11/11/2021
One hidden treasure that needs some highlighting is the Illustrated Alphabet! It is the perfect option that can help with the beginning stages of reading (phonics, letter recognition etc.)
Here are some reasons why it's a great option for your young learners....
It is absolutely gorgeous. The colors are so vibrant. A wonderful gift idea for babies through grade 2 and teachers!
It introduces animals in the zoo that are not necessarily the most commonly talked about (vulture, newt, umbrella bird).
The text on the right side of the page includes many words that start with the letter on the left side of that page.
Not only is this book fun to read because of the rhyming text, but you can use it in different ways...
For your children who are familiar with the sounds of letters, you can read the text and ask them to listen and tell you the words they heard that started with that letter sound.
For your younger kids, this book is great for letter recognition. It has both uppercase and lowercase versions of the letter. They can trace the letter with their finger to help them start visually remembering the letter and how to write it.
You can ask the child to find pictures in the pages that start with the letter page you're on.
Then after you've read it a million times as we have, your child might be like mine and say, "Mom, I'll "read" this page (left side) and you read that page (right side)!" So at a young age, they can already be dual reading with you!
Extending the book with activities...
Do a Letter of the Week! Draw the letter of the week on your back patio door, a window or a mirror with window crayons. Pick a high traffic area so you can frequently ask your kids as they pass by what letter it is and the sound it makes.
Brainstorm things that started with that letter and draw them. You can have lots of fun with Xenopus Frog with you get to the letter X!
So that's it! I hope you found this post helpful. And if you don't already have this book, I highly suggested grabbing it for your home library! A true gem in my opinion!
If you have other ways that you've used this book, please share in the comments! Would love to read them!
