About Itchy’s Alphabet
Itchy’s Alphabet products have evolved through the 32 years that I have been working with children who struggle to learn their letter sounds. These children had been taught the sounds and letter formations in the regular classroom, using various programs, but had not achieved mastery and were referred for Learning Assistance support.
I needed to try something different. Armed with the knowledge that over 80% of individuals are visual learners, I started drawing pictures, in the shape of the letters, to give children a visual cue to remember. Not only did the students show improved mastery of their sounds, they were also able to retrieve the shape of the letter by remembering the picture cue – spelling and printing both improved. In "Just the Facts", an information sheet published by The International Dyslexia Association, they state, “Sound-symbol association must be taught (and mastered) in two directions: visual to auditory and auditory to visual.” Itchy’s Alphabet is a unique alphabet product in providing this dual –modality learning process. The visual and auditory reinforce each other, enhancing the ability to master both!
I also had the opportunity to try using these ideas in a colleague’s Grade one classroom. We saw positive results with the children – the greatest problem, however, was that our combined artistic talent failed to do justice to the pictures we were trying to draw! I connected with an artist, who put my ideas down on paper and someone with some computer graphics experience, and we were on our way to the products you see presented here. The program is named after Itchy, a colorful, commercially-made worm with fuzzy hair which I purchased years ago to help me teach the short ‘i’ sound.
ENJOY USING YOUR ITCHY’S ALPHABET PRODUCTS
THE BEST START to letter sound learning!
About the creator of Itchy’s Alphabet
Brenda Larson (B.Ed. ’71 University of British Columbia, M. Ed. ‘79, Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA) has been teaching in the British Columbia public school system since 1972. Her experience includes 1½ years as a Remedial Reading Teacher in the Vancouver School District, followed by 31 years as a full-time Learning Assistance Teacher in the Vancouver, Langley and Central Okanagan School Districts of B.C. As a Learning Assistance Teacher, her role has been to assist students who struggle with their academic learning. The letter cues in Itchy’s Alphabet were developed as a result of her experience working with these students.