Building Foundations
In the early years, fostering a love for learning and building the foundations is crucial. One exciting resource that can light up the world of early writing and mark making is the TTS Sensory Illuminated Writing Board. These versatile boards have a “wow” factor that captivates young minds, making them an excellent tool for a wide range of activities. In this blog, we’ll explore some engaging ideas to inspire creativity, enhance fine motor skills, and promote early mark making and writing in the early years classroom or setting.
Early Mark Making and Patterns
Use the illuminated boards to encourage early mark making activities. Children can have fun creating patterns and shapes using vibrant chalk marker pens. This hands-on experience promotes fine motor control and visual spatial awareness, setting the stage for more complex writing skills. The ease of writing on the board and the sensory feedback given allows children to enjoy the experience, developing a love of mark making.
Handwriting Practice
The glow of the boards adds an element of excitement to handwriting activities. Children can practise letter formation, improving their penmanship while being captivated by the illuminated display.
Making Learning Shine
The glowing boards are perfect for enhancing various areas of learning, such as spellings, phonics, and maths. Engage children by using the boards as a captivating visual aid during lessons or play, making learning a memorable and enjoyable experience.
Illuminating Sensory Room
Create an immersive learning environment by placing the boards in a sensory room. The illuminated display adds a vibrant touch, making the sensory experience more interactive and engaging. It’s a fantastic addition to incorporate ICT into sensory play.
Exploring Cause and Effect
By demonstrating how pressing the button changes the colours on the boards, children can learn about stimulus-response and cause-and-effect relationships. These concepts are essential for cognitive development and fostering critical thinking skills.
Boosting Engagement
Reluctant or cautious writers may find the boards particularly appealing. The ability to easily erase any errors provides a low-pressure environment, encouraging children to take risks, explore their creativity and record their ideas without fear of making mistakes.
Role-Playing Adventures
Immerse children in imaginative play scenarios by placing the boards in different role play areas. Whether it’s a café with a daily menu, a fruit and vegetable shop, a hairdresser’s salon, or even an airport with flight announcements, the glowing boards add an authentic touch to children’s pretend play experiences.
Superhero Missions
Transform the learning environment into a superhero haven. Encourage children to dress up as their favorite superheroes and write about their missions. Practitioners and teachers can assign tasks, promoting storytelling, creative thinking, and literacy skills.
Collaborative Group Activities
Utilise the boards for small group activities such as collaborative story writing, phonic activities, or number challenges. The illuminated display creates an engaging platform for interactive learning, where children can actively participate, reinforce their understanding and share their ideas.
Out-of-this-World Space Adventures
Enhance a space-themed unit by incorporating the illuminated boards. Whether counting down for a rocket launch or recording findings on the “moon’s surface,” the boards add a sense of excitement and interactivity to astronomical explorations.
Exploratory Glow Experience
For younger children, place the boards among other glow items to create a discovery zone. This setup encourages exploration, experimentation, comparison, and contrast, promoting sensory and cognitive development. It can help children to relax, calm down and self regulate whilst being active learners.
Interactive Instructions
Display instructions on the boards and pair them with control vehicles like Bee-Bot and Blue-Bot. Children can plan their journey, record each step, and develop early programming skills, all while enjoying the glowing allure of the boards. Why not use these boards to write important messages. They will definitely stand out and draw attention.
Treasure Hunt Adventures
Write clues on the boards and organise a treasure hunt for children to find the next illuminated board. This activity combines reading, problem-solving, and gross motor skills as children search for the hidden treasure.
Tidying Away and Responsibilities
Who would have thought that tidying up could be so engaging! Develop those important muscles by giving children the responsibility of wiping the boards clean at the end of a day or session, with a damp cloth. This not only creates a blank slate for the next person using it but also gives the children a sense of responsibility. You could even have a rota for board cleaning monitors!
