Building a Foundation with Flashcards

When I finished the first draft of Hey Chicky Chick, I immediately recognized how rich it was with language!  My mind began racing with ways parents and teachers could build a curriculum around the book.

After publishing, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite complete.  I opened Canva and began experimenting with the artwork.  At first, it was just coloring sheets and matching.  That was until the memories of teaching my baby girl years ago came flooding in!

Right before her second birthday, I discovered a learning program designed for kids with Down syndrome.  We were already receiving Early Intervention for Speech, Occupational, and Physical Therapy.  With preschool one year away, I thought it couldn’t hurt to give her some exposure to basic academics.  The program was designed based on research from Oxford University that studied how individuals with Trisomy 21 (aka Down syndrome) learned.

Shortly after our daughter’s birth, when we received her diagnosis of Down syndrome, my husband and I decided it was best for me to retire from my high school teaching career to become her one-on-one teacher.  Joining the learning program was a no-brainer since I was constantly on the hunt for more tools in my belt.

The first level of this program was all about building blocks that laid a solid foundation for more advanced concepts down the road.  In the realm of language and reading, they introduced the LOOK - LISTEN - REPEAT model.

We received vocabulary flashcards and were taught how to use them in different stages. It was amazing to witness our girl progress from signing the words to eventually reading them!  Watching old videos of her reading still brings a smile to my face.  And after using them with our neurotypical son, I learned how beneficial these strategies are for all abilities.

Using the vocabulary from Hey Chicky Chick, I created flashcards (and many other resources) to help kids immerse themselves in the language from the book.  I wanted to provide parents and teachers with resources to keep the story going!  I learned from my own kids’ preschool teacher how one story can be used to enhance language, math, and even social skills.  Let’s just say I DIY’ed lots of Hungry Caterpillar activities back in the day!  Shout out to Eric Carlyle!

In the ACTIVITY CENTER, visitors can access ALL the Hey Chicky Chick activities.  This includes a total of 44 vocabulary flashcards.  I’ll share tips and ideas for using each resource.  In this post, the focus will be on using the flashcards with the LOOK - LISTEN - REPEAT model.

There are essentially four levels, so let’s check them out:

LEVEL 1 - SIGNING

When our first Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) began teaching my daughter to sign, I was concerned.  Why wasn’t she teaching her to speak?  Did she not believe that would be possible?  When I asked her about this, her response astonished me.  

Signing is a tool used to teach little bitties the power of communication.  They cry, scream, point, and babble to try and tell us what they want or need.  Learning to sign helps them better express themselves and, therefore, feel understood.  We all want that, right?

For kids with the ability to develop speech, they will eventually graduate to spoken words over signing when they discover it’s more effective.

I really believe that signing was one of the many strategies that helped my daughter develop such great speech and language skills.  Understand, however, that every child is different.  I have met many parents in the special needs community who have done the same and more, but their kiddo topped off at a certain level.  

I’ve learned a lot of extremely valuable lessons parenting a child with special needs.  One being that success and happiness for ANY child will look different than us parents imagined.  Our job is to give them what we can and love them wherever they land.

Okay, back to signing 😉 

Hold the picture card next to your mouth, point to it, and say LOOK.  Then, say and sign the word.  The goal is to allow the child to watch your mouth move and see the sign.

After they LISTEN, you encourage them to REPEAT.  You can say, “Now you do,” and sign and say the word with them.

Even if they don’t repeat, you are teaching them the process.  Repeating this with each flashcard, they’ll start to follow the pattern and hopefully begin repeating the sign once they are ready.

*COMING SOON: Video with Hey Chicky Chick signs

LEVEL 2 - SPEAKING

This step is essentially the same as signing, with the focus on speaking the words rather than signing.

Again, begin by holding the picture card up to your mouth, point, and say LOOK and LISTEN.  Say the word once or twice at a steady pace.  Really pronunciate so they can see your mouth move.  Ask them to REPEAT as you keep the card up and say it with them.

This is a good time to remind you to stay positive.  For some kids, it can be a LONG road towards speech.  It’s easy to beat ourselves up when they aren’t hitting milestones.  As long as you provide them with opportunities to learn, they will continue to grow at a pace that’s right for them.  

LEVEL 3 - IDENTIFYING

Technically, this step can be done after signing or saying.  The goal here is to build comprehension skills.  Begin by laying down two pictures (for example, the bird and the Horse).  Ask the child to find the bird.  They can do this by simply pointing, or you can make it more interactive.  Here are a few ideas:

• Place an object on the bird (goldfish cracker, button, rock, chocolate chip)

• Pick up the bird (Use hands, tongs, spatula)

• Put the bird in a container (basket, bucket, bag)

Once they can do this with two cards, you can up it to more, spread them out, or do a scavenger hunt.  Learning is more entertaining for the teacher and student when it’s fun!

LEVEL 4 - READING

The reading you’ll be working on is sight word recognition.  Of course, phonics are super important, but like with signing, the goal is building confidence.  Being able to recognize words teaches kids that they CAN read.  Having a positive attitude towards reading, especially when encountering more challenging English words, helps keep them motivated.

There are a few ways to teach sight words.  I suggest using the familiar picture cards to build upon the foundation.  Have the child LOOK at the picture with the word card next to it.  Point to the picture, say the word while they LISTEN, then point to what it is written and say it again.  Ask the child to REPEAT while using their finger or a pointer (pencil, stick, toy) to point to the picture and then the word.

As they begin to recognize sight words, you can get more creative with matching games, charades, and other activities.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Remain in each level for as long as necessary for the child you’re working with.  Slow does not equal bad.  Each child moves at a pace right for their developing mind.  Most important of all, try to have fun.  I certainly beat myself up one too many times when what I really deserved was a pat on the back.  I promise, you deserve that too!

Stay tuned for tips on how to continue building sight word knowledge using Hey Chicky Chick themed Sight Word Books!

Happy Learning!!