Montessori Phonics - Introduction To Single Letter Sounds

[buds]

What standard?


:evil:

Better not be crookedly cut letter orh.. :spank:
Ya, i perfectionist. Why?

[iLoveChubby]

buds:

iLoveChubby, the books are usually found very cheaply during POPULAR atrium sales! Will letcha know if i chance upon any of such on my escapades.

Hi buds, yesss, pls let me know if you come across any of such sales!!!...
(i thought i mentioned that i m only gg to speak to you next yr....hmm... but.. u r too irresistable to be ignored... :boogie: ... hope you are feeling better now!!... :rahrah: :rahrah: ) .....

[SAHM_TAN]

Used my LMA. DD1 was still very excited to see LMA. Now slowly investigating where is the gap.


DS seems ok with his blend though his teacher commented that he needs more practise.

[SAHM_TAN]

can't find a box to place the letters, so now......I'm recycling a paper box and modifying it to keep the letters separately.


Did not realise I was so creative :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:

[SAHM_TAN]

Hi buds,


As promised here's the pic of my LMA http://i41.tinypic.com/afdbi9.jpg\"> .

[buds]

Heyya SAHM_TAN...


1. During the gap-investigation, may i suggest word blending prior to repetition of what has been covered. Also for children who are able to write, you may also use writing it out / spelling on paper as another investigation area to find out if it was a lapse of steps or confusion of letter sounds or letter combinations.

I find that practice is only one part of it. My opinion entirely, of course.

2. Most children still like working with LMA cos it makes them feel like playing teacher.

3. I once recommended a white (or was it transparent... :scratchhead:) box with lid from IKEA to a friend. It had like mebbe 20-30 small compartments just enough to store the LMA. I dunno whether IKEA still carries the item tho. It looks like those jewellery-crystal storage boxes. Perhaps DAISO may carry a similar kind kept that not that many fitting compartments. But still even if you have to divide the LMA into two separate boxes, i think it is still quite ok.

Recycling boxes and cardboards are also well... environment friendly apart from not having to spend a dime on storage.

4. Your LMA looks very nice and definitely very priceless as it was made with love. :love:
*Check for water spills on work space or table prior to usage plus remember to use a work mat when working with LMA. Preservation is the key. *

You make me proud. :please:

Lemme noe if you require further assistance should there be a stumbling block in the process of your CSI investigation. Crucial... Serious... Investigation. Have a Merry Christmas and enjoy what's left of the holidays, aye?

[buds]

iLoveChubby... :evil:


Buds = Temptations

:evil:

:rotflmao:

I'm gg a little cuckoo not getting a proper \"fix\" for my flu cause hubs can't take leave since he's covering his colleagues on holidays so i cannot afford to be drowsy having to care for 3 children plus the regular chores. So in a way, coming to the forum sorta is a kind of reprieve from gg :siao:. My ear is almost gg deaf with all the sneezing... and it's not even snowing here this Christmas.

[SAHM_TAN]

Thanks buds :hugs:


I asked DD1 to sound out all the phonic sounds to me as I point to each letter, and to my ear, they sound correct. Now going through the 3 letters blending with DD1, I'm planning to go through from simple to more advance. I say out the words and she takes out the letters. Hope this is the right way to go. She will confuse k and c but to me that's ok because both sound the same.

Recently, she's starting to spell words to me which I've never taught.

I have a suspicion that she might not want to work out the blending and not so much don't know how to......need to work through the blend before I'm sure.

As for DS, he seemed ok leh when I asked him to take out the letters. Today I worked with DD1 while DS was in the living room fliping through books, so he did not see the words that I working with DD1. He could take out all the correct letters. Or maybe he remembered the words that he worked with his teacher before. Or I did something wrong when I read out the words? I stretched out the words when I say them to DS so that he can hear the letters, is this correct?

[buds]

Saw this wooden set sold at Enrighten at $98. For homeschool use ok.

In our classrooms we use the acrylic sets but of course more pricey.

http://enrighten.com/language/355-large-moveable-alphabet-1-lma-wooden.html

[buds]

SAHM_TAN:

Thanks buds :hugs:

You're welcome, babe.

SAHM_TAN:

I asked DD1 to sound out all the phonic sounds to me as I point to each letter, and to my ear, they sound correct.

CSI Part 1 - Check! :idea:

SAHM_TAN:

Now going through the 3 letters blending with DD1, I'm planning to go through from simple to more advance. I say out the words and she takes out the letters. Hope this is the right way to go.

Yes simple to advance is the Montessori way mah.
Simple to complex so that children are evenly paced.

If i read you right, you are going to start with blending all the 3 letter words with the vowel /a/ and get her to form every word in the list one by one as you say them to her. ie.

\"Can you make the word - fan?\"
And she proceeds to take out the LMAs.

My suggestion isn't so much blending first. But instead word building.


Try this.

This is where many teachers have overlooked, even Montessorian ones. Blending of words should not begin prior to word-building. Word building is frankly the key to reading all phonetic words. Children who have done word building do not need to have letters grouped together to be able to
read efficiently especially if they have been exposed to reading a lot.

Word building is the pre-reading stage where children are guided to listen
to sounds in words. In my classes, we have word building games to help
children use their listening skills and put them to good use. For example,

Teacher : What's this i have here?

Children : A bag!

Teacher : Now... what sounds can you hear in the word b....a.....g.... (drag the sounds)

From the many years i've done this, children always give the first and
last consonant letter before the middle vowel sound.

Children : We can hear the sound /b/.

Teacher : Good. Now what other sounds are there in the word b....a....g....

Children : We can hear the sound /g/.

Teacher : Good. Now we only have the sounds /b/ and /g/... and that is
not enough to form a proper word. I think we need a vowel. Now what
vowel can you hear in the word.... b.....aaaaa....g.... (this time drag the
/a/ sound) to make it seem more obvious.

Children : /a/!!!

Teacher : Good. Now, let's sort the sounds out. What is the first sound in
the word bag?

Children : (saying to themselves) b... a... g. /b/ should be the first sound
in the word bag.

Teacher : Good, what do you think comes next?

Children : (repeating the word to themselves again) b... aaaa... g.

(From the teacher's obvious sounding hint, the children will repeat the
same sounds to themselves, hence providing indirect reinforcement for
the children to grasp it all on their own. It's fine if you sound like a broken
record, just make it a happy though broken one)

If the children are stuck here, you may guide the process by offering...
\"I think it's a vowel sound next... what do you think...?\"

Most times, children with an already concrete foundation in single letter
sounds will get it almost automatically. Cos through the lessons during
foundation, children have been reinforced with the sounds regularly. Many
fun repetitive activities would have been carried out as well to ensure that
while having fun the children retain the essence of the lesson objective,
the sounds.

Children : /a/....?

Teacher : Yes, an /a/... now what would the last letter be then?

Children : (repeating the sounds to themselves one last time) b... a... g.

Children : /g/ is the last sound!

Teacher : Well done everyone, now let's build this word and see if we
get the word bag. Slowly now... /b/.... /a/... (buh.... aaaaaa.....) then...
put those two together.... it wud make /ba/ = baaaahh.... and lastly fit
in the /g/ in a brief sounding second. Hence making it sound /ba/.... /g/.
Bag. Let's try that again.. (repeat)

Note : This word building process goes through 3 steps.

1. Say first letter sound. (/b/)

2. Say second letter sound. (/a/)

3. Combine sounds (/b/ and /a/) and roll in the /g/ sound at the end.

Lastly, read the word as a whole. Don't break it up.
So, just say... bag to sum up that built up word.

Gosh. Do hope this helps give an idea.

I'm trying my best to provide the sounds and techniques
just typing words out here.. not an easy task when you can't
hear me sounding them out. Sweating now..

Most teachers just like to go right into the 3-letter stage.
So children miss out on word building opportunities which
is really really really helpful moving on from the single letter
sounds stage. The reason why some children may get stuck
at 3-letters can be due to that reason. Other kids who grasp
the concept of blending word families faster do eventually get
it anyhow. Word family blending is simply giving them the combi
(conbination) of sounds for example : /an/... and then get children
to read words that comes under that family like...

ban can fan man pan ran tan van

Though that method works, i just prefer to better layer my children's
foundation skills with word building. I prefer to make it concrete.

Plus you can do word building with 4 or 5 or 6 letter words like a game if you want... just to see if they can indeed hear the sounds in words. Phonetic ones of course.

For children who are confident learners, you don't have to emphasize the sounds at all. You can just say the word and ask for what sounds they can hear.

When my kiddies we younger, (during outings or travels) we also played word games like \"I Spy\" (things in the train beginning with... : for single letter sounds) and \"What sounds can i hear in the word...? Like pram or shop.. as and when we are looking out from where we are traveling in. ie. bus or train.

SAHM_TAN:

She will confuse k and c but to me that's ok because both sound the same.

It's fine. If you really need to make an emphasis... i usually just go like this.

For example for the word spank.
At the end of the word if you sense her hesitation, you can just say...
\"This word ends with the \"k-uh\" as in king.\"

For children to grow vocab and to be able to distinguish between which of the /c/ or /k/ to use during spelling is via more reading / exposure to words in books. Maturity too of course. Each time you come across a word used she doesn't know what it means, show her how you check for the meanings.

In the home, explore vocabulary by having a word of the day on the fridge with magnets. This was exciting to my girls as they explore more difficult words and really try to fit or incorporate the words in daily conversation. Eventually we worked with creative phrases/sentences and used it within the week when an opportunity arises.

For example, when you lay the table for dinner and invite them to sit at the table to eat, instead of saying \"I have cooked your favourite delicious dishes for dinner.\" .... you can alternate it to... \"Today's dishes that i've prepared are scrumptious!\" So they get the word \"prepared\" and \"scrumptious\". You can add that scrumptious is another word for delicious. (if they don't ask)

My girls will ask each time i use a new word. They get a kick in getting to use the same word the next time an opportunity arises. Like when DD2 asked, \"Wow, mummy... you are cooking three dishes at a time, ironing the clothes and also just left the clothes in the machine to run a wash. How do you do so many things at a time?\" I reply, \"We can multi-task so work gets done faster. This means i would have more time to spend with my children. :hugs:\"

So when hubs called and asked to speak to me + what was i doing... DD2 replied nonchalantly, \"Mummy is multi-tasking.\" She was 6yrs old then.

SAHM_TAN:

Recently, she's starting to spell words to me which I've never taught.

This is a good sign. This is where word building has served its intended purpose and honestly makes decoding and reading way easier and not to mention, more fluent.

SAHM_TAN:

I have a suspicion that she might not want to work out the blending and not so much don't know how to......need to work through the blend before I'm sure.

You have the object boxes or picture boxes?

If not, you can ask her to rummage for stuff in her toys trove or around the house to name, so she doesn't have only the LMA to work with on its own.

There are also phonics games you can play with her as reward for job well done thereafter. With motivation to work the words, you will have an easier time to carry out your investigation.

SAHM_TAN:

As for DS, he seemed ok leh when I asked him to take out the letters. Today I worked with DD1 while DS was in the living room fliping through books, so he did not see the words that I working with DD1. He could take out all the correct letters. Or maybe he remembered the words that he worked with his teacher before. Or I did something wrong when I read out the words? I stretched out the words when I say them to DS so that he can hear the letters, is this correct?

If the child has difficulty hearing to sounds in words, yes, you may drag the sounds for blending purposes. Perhaps DS was listening when you were teaching DD on certain occasions.