I am looking for a video/cd that I can play for my group of in-home daycare kids to help them with the stokes to form each letter correctly. I would like the video/cd to show someone actually forming the letter with audio telling them the letter or how to form it. What have you used please include who makes it and the title, THANKS VERY MUCH!!!!!!
I haven't seen one writing the letters, but the Leapfrog Letter Factory dvd is great! My 2 year old can tell you what the letters are and sounds they make. Maybe you can use a video and chalkboard hand-n-hand or white boards for the kids.
I don't know of a specific video but there is probably something at the montessori store in west seattle.
I have had a lot of success with white board books that show arrows where they should begin and each of the next steps. I have to help a few times then make sure my daughter follows the directions, but then she gets it. I have found placemats at toys stores, writing books at office supply stores and other items at Lakeshore Learning Store in Lake Oswego by GIJoes. My daughter is also practicing on a big easel white board/chalk board that we got for $25 at IKEA. I know it is on sale for $12 now.
Good luck. What a great skill to be teaching at day care. your kids are lucky.
If you have a computer and internet access, you could use Starfall.com. It has all of that and they demonstrate for you, with the sound it makes and everything. You can give each of your kids a turn at the computer too, so it would be interactive! Or if you are really hi-tech, you could hook your computer up to the TV so they can see better. Have fun!
Hi, D.! One DVD that my kids love is the Leapfrog Letter Factory by Leapfrog. The professor takes little Tad into each letter room where the little letters are learning to "say their sounds." At the end of the times in each room, the professor writes the capital letters on a small chalkboard with a piece of chalk while singing a little song "The A says aaaa, the A says aaaa, every letter makes a sound, the A says aaaaa." It only shows how to write the capital letter, although the upper and lower case letters are written on each door they go into. This DVD has done wonders for my sons to learn their letter names and sounds. I hope this helps.
Go on line and fine and find the Children's Bookstore. They have a wonderful wealth of educaltional materials. If you live near Kent, Wa they have a store in Old DownTown. Visit it if you can.
I second Zoe's recommendation for Handwriting without Tears. That is the program that our school (a K-12 virtual academy) uses and the Head Start programs for our area of the state have also trained their staff in the HWT program. It is very kid friendly and they have lots of ideas to try (including wood cut-out pieces of letters that the kids can use to make up the letter shapes as they learn the correct letters, that then helps them when it comes time to start using crayons, chalk, large pencils, etc. The kids seemed to really good with the hands on better than just watching the DVD. Hope this helps & enjoy.
