A and R are also struggling to get back on their own wagons; in their case reading scheme books for school. They both love books - we have what is jokingly called "the library" on the landing outside their rooms but lets face it reading scheme books can be books for the sake of learning the words rather than books which are a good story. The school they are at now is much more committed to raising the standards of its students and gives a certificate at the Celebration Assembly for any child who has done reading at home three times during the week - A was really disappointed not to get one this week so hopefully next week will be a different story.
Meanwhile B continues to lose interest in any activity that seems to be learning based ("No Counting!") and so I decided that we needed a set of magnet letters like these ones for him to play with to build everyday familiarity. These simple things have conquered the globe to become a bog standard image of early childhood learning but they are about £8 a set in the UK (WH Smith prices) and you need a lower case set and an uppercase set. It is also difficult to use them to spell more than simple words as you generally only get one of each letter.
I decided that it might be more interesting to make our own letters. A local supermarket was selling tumbled stones - normally used to flower arrangements I think- at ridiculously cheap prices and "buy one get one free". Add to this a paint pen in gold and a strip of cut to size self adhesive magnet strip (like this one Flexible Adhesive Magnetic Tape (1/2"x 30" Roll)) and this is what you get.
Much more tactile than bits of plastic and B who is a sucker for stones like most toddlers has been stealing them to play with before the magnets are even stuck on most of them. R immediately fell in love with the gold pen and we also decorated some to just look pretty for our fridge.
Right off to make a "Reading for School" chart to help with other wagons!
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