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Wednesday

Timers for Kids=Great Motivators!

Student Timer

I never thought that buying these timers for my kids would be our best purchase of the summer!
But it's true!
The timers have not only motivated my kids, but have made our lives quite a bit easier!
Let me explain...



Every summer we sign up for the Summer Reading Program at our local library. 
You might recognize the squares to color in after 20 minutes of reading?
When you've reached the end of the chart, you've read 1000 minutes and earn a prize.



Here's my kids holding up their reading prizes for completing their chart.

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Now, for the last 5 years of  taking part of our library's Summer Reading Program, I have had to be the one to keep time for my kids. I've set kitchen timers, oven timers, microwave timers, apple shaped timers, but it rarely worked.
You see, my kids (and myself) don't exactly read for 20 minutes uninterrupted. 
The timers would need to be stopped, then cleared, then restarted again or the kids would get distracted, run off to play and we'd lose track of time.

Not to mention that the reading chart was usually completed by week 2 or 3 of summer and all reading motivation then fizzled.

 Not this summer! 



These timers are amazing motivators! 
My kids set their timers at 20 minutes and start reading. 
When they need a break, go off to play or stop reading for some reason, they hit the STOP button on their timer. 
The timer holds their place.  They can come back anytime to read again and hit the START button to continue counting down.  When the timer dings at 0:00, they can fill in a square on their chart! 
Easy and fun and I don't have to keep track!


This has been so FUN that my kids continued reading past the 1000 minute chart and made their own 1000 minute reading chart to attach to the library one.


And then added another chart after the 2nd one was filled!


The librarian was quite impressed...not to mention how proud my kids were!

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We are using these timers for lots of other things too.


1 minute timings of multiplication and division flash cards.


Allotted Wii time.


The timer can count up as well. 
Perfect for timing how many minutes the all-family Harry Potter Read-Along has been going on.


Computer time countdown.



and of course don't forget....
piano practice!

Now, if only I could use the timers to slow down summer!

______________________________

Linking up to:


Visit thecsiproject.com

3 comments :

  1. This is great! I too set the oven timer several times a day - my boys just started piano lessons so this would be perfect for it. Did you order yours?

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  2. Thanks for stopping by my blog! I love that you have a Harry Potter read-along with your whole family! HP is sooo fun! Sometimes I'll read it out loud to calm my 6 month old down- He loves it!
    Timers are really great. I used them all of the time when I worked with kids.
    Have a happy week!

    Bekah
    beckaboots.blogspot.com

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  3. I found the same with my girls when they discovered timers! Suddenly everything is so much more fun! Unfortuately the other day the batteries ran out - and I'm yet to get new ones! Still when I do I'm sure they'll get excited all over again!!!

    Jill @ Creating my way to Success
    http://www.jembellish.blogspot.com/

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