Because we have been writing since we were little, we don't really think about
how much our little ones need to exercise their muscles in order to do the things
they do in school....print, paint, colour, cut and glue.
It is important that your child's pincer grip is strong. That is the ability
to use their thumb, pointer finger and middle finger to pick up and manipulate
things. Think about when you have dropped something small like a
bead or a screw onto the ground. Look at how your fingers work together to pick it up.
Today the students were exercising their fingers as they pulled off
alphabet stickers to place them in order 'up the coconut tree.' That's
from the Bill Martin Jr. book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.
After they had the 'whole alphabet up the..." they came and read
their work to me for a quick assessment. Have your child point to each letter
of the alphabet and say it to you. Can he or she say it rather than sing it?
Do the letters l m n o p become a new funny word instead of 5 individual letters?
Does your child actually point under the letter or is the hand moving without
actually being on the letter that he or she is saying?
Knowing the letters of the alphabet is an important first step in both reading
and spelling. Knowing them is different than singing them.
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