Letter Land

Jokey2828

Dear marieyuen,

Thank you very much. I know you must have been very busy looking after the children.

Jokey2828

WantedBaby

請問有無 playgroups 學 letterland 呀 ？ 因我本身要返工 ， weekend 又要返學 ， 根本無時間自己買書去教 ， 但覺得呢個 programme 几好 。

藍媽寶

我個女讀緊N1, 睇左你地個TOPICS, 即入來睇, 因我個女學校而家就係用緊LETTERLAND教佢地, 但個D歌仔我唔識唱, 學校JUST 派張歌詞, 同依靠個女返來唱下, 咁我先知咋!!!
咁我而家呢個CASE, 咁我應買D咩東東來START呢???

charis

藍媽寶,
I'm also a beginner to Letterland.  But I think you can try to buy the followings:
1.  ABC Book.  Almost a must to buy.
2.  Alphabet Songs (CD or cassette).  It contains all the alphabet songs, so you can play and sing with your daughter.
Charis.

藍媽寶

OH~~我打左去太古問, 佢話寄CATALOGUES我睇下先!!!

Jokey2828

Dear all,

So much has been said in this topic about Letterland - what it is about, how to use the materials, where to buy ... Some parents even attend the training course or send their children to activity centres to learn Letterland phonics. Yet, how effective is it as a phonics programme? Does it really help your children to decode and blend the sounds of a word?

Would Letterland users here please share with us?

Jokey2828

charis

各位：
數天前，我買了新版的teacher's guide,新版集合了舊版的Programme 1 & 2，但沒有以下的音/故事：
a (America)
a (father)
o (love)
all/al (all/allways)
al/el (musical/angel)
ce/ci/cy (soft c stories)
ch (school)
dge (bridge)
ed (the 3 sounds of)
ei (eight/height)
ei (receive)
ere (here/there/where)
ey (they)
ey (donkey)
full/ful (useful)
ge/gi/gy (soft g stories)
gh (laugh)
kn (knee)
le (table)
ly (lovely)
less/ness (suffixes)
mb (thumb)
mn (autumn)
ough/ought
ous (famous)
ph (phtograph)
que (antique)
tion (action)
ture (picture)
wh (when)
wh (who)
wr (write)
y (bicycle)
y to i (cry/cries)
對我而言，真的少了許多啊﹗不過我想我會新舊版一起用，有新用新，沒有新便用舊的教材去教。
Charis.

行行媽

Hi all,

Here are my findings about the changes of the new version to the old one:

The new version teacher guide stated that it will cover the phonics requirement of Reception Year and Year 1 (the England school levels, just as our kindergarden, Primary 1).  Then I found that most of the sounds other than these 2 levels had been removed??? But it still included some of the sound from Year 2???

I have examined the "National Literacy Strategy", I just copy part of its appendix for your reference.

[size=x-small]Summary of the specific phonics and spelling work to be covered in Years R to 2

Reception year
To recognise all initial consonant and short vowel sounds (a-z, ch, sh, th) in speech and in writing; to identify and write correct initial letters in response to the letter sound, word, object or picture.
To recognise and name each letter of the alphabet and to be aware of alphabetical order through rhymes, songs.
Discriminate, write and read final sounds in simple words.

Year 1
Discriminate, write and read middle (short vowel) sounds in simple words: ‘a’ (fat), ‘e’ (wet), ‘i’ (pig), ‘o’ (pot), ‘u’ (mug).
Read and spell words ending in ck, ff, ll, ss, ng

Discriminate, blend and spell initial consonant clusters:
bl, br, cl, cr, dr, dw, fl, fr, gl, gr, pl, pr, sc, scr, sk, sl, sm, sn, sp, spl, spr, squ, st, str, sw, tr, tw, thr, shr and
common end clusters: ld, nd, lk, nk, sk, lp, mp, sp, ct, ft, lt, nt, pt, st, xt, lf, nch, lth

Discriminate, spell and read the common spelling patterns for the long vowel phonemes: ‘ee’, ‘ai’, ‘ie’, ‘oa’, ‘oo’:
• ee: ‘ee’ (feet), ‘ea’ (seat)
• ai: ‘ai’ (train), ‘a-e’ (name), ‘ay’ (play)
• ie: ‘ie’ (lie), ‘i-e’ (bite), ‘igh’ (high), ‘y’ (fly)
• oa: ‘oa’ (boat), ‘o-e’ (pole), ‘ow’ (show)
• oo: ‘oo’ (moon), ‘u-e’ (tune), ‘ew’ (flew), ‘ue’ (blue)

Year 2
Discriminate, spell and read the common spelling patterns for the vowel phonemes: ‘oo’ (short) ‘ar’‘oy’ ‘ow’:
• oo (short): ‘u’ (pull), ‘oo’ (good)
• ar: ‘ar’ (car)
• oy: ‘oi’ (boil), ‘oy’ (toy)
• ow: ‘ow’ (cow), ‘ou’ (sound)

Discriminate, spell and read the common spelling patterns for the vowel phonemes: ‘air’, ‘or’, ‘er’
• air: ‘air’ (fair), ‘are’ (scare), ‘ere’(there), ‘ear’ (bear, wear)
• or: ‘or’ (sport), ‘oor’ (floor), ‘aw’ (claw), ‘au’ (caught), ore (more, store)
• er: ‘er’ (her, were), ‘ir’ (bird), ‘ur’ (fur)

Discriminate, spell and read the common spelling patterns for the vowel phonemes: ‘ear’, ‘ea’
• ear: e.g. fear, hear
• ea: (bread, head)

Jokey2828

Hi 行行媽 and Charis,

Thank you very much for your detailed analysis of the old and new versions.

By the way, can any mom comment on how useful Letterland Phonics is on enhancing a child's phonics skills? I have a few materials, but do not find them particularly special. Is there anything I have missed?

Jokey2828

Becky..

Dear all,
請問幾大的幼童學會好d? 及港島區有冇playgroup教?

Thanks

kctammy

Hi all,

I have used the Letterland materials to teach my little daughter (22mths) for one and a half months. She knows most of sound of the letters and she can recognize most of the letterlanders. What else can I do for the early stage? Should I jump to Programme 1? As my daughter is still very young, I am not sure whether she can handle the skills and technique taught in Programme 1.

marieyuen

行行媽媽 & Charis:

你o地的Information真係好正！唔該o西！

Jokey2828：
我想問你買了level 1及 level 2的Teacher's Guide看未呢？這兩本書真是最主要的部份，如果只買其他materials但沒有了課程的主導是無法運用得好的。再者，我很相信小孩子是很受父母的影響的，尤其只靠 Home schooling來學而沒有在 playgroup或 kindergarten學 letterland的小朋友，父母和家人都要首先自己都很喜歡，又常常樂意同小朋友以letterland的人物或內容滲入日常生活，及閱讀，效果相信會好好多的，希望你也試試吧！我絕對支持你的！
有好消息也記住post上來分享分享呀！

Becky：
Early Years stage其實兩歲已經可以開始學，但如果小朋友已有四歲左右，可以一開始就用 Programme 1。
有關於教letterland 的playgroup list ，你可以打電話比letterland showroom，即係ETC Educational Technology Connection (HK) Ltd 26532789
叫佢 fax一張list給你。

kctammy：
22 months是太細了，我建議不要進展到programme 1，因為programme 1是需要小朋友開始有一些基本的字彙的，而且programme 1是有handwriting的教學，我想不用這麼早學handwriting的。
如果你現在的情況，可以多用一些活動來令小朋友記得o西所有letterlanders及letter sound，鞏固letter sound同letterlanders的characteristic。
例如唱熟 Alphabet Songs, Action Songs都可以考慮，因為細的小朋友喜歡一邊唱一邊有動作做。Letterland library可以考慮"Who's That? Lift the Flap Book" $78(Tai Koo) 及 "ull-the-Tab ABC"(yesasia $125.97)兩本都是活動的書，細的小朋友會很喜歡。

另外At Home Readers Stage 2&3我都看過o西了，都唔錯架，因為可以強化letterlanders的性格及特徵，令letters更生動。
例如letterland裏面最衰的是Wicked Water Witch；最曳的是Naught Nick；最乖Good的是Golden Girl；最幫得忙的是Fireman Fred；最愛靜的是Hairy Hat Man；最聰明的是Clever Cat；最可憐的是Poor Peter；最壞的是Robber Red；最惡的是Quarrelsome Queen；但偏偏佢個老公就係最kind的Kicking King.....letter有了性格，小朋友就會好喜歡，reading好似同letterlanders做朋友。
講開又講，我唔喜歡new edition都係因為佢新的letterlanders 既characteristic唔明顯，Poor Peter唔可憐，Naughty Nick唔曳，無巫婆、無小偷...成個letterland平淡了好多了。
好似我個女，現在對於letterlanders的性格好入心，成日問點解Naughty Nick o甘曳架？如果我話有o的o唔好做，曳的小朋友先會做，佢就會話：係o米即係Naughty Nick？又好似我教佢唔好唔問過我就搞我o的o野，如果唔係即係Robber Red，Uniform Man會捉佢，佢一搞我o的o野我就問佢係唔係想做 Robber Red，佢就好緊張，即刻唔敢搞，再話佢，如果你o甘樣搞媽媽o的o野就即係Robber Red，佢重會喊架，因為小朋友三歲對自我形象係好注重的，所以佢每次唱letterland的主題曲，一邊唱一邊做動作時，唱到 "....the Red Robber Red..."時都即時好緊張o甘停o西任何動作，死都唔肯扮Robber Red。
最後唔好忘記，兩歲的小朋友是很喜歡聽重覆又重覆的故事的，同一個故事，如果他喜歡，你每日都講三、四次他都唔會覺得悶，反而係有安存感。

marieyuen

很早之前已經見到Jokey問有關小朋友學了letterland後的進展，但我也等了很久都無其他媽媽回應。其實如果參考番「教育小組」之前有關於講及letterland的分享，collin及Adayeung都有share過這方面的心得，我也有PM過他們兩個，邀請他們再入來和我們一起分享。不過可惜他們也很忙，未能回應。或者我講講我同我個女的小小進展吧！
我1月17日先正式買letterland的materials回家，也是第一次接觸的。現在我個女玩letterland的CD-Rom可以完全玩到level 1的所有game，而且百發百中；所有letter sound及alphabet songs都記及隨時唱得出，Handwriting songs就未必首首可以。我未開始同佢start programme 1，但有同佢看 At Home Readers 同 letterland readers的故事書。
我覺得佢最大的改變是，以前唔比我讀英文的故事，一定要我讀中文，或轉番中文來讀比佢聽，但現在好接受我用英文讀。Oxford Reading Tree的書 First Words及First Sentences的12本，可以自己全部讀出來，但其實我每本只是讀過給她聽唔超過三次，第一次發現佢自己讀出來時，我都很驚訝，但工人話佢很喜歡自己拿住讀讀下o甘。
近這兩天發現 letterland的 at home readers Stae 2 的其中兩本(因我只讀過這兩本)，佢都讀到好多，內容係：
Clever  Cat, Clever Cat, How do you do? What can you see in the Letterland Zoo?
及
"Come out, Bouncy Ben," says Clever Cat. "I can see you under the bush."
"I can see you Golden Girl," says Clever Cat. "You re behind the gate"
"Come down, Annie Apple," says Clever Cat. "I can see you up in the apple tree."
"Out you come, Hairy Hat Man," says Clever Cat. "I can see you in the hut".......
同埋我發現佢讀時"t"及"s"的尾音是很清楚的，她才剛剛三歲，有這樣的成績我已很滿意，加上不是迫出來的效果，所以我很開心，我呀媽聽到佢讀書後重怪責我教得佢太深，但係我覺得這全是學習phonics後的自然發展，我只是讚佢讀得好和叻，完全無迫過佢讀，又唔會每日一定抽時間讀書之類，所有都係隨心而做的，自自然然，我覺得好舒服。

其實我有一排對letterland差不多喜歡到癲，想成個letterland library的書買o西，又成日『米』三個stage的teacher's guide，做flash cards，magetics，name label重編埋教programme1的教學程序及練習。不過我現在反覺得無需太刻意，教自己個女無謂做到教書o甘，自自然然重舒服。而我更肯定，我個女o甘喜歡letterland好主要是因為她知道我也很喜歡，同很熟識，所以自己都要付出好多架。

st

Hi Every mums,

I just visited the letterland seminar today (Free of charge) organized by the distributor in hk held in Central library. Anyone  did visited ??

Well, the seminar taught by Mrs lesley white, from Scotland, she is the teacher for the tranier of letterland.

After visited the seminar, I understand why focus on  small cap letters, because cap letters only use for names and the begining of the paragraph.
A, B , C songs is teaching our kids the name of the Alphabet. But Letterland teach our kids the Sound of the Alphabet. Very intersting, I leart a lot too.

At the end, I bought my girl (2.5 yr) the Alphabet songs +Letterland ABC book.

Also, I am planning to take the class for parent by this year end but after reading your posts, i decide to buy the handbook la.

Great to share with all of you and great to see so many + experience from all of you.

Cheers
ST

Jokey2828

Dear marieyuen,

很高興在BK再見到你, 沒有了你的Letterland題目, 已變得很泠清．

我並沒有買Handbooks, 因為很貴, 亦沒有時間讀．其實我只有廖廖可數的十多本readers, 因為女兒喜歡, 所以買下來給她作storybooks, 兼且可以學phonics.
當然假如letterland是一套有效的教材, 我沒有理由把它拒於門外. 可是等了許久最終還是只有你的分享罷．

我很喜歡Letterland裏講及Hairy Hat Man 見到Sammy Snake 便說”sh”； Clever Cat 見到Hairy Hat Man 便打噴嚏的故事, 既簡單, 又有趣, 是否只在Handbooks裏找到呢?

Jokey

2002

Marie

很多謝你的分享,你的分享使我對letterland認識了許多,我有以下問題請你為我解答

1. Connie好堅持咁話Letterland cassette 就夠,佢話本handbook好簿,又兩者的價錢真係好大分別到抵handbook有乜內容? 包唔包括alphabet songs/action songs/handwriting songs歌詞?
2. Alphabet songs 同 Action songs 的分別在那裏?
3. 除了handbook+alphabet songs係基本野,你仲有無買exercise book同訂letterland magazine (好似好好睇咁)?

RaineMummy

Hi Marie,

Thanks for all your sharing in Letterland. I have just bought the ABC book and Alphabet songs CD recently. However,  I found my daughter (a few months elder than yours) seems not interested in the songs. I'm wondering if I should buy the CD-Rom to attract her interest.  Can you pls share your experience teaching your daughter letterland from beginning?

Thanks

Tiffany媽咪

I have also attended the Letterland seminar yesterday and learnt a lot from it.  My daughter is 2yrs and 1 mth now.  Before the seminar, she has learnt all the alphabet sounds but I found it difficult to go further. After the seminar, I got more ideas on how to teach her blending of sound and some more rules. The most important thing is the use of our own imagination and creativity, any way can work if you make it interesting.

I tried to teach my girl sound blending in this way girl : when the letterlanders meet, they won't greet by saying "hello".  Instead, they will greet by their own way e.g when Bouncy Ben sees Annie Apple, they will say "ba".  It does work.  My girl is very attentive to listen to a few minutes on how the sounds blend together.

By the way, I have brought the VCR of "Detective Dippy Duck" and would like to ask any mummy has bought some other a/v materials so that we can exchange to watich?

kctammy

marieyuen,

Thank you for your advise! I also think that my daughter need to learn more vocabulary before we go further. Do you think that the "Handwriting Song" worth to buy?


I had also attended the seminar,  it was very useful.   I learned more stories of the letterlanders.
e.g."Er" -- I'm Ernest Er,  the Elephant Stealer.  I love to run to the end of words. I'm quicker, faster and much stronger than both my other robber brothers!

行行媽

Hi 2002,

見Marie未答你, 我試下講下我既見解。
Letterland cassette and handbook (more accurate, they are Early Year Cassette and Early Year Handbook) -
Early Year is the very first stage of Letterland, it doesn't include a lot of materials, they have the introduction of the 26+5 letterlanders. On every chapter of the handbook, there is a paragraph of the tape transcripts, the tape actually speak for the teacher, it described the picture seen in the ABC book.

I am not sure if Marie have brought the Early Year Handbook or not, but the Program 1 Teacher Guide ($3XX) also include what the Early Year handbook have (without the tape transcripts).  That's the book she mentioned all the time.

Flash card & Picture Code card -
The First Reading Flashcard have all the lower and upper cases of the Letterlanders (it's really cheap compare to the Picture Code Code $6x and $3xx).  I don't have the Program 1 Picture Code Card, I believe it also has all the letterlanders' lower & upper cases cards, plus the other sounds which will be taught in Program 1, likes sh, ch, th.  

I found that the lessons in Teacher Guide already show the picture code card image, with the explaination from the lesson, I will draw the Picture Coding by myself for those other sounds.