One of our favorite literacy stations is the sand boxes. I put a layer of colored sand in a plastic tub with letter beads. The children use class name cards to make names with the letters. They can also make the letters with their finger in the sand.
Catching Readers Before They Fall 
I have a student that carries these teeny tiny beads in his pocket every day. Now I’m wondering if the beads in his pocket each day spell something particular. I guess I should take your advice, and his, to add them to my classroom.
Cathy
Pingback: Literacy Explore « Catching Readers Before They Fall