Guest Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 I am looking at developing our book area and am considering purchasing something called "search and find alphabet bags". If anyone has any feed back on these I would be grateful as at nearly £100 they are not exactly cheap! We discussed their value at our staff meeting last week and the group were split with some seeeing them as a good tool to allow the children to look /talk together without too much adult intervention ( allowing us to make lots of lovely obs!) and others feeling that they are too expensive with the objects being quite small. These bags are flat - like a smallish plate, soft with a clear plastic window, are 7" in diameter, the children hold them and they contain a number of little floating objects beginning with the same letter. They seem to be in most of the resource catalo gues but I wasn't sure if I should actually mention which one in detail...except to it is Earyl Years r********!! Would love to hear your thoughts please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_64 Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 My only question is what play value do these items have? Once the children have looked at them a few times what else can they use them for? I like to get good value out of anything I buy and like things that are multi purpose. Perhaps you could develop something similar yourself using plastic tubs? Give each member of staff a letter and let them find a number of objects to go in the tub. If you do this over a number of weeks you'll soon have the whole alphabet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 My only question is what play value do these items have? Once the children have looked at them a few times what else can they use them for? I like to get good value out of anything I buy and like things that are multi purpose. Perhaps you could develop something similar yourself using plastic tubs? Give each member of staff a letter and let them find a number of objects to go in the tub. If you do this over a number of weeks you'll soon have the whole alphabet! Thanks Carol great to hear your thoughts, My feelings are that they could be used to make words i.e names, could be lined up in their various clours (did I mention they come in about 5 various colours), and used gor circle time activities too. The staff were keen to make up the tubs and are as we speak undertaking a challenge along this line. My only reservation on the tub idea is that the bits will get lost/swallowed/broken/thrown/pocketed!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_3735 Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 but how much more tactile to be able to feel the object and they can always be renewed, replaced, changed according to the childrens interests, added to etc if worrie d about swallowing then make wsure they are big enough object. we ahve similar with colour tubs, and use them for numbers and counting too as they can be handled. Children enjoy sorting them out when all mixed together. Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_79 Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 You could use small ziplocked bags too. I doubt you will find them very usuful for making words, what if you need 2 of the same. However, with a resource you have made yourselves you could add letter cards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 You could use small ziplocked bags too.I doubt you will find them very usuful for making words, what if you need 2 of the same. However, with a resource you have made yourselves you could add letter cards. Crickey Susan, must have beeen having one of my dizzy days! Didn't even consider doubling up letters!!!!! What planet am I on? Think I may go with the tub idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 We have a bag in which we place a number of items relating to one letter for the children to access independantly this changes to a different letter each week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_2157 Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 We have involved parents and children in making alphabet bags in our nursery (we do Jolly Phonics and Letters and sounds). A small team of parents made up the small drawstring bags if which we attached the letter. The children then got to choose which one they wanted to take home and collect objects from around their house. They loved doing this and took great delight in sharing them when they brought them back to the nursery. We use them so much now for activities from letters and sounds. Real objects are expecially good for our children as some have a visual impairment. I would steer clear of the ones you mentioned, not only due to the price but to their limited play value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 We have involved parents and children in making alphabet bags in our nursery (we do Jolly Phonics and Letters and sounds). A small team of parents made up the small drawstring bags if which we attached the letter. The children then got to choose which one they wanted to take home and collect objects from around their house. They loved doing this and took great delight in sharing them when they brought them back to the nursery. We use them so much now for activities from letters and sounds. Real objects are expecially good for our children as some have a visual impairment. I would steer clear of the ones you mentioned, not only due to the price but to their limited play value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 This is a great idea. Thanks so much, we have lots aof lovely hands on parents who are happy to contribute. I just hope they fully understand what we need. Last term we had a sponsored find with an A4 sheet for attaching little "spring like" objects ( blossom, something yellow etc) One parent sent in a whole bag of things instead of attaching......not much good when you need to add the sheet to the childs record!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_8466 Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 I love this idea! Will definitely be doing it... I feel another "I heard about a great thing on the Forum...." conversation coming on. Thanks! Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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