Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Good Styluses to Use with Kids

As younger students use iPads more and more for writing, it's important that they have access to styluses. As they learn to form letters and numbers, practice using a tool to write with is developmentally important. Finding a good stylus for kids is really tricky, though.  Here are a few I've used that have been good.  If you have a suggestion, I'd really love to hear it!  Add a link in the comments or email me.  
These styluses aren't the cheapest, but they hold up really well and they have replacement tips! So when students ruin the tip, you can just replace it!  Woot! Woot!  You can also buy a pack of just the replacement tips.  Shout out to Sally Bishop for finding these. Click the image to view them on Amazon.
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I really liked the Dano App Crayons, which don't appear to be available anymore.  :( These are a nice substitute, and are pretty cost friendly.  $10 for 5 of them.  Click the image to view on Amazon.
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I haven't used these, but I like that the shape is similar to a traditional pencil.  Looks like it would be easy for little hands to grip.  Click the image to see them on Amazon.  (I think it's a 3 pack but I can't tell!)
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These are the same brand as the ones with replaceable tips above. Highly reviewed on Amazon, and grippy design is similar to a pencil grip. These are $12 for 3 styluses, and includes a lanyard and cleaning cloth.
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I know teachers who have purchased "cheap" styluses and have not been happy with the quality and how long they last. They are worth investing a little bit of money in, and teaching students how to use them correctly. When I used styluses with my kindergartners, I numbered each one and assigned a number to each student (same as my iPads). That way each student knew which stylus s/he was responsible for, and I noticed that they took much better care of them, as opposed to when they were in the "community" bucket. I also only allowed them to use the styluses (styli?) when they were forming letters or numbers, and not to play games and push buttons on the iPads. This helped them last much longer!

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