This is one post that that I have been meaning to write for months but didn't get around to it simply because of the time that it would take to click, edit and upload the pictures..but I finally did it today Alhamdulillah. I first saw this idea at Counting Coconuts and then I googled and found this post at Living Montessori Now which got me all eager to create our own set of alphabet boxes for Z. I had a blast collecting the miniatures for these boxes.I was already collecting little objects for the last one year to make I-Spy bags (but couldn't really get myself to putting those pretty little things into a bag and sealing it up :p) so I had a headstart already. When I fell short of objects for certain sounds, I made them myself (envelope, Elmo, igloo, kite, Kaaba, octopus, quilt, question mark, rainbow, rug, underwear, watermelon and yarn) I found the mini-book printable from here and the newspaper printable here. I printed the alphabet cards from a free printable provided by the sweet Ann-Marie over here (scroll down towards the end of the post to get the template)
I got the bins at a local discount store, they're great for storing the objects and stack up nicely in the cupboard.I used the alphabet stickers from a colouring book to label the boxes.
This is what we've been doing for the past few months - Z and I choose a box and take it to the table with the felt mat. If we're taking a box for the first time I lay out the cards at the top, then remove the objects one by one and place them on the mat and name them while placing emphasis on the initial sound each time e.g. a..apple, a...alligator . Then I put all of the objects and cards back into the box and ask Z to do the same. If it's a box Z has worked with before, she simply starts on her own and takes out the objects while practicing the sound and naming the objects. Once she's mastered all the sounds, we'll take 2 boxes at a time and I'll mix up the objects for her to sort InshaAllah. The Hands-on Alphabet Guidebook found here at Primary Concepts also has some nice activities for practice.
Here are the contents of the boxes A-Z
acrobat, alligator, ambulance, astronaut, apple, anchor, ant
bird, balloon, burger, butterfly, brush, bottle, bulb, bangle, bell, bow, banana, book, bee, bicycle, button, bus
cow, clip, cup, comb, crown, can, crayon, cat, cage, cockroach, carrot, camera, car, coin, card, crayon, clock, capsicum
duck, dog, deer, dolphin, date, dinosaur, dragonfly, dice, diamond
Elmo, elephant, egg, eight, envelope
flower, fish, fire, four, five, frame, feather, feet
grapes, goat, glass, gift, girl, green
house, hat, hand, hen, horse, hexagon, heart, hanger
igloo, India
juice, jacket, jug, jewel
kite, key, Kaaba, kangaroo
lobster, lemon, leaf, lamp, ladybird, lock, lantern, lips
marble, mobile phone, money, mirror, magnifying glass, moon, map, milk
necklace, newspaper, needle, nail clipper, nine, nose
octopus, ostrich, oyster, orange
pot, purse, pear, pencil, pomegranate, plate, peacock, panda, parrot, pom pom, pineapple
question mark, Qur'an, quilt, queen
rabbit, rose, radio, rocking chair, red, ring, rainbow, racquet, rug
snake, stamp, saw, scooter, strawberry, spider, soldier, star, six, seal, scissors, slipper, seahorse, sword, spoon
train, teapot, trolley, two, tray, table, telephone, tiger, torch, turtle, trumpet, teddy
underwear, umbrella
vase, vest, violin
watermelon, whistle, window, wings, wood, watering can
x-ray
yarn, yo-yo, yellow
zero, zebra, zip
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