I know I have talked about this previously in my Enews but I believe its importance in teaching and parenting can not be over emphasized.
Encouragement is often misunderstood. It is very different to praise. It is far more powerful. It literally means to give a child the courage to succeed; it is your belief in their ability to succeed in any situation that they put their mind to. Encouragement is a continuous process. Praise is about control while encouragement is about influence and building self-esteem.
The language of encouragement focuses on the process rather than the result. For example,
‘I know you can do it. Just keep it up.’
‘It is great to see that you love riding your bike.’
‘I really appreciate your help.’
‘You are really improving your writing. Well done!’
‘You really worked hard on that!’
‘Thanks. That helped me so much.’
Letterland Alphabet Rhymes
This rhyme was published by Letterland in 1999 and although it is no longer available, it is still one of my favourites.
Annie Apple is green and red.
Bouncy Bed bounces on his bed.
Clever Cat has baked a cake.
Dippy Duck dives into a lake.
Eddy Elephant is big and grey.
Firefighter Fred is on his way.
Golden Girl has long fair hair.
Harry Hat Man’s feet are bare.
Impy Ink can write his name.
Jumping Jim plays a jumping game.
Kicking King likes to kick a ball.
Lucy Lamp Light looks ever so tall.
Munching Mike munches metal toys.
Noisy Nick makes lots of noise.
Oscar Orange is ever so sweet.
Peter Puppy has two wet feet.
Quarrelsome Queen quarrels all day long.
Red Robot doesn’t know right from wrong.
Sammy Snake is by the sea.
Talking Tess is drinking tea.
Uppy Umbrella loves heavy showers
Vicky Violet has the prettiest flowers.
Walter Walrus likes playing tricks.
Max and Maxine have found six sticks.
Yo-yo Man has a yellow sack.
Zig Zag Zebra has stripes on her back.
Munching Mike's Muffins ...... mmmmm
This recipe is healthy and easy to make. My grandson Max and I cook these mainly on Monday mornings in March and May. Any of your favourite recipes can be given a Letterland name, for example, Lucy’s Lemon Logs, Sammy Snake’s Sodas, Firefighter Fred’s Frozen Fruit, Annie Apple’s Anzacs, Bouncy Ben’s biscuits, Clever Cat’s cupcakes.
Preheat oven to 180°C
Ingredients:
- 1 cup plain yoghurt
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup oil
- ½ cup castor sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup self-raising flour, sifted
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 300g mixed frozen berries, thawed
Method:
- Grease or place paper cases into 16 muffin holes
- Mix together the yoghurt, oats, oil, castor sugar and egg.
- Gently stir in the sifted flour and baking powder with the fruit.
- Spoon mixture into the paper cases in the muffin tin
- Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Issue #52 - October 2007
Finally we have published a simple and fun activity to help children move from sounds to words. Spelling is a major concern for many children and it is crucial that they are taught explicitly how sounds and letters work together to make words. Just like kicking a football or playing the piano, practice is the best way to master a skill. 
We are very committed and passionate about our Little Learners Love Literacy sessions.
