A Simple way to Accelerate spelling and reading abilities
Over the past five years, I have discovered the benefits of using a dry-erase board during my reading lessons.
I use my dry-erase board multiple times during a lesson, and the learners I work with love using their boards.
Of course, it is just fun to use a different type of writing medium, but it also helps take the stress out of error correction.
There are two things we aim for while teaching our learners to read or learn in general.
First, we aim to provide a challenge yet keep the stress level low. If there is less stress, it makes it easier for your learner to process and think through challenging situations.
Secondly, we want to give feedback to help our learners learn more accurately. We can do this by modeling correctly and then having the child right.
No more Messy Erasing!!!
Below I am going to explain a little more. My goal is that you can see the value a simple dry-erase board and marker can bring to your teaching!
3 Benefits of using a Dry Erase Board
- It saves paper and filing!
- Students think it is fun!!
- It saves time and allows for quick and straightforward error correction!!!
* It saves paper and filing!
Using the dry-erase board allows us to eliminate a lot of paper clutter. I don’t know about you, but my desk can quickly fill up with papers. And having a lot of filing for our students’ work can be a headache.
We still need documentation and some paper pencil work, but I have found it unnecessary to keep everything. Instead, I plan for tasks I would like to be done on paper, and then everything else is completed on the dry-erase board.
I also will take pictures of the child’s work and then upload them to their file. Taking pictures and having a few hard copies provides a simple way of sharing their progress with parents or keeping documentation as homeschool parents.
We want to keep things simple and practical, and dry-erase boards can do just that 🙂
*Students think it is fun!!
My students love using their dry-erase board. They always ask when we get to do our writing. They love to pick the color of the marker and show off their best work. I love it when they start self-correcting and can easily erase their mistakes. The pride on their faces warms my heart because it shows they realize they can do it!
*It saves time and allows for quick and straightforward error correction!!!
When teaching students about decoding, spelling, and writing, correcting errors as they happen or shortly after will allow for better learning. The brain will remember the last thing they practiced; therefore, if they practice it the wrong way, that is what the brain will remember. We don’t want that, do we?
A straightforward way to help with error corrections is to check their boards after a task. If they made an error, you can point the error out and model the correct way. Then you can have the learner erase and fix it or even just write it somewhere correctly.
I constantly remind my learners that when they practice the right way, they will learn it faster, which is something intelligent learners do!
So what does this look like?
Say the child wrote the sentence, “I wus happe.” You would point to the word ‘was’ and say I like how you heard the sounds, but this is the spelling. Now on their board or yours, write and say the sounds in was, /w/ /u/ /z/. Then have the child erase and write or just register on the board. It is essential the child says and writes the sounds. Saying the sounds while writing helps engage multiple sensory areas, allowing for more robust learning.
When can I apply this?
Read this article to see how Nora Chahbazi uses whiteboards with her intervention students!
Have your learner use their dry-erase board during…
- Practice spelling words
- Write sentences
- Write letters
- Practice answering comprehension questions
- Practice vocabulary words and drawing pictures
- Create an outline of what to write about