Finger Match®: Math Readiness, Pre-K Readiness, Reading Readiness

Three early learning "books" are available in the Finger Match series from Learning Wrap-Ups. Targeting children ages 3 through 5, the three books Reading Readiness, Math Readiness, and Pre-K Readiness help young children to reinforce knowledge. This is not likely to be your primary teaching tool but rather something fun for them to use for educational "play."

Like the Learning Wrap-ups, the books incorporate hands-on learning with a self-checking feature. Books are sturdy "board" books with eight holes punched through all pages except the cover which has only six holes. Children match items from two columns by sticking their fingers into the holes then checking on the back to see if there is a line connecting the two holes. I'm not sure that all three year olds will understand or be able to manipulate this self-checking concept, but they can still use the books if not. Each book has 18 pages.

You might start with the Math Readiness book which I think the most useful. Math Readiness directs children to match groups with the same number of items, numerals with groups of items, big/small and long/short items that are similar, objects in the same category, complex shapes, numbers missing from counting patterns, and answers to simple addition.

The Reading Readiness relies primarily on visual discrimination in matching letters. Pictures accompany letters, but children might ignore pictures and simply match letters. Matching upper and lower case letters provides the biggest challenge. Pre-K Readiness has children match colors, shapes, and patterns with increasing levels of difficulty.

These are inexpensive, but they are very colorful and visually appealing for the price. The publisher sells them individually or as a three-pack.

Review posted July 2009.