All the Write Stuff – A Fantastic Giveaway!
September 26th, 2008 by FiddledeedeeI was the only left handed kid in my family. I was also the only kid to eat June Bugs, but that was really nothing to brag about.
I always got “C”s in penmanship. Which sent the perfectionist side of my 7 year old self into a foot stomping frenzy. It took me years to figure out that my grades were lousy because my left hand drug dragged across the page over the pen or pencil marks, causing the lead or ink to smear.
In fact, in the second grade, Sister Atilla the Nun told my mother that she should force me to change and write with my right hand.
It was my mother’s habit to rebel against authority, so she told the sister to leave me alone. And she did it with a thick southern accent and a smile, so that any curse words that may have slipped out would probably have gone unnoticed.
Habit… Nun…I slay myself.
My handwriting never did really improve. Although, pens and pencils have come a long way and no longer smear. But not to worry, the invention of the typewriter, and later the computer have relieved me of most handwriting duty.
But now, in the Fiddle House of Higher Learning, I must dutifully teach my children how to write. And interestingly, I have one lefty and two righties.
Once my children hit 1st Grade, I use the curriculum “A Reason for Handwriting.” But, prior to that, I’ve tried a number of different methods. And what I didn’t know, and know now with my Jensen, is that the company Mead has a whole line of Early Learning products which are designed specifically for pre-k through 2nd Grade.
I had no idea. I’ve been buying the Mead Composition books (and love them) for my up and coming author/illustrator for the last couple of years. But, they offer so much more!
When Cailey was a little younger, she adored anything “connect the dots.” That helped her to hold her pencil, and make straight lines. MEAD HAS THAT! The product is called “Connect With Color” and also uses color sequencing. I’m starting to use it with Jensen.
There are many many other products as well. Aids to cutting, coloring, gluing, and letter formation.
And, the best part, the very very nice folks at Mead have generously allowed me to host a giveaway. All you have to do, is go to the Mead Early Learning site, and tell me what product(s) would benefit your budding writer in the comments on this post.
I’ll close comments on Monday, September 29th, at 6:00 PM EST, and let Mr. Random Number Generator work his magic in picking a winner.
And what do you win? A GIVEAWAY OF THE ENTIRE EARLY READING LINE! Write on!
Have a fabulous weekend, everyone!
COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED!
Posted in Reviews & Giveaways | 89 Comments »
September 26th, 2008 at 6:29 am
The Mead Capital Letter Stories would be great for my kindergartener.
Pick Me! Pick Me!
September 26th, 2008 at 6:42 am
The Mead Snip it would be great for my granddaughter.
September 26th, 2008 at 6:51 am
I would very much like to win it to get the “Learn to Letter with Guidelines” as this would be very helpful with one of my sons. It seems all-encompassing and would probably prove helpful in training my son to no longer write like this: I cAn wRitE mY nAmE. Of course, with another budding writer after him and two before him, all the products would be simply marvelous!
September 26th, 2008 at 6:59 am
Learn To Letter with Guidelines would be awesome for my 4 1/2 year old. Although, like Katy, all of my kids could benefit from any one of the products. Thanks so much for the chance to win!
Michelle
September 26th, 2008 at 6:59 am
To be honest, I would give these to my overworked underpaid Learning Lab director (I run an after school program) to use with some of our younger kids. They look great.
I, too, was left handed. We should file a lawsuit against schools for discrimination. I had to sit in desks sideways to take a test. Surely there is some mental distress there…
September 26th, 2008 at 7:02 am
Our 4 year old Granddaughter lives with us and these books would be great for her! As Macy would say Pleaseeeeeeeeee
choose me
September 26th, 2008 at 7:04 am
My grandson is entering his first years of homeschooling. This would be awesome!
September 26th, 2008 at 7:06 am
This is so cool! I have a kindergartener and a preschooler, and I’d love to work with them more at home on handwriting. Maybe the Learn to Letter with Guidelines? The first day of school my preschooler had to write her name, and she put the letters in any order. Clearly we need a little practice.
September 26th, 2008 at 7:07 am
I would like to win this package! I’ve got three lil’uns still at home with me. I think the best product would be the Snip It because I HATE letting them cut up little paper scraps all over the place!
And, by the way, did you hijack my brain to write your post today? I’m the only lefty in my family and to this day I still hate my pennmanship!
September 26th, 2008 at 7:11 am
I like the capital and lowercase letter stories. Also thought the colorbound sounds like it would be a good help. Neat stuff. Would love to use it when I start working with my little guy.
September 26th, 2008 at 7:15 am
This would be perfect for my 6 year old. She qualified for early intervention so we have been working extra with her at home. Any extra “helps” we can get would be a blessing.
September 26th, 2008 at 7:37 am
I think those capital letter and lower case letter stories would be good for my younger dd, and the learn to write with raised ruling would help my older dd.
September 26th, 2008 at 7:50 am
Ok, I totally didn’t know about those either, but those would be really good for my 4-year-old who has finally shown an interest in writing. I like the capital and lower case letter stories. I think that’s where she needs work now.
September 26th, 2008 at 7:57 am
The Mead Snip-it would be very helpful with my 3 year old. I never knew Mead had these kinds of products.
Yay Mead!
September 26th, 2008 at 7:59 am
My 5 year old would love the connect the dots. I am always trying to find him some of these!
September 26th, 2008 at 8:00 am
I think the Capital Stories book and Snip-It would be best for us. I’m always afraid to arm my children with scissors, so they don’t get nearly enough practice with the cutting.
September 26th, 2008 at 8:18 am
“Write on!” – you slay me.
The learn to letter w/ guidelines would be the coolest in our house. Thanks for the contest.
September 26th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Either colorbound or snip it I think would be best.
September 26th, 2008 at 9:34 am
We use the Mead® Learn To Letter Tablet With Raised Ruling for our kindergartner and really like it. I didn’t know that they have such big choice of products.
September 26th, 2008 at 9:38 am
The Redispace Transitional Notebook Paper would be great for my daughter, who has a tendency to start a word small, but end up HUGE. We need some lessons in spacing.
My youngest would definitely benefit from the Learn to Write tablet with raised ruling. He’ll be starting Kindergarten next year!
September 26th, 2008 at 9:49 am
The Redi Space Transitional Paper looks excellent for my middle kid who has some fine motor skill issues and has trouble controlling his pencil to stay between the lines.
September 26th, 2008 at 10:05 am
I didn’t see anything that I would not love to have on hand for my five kiddos. Looks awesome!
September 26th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Learn to Letter with Guidelined would be great for my son! No lefties here but when I taught Kindergarten I remember how hard it was to remember to teach things both ways. (By the way…I too am a Catholic School survivor and apparently Mean old Sister Anaveen wanted my parents to force me to color more realistically. Because it was not good for some one to color an entire picture purple…must be something wrong…she obviously does not know her colors… Or maybe it was just my fave!)
September 26th, 2008 at 11:11 am
The learn to letter with guidelines would be great for my daughter who is in Kindergarten, but I think all of this will benefit! What a great giveaway! Thanks!!
Julie D.
September 26th, 2008 at 11:12 am
I had no idea they did this kind of stuff. The ABC-123 Learn My Letters and Numbers book would be perfect for my toddler.
Thanks for a great giveaway!
September 26th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Oh, the Letter Stories would be great for my son, particularly the lowercase.
September 26th, 2008 at 11:26 am
i would like to win!!!
September 26th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Wow, any of that would be great! I’m just starting some prechool with my 3 1/2 yearold and we’re using the Lowercase letter stories notebook with the grass-dirt-sky paper. That is the neatest thing. I would love to win those books.
September 26th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Eewww… I can only hope Mr. Random picks me. I, too, am a lefty who will have to deal with teaching my kiddos to write. This would be great to win!!!
September 26th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Ooh, from one lefty to another, this would be such a blessing!
I’m in for the ABC-123 Learn my Letters and Numbers!
September 26th, 2008 at 11:59 am
My 3 1/2 year old LOVES to cut and Snip It would be perfect to keep her busy while I’m teaching the 4 1/2 and 6 YO.
September 26th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
The See & Feel Letter Tablet would be great for my 4 1/2 year old. She has special needs and is just learning how to write her name.
September 26th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
This would be great! I kept my oldest home this year after a year in preschool and would like to have both my boys writing letters and numbers before they go to school next year! Sign me up!!
September 26th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
The whole program looks great. I like the “Snip It” book. My kids would love it. I have one leftie and four righties. They could ALL use some handwriting help;)
Laura
September 26th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
My 7 year old could really use this program…… In fact, I actually heard of this for the 1st time the other day.
Ok your comment on your mother made me giggle- I could totally hear her yelling at the nun!
How is jensen by the way? I was thinking of him the other day…..I have some things Id love for you to try on him when i get the rest of my organic raw supplies in…….
Caterina
September 26th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Put my name in that pot!!
September 26th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
I would start with Mead® Snip It™
September 26th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Mead® Colorbound™ would really help my 5 year old.
Great Give-Away.
September 26th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Is it a cop-out to say: I can use it all!! I am homeschooling a first-grader and my 4.5 year-old son and everything I looked at would be great for one or both of them. I always like pages and pages of just the simple ruled paper for my daughter’s copywork, so if I had to choose just one thing, that might be it. (Maybe.)
September 26th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
any of the pre k writing tablets look great, i’d like one of each
September 26th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
I’m loving the Mead Colorbound Book!
Pick me, oh Mr. Random Number Generator!
September 26th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
I like the Learn to Letter with Guidelines. But they all look pretty cool!
September 26th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
What a great giveaway!! Count me in!!
September 26th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Learn the Letter guide looks great – lots of great products!
September 26th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
I have children of different ages and levels (5 kids ranging from age 11 down to 3) so any would benefit, but if I had to choose one it would be the “lower case letter stories”. Like many kids, mine make the upper case letter easily, but struggle when it comes to lower case.
Awesome giveaway!
Bridget
September 26th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Count me in!
September 26th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Mead Snip-It would be an asset to our family. My youngest loves to cut and gets frustrated when he can’t do it ‘just right.’
Thanks for the giveaway.
September 26th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Mead® Color bound … these are great products… I’d never heard of them! I can’t wait to do some shopping!
September 26th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Mr. Random Number Generator PLEASE RANDOMLY CHOOSE ME! I have four kids who need handwriting help! (Their mom could use some help too; is there an age limit on these materials?) The Mead Snip It, Mead Colorbound, and Mead Learn to Letter with Guidelines look fabulous to me! Dee Dee, these products are great…thanks for hosting this giveaway!
September 26th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
I would use the Mead Capitol Letter Stories with my daughter. We’re working on the very basics of writing.
September 26th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
I think the Learn to Write book for learning cursive would be great for my second-grader. He really wants to learn cursive, but they still are printing! Great products!
September 27th, 2008 at 1:00 am
I like the “raised line” papers.
My third child is a lefty. A STRONG lefty. In a family of righties. She’s only 2 and I’m already s-c-a-r-e-d to teach her how to write.
September 27th, 2008 at 6:59 am
Well with 2 of them to work with and the shcool having compltely fallen down on the job in the previous 2 years they both need LOTS of help I need it ALLLLLL
Steff
September 27th, 2008 at 8:46 am
The Mead lowercase letter stories would be great for my five year old! Why, when we teach our children how to print their names when they are 3 or 4 do we teach them to do it in all capital letters only to have to untrain them later?! Crazy parents…anyway, Isabella can use some re-training on lowercase letters as she didn’t realize they existed until we officially began Kindergarten in September!
September 27th, 2008 at 9:20 am
I think the Learn to Letter with Guidelines, Colorbound, Snip It and Connect with Color are my favorites at first look!
September 27th, 2008 at 10:44 am
Learn to Letter. My 4YO likes to channel DiVinci and write in mirror. It is so weird. I don’t know how he does it.
September 27th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Ohhh! I love this line of Mead products! My 3.5 year old is starting to write and any of those lettering tablets are right up his alley! I think he would like the connect the dot type of activities too!!! I hope I win!!!
September 27th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
My boys HATE writing and said don’t pick me.
September 27th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
I am loving the Redispace one. I have two boys that are learning to write and their spacing is scary! I am not sure if they are trying to make me nuts or not. LOL
September 27th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
I have not heard of these! I need the Learn To Letter Tablet With Raised Ruling for my dd. She can’t get the whole concept of where the letter should be within the lines.
September 27th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
I like the “Real Simple Filing Tote”… or do I have to pick out something for the kiddo?
The “lowercase letter stories” sounds neat and the “redispace” would really help my kindergartener!
Thanks!
September 27th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
The journal- half page ruled would help my artist who doesn’t like to right that much and the redi space writer would help with her “spacing” issues.
By the way…hubby is left handed and writes neater than I (a rightie) does.
Thanks
September 27th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
I love the Letter Stories, both Capital and Lower Case. I think my girls would really benefit from practicing on these products!
September 27th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Count me in!!
September 27th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
The ones with the raised lines are wonderful for those tactile learners… I have a house full of them!
Interestingly I have 3 children who are left handed, 5 who are right, and the baby who is still to be decided since she is only 2 months old…
But both my husband and I are right handed!
September 27th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Wow! What neat products! I had no idea… I think the RediSpace Transitional Notebook Paper would be a godsend around here. DGD’s handwriting needs much, much help.
September 28th, 2008 at 2:42 am
Letter Stories, Snip It ,Colorbound –any and/or all of the above!
September 28th, 2008 at 7:10 am
Mead Learn to Letter with Raised Letter!
September 28th, 2008 at 7:10 am
Mead® Colorbound™ sounds like something my daughter would benifit from
legacyofbrutalitysa{AT}gmail.com
September 28th, 2008 at 7:32 am
I could use lots of these with my son. I’ll have to check them out even more. The Snip It book sounds like the most fun.
September 28th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Oh! I have a 3 year who is learning to write, so I think I would want the Learn to Letter with Guidelines, or something like that. Thanks!!
Shaina
PS – I agree with ^^ Shelley – the snip it sounds like fun for them!
September 28th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
The transitional writing pages seem really helpful when learning to write.
September 28th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
The tablet with the raised lines would be sooo helpful!
September 28th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Mead® Primary Journal – Half Page Ruled
September 28th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Oh DeeDee!
The timing couldn’t be more perfect. I have been scouring the internet for things that might work for my special needs lefty. He is 5 and I am desperate and willing to try *anything* that might work with him.
I’ve got my fingers crossed!
September 28th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Mmm, probably the learn to letters…
September 28th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Mead® Lowercase Letter Stories™
my daughter needs some work on the lowercase letters
September 29th, 2008 at 4:35 am
My newly minted writer would love those things, especially the Mead Learn To Letter Tablet With Raised Ruling. She has a hard time making the large letters large enough, and the small letters small enough. This might help. BTW, my husband is a leftie, and he turns the paper when he writes.
September 29th, 2008 at 4:42 am
I’m in! I haven’t won a giveaway yet, but it is always worth trying!!
September 29th, 2008 at 6:27 am
looks great! my youngest would love this!
blessings, Penny Raine
htp://pennyraine.com/blog
September 29th, 2008 at 7:31 am
I love these products! I have several children that could benefit from them. Thanks for posting this.
September 29th, 2008 at 7:50 am
The snip and cut book would be great for my 4 year old, who is always looking for something to cut, and the color guide book would be great for my littlest one who loves to color. But then, all the books would be great!!
September 29th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Wow, how do you choose just one favorite thing? I love the idea of the pages with raised ruling! The coloring with the raised edges looks great too though. I may have to check these things out regardless of winning the contest. Thanks for the link!
September 29th, 2008 at 8:41 am
the color bound would be great for my daughter!
September 29th, 2008 at 9:09 am
Wow, I didn’t realize they had so much. The learn the letter with guidelines looks cool. I’ve used the raised lines before, but I didn’t know they had something even more suitable for helping my toddlers.
I just bought a full set of curriculum, but left out the handwriting part of it because I thought I could find it cheaper (but just as good) elsewhere.
September 29th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Oh how I would love those. One of my girls is left handed also.
September 29th, 2008 at 10:29 am
I’d love to enter for my three year old .Thank you very much..
September 29th, 2008 at 10:45 am
I would adore the letter stories products for my littlest guy. What a neat set of products.
September 29th, 2008 at 11:42 am
I like the lowercase letter stories!