AAS--magnetic white board crucial or no?

[hs03842]

If I just used the tiles loose and stored them in a box or bag would that be fine? 

[domestic_engineer]

It depends on what level you're talking about.  Upper levels, probably ok to forego the whiteboard.  Lower levels - possible but it'd be a pain to arrange them in alphabetical order every time.

It also depends on your kid.  Some kids need to see the alphabet in order to internalize it.

I have done both storage solutions --- at home, I keep them on a magnetic whiteboard; when I've tutored, I store them in a container.  I do get frustrated with the container-arrangement because I don't take the time to put the alphabet in order and then I can never find what I need fast enough.

[hs03842]

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Edited December 9, 2020 by JoyKM

[ktgrok]

Get the app!!!! The app is SO much easier to use! We have the big magnetic board and the tiles, but switched to the app. 

[barnwife]

You could use a cookie sheet instead of white board. 

While, I love the sound of the app, for my kid who is using AAS and finally, for the first time in his life, making progress in spelling, I don't think the app would be the same. So, for now, we keep trudging along with tiles. But, I do hope that someday we can transition to the app. That time is not now, when he's finally gaining some confidence in spelling.

[ikslo]

I didn’t know there was an app!

We used a small magnetic board, initially.  It was enough for the first few levels, until the additional tiles from the upper levels got added in.  Then we switched to the bigger wall mounted magnetic white board.  I’m glad we got it and just wish I had gotten it sooner; but finances at the time just wouldn’t allow.

DS was very adverse to writing anything in the beginning and the tiles helped get through spelling with minimal tears.  I know some people say you can do the program without, but they were definitely helpful for us.  

DS loves his computer gaming, but tends to not like schoolwork on the computer.  Not sure how he would have done with the app.

[ktgrok]

Yes, there is an app 🙂

My big love of the app is not having to "fix" the letters after each time, or whenever a toddler messed them up. 

It basically is just a virtual whiteboard, and you drag the letter/phonogram tiles up to build the word. Very much like doing it with real tiles - not gamelike or anything. You can also choose by the lesson, so it only puts up the tiles you need/have covered. 

Also, you can put very light/transparent "tiles" on the board to indicate how many tiles/phonograms they need to use, which was sometimes helpful. We used it for more than just AAS - pulling it out whenever we wanted to spell some words

[hs03842]

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Edited December 9, 2020 by JoyKM

[Lecka]

I tried a few things and ended up doing well with a small magnetic whiteboard.  We did great with that, it was a great manipulative here.

I would just get out the tiles we would need available to do example words.  And, have a few tiles available for my son to choose from. 
 

The large whiteboard was great for organized storage of the tiles but was unwieldy.

It was often better for my son to have a choice of just a few tiles — made it easier for him to choose what he wanted, made him more successful more easily.  
 

Later on we went to pencil and paper.  
 

I stored them in bags or a canister sometimes, and it is so hard to organize them.  For me.  It made me less likely to use them unless I was going to really set aside a time to set up the tiles.  They did stay more easily organized with a large magnetic dry erase board, and that was very worthwhile, even though it was a bit unwieldy/overwhelming to use.

My son had been struggling and was in a mental space of going “that looks hard” so the smaller size and fewer tiles out was a good fit for him.  He also did better on the couch than at the kitchen table at the time.  We had a gliding footstool he liked to lay over at the time, which worked well with something smaller.  It was what worked at the time. 
 

 

[Lecka]

I knew my son wrote more easily with a dry erase marker than with a pencil.  
 

If pencils are fine (and they usually are) you can also lay tiles on a piece of paper if you want to do anything where you fill in a gap between tiles with a written letter.  Or you can just write that part on a piece of paper.  
 

It’s very flexible!!!!!!!

[MeaganS]

17 hours ago, Ktgrok said:

Get the app!!!! The app is SO much easier to use! We have the big magnetic board and the tiles, but switched to the app. 

Totally 100% agree. We had the tiles on a magnetic white board and with the toddler, many were missing within a few months. The app is so much easier for us all and takes so much less time for each lesson. I've used it exclusively with 3 children for 5 years now (there was an off-brand app I used before, but when AAS released theirs, it was easier to use than the other I used before)

[Momto6inIN]

We use the side of the fridge and put them up where the toddler can't reach and they use a stool to do spelling.

[hs03842]

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Edited December 9, 2020 by JoyKM

[goldenecho]

For me, having the board allowed me to keep them in ORDER, which saved a ton of time.  

I've also heard of a great storage idea with nesting cookie sheets (which are usually magnetic).  Put the tiles in alphabetical order on the bottom one and then put the other one on top to store it so the tiles don't fall off (thought that was just a great idea).