tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951974969740162216.post8994555071954599418..comments2023-11-01T00:25:52.923+11:00Comments on RAINBOW MAMA: The Moveable Alphabet - What do you think?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10906019871298704814noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951974969740162216.post-6605140772352345412009-02-20T22:35:00.000+11:002009-02-20T22:35:00.000+11:00Hi loveley ladies :) Thanks for all of your though...Hi loveley ladies :) Thanks for all of your thoughts. I got excited & have gone and made the lower case set up! I've been wanting to do this for so long & writing this post / reading your responses really got me motivated to actually do it! A big thanks :)<BR/><BR/>Claire - Hi! I did have an empty tray after all. Yes, Hug is enrolled in a Waldorf school. He has just started!<BR/><BR/>Sarah - Unfortunately the capitals are smaller than the lowers so I probably won't use them together but there will be a time & place for each set. Thanks for your wisdom ;)<BR/><BR/>Dong Dong - If your son is already reading level 1 & 2 books maybe he's past the stage for the Moveable Alphabet? I'm sure some official Montessorians could comment on this & I'd be interested to hear. Hug is definitely still at the 'de-coding' stage. Ie. He can sound out & 'spell' words but there isn't any fluid 'reading' as yet. I loved hearing your 'trust your insticts' reminder - thanks.<BR/><BR/>Anna- Hi! Ooo, I'm pleased to get some clear reasoning. It totally does make sense to start with the lowers & was interested to read your thought that learning the caps tends to mean the children struggle with fluid reading/writing. I hope that re-introducing the lower case Moveable Alphabet will help my sweet munchkin.<BR/><BR/>Laura - Thanks for the tip! :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10906019871298704814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951974969740162216.post-87216132967184612912009-02-20T06:33:00.000+11:002009-02-20T06:33:00.000+11:00Here is a link to a storage box made for storing m...Here is a link to a storage box made for storing magnetic letters. It is a little pricey, but it has 32 compartments, which is better than most fishing tackle boxes. http://www2.abcstuff.com/cgi/Web_store/web_store.cgi/cart_id=6315503.20455&item=LS005&product=@storage&keywords=Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951974969740162216.post-74123523634286873062009-02-20T03:20:00.000+11:002009-02-20T03:20:00.000+11:00The reason Montessorians start with the lower case...The reason Montessorians start with the lower case is because they form the majority of what a child learns to read and write. It is noticable in a classroom which children have learnt the uppercase letters first - they are the ones that struggle with both reading and finding a fluid writing style. We don't leave it long before we introduce the uppercase letters and some will be introduced very quickly - the first letters of names etc. We have all the childrens names up in the classroom, continent names and other proper nouns so they get exposure to upper case letters in "real-world" situations. For some reason it is easier for children to learn lower case letters and then match the upper case letters than the other way around...... you know where I am standing with this!!!!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951974969740162216.post-84817449381161864172009-02-19T23:38:00.000+11:002009-02-19T23:38:00.000+11:00Those letters are lovely. I brought some scrap boo...Those letters are lovely. I brought some scrap books letter as well but my son also 5 is not interested in them at all even though he is reading somewhat (level 1 sometimes level 2 books).<BR/><BR/>I don't think it matters that much whether you start out with capital or lower case letters. Although if they get confused then stick with one set then the other. My daughter, when she was learning, never confused the upper/lower case letters even at 4 where my son is a different story.<BR/><BR/>I'd trust your instinct and use what is best for your particular child.dongdonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10443560805408525382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951974969740162216.post-82375096536842456032009-02-19T22:59:00.000+11:002009-02-19T22:59:00.000+11:00I think you should go ahead and use the capitals. ...I think you should go ahead and use the capitals. Then when you have the lower case letters ready, add those in. Kids do have to know both types of letters at some point anyway, and using something is better than not doing anything because you don't have the "right"thing.sarah in the woodshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12781200255390580449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951974969740162216.post-65771550497262302752009-02-19T21:20:00.000+11:002009-02-19T21:20:00.000+11:00This is a tricky question! I don't know enough abo...This is a tricky question! I don't know enough about Waldorf to know why they begin with capitals (although I'm curious and going to see if I can find out) but my own preference as a nursery/primary school teacher would be to start with lower case as it worked best when learning to write letters. If you did decide to use your lower case letters could you find an empty wooden tray and make dividers somehow? Or even draw them on? Whichever way, at some point the child has to learn to link the lower case and upper case letters. <BR/>Is Hug going to attend a Waldorf school? If so then I guess the best thing you could do is whatever would be in harmony with their methods.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com