Card Games

Card Games

Card games are one of the easiest ways to personalize your curriculum to meet the needs fo your students.

Card games have proven to...

-increase student engagement

-allow students applicable practice

-encourage a relaxed and fun setting that allows students to retain important practices and information

To level up each game, have students work in pairs where they have to justify their reasoning after creating each number.  

Here are my top card game recommendations - created and played with students.  

Game 1

Grab a greater than/less than and equal to symbol, or better yet, two popsicle sticks.  This game can be played with single or multi-digit numbers. 

Game 2

Students draw 2 or more cards.  Then they create the largest (or smallest) number possible.  Students then have to have to explain to their partner why their number is the largest on they could make.  This activity engages place value and trial and error and reasoning skills. 

Game 3

Teaching fractions?  Start by having students build a basic fraction.  Then, each student should build a second, equivalent fraction.  This can be done to compare fractions as well such as in Game 1.  

Behavioral Clip Charts

 Behavioral clip charts

Most of us have seen them...or even used them...but do we truly understand the psychology and research behind them?  As a new teacher, I must admit, I didn't understanding their impact but I used it anyway because it's what the rest of my team did, it is what my principal (a micro-manager) supported.   He even went as far and wrote me up as a new teacher who needed support, told me my classroom management skills were poor because I didn't use the chart enough.

I have seen all different type, tried them out, AND researched them all.  Why are they all harmful to a child?  Let's break it down here.

The "super star"
 chart has both positive and negative levels.  Showing that it will praise and "show-off" exemplary students while also publicly showing off the students that make bad decisions.  

Big question to consider:  

Why does it need to be public?  

To increase competition?  

To motivate students? 

Positive reinforcement, competition and motivation can be done so many other ways.  

For the students who are working on behavior, sure they could use a visual reminder....but does it need to be up for all to see?  And in direct comparison of their peers at all times?  The simple answer is no.  

If you don't post academic grades in the hallway (hello 1950's), then you shouldn't be doing it with behavior  either.  

But let's look at a different chart, one that only has "positive" levels.  On this one, students can only move up and if they do move down, they can't land in a negative area because they stop at "ready to learn".  But what happens when a great student doesn't move from the "ready to learn" position at all?  Or don't make it up to the clip chart even though they had phenomenal behavior...because after all, as a teacher it wouldn't be right to have the same students hit the top of the chart every day.  So what about those students?  

They turn into perfectionists.  They start to compare, and possibly even believe that they are not seen, that good behavior is always expected from them....that they must have done something wrong if they're not at the top.  This is when the chart really hit me.  I had a parent approach me with this exact scenario.  Her daughter would come home crying feeling as if she failed if her clip didn't move....when in reality, I was dealing with some of my "trickier" students and forgot to move the clip.  When I child is too focused on external motivation (especially if it is visual and referred to multiple times a day....really, anytime any clip is moved it comes to all of the student's attention) because that's the purpose.....to SHOW and REINFORCE desired behaviors.  

Let's put in context...this quote pretty much sums it up

"What if this happened to us as adults?  Imagine that during faculty meetings, your principal called you out for talking.  In addition, your principal made you walk up to the front of the room and in front of your peers had you move a marker next to your name down so that all can see where the principal thinks you stand.  Sounds crazy doesn't it?  Yet, why do we choose to do this to our students?  Because we're in a position of power?  Because we're older than them?" (full article linked here)

I know I would be mortified....and yes, my behavior might improve, but it would be out of fear, out of compliance...and I would be thrown back into self-doubt, feelings of anxiety and a perfectionist mentality.  We are humans, we make mistakes...but do not need to be shamed for them.

Classroom Chalk Boards

Classroom Chalk Boards instead of White Boards 

First off - the credit must be paid to Kim Sutton, a math coach and owner Creative Mathematics, who I have learned a tremendous amount from.  In her training she showed us how to make these.  This is also where I learned why students from Kindergarten - 2nd grade should NOT use whiteboards.  Students that need continued practice and strength building activities for fine motor should also not use white boards.

Here's why: When a child writes with a white board pen/board, they do not have to push down all the way, which means they are not activating the muscle memory portion of the exercise.  So, in short, if you are having a child use a white board to practice letter writing, it is truly a waste of time. They might write the letters, but without activating the muscle memory sensory piece, it is not registering in their brain.

Here's the solution: Response boards aka chalkboards.  With this tool a child DOES have to push hard enough when writing and it DOES activate muscle memory which in results helps with retention of how to write a letter or number.  

Second - this post is not going to be filled with beautiful pictures...it's going to simple, and to the point! 

Now, let's gather all of your supplies and get started.

Supplies:

poster boards (any color, I got mine at the dollar store)

paper cutter (recommended but not necessary)

black adhesive contact paper 

ruler and a pencil

Add on supplies:

dustless chalk (now there truly is NO such thing that I have found...but this one is the closest to it)

    -each piece can be broken (snapped) into 3 smaller pieces.  This is actually recommended to encourage and teacher children about the tripod finger grasp and helps with fine motor.

socks (the smaller the better...can also be found at Walmart/Target etc.)

    -these work as an eraser and also a place to store the chalk when it is not in use 

Process:

1. Make one first as your sample.  I always recommend this first because it will help you learn the process. 

1a. cut poster board into 1 piece sized 9 x 6.5 in (you can change your sizes to optimize your poster board usage and reduce waste, but you DO want it to be a clear rectangle)

1b. cut the adhesive laminate sized the same as the poster board 

1c. line up the laminate and poster board.  start with one side and slowly peel and stick at the same time.  

1d. smooth out any air bubbles that are formed 

1e. trim edges with paper cutter if need be

2. THEN cut all the poster board, recommended size

3. Cut all the contact paper

4. Label the back of each chalkboard with a student number or name.

Research/Articles that support this theory

All About OT

Help With Handwriting Article

The Kindergarten Smor.

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