Glue: Love it or Hate It

I am the teacher in the Kindergarten hallway that loathes glue sticks! I use them at the beginning of the year and then around the second week of October, I've had it with them! Every year in the middle of a project, the 8th kiddo in a row will come to me with an issue with their glue stick.

• Can't get the cap off because they don't have the fine motor capability
• Can't get the cap off because they turned up the glue so high that it fastened to the glue. This is an amazing accomplishment, seeing as most of the time the glue doesn't even keep paper glued together
• It's dried out
• It no longer goes up or down for unknown reasons
• The glue is mushed because they have turned it up so high and smashed it on their paper or their hands, head, shirt, or shoe

I hate glue sticks. They don't even work that well. Now I know you are all thinking, well, you've gotta teach them how to use them correctly. Y'all, I've been teaching littles for 17 years. I go through every rule and procedure for everything!! 

I digress. So, mid October I break out the glue bottles. I'll tell ya what....I hate them too, just not as much! I probably don't despise them as much because virtually EVERYONE down the K hall hates them and gives me their Elmers, so I have an abundance. This allows me to toss bottles whenever I feel like it.

I don't always toss them. I usually pluck off the orange part and stick a paperclip up there and clean out the dried glue gunk. I find glue bottles to be a necessary evil for a few reasons, but I will get to that in a bit.

Enter the glue sponge. Have I used them...no. Do they look awesome...yes. Will I use them...Well, I debated all this summer.

And, here's what...

I believe that glue sticks and glue bottles are a necessary evil in a primary classroom. A lot is developed and learned by using them. Developing fine motor is probably the best reason I can give. Students strengthen their hands by pulling off the cap, by turning the dial, by twisting the orange cap, and by squeezing the bottle. In a time that adults are more apt to turn on the tv or set an IPAD in a little ones hand, we need to get those fingers and hands developing and moving as much as possible. I don't know about you, but my kiddos struggle with glue, pencils, and scissors because they have had limited exposure to those things. I am also an advocate for playdough....I'll discuss this later.

Love it or hate it, glue sticks and glue bottles should be a part of the primary classroom.