Your Home Deserves a Whiteboard

An amazing English teacher named Jason recently invited English teachers to share examples of how they use the whiteboard in class. Teachers use whiteboards and blackboards for all kinds of reasons, and the best teachers also share their whiteboards with students! It is hard to imagine a classroom without one. Interactive whiteboards are cool too. I recently read about a school where the whole wall was a whiteboard. Okay, so we all agree that a whiteboard is an essential classroom tool, but what about a household necessity?I'd like to take this a step further and suggest that every home should have a whiteboard, especially a home where there are English learners (or teachers) living. My daughter is six and is determined to be a teacher. She recently begged me to put a whiteboard up in the house. Well, guess what folks? It could be the best 30 dollars I've ever spent. We use the whiteboard for all kinds of things, most importantly, encouraging my four year old anti-learner that learning is fun! (Pst don't tell him that he learned something today.)One of the most important rules about teaching is that you need to understand what your learners are interested in! My little one currently has a fascination with monsters (though he is petrified of his own Halloween scarecrow costume). He loves monsters (even Mommy as a zombie doesn't scare him), but he IS A MONSTER when it comes to learning his letters and sounds. He runs away, screams, and tears apart the house if he thinks you're going to teach him something. You have to be creative when it comes to four year olds...This is what we did on our whiteboard today:First I wrote words at the top that he recognizes. This week he's learned my name, his name, and his blanket's name. We're also working on the word "monster". (He recognizes capital letters better right now, but we do practise both.)

We each created a dot-to-dot monster. Then we completed each other's monster.

I asked him what the monsters said and wrote the sounds in speech bubbles.

Once I knew he was into it, I threw in some letters. Which letters did the monster steal? He doesn't like to circle. (He has caught on that this is "learning". He does love to scribble or erase! I told him which letters to scribble.)

He has a bit of trouble with the letters C and K. He calls them both "key". I made a "C" monster and he made an "O" monster. (We also adapted Cookie Monster's song and sing it to the Sesame Street tune: "C is for cookie. There is no letter called "key" (repeat 3 times)...Oh a "key" is what you put inside a door...")

Have you ever thought about putting up a whiteboard in your home?Some Ideas for your Home WhiteboardWrite a word of the dayWrite an idiom of the dayWrite a quote of the day (I have a blackboard in my garden for this purpose.)Translate your dinner recipeWrite love notes to your better halfWrite daily chores or reminders for your family membersWrite your weekly progress or goalsReasons to have an English Whiteboard in your HomeEncourage others who live with you to practise EnglishImprove your handwriting skillsSee English every dayShare your experiencesRemember new vocabularyDoodle in English (match your images to words and remember them more easily)Try out your English lessons at home! Teach your friends and family members.

You need to be a member of MyEnglishClub to add comments!

Join MyEnglishClub

Comments

Rajesh September 26, 2014 19:29

Love this wonderful idea. :)
Tara Benwell November 11, 2010 3:31

Yes, I'm sure Jamie would love a whiteboard at home! I can't believe how much Joey has learned since we started "playing" on the whiteboard. He really loves to tell me what people or things say in the speech bubbles. Sometimes it's just sounds, but that's okay!
Tara Benwell October 29, 2010 2:52

Doodle means to draw casually. You don't really have a serious picture or plan in your mind. It's just for fun.
Expector Smith October 28, 2010 13:52

It's a good idea to learn English with such a whiteboard. When I come across a new word and I want to remember it, I'll write it down and repeat several times. I like to doodle in English, though I do need to jot something down at work. And I want to improve my handwriting skills - I enjoy calligraphy.

Maybe I should have studied to be a teacher, though I'm qualified to be a doctor. So you see, the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.
Expector Smith October 27, 2010 10:47

Great job, Tara!
I just need such a whiteboard to write on. I'll go back to this blog later!
Tara Benwell October 27, 2010 1:16

Thanks for the comments. I'm glad you all enjoyed this post. It is amazing how regular life can be turned into an English lesson. If you can afford to buy a whiteboard for your home, please do! Then let me know if learning English becomes more colourful and fun. I think it will.
nida October 26, 2010 21:47

Great blog Tara!

The idea is really fantastic, particularly if children are at home. It would also be helpful, if more than one person are learning English at home, I think. To be honest, I don't know much about you, but after reading this blog, I could say with certainty that, you're a wonderful teacher, and a perfect mom.

By the way, anti-learner sounds very cute. (^_^)

Say hello to Joey the anti-learner , & your little daughter from my side.

Thanks for sharing this amazing idea!
Nadira October 26, 2010 20:05

Wonderful ideas I have one in my class, not at home.

I will invest in one as its very handy to be methodical.

Tara it is a treat ,looking at your kids at their best. So sweet!
deuce666 October 26, 2010 19:47

Wow!Wow!Wow!What a great teacher. You know i think it's very important to have a whiteboard at home especially if you have children.
Once I saw an amazing scenery...I visited my friend who has a child of 4 and you know what? It was like I entered a picture gallery...no, she didn't have any whiteboard at home, the child used walls as a whiteboard. All the walls were "decorated" by a child's skilful pen. Doodling is an important part in a process of a child's development. So, young mothers, you'd better spend 30$ on a whiteboard than a huge amount of money on a house repairing!

This reply was deleted.