I received eight Elizabeth Richards Reading Tubs in a variety of colors, as you can see below! These Reading Tubs cost $3.95 each, but are also available in a pack of 40 for $136 (so $3.40 each).
Read the review filled with ideas for use below, and make sure to read about the giveaway coming up at the bottom of the page to win your own set of Reading Tubs! If you want more information or can’t wait that long, check them out here!



WHY ARE THEY SPECIAL?
These Reading Tubs are different from the regular, brightly colored bins on the market right now. They have interchangeable dividers inside to fit whatever your teaching and organizational needs may be.

See the dividers going vertically? These slats can be easily removed and place horizontally. You can choose to use both dividers, one divider, or no dividers! There are a total of eight ways that you can put your dividers up. It’s like Burger King- have it your way! But with plastic bins and not with meat patties, cheese, and bread.

Here are some different ways that I utilized these Reading Tubs in my own classroom! If you have used these before or have any other suggestions, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to hear them in the comments section! I was so excited to start trying these out in different ways, but I am sure that a ton of awesome and creative ideas exist that I did not even think of!




GUIDED READING

The dividers are perfect for guided reading group! It’s an easy way to prop up the books and keep them separated. My kids were excited seeing the books before guided reading started- it definitely helped build interest and engagement since they are set up like a mini book store! I used to keep my guided reading books in a neat stack next to my small table, but I’d always have that horrible moment when I’d grab a stack of books while the rest of them went sliding onto the floor. THE WORST (have you ever had that happen? Or am I just the clumsiest person on the planet?? Oh, I’m clumsy? Got it).







MATH











































































There’s a variety of ways that these tubs can be used in math. First, I love the idea of filling them with what I need for the day in my small groups. As you can see in the photo above, we were working on mental math skills. Everything I need to meet with my flexible and differentiated small groups is inside the Math Tub and ready to go. No scrambling last minute looking for dice or post-it notes for exit tickets!








READING ASSESSMENTS














































































Reading assessments sneak up on me every year, and it can feel so overwhelming to be testing 28 kids all on different reading levels! We do the DRA in our district. If your school does the DRA as well or if you have used it before, you know how many slippery books and paper packets are needed! The Reading Tubs kept each reading level book and packet separated and without the mess or hassle. I let my coworker use these as well during her reading assessment time, and she said these Reading Tubs were a complete lifesaver for her and she was shocked how much quicker her reading assessments went by!








BOOK CLUBS

I have been getting questions about book clubs- yes, I will write a post for these soon! However, if you already have Book Clubs or want to start soon, these tubs are fabulous for them! The day before starting Book Clubs always drives me cray cray because I have five Ziploc bags lying around my desk with all the chapter books in them- which are not thin! The Reading Tubs not only separate each book group,  but also have plenty of room for packets if you use them. They also create engagement and interest, since each group tends to have a few nosy kids looking for a “sneak peek” and trying to guess what book they will be reading!

TEACHER BOOKS
Of course, they are also a great way to have your teacher guides and/or manual that you need on a daily basis out in full force! I have several books that I need to make copies from once a week, so they are easy to pull when my copy parent comes to my room. Everything is in one spot!

What ideas do you have for these Reading Tubs? How would you ideally use them in your classroom?

WANT TO WIN?
Next Monday, a giveaway for a set of Reading Tubs from Elizabeth Richards School Supplies will begin! Come back on Monday to enter for a chance to win!!

8 Responses

  1. These are soooo nice!! I'd love to use them in my classroom to spruce up my library.

  2. I am so excited to begin my first year teaching next year! I will be teaching second grade in a turn around school in Boston! My kids are behind grade level and I have been yard sale hunting in order to provide them with a fabulous classroom library and instill that love for reading! These bins would complete my library and make me one happy teacher and my students some very lucky kiddos!!!

  3. I am so excited to begin my first year teaching next year! I will be teaching second grade in a turn around school in Boston! My kids are behind grade level and I have been yard sale hunting in order to provide them with a fabulous classroom library and instill that love for reading! These bins would complete my library and make me one happy teacher and my students some very lucky kiddos!!!

  4. I think these bins are so versatile and in a middle school classroom that is what I need. Great colors as well!

  5. I think these bins are so versatile and in a middle school classroom that is what I need. Great colors as well!

  6. I am a first year kindergarten teacher and would love to use these bins to sort the students books!!