Fill in the blank

Again I had another idea before giving you more apps.  I was thinking of ways to help Gentry make sounds and I caught myself talking jibberish, but making parts of word sounds.  I thought this could be a great way to teach young kids how to blend phonemes... remember that word?

If you have picture cards, magazines, newpapers, stickers or anything with pictures of multisyllabic words works.  Play a game holding up the picture and saying the first syllable of the word.  Have your child finish the last syllable.

So for this, you would say "TUR" and your child would say "TLE."  You could even take turns saying the first syllable (although with younger children, they don't always know the picture).

For more advanced learners, try 3 syllable words- Your child says the first syllable, you say the second and he/she says the third.

I realize this isn't breaking down each phoneme individually, but it's a start to teaching kids there are different sound sections in words.

Here are some printables (although not all with 2-syllable words)

http://www.senteacher.org/Worksheet/49/Alphabet.xhtml

Go to the Phoneme Flashcards... some other great printables for more advanced learners...
http://www.sparklebox.co.uk/literacy/alphabet/flash-cards.html#.UREZcoUxIfE


Basically any Google search for alphabet flashcards will get you some free printables.  Any other great phonemic awareness sites out there you can share?

Superbowl Sunday

I know I said I'd do a series on Apps, but Miss G has been sick and it's super, SUPER Sunday.  So back at the apps this week. 
Who's going to be the big winner today?

That's the question of the day!  Gentry certainly has no idea...

Have a few suggestions for the Superbowl watching to do with your kids...

During the commercials (the appropriate ones at least!)

• Pick a letter before each commercial break.  See if your child can find any commercials for products that begin with that letter.  More advanced?  Try finding words in the commercial beginning with it.  Less advanced?  Try to pick out letters written in commercials (text, signs, etc.)
• Have your child pick one word said in the first commercial.  By the end of the next commercial, see how many rhyming words he/she can come up with. 
• Have them watch a commercial, then act out their own rendition of it.
• Do some good old fashioned reading while commercials are playing.  See how many books you can get through each commercial break.  Try to beat the last break!

During the game

• Keep score by using tally marks on a markerboard or sheet of paper.
• Have your child practice writing the team's name that scores each touchdown.  Write it using shaving cream, markers, colored pens, Twizzlers, anything fun!
• Make your own football field (make sure to include the #'s on each yard line).  Write one letter on each yard line.  Have your child move toys, Cheerios, anything along as they follow the teams' moves.  Whatever letter they land on, they must go find something in the house that starts with that letter.

Hope you enjoy the Superbowl!  Gentry says if you do these activities, you'll have this much fun: