Preschoolers & Dry-Erase Boards

Dry erase boards aren't just for high school anymore. Deborah J. Stewart, early childhood professional and Teach Preschool blogger, provides several ideas for incorporating these great learning tools in the preschool classroom!

Dry-Erase Options

• Large wall-mount boards. These are great for instructional use, but not ideal for interactive activities.
• Easel boards. Adjustable legs allow this board to be used for both instructional and interactive learning.
• Paper pads. Paper with dry erase surface features reusable sheets that can be mounted on walls, easels, and other clean surfaces when in use, then taken down and stored for future needs. Great for instructional learning, as well as interactive exercises.
• Lap boards. Offers an ideal solution for individual practice and interactive learning.
• Sentence strips. Provide lined options for individual printing practice and interactive exercise participation.

Printing

Print a student's name, the name of a color, a letter, number, or shape onto the board and, after helping them identify the object or word, have them copy it to the best of their ability onto their own board.

Tracing

Print an object of word onto each child's board and invite them to trace it. After each child has had a chance to trace the item, work as a class to identify each object or word.

Erasing

• Instead of tracing the word or object with ink, invite your students to use the eraser to trace/erase the word or object.
• Draw a blue, red, and orange square on the front board and ask a volunteer to come erase the blue square, etc,
• Write a word or series of letters on the front board and invite a volunteer to erase the "A", etc.

Dry-erase board activities for preschool