This is the first of a three part series on developing alphabet knowledge in preschool and kindergarten. Research (Reutzel 2015) shows that students develop alphabet knowledge in three areas 1. Identifying the upper and lowercase letter 2. searching for and distinguishing the letter in text 3. producing the letter in written form. As I look at all three areas I will share with you resources and ideas I have that can benefit you and your students in the classroom. Alphabet kno

Finding the right preschool curriculum is hard. When you search on google there are so many out there with so many different prices. How can you find the right one? And why do we even need to have a preschool curriculum? Is educational programming on T.V. enough? Although enrollment in a state preschool program is at an all time high in the United States; at 32% many children still do not have access to or the ability to attend a certified preschool program. This is important

Think about when you learned how to write letters? Most likely it was in preschool, kindergarten, and maybe first grade. We spend hours writing letters over and over. But is it really important in a world that is moving more towards technology? YES! Learning good handwriting skills is more than just writing for others to read- it also builds alphabet knowledge (the number one predictor of a successful reader). When developing good handwriting, students have to focus on th

I like to take hot topics that are debated and show the research behind them. Today’s topic is kindergarten readiness. Many teachers and parents question; is kindergarten readiness needed? What should it look like? And why is there so much talk about it? Some may believe that kindergarten readiness is part of the push-down curriculum. First grade is doing second grade work, kindergarten is doing first grade work, and preschool now must do kindergarten work. While today’s p