4 Learn How to Read Activities

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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