When I was teaching Oscar to read, I would sit down with him, a long list of words that he should be able to read by that point (I made the lists myself with the help of a curriculum-designer friend — long story), and a dry-erase board. I had switched from made-ahead-of-time worksheets to the DE board because with it I could adapt on the fly. If he needed more practice reading a particular sound, I could give him more of those. If he was discouraged and needed some easy words to warm him back up to the challenge, I could do that.
There are some drawbacks to the dry-erase board. For one thing, it uses markers. Somewhere between teaching Oscar to read and teaching Milo, I went on a grand spree of throwing away every marker in the house. I am not kidding. I relented after a while and got some Sharpies — can one run a household without Sharpies? — but I literally keep them locked up. For another thing, some children cannot concentrate on lessons when there is a dry erase board and marker in front of them. They are thinking: Must … get … marker! Must… scribble!
That’s where the Doodle Pro comes in. It is a staple for long car trips, waiting rooms, etc., but it is also a wonderful tool for the homeschool. The big size is comfortably large enough to write reading words or math problems, or for a child to practice letter formation. The mini sizes work in a pinch when school has to happen on the road. And it’s mess free.
bearing blog 