
there is not too much "drill and practice" Use them to play
concentration, or "Go Fish"-- "Do you have anything that begins with a
"b"?
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How can I help my child become a better reader?
The answer is infinite. Practice is always helpful to increase fluency, but
fluency isn't everything. Comprehension and enjoyment are important,
too. Make sure the material you choose is not too difficult. Frustrated
readers are unhappy readers. Talk about the stories after you've read
them. Ask questions that inspire thinking, not just remembering.
Children love to compare and contrast stories, so include previously
read books in your discussions. Also, make sure your child sees you read.
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How can I help my child with number skills?
That's an easy one, and you are probably already doing most of what I'll
suggest. Start with dice and decks of cards. "Battle" or "War" makes a
great number recognition game, PLUS a "greater than/less than" game.
You can add a challenge by turning over 2 cards at a time and adding
the 2 numbers. If it's a large number, they can simply count the shapes
on the card. It's also a game of luck with a little bit of probablity going
on. "Go Fish" is another great number recognition game. We play a
game in our classroom called "sevens" where the kids turn over cards
and have to find a pair that adds up to seven (or you can change the
name to "nines" or "tens"). They are working on facts, and a little
algabraic "finding the missing addend"
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My child is reversing numerals and letters. Should I be worried?
Nearly all children at this age are reversing symbols. It is still age
appropriate.
