Under an initiative called "Sounds-Write," adopted by the school district more than two years ago, words are not just letters on a board, but sounds with interconnected meaning.

And the process repeats. The activity helps link spoken sounds to written letters, but also the processes of reading and writing words, said Robertson.

Have your kids come home singing their ABCs to a familiar tune - but one that somehow sounds just a bit off? You're not imagining it: the alphabet song is changing. The original song most of us ...

I write alphabet letters on a clothespin and then hide it in an area in the yard for Ellis to find. This is boosting observation skills and early learning skills.

Ask preschooler Zane Pike to write his name or the alphabet, then watch this 4-year-old's stubborn side kick in. He spurns practice at school and tosses aside workbooks at home. But Angie Pike ...