I know a lot of kindergarten teachers let their students write and draw with markers regularly. I save markers for specials projects, and we use crayons and pencils on a daily basis. Is that wrong? Sometimes I feel bad about it, but markers can be so messy.
I keep markers in my art center for daily use. I also have dry erase boards and markers in my writing center. I don't mind the mess. It comes off the tables with a little water. My kids are also very good about using markers and replacing caps. I also like markers as I have a few children with fine motor issues and they find it easier to write with markers than crayons or pencils.
I do not have the markers out yet. They are still working on using crayons correctly. Forget markers they make a huge mess. I do have colored pencils out for them to use.
I too, only use markers for special crafts- we do use dry-erase markers when we start sounding out words, but that is a very controlled time, and we talk about it first- the mess on the tables I don't mind, it's the mess they make on each other!
I really have a hard time with markers myself. I think children should be using pencils and crayons. The teachers I work with think I'm nuts for not putting markers out.
I only use markers for special arts and crafts projects. We use crayons and colored pencils on a daily basis, but markers are for the big projects. I keep a good supply of baby wipes on hand and it cleans up the mess very easily. I tell them to wipe their hands then the tables! It works like a charm.
I only pull out the markers for specific art projects. I do have markers at the art center which kids have the option of going to about once a week. I got tired of the kids asking if they could use markers when the answer was usually no (I don't let them use markers on regular paper because it rips & bleed through). I have one basket per table that I pull out when we have marker projects and that seems to be good enough!
I let them use markers or crayons for almost everything. They are required to have washable markers, and they clean off so easily. I don't see a problem with them at all. Like someone else mentioned, the larger shape of the marker is actually easier for many children. And it's easier to stay in the lines with markers0crayons lose their point almost right away. It's funny, though, because many children were shocked in the beginning of the year when I told them they had a choice. I could tell which children went to pre-school or weren't allowed to use markers at home!
As a parent, let me thank you profusely for NOT letting them use markers on a daily basis. I can't tell you how many uniform shirts were ruined last year because ds3's teacher let them use markers every day....not to mention the stains on his hands that seemed permanant.
If you are a horrible teacher, than I'm worse than horrible because I never let my kids use markers and I wouldn't feel badly about it even if other teachers did let them. But, we aren't allowed to have something like an "art center" at our school either so....
You're not alone! The reason I make them use crayons(mostly) is because using crayons strengthens their small motor skills. Markers just glide across the paper and do nothing for strengthening their fingers.
The only markers my students are allowed to use are dry erase markers and with my permission and supervision until they have learned the proper use. When we are doing whole group lessons, I will call students up to the board to participate. I also use them in guided reading or small group lessons. I have individual white boards and markers. The kids love using the whiteboard and markers and I can supervise enough so that they don't get all over their clothes! I have also spoken with the art teacher and explained that I have not yet taught "marker rules" for art. So I have asked her to hold off on using markers until we really get into it.
I wish you had taught my kids...I would have had far fewer ruined shirts...and socks...how do you get markers on socks?!?!?!?
Just a quick FYI; A Mr. Clean Magic eraser gets marker off tables like a breeze! Also, on clothes I would try Oxy clean to get it out.
Mine are only allowed to use them when they are working in the writing workstation. Consider yourselves lucky though. My principal wants to ban crayons from our classroom. If that happens, I'm sure markers will go with them.
If you think your horrible, I wonder what you will call me ... I have a 5th grade student that I will not let use markers. She always colors her fingernails with them and she does not yet know the concept of not pressing hard when using them, so the tips always end up "smushed". I did let her bring some of her own from home but after numerous warnings about using them on her name, I sent them home.
No not at all. I work with 3yr olds at church and I see it as if we do a bible lesson or activity where is like a color sheet or colorbook activity crayons will work. When they do a project like making a picture frame out of craft sticks for example I let them use markers. Every sunday coloring they use crayons. It is just too messy to get out the markers everysunday. We painted pumpkins today but they put on big oversized donated paint shirts(regular oversized adult Tshirts that they were able to get/spill paint on). Who wants to put on paint shirts just to use markers when crayons work fine! Thats where I see the problem. The last time we used markers(to make the picture frames) a little boy went under the table when no one saw and colored his white socks black and dark purple. He got time out for that since I said only color on the picture frame.
I want to add something: This whole thread seems to be saying we only use markers for special occasions. Great I get that me 2 when I work with kids. BUT: On a Jon and kate plus 8 thread in teacher time out once "you" meaning lots of people on this board bad mouthed Kate for not letting her kids use markers at the crayolo(sp?) factory. Can anyone explain why you think some people are contradicting theirselves by saying one thing here and another there? Not to get off on J and K plus 8 .
I wasn't one of the people on that thread, so I absolutely am not speaking on their behalf, BUT LoL. I understood Kate's choice to not let them use markers at home- I teach PreK and I limit their use as well. But I do use them- the kids are allowed to use them on their Friday letter pages, and on anything that we do on construction paper, and several special projects, but there are many times that I say, "Do not get out your markers, we are only using crayons for this." It's just logistics- a LOT of very young children using messy markers at the same time can very easily lead to trouble. So I cannot fault her for not liking the children to use markers. That being said, I think the Crayola factory may have been a bit much, because it WAS a special occasion. Some of the people on this thread are not saying they NEVER use markers, only that they limit it. At something like the Crayola factory I would have thought she would have let them use markers..it's a place where that kind of thing is to be expected. And if we use them for special projects in the classroom, I suppose that might be why some of the same teachers are saying that they limit their use in the classroom but Kate should have let them use markers on that trip.\ That being said, that is just a possibility I thought of..like I said, I can't speak for those teachers myself.
How boring not to be able to use crayons! It seems ridiculous though because like others have said they need to work on fine motor skills and coloring inside lines can really help that develop. mandagap06 - I'm one of the people who said I never let my kids use markers, but I've never watched Jon and Kate and certainly never commented on it here. My thought would be that it's different when it's your own kids and you can watch them and make the decision it's alright to get it on their clothes, etc. but it is different when you have other people's kids and have to make decisions based on how those parents will react.
I understand and what I ment by the Jon and Kate comment was that some people were pretty much saying Kate was crazy for not letting them use markers yes they are some of the ones on here that are saying they don't like their kids to use them except for special occasions. Also, When I was talking colorsheets/worksheet that is not school that is church nursery for the 3yr olds. They should not have to do preschool work when they come to church just beacuse it looks like a preschool classroom may look or simular I should say. Def. not excatly like it but simular.
That is a VERY good question. I would like to know the same thing. It started with a couple students drawing on the tables. She thinks the solution is to ban crayons completely. It makes no sense to me. The reasoning had nothing to do with the kids doing too much coloring though. If crayons are banned, markers will go with them. We will be stuck using nothing but gray lead pencil and paper. Our principal used to teach middle school. She has no idea how a five year old develops.
Wow, that sounds a little harsh! If crayons were banned from all kindergartens where kids drew on tables, I'm pretty sure no one would have them! I just use the Magic Eraser and crayon comes right off!!
TeacherC, That's what I told the principal too. The response was, "well, I don't want them drawing on the tables." Of course not. I don't want them to either, but the fact is they are probably going to. It's part of their development. They just have to learn that it isn't appropriate.
