Quebec - Ideal for the holiday season, Enquête au village des sons, an activity book aimed at learning to read for 5-7 year-olds, has just been published by Éditions Septembre.
Survey at the Village of Sounds, the first in a series of three, is designed according to the Raconte-moi les sons approach, developed by Josée Plante, who is also the author of the series. Ms. Plante, speech therapist, has developed a new and multisensory approach to allow young people to have fun while learning.
It is more than a book, it is an invitation to participate in a mission. The residents of Sounds Village need a child aged 5 to 7 to help them locate a teddy bear that has been stolen. The child therefore becomes a detective. He must keep his eyes open and pay attention to clues.
Throughout the mission, the child learns to read the sounds of certain vowels and consonants (a, e, i, o, u, y, r, l, s, m, or) as well as the syllables and words formed by combining these letters. The words "big", "small", "it", "a", "a" and names for colors are also part of the learning process.
The notebook also includes marker cards to cut out, stickers and a multitude of tips for caregivers or parents.
It is a progressive approach which is aimed at the beginner reader as well as at the reader in difficulty. Children can reinforce their knowledge or review the basics of reading while having fun.
Sounds Village Survey can also be used in the classroom as an educational resource to help grade 1 students learn to read effectively.
By Marie-Christine Leblanc