To be completely honest, there is a tiny bit of braggadocio in this post. But I am mostly posting it so you guys know how Maeve knows so many alphabet letters. So consider me a biased participant, but nonetheless informed.
I really am not taking very much credit for how Maeve has learned so many letters. I think a big part of it was Here Come the ABC's and Sesame Street, which have been bombarding Maeve with letters and the sounds they make for months now, as well as her various alphabet books. Also, Maeve is just the kind of kid that likes to figure things out, and these letters are all over everything, so her curiosity worked in her favor.
The world is really a big book of letters, though, and that's a big part of how Maeve has learned her letters. (She knows 20 letters now!) Maeve pointed out the first one to me, when she only knew a handful of letters, she showed me a place where two ropes cross at the playground and said "Xssss". I was flabbergasted, it even took me a minute to realize what she was telling me. But from then on, I tried to take every opportunity to show her letters everywhere we went.
I think parents should try to use as many opportunities as they can to teach their kids whatever they can. I know Maeve is too little for most of my explanations, but I've casually told her about why leaves turn colors in the fall, how snow forms, why the sky is blue, and whatever other lessons I think of while we're out and about. The world is so full of interesting processes and experiences, and I get to introduce my daughter to so many wonders!
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| Visiting Daddy downtown for lunch, we checked out the newspaper. |
Micah was SO INTO LETTERS TOO!!!!! Now, it's reading. But you know the thing that kills me about letters? It's how they don't sound like their sounds. So it makes teaching them to read a double-delight - learn the names for the letters, then the SOUNDS for the letters, and often there are more than one sound. I'm full-into that challenge now because Micah is so ready to read... (welcome to your future, haha)
ReplyDeleteTotally, Meriah! I sing to her "Row, row, row your ___ (letter), gently down the stream!" and then instead of "Merrily" I make the sound of the letter. I am so excited for her to learn to read! I was reading at 3, so if she's anything like me, it's not too far off!
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