We LOVE Educational Insights Hot Dots! They’re a fun way to practice all that you’ve learned in school!
When your student clicks on one of the dots the pen will flash green and say “Great Job” or “You are Correct”, if you get the wrong answer the pen will flash red and say “Sorry, try again!”
We use them to review math facts, phonics practice and telling time, and early reading skills. They sell several different pre-made cards. Or you can purchase Educational Insights Hot Dots with Talking Hot Dots Pen, and make your own cards as well! You can also download the cards I’ve made here:
A word to the wise: if you make your own cards, print the cards, then laminate, THEN DOT THEM AFTERWARDS! The dots don’t work if they’ve been laminated!
If you don’t want to purchase the dots and pens you can also use the cards I made with mini-clothes pins, or dry erase markers as well! Happy Homeschooling!
Hey Erica, So I have the Hot Dote pen in my Amazon shopping cart right this moment but can't hit complete order until I am sure I understand what I am going to do when I get it LOL. So the pen itself comes with the stickers? Or do you order them separate? and what about getting more? Do they peel off the laminate easily?They are SO many sets that you can purchase to use, do you have any that you just LOVE?
Just got hooked on to HOT Dots and LOVE your printables for this tool. Are you going to make anymore???? Please????
Hi! I actually bought the Hot Dots to use with my 3yr old but ended up returning them because before I opened them I read several reviews that said if you didn’t aim the pen at the exact center of the dot, it would give a false negative, causing younger children to become frustrated. Have you had this problem?
Hi Kathleen,
Sort of, if they’re off to the side it can give that response, but for the most part we don’t have any issues, they work quite well in my opinion.
Erica
Erica- The hot dot sets are no longer available. Educational Insights has completely discontinued these. HOWEVER- they respond to graphite. We discovered you can make your own dots with a gray (non-graphite) colored pencil. Make the ‘correct’ dots by lightly going over the colored pencil dots with a regular #2 graphite pencil. Hope that makes sense! -Maureen
That’s a bummer, I liked the make your own card option 🙁
In case the above is not clear- they are making a new (less ergonomic!!!) pen. You can no longer buy the old style pen WITH make your own hot dot cards DOTS. Basically, they want you to buy THEIR (crazy expensive) pre-made flash cards!