Pointer Magic

So I've been MIA for a little while on summer adventures but now I'm back and here to stay. So today I'm talking about group reading. Don't you hate it when you read something as a class and you have those students who are looking around or picking their nose instead of reading! Well, I have one reading trick up my sleeve that I have used for years. It is very cheap and my students love it. What's the mystery, you might ask? Drink stirs. No, I don't mean go grab a drink and pray your students can read. When you go out, save those fancy drink stirs. Or if you don't drink (like me) go to the dollar tree and buy a pack. Like this:

Now the mistake most teachers make is that before they start reading, they pass out a reading "pointer" to each student and then they get mad that all of them aren't reading. Amateurs! They real key is to tell the students that you will be looking to see who is doing a good job reading and following along. Then when you see a student who is reading or following along, you hand them a pointer. The other students then rush to find where you are and read because they want a cool kid pointer too! 

It's pretty funny to watch the students scramble as you walk around and get closer to them. I throw my pointers into their lap or book so they never know when it might come to them. The pointers definitely get them to read more, it's magic! Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think! Later gators.

-Crazy S