My favorite and most reliable tool for teaching reading in our homeschool is Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. I have used it with all four of my children. While each child learns differently, this system has worked for all even if I needed to adapt it somewhat. The writing sheets that are assigned with each lesson can be printed off from the Donna Young website but my five year-old is easing into the handwriting portion. So, as an additional lesson, I began using the Aqua Doodle mat for writing. Really, the idea just struck me on a whim but has been an excellent tool. The pens that come with this are wider than the old fashioned fat pencils that we used to use in lower elementary school, so it is easier for little hands to hold and control. The mat is easily drug around from place to place; or in this case, it is taken from sibling to sibling to read and write together. The obvious is also a huge benefit: no chalk dust, no needing erasers and no unwanted marking on furniture, carpet, etc. The Aqua Doodle is also very convenient and could be taken along to appointments and such to keep little ones busy. You could also use it as a narration tool for little ones just learning to narrate so that they can draw a picture of the narration. I am sure there are many other uses for the Aqua Doodle, including math and counting exercises as well. It is a wonderful, inexpensive tool to add to your collection of manipulatives for learning.
