The Great Dry-Erase Experiment

Okay so it really wasn't all that "great," but it was interesting to discover the results.

In this post I mentioned I was trying out this new and revolutionary product called- dry-erase crayons. 


*insert "oooohhh's" and "aaahhh's"*


I was hoping it would change my experience with dry-erase boards forever, and now the results are in.

I tested the crayons versus regular old Expo dry-erase markers and regular Crayola crayons since I had heard rumors that they worked as well. The white board was just any old classroom white board. I didn't clean it since I figured a dirty board is more realistic and would give more realistic results.

So here it is, left to right a blue Crayola crayon, a blue Crayola dry-erase crayon, and a blue Expo dry-erase marker. You can see that the marker is the darkest, although I thought the dry-erase crayon was plenty dark to be practical. The regular crayon is the lightest in color, but is still visible enough to be acceptable.

Here is what they look like erased. I didn't apply a lot of pressure and it might be hard to see but the marker cleared the cleanest. The crayons require a little more effort to erase.

My conclusion is sort of mixed. I like the crayons, however I found for the most part that primary students tend to press down way to hard when writing which makes the crayon hard to erase sometimes. When I used them, with a lighter and more appropriate pressure, erasing was no problem. You could however, turn it into a lesson on proper pressure when writing.

The regular crayons got really mixed results. The best results were with dark crayon colors, and all the crayons tested were the Crayola brand because well, they aren't lying when they say on the box they are preferred by teachers. I'd be interested to see the results with other brands. They do require that you press down harder when writing, but honestly my kiddos do that already so it wasn't an issue. However the color is still lighter and if you use it for "every pupil response" it might be hard to read those in the back.

One thing that I saw in the reviews were issues with using markers on a board after the dry-erase crayons had been used. Not once did I have an issue with this, so I'm not really sure whether this is actually an issue or not.

So there you have it. Yes, they work, but no, they are not perfect. I'm still debating what I will choose to use in the fall, but I have a feeling it will be a mix of both.

So after reading this, what do you think? Will you stick with your markers or give the crayons a shot?

Dry-erase Board Erasers - Cheap!

The math curriculum (Everyday Math) used in the county I teach in is heavy on "slate work." A.k.a. using dry-erase boards. I've seen a lot of the teachers buy those cute little mini erasers from places like Lakeshore, however that can add up quick, and end up relatively "expensive" when there is a cheaper alternative - felt.

(Off topic- do you love my bright, lime green counter tops or what?!)

I had my felt left over from a project I did back when I was first in teacher school, so my erasers where free, however, felt is fairly cheap, and if you buy it off the bolt with a coupon, it's even cheaper. Like a penny an eraser (according to my highly mathematical calculations). They work just as well as store bought erasers and it's no big deal when someone loses one.

My next dry-erase board experiment is dry erase crayons. I saw them on Amazon.com, and my box is due to arrive Tuesday and I'm excited to test them out. I've also heard regular crayons work too. I'll be doing some experimenting, because I'll be honest, I hate dry-erase markers. They are expensive, smelly, the kids are always losing the caps and then they dry out, or are pressing to hard and pushing the points in. I have my fingers crossed that the crayons work.

Have you ever tried dry erase crayons? Please, do tell!