AK LANGUAGE ARTS is a comprehensive language arts program that teaches children to read and write through play. Because the Program teaches through hands-on experience and fun-filled activities, it is effective with children as young as age three. The Program is built on an innovative platform that incorporates both new language concepts and new methods of teaching and motivating. This book highlights eight of the most appealing components of the Program.***THE NEW ALPHABET. Traditional Alphabet books show just the 26 letters of the Alphabet. But the English language actually includes 43 different Sounds -- along with various letters that represent those Sounds. These 43 'Alpha-Sounds' are the basis for the 'Phonetic Alphabet.

' When children are taught reading with the Phonetic Alphabet, there are no confusing inconsistencies -- and thus virtually no dyslexia: Children learn to read quickly, easily, and at an early age.***ALPHA-SOUND ANIMAL ADVENTURES. A child's first Alphabet book -- built not on the 26-letter Traditional Alphabet, but on the 43-Sound Phonetic Alphabet. Each Alpha-Sound is associated with a cute and loveable 'Alpha-Animal' -- an animal whose name begins with that particular Sound. This book uses naturalistic stories and illustrations to acquaint the child with each Alpha-Animal. In the process, children learn the Sound (and the corresponding Letters) that each Animal represents.***SILLY STORIES FOR ALPHA-SOUNDS. As with Animal Adventures, this book introduces children to the Alpha-Animals -- and to the Sound and the Letters that each Animal represents.

In this case, the book tells zany, Dr. Seuss-like stories that help children recognize the 43 Alpha­Sounds, as they are heard in spoken language. ***ALPHA-BABIES. Loveable, cuddly, stuffed animal figures that represent the 43 Sounds of the English language. Each animal is tagged with a charming miniature storybook -- a tiny book that tells either the Animal Adventure or the Silly Story for that particular Animal.***ALPHA-SOUND ALPHABET FAVORITES. A whole industry of books, toys, and games has been built around the 26-letter Traditional Alphabet -- alphabet books, blocks, puzzles, games, etc. AK renovates and reinvigorates these products by converting them to the 43-Sound Phonetic Alphabet.

***PHONETIC BLOCKS. Once a child learns the 43 Alpha-Sounds, the next step is to turn those Sounds into words. AK's Phonetic Blocks is a fast-paced, exciting reading game that is fun to play. Phonetic Blocks is a set of 13 color-coded letter blocks, containing all the major Alpha-Symbols on the various faces. When selected Blocks are rolled like dice and arranged in the proper order, they form virtually every pronounceable syllable in the English language. Children are enabled to read over 279,000 different words and syllables!***TALL TALES FOR ALPHA-WORDS. The next step in reading is to combine words to form sentences and stories. AK's Tall Tales is a series of odd and quirky stories whose words are drawn from games the child has just played in Phonetic Blocks.

Perhaps the first set of basal readers that combines the phonetic regularity of Phonics with the quality content and clever wordplay of Whole Language.***THE ALPHA-SOUND TREASURE HUNT. The next step in reading is to build vocabulary. Treasure Hunt teaches new words using a 'Seek-and-Find' technique -- where the child searches a very active pictorial scene for words that begin with a particular Alpha-Sound. In the process, the child learns a multitude of odd and interesting words.***SKIRVANA CROSSWORD GAME. AK's Skirvana is an improvement and revitalization of the world's most popular word game, Scrabble. Skirvana is a nested series of ten crossword games -- where each game builds on the last and adds one new feature.

Skirvana offers numerous forms of strategy not available in Scrabble, and avoids Scrabble's two major limitations -- boring waits and board congestion.