Absolutely! We only use safe, water-based finish on our beech wood blocks. All of our products go through stringent lab testing to ensure that we are not only compliant to U.S. Toy Safety Standards ASTM F963 & CA Prop 65, but that we exceed those standards! We are proud to offer a wood toy that is not only safe for your kids, but for the environment.

You can create 60 real, modern English words with the blocks. Note that this number does not include the vast number of nonsensical words that can also be created. Nonsensical words are also extremely helpful in teaching children how to decode and blend together letter sounds. Furthermore, exposing children to words both real and nonsensical helps them develop a more vibrant vocabulary base.

There are 30 carefully-selected words that are featured in the flashcards. The flashcards are multi-purpose.  One side contains a picture & the word, the other side, just the picture. This allows for self-correction and independent learning. The flashcards can be bounded or unbounded and mixed around for endless ways to play.

Absolutely! The best part about our Spin-and-Read Montessori Reading Blocks is that it allows children to learn at their own pace. Once children are taught the sounds of the letters and learn how to blend letters together, our reading blocks allow for self-directed practice, enabling them to absorb the patterns through observation, instead of memorization.

While it is extremely helpful for your child to already know the sounds of the letters of the alphabet, it is not necessary to wait to use these reading blocks. Our Spin-and-Read Blocks come with an accompanying alphabet card that helps guide children on the correct sounds of the letters. Parental guidance in the beginning is helpful for children to see how letter sounds correlate to its written form, and to also see how putting letters together create their own sound. These blocks then reinforce that knowledge and provide endless amounts of practice and exploration through touch, sight, hearing, and speaking.

That's a great question! While we recognize the tremendous value pre-cursive fonts such as D'Nealian present for learning writing (as well as being a precursor to cursive), we have decided to use a traditional font to be accessible to as many children as possible. We recognize that most of the children who use our blocks will be accustomed to the standard font of today, and by using a familiar font, we help them build upon their existing letter knowledge in confidence. As our reading blocks are not only strictly used in Montessori circles, we chose a standard "child-friendly" font to allow children from any background or educational philosophy to benefit from using our phonetic reading blocks.