StoryBricks Spelling Clip Boards

As many of us look ahead to the next school year, we are finding ourselves in a situation where we're unsure of where our child will be learning. For some it will be in school, for some at home, and for others it'll be a mix! Wherever learning will happen, our team here at Creative QT continues to value the importance of hands-on learning, especially for literacy and numeracy. That's why we came up with this affordable and easy clip board hack to make these StoryBricks® spelling clip boards. Ideal for classroom or homeschool use!

 

 

We picked these little clip boards up in Walmart for a little over $1 each and knew they'd be a perfect base for spelling work. To make the StoryBricks compatible boards, we added a small section of Peel 'n Stick Baseplate to each, and then used some flashcards, markers and StoryBricks to complete the set up.

 

 

How to make the clip boards:

With our Peel 'n Stick Baseplates there is no glue needed at all, which is such a bonus and time saver. Simply measure out the space you need for the clip board, mark it out with bricks (this gives you a straight line to cut against), and then score along the cut line 4-5 times with a sharp craft knife.

 

 

Once you have a cut line, gently fold the baseplate along the line and apply a little pressure until it snaps. Then use your craft knife to cut through the red backing.

 

 

Peel off the red backing and sticking it onto the clip board. You are all set to start spelling!

 

 

How to use your StoryBricks Spelling Clip Boards:

 

 

There are many different ways you can use the spelling clip boards. We started off by simply attaching a word to the top of the clip board and asking our little spellers to recreate the word with the StoryBricks.

 

 

This was great for letter and sound recognition. As each letter was added they would say the letter and sound. One of our 'students' was a toddler and the other a first grader. For the toddler, it was a simple case of letter recognition and repetition. Exposure is so important at this early age. Our first grader was able to read the word straight away and spell it out speedily. He also had a blast with the removal tool!

 

 

The second way we used this set up was to choose a word, any word they wanted. Then they had two tasks, one was to spell the word with bricks and the other was to write it on a piece of card and attach it to the clip board.

 

 

For our 1st Grader this was a great motivator to let him choose his own words to spell. He is currently obsessed with all things Star Wars so there was most definitely a theme going on! Introducing the concept of writing the word also had an added challenge for him because we asked him to convert the uppercase StoryBricks letters to lowercase letters on the piece of card.

 

 

For our toddler we added in an extra stage of support which was to let her use one of the flash cards to copy her written word. She is only three, so there is never an expectation that she will be able to write the word accurately. But, as we mentioned earlier, exposure is key and this is a fantastic way to work on those fine motor skills which are super important for writing.

 

 

As you can see this set up really did keep both spellers engaged and learning in a hands on way. It is an easy resource to adapt for different ages, with kids loving the opportunity to use letter bricks to build their words. We can't wait to continue exploring different ways to use our StoryBricks Spelling Clip Boards.

 

 

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Creative QT designs quality + innovative toys that declutter homes and inspire creative play. Founded by parents of five, Adam and Dana Sue Hinkle, Creative QT’s vision is to empower parents and encourage a culture of families that Make Time Together. All products are designed to enrich families’ lives through active, creative play and play based learning. Creative QT products are laboratory tested for compliance with CPSC requirements and are free of lead, cadmium and phthalates so you can play with confidence. So, go ahead … today is the day: be your kid’s hero.

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