Help with LETTERS

Help with LETTERS

Belinda @ Kids Matter

Instead of throwing your hands up in despair, how about searching for fun ways to teach, those precious little ones, the letters of the alphabet? We have to remember that what works for one child, may not work for another. Children are like snowflakes; none of them identical. Sometimes teaching is more about the teacher learning, instead of the child. We always have to be willing to improve our teaching skills and that requires us to continually search for new, and better, methods. Below are some fun things to try with your child. Remember, patience is a wonderful virtue!

Hands on as We Grow – 50 great activities to try.

No Time for Flash Cards – 25 alphabet activities for kids.

Just Mommies – 10 creative ways to teach your child the alphabet.

Teach Mama - 10 fun ways of helping kids learn the abc’s.

I Can Teach My Child - 35+ Alphabet Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers.

Your Child Learns – Alphabet adventures.

Fun-A-Day – Teaching children about letters.

Spoonful – 26 alphabet activities for kids.

My Life in Verbs - 21 ideas to help your child learn letters and letter sounds.

Ready-Set-Read - 14 ways to explore the letters in your child's name.

Make learning fun, not only for the child, but the teacher as well. There is plenty of time for worry, stress, and rush, later on in life. Brighten a child’s day by spending time teaching and playing with them.

Teaching Soft and Hard Skills

Teaching Soft and Hard Skills

Belinda @ Kids Matter

I recently read an interesting article on soft skills verses hard skills. I have to say, I’m a little disturbed by the thought that both can’t be taught simultaneously. Are we so closed minded to learning new things and new ways that we are impacting the workforce? I would like to believe that we are constantly growing and learning as a society. So, why not broaden our horizons and start teaching both soft and hard skills starting with the alphabet?

Soft skills, as defined by Investopedia are, “The character traits and interpersonal skills that characterize a person's relationships with other people. In the workplace, soft skills are considered a complement to hard skills, which refer to a person's knowledge and occupational skills.” Soft skills include being adaptable, business minded, confidant, dedicated, effective… etc. Do you see what I did there? A, B, C, D, E… etc! Bear with me as I explain.

Hard skills, as defined by SearchCIO are, “specific, teachable abilities that may be required in a given context, such as a job or university application.” Hard skills include profitability, quickness, reading, security, typing, utilization, volubility, writing … etc. And, there it is again… P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, and W.

So how does the alphabet relate to soft and hard skills that are required for employment and life in general? Easy, everything starts with the alphabet. Learning the alphabet is just opening the door to the rest of the world and our lives. That letter C is for way more than Cow! What if you were to throw in C is for Creative or Counting?

Both soft and hard skills can be taught. We aren’t born being committed and determined. We get there through lessons. Employers must understand that people need both types of skills to be successful in employment. If parents and teachers open the door to expanding lesson plans to incorporate both types of skills, it will open greater doors to success. My idea is to take current lesson plans and expand on them. Teach your children to think outside the box. You are only limited by your own imagination, and that can easily be expanded with a little creative thinking and research. Make it a challenge to find new and creative ways of teaching the alphabet. Use themes and carry them throughout the day or week. Make learning fun and exciting. Most importantly… when you point out C for Cow, remember to add more C words including those used in soft and hard skills.  Don’t be afraid to start them out with small definitions… expand their vocabulary and watch a whole new world unfold for them.

Below are a few sites with good ideas. It’s up to you to make them better and include those soft and hard skills they will need later on in life. Feel free to share your ideas with us.

Discovery Education – Unique idea of teaching the alphabet using animals.

CanTeach – Amazing ideas for using different mediums to make art while teaching the alphabet.

First-school.ws – Wonderful site for pulling alphabet themed lesson plans including free printables and activities.

Getting Excited About the Alphabet

More powerful than all poetry, more pervasive than all science, more profound than all philosophy are the letters of the alphabet, twenty-six pillars of strength upon which our culture rests.” Anonymous

If ever there was anything to get excited about it would have to be teaching your child the alphabet. Sadly, the importance of the alphabet seems to get lost in the day to day grind. And unfortunately, it is a task we leave to the characters of Sesame Street or Dora the Explorer and her fun filled cohorts.

It is the 26 letters of the alphabet that are the foundation of our education. It is the learning of each letter; the sound, the sight, and the words associated with the letter, that inspires us. The good news is that in just 26 short days you can, not only spend quality time with your child, but get them excited about the alphabet too!

Make a game of it. The first day of the month introduce your child to the letter A, but not just an A… an exciting A. Draw an “A” that is appealing to the eye, be creative, colorful, and artistic. Paint an “A” with your child, get out a box of noodles and paste them in the shape of an “A” then spend the rest of the day pointing out things that start with the letter “A”. The letter “A” is not only for Apple or Alligator.  The more excited you are about the alphabet the more excited your child will be. Enthusiasm is a powerful tool.

Get healthy with it. Fall back on that old “A is for Apple” and have an apple tasting party. Buy several different types of apples and taste the letter “A”. What does it taste like? Try different nutritional foods with different letters of the alphabet. The grocery is now your child’s classroom.

Get active with it. “F” is for fitness, “A” is for athlete, and “E” is for exercise so go on and get moving with your child. Teach and get fit all at the same time. Pull out that assorted bag of balls gathering dust in your garage, shoot some hoops, kick a field goal, jump rope, or zoom across the yard.

There is no limit to the fun and excitement in the alphabet. Every action, spoken or unspoken word, and every object in our world is made of letters of the alphabet. Each letter is far more than a one word association. That “A” not only stands for apple but for the appetite that makes you want to eat it. Now that I've got you thinking and motivated, what exciting things will you do to teach your child the alphabet?

Belinda @ Kids Matter