Comparisons....gotta catch 'em all!

Summer starts tomorrow afternoon for me. I have to go to CPI training all day (basically how to deal with students in crisis situations) and then it's the sweet taste of freedom for me. I cannot wait to have free time to get back to crafting and giving my eyes a much needed break from the computer. One thing they don't warn you about in graduate school is how bad florescent lights are for your eyes. It looks like new glasses are in my future. 

In the meantime, I thought I would share some suggestions for yard sale season. I am by no means an expert at yard sales even though I've grown up going to them. These ideas are just how I tend to navigate the murky hours (6am-9ish am) of Saturday mornings to find awesome goodies.

                          

1. Look at your local newspaper for sales the night before. I also check craigslist sometimes to see if people post pictures of their items. Highlight the ones you are interested in and print off maps if needed 

2. Have an idea of the things you are looking for before you go. I know that I am going to be looking for three things: 1) Games 2) Kids books 3) Toys   I ignore everything else until I finish looking for these items. 

3. Take a buddy- I go to yard sales with my mom (and sometimes grandma). She knows my general list and will keep an eye out for me while looking at other things. 

4. Go early. The best selection will be there when the yard sale starts. You probably won't be able to haggle the price down but I'd rather get the good stuff than see someone else walking off with it.

5. Once you have something in your hands, don't put it back down unless you are absolutely sure you don't want it. 9/10 times someone else will pick it up. 

I am really bad about buying random/weird things at thrift stores and yard sales with just a slight inkling of how to use them for therapy. I bought these little Pokemon containers for .49 cent guessing that I would find a way to use them later. I ended up using them with my category/comparison cards. The kids have to tell me either what group the three cards fall into or two similarities/differences for two pictures. The person who gets the most cards wins my game and the surprise factor in each turn is a huge bonus. 

I think the cards are produced by Learning Resources as part of their Word Families & Rhyming center. I've never used them for their intended purpose with the pocket chart. I've always used them for categories and comparisons as they are easy to hide in *most* containers (except small Easter eggs) and are visually stimulating. (Note to Learning Resources....please come out with a set of tons of these cards as they are super useful for all kinds of therapy goals.)