Cheater, Cheater, Cheaters!

When I teach my students color words and number words at the beginning of the school year, they often get overwhelmed with so many new words! My solution is what I call "Cheaters". These are little strips of paper glued to construction paper or printed on cardstock and laminated and kept in a central location in my classroom. I then tell students that when they are learning new skills they are not expected to know them without a little help and I am going to let them "cheat" by using my Cheaters while they are doing their seatwork or working in literacy stations. As I notice a child no longer depending on the cheaters throughout the school year, I make a big deal of how smart he/she is by saying "Look at how smart Caleb is! He doesn't need a cheater any more!" And if you have ever been in a kindergarten classroom, you will understand that means that the competition for a compliment is on!!! In just a matter of a few days most of the students are telling me how smart they are and didn't have to look at how to read/spell red or orange, etc. Before you know it, they are no longer using the cheaters and just in time to be tested for mastery of reading these words! 

Get them FREE right here or by clicking on the pictures below!

As a side note, I do have the color and number words posted in my classroom but some students that are easily over stimulated with visual aids have difficulty looking around or up at the wall and then quickly finding their place on their paper once they look back down.