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Saturday, July 12, 2025

WHAT'S IN YOUR BACKPACK?

PLAY GIVES CHILDREN A CHANCE 

TO PRACTICE WHAT THEY ARE LEARNING!

Fred Rogers

Fred Rogers is my hero! What a legacy of kindness, love, and gentleness he left us! It is so true that children learn through play, but many parents and administrators "don't get it." Here's a poem to send home or to share at your first parent meeting about how children learn through play.


WHAT’S IN YOUR BACKPACK?

What’s in your backpack?
It’s empty today.
Where’s your work?
Did you just play?

When I built with blocks
I learned about shapes.
I balanced and shared –
Our skyscraper was great.

I played in the windy house
And talked with my friends.
I rocked a baby
And played pretend

In science I observed,
Guessed, and experimented, too.
The same things grown up
Scientists do.

Art was messy.
I created and explored.
I solved my own problem
When I spilled glue on the floor.

My fingers got a work out
With puzzles and clay.
Those same muscles
Will help me write one day.

I counted and sorted and
And measured, too.
I used my brain
Like a math whiz would do!

Out on the playground
I ran like the wind.
I learned to take turns
And helped a hurt friend.

Story time is what
I always like best.
I can use my imagination
And give my body a rest.

I sang and danced,
Learned a finger play, too.
I answered questions
And said “please” and “thank you.”

There will be time
For worksheets and tests,
But talking and playing
Is how I learn best.

I love to go to school!
I’m glad I’m me.
An empty backpack
Means I’m learning, you see!


Backpack Book
Here's a little book you can make to send home the poem.

Punch holes in the top of a lunch bag (which is actually the bottom of the bag). You will need to do this for the children. Put a pipe cleaner through the holes and twist to make a handle.
Lift up the flap and tuck the bottom of the bag under it. Glue the poem to the inside of the book.




Check out Laura Pearson's excellent advice for parents:
Edutude.net = Where education has an attitude!
info@edutude.net

Fun Activities to Boost Your Child's Learning Outside the Classroom

As a parent, seeing your child struggling in their studies can be tough. The traditional classroom setting can be challenging, and children who struggle may feel overwhelmed and discouraged. However, as a parent, you can help them learn and grow outside the classroom. Here, we present some creative ways parents can help children learn outside the classroom when they're struggling at school.

Find Helpful Educational Apps and Websites

One of the easiest and most effective ways to help your child learn outside the classroom is to find educational apps or websites that can help them. There are apps that can be a great supplement to their studies. These apps offer interactive learning modules and provide quiz questions for the student to test their understanding of the subject matter.
Put Together a Study Plan

Another creative way to help your child learn outside the classroom is to create a study plan together. Together, you can identify what subjects they struggle in most, and make a plan to focus on improving that subject. Having a clear plan can help them feel more confident and motivated to tackle their studies.
Enroll Them in Online Lessons or Tutoring

Online courses and tutoring are great ways to support your child's learning. Online courses can give them access to resources, quizzes, and assessments specifically designed for their grade level.

Tutoring can offer a more personalized approach to learning, allowing them to work through their difficulties with an expert in the subject. Finding the right online course or tutor can be a great way to help your child stay ahead of their peers and catch up in subjects they may have fallen behind in.

Find Ways to Make Learning Enjoyable

While it may be tough for children to develop an interest in difficult subjects, finding ways to make learning fun is an effective way to engage them. This can involve incorporating fun games, quizzes, and learning exercises into their routine. For example, if your child is struggling with multiplication, try playing multiplication games with them to make the subject more engaging.
Ensure They Remain Positive

When a child is struggling in school, it can be easy for them to feel discouraged and lose motivation. As their parent, it is important to help them stay positive and focused on their goals. Be sure to remind them of their growth and accomplishments, and encourage them to keep working hard.
Making Time for Them a Priority

Children who feel isolated or unsupported often struggle to thrive academically. Emotional support from parents can prove to be a valuable tool in motivating children to reach their potential. Spending quality time with your child can be an effective means to provide this support and foster a love of learning, both in and out of the classroom.
Pursue Educational Materials to Aid in Learning

Enrolling in educational courses is a wise decision to support your child's learning. By enhancing your knowledge and skills, you can assist your child in overcoming their struggles and provide them with better guidance. It also helps you stay up-to-date with the latest learning methods and strategies.
Prioritize Your Children's Needs

Finally, it is important to prioritize time for your children to learn, grow, and develop outside the classroom. Encourage them to engage in hobbies, sports, or other activities that allow them to develop essential life skills like teamwork and problem-solving. The more support and care you provide to your child, the more equipped they will be to achieve success in their academic and personal life.

Children who are struggling in school need their parent's support outside the classroom as well. There are various creative ways parents can help their children learn and grow, such as creating a study plan together, signing them up for online courses or tutoring, spending quality time with them, and more. By providing the right support and encouragement, you can help your children achieve success both in and out of the classroom.

Friday, July 11, 2025

WHY USE LEARNING CENTERS?

Learning centers are the most natural way to organize a classroom and encourage children to become active learners. Centers encourage children to make choices, explore at their own level, engage in hands-on discovery, solve problems, work with friends, use language, and be creative. Centers are also an effective way to use classroom materials, time, and space. Above all, learning centers capitalize on PLAY, which is the most meaningful and FUN way for children to learn.

Why use learning centers?

*Hands-on activities in centers provide many pathways to the brain and are engaging for young learners.

*Children can work at their own pace and level.

*Executive function skills of task initiation and task completion are nurtured with centers.

*21st Century Skills are enhanced as children cooperate with others, communicate, problem-solve, and think critically.

*Centers give children the opportunity to develop organizational skills and responsibility.

*Centers can provide children with purposeful practice for automaticity.

*Children take it in and take it in and take it in…and then something comes out! With centers we are laying a foundation by giving children a variety of rich experiences.


IT LOOKS LIKE I’M PLAYING BUT….

Just because children are playing, doesn’t mean they are not learning!!! Here are some center signs for you to post in your classroom to help parents, administrators, and other visitors recognize all the skills that children are developing.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/12i0cGopnEY28T3hxovLjiZeoOYYVEy0W/view

Dramatic Play – It looks like I’m playing, but I’m developing social skills, emotional skills, independence, oral language, my imagination, responsibility, and the executive function. I may use these skills as a mother, father, safety officer, or politician one day.

Blocks - It looks like I’m playing, but I’m developing motor skills, math concepts (number, size, shape, space), oral language, social skills. eye-hand coordination, self control, and my imagination. I may be a builder or architect when I’m grown.

Art – It looks like I’m playing, but I’m developing my creativity, small motor skills, problem solving, sharing, cooperation, independence and responsibility. I may use these skills as an artist, illustrator, or designer one day.

Math - It looks like I’m playing, but I’m developing oral language, social skills, small motor skills, concepts about quantity, shape, size, pattern, and an interest in math. I may use these tools as a computer programmer, accountant, or mathematician in the future.

Library - It looks like I’m playing, but I’m developing alphabet knowledge, oral language, print knowledge, listening skills, eye-hand coordination, concepts about the world, and the desire to read. Maybe I’ll be a publisher, author, or librarian when I grow up.

Science - It looks like I’m playing, but I’m developing a curiosity about the world, sensory skills, problem solving, language skills, and experience with the scientific process (observing, predicting, experimenting, recording, reporting). If I’m a doctor, lab technician, pharmacist, or landscaper I will utilize these skills.

Small Motor - It looks like I’m playing, but I’m developing small muscles, eye-hand coordination, attention span, social skills, and concepts about size, shape, color pattern. I might use these skills as a chef or dentist one day.

Language – It looks like I’m playing, but I’m developing oral language, alphabet knowledge, print connections, phonological awareness, visual skills, book knowledge, phonics, motivation to read. No matter what I become when I grow it, it will be important to know how to read.

Writing - It looks like I’m playing, but I’m developing eye-hand coordination, small motor skills, alphabet knowledge, self confidence, vocabulary, and an interest in print. I might use these skills one day as a journalist, administrative assistant, or poet.

Thanks to Carolyn Kisloski for these fantastic center signs.

Thursday, July 10, 2025

CLASSROOM MAKEOVER


If you’re stressed about getting your room decorated for the first day of school, I've got a great idea for you!!!! Wrap yellow caution tape around your door and post a sign that says “Under Construction.” Explain to the parents that you are trying to develop a classroom community and you want your students to decorate their own learning environment. Invite parents to come back at the end of the week to see what their children have created!

Clare Ashford has a great idea to take “under construction” one step further.
“Before Meet the Teacher night (before school starts), I wrap all my bookcases, computers, etc. in butcher paper and then put an ‘under construction’ sign on them. It serves 2 purposes. 1- that way kids don't get into things while I'm busy talking to people! and 2- we ‘unwrap’ the items together as a class when we're ready to use whatever it is. It is very helpful and makes for an organized start to the year!”

Here are some crafts your students can make to decorate the classroom.

Welcome to the Neighborhood

Make a house from construction paper for each child. Fold the paper in half vertically. Open. Fold in the top corners to the middle. Fold up the bottom. Let children write their name on the front of the house. They can open the house and draw their family. You could also ask child to bring in a photograph of their family. Add some trees and a school and you have a great bulletin board.


Class Quilt
Use group art to create a visual representation of the “community” in your classroom. Give each child a 9” square and have them decorate it with pictures of themselves, drawings of their families or favorite things, collage materials, etc. Punch holes in the corner of each square and tie together with yarn to make a quilt to display in the classroom or hallway.




Friendship Chain
Give each child a strip of construction paper to decorate with their name, symbols of favorite things, or designs. Children sit in a circle and one at a time give the teacher their strip to staple and make a chain. Remind the children that your classroom is just like that chain. Everyone must work together to keep it connected and strong. Drape the chain over the doorway.


Banners, Pennants, and Name Plates
Use construction to let children create banners or pennants that reflect them. They might include hobbies, favorite foods, pets, family members, goals, etc.




Fit Like a Puzzle
Take a large sheet of poster board and cut it into puzzle shapes. (You will need one puzzle piece for each child in the room. Mark the back of the piece with an “X” so they will know which side to decorate.) After the children have decorated their piece, challenge them to put their pieces together to make a puzzle. Glue pieces to another sheet of poster board to create a picture puzzle for your classroom.

Isn't this a great sign for your classroom door? 

Mirror, Mirror!
You know how much kids love to look at themselves in a mirror. Each day put a positive word or note on your classroom mirror to remind the children how special they are!




Lights, Camera, Action!
I loved this idea from KIRPC Head Start in Indiana. The teacher said she bought sheets, tied the ends with ribbons, and then hung them on hooks around the smart board. Taaa daaa!



P.S. LOOK AT THIS COOL IDEA FOR DISPLAYING CHILDREN'S ARTWORK OR WRITING USING A PANTS HANGER.

Wednesday, July 9, 2025

MAY HAPPIES



May Day! May Day! The lovely month of May is finally here!!! No more snow and cold weather! Sunshine and good times!

 

09-May

https://bit.ly/drJFreeMay




Tuesday, July 8, 2025

APRIL HAPPIES


Shower April with joy and good memories!


08-April

https://bit.ly/drJFreeApr



Remember that HAPPINESS IS CONTAGIOUS! YOU can add the magic to these activities with your smile, enthusiasm, and energy!

Monday, July 7, 2025

MARCH HAPPIES


MARCH HAPPIES will be like finding a pot of gold! There are handshakes, cheers, a clean up song, a treasure pirate ship, an egg flip book, a writing prompt “How to Build a Nest”, and “smiles of spring.”

Here's your free link so you'll be ready when March Marches in:


07-March

https://bit.ly/drJFreeMar




Sunday, July 6, 2025

FEBRUARY HAPPIES


February is a great time to focus on kindness and friendship! You'll find ideas for morning meeting, transitions, math, reading, science, and social studies in FEBRUARY HAPPIES. 

Here's your link for a FREE download: