Making the cards - cheaper, easier?

[Tanikit]

I would like to make cards to teach my child math. I did use the dots category on little reader and my baby seemed to like it though was more interested in the words than the dots, however I feel that I need a set of cards as well. However I went around to price equipment for cards today and it will work out VERY expensive no matter which way I do it. Does anyone have a cheaper option for making cards?

I have looked at the following:

Printing the dots on the computer - needs paper or light card to fit through the computer printer, ink for the printing, the cards would need to be laminated to make them heavy enough or could perhaps be covered in contact if the thickest card possible was used.

Sticker dots - requires paper or card as above, sticky dots (5050 - and we seem only able to get them in sheets of 245 at a time), lamination or contact as above unless very very thick card is used.

It is the lamination which is totally cost prohibitive for me - and this is worked on using A4 size card rather than what is recommended. The card is also very expensive. Any options would be appreciated.

[sb1201]

Hi,

Sorry, I am not sure how much this cost because my husband got everything through work   (He's a partner so he's allowed)

However this is what I am doing. I used DomanMom's dot printouts (Thanks DomanMon! ) and we printed it on cardstock paper. So we used letter size, because that is what our printer does. I also got some self laminating sheets, basically a sticky sheet that protects the front. I could put it on the back too but I think I will just do the front and see how it does.

I totally think printing out your cards is the way to go if you can.

Good Luck to you!

I know I am so excited to get started with my little guy but there really is a lot of prep work

Stacie

[DomanMom]

It's not a requirement to laminate them. Of course, it is nice and IDEAL, but none of my dot cards were laminated in the beginning because I didn't have the funds. You just have to be careful with them, but it's still possible to teach your baby math without laminated cards.

I just recently laminated all of my dot cards though because I found a roll of laminating paper at wal-mart. It was $6 for 36 square feet! Which is enough to laminate about 50 A4 sized sheets of card stock. I found it where they used to have clear contact paper (which is what I used to use for all my lamination, which was the same price as this stuff).

I wouldn't recommend making them with the red dots, though, in the beginning I spent about $50 to buy the supplies to make the dot cards as recommended in the book, and about 20 hours of long, eye-crossing work! It was about $30 for all the dots I needed and another $20 for jumbo card stock to cut into 11 x 11 inch squares. And I didn't even laminate them!

There are two other options and that is to just purchase them from the IAHP ($60) or to make your own using stamps. I made a set (only 1-30 though) using dot stamps (with paint) and it's not necessarily recommended, but if ink costs you a fortune and you're really desperate, it's an option.

I would definitely go with the printed kind if you can, it's probably the easiest and least expensive way to go. And they turn out really nice, unlike doing it with paint. If you can get the clear contact paper or the rolls of lamination, I would, but if not remember that it is not NECESSARY to have them laminated, I taught my son all the way up until now using un-laminated cards, you just have to make sure your hands are clean when you use them and to store them in folders so they don't get messed up!

[kmum]

I've used a red bingo dobber to make dots. They aren't quite as neat, but are very inexpensive.

 Someone on another thread mentioned using packing tape instead of laminating. It would be a little more time consuming & may not be quite as durable but would also be much cheaper.

[Tanikit]

Thanks for the ideas. I have downloaded the printable versions (thanks Domanmum) and will probably print them with black dots.

Does anyone know what thickness card they used - it seems the most commonly used card here is 160gsm and this is a bit too thin. I have used card of 190gsm and also 240gsm and obviously the thicker the better even for words, but these dot cards are pretty big so seem to need heavier card. This was also why I wanted to laminate as then thinner card could be used.

I have also considered printing out the numerals and dots on separate pieces of paper (80gsm each) and then putting a piece of 160gsm card inbetween and putting card over the whole lot as can get the paper easily, but not sure whether this is creating more trouble as it could be hard to cover three pieces with contact.

Lol, reading this I think I must be crazy - probably my child wouldn't care if I did it on scrap paper and stuck that on the wall with masking tape.

[tatianna]

i bought the dot card from IAHP for $50
that was the best $50 i ever spent
they very good card and have 20 equations on the back
so it makes your life so much easier

i made a full set twice
for two different schools i work at
you will go crazy trying to make sure that there really is 89 dots on the card and not 88 :tongue2:
also i spent more making them then buying them
if i ever had to do it again i would buy them for sure

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