Once upon in the world of teaching, students were sent to the chalkboard to practice what they were studying. Writing on the chalkboard was a useful tool. Teachers could watch students work math problems before they began their assignments. Mini reteach lessons would happen before students began their assignment. Students learned from other students when they watched other students work on the chalkboard. One fringe benefit of sending students to the chalkboard that teachers may not have realized was the handwriting benefit. Students use different muscles when they write on a vertical surface.
INDEPENDENT HANDWRITING CENTER
You can set up a handwriting center with your easel. Students can pull up a chair and practice writing word wall words, spelling words, numbers, or math facts. Students are writing on a vertical surface and practicing academic skills at the same time. Win! Win!
Do you incorporate music with your lessons? You can use songs like the one in the picture above as a brain break or part of a math lesson. Want to involve your students a little more? Either cut out hearts or use ones like the felt ones in the picture above. I found them at the Target Dollar Spot.
Glue small hearts or put stickers on each big heart.
You can put the hearts on a ring to store them or flip through the ring of hearts when your class sings the song.
You can also pass out the hearts to ten volunteers and let them stand in front of the class holding a heart. Each time the class sings the number on their heart, students will lift their heart.
Students can trace the songs for handwriting practice. You can get a FREE copy the song plus the heart number flipbook.
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