The Alphabet Box - Part II (& Giveaway!)

~This giveaway is now closed~

~click here for Part I~

As promised, here's Part II to The Alphabet Box. In this post I'll share how we use our box for learning & fun and I'll also have a giveaway at the end. :)

When I first introduced the drawers to James, I focused on one drawer at a time. I'd lay out all the objects on a mat and as I called out the name of each object I'd emphasize the sound of the letter, (e.g. "this is a ssssnake"). James would repeat the names after me and after we'd gone through each object I'd say, "All of these objects begin with the sound 's'."

After James had learned a handful of sounds, I put together a few games. The first was a "Seek and Find" game. I'd randomly place all the objects from 2-3 drawers on the mat and ask him to find an object that began with one of the letters. He'd find it and line it up under the appropriate letter.

James' favorite game is the "Please Bring Me" game. I place some objects (from two trays) on a shelf across the room and ask James to bring to me something that begins with the "t" sound (for example). When he brings back with the correct object I ask him to name it. I confirm the name and making note of the sound, e.g. "Yes, that's a tree. Can you hear the "t" sound in the word 'tree'?"

Another fun game to play with the alphabet box is "I Spy". I put several objects from various drawers on a tray and I'll say, "I spy with my little eye something that begins with the "b" sound." James will then find the object and name it.

Once we start working with our sandpaper letters, my intent is to combine the objects and letters together.
This is really just a variation to the "seek and find" game. The difference being that we'd be working with 10-12 letters at a time and that James will first trace and say the sound of the letter and then he'll need to find the object that matches that sound. The challenge is that there are many more objects and letters to choose from. This activity also has a sensory element to it (touching the sandpaper).

Now for the giveaway!
{I'm so excited about this and I hope you are, too!}

I think the alphabet box is such a fantastic learning tool and I truly believe all homeschoolers and teachers should have one. I've given you tips and ideas on how to create your own, but I'd love to help you even more. So, I'm going to give away to one person all of the following...

~Letter cards in both upper and lowercase and ONE object for each letter~

(Note: objects are exactly as shown above and the coins are Bermudian currency.)

You'll have 6 chances to win - simply leave me one comment per day until the end of the giveaway, which is at midnight (ADT) on July 29th. This giveaway is open to anyone anywhere! (Yes, that includes you, my lovely reader in Qatar.) :)

** Please be sure to include your email address if it's not public in your profile!! **