When we talk to schools about Clicker, the conversation usually focuses on how it can be used on devices such as iPads, Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Increasingly, however, we're hearing from customers who want to know how Clicker can support learning away from the screen too.

For many pupils, consistency between digital and paper-based resources is key. Providing familiar supports in both formats can help learners work more independently and confidently. In this blog, we'll explore some of the ways printing Clicker resources can save teachers time while helping Clicker fit seamlessly into everyday classroom practice.

Clicker Boards

Before joining Crick, I spent many years as a primary school teacher and when I think about using Clicker away from a device, Clicker Boards are always the first resource that come to mind. They're incredibly versatile and support a wide range of activities, including planning, mind-mapping, sequencing, sorting and much more.

Whether used digitally or printed out for classroom activities, Clicker Boards provide a flexible way to support learners across the curriculum.

You might choose to print an A3 Clicker Board that you filled in together during a teaching input. You could use this as a model to support whole class teaching or display it on a working wall. Alternatively, you can provide blank copies for pupils to complete independently as part of a sequence of lessons.

For sorting or sequencing activities, printed Clicker Boards can also be used as hands-on cut-and-stick tasks. This gives learners another way to engage with the lesson content. The ability to print physical copies helps make Clicker your normal way of working. It also ensures consistency across activities whether resources are accessed digitally or on paper.

Top tip: learn how to create your own sorting activity in a webinar we ran recently!

Writing grids

Clicker’s scaffolded writing frames are some of the most popular resources within Clicker. They are perfect for supporting learners of different abilities.

When I was teaching, I had trays full of laminated word mats to support pupils with different writing tasks. Some were linked to class topics or texts, while others helped with high-frequency words or specific phonics patterns. Finding the right resource often involved trawling through websites in search of vocabulary that was relevant and appropriately challenging. I still remember creating my own word mat about magpies for my Year 1 class to help them write a fact file…it took hours!

With Clicker, you can print Word Banks and use them as physical word mats to keep in table caddies, display around the classroom or stick into exercise books. There are hundreds of ready-made resources available through LearningGrids, and creating your own is quick and simple. Allowing you to tailor vocabulary, image support and levels of scaffolding to meet the needs of your learners. You can even apply colour coding to writing grids, so they align with any systems already used in school.

For learners who also use Clicker on a device, the consistency of seeing the same support in different contexts can be incredibly powerful, as well as giving them the opportunity to see their peers access the same resources. It can boost confidence, encourage independence and provide familiar scaffolds wherever learning takes place.

In addition to Word Banks, you can use Sentence Sets and Connect Sets as effective paper-based activities. These resources are ideal for learners who are developing confidence with sentence construction and benefit from a more hands-on approach.

How many times have we orally rehearsed a sentence with a child, written the words on scraps of paper or sticky notes, and then helped the pupil rearrange the words into the correct order before they attempt to write the sentence independently? A printed Sentence Set allows you to do exactly that, but with all the preparation already done for you. You can build in vocabulary, image support and colour coding beforehand, making the activity targeted and purposeful.

Sentence Sets work brilliantly as cut-and-stick activities, but if you'd prefer to avoid the inevitable lost glue sticks and tiny pieces of paper scattered under tables, you can laminate them and reuse them multiple times. This is a great way to identify and discuss any misconceptions before the learner attempts to write their sentence. This style of activity would work really nicely in a small group, for supporting a targeted intervention group or a quick starter activity!

I'd recommend a similar approach with Connect Sets, although these offer a wider range of vocabulary choices. They are a fantastic way to encourage discussion on word choice and sentence structure while giving pupils greater ownership over the sentences they create.

My colleague Katy recommends printing Connect Sets to use as substitution tables. This was a strategy she regularly used in the classroom but typically had to create from scratch. Connect Sets naturally lend themselves to this approach. They make it easier for learners to build grammatically accurate sentences while exploring different vocabulary options.

Clicker Books

If you need some supporting text for a lesson, why not print a Clicker Book? These books are all written with children in mind and provide accessible vocabulary to support them with a piece of writing, or independent research. There are hundreds of ready-made Clicker Books in LearningGrids that come with varying levels of scaffolding. Perfect for use across the curriculum. They can support pupils with independent research, reading comprehension or preparation for a writing activity.

One of my favourite things about Clicker Books is the range of linked activities that accompany them. This makes it easy to plan a sequence of lessons built around a single text. For example, learners might begin by reading a printed extract from a Clicker Book before moving on to a related writing grid or Clicker Board activity. Having these connected resources readily available helps create a cohesive learning experience while saving valuable planning time!

Summary

This is just a few ideas of ways you might want to utilise Clicker as a paper activity rather than a digital one. Hopefully you have some new inspiration for how to incorporate Clicker into your normal classroom practice! Whether this is because your learners aren’t always accessing Clicker on a device, perhaps there are some pupils you’re transitioning to a more even split between device and paper-based activity, or if you simply don’t have access to the technology to be able to utilise Clicker on a device in every lesson!

Additional resources

• Book a meeting if you have any questions about bridging digital and paper-based learning
  
  
• Clicker for whole class teaching
  
  
• Adapting Clicker LearningGrids resources with Widgit Symbols