I’m obsessed with Target Dollar Spot erasers. Aren’t we all? We walk in, get sucked in right away to the Dollar Spot, and what do we see? These sweet little baggies full of cute erasers. Do we know what do to with them? No. Do we care? No.
I thought to myself, I probably have AT LEAST 3 baggies per holiday/season, which is about 20 different designs, and about 50-100 in each baggy, which equates to…(maybe I shouldn’t do that math)…at least 1,000 of these adorable erasers! I can’t seem to part with them as student gifts because they are too cute. And do they really erasers? I don’t know, I’ve never tried. I think they’d break right in half. Every so often I walk over to my math manipulative pile or open my box of seasonal items and BAM there’s a baggy of erasers. I thought, I really need to figure out how to use these. So here is a compilation of ways you can use these sweet little erasers for education (not just shelf life).
I listed these in accordance to common core standards, since that is how I and many other teachers teach.
(in this activity students use erasers to count by 1)
COUNTING & CARDINALITY
counting from any number forward
counting by 1’s
representing numbers with objects
comparing number of objects in two groups to be less than/equal to/greater than
(in this activity students can use the erasers to add or subtract)
OPERATIONS & ALGEBRAIC THINKING
addition
subtraction
decomposing numbers (number bonds)
making ten (ten frame)
arrays
patterns
(in this activity students use the erasers to measure the lines using non-standard measurement)
MEASUREMENT & DATA
sorting/categorizing
graphing
measuring in non-standard units
(in this activity students use a small handful of mixed erasers to represent fractions)
NUMBERS & OPERATIONS: FRACTIONS
(in this activity students use the erasers as spacers)
WRITING
picture stories/sentences
end punctuation
spacing
spelling
(in this activity students use the erasers to coverf the sound/spelling pattern, use them as phoneme tiles as they sound out the word, or cover the initial/medial/ending sounds)
READING: FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS
phoneme tiles for phonemic awareness (initial/medial/ending sounds, sound segmentation)
syllable segmentation
recognizing phonics patterns (cover the pattern)
(in this activity the students use the erasers to place them around an object to use prepositions, ex. “The eraser is under the fish.”)
LANGUAGE
prepositions
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How do you use your target dollar spot erasers? We always have room for MORE ideas!
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Chynell says
Love these ideas! Do you have any pictures of how you organize all the baggies? #hoardingprobs
Jen says
I just use snack size ziplock and then throw them into a big bin…(a box in a box in a box…)
Terri B says
I use tiny plastic containers from Dollar Tree. They are clear with white tops and are packed 10 to a bag, square or round ones. I think they’re meant for small amounts of dressing, etc. Sometimes I find them by the kitchen stuff and sometimes by the other containers. I usually put 20 erasers per container and put all the little containers into a bin so the kids can choose. I also use these to hold sets of red/yellow counters, money, etc. in the right amount for student use. It makes getting manipulatives out and putting them away so much faster.
Christina says
So simple yet effective!! Love it all as always!!!
Carla says
Now I need more of these erasers. I just have one bag of them and we use them for math problems, and fractions. I like the idea of writing spelling words and covering each letter then you can uncover to see if you spell it correctly. I want some of them adorable foxes.
Joan says
I just found a HUGE box of erasers that I’ve kept for years and thought I have to do something with these and here are fabulous ideas!!! Thanks for solving my problem!
Laura says
I teach 6th and use the erasers to sort the kids into temporary groups. Reach in the bag, take an eraser, and arrange according to which eraser you have. Sometimes, to prevent them from switching their choice, they go to the designated area of the room right after they draw the eraser from the bag.
Maribeth Gregg says
I am an OTA and I use them for many fine motor activities. Students can sort them using pincer grasp or with tongs; they can stack them into towers; count them; try to stand them up in a row like dominos. Doing these activities while lying on their stomachs and they work on core strength also. I have numerous ones with various themes also. Use coordinating cutouts (snowmen/snowflakes; flowers/bugs) that are laminated and write a number with a dry erase marker then have the students place that many erasers on the cutout. The erasers could also be used for writing prompts.
I love using these erasers and my students look forward to new erasers coming out with the changing seasons.
Jen says
LOVE THESE IDEAS for fine motor skills!
Leanne Knapp says
I collect these for different times of the year. I have several varieties. We use them for game pieces or markers. My kiddos use them as markers for vocabulary bingo games and sight word bingo. They work great for markers for battleship vocabulary recognition games. I store them in stacking small clear containers with locking lids. (found at Walmart during back to school sales)
Stacy says
I use erasers to ‘trace’ large numbers, letters, or sight words. The kids cover numbers, letters, or words with erasers. There is a pictute of that on pinterest. You could use them on ten frames to represent numbers.
Linda says
I am curious if you ever have kids take erasers and not give them back. How do you prevent that?
Jen says
I don’t usually, but oh well if they do, I have more where those came from 😉
Vicki says
Can’t find these anymore. What happened?
Jen says
Not sure! They will pop up soon I’m sure!
Ms. Kellie says
So many ideas, but so little time! Great ideas! I would also use the mini erasers for teachers to teach arrays and other multiplication foundations.