scanning manipulatives

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When I am working with a small group of kids, a great way to get them to slow down and listen to follow instructions is to have them scan the manipulatives for a specific one. I will pour out my little bag of manipulatives and make them wait before picking any up. I then will call out which one they have to pick up, such as the frog or a duck. This works on patience, waiting, following directions, visual scanning, visual perception, fine motor, and dexterity. They then can put it into the munchy ball or into a container.

I will sometimes mix in some letter beads so they have to scan and find the right letter to pick up.