"THUH" OR "THEE"

"Thuh" or "thee"? That is the question. 

But it doesn’t really matter if you spell it 

“t – h – e.”

“The” Book
Fold two sheets of paper in half and staple. Children write the word “The” at the top of each page and then draw a picture. What a simple way for beginning readers to feel successful.

*Advanced children could write a sentence using the word “the."

*You could also make an “a” book.

THE Song
(Tune: “Shortnin’ Bread”)
You can say "thuh"
Or you can say "thee,"
But you always have to spell it
T – H – E.

“The” Flip Book
Fold one sheet of paper into eighths. Open and cut up three creased lines to the middle. Fold in half to make flips. Write “the” on the front of each flip and then have children draw pictures or cut out pictures to put under each flip.

PUMPKIN PUMPKIN

It's going to be exciting the next ten days as the Great Pumpkin spirit amps up in your classroom.  My webmaster has created a free playlist of seasonal videos to help you have more fun:

 https://bit.ly/drJSeasonal

I was looking through some old blogs and found this idea. It's so simple and could be adapted to any holiday or any skills. You'll also find an idea for a MAGIC PUMPKIN that Carolyn Kisloski shared a few years ago.

Here’s a game that you can make with a pumpkin, gift bag, or other seasonal container. It’s great for practicing skills, listening, and following directions. Keep it on your desk and you can use it whenever you have a few extra minutes.

Take index cards and write simple one or two step directions on them. For example: “Touch the flag and then walk to the trash can.” “Go under the teacher’s desk and then knock on the door.” “Balance on one foot and say a nursery rhyme.” “Go to the front of the room and tell a joke.” Place the cards in a plastic pumpkin. Let children take turns selecting cards and following the directions.

Hint! You will have to read the directions to younger students.

*Let older students write their own directions to use for the game.

Just think about skills your students need to master and an action and you're ready to get going. For example:

Clap and count by ten’s to 100.

Touch your nose and spell the word SHE.

Point to the word ‘THE’ in the room and then jump two times.

Touch something that is a sphere and then tiptoe and touch something that is a circle.

Turn around and count backwards from 10.

Walk to the front of the room and act out an adjective.

March and touch a noun.

Walk to the back of the room and tell the day of the week, the month and the year.

Gallop as you count by 5's to 100.

Skip around the room as you say the months in the year.

A GOOD REASON TO EAT POTATO CHIPS

Did you know that I LOVE potato chips? My family usually gives me a bag for Christmas, my birthday, and other special events. I try not to eat potato chips too often because I know they are not good for me, but I do love that salty greasy taste!!! 

Lay's Classic Gold are my favorites, but I do like Pringles - especially the cans that can be recycled into learning activities.. 


Line up chips 

Write numerals 1-25 (or however many students you have) on the chips with a permanent marker. Cut a slit in the top of the can. Pass out the chips. As you count from 1-25, children holding that chip come up and place it in the can.

Brain Sprinkles 

Cover the can with fancy paper. Put a tablespoon of rice in the can and glue on the lid. Explain that it’s “brain sprinkles” and pretend to sprinkle it over the children’s heads when you want them to introduce something new.

Letter Cups 

Write letters of the alphabet on plastic bathroom cups. Stack them up and place in the can. Children can use these for making their names, sight words, alphabetical order, etc.

Number Cups 

Write numbers on the cups (1-20 or as high as your students can go). Children can use these for numerical order and other math games.


Eye Can

Cover the can with paper and then glue on googly eyes. If a child says, “I can’t” hand them the can as you say, “Eye can!”

Question Sticks 

Give each child a jumbo craft stick. They write their name on the center of the stick and then color one end green and one end red. Insert the sticks in the can with the green end on top. Ask a question, twirl the can around, and choose a stick. That child gets to answer the question (or they can phone a friend). After they’ve had a turn put the stick back in the can with the red end on top. When all the sticks are red, turn them over and start again.

Lucky Sticks 

Children write their names on a stick and decorate it. Place the sticks in the can. When you have a special job to be done, choose a stick and that “lucky” child gets to be yr helper. Put their stick in an envelope in your drawer after they’ve had a turn. When everyone has had a turn place the sticks in the can and begin again.

HARRY HORIZONTAL AND VENNY VERTICAL

DO YOU KNOW HARRY HORIZONTAL AND VENNY VERTICAL?

Sometimes I think we put the cart before the horse. What am I talking about? Well, we start letter writing before children even know what "curve," "line," " horizontal," or "vertical" mean. Here are some basic terms children need to be familiar with.

What’s a line? What’s a curve?
Start by finding out what children know about lines and curves. Let them take turns drawing lines and curves on the board. Can they walk around the room and touch a line? Can they touch a curve? As you walk down the hall have them silently point to lines and curves. Can they find lines and curves in nature on the playground?

Play Dough
Draw lines and curves with a permanent marker on placemats or plastic plates. Let children roll the dough and place it on top of the lines and curves.

Letter Sort
What letters are made from lines? Curves? Lines and curves? Let children sort magnetic letters on the board or for a center activity.

I love this song that two teachers taught me several years ago.

Horizontal, Vertical (Carrie O’Bara and Terri Miller)
(Tune: “Where Is Thumbkin?”)
Horizontal, horizontal,
(Forearms held up horizontally in front of chest.)
Vertical, vertical.
(Forearms bent at elbows to form right angles.)
Horizontal, horizontal,
Vertical, vertical.

Then diagonal, then diagonal.
(Right arm slants in front and then left.)
Add a curve. Add a curve.
(Make a “c” with right hand and then left.)
Then diagonal, then diagonal.
Add a curve. Add a curve.

Harry Horizontal and Venny Vertical
Children will never forget horizontal and vertical with these friends!

Practice Books
This is a super idea to help children learn to track from left to right and practice pre-writing strokes. Lay 4 sheets of paper on top of each other and staple four times along the left side. Cut horizontal lines to make four skinny books. Children practice drawing horizontal lines, vertical lines, curves, and diagonal lines on each page.

 

Artsy
Prepare sheets of paper ahead of time with random curves and lines made with a black marker. Children choose a sheet of paper and try and create a design or object from the lines and curves on their page. *Encourage them to fill in the whole page.

WORD BAG

This is a super idea for a center, homework activity, or partner project. It can easily be adapted to different skill levels and age groups.


Word Bag
Put flash cards with vocabulary words, sight words, spelling words, etc. in a zip bag. Add different multi-sensory materials similar to those below. Children can take the bag and choose any material they like to reproduce the words.

*Wikki sticks

*magnetic letters

*colored pencils 

*alphabet stickers

*alphabet blocks

*dry erase board

*play dough

Mystery Word
Choose a word each day as a “mystery word." Write it on the board and then tape a sheet of paper over it so the children have to “take a peek” as they enter the classroom. At morning meeting discuss the meaning of the word. Can they dramatize the word? Can they use it in sentences?

More?

You could do shape bags, letter bags, etc. for young children.

DICTIONARY DAY

October 16th is Dictionary Day because it's Noah Webster's birthday. However, any day would be a great day to let your kids make their own "personal dictionaries." OWNING their own dictionary would be a meaningful way to reinforce vocabulary, sight words, and spelling words.

MY PERSONAL DICTIONARY
Materials: pocket folder, prepared pages with alphabet letters, markers

Directions: Ask students to tell you what they know about dictionaries. Brainstorm the many uses of dictionaries. Model looking up words and reading definitions. Explain that each of them will get to create their own dictionary that they can use to help them the rest of the school year. First, let the children decorate the outside of their pocket folder. Insert the alphabet pages. As you add new words to the word wall or have new spelling words, ask the children to write them in their dictionary. Encourage students to use their dictionaries when they write independently.

Hint! You might want to go ahead and type your core sight words on the pages before running them off.


Here are some other activities you can play with their dictionaries.



*Play “mystery word” where you give clues about words. 
 Can you find a word that starts with /m/ and ends with /d/? 
 Can you find a word that is the opposite of “fast”?


*Play the “rhyme” game. 
 Can you find a word that rhymes with “bike”? 
 Can you find a word that rhymes with “log” and is a pet?


*How many one letter words can you find? How many two letter words? Three letter words? 


*Ask children to clap out the syllables in words. 


*Can they match up words in their dictionaries with words in the classroom? 


*Sort words that refer to people, things we do, describing words, etc. 


*Have children find a word that starts with each letter in their name. 


*Have children make up sentences (oral or written) with the words. 


*Ask children to illustrate words or find magazine pictures that match the words.

*Demonstrate how to use the dictionary on the internet. How is it like their dictionary? How is it different?

SEASONAL DICTIONARY
Add a separate page each month with seasonal and holiday words children might want to use in their stories and journals.

VOCABULARY PASSWORD

Research continually highlights the relationship between vocabulary and comprehension as children progress in school. We know that:

- Rapid vocabulary acquisition occurs in pre-literate years (before children can read)

- Vocabulary is strongly related to reading and thus school achievement

- Systematic and direct instruction can increase children’s vocabulary

Here are some simple, meaningful strategies to add to your “vocabulary vitamin” bottle.

Attendance
Have a class puppet that gives a password every day. For attendance, the children say the password instead of “here.” Use this chant to introduce the password:
Liberty, Liberty (or whatever your puppet is named),
Oh, what do you say?
What is the password for today?

Hint! Tally the number of times children use the word during the day.

Visor
Write the vocabulary word on an index card and tape it to a visor. One child is selected to be the “supervisor” of the day and wear the visor. The “supervisor” stands at the door every time you leave and classmates must say the word before they can exit.

Name Badge
Put the word in a name badge and wear it (or let a student wear it) all day.
When the teacher says:
“Right now! Right now! Right now! Right now!
Whisper the password out right now.”
Children say the word.
Children then find a partner and use the word in a sentence.

Say, Spell, Sign
Look at the dictionary on aslpro.com to learn how to sign vocabulary words.
1. Children say the password.
2. Children fingerspell the password.
3. Children sign the password.