lorisuewho Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I don't have a classroom. . .we are homeschooling mostly in my dining room. I think I should hang up the alphabet, so I bought one today at the teacher store, but it is so long. I don't know how to attach it to the wall without damaging the wall (it is multiple cards). I considered just making a poster of the letters, but I thought maybe the children should be able to see it in one long line instead of in multiple rows? Or should I just write out the letters on sentence strip and put it on the table instead of trying to hang it up? Advice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noah&emmasmommy Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I used sticky tack when my daughter was just learning letter sounds and names and put the letters in two rows on the wall in front of her desk. You could also laminate alphabet cards and put them on a book ring, or you could very small nails and string up the cards like on a clothesline. Two very small nail holes would be simple to repair. Otherwise, I would go with testing tape or sticky tack down in the corner on your wall for about 4 weeks, and see what it does to your paint. We liked having the letters on the wall so we could see them right when we were talking about them. You could also make a book out of the letters. I think Miller Pads and Paper has blank books you could buy, and then just glue or tape the cards on the pages, and then your child could leaf through them that way. Just a couple of ideas for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Yes. We use Getty Dubay Italics, thus have the large print alphabet strips in rows, on our home library wall. I believe it's just with scotch tape. It looks good, too, and has been there for about three years now. Dh is picky as he's an artist, and he approves. I also bought and use a GD desk strip that I laminated for ds to trace, copy from, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sukale Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I have 5 x 7 cards for each letter. I have then hanging by mini clothes pins from a string that I thumb tacked on a wall. I glued little bows on the tacks to cover them up. Then when we are learning a new letter I can easily take that card down when needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Could you display a few letters per week (or day) using wooden card holders? Here's where I bought ours (scroll down): http://www.achildsdream.com/arts_crafts_kits/art_cards_prints.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 When my kids were very little, I just had a "desk strip" displayed near their work area. That way it didn't take over the house, but they could still reference easily. I think this is the one we had: http://rainbowresource.com/product/sku/010889/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I used to not. But now my kids are approaching age 7, and I wish I had. I used to use desk strips, but they never paid attention and I didn't remember to pull them out. And the kids formed bad habits writing a mix of upper and lower case letters. So I finally caved in an put up a big strip in the dining room. It's annoying, but really, I'll be able to take it down soon, and it helped them transition to lower case letters fully and helped their handwriting (especially for letters you just don't write that often... like q). So... I think it's worth trying to make a space for it when they're learning to write. If they're just on letter sounds, I don't think that's needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I...I used to use desk strips, but they never paid attention and I didn't remember to pull them out... Just wanted to say, when my kids were small, I taped these either on the table in front of their work space, or on the wall behind their desk area, just at eye level. I can see how they wouldn't be used if they weren't always immediately visible. (I'm also not a fan of teaching capitals first for the very reasons the PP mentioned. We read and write in mostly lower case letters -- I find that focusing on lower case letter and sounds rather than capitals and names makes early reading and writing simpler...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Another option would be to get a cork board and make/get flash cards, put them on the board. Then either put a few hooks in your wall for the board or get an easel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Just wanted to say, when my kids were small, I taped these either on the table in front of their work space, or on the wall behind their desk area, just at eye level. I can see how they wouldn't be used if they weren't always immediately visible. Ah, but if you school at the dining room table like us, that really wouldn't work. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorisuewho Posted July 12, 2011 Author Share Posted July 12, 2011 Thank you for all your thoughts on this. I like the idea of using flash cards on a cork board, and the hanging the alphabet off of a string would work for us also. My boys know all their letter sounds and names (of course my girls do not yet), but I'm mostly concerned that they have a reference for handwriting and also for alphabetical order. I think a desk strip would work well if we weren't working at the dining room table. Everything has to be able to move off the table. I'm not sure if having a ring or a booklet would work; would we be too lazy to get it out to look up a letter for formation? I don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomToJediKnights Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I have them on the wall in the dining room. They are in 4 strips and I tacked them together like one poster. I've been thinking of redoing it in to one long strip above the windows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 (edited) I think having the letters up is great. My son has known and been writing for a few years now but if he ever says which side does the line go on, I just point to our chart. I think a sentence strip is a great idea, if you decide not to hang the letters you got. A friend of mine had a 3 ring binder with a sheet that had all the letters and she just inverted it and used it as a display when they were doing school. Edited July 12, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Oh, just wanted to clarify that my laminated desk strip is not affixed anywhere. It moves when we do. We like the dining table too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I bought some but never put them up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I use a poster instead of the long strip. I put up those command strips on the wall so it doesn't damage the wall to hold them up. I can take the posters down whenever I need to and switch them around. I just keep all of the learning posters within reach of our school shelves to grab the one I need. But the ABCs stay up most of the time, as my youngest still needs it to remember how to form her letters properly sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I have it up in my hallway now, but I'm thinking about taking it down since the girls will be 1st and 3rd grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soonermomma Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I'm going to add a couple of these to our dining room for this school year. I think it will be great for anything we used to put on our bulletin board and I plan to use them to hang the alphabet for my twins in the next year or so. http://www.amazon.com/Advantus-02010-strip-display-aluminum/dp/B00007LB24/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=ICS0YT4256JUV&colid=36VYAURZ7IFCN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnL Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 yes! We homeschool in the kitchen and not only do I have the alphabet up along one wall, but I also have a number line going from the living room, all the way down the hall, to above the laundry room door. It's a Number Bug I got at Lakeshore Learning. The alphabet I got at the Dollar Store. I just taped it on the wall, as I know it won't be forever. I've got one last one learning letters and numbers, so in a year or two, hopefully I can take it down. But I don't mind how it looks. On the wall with the alphabet, I also have a giant atlas map tacked up above the couch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berta Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I have them on the wall now, but when we schooled in the kitchen in our other house I had placemats with the alphabet on it. I kept them on the table and my daughter saw them all day long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noah&emmasmommy Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Could you display a few letters per week (or day) using wooden card holders?Here's where I bought ours (scroll down): http://www.achildsdream.com/arts_crafts_kits/art_cards_prints.htm Those are so cute! I think I have seen them before, but I would never have thought to use them for this specific use. Great idea!:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janainaz Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I just used a printable worksheet and put that in front of my ds while he did his writing (any kind of writing). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorisuewho Posted July 13, 2011 Author Share Posted July 13, 2011 All of you are so creative! Thanks for these great ideas!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jyniffrec Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I post the alphabet page from the back of the HWT books. The littles refer to it often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie75 Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I put ours up in the little hallway between the boys rooms. I have since taken it down since they both know it but it was up when they were between 3 and 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flux Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I was given these wall cards(the animal alphabet ones) from my sister when my oldest was a baby. I like how pretty they are and they have some really cute tool ones for boys, BTW. Initially, I put them around the toyroom just out of her reach, above her eye level. They have been moved around numerous times as kids grew and as we changed rooms. Personally, I liked the versatility of the cards versus a strip, even though taping and re-taping was a bit of a pain. I do have beef with a few of the animal letters though. For instance the "g" has a giraffe and I think for early learning it should be the hard g sound, also the "s" has a picture of sheep. Um... hello?!:confused: They are in our family room now and they are no longer in one strip, but in two rows because this room doesn't have the wall space. When we started OPGTR I pulled the vowels lower than the rest, and used them with our early lessons. I have added sign language cards that I made but I do wish I had put up cursive letters from the beginning. My daughter is learning cursive now, and I think it would have helped if she had been staring at, comparing, and internalizing cursive during that time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorisuewho Posted July 13, 2011 Author Share Posted July 13, 2011 I have added sign language cards that I made but I do wish I had put up cursive letters from the beginning. My daughter is learning cursive now, and I think it would have helped if she had been staring at, comparing, and internalizing cursive during that time. This is an interesting idea. I thought about this, but I was nervous that my children would want to experiment and make the letters the "fancy" way before they were really ready for that. Or that they would make some letters printed and others in handwriting. I agree though that seeing it all the time would probably help prepare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flux Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 This is an interesting idea. I thought about this, but I was nervous that my children would want to experiment and make the letters the "fancy" way before they were really ready for that. Or that they would make some letters printed and others in handwriting. I agree though that seeing it all the time would probably help prepare. It's funny, I knew I wanted to teach cursive first, so that's probably why I didn't have that thought. On the other hand, if I knew I wanted to teach cursive first, why didn't I put up a cursive writing strip as soon as they knew their letter sounds via manuscript?! I hate when my brain makes these kinds of mistakes.:glare: After you are happy with their manuscript, maybe revisit the idea of putting cursive on the wall a little bit ahead of time? Perhaps over the summer vacation before you intend to start? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koerarmoca Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I havemy phonics/math board and I have Princess ABC's. They are wall decals so they cause no damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 We are HSing in the living room right now - no tables involved! AND we have no wall space - only book shelf, so NOPE, no wall alphabets here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyJudyJudy Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I put the alphabet up in our family room (the same place many people would put up wallpaper border). I'm glad I did because ds used it often. I left it up for years and just took it down a few days ago. It did leave some greasy marks on the wall (I used the gummy-type stuff, but I can't think of the name of it); but other than that, there is no damage to the wall. The wall is due for a painting anyway, and I have no regrets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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