theYoungerMrsWarde Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Builder Boy is a kinetic learner. He learns best when he can physical move something, put something together to solve a problem or learn something knew. If he hears something he likes he goes straight to his wood blocks on the play table and starts acting out what he just learned with the blocks to cement it in his mind. This is how he processes things, and because he does do it with a lot of things he remembers a lot of things. A day does not go by where he does not play with his blocks. Even when watching tv he is acting out the story with the blocks. After a reading lesson, after a math lesson, etc. he is working things out with his blocks. The problem is that he is not an only child. Early Bird wants to play with what his big brother wants to play with. And they seem incapable of sharing. They fight over the blocks every.single.day. With most things if they are not sharing it gets taken away and not played with for a while. But I cannot do that with something that is so necessary to Builder Boy's ability to process things! I have flat magnetic letter tiles I picked up at the thrifts store, a great Tub Of Letter Tiles I got on Amazon.com, regular magnetic letters from Walmart, and the Fridge Words Word Builder. It never seems to be enough! What ever they are given, the fight over them! (I've tired giving them each different sets of letters with varying success.) I am at my wit's end. I do not know what to do. How do I punish them for wanting to have enough letters to make the words they want? How do I punish them for playing with words? This is his creative outlet. This is how he bests expresses himself. The few times I have taken the wood blocks away as a punishment I feel like I'm taking away his voice, his ability to understand things. Thankfully he also has plastic duplo blocks to play with, but he doesn't have as many, and it's not really the same thing. Please, someone, tell me what to do! :sad: (Sorry if that's a lot to read. I wrote a blog post about it and then cut out a lot to make it small enough to post it here. I really need some help/perspective!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Separate rooms? Take the younger to the kitchen for some activity there while the elder works out the blocks. Then switch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theYoungerMrsWarde Posted July 23, 2012 Author Share Posted July 23, 2012 Separate rooms? Take the younger to the kitchen for some activity there while the elder works out the blocks. Then switch. It's a nice idea, but our 995 sqr ft townhouse is all open on the downstairs, and that's the kitchen/living room. So I'd have to have ds3 all by himself downstairs for his turn. And, of course, as soon as they are separated they beg to be together. :glare: They seem incapable of playing on their own once they've been told they can not do what the other is doing. :glare: As I was typing this Ds3 kept making ugly noises because he didn't want ds5 near him because he was afraid ds5 would take his books away. Ds5 would only stand there and stare at him, not playing anything, with ds3 freaking out and crying for him to leave him alone. I told ds5 to stay away and play with something else. He refused. So I sent him up to his room. What does ds3 do? He pitched a fit because he couldn't go upstairs with big brother. :banghead::banghead: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saraha Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 What about each having his own set of blocks? Could you divide the block population in half and mark them so that each has his own? Then they have less to play with or learn to share. Then maybe add to each set at Christmas and birthday? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Try printing letters, words, flashcards, etc. on cardstock. You might even consider investing in a laminator. BTW, I found letter and number magnet sets at WalMart for $.97 each in the kitchen wares section! I guess they take that whole refrigerator magnet designation seriously. They are small and only have one small magnet. But, even without the magnet, they still make good manipulatives for elementary kids. Also, you can sometimes find bulletin board cardstock letters and words to use as manipulatives for a decent price. I just bought some from Oriental Trading Company that weren't too bad. I've also purchased flat sheets of magnets or rolls of adhesive magnets to make my own manipulatives. I attach the magnet with superglue as the pre-applied adhesive doesn't hold well. If you have building blocks, you can write words or letters on them and use them as manipulatives too. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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