Cool Lakeshore Products and $25 Gift Card Goes To....

I am really excited to share with you two products that Lakeshore is currently showcasing among a sea of many incredible products.  The first one (pictured below) is called the Magnetic Counting Maze.  Basically, students need to pull as many gumballs (magnetic balls) into each gumball machine according to the number on it.  This is a great activity for improving and strengthening fine motor skills, number recognition AND 1:1 correspondence.  The most enticing attribute of this product is the amazing concentration that it takes for students to complete the task!  Even your most excitable student will find this activity to be calming, yet fun at the same time.

This product is perfect for the student who hasn't quite solidified their learning of numbers through ten, as well as for the student who needs to strengthen his/her hand muscles.  This is always a go to activity in the classroom with a quick-check visual for the teacher to note how each child does with his/her 1:1  number correspondence. 

This next product, called Pop and Win Letter Writing Games, is a new product that is a very fun way for learners to practice writing and identifying their uppercase letters.  I have never met a child who doesn't love to "pop" these poppers that encase the die so they can't get away!  Instead of just writing letters during handwriting time, students can pop, then write, making it more like a game than work. As my students move beyond uppercase letters, I will have them write the lower case letter that matches whichever letter that "pops" up.  You could also use these poppers for additional phonemic awareness centers as well.  An example would be for students to name words that begin or end with the letter that pops up.  My students always look forward to any activity that involve using the poppers and can't wait for their chance to "pop".

Lakeshore has so kindly offered to give a Mrs. Miner's Monkey Business fan a $25 gift card to their store/catalogue for any back to school purchase you make. 

I'll make this as easy as possible for you to enter. To enter, you must follow my blog

via Google Reader (if you don't, just hit the Follow button in the left hand sidebar here on my blog)

AND like Lakeshore on Facebook (if you are on FB, that is).

Be sure to leave your email address in a comment below once you have followed my blog and liked Lakeshore on Facebook.

This contest will end on August 9th, 2012 at midnight EST.  Winner will be announced in this same post AND via email and has 24 hours to claim their prize before another name is chosen.

GOOD LUCK!