Phonics fixes and why I love the library

Every parent has the desire to help their child learn, but when your kid is a little quirky that desire is kicked up a notch to obsessive (or, in my not-so-humble opinion, it should be).  The clock is ticking.  No, not the biological clock.  If it is, I'm choosing to ignore it, because the KINDERGARTEN clock is ticking.  This is our year to tattoo Isaac's pre-school learnin' into his brain with the tap, tap, tap of repetition.  Right now you are probably picturing my poor child glued to a wooden school desk in our kitchen reciting the alphabet, it's sounds, and writing his name for hours while I stir gluten free gruel over the stove- sweat on my brow and apron stained.  Fortunately, I'm a little more fun than that.

As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I've noticed a few holes in Isaac's understanding of basic phonics.  Like that he thinks most letters make the k-sound, and doesn't always recognize the lower case version of letters.  And here we were, working on spelling simple words.  I don't know if you can sense it where you are, but I'm rolling my eyes at myself right now. Anyway, the resource fairy, God, the stars, or whatever you want to call it has, as usual, sent help to this mom to find some fun ways to work on these things.  First, I would like to thank Moose and Zee for coming out with a new game on www.nickjr.com right when we needed some lower case learning. The game is called Little Letter Playground, and specifically works on matching the upper case to the lower case letters.  Isaac loved it, and I could tell that it was helping him grasp things better.  Every time you press "play again" a new set of letters is brought out.  Try it, you'll love it.

Next, I would like to thank the other spectrum moms out there who leave reviews on products on www.amazon.com to help guide the rest of us wandering sheep to quick yet informed decisions about purchasing things that "just might work" for our kids.  I was looking for a dvd that would help Isaac with letter sounds since videos draw him in.  Thanks to a spectrum mom's review we found the Leap Fog Letter Factory dvd.  Not wanting to spend any more money during an already indulgent birthday month, I checked the library and sure enough they had this and several other educational dvds I've been tempted to buy lately.  Two fun phonics fixes in one week that cost nothing?  Yes, please.

I will never cheat on you again, Okemos Public Library.  I am officially committed to you now that I've finally paid my overdue fines from last year.  Love, Libby Loucks.