News Taffy

London is turning 5 this month, and the girl has become obsessed with the alphabet and reading. After our experiences with potty training, bike riding, and other milestones, I was much more wise about this and never threw myself into taking up this new thing for awhile. (Some children have a tendency to give false alarms on doing things and seem ready and willing, only to lose all interest and digress shortly into it. Then, once they are truly ready, they take off.) So I waited until after all the holidays, and with the fascination still there, we began more focus on letters and phonics. We'll start homeschooling this August, so we're still very laid back in our approaches, she is just four after all.

The main way to lock in new things with preschoolers is games and songs. We have a song for everything, even to spell each of their names. But the games help connect the facts they learn in the songs. The new favorite game in our house is scavenger hunt.

They play in their room with the door shut while I go throughout the house sticking post it notes on everything. London has green post it notes with lower case letters (she still has some confusion with a few like d and b), and Story has yellow notes with uppercase letters. I also give Story a key to carry around, which is just a piece of paper with all the letters in order on it. It is the easiest game to set up, easiest clean up since they take them down as they go, and can keep them busy for quite awhile so I can make lunch.

I think my favorite part about Alphabet Scavenger Hunt and all the other little games is that it proves to my girls that learning can be fun! Unless it's math. Just kidding.

So, try a scavenger hunt! I think a math one would be fun for older kids. A key to carry around with math problems on it and the answers on notes around the house? A special treat when they finish or win?

Until next time, Heather