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Are you looking for a preschool or kindergarten program to teach your child their alphabet? Look no further. Creative Littles is a great program for all kids. It is geared forwards ages 2-5, but it is also good for children who may have a learning disability.
Did you know that children learn the alphabet better if it is not taught in ABC order? Totally true! I learned this the hard way with my daughter. I tried to teach her the alphabet the “normal” way, but she just couldn’t retain the information. I searched and searched the internet trying to find answers, and I found it!
I took a combination of a Montessori approach and worksheet-based approach and weaved them together to form Creative Littles. Creative Littles is a multi-sensory approach ALL children can use to learn their alphabet!
My experience
Creative Littles is a unique program because it really focuses on identifying and retaining the letters in the alphabet. For some children, it is really difficult to remember what they just learned.
That was the case with my daughter. It didn’t matter how many times we went over the letter; she just couldn’t remember it. I looked to our speech therapist and she told me it is actually a processing issue. She recommended playing memory to build stronger pathways in my daughter’s brain.
We worked diligently playing memory games and other recall games and soon it became easier for her to recall the letter she was working on.
With the strengthening of her working memory and using this blended approach, Isabella was on her way to learning her alphabet.
Creative Littles
There are 4 essential parts to this program.
- UpperCase Letters: Each letter has worksheets comprising of handwriting, drawing, and coloring.
- LowerCase Letters: Each letter has worksheets comprising of handwriting, gluing and cutting, and coloring.
- Games: Contains 10 Bingo cards and Flash Cards(Cards can be used for Flash Cards, Memory Game, and Go Fish)
- Craft: Each letter has a letter that can be used as a Letter Placemat. This mat when laminated can be used to make letters with playdough, sand, shaving cream or even trace the letter with your finger.
Why use games?
Games are always a fun way to help build those working memory connections. The cards in this program were made to play in multiple games. First, these cards can be used for flashcards. I like to put some of the cards on the floor and ask Isabella, “Which letter is D? Which letter is A?
Later as your child progresses, you can lay the cards on the floor and ask her to make simple 3 letter words out of them. For example, you can put 5 letters on the floor and ask her to spell dad. The best part of this program being printable, you can always print more letters when needed.
These cards can also be used to play memory. This is a great way to build working memory. Print out two sets of cards and put down only the group of letters you are working on. Then have your child find the matches. It is a fun game and they will be learning at the same time!
Go Fish is always a favorite! Once you have printed out two sets of these cards you can play Go Fish all you want. This game will also help with their memory. As your child progresses, have them say the letter sounds to ask for a match. For example, “Do you have an /a/?”
Why use crafts
Crafts are also another fun way for your child to learn. For children with special needs, this may be the best way to introduce them to letters. With the craft mats in Creative Littles, you can laminate them and let the fun begin.
I recommend placing these laminated mats in a plastic tray. Your child can now practice forming the letters with playdough. They can also trace their letter with their finger with shaving cream or sand.
If your child is tactical, try tracing these letters and cutting them out in sandpaper. Once laminated, your child can also begin to trace these letters with a dry erase pen. The ways to use these mats are endless!
Why use worksheets
Let’s face it, parents and teachers LOVE worksheets. We do! I found when I was looking for corresponding worksheets for my daughter, it was VERY time-consuming! I spent like 20 hours going to check out each worksheet.
Most worksheets, I had to sign up for each website in order to download for free. When I tried to go through Education.com, unless I signed up for a membership (which then cost money), I could only download 5 worksheets a month for free. It really was a pain.
I was also looking for multi-sensory worksheets! I NEEDED worksheets where my daughter could practice handwriting. Worksheets can help strengthen fine motor skills (coloring or drawing letters), and I needed worksheets to help practice the sound associated with each letter. I was very specific! But I NEEDED to be.
In Creative Littles there are 4 worksheets for each lower case and upper case letters. It focuses on using a multi-dimensional approach with these worksheets. I don’t want to YOU spending 20 hours looking for worksheets. I want them already for learning! The best part is if your child needs more practice, you can just print off a duplicate page!
In conclusion
Creative Littles is a great program for ALL kids. With this multi-sensory approach, your child will be set up for success. The best part of all is it has been done for you!! You won’t have to look for resources or buy this or that. It is ready to go for your school year!
Plus, you can use this for siblings when they are ready for school. And if you have a toddler running around (because we all have) bored because they “have to do school, too”, print them off some worksheets or games and let them have fun. It will not hurt anything, and it will keep them busy!!
Are you ready to Buy Creative Littles?
Hi my name is Laurie. I am so glad you are here! I am a Christian homeschooling mom of 3, caregiver to my Veteran husband, mom to a son with Autism, community volunteer, travel loving, and blogger. As you might notice, I do not live the “expected life”. Come join my family and other families as we experience Living The Unexpected Life.
