Re: [SCJ-PARENTING] Learning the alphabet
Cyndi Norman
From: SCJP Approval <scjp-a...@SHAMASH.ORG>
I have a 5-year old friend who didn't do well in pre-kindergarten, if
one can believe that is possible. He doesn't know his letters![...]
His parents would like him to catch up to the other kids before the
fall. He doesn't write them all correctly, and I'm not positive he
can start with just a name and draw every one of them.
[...]
I don't know about 5-year olds. He doesn't talk a lot and it's still
very hard to tell what he says much of the time, although he has
improved from last year. During this past year, he has had elocution
lessons or whatever they call them these days.
It's called speech therapy, assuming it's done by an actual therapist.
This child might have some learning disabilities or other issues that are
keeping him from doing the things that most 5 year olds do. Or he could be
just fine but doing things at his own pace. Sometimes a child might be
seen as "behind" when s/he is really just normal but isn't meeting the
increased expectations parents and others often have.
My concern with a video or book or other program to "teach him" his letters
is that if there's a problem, it won't be caught and if there's no problem
then he'll feel pressured, which can backfire. Most young children learn
the alphabet and similar things through games and exposure to them in
natural settings.
5 year olds can learn from more structured situations but they should be
eased into them, not forced. That's what kindergarden is for. That's
where most kids learn to write, if not later. The fact that he can't write
all the letters doesn't concern me. If he can't recite the alphabet yet
that is unusual. Mostly though it's his communication skills that would
worry me.
I would suggest a summer pre-school where he has access to educational toys
and tools and trained teachers who can observe him and make recommendations
for further testing, if appropriate. This should have been done in his
pre-school. Since it's already mid-July, maybe waiting for kindergarden
would be best. His parents should interview the teachers ahead of time and
make sure they will be able to evaluate the child for any problems, and not
ignore them.
Since these things weren't "caught" in his pre-school (pre-K), is it
possible that his teachers realized the child was normal and didn't see the
need for intervention?
As for something you can buy, I would suggest a toy or game that plays to
the child's strengths (something other than talking and writing). What is
he good at? Drawing? mechanical things? sports? gardening? caring for
younger children? whatever it is, help him feel confident in the skills
that he has. That will help him in school more than pointing out the
places he is "behind" and focusing only on that.
Cyndi
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