Spinners! One of the best tools for differentiating around. Really! I’m not just pulling your leg. At any given time, I can guarantee you that there is 3-4 activities available in my classroom for students to utilize that involve the use of a spinner of one kind or another.
Students love using them (Engaging!!!) and they are easy to use. Better yet, if you use them like I do, they can be easily used to tier an activity so simply and quickly that differentiating becomes painless. I promise!
Let me show you. First of all, you need to set up your spinners so that they are user friendly. And by user friendly I mean that you can change out the ‘spinner card or data’ quickly and easily. . . so easy that any kindergartener could do it.
How do you do that? Get your basic transparent spinner and tape it using invisible tape to the top of a CD case.
Now your CD spinner is ready to go.
Now for the differentiating part. When I select an activity, it is always my goal to be able to meet my students at their own readiness level and not just to aim for the middle and hope for the best.
These three spinner cards are an example of one way I can make this happen. I use them in an Easter bump activity, but by replacing an addition spinner for a subtraction spinner or a mixed operations spinner, I can completely differentiate the activity to cover different skills for different groups. By changing out a 0-5 addition for a 0-10 addition spinner, I can quickly make a game a bit more interesting for students who are ready for that challenge or vice versa.
This mixed addition spinner may be just right for one group of students but too challenging for the next group with whom I will be working.
Presto chango . . . by changing the spinner card to a subtraction from 5 card, I can quickly assure that the activity will be neither too challenging nor too easy for my next group of students.
This system is so easy that even my kinders can change these out to differentiate their own literacy and math stations. No paperclips and brads to mess with, no plastic spinners to put together or to tape and retape, simply change out the card. Spinners are versatile and cheap. Definitely one of the BEST tools for differentiating around. I use them for math, literacy, making words, writing activities . . . you name it and I can find a way to use a spinner with it. So there you have it . . . my Bright Idea for April.
Krogers Kindergarten says
I have NEVER seen spinners made like this!! I love it!
It’s really not MY idea. I saw it somewhere years and years ago but I couldn’t find the source anywhere. I’m glad you liked it.
Marsha
Love this idea Marsha! I’m off to make some for my classroom. 🙂
Kristen 🙂
I’m so glad you can use this idea Kristen.
Marsha
This is BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks Kristin.
Marsha
Love it..where did you get the transparent spinner?
I like the ones from Learning Resources best. They are inexpensive and really hardy.
Marsha
This is absolutely great! I can not wait to use this with my middleschoolers. Sometimes I think they need just as much help in the “easy to work with” department as Kinders.
Have a great day!
Cheers,
Jameson
Lessons With Coffee
It’s definitely an idea that could translate to many grades. Thanks for commenting Jameson.
Marsha
Love your idea – thanks for sharing!
GrowinginPreKandK
You are very welcome Eilis.
Marsha
Sheer BRILLIANCE!!!!
Awww . . . thanks so much.
Marsha
Pure genius! What a FANTASTIC idea!!!
I’m so glad you like it Cyndie.
Marsha
A fabulous idea!!
Julie
Kindergarten To The Core
Thanks Julie. I’m glad you like it.
Marsha
OMG! I love this idea!!
Stacey
Teaching Ever After
Thanks Stacey.
Marsha
What a great idea. Where did you get the spinners?
Eileenb3434@gmail.com
Learning Resources have great ones that aren’t that expensive and they stand up to kindergarteners.
Marsha
Great idea, but I’d also like to know where you got the spinners!
Learning Resources Cindy!!!
Check them out.
Marsha
I love this… I have the spinners and am constantly changing them from unit to unit…Literacy and Math…I have to clean them every now and then because of the gnuck left behind by the tape!!!! Why didn’t I think of this?!!!!! Thanks again.
I’m glad you can use this idea Jammie.
Thanks for commenting.
Marsha
I love this idea…but I’m super confused….if you tape the spinner, how does it still spin? I know I MUST be missing something here!!
Kristine
kristinerayna@hotmail.com
Ok….I think I figured it out…the spinners are not just the black part, they are already mounted on the clear plastic…so now I’m with everyone else….where did you get the clear spinners?
Learning Resources…I’m glad you figured it out Kristine. Thanks for taking the time to look over my idea.
Marsha
Love this idea!! Thanks for sharing! Do you know where to buy those clear plastic spinners?? I have 2 and want more but can’t find them…
Heather
The Land of I Can
Heather,
Check with Learning Resources. I like theirs the best.
Marsha
Love this idea and all of your other ideas as well! I will be ordering the spinners from Learning Resources tonight. I was also wondering about buying the mini plungers you used to help your kindlers segment and blend sounds-what section of the store did you find theses in? Love them for my special needs students!
Love this idea! On my to do list now. Thanks fro sharing.
~Laura
Luv My Kinders
for not fro…lol that’s what I get for typing while I’m tired.
So easy to implement! Thank you for the idea!
This is FANTASTIC…pinning!!!
✰ Stacy
Simpson Superstars
Wow! These are SO cool! They can be used for so many different concepts too. I’m already brainstorming how I can use them in my 5th grade ELA classes!
Sara 🙂
The Colorful Apple
I am so jazzed to see this idea! My team and I have been struggling with this idea all year as we switched over to a math station model for the first time — had the same issues as a previous poster with the spinners getting all tape gunky. Do you just use the paper size for a CD cover to make the place mats? Or is it a custom size?
This is GENIUS! I’m so excited to try it!
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Thanks for your website great idea! I searched for the spinner from learning resources. I can’t find it. Would you please give me the website for that prodcut? Thank you!