One thing we know for sure when we ask the question: “What do our children need for the world they will inherit?’ is  that literacy and numeracy will be on the list.  At the recent Rotary international convention I discovered a tool for early early childhood literacy that seems outstanding – outstanding because it is simple and easy to engage with.

SOUNS (written purposefully without the D because that is the way people hear the word) are big letters and will work in any language that uses the Latin based alphabet.  Unlike the abstractions that are letters – these shapes (letters) are to be interpreted as their basic sound – short vowels and hard consonants only.

For children 5 months to 3 years they offer sound shape recognition and help begin the identification process of the separate souns of the child’s native language.  For 3-4 years old they begin to put souns together to make words – being able to put the letters down that make up the short words as they are heard.   For slightly older children who can hold a pencil they begin to string them together to make meaning and then finally they learn the fine points of separating them into words.

What is brilliant in this system is that children move right into expression.  Adults also move from not being able to express in letters to being able to do so.

My partner and I have bought a set (somewhat expensive because they are made of material that is safe for young people to put in their mouths) and will be testing out these concepts with Sarah who is 20 months. 

More as we go,

Alana

I had a friend who used to say her cat was “older than dirt” – Samson may also fit that description.  At 22 human years old he was going strong until last week, when he obviously had a stroke.  His spirit is still strong, and although his body no longer moves much at his command he still has us – and his command over us remains as it ever was.  We are well trained and will do anything for him.

Samson is king over our household, ruler of dogs, and the one who sits wherever he wants whenever he wants.  No one would ever know that he came from humble origins, having been adopted from the humane society in Denver, CO USA.  Later, when transported by plane across the pond he settled into life in Castlepark as the one cat in residence for a long while.  He earned the name Samson his first day home.  Small bit of fur, sitting at my feet when my 3 year old Great Dane of the time came roaring down the stairs and decided that this cat would be fun to play with.  Out goes all of Samson’s hair (for a little guy he fluffs up pretty big) and WHAM he takes a big swat at Caesar’s nose.  The Dane immediately sits down, looks crushes and gives me a face as though to say, “What did he do that for?”

For 22 years, he has shared our family’s ups and downs, (follow the read more link)