Tips for Teaching with Dry Erase Boards

Technology has transformed teaching and learning in the classroom, but dry erase boards are still as effective as ever! Individual dry erase boards are super helpful for keeping your students involved and on task during small group and whole group lessons. They’re also great for partner work in math stations or literacy centers. If you love reading aloud to your students, you can stop reading at key points and ask your students to make predictions about what will happen next. 

I’ve used many different types of dry erase boards over the years, but I especially love the dry erase boards from KleenSlate Concepts, because they are 2-sided and can be customized with different surfaces. You can choose between an unlined surface, handwriting lines, graph paper, a music staff, or a blank Venn diagram.

I first learned about these dry erase boards when I attended a teacher conference where I met Julia Rhodes, the founder of KleenSlate Concepts. Julia was a classroom teacher who loved using dry erase boards with her students. However, like many teachers, she was frustrated with all the issues surrounding the use of dry erase boards and markers. So Julia set out to invent something better! If you’ve tried her boards, you’ll know she succeeded in her quest!

After Julia developed the perfect dry erase marker and board combination, she created the Kleenslate Concepts website to get the word out to educators. In addition to the boards and markers, the Kleenslate site offers helpful tips and information for teachers.

I’m a fan of dry erase boards, too, so I asked educators who follow the Teaching Resources Facebook page to contribute their ideas for using dry erase boards in the classroom. There were so many terrific ideas that I compiled the best of them in a free resource titled Teaching with Dry Erase Boards: Interactive and Effective Strategies for Instruction. In this booklet, you’ll find strategies for using dry erase boards in a whole group setting, in small groups, or in centers.

You’ll also find lots of management tips in the packet, too. My students loved using boys’ black socks for erasers, and we stored the erasers and markers in a zippered pouch for each team. If you purchase Julia’s boards, the markers and erasers snap right onto the paddles so you don’t need to worry about storing those items.

If you would like a class set of these boards for yourself, you can order them directly from the KleenSlate Concepts websites. If your school uses DonorsChoose, you might also consider writing a grant proposal to obtain dry erase boards, markers, and plastic pouches for your classroom.