Pre-writing teaching aid and method to assist beginning writers in creating letters

Abstract

A pre-writing teaching aid assists beginning writers in creating letters and pre-writing strokes. The teaching aid includes a magnetic-responsive drawing tablet including a housing, a writing surface and structure for displaying an image responsive to magnetic contact on the writing surface. Structure for erasing the image is provided enabling the writing surface to be used over and over. The teaching aid also includes at least four magnetic stamps that are appropriately sized relative to the writing surface and are shaped as big line, little line, big curve and little curve. All of the capital letters in the English alphabet can be formed using these four simple shapes. The resulting assembly provides a fun and effective learning activity.

1 . A pre-writing teaching aid to assist beginning writers in creating letters and pre-writing strokes, the pre-writing teaching aid comprising: 
 a magnetic-responsive drawing tablet including a housing, a writing surface and means for displaying an image responsive to magnetic contact on the writing surface;    means for erasing the image; and    at least four magnetic stamps, the magnetic stamps being appropriately sized relative to the writing surface and shaped as big line, little line, big curve and little curve.    
   
   
       2 . A pre-writing teaching aid according to  claim 1 , further comprising a visual cue in an upper left-hand corner region of the housing.  
   
   
       3 . A pre-writing teaching aid according to  claim 2 , wherein the visual cue is a happy face.  
   
   
       4 . A pre-writing teaching aid according to  claim 1 , further comprising a magnetic writing tool attached to the housing by a cord.  
   
   
       5 . A pre-writing teaching aid according to  claim 4 , wherein the magnetic writing tool is sized and shaped to resemble a piece of chalk.  
   
   
       6 - 9 . (canceled)