Monday, June 17, 2013

KEY IDEAS FROM THE KEYSTONE STATE


I love my job!  I keep saying that, but I really do!  Teachers share ideas with me and then I get to pass them on to you!!!  Here are some super cool ideas from Harrison City, Pennsylvania.
 
Pick Up Your Name  (Cindy Mondi)
Write names on paper plates and place a few on the floor.  Sing this song to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It.”
If your name is on the plate, pick it up.
If your name is on the plate, pick it up.
If your name is on the plate
Then you’re really doing great.
If your name is on the plate, pick it up.
*Do this at the beginning of the year for name recognition and then change it to last names.

Toot a Roo  (Cindy Mondi)
Explain to the children that inside every toilet paper roll there is a free toot a roo.  Ask kids to save them and bring them to school.  Kids decorate these and then use them to cheer.  “Toot a roo!” 
*It goes “Blhhh!” if it’s broken!

Zero the Hero Bubble Wrap Stomp  (Janie Rock)
Save bubble wrap and cut it into 8-10” sections.  Place one on the floor in front of each child.  As you sing “Zero the Hero” and count to 100 allow the students to stomp one time on the bubble wrap every time you make a set of ten.

Carousel  (Kelli McCall)
     1.  Each child gets a letter and they must tell you the name and sound.
     2.  Students form a circle.
     3.  Place the letters on the floor and the students say they letter (or sound) as they go around.
     4.  Place paper of different colors on the floor (representing Elkonin boxes).  
          Say a word and the kids have to spell it out with their cards.

Hot Potato Review  (Kelli McCall)
  1. Stuff a knee high with cotton to make a “hot potato.”
  2. Play music.
  3. Students pass around the potato until the music stops.
  4. Hold up a flash card (word, letter, etc.) for that student to identify.
Step Book Measurement (Alexis Redman)
Use a step book to demonstrate capacity.
Gallon – quart – pint – cup

Who Am I Step Book?  (Melanie Ward)
Children write three clues with details about who they are.  Use baby pictures on the front.  Hang in the hall for others to try and guess who they are.



Ready to Move On Signals  (Maria D’Ascenzo)
When students understand a concept or are ready to move on to the next question have them give you a signal.  They can do Spiderman hands, Batman face (circles around eyes), moose ears, crowns, ice cream cones (lick), etc.


Envelope Puppets  (Alexis Redman)
Laminate envelopes before cutting them in half for displaying two choices.  Students can use a dry erase marker to program choices for a variety of skills.

Old Maid!  (Janice Skoretz)
Use Old Maid cards to choose partners.  If your group is an uneven number include the Old Maid.  The person who has the Old Maid gets to choose which group to go into.

Binoculars (Mary Beth Smyda)
Take 2 toilet paper rolls and wrap them in jungle theme paper with tigers, cheetahs, etc.  Staple these together and put on a strip for straps.  Children can look through these and find words, letters, shapes, etc.

Silly Sentences Flip Book  (Melanie Ward)
Fold three sheets of paper in half vertically as shown and staple.  Cut slits on top five sheets to make flips.  Write “Who?” “Did What?” “When?” and “Where” on the front as shown.  Children write possibilities under each one.  They then flip through the book making silly sentences.  Here are a few examples:
Who?  My teacher…my mom…the king…
Did What?  Went to the moon…hit a home run…baked a cake
When?  Today…three years ago…a 100 years ago
Where?  At school…on the moon…in the White House

Check out this shirt that a principal had made for each of her teachers.  The children’s thumb prints are the apples on the tree on the back of the shirt.  Cute!