Alphabet Alligators

Alphabet Alligators - There's less than meets the eye.

I am big on reading, and recommending that others read, descriptions and reviews before buying. Therefore I was surprised when Alphabet Alligators arrived with only 13 alligators and a big, clear plastic cone inside the bucket to take up room so the bucket would look full. I expected 26 two-piece alligators, one for each letter of the alphabet. After returning to Amazon to check the description I see that yes, they made it very clear there are only 13 two-piece alligators, each with a capital and small letter on one side, and a different capital and small letter on the other side. The front and back of Alphabet Alligators push together easily and pull apart easily (will not require much hand strength), but not so easily that they will just fall apart. 

The description on Amazon also says that this is a self-checking activity, which it is not. If an activity is self-checking, there is one, and only one way that two pieces will fit together - the correct way. In fact there are three complete green alligators, three blue, three red, two orange, and two purple. So there are many opportunities to get it wrong and not know it. In addition, if an individual is supposed to be working on matching the alligators by letter, but is actually matching them by color, they will probably get some randomly correct while you are thinking they are learning letters.

Easy to use with hand-over-hand assist because of the shape. A complete alligator measures approximately 5"L x 1.5"H.

Try this:

• Start by giving only the pieces that make correct matches so that individuals don't learn them incorrectly.
• Place one front of each color on the table. Present one of the backs at a time and ask the individual to match the color. If this is too challenging, reduce the number of pieces to choose from.
• Place all fronts of one color on the table. Give the back of one of them and ask the individual to find the matching letter.
• Use as a two-handed activity and allow the individual to push any two pieces, front and back, together. Then take them apart as you put them back into the bucket.
• Place all the pieces in a pile and assemble the alligators by letter. Play with more than one person and race or take turns matching alligators.
• Place the pieces in the pile in different orientations so that some of the letters are upside-down or laying sideways.
• Work on visual discrimination, visual form constancy, spatial relations, figure ground, eye-hand coordination, manual dexterity, coordinated use of both hands, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the bucket: 13 two-piece alligators

 

Scrabble Alphabet Scoop

Scrabble Alphabet Scoop - Add spelling to the long list of skills this game can help develop.

 

Scrabble Alphabet Scoop is a spelling game geared toward kids. It includes a fun, lidded soup pot and four small ladles so that you can pretend that you are eating, or cooking, alphabet soup. Pull it out when it's time to learn those spelling words.

The pot, lid and ladles are colorful, sturdy plastic. The lid sits on the pot just fine, but it does not snap on. The tiles (98 with a single letter and four blank) are hard plastic and measure 3/4" x 3/4". You can store the pieces in the pot when you are done playing.

The word cards each have five words: two 3-letter words, two 4-letter words, and one 5-letter word (see image below). They are laminated and the letters on the cards are smaller than the actual tiles, so you cannot build right on top of the card. You will have to form your word next to the card.

Object:

Be the first player to collect four word cards.

Set up:

To set the game up, dump the tiles into the bowl and place it within reach of all players. There are three types of tiles:

• Letter tiles - Most of the tiles are letter. One letter per tile, printed front and back.
• Blank tiles - Nothing printed on these, they are wild and can be used for any letter. 
• "Fly in the soup" tiles - There are two of these orange tiles that have a fly printed on them. If you happen to scoop one up you must return all tiles from that scoop and any tiles that you have already matched to your word back to the pot. Put that fly aside, he is now out of the game. Now you'll really need to hustle to catch up.

Give each player a word card. Each player chooses one word from his card to spell and announces the word. No extra credit or points are given for choosing the longer words.

Play:

On go, all players play at once, reaching into the pot and scooping out letters with their orange scoops. Dump the letters on the table and sort through looking for any you may need. If you find any, place them by your card and return any unused tiles to the pot and scoop again until you have all the letters you need. The first player to collect all his letters yells "YUMMY!" and all play stops. If he is correct, he collects that card and everyone's tiles are returned to the pot and all cards the other players were using are placed in a discard pile. Each player gets a new card and round two begins. The first player to collect four cards wins the game.

Try this:

• Pick your word after you pull out the tiles, not before.
• Spell all five words, over five rounds, on one card to win a game.
• Skip the game. Place tiles for one or more words on the table next to the cards and place them in order to spell the words.
• Look at the letters after you dump them from the scoop in the orientations that they land. 
• Use a list of spelling words instead of the game card.
• Place one or two letters at a time in the individual's palm and have them bring them to the fingertips, one at a time, and orient to place on the table. Spell all five words on a card this way.
• Pick a three letter word and place those three piles in the individual's palm. Ask him to bring them to the fingertips, in order, and orient to place on the tabletop and spell in the word.
• Put the tiles away by picking them up one at a time and squirreling them in the palm. Throw them into the box by the handfuls. How many can you hold?
• Dump all the tiles on the table, leave them in place so that they are in different orientations. Pick out all of one letter, then all of another, etc. Put them away alphabetically. 
  Dump a scoop of letters on the table. Who can be the first to spell a word with the letters?
  Dump a handful of tiles on the table. Get in some writing practice by making a list of all the words that you can find.
• Instead of collecting cards to win, players write the word they won with and whoever writes five words first wins. Get in writing practice.
• Eat a bowl of alphabet soup after playing the game and see if you can spell your game word(s) with the real thing. Look for other words you can spell in the soup. As you look around the bowl, call out the letters you recognize. Choose one letter and see who can find it first in his bowl. Scoop up a spoonful of letters and name each one out loud before eating it. See how many of a single letter you can get on your spoon at the same time.
  
• Work on visual discrimination, visual closure, spatial relations, visual form constancy, tool use, writing, copying, spelling, manual dexterity, fine motor precision, in-hand manipulation, palmar arch development, eye-hand coordination, executive functioning skills, process skills, social interaction skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: Plastic bowl with lid, 4 plastic scoops, 104 tiles (98 letter, 4 blank), 2 Fly in the Soup tiles, 72 word cards.

If you are interested in purchasing this game or just learning more about it, click on the image below.