Learning the Alphabet Is the First Step To Reading!

Reading is key to all academic success. Let me repeat this! Reading is key to all academic success! It can either set a solid foundation for all future success, or if not mastered at an early age, can cause frustration and anxiety in a child. It is our goal to help children everywhere become confident in Reading and become life long learners who succeed in school and in life. Start your child/students reading early. We at the Adventures of Scuba Jack are here to help do this in a fun, engaging way!

How can a parent start this process? As young as 12 to 18 months, a parent can point out letters seen in daily life while shopping and/or taking walks. Street signs, parking lot markers, store window displays, and library walls may good sources. Point to the letter with the sound it makes; BEE, EF, ESS, and JAY are good examples. Buy a couple letter sets, both magnetic and sponge for games; a set of letter flashcards is essential and also some poster board and markers (probably the washable kind is best!)

Make signs with a large capital first letter and smaller case following and post them around the home; Bathroom, Refrigerator, Door, Mirror, Dog’s bed, Cat toy, etc. Ask the child every time you pass a sign, “what does that say?” until they are 100% correct. Play games with letters, putting the word of the day on the refrigerator door with magnetic ones, and playing and arranging letters on a table. Write or trace the letters on paper and then have the child think of as many words as he can that have that sound. Play games about animals, food or flowers; asking how many the child can think of that start with a certain letter. Rhyming word games are great learning tools.

Read daily to your child. Parents who already exhibit reading pleasure from books and magazines have already laid a good foundation. Read age appropriate books with child participation as much as possible. Take young children to the library and show them where books for their age are kept. Explain signs on the wall and look at exhibits. Keep their young minds curious and active.

As their reading skills progress, use flash cards. First only use three, then add two more at a time, using a teaching method called “chunking.” Find educational games on the internet, such as “The adventures of Scuba Jack,” for more fun while learning.