The Materials You Need to Keep Online Lessons Engaging

As we gear back up for the academic year, we are realizing this whole online thing is going to last longer than we initially anticipated!

But you know what? We’re actually okay with it because we’re starting to feel like we’re falling into a groove and we’re really figuring out what our students need to be successful.

We’ve been sharing all kinds of tips and videos on how to make online learning fun and engaging. If you missed any of those, you can check out our YouTube channel, we even made an Online Intervention Playlist you can check out if you like going down the rabbit hole!

Today - we wanted to share some of the physical materials we’re finding helpful in keeping our online sessions engaging. Now, most of our students are doing AMAZINGLY well at adapting to the online space.

It definitely helps first and foremost to have a curriculum that has been adapted to fit the digital need. That will SIGNIFICANTLY reduce the amount of physical “stuff” you need for your students. However, that being said - there are a few things we love our students to have to keep the lessons engaging for them!

1 - Double-Sided Dry Erase Markers

These are SO FUN and students love them! We love them because we can have students practice writing words in which they use one color for consonants and the other color for vowels or one color for the target pattern of the week and one color for everything else. Because we’re working through explicit and systematic phonics patterns, this ability to have students write words with extra attention to those patterns is AMAZING!

And…it’s even better when it’s all in one marker so you don’t have all the extra back-and-forth time of dropping it on the ground and fiddling with caps. >>Click here<< to grab the markers!

2 - Glitter Foam or Tactile Grid Sheets

These are a GREAT way to have students practice incorporating a multisensory component to instruction WITHOUT the mess! We use these every time we introduce a new phonogram pattern or when we introduce a sight word that needs to be memorized. Another option if you don’t have access to one of these fun materials is to have students use their pointer finger or pointer and middle fingers to write on their desk or the palm of their other hand. You can grab these glitter sheets >>here.<<

3 - A Whiteboard!

Okay, we know this seems really obvious - but truly making sure the student has a whiteboard available is essential. This allows you to have the opportunity to continue to have your students practice their handwriting, gives students the ability to continue to practice their writing skills, etc. Plus, they are easier to see when a student writes on it and holds it up to the camera than on a traditional piece of paper.

4 - Digital Letter Tiles

So, this obviously isn’t a physical product - but having letter tiles your students can manipulate can be a game-changer. I love using these digital letter tiles for TONS of different purposes and what’s even better is that you aren’t picking up all the loose ones that end up all over the classroom. Major win - I’m trying to figure out where we can continue using digital even when we are back in person because this has been awesome for my students of ALL ages!

You can grab more tips for running effective online intervention in the video below! For even more information about systematic online and in-person intervention, check out our free workshop, How to Create Systematic, SOR-Aligned Lesson Plans. This workshop will help you determine what actually needs to be included in a Science of Reading-based lesson, how to build a lesson plan based on the Science of Reading, and how to optimize your lesson plans. Plus, we’ll share our lesson planning guides!