It’s the Wild, Wild West Out There!
You are looking for the perfect activity for your child to help introduce the letter “Ee.” After looking through scores of options, you come across this cute worksheet that looks like it has been done by someone with educational knowledge. You print this and share it with your child. Unknowingly you have hindered your child’s learning. Let’s explore why.
When introducing the letter “Ee,” it is best to use the short e sound in isolation. Look at the worksheet above. This is a great coloring worksheet, but not a great literacy worksheet for preschoolers. It combines six different sounds to introduce the letter “Ee.” Let’s identify each sound!
- Eyes: Although eyes begin with “E,” it starts with the sound of another letter of the alphabet. The child may conclude that “eyes” begins with a long i.
- Eight: Although the number 8’s spelling begins with “E,” but it’s sound starts with the long a sound.
- Elephant: Using the picture of an elephant presents another problem. When you hear the word “elephant,” what is the first sound you hear? Yep, another letter of the alphabet – an ‘l’ sound.
- Envelope: The word “envelope” usually starts with “in” or “on” as its sound. Neither teach the letter “Ee.”
- Earth: Earth is another problematic word that doesn’t sound like any letter, and does not reaffirm the short e sound.
- Egg: Egg is the only picture in this worksheet which can be used to teach the short sound of the letter e.
The English language is a complex language with many sounds and combinations of sounds stemming from our 26 letter alphabet. A strong literacy program will introduce the prominent letter sound first, ensuring the child has the proper ability to identify the letter and it’s name.
Next the program will begin to introduce letter sounds, each one on its own. Since the above worksheet has so many different sounds, for the letter ‘e’ it is actually a master level worksheet, not meant for beginning preschool and kindergarten learners.
There are many, many other examples of confusing worksheets which you can find with a click of the button. Would you be able to spot the problematic activities even when they look cute and done by “experts?” We can!
Little Shoes Academy sidesteps activities that would hinder learning and gives you resources that are cute, engaging, and most of all effective. We’ve poured our combined 60+ years of teaching experience and homeschool experiences, along with our specialized training in the Science of Reading into the Little Shoes Academy curriculum.
With the Little Shoes Academy curriculum for homeschoolers, you can ensure your preschool child has a solid foundation in literacy, numbers, and a strong understanding of the world around them.
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