Name: Thrive! NCHE Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-05-22T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-05-24T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

Tagged: delightful reading, letters, manipulatives

This topic has 5 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 11 months ago by Richele Baburina.

Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

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May 11, 2011 at 8:25 pm
LillyLou
Participant
Hi there,
I have another question regarding Delightful Reading:
I am excited to start this with my 4 yo, who is excited about letters and words (although I will not be formallly “doing” the program for a while) and I’m looking for some good “holdable” letters. She is familiar already with all of the capital letters and their sounds (just through the Leap Frog videos), but not the lower case letters. I’d like to find a set of upper and lower case letters, preferably natural wood (I have a 1 yo who I believe would eat the foam ones I’m finding) with enough letters to make words, rather than just 26 caps and 26 l.c. Any suggestions on where I might find such an animal?
Thanks!

May 11, 2011 at 10:00 pm
RobinP
Participant
The ones I have are not wood but are with the Leap Frog magnetic thing that goes on the fridge. It has upper and lower case letters. I have the one that just holds one letter as well as the one where you can spell 3-letter words so I have plenty of extras.
Just ordered Delightful Reading today for my 7yo adopted Chinese son. Can’t wait to get it!
May 12, 2011 at 2:42 am
LillyLou
Participant
Robin,
Thank you! I didn’t know that Leap Frog had lower case magnets. We have the one letter deal that sticks on the fridge and sings “every letter makes a sound the ‘i’ says ‘ih’…”
Something else I found while searching more today were these: http://thinkliz.com/2010/12/21/softie-alphabet/ and although they’re not wood like I wanted, they would be free and I’d be using up some of my scraps, so here goes nothing!
I am going to see about the LF letters to though, as my children have all enjoyed the ones we have now.
Blessings, and thanks again,
LL
May 12, 2011 at 3:04 am
Rebekahy
Participant
Handwriting without tears has these wood pieces to teach your child how to form the letters. http://shopping.hwtears.com/product/Wood_Pieces_Set_For_Capital_Letters/HWT  Kinda pricey – I just used their templates and cut some out of heavy duty cardstock – thinking about laminating for more durability… now to find the time!

May 12, 2011 at 8:25 pm
Lesley Letson
Participant
We made our own HWT wood pieces too (I also used the template but we cut ours out of wood with a band saw and sanded them smooth, much more affordable but still durable). We are using these some along with of the Lauri letters – the Lauri letters I bought are here – I have two kids using them (possibly a third), so I bought the big set, but there is a smaller one here (this is the best price I’ve found). The thing I like about the Lauri ones is that they are durable, but mostly that they will replace their parts if a small person chews them up 🙂 We have the Leap Frog fridge phonics and they like that, but I’ve never really used it in teaching reading, but more for letter hide and seek, “go find ___ letter.” I guess I could have used them for that, but they were attached to the metal door several rooms away 🙂 I do like that our Lauri ones have many of the same letter….
May 13, 2011 at 12:30 am
Richele Baburina
Participant
Hi LillyLou,
We got our wooden lower-case letters at MontessoriOutlet.com There are five of each letter and they sell upper case as well. They usually have a 10% discount code on their home page.
You can see pictures of our son working with them here along with a picture of loose letters of the type Charlotte’s students may have used 🙂
Best,
Richele