I introduced the ‘Magic Wand’ to my class this week. I felt like I should have introduced this earlier but it only clicked when I was having trouble having the students point to the words as they are reading. What I’ve done is I found some unused colorful popsicle sticks and gave it a special name so that my students will remember it.
So…”Magic Wand” it is!
I love my magic wand. It helps me to read better.
I like the word hunt game we play with the magic wand!
Buddy Reading with The Magic Wand
Magic Wand as a Reading Tool:
- Motivates students when reading
- Easily re-direct students pointer when needed
- Helps student focus
- Keeps students hand busy
- Keeps the child correctly distanced from the book
- Students point to the words instead of the the teacher
- Helps students keep track when reading
- Playing word hunt and other games during readings
As students become better readers, they can use the Magic Wand to underline sentences to help keep their place. Eventually maybe it just becomes a book mark. If students spend more time on decorating it, they will have a stronger sentimental attachment to it, as it travels along with them on their reading journey.
For my challenge readers, I also use the reading pointer. However, I will ask them to use it horizontally so that students can use it to hold their place on the line and move it down each row of words as they read.
