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Top Budget-Friendly Ways to Engage with Your Students

Hi, friends! Last week, we chatted about my top tools that I have and recommend for tutoring online. Over the last few weeks, I have had many teachers reach out to me to inquire about the ins and outs of how I tutor successfully online. I've dedicated a few blog posts on this subject to help all of you who want to switch to online teaching or need support to strengthen how you're currently teaching. This week is no exception, and I'm exploring some budget-friendly ways to be effective online while engaging with your students in fun and multi-sensory ways!


Most of us seem to be on a budget lately, and I always like to include simple tips and strategies anyway. This week includes both.😊 So, let's talk about freebies and DIY tools.



One of the easiest ways to keep lessons multi sensory is to use what's in your cupboards. So, go grab your salt or rice, pour a little vinegar into it, add a little food coloring, and pop it into a small plastic container. Voila! You have the perfect multi-sensory tool to write letters or dictate words or sounds.


Make Your Own Wand


As you probably read in last week's post (if not, here it is 😉), I love my little card holder. It becomes extra magical when I use it with a special wand. Start by grabbing some card stock. If you're a home tutor, you probably already have a laminator. If not, here is good one for $20. Cut the card stock into a star and add a straw! If you really want to be fancy, use glitter paper like I talk about below. ✨



You can also make a tapping tool with things around the house. A bug swatter works perfect from the Dollar Store. Use your students' interests to guide you here. If your student loves certain Disney characters, cut some out of paper party plates to use their interest for higher engagement.




Glitter Sun ☂ Umbrella



Use glitter paper as an inexpensive DIY multi-sensory tool. I love using glitter paper because it is raised and textured which provides a fun, multi-sensory experience. For the Spring, I made clouds and 🌸. For Summer, I am making a ☀️ and a ⛱. Come back next week for how to use these when teaching online.


Build Something



To keep students motivated, especially the younger ones, I love to build something online or in-person. Sometimes, we build a puzzle with the words that they read.


Word Cards- DIY or FREEBIES


If you're looking for free word cards or games, here is my link for my free word cards. Tag me on Instagram when you use them, and let me know how you like them.


If you are looking for plain, free word cards, my go-to is Quizlet. Did you know that you can search for certain letter patterns and that teachers have already made lists for you? As Wilson teachers, we can search for "fat stack" or a particular level.


Sticky notes also make a great FREE learning tool. Check out the picture below to see how easy it is for your students to use as letter and sound cards.


As always, I like to support my Read to Rewire community by gifting you FREE resources. This week, I am sharing a SUMMER 2-SYLLABLE WORD CARD GAME! Click the image below of the activity in action for access!



Comment with your favorite DIY for online teaching and tutoring. Come back next week when I will chat about using materials online without all the tech.


Have a great week!


Michelle

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