Words Around Town
January's family activity is Words Around Town!!! What does this mean?
This month look for words and/or letters everywhere you go and talk to your child about them. Sometimes called environment print, recognizing words in various places is a great way to help your child start reading.
You will be amazed how many places you find letters!
For infants and young toddlers this activity will mainly involve you pointing out the letters and words to your child and telling them what it says.
You can read the labels on favorite foods, store signs, and pointing to each word as you read a book.
It is also fun to look for letters in signs while you are waiting somewhere or finding magazines to read through and look for a certain letter.
There is text everywhere to share with your child!
For older toddlers this activity will be a combination of you pointing out text and your child reading to you! The more you talk about the different signs and logos you see the more they will be reading and gaining confidence.
This is a perfect time to read books more slowly and really emphasize pointing to each word.
Pick a certain letter and have your child practice saying the sound it makes throughout the story or find a word that repeats in the book.
Grocery store advertisements are a great place for a child to learn to read their favorite food words and they can help you write a shopping list.
HOW DOES THIS HELP TO MAKE THEIR BRAIN BLOOM?
Pointing at and saying words that are around your child gives them a ton of new words to recognize and begin reading. The more you repeat certain words that they see often, such as their own name, a favorite store or snack, the more they will be able to repeat the words and begin reading them. This repetition will help your child to read a larger amount of words and increase their own confidence. There are strong studies that show the more words a child hears at an early age the higher their vocabulary is. Finding words to read with your child from different daily materials is a quick way to get tons of words into their life.
ACTIVITIES:
-Pick a letter each day to look for everywhere you go and all around the house. Letters from your child's own name are especially fun for this.
-Point to each word as you read anything. You can sound out shorter 3 letter words and start to show your child the difference between a letter and a word.
-Find the grocery advertisements and cut out a few of your child's favorite foods. You can help them read the word and even the price.
-Read the store signs that you see. Talk about the letter sound that they start with.
-Point to the logo/name of the food your child is eating. Talk about the letters in it, what it starts with, or how many letters there are.
-When you are waiting for an appointment look for a sign or brochure to look through with your child. You don't have to read every word but maybe there are a few sentences to point to and read together.
-Make your own print! Cut out letters or words from magazines, newspapers, food wrappers and make a collage with your child.
HOW TO WIN:
Tell us about your favorite place to look for words and/or letters. Is there a certain building, book, or brand that your child likes to read or look for? Did you and your child create a fun collage of letters cut out of magazines that you can share? Maybe you have a car game to look for certain letters?
Leave a comment or picture on Lake Bloom's Facebook. Comments and/or pictures must be received by January 31, 2019. This month there will be 6 families randomly selected to win.
Prizes announced soon!
Other Activities
Family Traditions
December 2018
Read Together
November 2018
