Talking alphabet for 4 years old. How to learn letters with a child

Today my daughter is already 11 years old, and her educational success began at an early age. At 2 years old, she spoke quite cleanly in complex and complex sentences. And at the age of 5 I read books on my own. The entire period between these ages was spent on teaching my daughter to read. Whether it is a lot or a little - judge for yourself.

How to teach a child to speak is a separate topic, today we will dwell only on how to learn the alphabet correctly. Word "right" in this case it has a subjective connotation, since I will share only personal advice that has worked in life. But if you are a supporter of scientifically based methods, then they also exist. I will list them very briefly. And then I will share my experience.

Alphabet learning techniques

Most often, such developments are named by the name of the author. If you have a desire to get to know them better and use them in your practice, then finding their description will not be difficult - they are all available on the Internet.

Bakhtina's technique

The study of the Russian alphabet is based on the creation of a visual image or association. Simply put, you need to find an object that looks like a letter and at the same time starts with it. For example, the letter "B" can be associated with a hippopotamus, which has a large tummy.

Montessori technique

Memorization of letters according to this scheme occurs with the simultaneous operation of three types of analyzers: tactile, visual and auditory. That is, the child must see the letter, hear its sound and hold it in his hands. At the same time, it is recommended to make letter layouts rough.

Zaitsev's technique

The study begins immediately with the syllables that are written on the dice. That is, we can say that the stage of acquaintance with individual letters is not the first. Many educators find both pluses and minuses in this.

Polyakov's method

The main idea of ​​this development is the study of alphabetic characters in consonant pairs. For example, "A - Z", "O - E". Vowels are considered first, followed by consonants. The latter also rhyme: "BA - BYA". All paired combinations are tabulated for convenience, and the letters themselves need not be pronounced, but chanted.

When to start teaching your child letters

This question does not have an unambiguous and categorical answer. Child psychologists and teachers call different age limits. Someone thinks that you should start learning as early as 2 years old, someone recommends at 5-6 years old. I remember when Lera went to the first grade, at the first meeting of our teacher, one of the parents asked the question: "Should a child be able to read by age 7?" To which our teacher replied: "Do not worry, we will teach everything."

It is believed that the earlier a child learns new knowledge and skills, the better. The development of thinking, logic, memory is more active. Later, it is easier for the child to study at school and assimilate information from different areas of knowledge.

However, this point of view is not shared by everyone. Some psychologists believe that you should not rush - you need to get new skills according to your age. In particular, to learn letters and start reading at the age of 6-7 (as programmed by the school curriculum).

In my opinion, one conclusion suggests itself - in relation to your child, you have the right to choose any path of development. If a baby shows curiosity, a desire to master new things, he has the potential for more active development, then should he be restrained and wait until 5-6-7 years old? And, conversely, if the child is not yet ready to voluntarily master the alphabet, does not show interest and does not have enough perseverance, then one should not rush things.

The criteria by which it is determined that you can already start learning letters:

• The child speaks well, pronounces all sounds clearly and pronounces words correctly.
• Shows perseverance or, in other words, concentration of attention.
• He has expressed an interest in information that is new to him.
• The child has a good memory (primarily visual).
• Likes to look at books and loves to be read books to him.

If you put a plus sign under all the items, then it's time to start learning the letters. Although I would not be so categorical about the last thesis. Life shows that not all children love books. And waiting for them to love them is pointless. For such kids, you can find other ways to learn letters, since there are a lot of them.

As for my personal experience, my daughter and I started getting to know letters at about 2.5 years old. I did not use any modern techniques and did not even spend time reading and mastering them. And it all began very unobtrusively - with a gradual reading of the alphabet. There were no special lessons of 10-15 minutes. I used only these things and techniques that I recommend to you too:

The order of mastering letters

The most common recommendation is to start learning with vowels. And last of all, master the letters that are considered difficult - "Щ", "Ц", "Ч" and the like. You may or may not follow this rule. As for me, I did not adhere to this principle. My daughter and I studied the alphabet randomly, and the first were both vowels and consonants. Only "Y", "B", "B" were left at the finish line.

Pronunciation of letters

The child needs to name the sound that the letter gives, and not its name according to the Russian alphabet. That is, the abrupt "B", not the "Be", the short "M", and not "eM". It is also necessary to read the alphabet correctly, but this can be left "for later" (closer to the age of 7 or already at the school itself), when the child learns the alphabet strictly in order.

Repetition

Don't just tell the letter to your child, but ask him to repeat it. Even sing along the sound. Those letter signs that the child has already met can be found anywhere for fixing. For example, you are walking down the street, you see a signboard "Pharmacy", ask which letter is the first. Bought cookies in the form of an alphabet, ask your child to find familiar letters. Walking around, ask, by the way, where does the word "Peacock" begin on the sign.

Gradualness

In no case should you rush to learn the alphabet, especially if you started learning early - from 2, 3 or even 4 years old. Excessive pressure from you can suppress your interest and desire to learn letters. And don't forget to praise your child! The compliment you receive is an incentive to move forward!

Proceed to acquaintance and memorization of the next letter only after the child has firmly memorized all the previous ones. And reading and folding into syllables should be started in general only after the child knows the whole alphabet (albeit not in order), that is, he can name each letter without hesitation.

Moderation

Do not overload children with such activities. Still, for preschoolers, learning the alphabet is not a primary task. If you see that after five minutes the baby has lost interest in mastering a new letter, turn his attention to another matter. And return to the alphabet another day. It will take more than one month to learn letters with a child, so take your time.

What you need to learn letters

Books and ABCs

It is impossible to do without these assistants. Buy your child several different alphabets (at least two). They should be bright and colorful. It is better if each letter is described in poetic form - children perceive rhyme faster.

Now there are alphabets in which sound applications are mounted. That is, you press a button in a book and a letter sounds. With such books, the kid will be able to study independently.

Read as much as possible to your child so that he or she develops an interest in books. And you need to start reading from birth, and not wait for the X hour. And the books should be different in design and quality. For example, in our home library there were several colorful books with CDs on which the text of a fairy tale from a book was recorded. I turned on the disc, and my daughter sat with a book in her hands, listened and "read", turning the pages in time. Then she could not read yet, but I think that aspiration and desire spurred on well.

Games

The easiest way to learn letters is to play. And this type of activity in children is constant, so you just have to play along with your baby. There are many ready-made games and creative tools that you can customize to learn letters:

• lotto;
• mosaic;
• coloring pages;
• colored crayons;
• constructor;
• plasticine.

Didactic material

This includes various cards with written letters, a magnetic board, cubes, alphabet posters (including sound ones). Many of these things will come in handy later when you have to add syllables and words. We have magnetic letters, and as a result, even the refrigerator was plastered over with words from them - from a child's point of view, it turns out that this is more interesting than on a blackboard.

If there are problems with the choice of the alphabet and other printed materials for the study of letters, then you can look for a suitable one here on this showcase... There are many wonderful colorful alphabets and manuals here, so choosing the materials you need for your child will not be difficult. Many of these things were also in our home.

Cartoons

It's hard to imagine a child's life without cartoons. And it's great when they can be combined with home schooling. As a fixation of the new letter, turn on the desired cartoon episode for the kid.

Now there are a lot of different animated series on this topic. These are episodes with Luntik, with Aunt Sovunya, with Lev's truck. There are other, less famous cartoons. Here is one of them. See how you get to know the letter "A" in this cartoon:

I hope you won't have any problems how to learn letters with your child. And you will do it right, focusing not only on advice, but also on the temperament and abilities of your baby.

I wish you success! Nadezhda Goryunova

When a preschool child lives in a family, he wants to show the world as soon as possible, to tell what the alphabet is, to learn the alphabet and numbers with them. But too early such activities will not bring any result, because the physiological characteristics of children have not been canceled and they must be reckoned with.

For example, from the age of 2, a child consciously learns the world through touch, taste and vision, but it is almost impossible to interest him in studying at this time, since the child's mind does not yet understand the meaning of numbers and letters.

Learning letters with a child most often begins from the age of 4, because he is already beginning to analyze his actions and gradually understand why he needs to learn. Besides, it will take little time - 10-15 minutes a day.

At 6-7, children improve their memory, thinking and perception, so they are probably ready to play in school. So if before your kid did not show any interest in learning, now is the time to teach him new activities.

Maria Monsessori is a famous Spanish teacher who founded her own school for toddlers and proposed one of the most famous techniques that will help you learn the alphabet with your child through play. It consists of 4 parts and is designed for children of any age from 3 to 6 or even 7 years old.

Drawing in the sand - developing speech

Before a child can write letters correctly and quickly, he needs to develop the muscles of his hands and strengthen his fingers, which will soon have to hold a pen quite often. So the first Montessori game is finger drawings in the sand. If there is no opportunity to go to the beach, then it is enough to pour some semolina on a baking sheet on which the lesson will take place. Start drawing something simple, such as a smiling emoticon, a sun or a Christmas tree, and let your little one repeat everything after you. When you move on to more complex drawings, work with the child together: he drew the head, you drew the torso, and so on.

"Rough letters"

The next exercise that will help you learn the alphabet by playing is called "Rough Letters", which assumes the presence of special letters. You can buy them online or watch a video tutorial on how to make them yourself for your kids.

Next, we show the child one letter and tell how it is pronounced, then let the baby repeat the sound he heard behind you. At the end, be sure to give the opportunity to touch the card with the letter, while pronouncing its sound and showing the object that begins with the learned letter.

At a time, you need to work out three letters and at the beginning of each lesson, repeat what you have already learned. If the child has forgotten something from the past material, then feel free to add the forgotten "friend" to the new three from the alphabet.

All other developing ways of learning letters for kids can be read in the book by Marie-Helene Place "Learning Letters Using the Montessori Method".

Techniques and exercises for toddlers from 4 to 6 years old

Mosaic letters

As mentioned above, 4 years is the best period for learning and memorizing. At this time, it is already possible to use a mosaic, from which the child will have to put together the letter named by the parent. In a mosaic, it is easier to teach how to write letters with horizontal lines, and to complicate the task, ask to make a letter of a certain color, small or large.

"The alphabet from plasticine"

The next version of the game with a child already 5 and 6 years old is "The ABC from plasticine". Draw the outline of the letters on the sculpting board with a pencil and ask the kid to sculpt a certain letter from plasticine. Once you can learn them well, you can complicate the task by completing the task quickly. "ABC" is good for playing with a child because it helps to quickly memorize the alphabet and develop finger motor skills.

There are many more techniques that are suitable for young children. For some of them, you need to make "inventory" with your own hands in which videos from the Internet will undoubtedly help you.

Educational computer games for learning numbers

Children are very attracted to technology, including computers. And there is nothing wrong if girls and boys, starting from 4 years old, will learn and memorize numbers while playing on a laptop. After all, there are videos, techniques, online educational toys that can properly teach you to memorize numbers. For example, an online program where a child has to decorate a certain number in the color he likes and the more often he decorates it, the faster he will remember.

If your child is already 5–6 years old, then more complicated simulators are chosen, such as "Find a pair - addition", "Find a pair - subtraction" and with their help they study calculation and addition. These toys are made in the form of closed squares, which the player opens, remembers what is written there (for example, 7 + 3 =) and looks for the correct answer to it.

If you do not touch the computer, then simple exercises will help you remember the numbers. For example, while walking down the street, ask your child to remember the number of the car parked in the yard or find a specific number in it. From a very young age, funny poems, songs and counting rhymes, which are easy to remember and tell about something interesting, have a good effect on memorization.

As you can see, there are a lot of ways to teach a child to pronounce letters, memorize numbers: the methods of popular teachers and psychologists (in addition to the work of Montessori, the methods of Zaitsev and Polyakov are common), educational videos, educational toys and exercises.

The methods cope with their task, provided that the educational process is going on correctly - they do not force the child to study in a bad mood, do not raise their voice, do not require too much and are proud of even minimal achievements. And most importantly, the chosen method must correspond to the age and abilities of the baby.

If you see that a preschooler is interested in learning, you want to constantly learn something new and quickly make out what is written on store signs, then the alphabet will become the ideal first book that the child will be interested in studying.

Almost all parents understand that the time will surely come when they will need to learn the letters of the Russian alphabet with their child. And many questions arise before them. For example, at what age will your education be most successful? Or how to make classes interesting for children? And, in general, how to study it?

Children learn better through play

You can start familiarizing yourself with the alphabet at any age. Some parents start learning the alphabet when the little man was not even a year old. And many do not think about it before school. Of course, these are extremes. In the first case it is too early, in the second it is too late. The optimal age for learning letters is 4.5–5 years old. During this period, children develop the ability to analyze, greatly expand their interest in their surroundings and increase the ability to absorb information. It is at this time that the child may have a desire to learn to read.

Techniques to aid learning

There are a lot of different techniques, methods and exercises with the help of which the study of the letters of the Russian alphabet is easy for children. It can be special coloring pages, computer games, and cutting letters, sculpting them from plasticine and even baking.

An original way to memorize letters

You can try this technique: first you need to memorize 10 vowels, they go in pairs and in rhyme, so it will be easy to learn them: A-Z, U-Yu, O-E, E-E, Y-I. And then go to the consonants, which can also be divided into pairs, for example, voiceless - voiced. And then there is a method of studying sounds, not letters.

Singing is one of the most effective ways. You just need to learn a song with the alphabet and constantly hum it. And also this option is popular: the study of the letters of the Russian alphabet for children aged 5 years, not in letters, but immediately in words.

Learning and memorization works best if visual memory is involved. Therefore, it will be very effective to cut out large letters and place them in a constant visibility zone so that the child can get used to them and remember them. It's good to have them red, as this color attracts attention. In general, all tools, cards, materials used in training should be very bright, colorful, beautiful and attractive in their appearance.

It has been proven that children learn the alphabet faster and easier if the letters are depicted in the form of an animal. Or when a picture is drawn next to the letter. And then the letters will be associated with a certain image in children. For example, A with a watermelon or a stork, B with a drum, etc.

If you simultaneously teach your child to write the letters under study, then the effect will increase many times over.

Just no exams and forced imposition! All this should be interesting to the little one. Let the information come slowly so that the child does not get confused and does not give up learning. It's just great if the kid independently begins to be interested in letters. And if not, then you need to awaken this curiosity in him. And temporarily postpone classes if, nevertheless, interest does not arise.

Little tomboys are not so easy to get to learn something, and the alphabet is no exception. But all the same, you need to start learning letters as early as possible, and free online games "Letters for Kids" are created specifically to facilitate this process. Bright and entertaining applications will help toddlers to master the first reading skills in an easy and interesting way for them. Color pictures stimulate visual perception and thus improve memory. Not to mention the fact that in many games, training will take place in the company of your favorite cartoon characters. It's one thing when parents explain letters, and quite another - for example, SpongeBob. In the second case, the child will clearly be very enthusiastic about the idea of ​​learning!
In addition, in addition to the Russian alphabet, your kid will have the opportunity to start learning a foreign language from an early age. Some flash games "Letters for Children" on our site are dedicated to the English language, which will definitely come in handy for your child in the future. In general, the sooner you start teaching your child the basics of literacy, the better! Together with the games "Letters for Children" it is much easier. Therefore, you should not limit the time your child spends at the computer, it is better to make sure that he spends it playing the right games!

Perhaps the title of this article will seem immodest to you, and the author - presumptuous. You might think that the author used this title in order to grab the attention of readers.

Yes it is. The purpose of this heading is to draw your attention to the really most effective way to teach a child the letters of the Russian alphabet in the shortest possible time and teach him to pronounce these letters with sounds. You will see for yourself the simplicity and effectiveness of this method by reading this article and starting to teach your child the letters with its help. After just five sessions, your child will know all 10 vowels well and will begin to memorize consonants, even if he did not know a single letter before. And, most importantly, he will learn letters during the games and will remember them firmly.

But first, a little digression. Before you start teaching your child letters, you must decide what he needs it for. Some parents take pride in being able to teach letters to two or even one and a half year olds. But this should only be done if at the same time you start teaching your child to read. Any knowledge must immediately find its practical application. And teaching letters by itself, without simultaneously teaching to read, does not make sense. There are many other, equally effective, ways to develop a child's memory and stimulate the brain during formation. It’s also good if, at the beginning of learning to read, the child forgets these prematurely learned letters and does not pronounce them the way he was once taught: Be, Ve, Ge ... or Would, you, Gee ..., otherwise when reading it will bother him very much. You ask: "Well, if you teach a child to read and write letters at the same time, then at what age is it better to start, from the age of two is it already possible?" I believe that at home, in a family, a mother with a child of this age can already study; but first for half a minute, and then for several minutes during the day. As a result of such "lessons", built in the form of a game, the child will develop the ability to concentrate on some particular activity, and then, starting from the age of three and even a little earlier, he can be taught to read in a group of children like him. Do not forget that learning to read, and especially early reading, should take place without coercion, in a game, against a background of positive emotions.

Game method of studying ten vowels in 5 lessons

So, you set out to teach your kid to read books. You will begin, of course, by learning letters with him. In what order should you teach them? Of course, not in alphabetical order and not in complete disarray, when the child is mixed with vowels and consonants.

An important factor at the initial stage of learning to read in warehouses is the child's firm knowledge of ten letters denoting vowel sounds (hereinafter, for simplicity, I will call them simply "vowels"). I have repeatedly drawn my attention to the fact that poorly reading children, even schoolchildren, are hesitant to name vowels, and when reading they stumble, remembering whether it is E or Yo or NS... In view of the paramount importance of knowing ten vowels for full reading (so that the child does not "stumble" in every warehouse), I have developed this game technique for quickly learning them, which I have been successfully using for several years now.

The duration of each of the five lessons of this method is several minutes. Lessons are held twice a week, and on the remaining days of the week, parents repeat the content of the previous lesson with the child for two to seven minutes a day. I calculated that all teaching a child ten vowels using this method takes a total of just over an hour.

The methodology is based on the principle of multiple display and synchronous sounding of a group of symbols with their gradual partial replacement, proposed by the outstanding teacher Glen Doman. In this case, the task is facilitated by the fact that in Russian the vowels form pairs that seem to rhyme: A - I, O - E, U - Yu, Y - I, E - E... I supplemented the multiple screenings with five anchoring games that I developed.

• The purpose of the lessons on this method is to give the child a solid knowledge of ten vowels in five lessons. Parents often think that their child does not need this: "He has known all the letters from the age of two." When you start showing him the letters, it turns out that he does not know them firmly. Confuses E with Yo or with NS, does not know NS, NS, sometimes ponders, remembering a letter. Before embarking on learning to read, the child's knowledge of all vowels must be brought to automatism.
• From other ways of studying letters, which often only inhibit their assimilation and make it difficult to use ( A- watermelon, AND- turkey or O- like a donut, NS- Yulina letter, I AM- similar to a pole with a lantern, etc.), this technique is simple and effective.

Lesson number 1

Write or type vowel letters on thick white paper, each on a separate card: letters A, O, U, Y, E- in large bold red print on cards 12 × 10 cm in size, and I, E, Yu, I, E- in blue bold letters of a slightly smaller size on cards 9 × 10 cm. In the first lesson, you only need cards. A, I, Oh, Yo.

A	I AM
O	Yo

On the back of each card, write this letter by hand for yourself so as not to look at the front when showing the letters to your child.

Classes can be taught by the teacher or by one of the child's parents.

Show the first two pairs of vowels (A - Z, O - E).

Place the two pairs of cards in the stack as shown in the left illustration, with the back side facing you. Move the card closest to you A forward (as indicated by the arrow in the right illustration) and show it to your child. Say, "This is A". Then put the next card forward and say:" This is I AM"; then -" This is O"; and then -" This - Yo". Show each card no longer than 1 second. Do it fun, in the form of a game. Look not at the cards, but in the eyes of the child to see where he is looking and attract his attention. Letters A and O most kids already know. You can pause and give the child the opportunity to name them himself. A letters I AM and Yo call yourself quickly, before the child, so as not to give him the opportunity to make mistakes. And don't ask your child to repeat them. Your task is to quickly show these four letters and at the same time recite a little rhyme:

"It - A"

"It - I AM"

"It - O"

"It - Yo"

Children easily memorize longer poems, and even more so they will soon begin to repeat such a light rhyme on their own.

If you are a teacher, explain to the child’s mom attending the class that she should show him and say these four letters every day until the next class, at least five times a day. Have her do this the first time in your presence so that you can correct her if she does something wrong. Feel free to explain everything to parents in the same detail as to their children, and check how they understood you. Shuffle the cards. Ask your mom to arrange them in the right order. Then she should sit or put the child in front of her and look into his eyes while showing the letters. She should pronounce letters unfamiliar to the child clearly and before him. A typical mistake is when the mother takes out the next letter and holds it in her other hand, without covering the extreme letter with it. In this case, the child sees two letters at the same time.

Tell your mom that all the homework will take her half a minute a day, because one such show lasts five seconds. It is only important not to miss them. Gradually, the pause after the word "This ..." should be increased, and the word itself should be pronounced with an interrogative intonation, as if encouraging the child to name the letters himself. The child should just name the letter. He shouldn't say "this A"or" letter A"Give your mom the four letters you made, ask them to bring them with you to class.

Lesson number 2

By the beginning of this lesson, the children had already repeated for two or three days after their mother A, I, Oh, Yo and remembered them well in that order.

Anchoring games.

Now, with these four letters, you need to play five reinforcing games so that the children firmly remember them both in the order of the learned rhyme and separately.

Place four cards in pairs on the table in front of the child, calling them out loud in the order in which they were shown. After that, start playing.

A	I AM
O	Yo

1st game. "Wind". Explain to your child that the red letters are big brothers and the blue letters are little brothers. Then say: "The wind came and mixed all the brothers." Shuffle the letters yourself so they don't turn upside down. Then have the child put them in order in pairs, calling out loud: A- nearby I AM, O- nearby Yo(at first with your help).

2nd game. "Hide and Seek". Cover the smaller cards with big ones (red letters on top) and change the order of these pairs: "The little brothers hid under the big ones and changed places so that Helen would not find them. Guess which little brother hid under the big brother. O? That's right, under O hid Yo! And under A? Right, I AM!"

3rd game. "Re-hide". You play the same way, but this time it's the other way around - the big brothers are hiding under the little ones.

4th game. "Crow". Move your palms over the cards, laid out in the correct order, and say: "The crow flew, flew, flew, flew, and ... ate the letter." Quickly cover one of the letters with your palm: "What letter did the crow eat?" It is better to drive with both palms at the same time, so that it is more difficult for the child to guess which letter you are going to cover. If he was unable to respond quickly, tear off your palm for a moment and cover the letter again. If even then he does not say, tell me, for example: "Next to O... Right, Yo! "Over time, the child will remember the location of the letters and will be able to guess them easily.

5th game. "Cards". Now play with the same cards with the child the way adults play cards. You shuffle the cards, then throw a card on the table in front of him and ask: "What is this?" I named it correctly - I won and took the card, I was mistaken - it was taken by another student, and at home - by my mother. Take your time to allow other students to prompt, let your child think a little. Try throwing cards in pairs first: first O, for her Yo, A — I AM etc. If the child wins confidently, throw in pairs, but in reverse order. Then start throwing it around.

The mom attending the lesson remembers and writes down how to play these five games at home. You only need to play once a day, unless the child asks for more. But each time stop playing while he still wants to play: "We'll finish the game next time."

Showing three pairs of vowels (A - Z, O - E, U - Yu).

After playing five games with the first two pairs of letters, pull out the next pair of cards you made. U - U, write them on the back for yourself and add them to the stack (after the lesson, give this stack, all six letters, to Mom).

A	I AM
O	Yo
Have	NS

Now show your child three pairs of letters as you showed him two pairs in lesson 1. Only this time the child names the first four letters, and you quickly name the last two yourself, preventing him from making mistakes (remind your mother about this). Give mom the same instructions as in lesson number 1. By the next lesson, in two or three days of showing, the child will remember a new rhyme:

"It - A"

"It - I AM"

"It - O"

"It - Yo"

"It - Have"

"It - NS"

Give your mom these six letters you made and ask her to bring them with you to the next class.

Attention! After lesson number 2, the mother shows the child several times a day already these three pairs of vowels, but she plays reinforcing games with him so far only for the first two pairs ( A - I, O - E) once a day.

Lesson number 3

By the beginning of this lesson, the children have already learned the rhyme:

"It - A"

"It - I AM"

"It - O"

"It - Yo"

"It - Have"

"It - NS",

and the letters A, I, Oh, Yo thanks to five fixing games they know and scatter. Now you need to consolidate the knowledge of the last vowels they learned Have and NS.

Anchoring games.

Place the next six cards in pairs on the table in front of the child, calling them aloud in the order in which they were shown. Then play the games detailed in lesson 2.

Show your child these three letter pairs as you did in previous lessons. As before, the child names the first four letters, and you quickly name the last two yourself, preventing him from making mistakes (remind your mother about this).

Give your mom all the letters you made, ask her to bring them with you to the next lesson. Tell your mom that all the homework will now take her no more than six minutes a day, and remind her that it is important not to miss any of them.