When you teach in a classroom of 26 kindergarteners, you look for any and every way possible to clone yourself somehow . . . someway.  I think I found one great way that I have been able to accomplish just that.

A couple of weeks ago I received a package from the wonderful people at Learning Resources.  For us teachers, Learning Resources is the FAO Schwartz of teaching resources.  They have center activities, manipulatives and all the GREATEST and LATEST techno gadgets to make the lives of teachers easier.  I know I have a Christmas list with pages of their catalog dog eared with the items I’m hoping Santa will put under my Christmas tree.  So you can imagine how excited I was to open up that box and find this little tiny handheld device that is essentially my little clone. . . a mini assessment ME.  It’s real name . . . the Hear All Assessment Recorder.
This little device is not only a fabulous little recorder .  . . it has saved me a ton of time and it has a ton a great uses. 

You know how motivated my kinders are to pass those ball words, with this little device, I discovered that if I place a little green finger nail polish (yes it really comes in that color) on the first word I want them to read and a red bit of polish on the last word, I can get through every and any kiddo that wants to recite their words during my short rest time.

They sit down, say their name and away they go.  Afterwords I can play it back and know who has passed and can move onto the next set of ball words.

It’s also great for my high fliers that are reading reading reading . . . I can set up a station just for the HEAR ALL and students can read their selected text and I play it back for them, talk about fluency and intonation and I can even  save it as part of a digital record or assessment piece to share with parents.  It hooks right up to your computer and downloads easy peasy. 

When students are ‘reading to someone’ as part of Daily 5, I can eaves drop in to make sure they are checking for understanding and ‘coaching’ each other appropriately.

I even have used it for those kinders who are struggling with counting to 100 and wanting desperately to join the “100s Club” in my class.   Let’s face it, it takes along time to listen to 26 kids count to 100, but if I set up the Hear All, every student who wants to count to 100 gets a chance. They can count into the HEAR ALL and then follow along with the 100s chart after to see where they missed a number. 

What? You don’t have a 100s Club in your kindergarten class?  You have to get one.  Mine is just a simple little poster that I make every year and they get their name on it when they count to 100.

Of course, they get a very official 100s Club Certificate of Recognition to go with that honor.  I’m sure you can make your own poster but if you need a certificate click below to get an editable one.

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