Tuesday, October 23, 2012

10 iPhone Apps for Preschoolers That Reinforce Letter Recognition

Learning the alphabet and memorizing the shapes and sounds that each letter makes is a big job for preschoolers, and is one that requires plenty of practice and a method of teaching that keeps kids engaged and excited to learn. The power that Apple’s wildly popular iPhone has to grasp kids’ attention and help them learn new skills through interactive apps and games make it a very valuable tool in any parent’s teaching repertoire. These 10 apps can help your child learn the letters of the alphabet, and provide an entertaining refresher course any time he’s in need.


  1. LetterRecognition – This $1.99 app focuses on helping your children learn to name random letters of the alphabet accurately and in a timely manner. The letters appear in both upper- and lower-case form, and in or out of alphabetical order to ensure that your little one is learning how to recognize each of them independently.
  2. Bogga Alphabet – Pre-reading preschoolers will love this interactive, virtual version of the same brightly-colored magnetized letters they already know and love. In addition to reinforcing kids’ ability to recognize letters, Bogga Alphabet also lets kids listen to audio pronunciations and practice their skills as a budding spelling bee champion by lining letters up to form short words.
  3. Little Writer – The Tracing App for Kids – By tracing the lines of each letter in the alphabet, kids are able to commit those shapes to memory and boost their ability to recognize those letters. This free app is customizable in order to suit a variety of skill levels and offers a reward system based upon correct responses. As an added bonus, you can record audio yourself so that every lesson your child learns is in your familiar voice.
  4. Alphabet Zoo – Designed by educators as an effective method of helping kids learn letter-sound association, this $0.99 app is a valuable tool in your arsenal when it comes to helping your child learn to recognize letters and build the skills he’ll need when he begins to read. Built around concepts that are embraced by the US Common Core curriculum standards for phonics and word recognition, this app is well worth the small investment it requires.

To read the rest of this article click here: http://www.gonannies.com/blog/2012/10-iphone-apps-for-preschoolers-that-reinforce-letter-recognition/#

Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965# http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285 Add to Technorati Favorites

Friday, October 19, 2012

30 Blogs That Focus on Kindergarten Readiness


Moving into kindergarten is a big step, whether your little one is coming from a public preschool, a private one or a home-based preschool program. As you make the transition to kindergarten, there are some basic skills that you’ll need to work on together before the big day arrives, along with some things you’ll need to consider as a parent. These 30 blogs are all about helping children master those skills before school starts, and helping you make the right decisions for him when the time rolls around.

Reading Fundamentals

By the time your child is ready to begin kindergarten, he should be able to recite the alphabet with few problems and be able to recognize letters independently. These skills make up the foundation of reading and writing, and are emphasized heavily in most curricula. In these five blog posts, you’ll find information on promoting these fundamental skills, along with tips and tricks to help your child master them.


Color Recognition

Having a basic understanding of shapes and colors is one of the primary building blocks of cognitive development, which is one of the reasons why most preschool and kindergarten programs emphasize it so heavily. The activities, ideas and advice offered in these five blog posts can put your little one on the fast track to memorizing the names and being able to recognize his colors.



Kathy Stemke's websites:
Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965# http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285 Add to Technorati Favorites

Qualities that Make You a Good Teacher

Click here to read my article on Helium. It's 1/52 right now. http://www.helium.com/items/1785027-qualities-that-make-you-a-good-teacher

Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965# http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285 Add to Technorati Favorites

Monday, October 15, 2012

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

I'm a Finalist for the 2012 Literary Classics Book Awards!!


I'm thrilled to announce that "Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep" is a finalist in the 2012 Literary Classics Book awards. The winners will be announced on October 15th.To see the complete list of finalists for picture books and young adult books click here.here

Kathy Stemke's websites:
Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965# http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285 Add to Technorati Favorites