ERIC Number: ED445817
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 2000-Jul
Pages: 22
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
"Meet the Alpha-Soruses": A Program for Early Childhood Development. Action Research in Family and Early Childhood. UNESCO Education Sector Monograph No. 12/2000.
Klein, Shanna L.
One of the goals of UNESCO is to act as a clearinghouse on information about early childhood education activities in order to promote the development of young children. Noting that many children become frustrated with adults when they try to explain their feelings, this monograph of the UNESCO Education Sector introduces the "Alpha-Soruses" program, designed to teach young children about communication, emotional development, and the alphabet. The Alpha-Soruses is a group of dinosaurs, in the shape of the 26 letters of the English alphabet, that reflect various personalities. The program provides a communication bridge creating a way for children to express emotional reactions and opinions to adults. The monograph describes the development of the underlying concepts and research and development of the program. Also described are ways the program can be used to teach the alphabet, teach phonics, develop motor and artistic skills, build emotional security, use a nonviolent subject matter, promote self-esteem, teach teamwork, work with and accept persons with disabilities, present no gender inequalities, and build problem-solving skills. The monograph presents excerpts from three books comprising the program and describes their use with children of various ages. The three: (1) "Meet the Alpha-Soruses," a coloring book with stickers introducing the dinosaur characters through rhyme; (2) "The Alpha-Soruses in the Journey," containing stories showing children that it is good to help those in need; and (3) "Where Did the Alphabet Come From?," using the Alpha-Soruses' phonetic pronunciation and presenting a story about how the first words were formed by human beings. (KB)
Descriptors: Communications, Dinosaurs, Early Childhood Education, Emotional Development, Emotional Response, Instructional Materials, Letters (Alphabet), Program Descriptions, Teaching Methods, Young Children
Early Childhood and Family Education Unit, ED/BAS/ECF, UNESCO, 7 Place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France.
Publication Type: Guides - Non-Classroom; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France). Early Childhood and Family Education Unit.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A