7 Methods to Write And not using a Pencil

As educators, typically we have to get inventive!  One among my first years instructing First Grade, I discovered myself standing in entrance of a giant group of disinterested writers.  At any time when I stated the phrases “Time for our Journal writing”… I heard audible groans and disgusted faces.  Paper and pencil wasn’t working they usually have been actually rising weary of utilizing our whiteboards to observe our CVC phrases and sounds.  So, I started to ponder methods to incorporate some writing with out a pencil actions I discovered from some extraordinarily inventive Occupational Therapists in my early years of instructing in Early Intervention.  

Arms on, multi-sensory actions present college students extra methods to connect with the content material of the lesson making it extra fulfilling and memorable.  When college students are engaged, the actions lead to a greater reminiscence of the talent taught.  Though all college students can profit from multi-sensory studying, it may be notably useful for teenagers who study and suppose otherwise.  By incorporating some (or all) of those concepts in your room, you take into consideration the various wants of all youngsters and their studying types.  

Let’s try methods to incorporate 7 alternative ways of writing with out a pencil to make use of throughout your subsequent literacy lesson!   All of those supplies could possibly be simply utilized in any setting: Early Childhood up by means of Faculty Age.  You’ll be able to incorporate these concepts into any lesson or evaluation of:  Sight Phrases, Spelling, Make-A-Phrase, Letter Recognition, Letter Sounds, and so on.  

1. Shaving Cream Writing

I couldn’t think about beginning off this listing of concepts with some other materials.  Shaving cream is one in every of my college students’ favourite actions (and mine)!  Youngsters love the feel and it doesn’t break the financial institution as a result of I often purchase a budget shaving cream on the Greenback Retailer.  I discovered one of these shaving cream is definitely extra fluffy and simpler to work with.  

A few of my favourite points of utilizing Shaving Cream:  1) It makes the classroom scent nice!    2) Straightforward Clear Up:  I spray a bit on every pupil’s desktop.  I schedule this exercise previous to all the class leaving the classroom (Lunch, Recess, Specials) as a result of it’s going to dry on their desks and shall be simpler to wipe and clear up.  3) It supplies a pure consequence if college students aren’t following expectations.  On the finish of the lesson I’ll all the time enable a while for college kids to attract within the remaining cream if desired.  Nevertheless, when I’m stating my expectations with the shaving cream, I all the time say that in case you are drawing in it throughout the evaluation or not utilizing it to jot down your phrases (or letters) it’s going to disappear and we are able to’t get one other squirt.  

2. Sensory Trays 

A trainer could be extraordinarily inventive utilizing numerous supplies on or in a tray!  I bought a bunch of the small steel trays on the Greenback Retailer a number of years again and nonetheless use them repeatedly!  They’re nice for magnetic letters in addition to tactile manipulatives! The next listing of supplies are nice to make use of to”write with out a pencil”.

• Sand
• Kinesthetic Sand 
• Beads
• Buttons
• Sprinkles 

Phrase Of Recommendation / After-thought…   A number of years in the past I forgot to say in my instructions and expectations “DON’T EAT THE SPRINKLES!”.   I allowed two college students to work collectively in a middle to observe writing their listing of spelling phrases on the trays stuffed with sprinkles.   I assumed, how cute, colourful and a type of ‘trainer of the yr’ moments to be so inventive and motivating.   Properly when my timer went off and my college students frooze for instructions I noticed two sprinkle lined palms, two sprinkle lined lips, two sprinkle lined faces!   So all the time keep in mind… “Don’t Eat the Sprinkles!”  or any of those supplies for that matter!

3. Salt 

Who knew desk salt was so sensible?  Utilizing those self same trays I discussed above I crammed them with a layer of desk salt.  College students are instructed to make use of a finger to jot down the immediate within the salt.  When completed they’d take the edges of the tray and calmly shake it forwards and backwards and the letters magically disappear!   I like utilizing this as a result of you’ll be able to re-use the salt throughout a number of classes by pouring it again right into a container and college students are extra calm as a result of they should shake the tray calmly to erase or the magic doesn’t work.  Lately, on Pinterest I noticed that you could possibly put multi-colored paper down within the tray first, then the layer of salt on high.  When college students are writing the letter or phrase it reveals up multi-colored.  

4. Hair Gel

I promise I’m not going to recommend pouring it on the coed’s desk, however right into a ziploc bag!  Once more, I purchase a budget stuff and you may add a number of drops of coloring into the bag to make it extra interesting  and attempt to take as a lot of the air out of the bag as you’ll be able to.  Be at liberty to make it customized by including some glitter, small beads,and so on into the bag.  As soon as the bag is sealed, I’d recommend to tape it shut so little fingers can not pry it open and spray the gel all over the place.

As soon as full the coed can press and write onto the bag and the gel will transfer round creating the letters.  As an additional bonus, you’ll be able to place the already written phrase beneath the bag and when the coed is spelling it he/she may self-check and auto-correct as wanted.  

5. Chocolate Pudding   (“Mud”) Writing

Okay, so this one I haven’t personally tried but.  It has the identical expectations as would the shaving cream and different mediums offered. By inserting some chocolate pudding on a plate or tray, college students can write with out a pencil in “mud” to spell out totally different phrases and sounds.  

Oh…similar guidelines apply… Don’t eat the mud!  

6. Play Dough 

Play dough is so interesting for youngsters they usually love to make use of it within the classroom.  Utilizing clay or play-dough it’s in all probability simpler to give attention to creating letters and reviewing sounds. It’s attainable to create CVC phrases, however would greater than probably be time consuming.  Utilizing mats is an effective way to go for college kids to evaluation appropriate letter writing. 

College students get to observe forming the letters and writing them with these Alphabet Play Dough Mats.

One other nice twist with this matter is to make your individual playdough within the classroom!  Here’s a recipe so that you can use and be at liberty to adapt it by including glitter or a number of drops of your favourite important oils! 

7. Tactile Supplies to Write

By utilizing a wide range of textures you’ll be able to enable college students to “really feel” how to attract letters.  You’ll be able to minimize out items and glue them collectively to type the assorted letters of the alphabet for college kids to hint with their fingers. 

• Sandpaper Letters
• Leather-based 
• Yarn
• Completely different clothes textures (time to chop up these previous pairs of denims or stained shirt)
• Fuzz Felt 
• Dried Glue (write the letter or phrase in elmer’s glue and permit it to dry, you’ll be able to see and really feel the raised glue)
• Glitter Letters

I hope this listing supplied some inspiration so that you can incorporate into your classroom or at dwelling with your individual youngsters.  With all of those supplies, I all the time present various choices for writing with them.  Some college students could have sensory or tactile considerations and to ensure everybody can take part I present some options.   As a substitute of utilizing a finger or their palms, different choices embody:  unsharpened pencil – use the eraser facet, Q-tips, paintbrush).  When you have some other strategies or supplies you employ in your observe to jot down with out a pencil and paper please remark beneath!

Written by: Christopher Olson

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