A Good Idea That Only Cost a Dollar

Always a sucker for the dollar bins at Target, I picked up this dry erase board recently that has grade-school paper markings.  

It reminded me of a cute idea that Max's kindergarten teacher used.  Every day at the beginning of kindergarten, Max's class would gather on a rug and read a letter their teacher had written to them on a giant sheet of paper.  It was a simple letter, stating the date and a brief synopsis of what they were planning to do in class that day.  The class would work on reading it together--practicing memorized words and learning new ones.  Plus, it gave them an idea of what their day would entail.

I wrote Max a letter on the dry erase board and was surprised to see how much he enjoyed reading it.  It was like reuniting him with a familiar friend.  He thought it was funny to read "Miss Mom" at the bottom instead of his teacher's signature, "Miss Waters."  

I've tried to have a new letter for him every morning.  Except for the mornings when I forget.  On those mornings, I present him with another valuable, educational tool: Spongebob Squarepants reruns.