JULY PD 131- HIGHWAY NUMERALS AND SHAPES

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbW1C0Wqw5c

Well, now that you’ve got your highway letters, let’s see what you can do with highway numbers. WOW! Look at all the standards you can teach in a playful and active way!
                                      
http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/RacecarHighwayNumbers.htm

Writing Numerals – Children can trace over numerals with toy cars or they can roll play dough and place it on top of the numerals. They can also trace over numerals with a dry erase marker and erase.

Counting – Have children get in numerical order according to the number they are wearing.

Songs – Wear number vests as you sing “Five Little Monkeys,” “I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a One,” and other songs.

Inequalities - Put up two numbers and have children choose “<” or “>” to go between them. 

Addition and Subtraction – Have children make number sentences using the numbers and signs on the vests.

Fact Families – Move numbers around to demonstrate different fact families.

Decomposing Numbers – Call out a number. Children find a friend to equal that amount.

Tens and Ones – Let children demonstrate tens and ones with vests.

Word Problems – Use number vests to engage children in solving word problems.

Dot to Dot - Pass out numbers and have children scatter around the room. Give one child a large pointer. That child takes the pointer and goes from “0” through “10” by “connecting the dots.”
                             
Highway Shapes – Do similar activities by putting highway shapes in clear sheet protectors.

Note! I’d suggest making some additional cards with math signs, such as “+” “-“ “=” “<” “>” and so forth.

JULY PD 130 - HIGHWAY LETTERS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsRrBwqdvcQ

If you’ve ever been to my workshops you know I PUSH these highway letters because they can be used with a variety of skills and age levels. You can purchase a book with these or download them free at makinglearningfun.com. I put mine in clear sheet protectors because it’s cheaper and easier than laminating. You can also punch holes at the top and tie on string so the children can wear them like letter vests. 
                                     
http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/RacecarABCcards.htm

Here are just a few ways you can use the highway letters with different age levels throughout the school year.

Toy Cars - Let children drive over letters with toy cars.

Writing - Trace over the letters with dry erase markers. Erase and use again and again.
Hint! Put a green dot where they start and a red dot where they stop.
                                        
Play Dough - Roll play dough and place on top of the letters.

Songs - Pass out letter vests to children. Let them stand up when their letter is sung in the song.

Phonics - Practice blending C V C words. (consonant, vowel, consonant) with vests. Add the “silent e” to words to change the vowel sound.

Chunking - Start by asking children who are wearing “a” and “t” to stand. What does that say? Ask “m” to stand in front of “at.” What does that say? Tell “m” to go away and have “r” stand in front of “at.” Have children suggest other letters to stand in front of “at.” Reinforce other word families with this strategy.

Spelling Words - Slowly call out sight words or spelling words. (Stretch out the sounds.) Children come up if they are wearing that sound and make the word.

ABC Order- Children arrange themselves in alphabetical order according to the letter that they are wearing.

Hint! You can also play “I Have – Who Has?” with the letters. For example: “I have A. Who has B?” “I have B. Who has C?”

JULY PD 129 - QUESTION STICKS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljwb6UbL-Cw

Asking questions is a powerful teaching strategy, but if one child continually blurts out the answer it doesn’t give the rest of the class thinking time. Question sticks help you make sure you call on everyone in the class. These sticks also encourage self-regulation because they remind children to wait their turn and think quietly. Prepare these question sticks ahead of time and then when school starts all you have to do is write your students’ names on the sticks.
Hint! Tell children to smile if they know the answer and maybe you’ll chose their stick!!!
                          
What? jumbo craft sticks, red and green markers, cup

How? Color one end of each stick green and the other end red. Write children’s names in the middle and place in the cup with the green end on top. Ask a question and then swirl the cup around. Pull out a stick and that child gets to answer the question. If a child doesn’t know the answer it’s great to let them “phone a friend” (ask someone else) or “ask the audience” (group response). Place their stick back in the can with the red on top. When all the sticks are red and every child has had a chance to answer a question, turn them over and begin again.

I’ve also got some brain prompt cards you can make and save on a book ring. Use these to develop higher level thinking strategies in your students.
     
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljVTNCemZnbUJVMVk/view?usp=sharing

JULY PD 128 - FLANNEL BOARDS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BiGwtAzvWY

Yes, flannel boards are “old fashion,” but children today enjoy them just as much as children did 25 years ago. To make a simple flannel board, staple the sides of a file folder and glue felt to the front. You can glue words to stories and finger plays on the back and then store the pieces inside.

*Make simple story characters from felt so children can practice retelling stories.

*Make simple objects or shapes from felt for math activities.
                               


https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljNlkxZ0pNOVRBQW8/view?usp=sharing

*Cut out children’s photos and attach Velcro to the back. Children can use the characters to create original stories.
                                             
*Use felt pieces as visuals for finger plays.
                       


https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljYmEyYVg1SzB3UGs/view?usp=sharing

JULY PD 127 - STINKY CHEESE GAME

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFAODvNihng

Games are a natural way to develop social skills as you reinforce letters, words, numbers, math facts, etc. Games are also a good way to nurture self-regulation and 21st Century Skills of cooperation and communication.

Stinky Cheese is a hit no matter what age or what skill. In fact, a teacher created “stinky feet” and “stinky socks” because her students enjoyed it so much. But the real secret of any game is YOU! You add the magic with a dramatic voice and silly giggle.
                                  
Someone once asked me if I would play the game if a student got upset if they lost. My answer was, “YES!” Children need to learn how to lose. Role play what you should do if you lose by teaching the children to shrug and say, “Oh, well!” Don’t overreact or force them to play, but make it so much fun they won’t be able to resist!

Stinky Cheese
Why? sight words, fluency phrases, letters, math facts, shapes, etc.
What? lunch bag, yellow construction paper, marker
How? Cut cheese slices out of poster board or fun foam using the link below. Write letters, words, numbers, etc. on most of the cheese slices. On two slices write “Stinky Cheese!” Place the cheese slices in a lunch sack. Children pass around the sack drawing out one slice at a time. If they can identify the information on the slice they
get to keep it. If they get “Stinky Cheese!” everyone holds their noses and says, “Stinky Cheese!” That person must then put all her slices back in the bag.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljcWpKejBvX1ppOUk/view?usp=sharing

*How about a game of “stinky feet” and “stinky socks”?

JULY PD 126 - BRAIN BREAKS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaylC_dx4rA

Brain breaks are short movement activities that help children focus and give them a positive outlet for energy and wiggles. Young children need brain breaks every 15-20 minutes to energize their brains and activate their senses. However, children tell you things by their behavior and they’ll let you know when it’s time to get up and move!

    

It’s important for the teacher to model brain breaks and participate with the students. These activities have an additional benefit by reducing stress and boredom – in adults and children!

Here are three pages of brain breaks that are quick, easy, and fun. 

                          
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljNWNWalMwQjh5UnM/view?usp=sharing

My suggestion would be to choose one at a time and practice it for several days. (Not all of these are going to work, so just throw the ones your students don’t like in the trash and move on to another one.) Glue popular activities to an index card or jumbo craft stick and save them in a bag. After a few weeks you’ll have a bag full of brain breaks.
*Older students will enjoy choosing a brain break and leading their classmates.

JULY PD 125 - LETTER MAN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BARoaD7ZWPQ

What? small swing trashcan (from the dollar store), googly eyes, pom pom, felt scraps, craft glue, magnetic letters 
                                        
How? Decorate the trashcan similar to the one shown. Insert magnetic letters in Letter Man. Children take turns pulling out a letter, making the sound, and saying a word that starts with that sound.

*Ask children to feed Letter Man all the vowels…all the letters that are blue…the letters in alphabetical order…the letters in their name, etc.

*Place Letter Man in a center. Children choose a letter and then write it on their paper. Older children could write a word that starts with that letter.

*Children choose a handful of letters. How many words can they write with those letters?

*Write sight words on index cards. Feed letter man the cards as you sing, “I know an old man who swallowed a word. What would he say if he swallowed the word? That’s absurd!”

JULY PD 124 - SIGN AND LEARN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhh1G__YyiQ

Sign language is quiet, free, provides another pathway to the brain, and keeps those little hands busy! Here are a few simple songs you can use to introduce manual signs for alphabet letters.

     Sing and Sign
     (“Where Is Thumbkin?” – Children repeat each line.)
     Where is A? (Hands behind back.)
     Here I am. (Make sign for “a.”)
     What do you say, A?
     /a/, /a/, /a/.
Continue using other letters and making the manual signs.

The Alphabet in My Hands
(“He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”)
     I’ve got A /a/ /a/ in my hands. (Sign the letter “a.”)
     I’ve got A /a/ /a/ in my hands.
     I’ve got A /a/ /a/ in my hands
     And I can read.
Continue signing and singing other letters.

Hint! Encourage the children to make “strong” letters. As children tighten up muscles in their hands, they will also be strengthening small motor skills.

Sign Language Center - Make a SIGN LANGUAGE CENTER with a pocket folder. Glue a copy of manual signs for letters on the inside of the folder. Write alphabet letters on index cards and place in the pocket. Children choose a card and then try to reproduce that sign.  For older children, write sight words or spelling words on index cards for them to practice spelling manually.
    


                               

Classroom Management - Learn signs for classroom transitions, such as “pay attention,” “sit down,” “water,” or “restroom.”

Sign and Spell – Use sign language to spell children’s names and other words.
*For older children fingerspell words and see who can decode them.

Word Wall Words – Learn signs for high frequency words. Visit aslpro.com and click on “dictionary” to see signs demonstrated.

JULY PD 123 - TOOLS AND TIPS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejw3M1LdokQ

How about a few "tools" for your bag of tricks!

You Knock My Socks Off! 

You will need an old pair of socks, a stick, and a piece of string 18” long for this project. Tie a sock to each end of the string. Tie the middle of the string to the stick. When children do something outstanding, take the stick and wave it in the air as you say, “You knock my socks off!”
              
Mr. Good for You! 
A cloth glove, markers, fiberfill, and pipe cleaner are all you need to make a “good for you hand.” First, draw a happy face on one side of the glove with the markers. Fill the glove tightly with fiberfill or another stuffing. Gather the bottom of the glove and secure with a pipe cleaner. Children get “Mr. Good for You” and pat themselves on the back when they accomplish a new task.
                                 
Magic Lotion
Take an empty pump dispenser of hand lotion and remove the label. Make a new label for the lotion that says, “Mr./Mrs. (your name)’s Magic Lotion” and tape it to the bottle. When children are upset, frustrated, get a boo boo, or have hurt feelings, give them a “squirt” of magic lotion. 
                                                         

JULY PD 122 - READING CALENDARS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn6BX4QnzWU

In the book THE SMARTEST KIDS IN THE WORLD, one key finding was the impact parents have on their child’s academic success. When parents are interested in what their children are learning at school and talk to them about it, the results are amazing. Parents who model reading and read to their children also contribute to school success.

One teacher said she tells her parents, “All the children in my classroom need a laptop this year. Two laptops would be even better. These are not the kind of laptops that you plug in. They are the kind that come with two knees and are just right for talking and reading and loving!”

Check out these monthly reading calendars that will engage families at home. Run them off and you’ll be set for the year.
                             
http://www.drjean.org/html/monthly_act/act_2011/07_Jul_css/pg00.html

Hint! Save these to review with your parents at conference time.

Brown Bag Special
Many parents work and can’t volunteer in the classroom so this is a perfect opportunity to get them involved. When you have things that need to be cut out or if there is something you’d like downloaded from the internet, put it in a large grocery bag that says “Brown Bag Special.” Children whose parents agree to help take the bag home for their parents to do the project.

JULY PD 121 - VOICE BOX

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScEn_lycj_w

We’ve always known that repetition is a key to skill mastery. However, if children simply practice reading, or counting, or other skills over and over they will get bored. These fluency cards will engage children by letting them use silly voices and movements as they learn.

These strategies can be used for rereading books, saying poems, reading the word wall, counting, and reviewing numerous skills. If they say it, they will remember it!! 
                                
What? small box or gift bag, copy of fluency cards

How? Write “voice box” on the box or bag. Cut apart the fluency cards and place them in the box. Children choose cards and then practice reading with that “voice.”

Download the fluency cards here:

http://www.drjean.org/html/monthly_act/act_2006/01_Jan/booksJan/FluencyCards.pdf

Here’s a video where you can watch me demonstrate the different styles and strategies. The more dramatic you are, the more your students will get involved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNuuNBzgDWw&feature=youtu.be

JULY PD 120 - BRAIN TOYS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGv_R0prQ7w

Today I’ve got some simple “brain toys” that could be used in a variety of ways in your classroom to release energy and promote active learning.

                                 

Noodle
You can get these swim noodles on sale now or at a dollar store. Cut them into 8” - 9” sections and store them in a plastic tub. Pass these out to your students give them a few minutes to “mess around” and pretend they are Luke Skywalker. Explain that whenever you say “Statue of Liberty” they have to freeze and hold their noodle up like a torch.

*Follow the Leader – Play some music and have the students follow along with you as you cross the midline and make other movements with the noodle.

*Air Writing – Use noodles to practice pre-writing strokes, letters, shapes, numerals, and so forth in the air with big movements.

*Massage – Brush noodles down arms or legs. Place the noodle on the floor and roll on it to give yourself a massage.

Therapy Bands
Purchase a large roll of exercise resistance bands and cut it into 18” sections. Cut these in half horizontally and give one to each child. 

*Children can stretch the bands as they extend sounds in a word. 

*Exercise with the bands as you count, say the ABC’s, read word wall words, spell, and so forth. Stretch above your head, behind you, vertically, etc.

Hint! You can purchase rolls of the exercise bands online at Target and many other stores.

Juggling Scarves
You can purchase scarves or buy netting and cut it into 9” squares. Begin by giving each child one square to catch and toss. Let them play catch with a friend. Can they toss it, clap one time, and then catch it? Let them think of other tricks to do with their scarves.

JULY PD 119 - TOY CAR MATH

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3_lwd5u2Q4

Talk about playful and challenging! Take a look at all these things you can do with toy cars. You can pick them up at garage sales or buy them for $1 or less at a dollar store. Use these cars for centers, games, and other activities in your classroom.

What? toy cars, sticky dots, marker
                                              
How? Put sticky dots on the cars and number them 1-10. Fasten your seatbelt and here we go!

Numerical Order
Write numerals on sticky dots and place them on the cars. Can children arrange them in order?

Place Value
Use cars for tens and ones.
                         
Sets and Numbers
Make a parking lot with different sets of dots in each space. Children match up numbers on the cars with the correct space.
                                                   
Roll and Add
Write numerals 1-12 on a long strip of paper. Children roll two dice, add up the numbers, and then move their car to the correct space.

Sorting
Ask children to sort the cars. What was their sorting rule? Can they sort them another way?

Letters
Write lower letters on sticky dots and put them on the cars. Make paper houses with uppercase letters. Can they match the cars with the houses?
                            
Phonological Awareness
Make a parking lot with three spaces. As you say a word children park the car according to where they hear the sound (beginning, middle, end) of the word.