Sunday, March 6, 2011

Go, go, go.

A long vowel sound is the one that says its name.

E.g :
/a/ as in cake
/e/ as in elect
/i/ as in bike
/o/ as in note
/u/ as in cute

The long vowel /o/ words used in today's story are :

go, road, lone, roam, moan, own, boat, goal, hope, home, rose, gold.

Sample word ' road ' :

Following our regular study pattern, write the word on 'road' on a plain card. Start by saying the /r/ sound. As you slide your fingers from the letter 'r' to the letter 'o', lay stress on the long vowel sound of /o/. Keeping the two vowel sound rule on your mind, skip the /a/ sound and directly say the /d/ sound. Repeat this exercise with all the above listed words.

You may write the long vowel in a different color than the rest of the letters, or mark it with a diacritical mark called a macron (¯), so that it is easy for child to recognize the long vowel sound.

Story for the long vowel sound /o/:






Go, go, go.
The road is lone.
Do not roam.
Do not moan.
Go on your own.
Go row your boat.
Get your goal.
Have hope.
You will be home.
You are a rose.
You are gold.
Go, go, go.

Take care.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

The Ocean.

One, Two, Three, Four, Five
Once I caught a fish alive,
Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten
Then I let it go again.




Toddlers are curious about the world around them. Learning about life in the ocean can be a fun-filled, amazing and a highly educational activity. Large ocean creatures as whales, dolphins, sharks fascinate children. Bringing your little one to an ocean park or an aquarium can be one of the most exciting and worthwhile learning experiences, you can give to your child. Other ways to get your little one excited about the ocean and it's life can be :

1. The Beach :

A trip to the beach can be very interesting for your little ones. They will love playing in the water and with the sand. The beach is packed full of new things many of which, children have never seen, and so even a day trip can actually turn into an amazing learning experience. The sun, the sand, the billowing waves, seashells, sea birds and of course, the fishes can be a wonderful experience. Don’t forget to take pails and shovels, some sunscreen and your camera!

2. Does it belong here?

As you discover new plants and animals at the beach, you might come across some litter. Keep a bag with you and ask your children about what belongs on the beach and what doesn't. Pick up anything that doesn't and then throw it away together at the closest trash can. Teaching kids the value of clean beach will ensure that they preserve these shorelines in the future.

3. Books :

Books about the ocean and its creatures can delight your little one. Get some good colouring books about sea creatures to increase your childs imagination. Pop-up books and children books can be very handy.

4. Ocean Art Activity :

Discuss with your child about the various activities that take place in the water, such as the fishes that swim, the sharks that hunt, the corals that grow, etc. An art activity can be done by using a sheet of white paper, crayons and a set of watercolor paints and brushes. First use dark colored crayons to draw outlines of ocean life. Then using watercolors, paint the ocean light blue all over paper. When dry, the crayon outlined ocean creatures will shine through. Children may also enjoy making clay models of ocean life.

5) The Light house :

A trip to the light house can be a good history and a science session. Take this opportunity to talk about the various types of ships, seamen, waves, tides navigation, compass etc. This list can change depending on the interests of your little ones.

Have a nice weekend.