Funschool is done on a shoestring budget around here.  We use mostly what is on hand, online, or at the library. For that reason, while I was intrigued by the Waldorf letter stories plans I didn’t invest in any curricula this year.  I do think you can learn to read just fine without them. Still, you wouldn’t believe the fun we have had since finding Curious George Learns the Alphabet by accident.

Background here – my kids have all loved Curious George. Long before he hit the big screen he was a favorite around here. My aunt gave Aidan a stuffed "Monkey George" 6yrs ago. He is now enjoying his third owner.  Brendan never fails to pick a ‘hoo-hoo’ book (as in monkeys say: hoo hoo, ha ha) when Daddy sits down with them to read. During one of those sittings we worked through an anthology and ran across the alphabet story.  I don’t know whose wheels were turning faster, Kieran’s or mine. He was all over making notebook pages of the letters. He would like to make them all.  Tonight. : ) 

The letter pictures are all very sweet.  Nothing objectionable and George figures into each scene. The featured letter is highlighted in color every time it appears in the explanatory story.  The scanned pic is one of Kieran’s recreations.

So, can you learn to read without this activity?  Yep. But, boy letter pictures make things fun and HA Rey makes it painless and simple and (cheap!)for the teacher.