For
many years it has been my pleasure to visit Pinellas County, Florida, to share
with their teachers. Although this
is a large county, they have the “heart” of a small community and they’ve
always been totally dedicated to children. They embrace change and technology, but balance it with
creative, engaging activities similar to these:
Fun
with Phones (Janice Pires,
Tarpon Springs Elementary)
Recycle
used/non-working cell phones with this game. Write high frequency words or fluency phrases on jumbo craft
sticks and place them in the box the cell phone came in. Children hold the phone, reach in the
box, and then say the word as if they are talking on the phone.
*Adapt
for letters, numerals, math facts, etc.
Chalk
Talk (Cari Barnes)
Draw
names, shapes, numbers, or letters on sidewalks with chalk. Give children cups of water and
paintbrushes so they can paint over the chalk lines. The water evaporates so children can do it over and over.
Cari
also suggested that when you make books from zip bag you can cover the stapled
spine with duct tape to add a finished edge and protect little fingers from
staples.
Bottle
Lid Phonics (Lana Lillie)
Collect
water bottle lids (white ones).
Write uppercase letters on one set with a permanent marker and lowercase
letters on another set. Children
say the sounds as they put the lids in alphabetical order. They can match upper and lowercase
letters, make words, etc.