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Introduce all of the vocabulary words that will be in the story prior to the lesson and play a game for reinforcement.

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Vocabulary instruction is so critical is today's classroom! A vast vocabulary will help students to become better readers and writers. Vocabulary is also essential to their performance on standardized tests. Helping kids to develop their vocabulary is time that is well spent in a busy classroom. I have developed a vocabulary routine that keeps my vocabulary instruction simple to plan and a meaningful use of instructional minutes. If you want to read more about my weekly routine, click on the picture below.

I love using games to practice and review vocabulary words. Games are engaging and fun. Students will remember more when they are having fun! Games can be used in centers or as a whole group activity. I have come up with ten different games that are super simple and can be played with any list of words. You can play these games with ELA words, science words or even math vocabulary!

At the end of the post- in red font- you can sign up to receive all of the game printables shown throughout this post for FREE! That will make it super easy to start playing these games in your classroom tomorrow!

Each student will need one of the free game boards. If you want to be able to use them over and over, laminate and have students use dry erase markers. Otherwise, they can use any writing utensil. Provide a long list of vocabulary words. Students will need 24 words, so it is a good game to play at the end of the unit to review. You can also mix math, Science and ELA words for a review of multiple subjects! Students will write a different word in each box. They decide which words and what order to write them in so that every board is a little different. When you are ready to play, gi ve students a definition. Students determine the word. If they have that word on their board, they can cover it or color it. The first person to get five in a row is the winner.

Y ou can grab this bingo board free by signing up at the bottom of this post!

To play this game, you will need cards with vocabulary words and cards with their meanings. You can make them with index cards or you can use the free editable card template that I have provided. Students shuffle up the cards and place them face down in an array. Students take turns flipping two cards.

If they flip over a match- the word and its meaning- they keep the two cards. If they are not a match, they flip the cards back over and it is the next person's turn. Play continues until all of the cards are gone.
Y ou can grab these editable word cards for FREE by signing up at the bottom of this post!

For this game, you can use the word cards from the memory game or you can write words on popsicle sticks. You will also want some of the free pop cards or write pop on several sticks. Put the cards or sticks into a container. Students take turns pulling one card or stick out of the container. If they pull a word card, they must give the definition. You can change this up a bit by requiring them to give a synonym and antonym if you prefer. If they answer correctly, they keep the card. If they are wrong, it goes back in the container. If they draw a pop, they must put all of their cards back in the container.

This game won't end on its own because there are always pop cards. When the time is up, the winner is the person with the most cards.
Y ou can grab these POP cards for FREE by signing up at the bottom of this post!

This game is perfect for a small group or center. You will need word cards. Students will take turns putting a word card on their headband, so that they cannot see it but the other players can. The student will ask yes or no questions of the other group members until they can correctly guess the word. For example: "Is my word a verb?" "Is 'take' a synonym for my word?" Tell students that they must be asking questions pertaining to the definition, part of speech and definition! Once a student guesses their word, the next player takes a turn. You can also use the timer that comes with the game to keep things moving. There really isn't a winner for this game, but it always a favorite in my classroom.

Y ou can grab these editable word cards for FREE by signing up at the bottom of this post!

This is a good whole group game, but you can have students working in teams. You will need to use word cards again. You will be taping them, face down, onto your board so that the whole class can see the blank back of the card. You will add the category and point cards that I have provided for you.

The first team will choose a category and a point amount. Flip that card over and give that team 5-10 seconds to answer. So if they choose Synonyms for threes points, they need to give a synonym for the vocabulary word. If they are correct, their team gets the three point. I usually just keep score on the board. If they are not correct, put the card back so that another team can try it. Once all of the cards have been completed, the team with the most points is the wining team. Be sure to put the toughest words in the five point row!

You can grab these FREE jeopardy heading cards by signing up at the bottom of this post.

For this game, you will need a small ball and a trash can. I also put a piece of masking tape on the floor to show students where to stand when they throw.

The teacher will need a list of vocabulary words. I like to do boys versus girls- so I have them line up boy, girl, boy, girl, etc. But you can do different teams if you want. Have students get in a line starting at the tape. Ask the first person a question. You can just give them a word and ask for a definition or a synonym or to use it in a sentence. You can even use questions from assessments. If the student gets the question right, they get a point for their team and they get the chance to throw the ball. If they make the basket, they get a bonus point for their team. If they are not correct, the question goes to the next person in line. At the end of the allotted time, the team with the most points is the winner.

This is so simple to implement because you are using simple games that students already know how to play. Games that I suggest are Candy Land, Checkers, Connect Four, Chutes and Ladders, etc. It is ok if the games seem childish for your grade level. The kids love playing them anyway!

You will also need word cards. The game is played according to the rules. The only change is that before a player can take their turn on the game board, they must flip over a word card and correctly define it. If they are correct, they get their turn. If they are incorrect, it is the next person's turn. It is so simple, but my kids beg for it!
Y ou can grab these editable word cards for FREE by signing up at the bottom of this post!

This is another whole group game that you will play in teams. You will need some sort of buzzers or bells. I got these fun animal sound buzzers. (Click on the photo for a link to Amazon.)

I like these buzzers, because each team gets their own animal sound. The kids LOVE it. But be sure to do some training about proper use. I take a point if I hear a buzzer at an inappropriate time. Teams stand in a line behind their buzzer so that they can easily take turns. The teacher asks any vocabulary question and when a team thinks they know the answer, they push their buzzer. The first buzzer I hear, gets to answer. If they are correct, their team gets a point. If they are incorrect, the other three teams get another chance to buzz in and answer. Then those four students go to the back of their team line. The winning team is the team with the most points when time is up or you run out of questions.

This game doesn't require any prep and could be done when you find yourself with a little extra time before lunch or during rainy day recess. I often play this with the whole group with teams, but it could be played with a small group. Teams will take turns being the actor. Either give the team a word card, or just whisper the word in their ear. The team or the student will go to the front and act out the word. They can't talk. The audience will guess what word they are. You can give the audience teams buzzers or just let them call out answers. You can give teams a point for getting answers correct, or you can just play for fun.
Y ou can grab these editable word cards for FREE by signing up at the bottom of this post!

This is a super simple game. Students will play in a small group and only need word cards (or even definition cards!) and a die. Players take turns flipping a card and giving the definition (or if it is a definition card- they give the word).

If they are correct, they roll the die to see how many points they get. If they are incorrect, it is the next person's turn. The winner is the person with the most points when time is up or all the word cards are gone.
Y ou can grab these editable word cards for FREE by signing up below!

Would you like all of the FREE game printables mentioned in this post? #ofcourse

Do you have resources for helping your students to learn tier two vocabulary? I have put together units that include everything you need to teach, practice and assess vocabulary. Each unit includes teacher plans, weekly word lists, daily activities, task cards and assessments. Click on the pictures to get a better look at each unit.

Are you wanting to learn more about vocabulary instruction? I highly recommend the book Word Nerds. It is a book that I think every teacher should read and I based my units on a lot of her strategies. Click on the picture below to learn more about the book.

Have a Not So Wimpy day!

P.S. In case you missed the link in the post, click HERE to grab the free games!

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10 Games to Play with any Vocabulary Words

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Vocabulary instruction is so critical is today's classroom! A vast vocabulary will help students to become better readers and writers. Vocabulary is also essential to their performance on standardized tests. Helping kids to develop their vocabulary is time that is well spent in a busy classroom.

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Letting students know that I will be asking questions during and after the book and to listen for information that they think will be important.

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Pre-reading activities may be designed to motivate student interest, activate prior knowledge, or pre-teach potentially difficult concepts and vocabulary. This is also a great opportunity to introduce comprehension components such as cause and effect, compare and contrast, personification, main idea, sequencing, and others.

How pre-reading relates to ELLs

English language learners (ELLs) have great difficulty jumping into new texts without any background support. Students should know at least something about the topic before reading. Some topics may be unfamiliar to students, such as recreational activities at the beach if students have never been to the beach before. Pictures, drawings, or short skits can help develop relevant background information.

Students need to know at least 90 to 95% of the words they read if they are going to comprehend the text. Therefore, it is important to use several strategies to build background knowledge that leads to better reading comprehension and overall achievement for ELLs. It doesn't hurt to review many words we often take for granted - not only for the benefit of ELLs, but also for students who may not come to school with a rich vocabulary background or exposure to certain experiences.

Pre-reading strategies to increase comprehension

Before reading a selection aloud or before students read a text, try taking seven to ten minutes to build word and background knowledge. This should increase all students' comprehension of the text.

Begin by reviewing the selection and identifying the main concepts you want to teach. Take into account your students' potential knowledge of these concepts, including your ELLs. Decide how you might best make these concepts relevant and accessible to all of your students. This might be through a film, discussion, student reading assignment, or a text read by you. Try using a combination of three or four of the following strategies:

Do motivating activities

You can use any activity that interests students in the text and motivates them to read it. For example, you can bring a real frog to class before reading a frog story.

Build text-specific knowledge

Activate students' prior knowledge of a topic so that they can consciously use it as they read their text. For example, before reading a text with a jungle as the setting, ask students what they already know about jungles and discuss.

Relate to students' lives

This is a powerful way to motivate students to read and to help them understand what they will be reading. Before reading a story about winning and losing a race, for example, you might want to have your students reflect on the times they have won or lost a race or a contest.

Pre-teach vocabulary

In addition to pre-teaching traditional vocabulary words, include words that convey concepts that ELLs already know. For example, students may know the concept of finding something, but do not know the word find or finding. Write these words on the board and review with the class.

Pre-teach concepts

There are times when not only ELLs but all students need to learn new and possibly difficult ideas or concepts. For example, the concepts of democracy or envy may be difficult for all young children to understand at first. Give examples that your students can relate to.

Predicting and direction setting

You can focus students' attention on what is important to look for as they read their text. Making predictions about what might happen in the book gives students a purpose for reading. Setting a direction means using questions that peak students' interest. It also means focusing students on the purpose for the reading. For example, "Today we are going to read about differences in climates and regions. Let's read first about the climate in our community."

Suggest comprehension strategies

Before reading the text, make students aware of what they should be looking for. If you want them to identify cause and effect, point out several examples of this beforehand. For example, you can talk about the story of Jumanji, which has several examples of cause and effect. When one of the children rolls the dice, it causes something to happen in the house.

Other ideas

You can also engage students by:

1. Showing a film on a related topic.

2. Conducting an experiment.

3. Going on a field trip.

4. Asking students to bring something related to "show and tell."

Be sure to connect everything back to the main concepts, key vocabulary, and/or comprehension skills that will be encountered.

Classroom Video: Story setup & pre-reading strategies

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Pre-reading activities may be designed to motivate student interest, activate prior knowledge, or pre-teach potentially difficult concepts and vocabulary. This is also a great opportunity to introduce comprehension components such as cause and effect, compare and contrast, personification, main idea, sequencing, and others.

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Students will receive vocabulary words and can do a sequencing activity to determine comprehension. Sequencing can be done with copies of pictures from the book and given as a choice of two. Ask the student, what happened first?

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Sequencing Timeline Template For Any Book

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Simple story timeline template. Spots for 13 story events or illustrations to placed on the timeline. Can be used with any book. An additional page of 15 blocks can be also be used to sequence any story with illustrations, dates or events.

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Students can play this game in small groups or pairs and even review the questions beforehand so they know what to listen for.

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Our principal has really been encouraging us to add more writing into our daily lesson plans. "They should be writing all day long" he tells us. The research is there to back him up.

I bumped into this I
Roll and Retell page from Fun In First on printed and laminated four copies of the Roll and Retell page to hand out to each of my four table groups. Pinterest awhile back and finally figured out how to add it to our learning day.

After a round of Daily 5 I handed them out. I also gave each table one die. Each student at the table took turns rolling the die and then answering the question based on the number they rolled. They each used the individual book they were reading to answer the questions. I felt like it would be a great advertisement for new books for each child to read when they were done with the one they were working on. I also knew it would be great oral practice BEFORE they started writing.

Once they had a chance to talk about what they were going to write, I set the timer for 5 minutes and let them write. Then we shared our responses.

Here are a few of their responses.

I had so much success with this activity with my students, that I created versions that cover the standards for
2nd, 3rd and 4th grades.

What have you tried in your classroom lately? Link up with
Dr. Susan Hall, literacy leader and founder of 95 Percent Group, mentions this Roll and Retell Activity as a Reading Comprehension Game that Students Will Want to Play Over and Over! Check it out for the other ideas there as well!

Fourth Grade Flipper for Tried It Tuesday and share!

This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase using one of my links, which helps to support the blog. All opinions are my own and I only promote brands and products that I have used myself and truly love.

I would love to hear from you! ❤️

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Roll and Retell - Building Summarizing, Communication, and Writing Skills

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Our principal has really been encouraging us to add more writing into our daily lesson plans. "They should be writing all day long" he tells us. The research is there to back him up.

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Provide vocabulary words and the book to the ELL coordinator prior to the lesson.  

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Provide vocabulary words and the book to the ELL coordinator prior to the lesson.  

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ELL will receive the vocabulary words from the introduction as well as the vocabulary from the activity.  Students will also receive comprehension questions in advance to ensure understanding of the book.  Request ELL coordinator to provide a translation list of the vocabulary words and key terms in the book.  If necessary, look for a translated version of the book to read to the students.

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Goal:

The previous three articles presented research on why vocabulary instruction is important to ELs' academic achievement , how to help ELs learn strategies to quickly understand Tier 1 vocabulary words , and how to teach Tier 2 words ( wp.me/p7NKW2-dQ) which usually consist of high-utility academic words. The goal of this article is to share a process of teaching content-specific vocabulary to ELs, often referred to as Tier 3 vocabulary words.
Teaching Tier Three Words in Context
Tier Three words are usually those that are mainly content specific and used least frequently. Because they are generally used within a specific discipline, it is best to bring context from that content area to teach them.

I'll share an anecdote to describe how I teach Tier Three words. I went into Mr. Arno's 7th grade science class to help the ELs and non-ELs better learn their science content. Mr. Arno wanted to teach the concepts of "precise" and "accurate" in order to show them how to evaluate data. I noticed that Anny (an EL) was experiencing difficulty comprehending what he meant. After the usual Google Translate strategy failed to produce any understanding, I had Anny share her data with me. We plotted her data on a "bullseye". Then we matched her data to Mr. Arno's diagram.

After she compared them, our dialogue sounded like this:

Below is a video showing this exact lesson . I used Anny's science data to help her understand "precise" and "accurate" in the actual science context. They're Tier Three words because they have a specific meaning when scientists employ them to discuss science data.

Using the science context to demonstrate meaning is an example of how to teach vocabulary that is "in context". Indeed, research suggests explaining words in context is more effective than through non-contextualized instruction (Biemiller & Boote, 2006 as cited by Beck, McKeown, & Kucan, 2008).

Additional Resource on Vocabulary Instruction in General

The most effective book on vocabulary instruct is Creating Robust Vocabulary: Frequently Asked Questions and Extended Examples (Solving Problems in the Teaching of Literacy)

by Beck, McKeown, and Kucan (2008). It describes the theory around aquiring vocabulary and provides specific strategies to help students learn vocabulary.

By purchasing the book, you also support the blog.
Approaches to Learning Tier 3 Words
I use a combination of four approaches when teaching Tier 3 words. I always try to find an image that is related to the target word because ELs, and humans in general, comprehend ab ideas better when it's associated with an image.

I also try to highlight the features of the Tier 3 word. When we point out the features, ELs begin to form a definition using the features. For example, if the target word is "photosynthesis", then a feature might be that it is only found in plants. Another feature of photosynthesis is that it makes food. If I can find an image that also depicts the word's features or actions, it becomes an even better way to scaffold learning.

The third approach is to provide a non-example, a word that does not fit the target word's definition. This strategy is best used when the EL has already learned the features of the target word. When a non-example is offered, they can compare the differences between the target word and the non-example.

The approach that produces the most enduring understanding of a vocabulary word is the fourth one: providing multiple contexts. Provide various situations in which the Tier 3 vocabulary word is incorporated.

Below is an infographic that illustrates these four approaches. Images courtesy of talekids, tzunghaor, Anonymous, and nicubunu.

Quizlet & Tier 3 Vocabulary Practice

In addition to these four strategies, the content teachers and I find the app Quizlet helpful to teaching Tier 3 words because it allows for images to be associated with the selected words. Moreover, the ability to play games and have a portable set of flashcards makes it a highly interactive tool. Here's an actual Quizlet vocabulary set that I used to help 7th graders learn science vocabulary during an ecosystem unit . Mr. Arno thought the Quizlet was quite effective in helping the ELs learn the content vocabulary that he shared it with his non-ELs as well.

The only downside to Quizlet is that it doesn't allow students to see the vocabulary word in multiple contexts unless the teacher creates multiple contexts in the Quizlet set.

Though the strategy that I use for Tier I and Tier 2 words differs from that of Tier 3 words, they all share the same principle of learning vocabulary by building a context for ELs through the texts that ELs are reading or the content they're learning. In my approach, vocabulary is never learned through antiquated, out-of-context vocabulary workbooks. It's learned through authentic learning experiences in addition to interactions with the content and fellow classmates.

I hope that you have enjoyed this collection of articles. They represent the core of my English language instruction to ELs and have been formed through years of research, trial, and error.

The next series will be about the set of articles from WIDA's Essential Actions Handbook. It's a collection of articles that shares 15 essential actions -hence the name- that teachers can use to support ELs. Like this Visible Learning series, I will share how I implemented WIDA's 15 actions. I hope you to see you next week.

Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan, L. (2002). Bringing words to life: Robust vocabulary instruction. New York: Guilford.

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A18. Tier 3 Words: Teaching Content-Specific Vocabulary | ELL Strategies | Empowering ELLs

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The previous three articles presented research on why vocabulary instruction is important to ELs' academic achievement , how to help ELs learn strategies to quickly understand Tier 1 vocabulary words , and how to teach Tier 2 words ( wp.me/p7NKW2-dQ) which usually consist of high-utility academic words.

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Suggestions for helping ELL Students with reading comprehension

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We create practical, timely, affordable professional learning to help educators and instructional leaders provide students with a modern, equitable, and quality education.

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Students can practice this method with everything they read without needing extra materials.

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Retelling is a crucial skill for young readers as they begin to comprehend what they are reading. With my first graders, we have been focusing on our retellings. We are working on the key elements of a fiction retelling versus a nonfiction retelling. Well...let me introduce you to the retelling glove!

For our fiction retellings, we make sure to include the setting, characters, problem, events, and solution. For the nonfiction retellings, we focus on the main idea and supporting details. With the very bottom of the glove, we are always working on making connections!

We are still in the beginning stages of retelling. I have done a lot of modeling using the retelling glove during our guided reading time, and then students have begun using the glove as we work to retell stories together through guided practice. The kids love putting that thing on. It is just a gardening glove from Walmart that I wrote on with permanent marker!

In addition to our retelling glove, we also have an anchor chart that we reference. The pictures are great visual reminders as we continue to master our retellings. Since retelling fiction and nonfiction are so different, I feel like it is very important to be explicit about what is required of each type of retelling. I think the visual reminders and the concrete retelling glove are really having a positive impact. If you would like a copy of the anchor chart, click here!

How do you help your students with their retellings?

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Retelling is a crucial skill for young readers as they begin to comprehend what they are reading. With my first graders, we have been focusing on our retellings. We are working on the key elements of a fiction retelling versus a nonfiction retelling. Well...let me introduce you to the retelling glove!

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Using an anchor chart and having students help with putting the key parts of the story in order.

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Hello Everyone!
Thanks for stopping by our blog to see what's happening in our first grade classroom! This week we are working very hard on "retelling"stories we have read. Learning how to retell a story helps our little learners as readers and thinkers. It helps to organize thought, and recognize the thoughts we have during reading. It helps us recognize when our thinking changes throughout our reading. Characteristics of good retelling are: using character names, telling about the setting, including the happenings or plot (beginning, middle, and end), discussing the problem the character is having, and describing how the problem was solved.
Today I introduced our "retelling rope." Each symbol represents the parts of a story. I have used retelling ropes before, but revamped this with some better visuals. The kids really get it when they can actually manipulate the parts. This year I wrote a simple poem to go along with our retelling activities.
We practiced retelling several stories together using the large retelling rope, and then the kids got to make their own mini one to manipulate during their own reading time. After putting these together, some kids chose to work with others to retell a common story (The Lorax has become a favorite for some reason :) !) We also practiced recording our retelling thoughts. We will continue to work hard on this important skill!

For your printable of these pages plus larger visuals to make your own retelling rope click here! :)

here's the link to the printable with student rope pics! :)

I love helping kids improve their retelling skills!! Don't forget to retell your own stories with your kids!!!

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Hello Everyone! Thanks for stopping by our blog to see what's happening in our first grade classroom! This week we are working very hard on "retelling"stories we have read. Learning how to retell a story helps our little learners as readers and thinkers. It helps to organize thought, and recognize the thoughts we have during reading.

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These can be used for more formal assessment if needed.

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Demonstrating The Solution To The Problem

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Demonstrating The Solution To The Problem

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Students will complete a balancing activity related to the problem in the story. This incorporates other Common Core Standards into the lesson.

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Make a DIY balance with a few simple and inexpensive materials from the craft store. The balances are great for math, science, or STEM learning centers in preschool and pre-k. Kids can study the concept of weight by using these inexpensive balances that you can make.
I love creating learning resources for kids. This week I made and inexpensive, DIY balance and I'm going to show you how to make some for yourself. Don't worry, it's really pretty simple. This post contains some affiliate links.

I recently attended an early childhood STEM training session where the presenter showed us how to make a simple balance with recyclable materials. I thought it was a great idea. To make your own you can hot glue a toilet paper tube onto the bottom of shoe box lid. Easy Peasy! Kids can use the cardboard balance to experiment with rocks or other small manipulatives to help them begin to understand concepts weight.

I love the cardboard box idea, but toilet paper tubes and paper towel tubes are usually pretty flimsy and get smashed pretty easily. Wouldn't it be great to make a simple balance that would be a little bit sturdier? So, after some thought I came up with a simple homemade balance that can be made from inexpensive materials that can be purchased at the craft store.

Supplies

Here is what I used to create my balances.

Wood Slats - I found a package of 6 wood slats in the wood crafting aisle at Hobby Lobby for $2.99. I have also seen the same slats at Michaels. If you are lucky, you might even be able to get some free scrap pieces from a handy person in your life. You can also use longer slats of wood.

Thick Wood Dowel - In the same aisle I found a 7/8″ thick, 3 foot long dowel for $2.29. You will need a saw to cut the dowel. If you don't have a saw you can use wooden spools instead of a dowel.

Glue - I used wood glue, but you can use a good craft glue, or hot glue too.
Small Craft Sticks Sand Paper
DIY Balance Assembly

To begin, I cut the dowel into small pieces - slightly smaller than the width of the wood slats.

Then, I lightly sanded the edges and corners of the slats to make them smooth. We don't want splinters!

After measuring the center point, I marked it on the wood slats.

Then, I added a line of wood glue along the center line - not too thick.

Next, I carefully placed the piece of dowel on top of the glue line. There was no need for a clamp. I just carefully placed it and let it rest to dry in place.

After the initial line of glue had dried, I then added more glue along the side of the dowel.

Finally, to give the connection a bit more support, I added two small craft sticks on each side.

Tada! I'll be honest and tell you that I couldn't get all of my balances to perfectly balance on the round dowel. I rubbed the dowels along sandpaper to create a little bit of a flatter surface on the bottom and that helped some of them.

But don't worry...even if they don't perfectly balance....it's okay because kids can still experiment with them to explore the concept of weight. It's a great idea to get kids involved with the assembly so that they can experiment with different sizes of dowels, different sizes of wood slats, etc.

Ideas for Use

Here are just a few ways that you can use the balances.

Learning Center Activities

Place a balance on a tray along with different little manipulatives for a math and science learning center activity. Add little cups to each end of the balance to hold objects or materials.

High Interest Materials

You can use any kind of objects with the balances. Think about high interest items that will be most exciting for your kids. If a child LOVES legos, he or she would probably get a kick out playing with a bunch of lego people and a balance.

Journals

Add blank books to the balance center so that kids can record predictions, results, etc.

Thematic Units

Use thematic materials to tie into a classroom unit of study or theme. Small erasers or plastic counters will make a fun addition to a balancing activity. Fill small plastic containers with a variety of objects and ask kids to compare the weight of the objects. Can you find the heaviest container? Which container is the lightest? How did you figure that out?

Sensory Bin

Add a platform in the middle of a sensory bin filled with rice, beans, sand, etc. Add small containers, spoons, and some balances to the bin.

Ramp Play

Place some small cars on a tray with a balance to let kids experiment with it as a ramp. Provide ramps of different lengths. How do the cars react differently? Add different materials to the top of the ramp (sand paper strips, shelf liner, foil, etc.) What happens?

Well, I hope that I gave you a few activity ideas that you will try with your kiddos. If you make a DIY balance, let me know how it goes. I would love to hear how you use them.

Below are some items from Amazon that can be used to create the balances in this article and some items to expand upon the concept. The links below are affiliate links. If you happen to purchase something from link, there will be no additional cost to you, but a small portion of your purchase will be used towards the cost of maintaining this website.

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Make a DIY Balance: STEM Activities for Preschoolers

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Make a DIY balance with a few simple and inexpensive materials from the craft store. The balances are great for math, science, or STEM learning centers in preschool and pre-k. Kids can study the concept of weight by using these inexpensive balances that you can make.