Pointers!

I love using pointers in my classroom!  

It helps my kiddos stay engaged in the reading AND helps me keep my sanity! 

Over the years I've used lots of things for pointers, but have found a few that I really LOVE!  I know plain old fingers work well too….but for some reason they just don't hold the same appeal as these other ideas! ;-)

One of my favorite pointers is a finger laser light.  They are small and bright, and students simply slip it on their finger.  It provides novelty and motivation, and my students know if they don't use it correctly--they don't use it.  

A super easy pointer can be found by picking up drink stirrers from most party stores. 

I found these plastic drink stirrers at the Dollar Tree!

Last year, during the week of Valentine's Day…. students used Dum Dums & other suckers as a special pointer.  Students kept the same "pointer" all week…..and at the end of the week…..

they were able to take it home as a special treat.  

 For reluctant readers, I will sometimes allow them to use my teacher pointer.  It is huge compared to the normal student pointers I have, so it provides a little laugh and seems to help students feel more confident about reading.  It's silly, but they seem to like it!

You know those plastic bubble wands?  They make great pointers too.  

They are especially handy to help students highlight or find words in their text.

And sometimes….when we're feeling super silly……we might just use a little dot of glue….and a googly eye….and turn our plain old finger into an amazing pointer to help us keep our "eye" on our reading!!  Try it---Your kids will love it!

 There are tons more ideas on Pinterest!  Just do a search for reading pointers and I'll bet you can find lots of creative ideas to use in your own classroom.