pitterpatter Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I like to use manipulatives with my DD so that she doesn't have to write as much out when we practice sight words and spelling phonics words. And, it just makes things a little more fun. Please, add to my list of things we can use. It's time to mix things up again. Letter Stickers Letter Stamps Scrabble Tiles Stringing Letter Beads onto Pipe Cleaners Letter Cards Reading Rods Magnetic Letters Thanks so much for your help! My brain is fried, at the moment. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
River notes Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I think you have it pretty much covered so I don't know if I am offering you much. The only thing I could think of would be actual cut out letters, maybe the pop outs from a scrapbooking kit. This way when they are spelling you can see that they don't read the letter reversed. Just a thought :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 It looks like you have a very comprehensive list of letters already formed. I believe that Handwriting without Tears has some really neat wooden block pieces (straight rods and curves) that can be used to form letters as a basis for beginning handwriting. For fun fine motor-skill training I had my dc write letters, shapes, etc. in shaving cream on a cookie sheet. You could use sand or rice, too, but the shaving cream is easier to clean up. We've also done writing on our white board or with a stick in the sand/dirt for fun. Letter stencils can also be fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 (edited) This isn't exactly what you asked about, but it was kind of fun. I made flashcards of the most common words in the English language. I don't remember how many I did, but it was at least 500. DD had a magnetic white board in her room over her bed. Sometimes I would write her a note by putting some of those words up on her board with magnets. She LOVED this, for some reason, and as an emerging reader she would puzzle for a while at figuring out all the words. Then sometimes she would do it back. Also, I bought a little funky journal with a colorful cover. I would write her notes in it, and she would write back. This was never something we did every day, but it was novel and enjoyable. Sometimes my notes were about upcoming excursions or dessert items. :) Edited February 18, 2012 by Carol in Cal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandymom Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I found some Scrabble Cheez-Its crackers that we use sometimes. I also found some animal cracker-type cookies in the shape of letters at my Kroger store (store brand) that are a big hit too. Nothing like eating your spelling words :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssavings Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Montessori wooden alphabet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nscribe Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 A neat trick I have seen some therapists use: Take a flat plastic box and some play sand. Have her use her finger to write in the sand like you would at the beach. Another fun one I saw for the sunny months: Squirt guns filled with food colored water on the driveway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted February 18, 2012 Author Share Posted February 18, 2012 Thanks, everyone! Looks like I've got most of them. Darn. :sad: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Alpha-Bits cereal and alphabetic pasta come to mind. M&Ms would be fun, but maybe too much candy! lol You could teach fingerspelling (sign language). Along with different manipulatives, how about different activities to practice spelling words? I made a game of it in first grade--took different activities and wrote them on slips of paper, then dd could pick one once a week for a fun practice. They were things like: Write the vowels in the word in red, the consonants in blue. Write words in sand or shaving cream (or whipped cream!). Pick a word that's really hard for you and use raisins on a pb sandwich to spell it out Use one of your manipulatives (of course!). Act out some of the words, have someone guess by spelling it out loud. Back and Forth spelling--Choose a word, each take turns spelling one letter at a time. Spell it soft, spell it loud--whisper it, shout it, either one letter at a time alternating loud and soft or one time loud, one time soft. Make letters on mats or tape down big paper letters on the floor (I think we used large foam ones from a floor mat puzzle thing). Jump from letter to letter to spell the words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rbsmrter Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 I made a couple of spin and spells. They're great for calling out words in the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted February 18, 2012 Author Share Posted February 18, 2012 Alphabet pasta? I'll have to look for that. Thanks! Alpha-Bits cereal and alphabetic pasta come to mind. M&Ms would be fun, but maybe too much candy! lol You could teach fingerspelling (sign language). Along with different manipulatives, how about different activities to practice spelling words? I made a game of it in first grade--took different activities and wrote them on slips of paper, then dd could pick one once a week for a fun practice. They were things like: Write the vowels in the word in red, the consonants in blue. Write words in sand or shaving cream (or whipped cream!). Pick a word that's really hard for you and use raisins on a pb sandwich to spell it out Use one of your manipulatives (of course!). Act out some of the words, have someone guess by spelling it out loud. Back and Forth spelling--Choose a word, each take turns spelling one letter at a time. Spell it soft, spell it loud--whisper it, shout it, either one letter at a time alternating loud and soft or one time loud, one time soft. Make letters on mats or tape down big paper letters on the floor (I think we used large foam ones from a floor mat puzzle thing). Jump from letter to letter to spell the words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetMissMagnolia Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 :Dhave used those cheeze-it letter crackers too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted February 18, 2012 Author Share Posted February 18, 2012 Might pick up a box of those too. :001_smile: :Dhave used those cheeze-it letter crackers too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkdkidsmom Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 You could use plain shaving cream (no menthol) and spray on the table to spell words in. It is a little messy, but fun. And has sensory benefits too. This idea came from my sister who is an OT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beach Mom Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 We have used these and a rolled out piece of homemade playdough http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/abc-mini-cookie-cutter-set/?pkey=ccookie-cutters-pancake-molds The kids would lightly press them into the dough to spell their words then squish it up, reflatten and spell the next word. Not a manipulative, but writing their words on the window or door with a dry erase marker breaks up the doldrums of spelling at our house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted February 18, 2012 Author Share Posted February 18, 2012 That's an idea! I think I have a whole alphabet of cookie cutters tucked away somewhere within the dark corners of my kitchen cabinets. LOL! We have used these and a rolled out piece of homemade playdoughhttp://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/abc-mini-cookie-cutter-set/?pkey=ccookie-cutters-pancake-molds The kids would lightly press them into the dough to spell their words then squish it up, reflatten and spell the next word. Not a manipulative, but writing their words on the window or door with a dry erase marker breaks up the doldrums of spelling at our house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellers Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 We have Bananagrams, Magnetic sentence builder, and sentence building dominos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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