rhyme

Reading-Aloud Games.

Jj is for Jottings 97.  Reading-Aloud Games.

Following on from interactive reading with children, here are some ideas for “reading-aloud games” which you can play with children while reading stories with them.  The idea is to be spontaneous, just playfully engaging in banter whilst actually providing wonderful learning opportunities as a bonus.  It may sound strange, saying to be spontaneous and then making suggestions as to what to do.  But it is helpful to see the types of games you can play and, once you have the idea, you can invent your own activities in the moment. Continue reading →

Phonological Awareness, Phonemic Awareness, Phonics.

Jj is for Jottings 94.  Phonological Awareness, Phonemic Awareness and Phonics.

Picture of the book "Aa is for Alpacas" on a pot-bellied stove, with the caption: Learning phonics with this book helps with phonemic awareness and phonological awareness skills, too.

Learning phonics with this book helps with phonemic awareness and phonological awareness skills, too.

You may have heard the terms “phonological awareness”, “phonemic awareness” and “phonics” and wondered what they mean and whether they are different terms for the same thing.  Let’s sort this out right now.

PHONICS.

This is sound-letter links – i.e. learning which sound is made by each letter of the alphabet, and other sounds which are made by combining 2 or more letters.  Children develop the concept that there are consistent relationships between letter symbols and sounds.  This book is a great way to learn sound-letter links.  But you need to make sure you are saying sounds rather than letter names.  You can find this on the video. Continue reading →

Rhyming, Climbing, Miming… (Part 2).

Jj is for Jottings 51.  Rhyming, Climbing, Miming… (Part 2).

Shanti says:
“When learning to rhyme just relax, like me,
Play games and have fun: it’s easy – you’ll see.

 

How do we explain what a rhyme is?  I usually say that rhyming words sound the same at the end, and follow it up with plenty of examples.  However, be prepared for some children to think that you are talking of only the last SOUND.  You might have some extra explaining to do.  The most important way Continue reading →

Rhyming, Climbing, Miming… (Part 1)

Jj is for Jottings 50.  Rhyming, Climbing, Miming… (Part 1)

Geisha had a little cria,
But in this pic you cannot see ‘er!
(With thanks to David for this one.)

 

Children are not often introduced to nursery rhymes, these days, and in fact most seem to have little exposure to rhymes in their early childhood.  People seem to think that the old-fashioned nursery rhymes are silly and don’t make sense Continue reading →

Children or Feet? Using the Right Root.

Petra’s foot after David had done her toenails (ped=”foot” + filed her toenails. They’re actually cut rather than filed, but I couldn’t resist the pun.)

 

Jj is for Jottings 43.  Children or Feet?  Using the Right Root.

I’ve decided it’s time to air one of my pet language peeves because it crops up so frequently both in conversation and in the media.  I begin with a question: Do pedophiles love children or do they just love feet (which would be odd, but harmless)? Continue reading →