THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING

This is a blog I posted several years ago. I thought it was worth repeating. With all
the troubles in our world we have to try a little harder to be grateful and to be kinder to each other!

Some of you are cooking, some of you are shopping, some of you are traveling, some of you are sleeping, but I hope you all take a moment today and tomorrow to pause and...

Make a list of your blessings.

Call someone who has done something nice for you.

Write an email or send a card to someone you appreciate.

Acknowledge the positive traits of others around you instead of their negative traits.

Think of all the people who have done you good and forgive those who have hurt you.

Do a little act of kindness today and every day.

Several weeks ago my exercise instructor said her church gave everybody a twenty dollar bill and told them to give it to a random person who looked like they needed a little love. As they handed the $20 they were to smile and say, "You are special and God loves you."
I'm going to get some $20 bills and give them out this week. It's not the money - it's an acknowledgement that I recognize you and appreciate you. Somebody cares.

I appreciate each of YOU! Thank you for caring for children every day!

GOOOO LETTERS!

This can be a good brain break when your class gets the wiggles, and you’ll be reinforcing standards at the same time.

https://youtu.be/qRCVJ0-nB5M

You can pretend to play the drums or twirl your hands and fist bump the letters and sounds. Or, better yet, challenge your students to learn sign language with me. Stand up and here we go!!!

Drums…. (Pretend to play the drums.)
Goooo A! /a/ /a/ /a/ (Roll arms and right fist in air as you make the sound.)
Goooo B! /b/ /b/ /b/ (Roll arms and left fist in the air with sound.)
Goooo C! ….Z
Yeah letters!!!!

TURKEY WIGGLES

I don't know about you, but I've got the Turkey wiggles this week. (That means I'm ready to get the Thanksgiving party started!!!) Here are some ideas that might help your children move, learn, and release their Turkey wiggles!

Jump 

Jump as you read the words on the word wall, count to 100, and repeat other information.

*Children can also march or do other movements as they repeat skills.

Phonercise
Put your hands in the air and say the letter "A." Put your hands on your shoulders and make the /a/ sound. Touch your toes and say a word that starts with that sound. Continue going through the alphabet.

*Ask older children to say words that are nouns, verbs, or other parts of speech.

Stand Up
Simply asking the children to stand up gets blood going to the brain. They can stand up when they read, count, or review other information.

Air Writing
Ask children to make numerals, shapes, letters, or write words in the air with their "magic" finger.

Foot Writing
Use feet to write words, letters, answers to math facts, etc.

Pantomime
Have children stand and dramatize spelling words or vocabulary words.

Balancing Review
Have children stand. Can they balance on their right foot and count? Count by 2’s, 5’s, 10’s, etc.

*Can they balance on their left foot and read word wall words?

*Can they balance on their right foot and extend their left leg as they say the days of the week, months of the year, seasons, and so forth?

*Can they balance on their left foot and extend their right leg and read big books and classroom print?

*Can they balance on their toes and read big books and other classroom print?

THANKFUL BOOKS

Are you working on lesson plans today? Here are some books to encourage the "authors" in your classroom this week. These are a good example of what I call a "rabbit trap." Children will want to write in them, read them, and then take them home and share them with their families.

Napkin Book
Purchase seasonal napkins at the dollar store. Cut paper (4-36 sheets) the size of the napkin and staple it inside. Children can draw pictures and write about what they are thankful for.

Paper Plate Book
You'll need paper plates, blank paper, and pipe cleaners (cut in half) to make this book. Cut 8" circles out of the blank paper. Put 4 sheets of the blank paper between the two paper plates, punch a hole at the top, and bind with a pipe cleaner. Children can draw favorite foods or write what they are thankful for in this book.
*Younger children could cut out foods they like from magazines or grocery store flyers.

Thanksgiving Journal
Children can make this book and then use it over the holidays to record what they do. For each book you will need 2 sheets of white paper, a sheet of construction paper, a plastic fork, and a rubber band. Place the white paper on top of the construction paper and fold in half. Punch two holes 3" from the top on bottom on the creased side as shown. Insert the rubber band in one whole and loop the end of the fork through it. Insert the other end of the rubber band through the other hole and secure the fork.
Hint! Large plastic forks and skinny rubber bands work best.

We Give Thanks
(Tune: “Michael Row Your Boat Ashore” )
We give thanks for food we eat.
Hallelujah.
We give thanks for food we eat
Hallelujah.
We give thanks for families…
We give thanks for friends so dear…
We give thanks for all the earth…

*Let children suggest other things they are thankful for and insert the words in the song.

Here is a link to run off the above book.
drjean.org/html/monthly_act/act_2007/11_Nov/1booksNov/weGiveThanks.pdf

OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS

Teachers all over the USA are thankful that next week is a short week! Forget "rigor" and give your children some special memories. Here is a song memory from when I was little girl many, many years ago. It's still a great song and a meaningful way to compare/contrast and talk a about the "olden days."

Over the River
(Traditional Tune)
Over the river and through the woods (Pretend to hold reins of a sleigh
To grandmother’s house we go. and drive as you bounce up and down.)
The horse knows the way (Put hands behind back and nod
To carry the sleigh like a horse.)
Through the white and drifted snow.
Over the river and through the woods, (Pretend to drive sleigh.)
Oh, how the wind does blow. (Wrap arms around self and shiver.)
It stings your toes and bites your nose (Touch nose and point to toes.)
As over the ground we go.

Through the country and cities far (Pretend to drive a car.)
In sun or wind or rain.
We might go by train (Pull down on train whistle.)
We might take a plane. (Fly hand like a plane in the air.)
Or maybe a bus or car. (Hold out right hand, then left.)
Through low valleys and mountains high (Look down low and then up.)
Now, grandmother’s house I spy. (Hand over eyes.)
Hurrah, for the fun! (One fist in the air.)
Is the turkey done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie! (Cheer with other fist.)

Comparisons – Use a Venn diagram to compare what it would be like to visit grandmother a long time ago and how we visit now. How are things the same? How are they different?

Graphs – Make a graph of how they will travel to their Thanksgiving dinner. Car? Plane? Train? Bus? Boat? Stay at home!

Olden Days
Bring in a rotary phone, typewriter, record player, and camera. (A note to parents might help you find one of these.) Talk about how they were used when their grandparents were kids. What do we use now instead?
*Hint! I think it's important for children to know what these items are because most of the books copyrighted before 2000 have pictures or reference them.

RALPH THE RAG

You know, I really miss being in the classroom. O.K., I don’t miss everything, but I sure miss having fun with the kids. They were my best audience and I loved coming up with tricks to capture their interest. One of my favorites was Ralph the Rag. I took an old towel and knotted it at the top and used it like a puppet to focus the children’s attention. I would let Ralph sit on my hand and say:

This is my buddy Ralph the Rag. Let’s see if you can do everything that Ralph does. (I’d lean Ralph one way and wait for them to follow. Then I’d lean Ralph the other way. I’d shake his head, move him backwards, etc. Then I’d have Ralph stand up. The children would follow along as I made him turn around, jump, and so forth. I always ended by having Ralph sit quietly back in my hand.)

If the children didn’t follow along with Ralph or if they kept talking I’d pretend to cry and be Ralph. “The boys and girls aren’t listening to me so I’m just going to go away.” They’d say, “No, Ralph. We’ll be quiet and listen to you. Don’t go away.”

It was fun and it worked for a week or so.

Another trick I used was the Quiet Family. I placed some little toy figures in a lunchbox and said “I have some little friends that would like to visit our class. However, the friends have teeny tiny ears so you’ll have to use teeny tiny voices today.” The class would agree to this and I would open the lunch box and take out the friends. If someone got too loud I could count on another classmate to say, “Shhh! Remember our friends and their little ears!”

You’ve just got to create your own happiness and fun every day! 

A CUP OF IDEAS

Plastic cups for classroom management!!! Here are a few new "tricks" for you to try!

Help Me!
Give each child a red and green cup to keep in their desk. When they are doing independent work have them place the cups on their desk with the green on top. Green means they are good to GO! If they need help they put the red cup on top to indicate, “Please STOP and help me.”

Group Check
You’ll need a red, green, and yellow cup for this activity. Stack the red (bottom), yellow (middle), and green (top) cups in that order and place them in the middle of a table where students sit. If the group gets loud, remove the green cup and the yellow will be a warning to calm down. If the noise continues remove the yellow cup and they must stop all talking.


Note! I didn’t think of this. There are several variations of it on the internet.

Dippers and Fillers
This is a popular management system that many schools use. When children are unkind or say something hurtful they are “dippers.” When they are kind they are “fillers.” Punch holes in the sides of a cup and tie on a string or pipe cleaner so children can hang them on their chairs or a bulletin board. The teacher or friends can put a token in their cup to thank them for being a “filler.”
                                        

Storage
Plastic cups can be used for organizing art materials, pencils, and other supplies.
*How about a cup for “Lost and Found Crayons” or “Lost and Found Pencils”?

Snack Cups
In addition to using cups for liquids, they’re handy for serving popcorn and other snacks to children.

*Decorate with stickers and use for party treats.

Lucky Sticks
Let each child decorate a craft stick with her name. Place the sticks in a cup labeled “lucky sticks.” When you have a special job to be done pull a stick from the cup. That’s the “lucky” winner. Put their stick in your desk after they’ve had a turn and when all the sticks are in your desk put them back in the cup and start all over.

                                 

Review Questions
Write a question on the front of the cup and write the answer inside for a self-check activity.


Brainstorm
Divide students into groups of 4. Give each group a cup and challenge them to come up with as many uses for the cup as they can in 5 minutes.

MNEMONIC DEVICE

A mnemonic device helps you recall how to spell a word or how to remember a string of words or a phrase that stands for more complicated information. I can remember my fourth grade teacher standing at the board saying, “My father taught me how to spell geography by saying: George Elliott’s Oldest Girl Rode A Pig Home Yesterday.” Some days I can’t remember my phone number, but I’ll never forget how to spell geography! I’m sure all of you have had a similar experience and can attest to the power of these clever tricks.

Note!! I know this isn't that meaningful for young children, but you might need to know this if you are ever on "Jeopardy" or if you're helping older children with homework. Besides, I just felt like giving you (and me) a break today!

Homes – The Great Lakes are:
Huron,
Ontario,
Michigan,
Erie, and
Superior.


Planets
My (Mars)
very (Venus)
eager (Earth)
mother (Mars)
just (Jupiter),
served (Saturn)
us (Uranus)
noodles (Neptune).

Roy G. Biv – He’s your friend when it comes to the color spectrum.
Red,
orange,
yellow,
green,
blue,
indigo,
violet.



Directions
Never (North)
Eat (East)
Soggy (South)
Weenies (or Sour Watermelon) West
*Point to the directions as you say this.


Spelling BECAUSE -
Big
Elephants
Can
Always
Understand
Small
Elephants

Spelling ARITHMETIC (Bridget Weaver)
A
Rat
In
The
House
Might
Eat
The
Ice
Cream

Continents
Eat (Europe)
an (Antarctica)
aspirin (Asia)
after (Africa)
a (Australia)
nutty (North America)
Sandwich (South America).


Months of the Year
Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November.
All the rest have thirty-one excepting February alone;
Which hath but twenty-eight, in fine, till leap year gives it twenty-nine.

*Hold up knuckles on both hands. Point to the knuckles as you name the months. The months with 31 days will be the tall knuckles and the months with 23 or 30 days will be the lower spots in between.

Multiplication by Nine – Hold up ten fingers.
1 x 9 (One - put down left pinky and nine ones will be left.)
2 x 9 (Two – put down second finger/left pinky and you’ll have 1 ten and 8 ones.)
3 x 9 (Three – third finger down for two tens and seven ones.)
4 x 9 (Four – fourth finger down for three tens and six ones.)
5 x 9 (Thumb down for four tens and five ones.)
6 x 9 (Right thumb down for five tens and four ones.)
7 x 9 (Right pinky down for six tens and three ones.)
8 x 9 (Right middle finger down for seven tens and two ones.)
9 x 9 (Right ring finger down for eight tens and one.)

Do you have any mnemonic devices tucked away in your brain? I’d love to hear about them.

COLOR YOUR DAY HAPPY

Something old...something new!

Did you know that Crayola makes WINDOW MARKERS and WINDOW MARKERS WITH CRYSTAL EFFECTS that are washable and will bring out creativity in anyone. I bet you could think of a dozen more ways to use these in your classroom.  (Yep!  Available on Amazon!)

Reading
Write letters, words, numerals, shapes, or anything you want to reinforce on windows or mirrors.
*Let children wear sunglasses and identify the information with a pointer.

Writing
Let children practice writing letters, numerals, spelling words, etc. on classroom windows.
* How about rainbow writing? Make giant letters, shapes, words, etc. on windows. Children can take the markers and trace around the figures with different colors.

Reward
Use these as a reward or when children finish their work early.

Reminders
Use the classroom mirror as a message board to write words of encouragement, reminders, or to celebrate accomplishments.

Special Days
Let children decorate classroom windows for holidays, seasons, themes, or other special events.

Brainstorm!
Write a word or theme and invite children to add their own thoughts to the window.

Sign In
Children can write their name or a special message when they come to school each morning.

Graffiti
What an open-ended art center this could be throughout the year!

Note! You could even have “window washer” as a classroom job. I found it was best to wipe off the marks with a wet towel before using a window cleaner.

ITSY BITSY SPIDER

How about another new video for your children?

https://bit.ly/drJItsyBitsy

STINKY CHEESE

This game is the perfect way to nurture social skills and the executive function (self-regulation, task initiation and completion). Children will learn to take turns and practice “losing.” (Your silly reaction to “stinky cheese” will encourage the children to laugh along with you.


Stinky Cheese

What? lunch bag, yellow construction paper or poster board, marker

*Hint! An empty cheese cracker box will make a more durable container for the game.

Why? sight words, fluency phrases, letters, math facts, shapes, etc.





When? Large group or small group

How? Cut cheese slices out of poster board or construction paper. Write letters, words, numbers, etc. or any skill you want to reinforce on the cheese slices. On two slices write “Stinky Cheese!” Place the cheese slices in the 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.

Hint! If children can’t identify what is on their cheese slice invite them to “phone a friend” (ask a friend) or “ask the audience” (ask the group).


Role Model

Some children need to learn how to “lose.” Explain that when something doesn’t go your way you just say, “OH, WELL!” as you open your palms and shrug your shoulders. Have children practice saying, “Oh, well!” when they lose.

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

Your custom PDF Download Link:

https://bit.ly/drJCheesepdf

RHYME TO READ

Nursery rhymes have been kept alive by children for hundreds of years. That is certainly testimony to their appealing quality to children. Nursery rhymes are short, simple, and are part of our literary heritage. Nursery rhymes are also FREE and can be integrated throughout the day to engage children.

What skills can children develop by saying nursery rhymes?
*oral language,
*auditory memory
*phonological awareness (rhyme, rhythm, alliteration)
*concepts about print (left to right, words)
*story elements (characters, setting, problem and resolution)
*motivation to read

Hint! Although some claim nursery rhymes are violent and stereotypic, the children only hear the surface level and the music of the language.


Piggy Back Tunes
You can sing traditional nursery rhymes to tunes such as “100 Bottles
of Pop on the Wall,” “Yankee Doodle,” and ”Gilligan’s Island.”

Story Elements
Discuss the characters, setting, problem, resolution, etc. in nursery rhymes.

Rhyme of the Week
Select a rhyme each week and write it on a poster or language experience chart. Reread the rhyme each day.
*Clap the syllables.
*Find words that rhyme.
*Listen for words that start the same.
*Look up unusual words in the dictionary.
*Dramatize the rhyme.
*Say the rhyme the wrong way and let children correct you.
*Leave out a word and let the children fill in the missing word.
*Connect with art by letting children make puppets, play dough characters, etc.


Nursery Rhyme Club
Make a poster that says “Nursery Rhyme Club.” Whenever a child can say a rhyme, they get to sign their name on the poster. It would also be fun to give them a membership card!

Would you like some membership cards?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljZmpEYnVyWFNaVk0/view?usp=sharing


My Nursery Rhyme Book
Every child will need a spiral notebook or composition book for this project. Each week run off a copy of a rhyme you want to focus on. (Be sure and increase the font for little eyes.) Children cut out the rhyme and glue it on the left and then illustrate the rhyme on the right. Use the rhyme for choral reading and to reinforce specific skills (letters, left to right, sight words, punctuation, etc.) throughout the week. On Friday children take home their books and read the rhyme to their parents. Encourage parents to write their "comments and compliments" in the book.

Note! Research reinforces with the skills children can develop from nursery rhymes.
rhymes:www.earlyliteracylearning.org
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/20396377_Nursery_Rhymes_Phonological_Skills_and_Reading

HEY, DIDDLE DIDDLE

Here are two more videos from Alex May.  

https://bit.ly/drJHeyDiddle

https://bit.ly/drJLittleBoyBlue

RHYME ON

Being able to identify words that rhyme is key to developing phonological awareness.
However, teaching children to identify words that rhyme doesn’t happen in one day. The curriculum guide may say, “The children will learn to rhyme today,” but you and I know it takes many, many, many activities where children listen, speak, sing, and chant to develop that skill. Traditional nursery rhymes, songs, and books are the most natural way to nurture rhymes, but here are a few more activities where children can rhyme in a “playful” way.

Handy Rhymes
Have children extend their arms as they say pairs of words that rhyme and sing to the tune of “Skip to My Lou.”
sun (extend right hand)
fun (extend left hand)
Those words rhyme.
sun (extend right hand)
fun (extend left hand)
Those words rhyme.
sun (extend right hand)
fun (extend left hand)
Those words rhyme.
They both end with “un.” (Roll arms around as you say this.)

*As they progress, the teacher says a word as children extend their right hand. Children say their own rhyming word as they extend their left hand.

Rhyme Detectives
Tell the children that they will get to be detectives and listen for words that rhyme. You’ll say two words, and if they rhyme they put their pinkies up. Pinkies down if the words don’t rhyme.
For example: Cat - hat (pinkies up), run - dog (pinkies down).

Rhythm Rhyme
Start a beat by slapping legs two times, clapping hands two times, and snapping fingers two times. On the first snapping beat the teacher says a word. On the second snapping beat the children say a word that rhymes.

Slap, slap, clap, clap, snap, snap.
Slap, slap, clap, clap, mitten. (Teacher says.)
Slap, slap, clap, clap, kitten. (Children say a word that rhymes.)


Rhyme Ball
You will need a ball, beanbag, or other object to toss for this game. Children sit or stand in a circle. The teacher says a word and then tosses the ball to a child. As the child catches the ball, she must say a word that rhymes.


Rhyme Bag Homework
Give each child a paper lunch bag and ask them to bring in two objects from home that rhyme. As children share their items the following day encourage them to think of other words that rhyme.

Rhyming Puzzles
Glue rhyming pictures on opposite sides of a 3” x 5” index cards. Cut a puzzle shape between pictures. Mix up and have children put rhymes together.

*Make games with socks, mittens, shoes, etc. where children use clothes pins to put the rhyming pictures together.


Hint! Mr. Google has some great free printables with rhyming pictures.


Sentence Puzzles
Write rhymes on sentence strips. Cut between the words and let children put them in the correct order in a pocket chart.

Riddle Rhyme Game
Let children make up their own rhymes in this game. First, they choose an object in the room. Next, they say a word that it rhymes with, along with another clue.
For example: “This rhymes with hair and it is something you sit on.” “This
rhymes with look and it is something you read.”

TO THE POINT

I'll get right to the point with some pointers today.

WHY?
Children love anything novel and different. They can use these pointers to track from left to right, identify key details in a picture, point out letters or words in print, highlight capitalization and punctuation, touch shapes, identify parts of speech…I think you get the “point”!

WHAT?
Take a look at all these pointers I've collected. I bet you'll find at least one new idea that will capture your students' interest. 

Magic wand – dip the end of a chopstick in glue and roll in glitter

Finger nail – glue a fake fingernail to a craft stick

I Spy – glue a googly eye to a craft stick

Jewel – glue a fake jewel to a craft stick

Witches’ finger – great fun

Magnifying glass - pipe cleaner formed in a circle

Swizzle stick – buy these at a dollar store or have a drink at a bar (Just kidding!)

Pretzel stick – point and then eat

Seasonal – glue small seasonal toys or stickers to craft sticks or purchase seasonal pencils

Bugles - point, read, and eat!!!

Alien - Glue pipe cleaner antennas to the eye pointer and use for pointing and spacing between

words.

 

Giant Pointers
Glue a toy to the end of a cardboard pants hanger or decorate a butterfly net.

Smart Center
This was one of those simple, yet clever ideas that a teacher shared years ago. She said she had a center called the "smart center" with an old pair of glasses and a hand pointer. Children wore the glasses and walked around the room and pointed to words, shapes, colors, letters, etc. to show how "smart" they were. The only rule was you had to use a whisper voice. The teacher who shared this said the kids LOVED this center. She said nobody paid any attention to them, but they thought they were smart just the same!