I created my Growing Readers lessons and activities so that they could be done with nothing more than some paper, index cards and a pen. The next step that involves spending a little moneybwould be a printer, paper, and some cardstock to make use of lots of free printables. Now I'm going to suggest some additional purchases to consider. These are items that you will be able to use for several years, such as: a magnetic white board, letter manipulatives, and a pocket chart.
Good ol' magnetic letters. Cheap and easy to find!
One of the first investments I suggest is a subscription to starfall.com. At only $35 per year it is a bargain as the activities can take your child from a preschooler learning the alphabet through a fluent First grade reader. The activities on starfall match up with and supplement the Growing Readers program nicely.
I like the way Handwriting Without Tears teaches letter formation. I'm not a big fan of workbooks unless you happen to have a child who just loves them. If you are going to purchase any workbooks, I would recommend these for pre-K, Kindergarten, and First Grade. Even if you don't purchase any of their products, watch the videos on how to teach letter formation. You can purchase more of their resources or use your own chalk boards, chalk, etc.
A chalkboard and chalk is essential. It provides different tactile feedback than a pencil on paper or a marker on a whiteboard.
A table top pocket chart is a great basic purchase that you can use with lots of things for years to come. You can get them in a wide range of sizes that can hang on the wall, or you can get a table top version like this one:
For about $20 you can buy a table top pocket chart. This one comes with a set of cards of your choice (sight words, letters, etc.) The one shown has the "Building Words" card set. These can be used in the beginning for basic alphabet learning, later to build and read CVC words and other words. You can make your own cards to go with a pocket chart like this. You can find and download free pocket chart printables. You can also purchase sets like the ones shown below.
This one from Really good stuff has both a pocket chart and magnetic dry erase. A bit more expensive at $40, but you get both the pocket chart and magnetic dry erase all in one. Perfect for small spaces!
To go with your magnetic white board you'll want some magnetic letter manipulatives. Remember, the goal is to buy things you will use for a few years. A set of letters can be used for basic letter identification at the preschool level, all the way to building spelling words in 3rd grade. You can choose tiles or plastic or foam letters, like these:
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