What’s Unique About Alphabet Anatomy?

Alphabet books are a wonderful way to acquaint your child with the alphabet letters and there are a multitude of wonderful books from which to choose.  There are several things that set Alphabet Anatomy apart from other alphabet books, however, most of which incorporate a certain theme with which to introduce the letters.   Alphabet […]

Why Letter Knowledge is Important

The ability to identify the letters of the alphabet by name is one of the best predictors of how readily a child will learn to read.  (Treiman, Kessler, & Pollo, 2006)   Numerous studies have proven that a child’s knowledge of letters is a strong predictor of his/her success in learning to read.  (Bond & […]

Understanding Early Literacy

“Early literacy” is a term you have probably heard many times.  You may wonder what it really is.  What early literacy is not, is the teaching of reading.  Rather, early literacy refers to what children know about reading and writing before they actually learn to read and write.   Early literacy is the building of […]

Fabulously Fit with Letter F

Letter F has more to teach kids than the sound he makes in words, although that is his very favorite sound for sure.   Feeling fabulous is foremost on his list, and fitting fitness firmly into one’s day is a fine habit to follow.     “F, fit and fine, both arms straight to the […]

Communicate Compassion With Letter C

Compassion: A feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for someone struck by misfortune, accompanied by a desire to alleviate the suffering; mercy.   A noble and worthy character trait to instill in our children, right? Letter C could not agree more!   Caring for cats has brought her so much joy through the years. Whether […]

Letter A Vocabulary

“A has a point at the top of her head. Under her belt, she hides apples so red. A – Apples”     As you can see, letter A absolutely adores apples.  In fact, she can hardly contain her adoration and can often be heard advocating the healthy advantages of ingesting apples by loudly proclaiming, […]

Talk your Way to Early Literacy Skills

Your child’s early literacy journey begins on the day he/she is born and continues through the preschool years, setting the stage for his/her ability to grasp the necessary skills to progress through school and ultimately become a successful adult.   So, what can you do to ensure that your child has a healthy head start?  […]

Vocabulary = Victory

Letter V volunteered to stop by and remind everyone about the importance of introducing children to new vocabulary words.  The best ways to achieve that goal are to engage in meaningful conversations each day about a variety of different topics, even the most routine ones, and to read lots of books together.  The more words […]

Peek Inside our Parent Guide

Our Parent Guide provides a cohesive approach to engage in some fun and meaningful play activities with your child and at the same time increase letter knowledge and strengthen early literacy skills.   Each letter consists of a discussion topic, activity, craft, and kinesthetic movement to reinforce each letter’s fundamental components.  Set forth below are […]

Love at First Sight

I remember the day.  I was sitting on the blue velour couch in our family room.  There was a calm stillness throughout the house, and though there were hundreds of tasks I could attend to, I chose to sit quietly for a bit — something I rarely allowed myself to do.   My older 3 […]

Teach Kids How to Write the Alphabet

A Simple Way to Teach Kids How to Write the Alphabet It’s one thing to learn the sounds of the alphabet letters, but teaching kids how to write the alphabet letters is a little more challenging.  It can often be quite frustrating — for them and you.  But not anymore!  Now there’s an easy and […]

Benefits of Nursery Rhymes

There’s just something magical about putting rhyming words together to tell a story, send a message, or teach a lesson.   Aside from their melodic sounds, rhymes provide a host of educational benefits for your child:   They are good for the brain. They teach children how language works. They build memory skills. They connect […]

Helping Parents Promote Literacy

We’re excited to introduce our Parent Guide to be used with our first book, Meet the Capital Letters, to help parents discover fun and easy ways that encourage early literacy.  You’ll also find practical ways to help your child master the alphabet letters and engage in meaningful activities that enhance learning.   In addition, for […]

Parent’s Role in Facilitating Literacy

  Did you know that 90% of your child’s brain is formed from birth to age 5?!  And over 700 neural connections are formed every second during that same time period?!   As a parent, you will no doubt want to take full advantage of that incredible “window of opportunity” for your child’s most optimal […]

Branson’s Mural

I think this poster is just amazing so I wanted to share it with you.  Branson was asked to make a mural for his school depicting the State of Arizona.  Here’s what he came up with.   It was entered in the Phoenix Art Festival, and won first place!  His school, Chandler Early College, was […]

Christmas 2013!

  Okay, I haven’t blogged for so long…  This is something I really need to work on!  Here it is, 2014, the start of a brand New Year, and I’m looking forward to making it the best year it can be.   Christmas seems to get more hectic every year, but part of it I […]

Staggering Statistics!

According to the 2013 “Nation’s Report Card,” just 42 percent of fourth-graders and 35 percent of eighth-graders scored at or above the proficient level in math.  Worse yet, only 35 percent of fourth-graders and 36 percent of eighth-graders scored proficiently in reading.   These are the findings of the most recent study by the National […]

An Island for Misfit Toys!

Remember the Island of Misfit Toys?  All those toys wanted was a child to love them.  Well, Second Chance Toys brings that part of Rudolph’s story to life — really!   No stranger to volunteerism and community service, teenage founder Sasha Lipton, during a drive with her mom in the summer of 2006, noticed many […]

YMCA helps fill the gap in early literacy!

The achievement gap in literacy begins before a child starts school.  It’s crucial that parents and caregivers understand that.  Sadly, poverty is a major disadvantage for children, with studies showing vast and gaping differences in kindergarten readiness skills in children from lower-income families.  The hard truth is that many of these children will never catch […]