Sticker Fun!

 

Can also be done with letter recognition (upper and lower case), with sight words - the possibilities are endless!

5 Ways to Use Stickers in Your Classroom (That You Probably Never Thought Of!)

Here are 5 odd/new ways you can use those stickers you normally give out to your students.

1. Cut in half. Put the half on a sheet of paper or index card, and have them draw the other half. This works both sides of the brain, as well as perception and fine motor movement.

2. Place a whole sticker on paper and have them draw a scene around it. Have them describe what it's about to the others.

3. Pretend their sticker is the cover of their book. Have them write a few sentences, paragraph, or story. Don't forget the title!

4. Have them relate their sticker to a number. Ex: 2 skis, 3 ornaments, 2 squirrels, 12 snowflake points. (Anything BUT the number 1.) Graph the stickers - how many had 2 of something, how many had 3, etc.

5. Make an alphabetical list of the pictures on the stickers. Ex: E = elephant, M = mouse, mitten, S = snowflake, squirrel, snail, skunk, shovel, etc. 

Instant Identification!

It becomes immediately evident when the school year begins that many of my new students don't recognize their name in print. A few can spot the first letter, but that can be a problem if you have more than one child whose name begins with that same letter. (For instance, this year, 8 of my girls have names that begin with an M.)

This is when stamps (cheaper than stickers) or stickers (if you prefer to go that way) help. I make 3 labels with a name, and that way the child can easily spot which coat/backpack hook is his. It also helps with name recognition. The other two labels go on his cubby and his portfolio folder. (More to come on those later.)

(In case you can't tell from the picture, Jacob's stamp is Marvin the Martian.)

Sticker Award Charts

One thing I've learned after years of spending my hard-earned money on classroom materials is how to cut corners.

I award stickers to my students for several things:
*good behavior
*homework turned in on time
*good manners
*random acts of kindness
*anything I feel that merits

Instead of buying pre-made charts (which you can do), I made a template and run my charts on used tag or cover stock that are blank on one side.  I use stamps this year to add "flavor", but in the past I've also let the child cut a picture out of a magazine and glue it on.  Or draw a picture. 

Basically, the only thing I've bought are the stickers themselves, and again the dollar discount stores allow you to buy a gazillion itty-bitty stickers relatively cheap.  Also, don't forget that stores discount their seasonal/holiday stickers right after the holiday, so you can stock up for the following year.

Oh!  And once a child fills their sticker chart?  I have a box of toys/suckers/balloons/goodies where they can pick their prize.  And then I put up a new chart so they can start all over again.