Listening and Following Directions Fun

I found them!!!!!  If you have attended one my sessions:  A Circle of Friends:  A Circle of Learning, or my "Games" session, you have seen my famous "grabbers" and possibly volunteered to play the games in the session. (Thank you!) They are sometimes hard to find.  I usually find them at Michael's or Toys R Us around Christmas.  This weekend I was at Target, and I shouted to the rooftops with excitement when I found them.  So for my Tulsa, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Florida teachers who attended one of my recent sessions- go to Target.  They are even higher quality and sturdier than my original ones.

Click here for the link to Target and the location that sells them near you.

So if you have never attended that session and you are thinking, "This blogger is a little over the top,"  I will give you 20 ways I use these in the classroom.  We sit in a circle and pass 2 grabbers around the room after we complete the skill individually. We grab each one separately or together depending on the skill.  It is an "all-time" favorite of my classroom, and it transfers from Pre-K to 2nd grade.  


1.  Play follow the directions game using 1, 2, 3 or 4 step directions. 
2.  Spell you name. K (squeeze left grabber) a (squeeze right grabber) t (squeeze left grabber) h (squeeze right grabber) y (squeeze left grabber) and then pass to the person on the left.  Play continues until everyone has a turn.
3.  Count the syllables in your name. Ka (squeeze left grabber) thy (squeeze right grabber)
4.  Blend compound words. sun (squeeze left grabber) shine (squeeze right grabber) sunshine (squeeze left and right at the same time)
5.  Spell your word wall words. Refer to #2
6.  Segment phonemes in words. cat (squeeze both at the same time) "c" (squeeze left grabber) "a" (squeeze right grabber) "t" (squeeze left grabber) Pass to the person on the  left and continue around the circle.
7.  Blend phonemes into a word. "d" (squeeze left grabber) "o" (squeeze right grabber) "g"    (squeeze left grabber) dog (squeeze both together)
8.  Delete the first phoneme.
9.  Substitute the first phoneme.
10.  Do math combinations:  5+5=10
11.  Skip count by 2's.
12.  Count to 5.  
13.  Count to 10.
14.  Count backwards from 5.
15.  Count backwards from 10.
16.  Pattern games. Squeeze left out, squeeze right up, squeeze left out, squeeze right up
17.  Practice phonics' patterns. ay (squeeze both together) "a" (squeeze 
18.  Say your letters and sounds.
19.  Place value.
20.  Practicing left and right.



And if you are interested in attending this session, I will be presenting it at the DI Conference (Differentiating Instruction) in Vegas, Di Midwest Conference in Chicago, and I Teach 1st in Chicago through SDE (Staff Development for Educators).  You can click on the links at the top of my blog or on the right for details about the conferences.  It is one of my favorite sessions!


Happy GRABBING and "Following Directions!"  Thanks for stopping by!