Why I Created The Picture Alphabet

When I was pregnant with my first child, I completed my PhD in Social Psychology and also worked at a Montessori Preschool. For the next 10 years I stayed home with my three kids. As a stay-at-home mom, I loved teaching our kids basic reading, writing and math in preparation for elementary school.

I created “The Picture Alphabet” when our youngest was four years old. She loved listening to me read stories aloud but found the traditional learning-to-read methods boring, frustrating and overwhelming. One day, I drew snow on the letter “M” to teach her that it looked like two tall mountains. My daughter loved this “picture clue” so much that I started creating “picture clues” for each letter of the alphabet and the numbers 0-10 (check out our New Years Eve story).

I believe it is very important to prepare kids for elementary school in a silly, positive and engaging way. Picture Clues can scaffold kids’ learning to help keep these educational experiences positive for both the adult and the child.