One of the best things we ever did when we started homeschooling three years ago was to go to Lowes and purchase a 4 ft x 8 ft sheet of melamine (white board). We had an employee in the store cut it—free of charge, of course—into various sizes, and we ended up with half a dozen, ultra-sturdy, lap-size dry erase boards for super cheap!
We use these dry erase boards each and every day in our homeschool. We use them for spelling tests, proofreading sentences, Latin derivatives and quizzes, diagramming, phonics, math, science, history…you name it! They are so handy that I think I'd be lost without them. The boards even make school more "fun" for the kids, especially when I allow them to take their spelling tests on a board rather than on notebook paper.
We did have to experiment for a little while to find a dry erase marker that would last more than a week (Expo was both expensive and low-quality), but last September we finally found a brand that works beautifully. Target had a 12-pack of dry-erase markers made by Beifa for around $5, and they are the absolute best dry-erase markers we have ever used. They don't go dry and the tips remain firm even after months of use. We've used the pens from that original Beifa 12-pack all year long, and not one of them has gone bad yet, even with the kids using them quite often just to draw on the boards for fun.
For the eraser, we just use a dark-colored wash cloth. That makes it easy for more than one child to have an eraser at a time, and it's much cheaper than purchasing a real one.
The boards are in constant use around here. In fact, in order to take the picture of the boards that I posted above, I had to ask their permission to erase their "Webkinz Store" that they had drawn on it earlier this afternoon.
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Great idea! We'll be starting the homeschooling journey this fall, so curriculum and creativity have been on my mind a lot lately. We've got five to teach (so far) and the oldest is just now five. Whew!
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We have a couple white boards that we use that we love too! Thanks for the marker tip though. That's great to know!
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Thanks for the tip about good dry erase markers!
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I love it! Thanks for the great idea.
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Oh, thank you! I was just headed out to Wally World to buy a small white board for spelling words but this looks so much better!
May I ask what sizes you had the board cut into?
Thanks for the tips on markers and erasers, too! Perfect timing!
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Oh, another question. Do you throw the wash clothes in with the laundry?
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Do you have a tip for removing permanent marker from dry erase boards… magic eraser didn't remove all of it….
Toni
http://thehappyhousewife.com
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What an awesome idea. I always had a magnetic, dry erase board that I loved and used daily, but when we sold our house (to move in with someone while we built a new house) it went too. This would be great because they'd store easily and each child could have their own…thanks for the tip!!
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That is such a great idea. Thanks so much for sharing. I've wanted to get some white boards for a few years, but I always thought they were just too expensive for what they were. But this a perfect solution! We'll be doing this soon.
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We got our single full sheet last fall from Lowes and it is propped up in our school area. (With being at a preschool/kindergarten level, we're usually camped out on the floor! LOL) Never thought about chopping off a chunk and making smaller ones. *smacks forehead* What a great idea! I can do that when I'm teaching both kids next fall. Thanks!
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Wow! Brilliant! Cheap, good for the environment, and useful. I am all over this. Thanks especially for finally finding good markers.
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Thanks so much for this great idea. Husband went to home depot and we had a sheet cut up for way less than walmart sold just one whiteboard. Now we have lots and are having fun using them at home. We even made up a family version of the newlywed game and the kids BEG to play it.!
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What a great idea! We have a whiteboard that we keep in the kitchen and my kids use it all the time for spelling and other stuff. I love the idea of making them. I'll have to add that to my project list. Thanks for sharing!
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