Library Activity - "at" Words

Supplies

Here is another fun library activity from "Bright Beginnings". There are 5 pictures with different "at" words on them (cat, bat, mat, hat & rat). There are also die cut letters: 5 a's, 5 t's & one of each b, c, m, h & r. The first step is to lay out all the cards and sound out each word. Then place the letters under each card.

Like so.

Inside each card is the correct spelling of the word for self-checking.

Library Activity - Numbers with Odd & Even

Numbers and Bear Paws

I signed Hannah up to attend a library program called "Bright Beginnings". Her teacher was awesome and had some great ideas. This is the number kit they passed out to each child. There are die cut letters from 1 to 10 and bear paws in 10 different colors. There is only 1 white paw, 2 black paws, 3 brown paws, etc.

1st you lay out the numbers from 1 to 10.

Then pick a color (it doesn't matter which one) and count how many paws there are of that color. Place your paws under the correct number. Line them in groups of 2.

Like so.

Now each number that only has pairs is an even number.

All numbers that have a paw by itself in a row is an odd number. You can also point out the pattern that your number line makes. Odd, Even, Odd, Even....

You can also stack the paws to see the difference in height between numbers.

Looking between 6 and 7, there isn't much of a visual difference, so with younger children, you could show an example like this.

Games - Overview

Most of the games that I have posted can be used with anything you want to teach - letters, sounds, words, colors, shapes etc. I have also listed where I received the game idea from. Most of the books that I got ideas from are out of print, but I'm sure you want still find them on ebay or the library. There are over 35 different games listed under Games - Explanations, so make sure that you click "older posts" when you get to the bottom of a page, so you don't miss any games.

Review of Games

Click on the link above for a quick review of most of the games that I played with my boys. Any new games that I played with Hannah are covered on the blog.

Here are some notes from when I was teaching my son to read:

• I would never criticize Takeshi. If he got one wrong I would simply say the correct answer. He would or wouldn’t repeat it, either way I would say “great job” or “very good”.

• Sometimes he would say a word/letter/sound that I didn’t think he knew and I would say, “How did you know that ____?” Takeshi would just smile, he thought it was so fun to trick me :)
  
  
• A lot of times Takeshi would say, “I’m the mama.” And you’re “Kakeshi”. I would still get him to write or say it himself by saying “Mama, can you show me how…” or “Mama, what is this?” Takeshi would be more than happy to help me.
  

Games - Hooked On Phonics

Hooked on Phonics

Great reading program. I taught phonics (as well as sight/whole words), but used games to teach reading instead of the workbooks. The Hooked on Phonics program should be available at your local library to borrow. This is a free method of checking out the program before making a big purchase.

Games - The Junior Phonics Game

Junior Phonics

Fun way to learn your letters, letter sounds and 3 letter words.

Comes with a Bingo Game

a Card Game (which we never played)

and a Board Game.

Games - Grocery Shopping

Get a play shopping cart, basket or grocery bag, some pretend food and your flashcards. Tape/stick the flashcards onto the pretend food and go shopping! I made a grocery list too and had Hannah "help" me shop. She loved it!

Our Shopping Cart

Our Food

Our List

P.S. My boys would never play this!

Source: "Teach Your Child to Read in 20 Minutes a Day" by Barbara J. Fox

Games - Silly Sentences

This is not technically a "game", but it's really fun. "Teach Your Child to Read in 60 Days" showed how to make this book. It is just regular paper cut into 3 strips or sections. Each strip contains words or part of a sentence. You can flip any strip up or down (front ways or back ways) to create new silly sentences. This particular sentence says "Your black dog is dancing" If you were to flip the last strip the sentence would read "Your black dog is hopping". Kids love it!

Source: "Teach Your Child to Read in 60 Days" by Sidney Ledson

Game - Slam Dunk

Lay down some flashcards on the ground leading up to a basketball hoop (or trash can or box). Have your child bounce the ball at each letter/word and say the letter/word. Then move to the next word, repeat, until they get to the basket. Then they yell “Slam Dunk” and make a basket. They're a winner every time!

Source: Teach Your Child to Read in 20 Minutes a Day by Barbara J. Fox (spin-off of the Touchdown Game)

Games - Magic E

The "Magic E" Game is one of the few games that cannot be crossed over into teaching letters/numbers/colors/shapes/etc. It is exclusively a "Magic E" Game

Put the word without the silent "e", on one side of the flashcard, and the word with the "e" on the other side.

You can download the Magic E excel file here. After that is done - get out your magic wand and explain that the "Magic E" is special when it is on the end of a word. Explain how it doesn't say a word or a sound (when it's on the end) but it changes OTHER sounds.

Example: Cut/Cute It changes the "uh" sound to just say "u".

Show the first side, "cut" and then have your child hit the flashcard to magically change it to "cute". I would read the second side for him until he understands. Both my boys loved this game even though it involved a purple sparkly wand.

A cute rhyme is “when 2 vowels go walking the first one does the talking and says its name”.

Games - "Blocks"

Get a piece of hard cardboard or poster board. I made mine 8" tall and 40" long. My "sections" are 2 1/2" wide. Place an egg cup in the last 13 sections and fill with a small treat. You don't want anything too filling, or you won't be playing this game very much. Make flashcards with letters, numbers, colors, words (anything you are teaching to your child) and stick them with tape or tacky stuff to 3 blocks.

You (adult) start, and say "A, B, C" and then take the "A" and jump over the "B" and C"

You then have "B", "C" & "A" and you get to eat the treat in the cup!!

Your child now says "B, C, A" and jumps the "B" over "C" and "A" and they get to eat the next treat!

Keep taking turns until all the treats are gone. The next day or so when you play, take out the "A" and add the letter "D".

You can fold it up for easy storage.

Source: "Teach Your Child to Read in 60 Days" by Sidney Ledson.

Games - Shoot 'Em Up

Get your child favorite action hero and a few flashcards.

If they are just learning the letter/word only hold up one flashcard and say:
"Shoot the 'e'!"
Then their action figure springs into action and destroys the letter.

If your child already knows a few letters/words then hold up a few flashcards and say:
"Shoot the 'e'!"
Then their action figure springs into action by picking the right letter and then destroying it.

Sound effects really help on the one too. My boys loved it when I would throw their flashcard up in the air after it was "destroyed".

Games - Counting Game

Each player gets a set of 10 to 20 macaroni noodles/kidney beans/cheerios and a bowl. The first player rolls the dice and puts that many beans in the bowl. The first player to have all their beans in the bowl wins.

Games - Going to Grandma's

Draw a house on your dry erase board. Make a road out of your flashcards or just write them on the board. Read each letter/word and you will get closer to your destination. You can change the shape of the road or the places you are going.

Source: "Teach Your Child to Read in 20 Minutes a Day" by Barbara J. Fox

Games - Hopscotch

Make hopscotch out of your flashcards and have fun. Uses a lot of energy too, but just be prepared to have your child say "Mommy, your turn!"

If these are flashcards you want to keep a long time, I would suggest laminating them first!

Source: "Teach Your Child to Read in 20 Minutes a Day" by Barbara J. Fox

Games - Gone Fishing

Hannah found a fishing game at Lakeshore Learning and loved it! Instead of spending $20 on the game, I just make our own cheap free version. We tied some yarn onto a broken sword handle and tied a strong magnet onto the other end of the yard. Don't make it too long or it tends to swing too much and makes "fishing" difficult. We got the current phonics flashcards we were working on and slide large paperclips onto them. Viola! Fun in a flash :)

Here's a couple videos of Hannah playing the fishing game. If she doesn't know the word or is not sure, I'll just tell her or help her sound it out. If she doesn't know any of the words then I will point to a word and say "I'm going to catch the ___." or "You're turn. Can you catch the ___?"

Games - Counting with Cheerios

With Cheerios/Fruit Loops and dried spaghetti, have fun counting. As you count each Cheerio, put it on the spaghetti. Then (the best part) you get to eat it when you're done

Games - Stop Sign & Picking Flowers

Pretend the flashcards are stop signs or flowers. Your child has to drive to each stop sign with his toy car (or himself) or "pick "flowers with a basket.

Games - Don't Change My Letters!!!

Get a paper, chalkboard, dry erase board and make a row of "n's". Say "Don't change my "n's" to "h's" (in a joking voice). Turn away for a couple of seconds. When you turn around say "OH NO!!!! Where did my "n's" go??? You changed my "n's"!!! OH NO!!!"

Sounds silly, but it works :)

You can also do:

n-h

n-u

a-d

c-d

c-o

c-q

etc.

Games - Go Fish Card Game

Just use a regular "Go Fish!" deck to learn numbers or use your letter flashcards.

Games - Blends

Blends

I believe this excel file includes the most common (if not all) the Blends. I made these flashcards with the blend on one side and a word that includes the blend on the other side. I would explain that these 2 letters together would make one sound. We would treat the blends just like another letter of the alphabet and play the same games that we did for all the alphabet games. We just added reading the word on the back as an extra step.

sh - ship, fish (this sound is a quiet sound. I would put my finger to my lips and say shhhhh)
ph - phone (this is our "copycat" sound. It copies the sound of "f")
ou - out (say "ow" like you've hurt yourself)
ow - cow (same as above)
ay - say, play, day
ur - fur
ee - tree, bee, see
ea - sea
oa - boat, coat
th - this, then, them
er - her
ir - girl, bird, dirt
ch - chin, chalk, cheerios, ouch
aw - paw, saw
ai - train
ng - king, ring
ck - back, black, kick, trick, duck
ew - new ("eewwww" like something is gross or yucky)
wh - when, why, whiz (another copycat sound, it copies the "w" sound)
oo - book, cook, look
oo - pool, cool, tool

The "oo" is my hardest blend (for me) to teach. There is one set of "oo" that makes the "oooooo" sound as in book, cook, look and the other "oo" makes the "uh" sound as in book, cook and look. I still have a hard time with this and mostly teach these as sight words. Sorry I'm not much help with that.