Totally Tubular

Let’s get totally tubular about learning sight words with this FUN Jumbo Test Tube Idea (with freebie recording sheet.)

Totally Tubular Jumbo Test Tubes

Test tubes are just plain fun! You can use them for many things and you can even find smaller ones at the dollar store. I found these Jumbo Test Tubes fro Learning Resources and knew they would create learning fun in my classroom. Notice stand they come with and the oversized tubes are great for little hands. I adore the color coded lids, as colors make my heart sing.

My idea to use these Test Tubes for sight words needs a few standard classroom materials. First, I grabbed sight word cards for the words we are covering this week. (We usually cover 6-8 words a week.) Next, grab lowercase letter beads like these. I use these often so I have them ready to go. I also need water. Since we have no sink or water access in my classroom, I rely on small bottles of water for projects and art.

Tube Prep In Action

Totally Tubular Prepped for Learning Fun

Check out these Totally Tubular Test Tubes for sight words. All the letters float to the top with they are upright, meaning you can use this information for an actual science experiment if you desire. But, as soon as you tip the test tube to the side, check out the view!

Making Sight Words

Can you see the scrambled letters to make “brown?”

Can you see the letters to make the word “your?’

Setting Learners Up for Success

Keep in mind it is much easier to “see” the totally tubular word when the correct sight word card is next to the tube. Without some support for little learners, I can only assume this task would be MUCH harder. I highly suggest using this tube idea with some sort of written sight word support such as flashcards or a recording sheet. Don’t worry, I have you covered!

Check out this FREEBIE recording sheet I created just for this Totally Tubular Sight Word Idea of mine. You can add your sight words into the sheet and you can reuse it over and over again.

Here is how I plan to have my students use the recording sheet.

Write their name on top.
Pick up one test tube.
Color the lid on the answer sheet to match the lid on their test tube.
Write the letters they find in their test tube on the answer sheet. (This can be tricky with d, b, p, q, u, n.)
Use the word bank to find the correct sight word.
Write the correct sight word on the space given.

Check out this Sight Word Station is Action

You can grab these Jumbo Test Tubes from Learning Resources Here: http://amzn.to/2x7l8cd
You can grab these lowercase letter beads here: http://amzn.to/2yQJBEL
Please note this is an Amazon Affiliate Link

You can Grab this FREEBIE Recording Sheet Here: http://bit.ly/SkTestTube

Additional Ideas for Test Tubes:

-mixing colors
-use letter beads for ABC order
-use letter beads for Student Names
-add numbers for ordering numbers, comparing numbers, or even addition problem
-use to test sink/float in small, independent groups