Dominican in US publishes learning aid for teaching and pronouncing special combination letter sounds in English

A book that has its genesis in a fourteen-year-old homeschooling project, has been published by Dominican Hildreth LeBlanc, who currently resides in the United States.

LeBlanc, a Pte. Michel native, who migrated to the U.S in 2003, recently published the book titled, Alphabet Plus: Special Sounds in Combination Letters, which is intended to teach how to read and pronounce what the author refers to as the “extended English Alphabet”.

“I was teaching my then three-year-old, who is sixteen now, how to read as part of her homeschooling practice. The idea to develop Alphabet Plus back then emerged while she was trying to read the word ‘accident’.  The ‘cc’ in the middle of the word made a special sound, apart from the conventional ‘c’ sound she was taught in the usual ABC way,” LeBlanc stated.  “We know English pronunciations extend beyond the 26 famous letters. There are combination letters, which also make up unique sounds.”

Those sounds, she noted, can be difficult for people to identify and read without prior knowledge or practice.

Leblanc continued, “I then got the idea to develop a chart with the most popular combinations that were suited to her reading level and readiness. I went into the depths of the English language to make sure I wasn’t teaching her incorrectly.  I could not find a chart of its nature anywhere in the stores. I taught my daughters to read using this simple, yet effective chart idea that I created. The realization of the ‘cc’ sound in the center of the word enabled me to go on a journey.”

Years later, according to the mother of three, during the COVID-19 pandemic, creative juices started flowing.

“It was during a weekly meeting via Zoom with the CHS graduating class of 1997, I stated that I had made a chart of its nature.  One of the former classmates mentioned that I should ‘do something about it.’  I later updated the chart and made flashcards and worksheets for additional practice,” she recalled. “The final product ended up being a book with both the flashcards and worksheets together.  The chart is available for download on the website right now.”

LeBlanc holds a Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Management and is certified in Special Education. She also has certifications in Women in Entrepreneurship and Hospitality Management, as well as graded S.A.T and TOEFL essays for Education Testing Services based in the United States.

LeBlanc reports that the feedback on the book has been amazing.  “I have had homeschool parents, ones with children who are in SPED – Special Needs, children who are learning English, or who are challenged, or just early readers. How are you supposed to tell a child looking at ‘dge’ that it makes the ‘J’ sound?” she asks. “I knew I had to make it diverse, attractive, and easy to read.”

It was not just a matter of writing it, she explained, “you have to be able to know how to say it.”.

The author says her dream is to have Alphabet Plus as a textbook, not just in Dominica, but in the entire Caribbean.  “The islands with languages other than English as their first, will benefit tremendously from this.  We have so many children in Dominica of Haitian descent; this will be so useful to them.”

LeBlanc said the book has been presented to the “right people” in the Ministry of Education in Dominica and she’s just waiting to hear from them.

She also disclosed that the next steps in the project will involve the creation of a game app and the publication of single combination books.

“It’s developing into something more,” LeBlanc says of her Alphabet Plus initiative.

The book can be purchased at amazon.com and Jays Bookstore in Roseau, Dominica and the chart can be found on her website:  alphabetpluslearning.com.  There are plans to make the book available in other Caribbean islands.