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Sensory Writing Activities With Sand

Sensory Writing Activities With Sand

sensory-writing-activity

Sensory writing with sand is a quick, no-prep way to make writing activities hands-on and engaging! I’m going to share some quick sensory activities you can implement with your students today! I’ll also share how I make this a no-prep hands-on center!

Sensory Writing Sight Words

I love using sand as a means to help my students practice their sight words. Sight words are such an important skill and it takes a lot of repetitive exposure for children to memorize them. By introducing sand writing trays, we are adding a hands-on sensory element, while still allowing children to be exposed to their sight words.

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Every Wednesday and Friday we pull out our Differentiated Sight Word Folders. One of the components of this is writing your individual sight words in the sand. It is always a fan favorite! You can read more about these sight word folders here!

sensory-writing-sigh-words

Letter Formation Sensory Writing

Letter formation and letter identification is a foundational skill for students. If they don’t master this, it will be difficult for them to move forward in phonics. It’s important to continuously practice these skills. But let’s be honest, if we continue to do the same thing over and over again it can get boring. That is when sand comes in. I have a few centers that involve pulling a card and then forming the letter in the sand. You can differentiate to do only uppercase, only lowercase, or a mix of both.

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letter-formation-sensory-writing

Number Formation with Sand

Just like the letter formation activity, sand can be used as a means of practicing number formation.

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Here is an example of a great number formation center that involves sand.

number-sensory-writing

No Prep Sand Activities

The great thing about sand is that the kids ALWAYS love it, and it is practically no prep. I keep a very thin layer of sand (that’s all you need) inside of hard pencil cases. I have a designated spot in my classroom where I stack them up. Kids know when it is time to use the sand, they grab the pencil box, hold it upright, and bring it to their station. With proper modeling and explanations, the mess can also be contained. I mean, a little sand on the floor is inevitable, but if it comes at the cost of having fun while learning, then it is well worth it!

If you are interested in using any of the above resources in your classroom, you can grab them here!

 

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    Hi, I’m Michelle! I’m a teacher, mommy, and curriculum designer from Long Island, NY. I’ve taught both general and special education, with a focus on grades pre-k through first. My passion is hands-on learning, and finding ways to make all things engaging and fun!

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