The Clara James Approach to learning
When it comes to learning we are all individuals.
The past 20+ years have taught me that no matter our learning style if the child is engaged and relaxed they are more likely to learn.
If we just keep giving them the same resources, varied over and over again, all we are doing is giving them one place in their brains to find the information. However, by giving them a variety of resources we can make it more interesting, more relevant, and help them to create multiple memories so that when they need to recall the information, they have more places they can go to in order to find it.
If we can boost their confidence as well as their knowledge we will make their life and ours easier.
For 20 years now I've been fascinated by different learning styles: ASD, Dyslexia, ADHD. The purpose of this podcast is to share my findings with you, so that maybe what I've learned will be of help to you too.
The Clara James Approach to learning
Learning individual letter sounds
Today, let's talk about teaching children the sounds of individual letters like 'a' instead of just their names. This is crucial because when kids learn to read, knowing the sound 'a' makes in words like "apple" is more helpful than simply recognising it as part of the ABCs.
In my experience with young learners, including a boy who moved back to England and had to relearn English letters after being abroad, focusing on letter sounds first can be beneficial for many children.
A fun activity is creating a scrapbook where each page represents a different letter sound. For example, for 'a', you could include pictures of apples or ants—anything that starts with that sound. Make these pages colourful and engaging; this helps with memory retention.
Consider using textures too—like pipe cleaners or sandpaper—to form letters and open new neural pathways for learning.
Another idea is having pages in your scrapbook showing both uppercase and lowercase versions of each letter alongside images starting with that letter for colouring. Depending on your child's level, pair these images with full words or missing letters they need to complete.
Finally, create matching games where they connect pictures to simple words once they're comfortable with the letters themselves. Remember always to build confidence by taking small steps in learning.
I hope these tips help! Looking forward to our next chat