Alphabetic Principle Activities

Here’s a follow up to my post from earlier. In my earlier post, I explained what the Alphabetic Principle was. In this post I offer up activities to coordinate with & enhance your child’s learning of the principle.

Alphabetic Principle Module
Reading Resource.net Part 1
Reading Resource.net Part 2
There are more available. This is just to get you started. Google Alphabetic Principle activities & you will find more.
I hope this helps!

The Key?

Keys, or rather losing them, has been a repeating theme in my life. When I started working at my new job, I had no keys. Seriously, I mean I literally didn’t have keys. Not even to my classroom since the former teacher lost them. Add to that, the fact that I thought I lost the key to my van (of which there is only one). This was a great inconvenience because if it had not been found, I would have had to have another one made to the tune of $160. I’m not sure if $160 is expensive to you, but it is to me.

Well, I relate this to finding the key. I feel like I’ve finally almost found the key to this teaching “thing”. I know that I still have much to learn, but these are my specialties- teaching metacognitive strategies, assessment & analysis of students’ Present Level of Performance (PLOP), writing realistic goals.

Lastly, but certainly not least, is development of the whole child. How some teachers neglect to educate the whole child totally confuses me.  I’ve found that a hungry cannot concentrate, nor can a cold child concentrate. Picking up spare jackets from the thrift store or the local discount stores for students to wear in school, or having snacks handy for a hungry child does wonders.

Teachers, what “keys” have you discovered? Let me know!

Library Services @ LAPL

Due to budget cuts, the Los Angeles Public Library is cutting services. There a, however, still a wealth of services. They are really “into” the digital information age.
One of my favorite things available on the website (I’m not sure if this service is available in house) are the Audiobooks.
My husband has the Amazon Kindle (an e-reader). Since the Kindle is an e-reader, it’s virtually like a mini-computer. It’s great. It’s just like reading a book. The only thing is that I miss the feel & touch of a “real” book. If you don’t mind that or if you are more comfortable with a computer than a book, then you’ll really love the Kindle. Books are available for instant download. They can be purchased from Amazon for as cheap as .99 cents. No shipping & handling. Just downloading! That’s pretty cheap for a book. But I found an even better deal. At the library. They offer it for an even better price- FREE.
To check out the services available, go to Los Angeles Public Library’s (LAPL) homepage @ lapl.org. On the left hand side, there are a bunch of tabs. Click on Library Resources & check out everything there is to offer.