Five Uses For Alphabet and Maths Magnets

I picked up a set of each of Lidl's alphabet/maths magnets for £2.99 each.

From September, I'll be teaching a much lower-attaining cohort than my current class. They are Year 3 but will need phonics support, number bonds practice etc and I want to find fun ways of supporting them and encouraging them to be independent learners.

Here are five ways I am planning to use these in the classroom:

1. Spell Your Name:
Some children in my new class are learning how to spell their name. Each morning, when they arrive, they can independently use the letters to practice. To begin with, I'm going to separate the necessary letters out of the kit for them to put into the correct order. Once they have spelled their name out, they can write it out on their whiteboard as a next step.

2. Free-flow Bingo:
In pairs/small groups, the children will take turns to create a word that builds on the previous word. If I start with MOP, the children need to use one of those letters in their next word. Keep going until they cannot use any of the letters that are left!

3. Prefixes/Suffixes/Spelling Rules:
I'll set out a prefix, suffix or spelling rule (e.g. -ing) on the table or board. The children will then use the other letters in the kit to form a whole word. Great for spelling practice, vocabulary building and spotting patterns.

4. Quick Number Bonds to 10:
A child will pick a digit out of the box and then find the second digit to make 10. If they pick out a 6, they need to find a 4 as quickly as possible etc. This could be done as a vs. challenge in pairs for those with a competitive streak.

5. Place Value Practice:
Make the greatest/lowest number possible using the given digits... make "two thousand, three hundred and nineteen" using the magnets... which digit is missing to make this number? The possibilities are endless!