September 13, 2026
The Phonics Shelf
Toddlers Can Read's ABC flashcards, Uncle Goose's blocks, and more
Four tools that take your kid from first sounds to first books.
Toddlers Can Read's ABC flashcards, made by former teacher Spencer Russell, teach the sound each letter makes, a few cards a day. Uncle Goose's basswood blocks let them stack and rearrange letters to build their first words. Lovevery's Words to Books set (Russell advises their reading program too) turns blending into games that move from three-letter words to full sentences. And Bob Books Set 2 gives them longer stories to read start to finish on their own.
Toddlers Can Read
ABC Sound Flashcards
26 double-sided cards that teach the sound each letter makes, with a picture to match.
Get it here →
Uncle Goose
Classic ABC Blocks
28 basswood blocks, hand-made in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with letters, numbers, and animals.
Get it here →
Lovevery
The Reading Skill Set - Part 2: Words to Books
7 phonics games and 13 decodable books covering kindergarten and first-grade reading.
Get it here →
Books
Bob Books: Set 2
12 decodable stories in one hardcover, built from three-letter short-vowel words.
Get it here →
This week's picks
One product and one brand from the collection
Montessori Moveable Alphabet. Lowercase wooden letters, consonants in red and vowels in blue, that a kid lays out on a mat to spell words before they can write them by hand. Get it here
Adena. Montessori materials maker supplying classrooms and homes with sandpaper letters, bead chains, and grammar symbols. Find it here
Last week's drop
In case you missed it
Worldschooling. MAGNA-TILES' travel set, Konges Sløjd's Little Artist Set, and more View the drop
Moulin Roty
Le Monoculaire de L'Explorateur
Pocket monocular for finding a bird or a boat.
Get it here →
Magna-Tiles
MAGNA-TILES Travel Set Deluxe (55-Piece)
55 magnetic tiles 75% smaller than the classic set, in a metal tin that doubles as the baseplate.
Get it here →
Konges Sløjd
Little Artist Set
Suitcase art set with 12 colored pencils, 6 markers, 6 oil pastels, stickers, and a notepad.
Get it here →
Books
Maps
51 hand-drawn maps of 42 countries, each carrying 90 to 120 illustrations of what lives and happens there.
Get it here →