a-e Bingo Boards

February 2, 2011Leave a comment

I have been preparing a unit for my class on the “a-e digraph”. It might be of use to those of you with 6-7 year olds, or even a little older.

Here’s the science!

A digraph is where two sounds come together as a unit and make a special sound, rather than their normal phonetic sound eg. sh = shop.

A split digraph has a letter in between , or splits the digraph eg. made (the “d” splits the digraph “ae”) or time (the “m” splits the digraph “ie”).

Before you get too confused, there are actually only 6 split digraphs in the English Language. Relieved?

a-e (cake)
e-e (scene)
i-e (like)
o-e (home)
u-e (cube)
y-e (type)

Here’s the rule!

When “e” is at the end of of word, it says not sound, but make vowels say their name rather than their sound. He’s got the power!

I made a bingo board game for “a-e” words which you might like to play.

Here’s the game!

(Please click on the image below)

This download includes 14 Bingo Boards, a Caller Card and a blank Bingo Board for you to use.

Note: make sure that you have either your Gmail or Google Docs account open!

Have fun ,

Miss Mernagh 🙂

Double Doodle your way to better writing and a better mood!

January 21, 2011January 21, 2011Leave a comment

Double Doodles

This is another Brain Gym activity for you to try. Hopefully you have gotten the hang of the Lazy 8’s by now .

It’s hard to believe that this simple activity can actually:

improve hand-eye coordination
improve wrist flexibility
increase concentration levels
relax and calm
prepare the body for the smaller movements and shapes of handwriting

Tape and A3 sheet to a table. Using both of your hands simultaneously, draw circles onto your sheet. Trace over these circles again and again and again until it becomes rhythmic.

Have fun 🙂

Give your brain a workout with Lazy 8’s

January 16, 20111 Comment

Lazy 8’s are used in Brain Gym to help your child:

think more clearly
relax and calm
improve hand-eye co-ordination
improve visual tracking (moving you eyes and not your head to see something)
increase attention span
increase writing flow and speed
balance emotions
improves memory
improve cross laterality (crossing the midline of the body, your belly button, connects the right and left hemisphere)
to develop hand dominance (being right or left handed)

This activity is especially useful and beneficial for children with Dyslexia, ADD, Dyspraxia, Developmental Delay or a Sensory Processing disorders.

Pretty useful stuff, eh?

How to:

You are basically writing the number 8 on it’s side. That’s why it’s lazy .

Start with a large sheet of white paper ( A3 would be best) or a white board in a landscape position.

Place it in front of you so that the middle of your page is parallel to the middle of your body, your belly button.(You want to be crossing over your belly button to get to to the left and right of your page as you draw)

The aim is to keep your hand steady and let your eyes follow what you are doing.

I have included arrows as directional aids. You will not be drawing the arrows, just the curved shape 😉

start with your marker in the middle of your page
Move your marker down, up and around to make a “c” like shape

Continue moving down until you intersect with your start point and keep going.
Continue to move down, up and around to make a backwards “c”

Your marker should now be in the middle of your page, at your starting point.
That’s your Lazy 8!

Now keep tracing around your shape, without taking your marker from the page.
Continue for about 1 min, until it is a fluid movement.

Note:

Tape down the edges of your sheet if it keeps moving.

The bigger the paper the better as it forces you to cross further over your midline.

You can always draw a Lazy 8 for your child to trace over if they find it difficult. Just make sure that they start at your start point and continue in the correct direction.

As you can see Lazy 8’s have lots of benefits for your child. It can be very useful to do some Brain Gym activities before starting homework. It calms, and focuses the mind.

Have fun 🙂