Kindergarten and First Grade students are a special kind of breed. Not fully practised in the sit-still-and-learn approach, these little learners are far more tech-savvy than you think and learn through entertainment. Whatever you're going to use in your math or literacy center it will need to be engaging and hands-on to keep them interested.
Have you tried using digital technologies of any kind in your early years classroom?
It doesn't have to be complicated and you're probably already using technology through:
on a whiteboard
Interactive Smartboards
iPads
Laptops
Most teachers are familiar with PowerPoints on these platforms but have you tried Boom Cards or Google Slides before?
What are Google Slides?
Google Slides are a tool within the Google Suite of tools and are super easy to use!
You can purchase or create a presentation very easily:
use as a whole-class tool on a whiteboard
easy to assign to students
use click and drag (especially useful for little fingers)
add or remove slides as you need to
What are Boom Cards?
You've probably heard lots of talk online about Boom Cards, these little gems are so easy for students to use but the BEST thing about them is:
very intuitive for little learners
click and drag or click the button options
easily assign to students
collates student data for you
students can get instant feedback on correct or incorrect answers
So which to use?
This depends on how tech-savvy YOU feel you are as a teacher. I've assigned Boom Cards and found them easy to collect data on so I prefer these as much as possible. However, Google Slides would do well for whole-class activities and are great to assign to students. So at the end of the day, it's a personal preference.
They do, however, both make great tools for the early years classroom because they are so easy for students to use, they keep them engaged and on task. They are also especially useful if you are undertaking any distance learning when it's difficult to get math manipulatives or hands-on activities to students at home.
Want to try Google Slides or Boom Cards?
You can find these for free in my Teachers Pay Teachers store right now!
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