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morgan24 05:22 AM 03-16-2011
How do you help a five year old girl learn letters. She has no interest in learning at all. I have had her on and off since she was 2. Her parents are military and she has moved a lot. She lives with her Mom on base and went to preschool and daycare there. She came to stay with her Grandparents for a couple of months, so now she is back with me. She turned 5 in Dec. She could careless about anything to do with art or learning. Teaching is not one of my best skills, so I'm at a loss. I don't know how to get her interested. She can only identify the letter A. She likes to read, when I'm reading to her I'll ask her what letter is this and she is done reading and wants to go play. Developmentally she seems fine, can count to 25, know colors and shapes. Any ideas on how to get her interested in learning would be appreciated.
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SilverSabre25 05:27 AM 03-16-2011
Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it; that's the job of a kindergarten teacher when she goes to kindergarten. What she can do already sounds fine; let her learn it at school when she's ready to.
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heyhun77 05:30 AM 03-16-2011
While I don't use a lot of tv for teaching there is a great series of videos by leap frog that the kids LOVE and they use repetition to teach the concept. There are even math ones. If you have Netflix they are all on streaming right now otherwise we first got them from the public library. They cost about $10 each to purchase and I've found them at Target and Sam's Club but I know they are online as well.

I'd start with Learning About Letters but there is also a Going to School one (can't remember the exact title) and then once they get letters then there are videos that work with blending letter sounds into words.
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jen 05:33 AM 03-16-2011
Read to her...alot!
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heyhun77 05:37 AM 03-16-2011
Originally Posted by SilverSabre25:
Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it; that's the job of a kindergarten teacher when she goes to kindergarten. What she can do already sounds fine; let her learn it at school when she's ready to.
Unfortunately it seems this is not the case any longer. In the 7 years between my boys starting Kindergarten the knowledge base has been shifted by pretty much a whole year. What was expected entering 1st grade is now expected entering Kindergarten (or soon after).

Kindergartners are now expected to be reading sight words by about Christmas time if not sooner. They are also expected to be counting, using one-to-one correspondence, know their colors and shapes and basic concepts of time (both clock and calendar) and space. They like them to be able to sit through a whole short story, to be tying their shoes or very close to it, to know their birthday, home phone number and home address. Those who do not know these things arenot excluded from entering Kindergarten bt are at a huge disadvantage and may risk being pushed into testing for Titled services.

Such is the world of early education. While it was once just time to grow and learn about the world in general from birth to 5 now it's so very important to get in the academics during those years as well. I don't do "teaching" per se (worksheets, sitting in circle time a long period of time, ect) but I include specific, intentional learning activities to help them learn what is expected for Kindergarten.
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Meyou 05:41 AM 03-16-2011
I teach my DCK kids their letters, numbers and colors as we play. If we're taking a walk I keep a running commentary going like: "Hey DCB there is a HUGE tree...what color is it? Hey DCG what letter does tree start with? Te, te, te...tree. Hey DCB...can you count ALL those birds in the sky?" Etc, etc.
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QualiTcare 05:42 AM 03-16-2011
my son is the same way - i let him use paint pens and write letters with them on a wall mirror. i actually used those pens that you write on car windows with. i also let him trace letters on a cookie sheet using pudding. it takes some 1:1 time to do that obviously. if you don't have time for that - how about computer games? there are a ton of letter recognition games online that kids love - or a memory game using cards where you flip the cards over to find a match. you could easily make your own set with a marker and index cards. team her up with an older child who KNOWS their letters (if you don't have time to play the game with her) and that should help a lot. i've not met a kid yet who doesn't like computer games and memory.

www.starfall.com is a great place to start. lots of kindergarten teachers use the site in their classroom to teach letter recognition.
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DCMomOf3 05:48 AM 03-16-2011
Originally Posted by heyhun77:
While I don't use a lot of tv for teaching there is a great series of videos by leap frog that the kids LOVE and they use repetition to teach the concept. There are even math ones. If you have Netflix they are all on streaming right now otherwise we first got them from the public library. They cost about $10 each to purchase and I've found them at Target and Sam's Club but I know they are online as well.

I'd start with Learning About Letters but there is also a Going to School one (can't remember the exact title) and then once they get letters then there are videos that work with blending letter sounds into words.
Leap frog letter factory
Leap frog word factory

My kids love these and do well with them. I would try them to supplement what you are doing.

Also, I would look for books that come in sets of 26, one small book for each letter. focus on one letter at a time, and not always in order.
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SilverSabre25 05:51 AM 03-16-2011
Originally Posted by heyhun77:
Unfortunately it seems this is not the case any longer. In the 7 years between my boys starting Kindergarten the knowledge base has been shifted by pretty much a whole year. What was expected entering 1st grade is now expected entering Kindergarten (or soon after).

Kindergartners are now expected to be reading sight words by about Christmas time if not sooner. They are also expected to be counting, using one-to-one correspondence, know their colors and shapes and basic concepts of time (both clock and calendar) and space. They like them to be able to sit through a whole short story, to be tying their shoes or very close to it, to know their birthday, home phone number and home address. Those who do not know these things arenot excluded from entering Kindergarten bt are at a huge disadvantage and may risk being pushed into testing for Titled services.

Such is the world of early education. While it was once just time to grow and learn about the world in general from birth to 5 now it's so very important to get in the academics during those years as well. I don't do "teaching" per se (worksheets, sitting in circle time a long period of time, ect) but I include specific, intentional learning activities to help them learn what is expected for Kindergarten.
I do know what is expected going into kindergarten, and I also know the reality from the classroom side. I was student teaching in a kindergarten classroom just 2 years ago; it was the "lowest" classroom of the poorest school district in my area and it was spring. The kids in that classroom still ran the gamut from barely reading to reading at a 3rd grade level. I administered the end-of-year assessments so I knew what these kids' scores were at kindergarten round-up the previous spring and from the beginning of the year. Some kids made almost no change...others, once they got INTO school, were reading fluently in the spring when in the fall they struggled to identify most/all of their letters.

This girl sounds like she is not developmentally ready to learn her letters--counting and knowing colors and shapes is a huge step up from many incoming kindergarteners. What I am saying to the OP is that this teaching is best left to a teacher that really knows what they are doing, has the resources they need to work intensively, and has the background needed to determine if there's something else going on that might be delaying this one area of learning (which there very well might be).
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morgan24 05:52 AM 03-16-2011
I only have 2 right now so I do have time. I spend time playing with them and doing the letters of toys. I read to them a couple of times a day, I've been reading at least one book on letters. I have a set that is letters and use the same theme all through the book. She's such a sweetie I don't want her to be behind.

Would you make her sit down and do letter cards or try to write letters if she doesn't want to? Thanks for the ideas, she will be back tomorrow and I'm going to try some to spark her interest.
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nannyde 05:57 AM 03-16-2011
Originally Posted by morgan24:
How do you help a five year old girl learn letters. She has no interest in learning at all. I have had her on and off since she was 2. Her parents are military and she has moved a lot. She lives with her Mom on base and went to preschool and daycare there. She came to stay with her Grandparents for a couple of months, so now she is back with me. She turned 5 in Dec. She could careless about anything to do with art or learning. Teaching is not one of my best skills, so I'm at a loss. I don't know how to get her interested. She can only identify the letter A. She likes to read, when I'm reading to her I'll ask her what letter is this and she is done reading and wants to go play. Developmentally she seems fine, can count to 25, know colors and shapes. Any ideas on how to get her interested in learning would be appreciated.
Did the parents hire you to do education with her? Are you required to do that or are you just interested in it?
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SilverSabre25 05:57 AM 03-16-2011
Originally Posted by morgan24:
I only have 2 right now so I do have time. I spend time playing with them and doing the letters of toys. I read to them a couple of times a day, I've been reading at least one book on letters. I have a set that is letters and use the same theme all through the book. She's such a sweetie I don't want her to be behind.

Would you make her sit down and do letter cards or try to write letters if she doesn't want to? Thanks for the ideas, she will be back tomorrow and I'm going to try some to spark her interest.
If she doesn't want to, don't force it; that's the absolute WORST way to try and spark a love of learning.

If you really want to, you can start playing games like Go Fish with her--there's an alphabet one that I have that is a lot of fun (though it's all animals and they have to stretch for some of the letters) or if you're crafty you could make your own alphabet Go Fish game. You could make an alphabet memory game, too (just like memory, but make your own cards with the letters on them). If you have computer access, Starfall.com really is a great resource and it is used in a lot of classrooms. You can start writing her name on her coloring papers and naming off each letter as you write it.
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countrymom 05:58 AM 03-16-2011
I really really recommend the leap frog videos. I kid you not, play it every day and at the end of the week she will know almost all her letters.
I think the schools expect way too much in children now a days, its like you don't have a choice but to shove education down their throats.
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nannyde 06:01 AM 03-16-2011
Originally Posted by heyhun77:
Unfortunately it seems this is not the case any longer. In the 7 years between my boys starting Kindergarten the knowledge base has been shifted by pretty much a whole year. What was expected entering 1st grade is now expected entering Kindergarten (or soon after).

Kindergartners are now expected to be reading sight words by about Christmas time if not sooner. They are also expected to be counting, using one-to-one correspondence, know their colors and shapes and basic concepts of time (both clock and calendar) and space. They like them to be able to sit through a whole short story, to be tying their shoes or very close to it, to know their birthday, home phone number and home address. Those who do not know these things arenot excluded from entering Kindergarten bt are at a huge disadvantage and may risk being pushed into testing for Titled services.

Such is the world of early education. While it was once just time to grow and learn about the world in general from birth to 5 now it's so very important to get in the academics during those years as well. I don't do "teaching" per se (worksheets, sitting in circle time a long period of time, ect) but I include specific, intentional learning activities to help them learn what is expected for Kindergarten.
Yes but there's no consequence to the parent if the child comes to Kindy without these skills. The schools must accept them either way. Here they must be in school by age six. There are NO requirements that a skill set be brought to school with them in order to enroll and get a good education. They don't discriminate based on this. All kids are welcome despite their skill set going into it.
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laundrymom 06:10 AM 03-16-2011
What are her parents trying? I would read to her, expose her to it but forcing her is not fun for anyone. Here I expose, allow and envelope them with opportunity. But the ultimate responsibility is not yours.
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morgan24 06:17 AM 03-16-2011
Originally Posted by nannyde:
Did the parents hire you to do education with her? Are you required to do that or are you just interested in it?
No the parents didn't hire me to educate her. I'm interested in it. I thought it would be something new for her to do. The other dcg will paint, cut & paste with me, do letters, numbers, colors. She doesn't like to do any of that, she only likes to play or watch tv, which they only get one cartoon a week on Fri. just before pick up. I wanted to find ways to get her interested in other things, especially letter since she's not going to preschool.
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nannyde 06:34 AM 03-16-2011
Originally Posted by morgan24:
No the parents didn't hire me to educate her. I'm interested in it. I thought it would be something new for her to do. The other dcg will paint, cut & paste with me, do letters, numbers, colors. She doesn't like to do any of that, she only likes to play or watch tv, which they only get one cartoon a week on Fri. just before pick up. I wanted to find ways to get her interested in other things, especially letter since she's not going to preschool.
Great
There's a ton of teachers on this board who I am sure will help you with ideas.
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kidkair 06:35 AM 03-16-2011
Since asking her directly causes her to loose interest immediately, I would simple tell her for awhile. For example while reading one of her favorite books, instead of asking what letter starts a word tell her what the letter is. Let's read "Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus". I see two D's in the title. Point to them and then continue with the story. Slowly point to more and more letters. It may be helpful for you to focus on one letter every day to keep your focus. After a couple weeks maybe she'll be more interested in answering questions. Children need lots of input of information before they can spit the information back to you. Make sure you have lots of letters in her environment such as letter blocks, magnets, posters with words, calendar, books, and find ways to show her her name often too. She may pick up the letters in her name first if you make a point to spell out her name every time you write it on an art project. Have her name on her chair or placemat, by her coat, consider making a poster with pictures of all the kids next to their printed names. Since she's not interested in fine motor skills of crafting maybe her hands are weaker than they should be and you could massage them to help them feel better and gain strength. Try and get her to play with smaller toys such as pony beads stringing them, sorting them, dropping them in a water bottle, counting them. Be as playful as you can be and don't push for her to do things just offer and tell her about what you are doing.
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daycare 06:37 AM 03-16-2011
If you can get your hands on some zoo phobic cards I swear by them. Every single one of my DCK know sight and sound most of them just turned 3.
It only took about 2 weeks for them to learn. I have one 3.5 and one 4.0 boys that can read level 1 easy readers.
Zoo phonics is expensive so go on eBay to see if you can find some cards there.
Good luck
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jen 06:40 AM 03-16-2011
I can give you a few suggestions...

Right now, there is a music teacher working with my kids. She brings a keyboard with the notes written on the keys. They are playing Old McDonald by pressing the appropriate keys...B, D, etc.

Last week the letter of the week was L. We made puffy paint Lions and Lambs...we are also talking about Spring. We made our lions and lambs on big pieces of butcher block paper. I wrote the words LION and LAMB on each one, and wrote the "L" in a different color. That is actually a bit important because studies in cognitive psych have shown that everyone, adults and children, will retain the informatin better if it is differentiated. We read the story of Lucy the Lamb...I showed them the sign for "L" is ASL and then when I read and "L" word I held up the sign.

The older kids made "L" collages. I helped them identify "L" pictures in a magazine, which they cut out and glued to construction paper that I wrote "Ll" on. I then invite them to show their L words do Mommy and Daddy.

In other words, just try to incorporate the letter of your choice in to whatever activity you are already doing.
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jen 06:41 AM 03-16-2011
ps: Puffy paint = 2 parts foam shaving cream to one part glue, add a little paint to color...or not if you happen to be making snow or a lamb.

It takes a bit to dry, but from a sensory standpoint, it's pretty cool.
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krystamichelle 07:32 AM 03-16-2011
I didn't read all of the suggestions, so forgive me if I repeat anything. Here's what I do:

I bought them each their own letter/number writing books so that they have something special of their own.

Dry erase boards are a great way to get them interested. They LOVE writing on them, so I write down a word, have them underline the "letter of the week," and tell me what sound it makes in the word.

I incorporate our letter of the week in many of the week's activities, meals, and story times. For example, this week is A week, so I got them Angel food cake, strawberries, and cream for a snack/special treat. I also have read books that have alligator, the name Al, etc. It's a fun way to remind them and reinforce what they have learned.

We also have an alphabet game that we play with Eric Carle illustrations.

In short, just do everything you can to make it fun and incorporate the lesson so that they don't necessarily know that you're still teaching them.
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krystamichelle 07:35 AM 03-16-2011
Originally Posted by jen:
The older kids made "L" collages. I helped them identify "L" pictures in a magazine, which they cut out and glued to construction paper that I wrote "Ll" on. I then invite them to show their L words do Mommy and Daddy.
This is another thing that we do at the end of every letter week. It's kind of a way to test their knowledge.
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momofsix 10:57 AM 03-16-2011
Leap Frog Letter Factory is the ONLY video I have ever bought for daycare in over 20 years of doing it. Even my babies will go to the fridge, pull off a letter and say "the s says ess" (or whatever one they pull.) It's amazing how easy it is to learn things when they are put to music!
I would be very laid back with her about it though. It seems as though she is resisting, for some reason, and forcing the issue might make it even harder for her .
Nan is right when she says the even though they schools might like to say they "require" certain things, they really are just goals they have-they can't not take a child that doesn't meet their "requirements"!
Another idea is one that worked for my dd. She was born addicted to crack, and thus has some adhd and other learning problems. She is VERY social-life is all about her friends, and she started learning her letters when she started wanting to write her friends names. She never seemed to "get it" until she figured out that letters were what made up names, then it finally clicked!
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dEHmom 11:04 AM 03-16-2011
There is a television show that reallllly helped get my kids excited about writing and reading. Sounds silly, but it's WordWorld. Everything is made up of words.


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dEHmom 11:10 AM 03-16-2011
Originally Posted by nannyde:
Yes but there's no consequence to the parent if the child comes to Kindy without these skills. The schools must accept them either way. Here they must be in school by age six. There are NO requirements that a skill set be brought to school with them in order to enroll and get a good education. They don't discriminate based on this. All kids are welcome despite their skill set going into it.
Yes but then you have the kids who will ALWAYS be behind because they weren't up to par with the expected and the rest of the group. So they fail, get picked on, lose interest, withdrawal etc. This is not fair for a child to enter school not knowing what is expected. Although every kid learns at their own pace, if they are not understanding what is happening, then they will be turned off of school.

Also, it is not fair to the teachers, who cannot move forward with their curriculum because they have to help 1 or 2 students that parents never invested the time in. So while I don't think it should fall on the daycare provider if they have tried endlessly and not succeeded, the parent should be held responsible for it. They should be seeking out how to help this child.

Mine would fight me, and then one day, they just said help me. So I did.


My sister teaches gr. 3/4 split, and had to deal with a teacher who taught gr 2's and did not do her job at all. My sis had to then teach these kids (half of her class) things tehy should've known coming into gr 3 before she could teach her curriculum.
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nannyde 11:43 AM 03-16-2011
Originally Posted by dEHmom:
Yes but then you have the kids who will ALWAYS be behind because they weren't up to par with the expected and the rest of the group. So they fail, get picked on, lose interest, withdrawal etc. This is not fair for a child to enter school not knowing what is expected. Although every kid learns at their own pace, if they are not understanding what is happening, then they will be turned off of school.

Also, it is not fair to the teachers, who cannot move forward with their curriculum because they have to help 1 or 2 students that parents never invested the time in. So while I don't think it should fall on the daycare provider if they have tried endlessly and not succeeded, the parent should be held responsible for it. They should be seeking out how to help this child.

Mine would fight me, and then one day, they just said help me. So I did.


My sister teaches gr. 3/4 split, and had to deal with a teacher who taught gr 2's and did not do her job at all. My sis had to then teach these kids (half of her class) things tehy should've known coming into gr 3 before she could teach her curriculum.
I hear what you are saying.

I just don't see how this has anything to do with daycare unless the provider says she's interested in it and wants to be involved in it. If the provider is interested in working with the child in preparing her for their schools entry level skill sets then of course, she should do it. There are a lot of people on this board who can help her.
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