Those party store magnifying glasses....

These little plastic things are such a hit with my first grade reading group! (I have four kiddos.) Getting them to do word reading can be a struggle for some who are less than attentive...Whether one is twirling in her seat, or another is more concerned with tipping his chair back--get one of those cheap little magnifying glasses and play word detective! They love using them after we've read a book (a close reading)--even though it's more of a literal "close reading", word hunting is fun detective work.