The Moveable Alphabet has provided us with many moments of joyful learning. Learning where the child realises they can do something for the first time - such as writing their first word or forming their first sentence.  

The Moveable Alphabet can be used for the child to write words and to copy words. Otis loves to write all the names he knows.

However what I am finding now is a real gift - the Moveable Alphabet provides my four year old the opportunity to create his first pieces of expressive writing. While he is doing lots of work to develop his pencil control and using sand paper letters to become familiar with the form and shapes of the letters - he is writing sentences, whole sentences. 

He is for the first time writing sentences from left to right. With spacing in-between the words. He is using all of his phonetic knowledge. And without saying a word he can communicate with me.

Otis is writing very simple sentences mostly with help and without punctuation. Perhaps later he will copy down his writing. Perhaps later he will write a few sentences, perhaps one day a short story.

We are currently on our long summer holidays, we certainly don't do this much work at home during the school term. However right now the Moveable Alphabet remains on the floor next to Otis' work mat. And throughout the day he plays and creates, and most often asks for help - he is still very early on this writing journey. He has also started learning phonograms but more on that later. 

Our Moveable Alphabet is by Maitri Learning (it's the traditional print Moveable Alphabet). If your child goes to Montessori school I wouldn't invest in an expensive Moveable Alphabet. Montessori for Everyone also has a nice download/print version.