When my daughter was about 12 months old I started frequenting teacher’s supply stores. I was home with her and wanted to make the most of the time that we would be spending together before she went to pre-school.
The best educational tools that I found at the time were in the form of puzzles. Started with small wooden ones and then went on to the more complex ones where pieces needed to be connected together before they were placed on the board.
Then I came upon something that not only caught my attention but managed to get her excited too.
It’s rather hard to explain so I’m posting a video and a picture. Basically the frame holds 16 individual tiles that are numbered on one side and coloured on the other. The folding frame has 32 blank spots where the tiles can fit and once the exercise is completed the frame can be closed and turned over keeping the tiles in place to view the colour pattern for self-checking. There are different levels of books available so you can buy what you need and grow as your child does.
My little one totally ATE up these books and I credit this tool for putting her so far ahead of her fellow preschoolers that by kindergarten she was already working with bi and trinomials.
I ended up showing this tool to my friend that home-schooled and she took it with her because she found it so very effective.
LP…there is a “self-check” for each page…you have to get the colours in the order that is shown on there. (You can see this pattern at the top right hand corner of each exercise page.)
RG…I’ve been back to the that supply store that I used to go to but they are trying to wind up business and they no longer carry this. I had already thought of getting it for you. See if you can buy it online.
There are different books that cater from toddler years and up.
Every child is different so don’t measure by the age groups shown.
I knew that my 1 year old didn’t know a lot of stuff but I would show her the book without the frame to help her become familiar with the colours and shapes.
She was working with my supervision and the frame by the time she was 16 months old.
