What do you use white boards for?

[tristangrace]

I'm getting more and more curious as I read a bazillion posts that refer to heavy usage of white boards! Granted, I have only one year of homeschooling under my belt, but it has never crossed my mind to use one. Enlighten me, please: What, specifically, do you use your white board for?

 

Thanks!

Susan

[Mom2boys]

We have a large one that hangs on the wall, and my boys love to use it to practice their spelling words and math facts. Somehow those tasks are more fun when done with colored markers. ;)

[Pongo]

I teach all our math concepts, right now its covered with decimal to fraction converts:)

I use SWR, so we use it for our learning log charts.

I write our weekly Bible Verse on it for memorization.

I have a section on the left that has the, rules of our classroom listed on it.

I even use it for hangman...lol and pictionary....

[teamturner]

We have a large one that hangs on the wall, and my boys love to use it to practice their spelling words and math facts. Somehow those tasks are more fun when done with colored markers. ;)

 

I haven't used mine for this yet but I plan to this year. Up until now, I've used either a white board or chalk board (depending on which room we're in) for me to write stuff for them to copy. FLL in years past and now with Rod & Staff. Or for times I'm teaching a math concept. I used a small one today with my 2nd grader as we were reviewing math facts. I'd like to get a small one for each of my dc so that math practice, spelling, or grammar lessons can be done on them at their seat. The novelty may wear off at some point but I'd like to try it anyways!

[yvonne]

I like to use ours to work through problems together. Today we used it for diagramming sentences & writing out verb conjugations. I also like having different colors to emphasize different things (parts of speech vs parts of the sentence, ...)

 

So, for us, a white board is helpful for anything where I want us all to be seeing & working on the same thing.

 

yvonne

[Karen in CO]

We use it for math daily right now. I write problems in one color and she writes the answers in another. If she is have attitude problems, I add more problems in another color. We use it for those SIngapore word problems. It helps to work them out visually.

 

We use it for spelling and handwriting. It is less intimidating to practice new letters on the white board with a tissue in the other hand to erase mistakes.

 

We draw maps on them. The girls both draw pictures on them. My ds practices his Japanese on one in his room. He keeps his new kanji on one side and adds to it.

 

I want more white boards. Then I could put stuff on them the night before for each kid and not have to erase in between. I could put poems and the new Latin vocabulary and the names and dates of what we are studying in history. Oh and the magnetic white boards are the BEST.

 

Okay - I need a little less caffeine at night. Hey a felt board would be cool too.

[MerryAtHope]

We've used them mainly for phonics and spelling, but sometimes for math. I have a big 2' X 3' magnetic white board for use with All About Spelling (love that program & the white board!) and then we have some smaller hand-held ones that the kids write spelling words on. Sometimes I show math concepts on them, or I use them when I'm teaching a copywork passage and we talk about certain concepts.

 

Merry :-)

[angela in ohio]

Teaching :)

 

I write on it while I teach lessons. I just went from a 3'x4' white board to a 7'x4' white board across the whole wall of our school/game/craft room, and I am so exctied to start using it.

[hsmom]

Everything.

We use it for math, spelling, grammar, everything. I am a big paper junkie, so the white board helps me save on paper. I use it to write out quick notes, everything.

 

My son loves to use it to get away from the usual with his math problems. He will end up doing all of his math on it some days. He loves to switch between colors of pens and such.

 

I use it to show him visually how to do stuff. Also my kids use them to draw on during the day.

[stephanie]

I'm getting more and more curious as I read a bazillion posts that refer to heavy usage of white boards! Granted, I have only one year of homeschooling under my belt, but it has never crossed my mind to use one. Enlighten me, please: What, specifically, do you use your white board for?

 

Thanks!

Susan

 

We use ours for everything! The dc do practice problems on it, diagram sentences, outlines, schedules, pictures when I'm trying to give them a visual, I could go on and on. That is probably the one thing that I feel like it would be very difficult for me to not have.

[Stacia]

I love the idea of having a big white board, but we don't really have the space for one. I'm still trying to figure out how to rearrange so that I can fit one in somewhere.

 

We do have a little one (9" x 12") that I bought from Miller Pads & Paper at a homeschool convention one time. I keep it in the storage box w/ our MUS manipulatives. I use it mostly when helping dc w/ math problems. Sometimes dd likes to use it for doing her problems. Somehow it all seems more appealing than using scratch paper. We love our little board so much that I just picked up another one at the last convention I went to. That way, both dc will have one to use.

[cajunrose]

My DD won't write on paper sometimes...she gets an attitude about it. You know...the whole "not again" look. However, I can ask her to do the SAME thing on a white board and she is all over it. It's new to her and fun. Anything that gets her to have fun is something that gets used a LOT!

[Spy Car]

A tangential question. Do all the whiteboards require those nasty smelling markers? The ones I've tried have made me feel sick. Is there such a thing as non-toxic whiteboard pens?

 

Bill (who is kind of sensitive to chemicals)

[Peela]

I have used them for all the things the previous posters have mentioned, over the years. I have a reluctant writer and doing work on a white board has been very useful.

I find it useful when we are reading aloud, and I am going to expect a narration, to write up some names or key points.

 

I have a large whiteboard which is still used for lessons. However, I rent, and we cant stick stuff on the walls, so at the moment I have a smaller whiteboard leaning on the wall at the back of my desk and each of the kids' desks, which have our term schedules blutacked to them- so they can make good pinboards too :)

[nmoira]

A tangential question. Do all the whiteboards require those nasty smelling markers? The ones I've tried have made me feel sick. Is there such a thing as non-toxic whiteboard pens?

Take a look at these from Auspen.

 

We use our lap whiteboard for spelling and math problems (especially Singapore rod diagrams).

[Closeacademy]

I have the small ones and I have used it for:

 

penmanship practice

spelling

writing out math problems

 

Basically, it is like a large piece of scrap paper where the pen flows nicely for children who have a hard time with writing.:001_smile:

[Michelle in MO]

signature line, it looks like you are most likely actively homeschooling one at the time. If you don't feel the need for a whiteboard at this time, I wouldn't worry about it!

 

For our family, we've used the whiteboards for diagramming sentences, doing some math facts on the boards.

 

Whiteboards have come in especially handy for me as my girls have grown older. We used it for teaching outlining skills in combination with the Kingfisher History of the World book, and we used it heavily for Omnibus II last year. I'm trying to teach my older girls how to take notes, so as we did our Omnibus discussions, I used the whiteboard extensively for writing down notes, which (hopefully!) my girls copied down.

[sweetbaby]

Same here. We use ours for illustrating math concepts, chemistry, grammar sentences, etc.

[Trivium Academy]

Huh? What'd ya mean, what do we use it for?? :lol:

 

We use our big one on the wall like a chalkboard, I call it interactive learning. I'll put some of our lessons on the board while I'm teaching concepts b/c I have a visual learner. We use lap sized ones for various reasons, mostly when we're away from home it's my mini-chalkboard but it can be used for just about anything.

 

I use it with:

Bible- to write important scriptures, or to write out a hymn I want to review (right now Praise God Who From All Blessings Flow is on the board)

Math- while teaching concepts, use with magnetic manipulatives, for extra practice

Explode the Code- I use the teacher's book (sometimes,:001_rolleyes:) and I'll put the 'teaching' part on the board. I did this with OPG too, I put the whole lesson on the board except the reading parts.

 

I use it with almost every single subject we do in some way, even if it's just to use the magnetic part and hang a poster for the day. I'd be a happy camper if I could make one entire wall magnetic/dry erase. We could have a LOT of fun with that but we don't own our house so we can't.

[Lydia]

A tangential question. Do all the whiteboards require those nasty smelling markers? The ones I've tried have made me feel sick. Is there such a thing as non-toxic whiteboard pens?

 

Bill (who is kind of sensitive to chemicals)

 

I do not know if there are non-smelly whiteboard markers, but I do know that this is the reason we got an old-fashioned blackboard and chalk instead of a whiteboard! That and the fact that chalk dust does not stain fingers/clothes/kitchen cupboards/anything you touch. I love our blackboard.

 

To the OP-

 

I use the blackboard every day! I

 

- write their study hall assignments on it

- use it during math lessons

- sometimes use it during grammar if showing a new diagram

- use it when doing Latin derivatives

- use it to write an unfamiliar word

- sometimes use it during science

- much more

 

It happens to be in the kitchen (we do school at the big kitchen table), so we also use it as a family to jot a reminder, or to draw funny pictures, to illustrate concepts we are talking about over dinner, or to illustrate to Papa just what that interesting bug we found in the yard today looked like.

 

Best wishes,

Lydia

[laughing lioness]

I write the weekly memory work on the large one hanging in our dining room for the various areas we'll cover.

The lap size ones I've had made (from shower tile) we use to play memory games on, do math, spelling, grammar, drawing. My boys created a game where they draw a picture together and will link up several of the smaller boards, creating entire scenes.

We love white boards :)

[hsmom]

I love the idea of having a big white board, but we don't really have the space for one. I'm still trying to figure out how to rearrange so that I can fit one in somewhere.

 

We do have a little one (9" x 12") that I bought from Miller Pads & Paper at a homeschool convention one time. I keep it in the storage box w/ our MUS manipulatives. I use it mostly when helping dc w/ math problems. Sometimes dd likes to use it for doing her problems. Somehow it all seems more appealing than using scratch paper. We love our little board so much that I just picked up another one at the last convention I went to. That way, both dc will have one to use.

 

I don't have the wall space for one, I tuck mine behind the couch or something else when not in use and bring it out when we need it.

[Mom2boys]

A tangential question. Do all the whiteboards require those nasty smelling markers? The ones I've tried have made me feel sick. Is there such a thing as non-toxic whiteboard pens?

 

I have asthma and am very sensitive to smells. I buy the Expo brand "low odor" dry erase markers, and they don't bother me at all. I think my set came from Target, but any office supply store should carry them as well.

[lovemyboys]

What, specifically, do you use your white board for?

 

Thanks!

Susan

 

Big one is for class work and free time drawing. Sometimes we do a match of latin vocab with translations. Often teach the math concept with problems on the big board, and ds solves a series of problems following. Impromptu sketch of a history or science instrument, vehicle, planets, whatever. Morning chore list. Sometimes boys will "instruct" me as to where the parts of the atom are, what they're called and what color I should use for each, or how to classify animals (kind of another style of narrating).

 

The little ones I found at the before-school sales at a store, they're about the size of a notebook. They have a clip to hold the dry erase marker. These have been great fun for ds to work on for math drills, language arts exercises, etc. Lots of times I've transferred a workbook style exercise to the dry erase and it becomes great fun.

 

Ds also love to draw and create math problems and science drawings on them. Lots of colors available now in the markers too, some even come with a mini-eraser attached to the cap. When the board starts getting grey or discolored, there's a solution that helps wipe them clean nicely.

 

Mostly, they're easy to use, very versatile, portable and add an element of fun and spontaneity. If your dc are younger, you might like the version I have which has a felty back side too that you can use with felt characters for stories. Some come with a chalkboard back or magnetic back. All useful.

[Jennefer@SSA]

We use our white board for so many things:

 

1. We compose our narrations there first and then copy to a notebooking page.

2. We do lots of "incidental grammar" on it. I will find a sentence in a reading we've just completed. We'll write it on the board and identify nouns, verbs, adjectives or adverbs (or anything else we can think of!)

3. Our white board is also magnetic so I have lots of Spanish posters I have laminated and attached sticky back magnets to them. I pop them up and down for an instant Spanish center! :)

4. I write our daily "to-do list" on our white board and ds checks each thing off as we move throughout our day.

5. Before drawing a picture on a notebooking page - history or science - ds will sketch out his ideas of what he wants to draw on the whiteboard first. This gives him lots more confidence in our drawing.

6. For rewards ds gets "whiteboard time" just to draw and play. He loves it!!!

[ABQmom]

We have a magnetic one that hangs above the kitchen table. We use it to hang the scripture verse the kids bring home from Sunday School to learn. We use it for math, spelling practice, etc. The kids love to use it as a change from pencil and paper.

 

I have a smaller one in my laundry room that has a Walmart list on it. Each week, if someone needs something from Walmart, they are to write it on that board. I jot things down on it too that we run out of, so I won't forget to pick it up the next time I'm at the store.

[Suzannah]

I use ours for the daily assignments and explaining math concepts. We might have also used it for sentence diagramming, but mostly assignments and math.

[chaik76]

We use ours for absolutely everything! (actually, we have two.) Math, phonics, drawing, writing facts, Bible verses, to remember to do something...the uses of a white board are endless!

[cherryblossom]

We are on our 2nd whiteboard as our 1st fell apart after 4 or 5 years of use. It is huge. We use ours for math problems, diagraming sentences and various other grammar exercises, to do lists, brainstorming ideas for writing, and when not used for school related purposes my dd will express her creative side and draw all over it or leave me "I love you" messages. We even use it daily during the summer. Definitely the 'most used' item in the school area.

[Spy Car]

Take a look at these from Auspen.

 

We use our lap whiteboard for spelling and math problems (especially Singapore rod diagrams).

 

I have asthma and am very sensitive to smells. I buy the Expo brand "low odor" dry erase markers, and they don't bother me at all. I think my set came from Target, but any office supply store should carry them as well.

 

Thank you Moira and Greta, I'll look into both of these.

 

Sorry for the "semi-hijack", I hope this information is helpful to others as well.

 

I do not know if there are non-smelly whiteboard markers, but I do know that this is the reason we got an old-fashioned blackboard and chalk instead of a whiteboard! That and the fact that chalk dust does not stain fingers/clothes/kitchen cupboards/anything you touch. I love our blackboard.

 

 

Wow, I'm going to sound super "high-maintenance" (I'm ordinarily not) but something about chalk-dust on my fingers makes me nuts :tongue_smilie:

 

The thing I've been loving with my wee one is using a "magnetic slate" (Doodle Pro). It has been my #1 most useful teaching aid thus far. But may be too small one we move past: cat hat mat sat fat.

 

Bill

[Melissa in SC]

We use it for math, spelling and bible verse. Also for the *3 strikes* punishment so they see where they are going ;) I highly recommend a magnetic one!!! They are a bit more $$ but totally worth it!! Oh and I also let the kids use their own personal mini white board I bought last yr at Big Lots for doing math facts (uses less paper and they think it is fun!!).

[angela in ohio]

I love the idea of having a big white board, but we don't really have the space for one. I'm still trying to figure out how to rearrange so that I can fit one in somewhere.

 

 

At our old house, we didn't have wall space for one, so dh put one on my book shelves. It was about a 3'x4' white board. He attached small pieces of chain to two spots on the top of the bookshelf, and then attached them to hooks it the top of the whiteboard. We could lift it up to get things from the shelf underneath (I stored my art supplies under there, as they were unsightly anyway.)

[Lynn in Silicon Valley]

Scripture verse for the day

Show new math concept & work out math problems

Latin vocab.

Diagram sentences

Spelling test

To do list for kids (school assignment or Sat. chores)

Emergency numbers for babysitter

[CherylG]

Hi all~ I use our white board for analogy work. I put three of the four words in an analogy problem on the board. Sometimes I give a "pool" of words to choose from and sometimes I just have them dig inside for what they think would fit. We have competitions and I keep score in the corner. It's on-going, not just once and awhile.

But since we are still on summer break right now-our white board is doubling as an 1000-piece puzzle holder.

[fivetails]

I love the idea of having a big white board, but we don't really have the space for one. I'm still trying to figure out how to rearrange so that I can fit one in somewhere.

 

We didn't really have a "proper" space for ours either - so it takes up most of the only free kitchen wall, right behind the table. ;)

 

dd11 and I are both "drawers" - not in the artistic sense (well, she is - I can hardly draw a straight line) but I mean in that we like to 'draw' what we're talking about ---- whether it's math, language arts, history, whatever. The whiteboard gets a lot of use. :D

[melmac]

Nothing, really. I had such grand plans, but they all went by the wayside. The kids, however, do all sorts of things with it-hangman, tic tac toe, etc...

[Nikita]

This is funny, because just this morning I thought to myself, our whiteboards are probably the homeschool investment that I've gotten the most use out of.

 

We have two whiteboards, one for each kid, that are about 2x3 feet each. We don't have a school room so they move with us to the kitchen, dining room or living room floor! I got them first for my reluctant writer who complained so much about the scratchy feel of pen or pencil on paper, and of course he hated chalkboards for the same reason! By using a whiteboard he was finally willing to work on spelling or diagramming sentences. (We spent many $$ on pens and pencils before finding ones he was comfortable with - ones that had a comfortable grip and moved smoothly enough across the paper for him.)

 

The kids (10 and 14) still use them for grammar, as well as math. My son, even at 14, much prefers to work out problems on whiteboard rather than paper. The kids create game boards on them. My daughter draws while we read aloud. I prop one up and make notes while I'm teaching math or we're talking through a novel (venn diagrams, or lists of characters, or new vocabulary). DD practices her cursive on them. We make lists of what we need to get done that day and check things off in a different colour.

 

I like the smallish size of ours because they are portable. When someone is sick, we might even take one upstairs and all of us sprawl around it on my bed to play a word game or a math game.

 

BTW, the dry-erase markers do double-duty for workbooks as well - I put page protectors with the logic workbooks and the kids do the pages with the dry-erase markers, check their answers, then erase their answers and initial the page. That way both kids can use the same workbook and I don't have to do any photocopying.

 

Nikita

[kalanamak]

I have only a little one, which I hold as kiddo is working through Singapore. If he is having trouble with a math fact, I start filling out the number bond trio of squares, and he chimes in when he "gets" it.

 

Sometimes, in SWR, instead of prompting him with fingers or, say, a spoken "two", I'll write the number and quickly erase. E.g. "this consonant has how many sounds" (blank look)...I write and quickly erase a 2. Keeps him on his toes when he doesn't know what I'm doing next.

 

He is still doing his ZB K book. If he has a sudden loss of where to start a 9, e.g., I either tell him in relation to the clockface, or I write one for him, slowly and neatly, while I talk (all the way up to the ceiling and then straight down to the floor).

 

He likes to clean it with Green Clean when we are done.

[EKS]

We use little ones (a little bigger than a sheet of paper) to do all kinds of things. Work out example math problems, practice spelling words, do verb conjugations, diagram sentences, make outlines for essays, make lists of things not to be fogotten. You name it. We prop the board against the wall at the back of the desk when we're not using it. If there is writing on it it can be used for reference.

 

I love our little white boards.

 

Now we also have a big white board on the wall that we don't use so much.