Sound Bins

Kids love to play with stuff.  Somehow collections are started without a conscious thought.  No one told me this, and I never ran across it in the parent handbook.  After collecting three years worth of dolls, dresses, happy meal toys, etc.,  My Boy's Teacher has finally helped me figure out what to do with them.  Two simple words can organize your life.

Sound Bins!

Using a set of craft organizers from Lowes, I designated a small drawer to each letter of the alphabet, including the digraphs. You could even used a tackle box if on hand. Then as I stepped on or vacuumed up the tiny pieces, they get placed in the drawers.  Each drawer is labeled with a permanent marker (which can be removed with nail polish remover as needed).  I am also teaching the digraphs (sound blends) with them, so you'll see them labeled in green.  They have been amazingly easy to fill, and I haven't spent a dime.

"d"sound bin 

"sh" sound bin

During school, the children can then choose to work on a letter sound box.  Our "d" sound box currently contains a dog, dress, duck, drum, and dragon.  Our "sh" digraph contains a sheep, shrub, shorts, and a shoe.

With my 3.5 year olds, we are currently working on labeling the beginning sound, the ending sound,  or finishing the word.  In our Montessori classroom,  we are using these in tandem with our moveable alphabet, but you certainly wouldn't have to.  

 

In the picture above, our 3.5 year old placed the beginning sound completing the word.  He obviously still gets his "b" and "d" mixed up in written form, but could say it properly. And I can't say that after it was all over, the cat didn't have a hat sitting on a mat with a bat flying above. :)     

This has been a wonderful help in the classroom (and our home life) as now we have a place and use for all of this cra--, I mean stuff :).

Dru