The Early Skills Parent Pack Combo from Super Duper Publications includes three sets of colorful dry erase workbooks, ABC flashcards, dry erase markers, and erasers in drawstring backpacks. The workbooks in each set cover different skills such as letters and printing practice, numbers, and school readiness. Each reusable workbook has 28 pages of activities.

The Alphabet and Printing Parent Pack includes ABC flashcards and the reusable workbooks: Learning to Print, I Can Print, and Alphabet Fun. Some of the activities include the following:

• tracing dotted lines for pre-handwriting exercises
• mazes
• identifying letters
• tracing and writing letters
• tracing words such as bee, egg, sun, etc.

These workbooks use a standard manuscript-style font, and a horizontal alphabet chart runs along the bottom of the pages.

The Math Parent Pack includes the reusable workbooks: Counting 0-31 and I Can Count 1-100. Some of the activities include the following:

• tracing and writing numbers
• practicing counting numbers
• count and match
• one-to-one correspondence
• mazes

• dot-to-dots
• challenge puzzles.

There is a number line located at the bottom of the pages.

The Early School Skills Parent Pack includes the following reusable workbooks: School Skills, Ready to Read, and Early Learning Adventures. Some of the activities include the following:

• identifying and tracing shapes
• colors
• patterns
• opposites
• sequencing
• tracing and writing letters and numbers
• listening for letter sounds
• identifying beginning sounds of words
• mazes and more

This set is geared for preschool and kindergarten age children but could be used with a first grader needing additional practice and/or review. It can be used as a complete early learning curriculum if need be as it covers basic early skills. The ABC flashcards are a great addition and can be used for language-based activities. Since the workbooks are reusable, a child can learn and practice a skill until mastered. This complete set costs $64.85 on the Super Duper Publications website.

While not explicitly written as a homeschool curriculum, these packs are designed to help young children learn and practice early learning skills. By using the dry erase marker, young children can practice a skill more than once without using several pages of paper. The age range would include 4-6 years old and possibly extend to 7-8 years old. Due to fine motor abilities, children younger than four years old may struggle to complete the activities. This early learning pack can be used in the home, whether for homeschool lessons, after-school practice, or road trips. The colorful pages and eye-catching illustrations are appealing for young children. Each page and sometimes a two-page spread offers a different activity to be completed. A parent would need to read the directions to the young child and possibly illustrate what is being asked to do. Next, the young child uses the included black dry erase marker to either trace, write, or complete one of the other types of activities mentioned above. Afterward, they use the included eraser to wipe off the pages then it is ready to be used again.

I used this Early Skills Parent Pack combo with my 5-year-old child as a part of her daily homeschool lessons. After our family morning time, I will work with my youngest two children in preschool and first grade. I would use one or two of the workbooks from this set to teach or reinforce one of the early learning skills with my youngest child. Her older brother would sometimes ask to complete some of the activities because he thought it was fun. Sometimes, I would let her choose which workbook she wanted to use. The School Skills and I Can Print workbooks are two of her favorites in this series. Each time we worked together, I would read the directions to her, ensuring she understood the activity. Then, she would use the dry erase marker to trace her letters/numbers/shapes or complete one of the mazes or dot-to-dots. We talked about the illustrations, correctly holding the dry erase marker, starting and end tracing, the importance of listening skills, paying attention to directions, and wiping off all the marks before putting away the workbooks. When she worked on tracing her letters, I would also teach her the letter sounds as we went along. We played letter matching games with the ABC flashcards included with the pack and a set of magnetic letters.

My daughter liked using these workbooks because of the dry erase markers and the colorful illustrations. I enjoyed using this early skills pack with her because she was excited to learn using these materials. I think it is vital that young children enjoy what they are learning and that the tools provided to them help make the learning enjoyable. I liked the variety of activities covered in the workbooks; I liked that a dry erase marker and eraser were included, and I liked the well-constructed drawstring backpacks to keep the materials organized. Overall, I think it could be used as a complete learning resource for young children, especially if it is their first time being introduced to the concepts. Since my child has learned some of the concepts presented, I included other resources to round out her daily lessons, such as cutting practice and plenty of books to read aloud.

When I opened the box and looked through the materials, I noticed that it did not contain any information for the parent. A parent teaching their first child or a first-time homeschooler may be a little lost as to the best way to use the materials. An informative booklet or even a sheet of paper included in each drawstring backpack with teaching tips or a possible order to use the workbooks would be a great addition to this combo pack.

The Early Skills Parent Pack Combo includes fun and educational workbooks covering a variety of early learner skills. It consists of eight workbooks, dry erase markers, and erasers, all conveniently stored in three drawstring backpacks. In addition, all the materials are well made. This was a win-win for my daughter and me, as it was enjoyable to use the materials to teach her essential early learning skills to prepare her for the next step.

-Product review by Jennifer Chandler, The Old Schoolhouse® March 2022