Punctuation Detectives (Michelle Landers)
Encourage children to edit their work by “punctuation detectives” with highlight markers.
Period – circle red – red means STOP reading.
Comma – circle green – green means take a breath and keep on reading.
Exclamation point – circle orange – orange means be excited!!!
Question mark – circle purple – purple means be curious.
Capital letters – underline blue – blue means the letter is a capital because it’s the beginning of a sentence or has an important name.
Dolch words – yellow – highlight yellow because it is a popcorn word. Yeah! You know this word already!
Spotlight on Reading (Vickie Spencer)
Use this idea to line up and learn. Turn the lights off and then pass a flashlight to one child. That child shines the flashlight on a word and reads it. She then passes the flashlight to another friend. Children continue reading a word and passing the flashlight to a friend until all have read a word and lined up.
Line Up Poem (Shannon Walden)
Hip and lip,
Standing tall.
Now we’re ready
For the hall!
Talking Strips (Brandi Housewright)
For classroom talkers, cut small strips of paper and put them inside an envelope labeled “Talking Strips.” When children feel the urge to talk out loud they can write a sentence or draw a picture of what they want to share. You can share these together at the end of the day.
Foam Hands (Cheri Rummens)
Cut hands out of foam and write “left” and “right” on them before taping them above the calendar and flag. Remind the children to look and see which hand they should place on their heart before they do the pledge.
Give Me a Toe
Instead of having children give you a high five, ask them to “give me a toe” as you touch feet.
Class Facebook (Laura Caudle)
Take the children’s pictures the first day of school and make an alphabet facebook. Run off a copy for each child. Use it throughout the year to sing ABC’s, learn alphabetical order, read each other’s names, etc.
Attention Grabber (Vanessa Prasnicki)
Teacher sings to the tune of “Old MacDonald”:
(Teacher’s name) had a class.
Kids respond: “A – E – I – O – U”
Buggy (Denise Harford)
Write letters of the alphabet on popsicle sticks. On some of the sticks have a picture of a bug. Children pull a stick out of a bag and tell the name and make the sound. When they pull out a picture of a bug they stand up and go “buggy” until you swat (clap hands) the bug down.
Hugs and Bubbles (Jo Ann Hittle)
Before going in the hall remind children to give themselves a hug (cross arms over body) and put bubbles (puff out cheeks) in their mouths.
The Word on the Bus (Laura Gerlach)
Draw the outline of a bus and place flashcards on the bus as you sing:
The word on the bus is can, can, can. Can, can, can. Can, can can.
The word on the bus is can, can, can.
That’s the word on the bus.
Tisket A Tasket Letters (Pam Uecker)
I can make a letter.
I can make a letter.
I use my arms (or hands),
I use my legs,
And I can make a letter.
(Call out a letter for the children to make with their bodies. You could use these for sign language or other signs from your phonics program.)
Picture Walk (Melissa Roel)
Invite your students to take a “picture walk” through a new book. Ignore the words and have them focus on the pictures as you ask qu;;≥7estions:
“What’s happening?”
“Who is that?”
“Where are they?”
“What do you think this story is about?”
*You can use this for vocabulary development, prediction, and other pre-reading skills.
Let’s Look Important! (Diane Ringer)
Use this idea instead of criss cross applesauce.
Would you like to know how to look important? Put your right hand over your heart like this. (Demonstrate)
Put your left hand across your chest and fold your arms like this. (Demonstrate)
Lift up your chin and smile importantly.
Now look at all my important people!
Song Requests (Heather Cline)
Make a box for song requests. Children write their favorite song on a sheet of paper and put it in the box. Pull requests each morning and sing.
End of Day Chant (Linda Wood)
Sit in a circle criss cross applesauce and start the chant with this rhythm:
Slap knees two times
Clap two times
Snap two times
Clap two times
“Linda, Linda, what do you say?
What did you like at school today?”
The child has to tell what they liked best that day. It’s a good way to remember what they learned as you reinforce oral language.