N and L problems

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Permalink Reply by Merry on February 25, 2010 at 9:55am

Hi Robin,

I don't remember my kids confusing this one but I've been thinking about it for the last couple of days. It's interesting how closely the two sounds are related in terms of how they are formed, I'll bet you're right that that's the source of his confusion. He may have learned those two letters close to each other, and with that similarity gets them confused.

Anyway, some things I thought of...

You know how AAS will separate lessons on phonograms that need to be visually discerned like EE vs. EA? I think I would do that for him with these two letters. Now, you can't make the letters not come up in his reading I know! But I would pick one of the letters--maybe one that is in his name (first or last), or one that a favorite toy might start with--and focus on that letter for a time.

You could do letter pages with that letter (like Sonlight's LA K) where he writes the letter and makes a collage of things that start with that letter. Have him say the sound whenever he writes the letter. He could make the letter out of play dough, or write it in cornmeal or sand. Here's some other tactile ideas, maybe use one a day for awhile. He could make a sand letter card of this letter and say the sounds. If the letter is in his first or last name, he could practice writing his name and saying the sound. He could practice writing simple words that start with that letter. Again, even if it's just one per day, and he could write them on paper or a white board or in sand with his finger, or any of the tactile writing ideas.

Focus on just that one letter for awhile, even just a couple of minutes a day, even if you do it as part of his spelling or reading time for that day so that it doesn't add extra time to your day, and see if it straightens out over time.

Just some thoughts! Merry :-)

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Permalink Reply by Robin E. on February 25, 2010 at 10:59am

These are great thoughts Merry. You're sooo good. I've been kind of racking my brain for weeks on how to help him with these, but I have been working on both in the same day, which seems to in no way help. Working on L, which is in his last name (neither are in his first name) is especially great, since I have been meaning to teach him to write his last name for a while but keep forgetting to get around to it. This is great motivation, and there are two Ls right in the middle of our last name. Knowing a bit about how this kid thinks, he should get the L sound glued in his head the right way because they will "belong" to him since it is his name. Know what I mean? He has special affinity for things that seem to have a connection to himself, such as the letters in his first name, the color orange, cats, blow up kiddie pools with fish on them, a certain 5 gallon bucket, and more (there is stories for each, but in short he has a history with each that his siblings don't have).

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Permalink Reply by Merry on February 25, 2010 at 1:12pm

Cool, you'll have to let us know how it goes! (Honestly, I couldn't think of anything for awhile either & then some ideas came to me when I was praying about it the other night.)

I admit you really have my curiosity up about his list of "special affinity" items! I guess until you tell the stories I'll have to imagine orange cats swimming in blow-up kiddie pools, trying to catch the fake fish...

Merry :-)

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