Bb and Dd reversal

Handwriting without Tears (and All About Spelling) uses strategies to help prevent Bb and add reversals, but A5 still sometimes gets them mixed up. Since he's not yet ready for AAS, we're supplementing our favorite handwriting program with an iPad app called BD Bakeoff. 

Oh is this game fun! 

There is a practice activity where b, d, p and q get put away in their correct kitchen cupboards. 

Then two players can compete to build the best looking cake by tapping the correct letter (choose b, p, d and q) and the fast pace makes for great drilling. 

Two kids focusing on different letters can till compete, choosing their own letter or "cake."

The sound effects are slightly annoying now, but not to A5. He finds the bakers comments hilarious. And he's improved the Dd/Bb reversal in a short amount of time. 

Search for BD Bakeoff By Teacher Tipster in the App Store. These strategies from All About Spelling can also help. His big brothers use AAS. Even though A5 isn't ready to begin All About Spelling level one, their website is a terrific resource for free articles and ideas about common spelling and reading struggles. 

Hatching dinosaur eggs

We can now add dinosaurs to the list of things A4 is obsessed with: super heroes, his tire swing and pirates.

He's learning that dinosaurs were reptiles, and reptiles hatch from eggs. He acts this out by putting himself inside a cardboard box, making squeaky sounds then "hatching out" of the box. 

We also did an activity at a children's museum where kids "hatch" dinosaurs out of eggs.

Really it's just water frozen inside a balloon with a miniature plastic dinosaur stuffed inside. The balloon helps keep an egg-like shape in the freezer, then I just cut open the balloon and put the ball of ice in a bowl. 

He uses salt and warm water to melt the ice away and collect the miniature dinosaur. Obviously this isn't really how an animal would hatch but it's fun for him. He's done it about a dozen times in the last few weeks at home.