Writing on the Ceiling!

If you've seen any of my recent posts, you know my kids are NUTS for these lasers! They're actually just cat toys I found in the pet section of Walmart. Compared to "serious" lasers from office supply stores, these lasers cost less than $4.00 each.

And that's a steal.

Trust me.  

Today, we took our learning down to the floor... literally. These kindergarteners are still in the early developmental stages of learning how to recognize and form numbers correctly. I've used different materials to appeal to their senses (scented markers, sand, shaving cream, etc.), but then today I thought of something else...

...why not "write" our numbers on the ceiling tiles??  

So, lying on the floor, we used our lasers as pencils and the ceiling tiles as paper. It was a great way to warm up before working with our small white boards. And the kinesthetic variations (larger arm movements / lying on our backs) increased engagement and memory.

First, they watched as I modeled making a number and saying the coordinating number poem. Then, they followed me by keeping their laser dot on mine while we formed the number together. And then, they worked on doing it all by themselves.  

My little management tip for this activity is to assign each child their own ceiling tile (if you have that kind of ceiling) and show them how to work within the boundaries of their own tile. 

Happy teaching!