Should sight words be exclusively taught above phonics? I see the importance of these base words being learned by repetition, but my son’s K-5 teachers ONLY use sight words. My son had been working with me at home with phonics for over a year, but we stopped for a month when school began. It wasn’t until he stopped trying to sound words out that we decided to go back to our phonetic pronunciations and lessen...
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Whether it be in the mall, on the beach, or on the sidewalk, I’m thrilled whenever I hear parents interacting and engaging their babies and toddlers in conversation. Even if children can’t talk back, speaking to them from the moment they pop out into the world (some say even before that) will enhance their vocabulary and ability to learn. I grow concerned when I see parents simply pushing a stroller and not engaging their child....
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Every family with preschool and primary age children should have a set of magnetic letters on their refrigerator. They are a fun and easy teaching tool. Here are a few activities for preschoolers: 1) Make the names of people and animals in the family. 2) Sort upper and lower case letters. Pair and match upper and lower case letters. 3) Sort letters by color. 4) Put the letters in alphabetical order while singing the ABC...
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What is a "blend?" My son’s teacher says that he will learn to read faster if he knows them. A consonant blend is two or more consecutive consonants in a word whose sounds blend together. Although the sounds "blend" together, each sound is still heard. These are examples of a blend: fry, dress, swim and string. A consonant digraph is a group of consecutive consonants in a word which join to make one sound. These...
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My six year old son is far above the level of his classmates and is now being discouraged from "showing off" his intelligence by answering all the questions presented to the class. His social skills are not what they should be. I really worry that his mental advancement may cause more social damage than good. Any advice? FYI I have a 4 year old daughter who, so far, seems to be perfectly on track with...
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