Some toddlers are satisfied with playing with toys while their older siblings work hard on schoolwork. Not MBug (currently 27 months). From an early age, she let me know that she was willing to do anything her brothers did.
And when I forgot to prepare schoolwork for her, she was there (holding onto my legs, whining the entire time) to let me know she was ready to work as well.
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Lately, she’s especially been drawn to the new PreK reading curriculum I’m writing for my 3 year old called Reading the Alphabet. So I thought I’d show how I’m modifying it (and pulling in other great resources) for her.
As we’re doing these activities, she hears me talking with NJoy about letter names and sounds. Plus, she’s gaining literacy vocabulary with our read alouds and other activities.
Coloring, Coloring, and More Coloring
This little girl LOVES to color.
So, I print off the black and white version of the book, letter cards, & cut and pattern cards whenever I can.
I also print off two of the tracer pages from my lessons, slide them into plastic sleeve protectors, and she colors with our new WASHABLE Crayola dry erase markers (these were a God-send). Or I use one of Erica’s Letter of the Week tracing pages (like the F one above). She keeps her pages in her Handwriting Notebook, just like big brother.
Adapting Printables
Both NJoy and MBug enjoy the sight word poke pages, so I give her a toothpick or large pushpin and she pokes her holes, too (so will ALuv).
While NJoy does his Number do-a-dot pages with 11-20, I either give her my 1-10 page, also on each download, or I print off one of Erica’s Letter of the Week do-a-dot pages (like you’ll find here).
As NJoy glues down his rhyming pictures onto his mat, I print off Jolanthe’s Cut and Paste letter sheets and she does these.
NJoy works on his sight word mazes and MBug does Carisa’s letter maze for the letter we’re working on.
This particular week, she used pom poms to cover the p’s. Then she colored all over it with pink marker.
Pocket Chart Fun
The pocket chart is one area I haven’t figured out with her quite, yet. She wants to help, but her “help” isn’t taken too well by a certain older brother. Lately, I’ve given her the iPad while NJoy and I build his sentences. But after we’re done, all is fair in homeschool pocket chart manipulatives. She goes at them. Sometimes, I’ll switch them out for her ABC Pocket Chart Inserts, but she enjoys “reading” and messing up the work her big brother has done.
Letter-Themed Manipulatives
Each week, I pull manipluatives and toys to correspond with the letter of the week. NJoy has 4 activities a day. I usually give him a break after the first two and before the next two. He “plays” with these manipulatives and she will sit and do these, too.
For example, for the letter P, I pulled out the piggy bank with pennies, various puzzles, and sorting pom-poms into the ice trays. All of these manipulatives are from Target’s $1 bin…I raid it almost every time I go! The $1 store is another great place to go.
Letter-Themed Read Alouds
I also pull books from our home “library” each week that match the letter in some way. The public library is also a good place to find these (I’m ashamed to admit I don’t use ours as often as I should). She likes looking through these with NJoy, especially after I’ve read them aloud. The ones in the picture are the books I pulled for the letter M (will post tomorrow).
You can also view all the posts and printables I made for NJoy to go with each letter of the week when he was 2-3 years old here.
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Great ideas! It’s always hard to know what to do with the younger sibling while you’re hard at work teaching the older kiddies. I need to do something for my 16 month old to keep her occupied.
Also, can’t help but be impressed at what an awesome handle your littlest one has on pencil grip! Wow!
Yes, she has a better pencil grip than my son (who will be 4 in October!). I think it may be a girl thing…who knows?? I didn’t teach it to her.
Great ideas, Becky! I definitely have an eager toddler in my house:)
Thanks, Emily! 🙂
This is great! I have a four-year-old who HAS to do school with us. He has his own workbook, but sometimes that’s not quite enough.
So funny. I guess it’s just like other things. They want to feel big by doing what the big kids do!
I love your ideas! I am wondering where you found the do a dot number piggy page? Thank you!
From here https://thisreadingmama.com/2012/09/07/reading-the-alphabet-letter-p/. I have one of these pages with each letter so far. 🙂
Great ideas! My 25 month old son loses his mind if I try to do something with his big sister without him. I mean, has a total meltdown. I think some of your ideas are perfect! I am going to start him his very own handwriting notebook. I never would have to thought to before, but I think he’ll love it. He strives to do more when she is doing something as well so it’s a win-win!
Yay! I’m so glad this post was helpful for you. I think I need to go back and re-read it for my now 23 month old little girl. She’s quite eager at times, too! 🙂