Last Wednesday, I told you how I came up with an idea to use our personalized chalk board for a “learn to read” game. That one idea produced two more and then, The Cute came up with the fourth idea.
Pen and paper work just fine but, the magnetic letters add a tactile dimension to the learning games – besides the visual and the auditory (from spelling out loud the letters and the formed words).
Without further ado, Wednesday’s mini post is about 4 learning activities inspired by a small DIY.
Our daughter is two years and ten months old now and besides having evicted us from our own bed (long story), she gets cuter by the day (mommy bias – or is it?) and we have started learning how to read.
Affiliate links following: We bought our magnetic chalk board here, the combined Greek & English magnetic letters here and don’t forget to use e-bates for cash back.
A “heads up”: The letters are pretty small so, caution should be exercised as little kids may swallow them, put them in their noses, or throw them in the toilet – clogged toilets are no fun (ask me how I know).
Back to our story, The Cute knows her alphabets well enough (Greek and English – she learned the English alphabet majorly thanks to this calculus book) and we are working now on reading words. A rote process that I do not mind at all.
I can’t wait for our daughter to start reading on her own. Ohhhhh the stories we will share! We are just in the beginning but, we have a pleasant road ahead.
Learning activity no 1 – Unscramble Your Name
A good activity for practicing phonics: Scramble the toddler’s name with 2 or 3 random other letters and then slide the correct letters to form the name. This works best with short names, consisting of 3-5 letters. Names like “Bartholomew” can prove a big challenge for tots and for that matter, for me; I had to google its spelling (shame, shame…).
Learning activity no 2 – Find the Word
The expansion of the first activity, is also personal and certainly more diversified. Choose favorites and small words the toddler already knows well (and repeats often). For example, The Cute loved “stars” and some of her first words were “moon”, “duck”, “γαλατάκι” (a cute word for milk – and yes it’s 4 whole syllables but The Cute really likes her milk), hat (from the Curious George cartoon), “μαμά” (mommy). So, I use these words as the first to try with the game. Except “γαλατάκι” because it is too long for now.
Learning activity no 3 – Menu of the Day
Playing chef in your toy kitchen? Post the menu of the day. Here are a few word ideas: milk, egg, cake, tea, bread, pizza (if I am correct, every toddler will jump on spelling this).
And a few Greek words: ψάρι (fish), νερό (water), γάλα (milk), ψωμί (bread), αυγό (egg), μέλι (honey), μήλο (apple).
Learning activity no 4 – Match the Letters
While I was trying to shoot some photos, The Cute took an alphabet book (it is a Greek one, in case you wonder why everything looks strange and out of order :D) and the magnetic letters and started matching them. Brilliant idea!
And I think, it is very possible, the learning game idea she came up with, is better for her age. What do you think?
Like the 4 learning activities? Pin them!
And because there is no end to learning or to great ideas, I am open to suggestions: Do you recall a “learn to read” activity that really worked for you or for your child?
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These are Great ideas!! The hands on factor with the magnetic letters is perfect for busy little hands!
Aww enjoy the learning to read journey, it sounds like one you are both enjoying. And lucky lucky girl to be brought up with two languages… I am jealous!
You are so right: we both enjoy this. We are such bookworms. 🙂
Teaching a child a 2nd language is one of the best things you can do for them! It will open doors for her.
Cute is a smarty coming up with the learning game idea, Kids are learning so much faster than they used to…..I think adults may have finally figured out learning doesn’t have to be boring and torturous!
Sally posted…A Walk in the Woods
These are really nice activities and it sounds like your Cute is doing great! The one reading activity that really clicked with my daughter (now 6) was the Foot Book by Dr. Seuss. It’s so repetitive that she pretty much knew it by heart, so it somehow helped her figure out the connection between sounds said out loud and the letters on the page. I don’t think I’m explaining this really well, but this one book was magic for her. She was a little bit older by then though.
Teaching kids has come a long way from when I was a kid, sit down and copy and recite over and over. This looks like it’s loads of fun!
Stella Lee @Purfylle posted…Fashion?
It’s better for the – bored – parents, too! My short attention span works better with several activities to choose from.
Your little Cute is a genius! My kids could barely talk at that age, and they certainly could not read. And let’s not get started about the two languages. I spoke to my sons in Greek at home and when they went to school they learned English. The opposite happened with my girls because they were raised in Greece. Have I confused you much? I tell ya, you have a genius on your hands.
Poor Cute is going through the same double whammy. But I don’t know about the genius part, she barely started forming sentences the last months and she can’t sing a single song, yet.
(Well except a rendition of “let it go” that consists of yelling “PA” (for past) and “GO” – that is hilarious by the way.)
But bilingual children take it a little slower until they can separate the languages so, I think, your children were doing just fine, especially with the rather confusing home-school, school – home situation. I
What a nice idea to teach a kid via helps of this kind of amazing activities. Kids can easily learn 🙂
Yes, thankfully, they do learn easily! 🙂