My Favorite Literacy Tools

Over the years I have acquired quite the collection of literacy tools and I would like to share some of my favorites with you!
These are all tools I use with my Pre-K through 2nd grade students. If your child would benefit from working one-on-one with a credentialed reading specialist- please check out my tutoring services here. Happy Learning!
Magnets are an easy way to practice letter names, sounds and words. At home you can use your fridge, in the car or around the house you can use a cookie sheet and if you’d like to put up a magnet board you can use a oil drip pan like this or a magnetic sheet like this.
These are great for all ages. With younger children you can roll the dice, talk about the pictures and make up a story together. With older students you can have them try to make up a story using all the dice and encourage them to use details.
Who doesn’t like letter boards? These are especially fun for young learners practicing learning letters in names, sight words or vocabulary words. There are so many different types of boards and letter – the possibilities are truly endless!
This game is like scrabble without the board. This game is compact so it’s a great game to bring when traveling.
Dry-erase Writing Practice Books
Uppercase | Lowercase
These are great for practicing correct letter formation. Dry-erase markers are perfect for kids just learning to write letters because they are low pressure and if they make a mistake they can just erase and try again.
Dry-erase board & Dry-erase Markers
My favorite whiteboards are the ones that are blank on one side and lined on the other – like the one linked here.
Stamps are great for practicing letter names, letter sounds, spelling and reading. Paper + ink or playdough is all you need.
This game is perfect for practicing letter identification in a fun way. This game comes in a small tin, making it an easy game to travel with.
Puzzles like this are great for practicing segmenting: /f/ /o/ /x/ –> FOX.
I like using finger puppets to practice dialogue or bring stories to life. Some of my favorite story finger puppets are:
Narwhal & Jelly
Elephant & Piggie
The Crayons from The Day the Crayons Quit
Some of my favorite stories to storyboard…
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Pete the Cat – I Love My White Shoes
5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
Dry-erase Pockets + Dry-erase Markers
These are great for practicing activities again and again.
Great cheap way to practice writing and identifying letters or words!
Having books in every room will encourage your child to read wherever they are. Baskets or books are great places to keep a few books in each room or bring in the car.
Looking for a fun way to practice identifying letters with your little one? Letter Bingo is a great way to do that!
I love incorporating letter blocks in my building areas at school or home to get students talking about letters and words that go with what they are making.
Consonant and Vowel Unifix Cubes
I use these to help my student practice isolating sounds then use them to blend sounds together to make words
I use these to help students practice chunking words so when they come to an unfamiliar word they can use the strategy on their own to help them figure it out.
These are great for practicing letter identification and alphabetical order. They can be a fun toy to incorporate into bath time or water play
WISHLIST
These are all tools I use with my Pre-K through 2nd grade students. If your child would benefit from working one-on-one with a credentialed reading specialist- please check out my tutoring services here. Happy Learning!
As an Amazon Associate I earn a tiny percentage from qualifying purchases for sharing my recommendations based on my personal experience as an educator. This does not cost you anything extra and helps fund buying books for my students. Thank you for your support!
This post was originally published on September 19, 2018.
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