GIVE ME A CHEER!

GIVE ME A CHEER!

You’ve never downloaded my cheer cards? Well, today is the day!

These cheer cards can be used to focus children’s attention and put a smile on their faces. Every child in your classroom can feel good with these cheers.

What? cheer cards, Cheerios box or Cheer detergent box, heavy paper, scissors

Why? attention grabbers, positive self-esteem, classroom family

When? Large group, small group, all day long

How? Copy the cheer cards below on heavy paper. Cut apart. Introduce one new cheer each day. Use the cheer throughout the day. At the end of the day take a Cheerios box or a Cheer detergent box and say, “We’ve learned a new cheer. Let’s save it in our “cheer box.”

Hint! You can also tape these cheers to a bulletin, classroom door, or the front of your desk.

*When you want to encourage a child, have her reach into the “cheer box” and lead the class in that cheer.

I have two different sets of cheer cards so you can choose the one that you like best.

http://www.drjean.org/html/monthly_act/act_2004/06_june/06_2004_pdf.html

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Dr-Jeans-Cheer-Cards-1270706



Here are two videos where you can watch me demonstrate many of the cheers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWPA-jYdWe8

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

TEACHER SURVIVAL GUIDE

Many years ago Drew Giles and I created a book called: 

TEACHER SURVIVAL GUIDE - WHAT THEY DIDN'T TEACH YOU IN COLLEGE. 

Drew has generously let me give you the link so that you can download it FREE!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljcjI0UVJYR05QcmM/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-GmNGIBdPSzzWAi0GZMkhUQ

It's so cool because there are little QR codes so you can watch me do all the songs, chants, tips and tricks! (Yeah, you know Drew did that part!) This is what you will find:

Good Morning Songs

Morning Meeting Ideas

Shake a Hand

Attention Grabbers

Line Up! Line Up!

Clean Up

So Long - Farewell

A Tune & Tip for Every Transition

A Pocketful of Props

Brain Breaks and Energizers

Cheers!

QUESTION PROMPTS

THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION!

One of the most powerful teaching strategies isn't something that you buy or plug in. Nor is it something you run off on the copy machine. It's the ability to ask GOOD questions that make children think. Here are some tips for challenging children’s thoughts and answers.

Open-ended – Ask open-ended questions, rather than “yes” or “no.”
Convergent questions have one answer, but divergent questions encourage students to make new connections and think outside the box.

Phrase Questions Clearly – Focus on one aspect at a time.

Acknowledge Responses - Avoid judging answers by repeating their response. “Good thinking!” “That’s close.” “I never thought about that before.” “Kiss your brain!”

How did you know that? Encourage children to “think out loud.” This will help peers develop higher thinking skills.

Probe – Extend students’ thinking by having them clarify an idea or support an opinion.

Give Time (Smile!) – Help children think about what they want to say and provide for individual differences by asking children to smile if they know the answer. Allow 3-5 seconds of think time.


CRITICAL THINKING CARDS
Download the attached question prompt cards. Glue to index cards, punch a hole in the upper left hand corners, and attach to a book ring. Color the edges of each card to indicate questions from simple to complex. Use to challenge children to think critically and creatively.



https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljVTNCemZnbUJVMVk/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-n2sk1JhhwMTdf0rxDX2Y2Q

*Hint! Color code the different levels. For example, you could outline level one questions with a green marker. Outline level two with a blue marker, and so forth.

PLAYING WITH LETTERS

PLAYING WITH LETTERS is meant to be a resource that you can use with any reading or alphabet program that your school has selected. The ideas can be adapted for circle time, learning centers, small group instruction, take home activities, brain breaks, or transitions to provide children with learning opportunities throughout the day. Think of these activities as a spoonful of sugar to make those skills and standards “taste” more fun!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lG6M8DVJP2umDSVMAdv5uq1vF0l3XjBo/view?usp=sharing

The activities in our book are organized around these categories:

Touch and Tell (Multisensory)

Teaching Transitions

ABC Tools and “Toys”

Let’s Play and Learn Games

Letter Land (Classroom Print &Alphabet Books)

Ready to Write

Letter Centers

Singing Letters and Sounds

Alphabet Poetry Book

NOTE!

Many teachers question how they should introduce letters. Should you do capital letters first? Is there a specific order you should follow? There is NO definitive research to support one particular strategy. Children come to you with so many varied experiences and skills that one size will not fit all. However, there are two principles that we think are important.

First, make it authentic! Teach letters in context and connect with children’s names, units of study, nursery rhymes, and other interests. For example, a trip to the pumpkin patch would be the perfect time to talk about Pp. Talk about the letter Jjwhen you say Jack and Jill. If your football team is the Falcons discuss the letter Ff.

Second, make it playful and challenging. Use hands-on activities, songs, movements, and games to stimulate multiple senses. Blocks, play dough, puzzles, and magnetic letters are much more REAL than a worksheet or computer game.

Finally, remember that children take it in and take it in and take it in – and then something comes out! They don’t all learn in the same way at the same time, so you have to provide a variety of opportunities to learn. The key is to keep it fun and make them feel successful. 

HINT!  You’ll also be able to adapt many of these strategies for other skills, such as sight words, math concepts, etc.

BRAIN BREAK CARDS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtLKKrJ4KSs

According to research, brain breaks actually increase INSTRUCTIONAL TIME by reinforcing skills and helping children stay alert and interested. Glue your favorite brain breaks to index cards and place them in a bag. Pull one out and you’ll be ready to release all day long.



https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QzLsIfxcCf8r9sGZ-VWeBP4TKwgKQhdv/view?usp=sharing


Shake It Up
Hold up your right hand and shake five times as you count. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Hold up your left hand and shake five times as you count. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Hold up your right foot and shake five times as you count. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Hold up your left foot and shake five times as you count. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Count to four with each arm and leg…then three…two…one.
End by saying, “Oh yeah!” as you extend your arms and make the letter “Y.”


Balancing Brains
Have children stand. How long can they balance on their right foot? How long can they balance on their left foot?
Can they balance on their toes?
Can they balance on their right foot and extend their left leg in the air?
Can they balance on their left foot and extend their right leg in the air.
Can they balance on one foot with their eyes closed?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Thq9MTAUfSY

Jumping Brains
Ask children to stand and challenge them to jump in their space as long as they can. When they get tired they can sit back in their seats.


Hanky Panky
Tell the students when you throw the handkerchief (or tissue) up in the air they can start doing a silly dance and make funny noises. When the hanky hits the ground they must freeze. Do this several times to get rid of wiggles.




Chop Wood
Hands together as if holding an ax. Place hands on your right shoulder and then cross over your body to your left foot as you pretend to chop wood. Place hands on the left shoulder and chop to the right foot.

FINGER PLAYS FOREVER

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i6sEb-2mtP3WlVSB-xCCBruLXd1eAQWU/view?usp=sharing

I've heard people say, "Finger plays are old fashion." Well, you might call them that, but then you'd have to call chocolate chip cookies and mashed potatoes and BINGO and swings and hugs...old fashion as well. Let me share just a few things children can learn when you do a finger play. (You might want to enlighten some administrators or supervisors or parents with this information. Sometimes they just don't "get" what we do!)

Engagement – Doing a finger play is a natural way to engage children’s attention and help them focus.

Oral language – Repetition of finger plays builds oral language skills.

Auditory memory – Children activate their short term memory as they memorize finger plays.

Comprehension – Most finger plays have a simple story plot for children to follow.

Imagination – With so much time spent in front of a screen, finger plays encourage children to make pictures in their brains.

Sequence – Remembering the sequence in finger plays can help children retell stories.

Phonological awareness – Finger plays build a foundation for rhyme, rhythm and alliteration.

Eye-hand coordination – Visual connections with finger plays are important for writing and reading.

Small motor skills – Doing finger plays is like sending the fingers to the gym to exercise.

Active Learning - Multiple senses are engaged as children watch and wiggle their fingers and repeat rhymes.

Purposeful Practice for Automaticity (aka repetition) - Children will enjoy saying these rhymes over and over.

Brain Breaks - Children will be oxygenating the brain and crossing the midline as they do finger plays. Memorizing poems and rhymes is also good for short term memory.

Executive function – Children develop self-regulation and impulse control when they participate in finger plays.

Social skills – All children can be successful with finger plays with this group experience.

State Standards – You got it! Speaking, listening, comprehension, phonological awareness all rolled into one!

Transitions - Finger Plays can be used to entertain children during transitions or any time you’ve got a minute or two.

Here's a video where you can watch me do a few finger plays:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zmszqroq1pM

PLAY DOUGH POWER

Oh, happy day!  It's summertime and you have a chance to put your feet up for "a few days" before it's time to start all over again.  I am so happy that the pendulum is swinging back to "hands-on" and PLAY.  You'll find some free downloads on my blog each day that I hope will remind you how much fun teaching can be! 

Although play dough wasn't invented until the 1950's, molding materials, such as clay, have been an integral part of early childhood programs forever. For thousands of years children have joyfully played with mud and sand. In this book you'll see how play dough can be used as a learning tool - just a whole lot more fun than worksheets or a computer game!

                                    

http://bit.ly/drjeanPlayDoughPower

WHY?

When children tap and swipe on a device or sit passively gazing at a big screen there is little sensory input in the brain. We know that the only way information can get IN the brain is through the senses. Think about how much more input there is when children touch, see, talk, and hear when they are using play dough.

Small Motor Skills
Pinching, squeezing, rolling, and molding dough is like sending little fingers to the gym. Many children's small muscles are not developed and they struggle to hold a pencil and write. Play dough is a natural way to strengthen those little hands.

Social Skills
All you have to do is put out some play dough for a small group of children and observe. They will learn to share and spontaneously communicate with their friends about what they are making. They'll also challenge their friends to be creative.

Emotional Skills
Play dough is a great release for children who are stressed or have the fidgets. As they manipulate the material they can release pent up energy and calm themselves.

Imagination
So many crafts and things we give children have steps and a "model" for them to reproduce. Play dough is a blank canvas that can be turned into anything! Whatever the child creates is theirs and represents the "process" rather than the "product."


  
 

The Play Dough Song Tune: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” 
(Children make the motions with the play dough as they sing.) 

Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze play dough (Children squeeze dough.) 
Feels so good to me. 
Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze play dough 
It’s easy peasy! 


Poke – Poke fingers in the dough. 


Pinch – Pinch off pieces of the dough. 

Roll – Roll the dough into a snake. 


Pat – Pat like a pancake.