Melissa & Doug See & Spell Wooden Montessori Toys

So this was one of our son's Christmas toys that we bought him this year, and this is a toy I bought with super high hopes, because I'm planning on using this to teach letter recognition skills to our son, who has across the board developmental delays. There is no way in anywhere he's going to sit through anything that looks like traditional alphabet instruction, but he does like puzzles, and I firmly believe if he can master PECS and his speech device, he can eventually be taught to read, no matter what anybody else tells me. I am certain of it, and this is stage one of my battle plan for that. So in regards to our set, there were no manufacturing defects, all pieces are cut correctly and the pictures match, so that would appear to be an issue the manufacturer has addressed. I had hoped/figured they would have, so I took the risk of ordering it, because I knew this would be a toy I could get him to use and backdoor teach letters with. And he has started playing with me with it, so I am one super happy mama at this point. I really, really like that these are made of wood. I really also like that the letters are outlined in the cutouts, so that he can see the letter shape clearly when the piece is removed, it is part of why this toy is going to do what I need it to. If I had any sort of wish list for this, it would be a few more letters, so that I could have more pieces up with the letter pieces in them at one time. I also think a case of some kind that fits this product specifically would be awesome, I would have even been willing to pay extra for a product that came in one, but that's me personally, and I don't think it's necessary to the function of the toy, so I'm not taking a star from it. I think this is a great toy for reinforcing letter recognition and word formation using letters, and ours seems to be well made, I've examined all of the pieces, and I don't see anything that looks like it's going to be a problem.

My oldest son loves puzzles and letters! The Melissa & Doug See & Spell offers him the joy of both, along with the feeling of accomplishment when he spells a word. This educational toy promotes letter recognition, beginning spelling, letter sounds (when he isn't sure what the letter is I help him sound out the letter), builds self-confidence, and is just plain fun! Each of the words is three or four letters long and is accompanied by a colorful and easy-to-recognize picture to aid with word recognition. There are 8 wooden cards, each with a word on the front and another on the back, for a total of 18 words (my son loves turning over the card to see what the word on the other side is). There are over 50 wooden letters in different vivid colors to make individual letters easier to find. There are multiples of many of the letters, enabling the child to spell words on several cards without having to take letters off of other cards. We have had the set for almost four months and it has held up very well and continues to be a favorite. My only complaint is that there is no cover, which means we have to put the set up to ensure we don't lose any pieces. Other than that, my son really enjoys playing with it, and I enjoy seeing his face light up with pride when he spells words all on his own. I would really recommend this toy, especially for preschoolers and early elementary - manufacturer suggested age is 4-7, but my 2-1/2 year old loves it. I just watch him closely since the letters could be a choking hazard.

I knew I would like this toy, for multiple reasons. To start with, this puzzle associates the written word with the object,stimulates the learning of the alphabet, word formation, word recognition,... It is an attractive, well made, durable toy that also allows you to assess your childs or whoevers reading skill level. I can hide the picture and ask my son what word is next to it. Quickly I could see that he knew the names of a lot of the letters and could recognize some of the words. We read to my son frequently and it is hard to assess how well he can read since he really wants us to read, but this puzzle is an interactive way to have a sneak peek at his progress in a fun way. You can also form words that are not on the boards to expand the reading vocabulary to include things like Scoobie-Doo... We did boo,moo, too...it is a tool to teach syllables sounds. You can transition well from one lesson to another with this toy, all the while reenforcing the reading skills and having fun. It comes with a convieniant wooden storage box, great for puzzles. I would think it should come with a cloth bag to hold the letters though. I have a 3 year old and 16 month old so the pieces would otherwise be scattered constantly. Some of the painted side of the letters were breaking away from the wood base, but a quick call to the number on the back of the storage box and the new pack of letters is on it's way to me. So I still give it 5 stars. Educational, well constructed, stimulating, fun. Melissa and Doug have done it again! Amazon great price! approx. $12

I purchased this for my 3 yo son. He loves it! He really likes being able to find the letters and fit them into the spaces for the words. I like the quality of the item, the word boards seem to be pretty sturdy, and there are a decent amount of letters included. One note - I did feel that the colored part of the letters (top) were not secured very well, more like stickers. I did take some time to coat the letters with a thin layer of mod podge to keep them secure. Overall, I am very happy with this product, as is my son!

Bought this for my 2 year old's birthday and was a little dissapointed (should have read the reccomended age I guess) that the letters were so thin and a bit harder to fit in their respective puzzle spots than a chunky puzzle like she was used to. We tried it, but ended up storing it for a later age, as I felt it was still a bit above her. A few months later, we had the alphabet pretty well mastered and decided to get these puzzles out again. She LOVES them! She's got no problem fitting the letters in their spots anymore. At 2 years 7 months she has all of these puzzles mastered. Picks the letters herself, places them, then tells me the word. A great learning tool and I'm so glad I bought it! I gave four stars because 1. As someone else mentioned, the letters just free float in their spot in the box, the storage is poor with no organization or lid to contain them and... 2. Some of the letters are WAY too similar and I feel should have been cut a little different to teach that they're different letters. The "p" and the "d" look so similar and both fit in any "p" or "d" spot so now my toddler thinks they're the same you just have to turn it upside down and make it fit. A few of the other letters (I don't have it infront of me now and can't remember which exactly) also could have had a more defined shape, to make it more clear for little minds. The "a"s are hard for her as they look like an o with just a tiny tail on them. I think if they were cut in a different "font" it would have been nicer for toddler minds to distinguish difference. But the quality IS there just like with all M and D products and I would absolutely reccomend this set to friends!

This spelling puzzle is fun and educational, and designed to help young learners build their vocabulary and improve spelling skills. The puzzle consists of brightly colored pieces featuring individual letters that can be arranged to form simple words outside of the puzzle or it can be placed in the letter slots for the corresponding word/picture. It's visually engaging, with cute illustrations that correspond to the words, making it easier for kids to grasp letter-sound associations. We really enjoy this toy!

This is by far the best product I have purchased. The boards are thick, colorful and letters remain secure in them. Both sides have colorful pictures to spell on. There are enough letters to spell each word without running out. My wish is that they make another set of words to spell. I would buy it in a second. Don’t hesitate to buy this. You and your child will love it.

I loved this one. Definitely helped my kid with learning how to spell and say words

Love this wooden puzzle!

Quality product, highly recommended.

The quality of material is so good and helpful to practice spelling for kids.

Calidad muy buena. Concepto muy original. Muy util para jugar al abecedario y colocar las letras en los huecos de cada tablilla.

La qualità del legno e la cura dei dettagli lo rendono non solo un'ottima risorsa didattica, ma anche un regalo di altissima qualità. D'altronde mi sono sempre trovata bene con questa marca. Pagato meno di 8 euro in offerta credo di aver fatto un vero affare perché onestamente vale molto di più. La confezione è elegante e ben curata, perfetta per un bambino che ama imparare le lingue attraverso il gioco. Inoltre, l'approccio didattico Montessoriano garantisce che il bambino possa esplorare e imparare in modo autonomo e stimolante, sviluppando abilità cognitive e motorie. Per questo concetto il prodotto arriva senza un coperchio ma incelofanato. In conclusione, consiglio vivamente questo gioco in legno come idea regalo per la sua qualità, la sua confezione e, soprattutto, per il suo valore educativo e ludico. È un regalo che sicuramente verrà apprezzato.