It looks like play, but my 3yo is already hard at work with pre-reading skills. Puzzles like this are good for matching and sorting skills needed to be able to tell a “b” from a “d” from a “p” later on. His little brain is hard at work!

I’ve never done much with flashcards, but they were recommended for Ruby and waddayaknow…all of the kids love playing with them and *reading* them. The pictures are real photos and the cards are stocky enough to hold up. We show the word/picture, say the word, then flip to the word, say the word, then flip to the front again and say it again. So it’s like “duck…duck…duck” while flipping. Easy.

Here is my 5yo working with Ruby. We have many, many “therapists” living in our home. You can’t really tell, but Ruby is loving it. She arches her hands back, sticks out her feet and squeals in delight at every picture!

And speaking of Ruby, she really liked playing with the music teacher and strumming the violin strings. I admit wistfully saying out loud, “I’m not sure she’s gonna play…” but her teacher just shushed me right up and got busy teaching her the notes. I need people in my life like that.

At our house, having little ones at home doesn’t mean having to*put them away* in front of a TV so I can teach the older ones. It means giving them opportunities to learn also, even through their play and through the other people in their lives. I don’t worry about having the time to give to my older children for grammar and mathematics. During the day we alternate buddies for the wee ones while I grab whomever for math or whatnot. We also use the preschoolers’ naptime for quiet work and reading. It works.

Blessings,