Hello Christian Friends & Homeschoolers!
How are you doing today? I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m fine. You might say, “Stop! I heard you the first time!” Repetition is a great way to learn something. Now remember when you first learned your ABC’s? What was one of the strategies that you used to learn your ABC’s? It was probably repetition.
As a parent, you might have instructed your child like this: “Say the letter A when you look at the flashcard with the letter A on it. When you see the letter B, say the letter B out loud…and so forth all the way to the letter Z”. This recognition of the letters in the alphabet opened the doors to your child developing a foundation for reading and writing.
Nowadays, there is a small movement that wants to do away with the importance of repetition as a learning strategy. I want to tell you that repetition is indeed just as important years ago, as it is today. Even with the advent of computers, the skills a child can learn and develop starts with repetition. There is no shortcut to learning by trying to ignore the repetition strategy.
There are many chants and songs that your child can use to learn the alphabet. Music will help your child learn his ABC’s. Remember the traditional ABC song? Repetition of the ABC song is used to practice ABC’s in kindergarten classrooms across America. You can also successfully use this strategy in your homeschooling program.
Other repetition strategies used in learning the alphabet include rhyming. An example of a rhyme is: “A is for Apple, B is for Ball, C is for Cat, D is for Doll”. One fun site I found online for learning the alphabet can be found by clicking on LittleGirrafes.com. It also very cleverly uses a song to associate with the first letter of your name. The song is sang to the tune of “If You Are Happy and You Know It”.
Do not give up on the repetition strategy when your child is older. There is a lot to be said for being able to recall your alphabet, the times tables, playing an instrument, typing, and giving a speech. Remember the old saying, “practice makes perfect”!
Explore; and repeat, repeat, repeat. Have fun with your child. Your child will learn. In the process, you will remember the joy of learning!
