Skip to main content

What Are ABCs For?

"What are A, B, Cs for?" my little one asked.

They make up words. You put them together to make words.

So naturally, after they have mastered their alphabets, it's time to introduce words.

I would like to share with you two activities that help to introduce words.
Here, we emphasised more on the first letter of the words.

WEEK 11: Words

TOPIC: The first letter of the word


ACTIVITY 1

Recognising the first letter of the word

Materials:
  • Word cards: You can use readily available flashcards or make your own words flashcards to cover the entire set of alphabet. 
  • You'll need alphabets. Either plastic or wooden or just print them out and cut them out individually. Here, I used wooded alphabets from the art and craft supplies shop. 

NOTE: First, demonstrate how the activity is should be done by giving a few examples to the child/student. 

Arrange the flashcards at a corner of the "activity area". Then in a box, put all the alphabets that you want use in the activity. 
  1. Take an alphabet. In this case, I took "c" and place it in the centre of the "activity area".  
  2. Say out loud: "C". 
  3. Then, look for words that begin with the letter "C" from the flashcards. As you pick a card, said: "C" for car, ""C" for cat, "C" for clock, etc. Point at the first letter of each word as you say.
  4. Repeat one or two more times using different alphabets. 
The child/student will then get the idea. Next help him/her to do one or two groups of words then get them to try on their own. 




ACTIVITY 2

Sequence of the alphabet and the first letter of each word


Materials: 
  • Print out the entire set of alphabet, each on one A4 size paper. (Refer to Picture A below) 
  • Print out a picture each for each letter. For example "A" for alligator and "B" for basket. So you have to print out a picture of an alligator and a picture of a basket. 
  • Stick the picture next to the alphabet. In my case, the picture already comes with the alphabet. 
  • Print out the words based on your pictures.  Cut out each word individually. (refer to Picture B below). 


 Give the printed alphabets (with the picture already on it) to the child/student and ask him/her to arrange them accordingly on the floor. (refer to picture A)


Picture A

    Give the words to the child/student and get him/her to highlight the first letter of each word.
    You can use a highlighter, a marker pen, crayon or colour pencil to do it. 


Picture B

Next, the child/student will have to match the words to the correct first letter. Here, it is "G" for grasshopper. (Refer to Picture C)




Extra activity for ACTIVITY 2

You can get the child/student to file the papers accordingly. 

You'll need a paper punch and a folder. 

1. Teach the child how to punch the holes. (Refer to Picture D)

Picture C

2. Teach the child/student to file the papers according to the correct alphabetical order. With "A" at the top and "Z" at the bottom so he/she would have to do it in the reverse order.



Have some alphabet fun this week! 😀





Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Mongo Plant vs Garlic Plant

A few years ago my son was into growing plants and asked if he could grow some flowers. We did not have any flower seeds at home and I suggested that he plant some mongo seeds instead. The other reason I told him to grow mongo seeds is that they grow very fast and kids are not very patient at waiting for results.  So everyday, as we leave the house for school (he was attending kindergarten then) he would look at the plants and say, "Mommy! They are growing!" A few days after we planted the mongo seeds, I suggested that we plant some garlic. This time, unlike the mongo seeds that showed some growth immediately on the following day, the garlics showed none.  Two days after we planted the garlics, we went on a short vacation and when we returned, he saw some changes to the garlic plant and shouted, "Mommy, look! The garlics are growing!" Two weeks after that, we found time to do some detailed observations on the plants. We compared the roots and ...

Stress Free Mode

Now, as I typed on my laptop, my 5 year-old daughter sits in front of me, doing her own work. She is doing something on her own. Something that no one tells her to do. It is 100% at her own will. She is copying from a storybook. It is a Malay storybook she borrowed from school. And she is trying to read as she copies.  She is smiling as she tries to read the words and although she still struggles with many of the words, she is smiling while she tries. Once in a while, she would ask me how to pronounce a certain syllable.  And now, she is singing out the words she copies.  _________________________________________________ This scene, right in front of me, is the result of an important lesson I learnt a year ago.  I learnt that, for effective learning to take place, the learner should be in a "stress free mode".  And for them to be in that mode, it most probably has to be something they find interesting or rather, something they w...

A Different Kind of Love For Food

I love food! Who doesn't, right? But I don't just love food. Anything related to food would always catch my attention. From street food to hotel food, from food menus to food art and craft. As such, I am sure you could guess my favourite department to shop at the mall. The grocery section! My son inherited my love for food and he is more open to try new food and he really enjoys his food. On the other hand, my daughter is a picky eater. She is very particular with tastes and textures that sometimes left me wonder what went wrong during the cooking process that she wouldn't even eat the food that she would usually eat. Like scrambled eggs for instance. If the quality of the egg is not so good or perhaps too much soy sauce or perhaps the heat wasn't high enough when I pour the eggs in so it changes the output. Anyway, instead of being annoyed with it, I learnt to take it as a challenge for me to improve my cooking which also includes being consistent at all times. Phe...