Today I begin my “Recommended Teaching Tools” feature! Every Monday I will write about an educational tool or resource that can be used with students in the classroom or at home, by teachers and parents alike.
Today’s recommended teaching tool is… Hot Dots!
Hot Dots are great way to get your child to practice a reading or math skill independently. I use this with my own children as well as with my students. They look like flash cards, but have 5 dots going down both the right and left side of the card. In the middle of the card is a question and the multiple choice answers are next to each dot. You have this “hot dot pen” that you use to touch the correct response. The pen will alert you with a sound and red color if the answer is incorrect and a sound and green color if it is correct.
Each set comes with 50 cards and 100 questions. They have varying packs for all different skill levels. I have used it for short and long vowel patterns, addition and subtraction facts, telling time and initial & final consonants. These are just a handful of concepts that they have available.
I incorporate this tool in my small group tutoring classes and it’s amazing to see the kids excitedly look for me to pull these out of my bag. It is so much fun that I pack it on long car rides with my own kids and they have a blast “playing” with it!
It’s a great learning tool and lots of fun too!