CALENDAR CHATS AND MACARENA MONTHS

Calendar chats can be a springboard for many math concepts, such as counting, addition, more, less, measurement, shapes, etc. Here are some ways to tie in math with your morning meeting.

*Hint! Each month mark the calendar with days that have a special meaning for the children, such as birthdays, field trips, vacation days, etc.

How Many?
Count how many boys. How many girls? How many altogether? Which is more? Which is less? How many ones and how many tens?

Operations
Think of equations that equal the date.

Vote
Vote on books, games, songs, and other favorites. Tally results and discuss more, less, and equal.

Before and After
How many days until the field trip?
What was yesterday? What is tomorrow?


Macarena Months(Dance the Macarena as you sing.)
January, (Left arm out with palm down.)
February, (Right arm out with palm down.)
March, (Turn left palm up.)
April, (Turn right palm up.)
May, (Right hand on left shoulder.)
June, (Left hand on right shoulder.)
July, (Right hand on back of head.)
August, (Left hand on back of head.)
September, (Right hand on left front hip.)
October, (Left hand on right front hip.)
November, (Right hand on back right hip.)
December, (Left hand on back left hip.)
Then you turn around. (Turn around.)

*End with "There are 12 months, 52 weeks, and 365 days in a year, WHOO!" (Point to the sky on Whoo!)



http://bit.ly/drjeanMacarenaMonths

CALENDAR CHATS

Calendar chats can be a springboard for many math concepts, such as counting, addition, more, less, measurement, shapes, etc. Here are some ways to tie in math with your morning meeting.

*Hint!  Each month mark the calendar with days that have a special meaning for the children, such as birthdays, field trips, vacation days, etc. 

How Many?
Count how many boys. How many girls? How many altogether? Which is more? Which is less? How many ones and how many tens?

Operations
Think of equations that equal the date.

Vote
Vote on books, games, songs, and other favorites. Tally results and discuss more, less, and equal.

Before and After
How many days until the field trip?
What was yesterday? What is tomorrow?

Pattern
Make a pattern as you color in the days on the calendar.
Make patterns with the children by having them stand, sit, or do motions.
Clap hands and slap thighs in patterns for the children to extend.

Shapes
You will need a pointer for this activity. Insert different shapes in this song to the tune of “Do You Know the Muffin Man?”

Do you see a circle, circle, circle?
Do you see a circlesomewhere in the room?
Pass the pointer to a child who touches that shape and responds:
Yes, I spy a circle, circle, circle. Yes I spy a circlein the room.

*You can involve the whole group by letting them all get up and touch the shape mentioned in the song.

Comparing
Compare the number of children who were tie shoes and Velcro, who have pockets or no pockets, who walked to school or rode to school, etc.

Days of the Week (Tune: “The Addams Family” – Sing in sign language.)
Days of the week. Days of the week. (Snap fingers.)
Days of the week. Days of the week.
Days of the week.
There’s Sunday (Open palm and circle out.)
And there’s Monday, (Make an “m” and circle.)
There’s Tuesday (Make a “t” and circle.)
And there’s Wednesday, (Make a “w” and circle.)
There’s Thursday (Make an “h” and circle.)
And there’s Friday, (Make an “f” and circle.)
And then there’s Saturday. (Make an “s” and circle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JsfKTNAL50

*Point to the days on a calendar as you sing.

Macarena Months (Dance the Macarena as you sing.)
January, (Left arm out with palm down.)
February, (Right arm out with palm down.)
March, (Turn left palm up.)
April, (Turn right palm up.)
May, (Right hand on left shoulder.)
June, (Left hand on right shoulder.)
July, (Right hand on back of head.)
August, (Left hand on back of head.)
September, (Right hand on left front hip.)
October, (Left hand on right front hip.)
November, (Right hand on back right hip.)
December, (Left hand on back left hip.)
Then you turn around. (Turn around.)

http://bit.ly/drjeanMacarenaMonths

TOP TEN SONGS - TODAY IS SUNDAY

This is an old camp song that's good for helping children learn the days of the week. And, yes, going forwards and backwards is actually good for the brain.

Today Is Sunday
Today is Sunday. (Put hands in arm pits and flap
Sunday – chicken. like a chicken.)
All you lucky children,
Well, that’s O.K.

Monday – peanut butter (Extend left hand and spread peanut butter with right hand.)

Tuesday – snap beans (Snap fingers.)

Wednesday – soup (Pretend to slurp soup.)

Thursday – ice cream (Pretend to lick a cone.)

Friday – hotdogs (Slap hands together.)

Saturday - pizza (Extend palm in air as if carrying a pizza.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JsfKTNAL50

Here's a link so you can download a free book to  go with the song:

https://bit.ly/drjeanSundayTrilogy

Write the days of the week on seven paper plates as shown. Let children draw the foods in the song. Pass these out to seven children and let them stand in front of the room and hold up their plate at the appropriate time in the song.



Calendar Time
Every morning you can sing this song and insert specials for the day.

Today is day of the week.
Day of the week   music (P.E., art, etc.)
All you lucky children, well, that's O.K."


My Favorite Foods
Fold two sheets of paper in half and staple to make a book. The children can write a different day on each page and then draw their favorite foods. (The teacher who shared this idea years ago said one little boy who was a picky eater drew macaroni and cheese on every page!)

ACTIVE LEARNING #21 MACARENA

This dance is so much fun.  You can count, say the months, or say the ABC's as you wiggle and cross the midline.

Macarena Count to 100
Directions: Children stand and do the “Macarena” as they count.
1 (Right arm out palm down.)
2 (Left arm out palm down.)
3 (Right palm up.)
4 (Left palm up.)
5 (Right hand on left shoulder.)
6 (Left hand on right shoulder.)
7 (Right hand behind head.)
8 (Left hand behind head.)
9 (Right hand on left hip.)
10 (Left hand on right hip.)
(Clap two times.)
That is one ten. (Hold up one finger.)
11…100

*Do the “Macarena” with Dr. Jean on this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGKXZVxAffM&list=PL7bsHC8DZJxh3UuXWDyOXZ1c_dGBUdxOA&index=40

*Skip count using the Macarena. Counting by 2’s, 5’s, 10’s, etc. will help children with multiplication.


Macarena Months(Dance the Macarena as you sing.)
January, (Left arm out with palm down.)
February, (Right arm out with palm down.)
March, (Turn left palm up.)
April, (Turn right palm up.)
May, (Right hand on left shoulder.)
June, (Left hand on right shoulder.)
July, (Right hand on back of head.)
August, (Left hand on back of head.)
September, (Right hand on left front hip.)
October, (Left hand on right front hip.)
November, (Right hand on back right hip.)
December, (Left hand on back left hip.)
Then you turn around. (Turn around.)

*End with "There are 12 months, 52 weeks, and 365 days in a year, WHOO!" (Point to the sky on Whoo!)

http://bit.ly/drjeanMacarenaMonths


Macarena Alphabet
Sing or say the letters as you cross the midline.
A (Left arm out with palm down.)
B (Right arm out with palm down.)
C (Turn left palm up.)
D (Turn right palm up.)
E (Right hand on left shoulder.)
F (Left hand on right shoulder.)
G (Right hand on back of head.)
H (Left hand on back of head.)
I (Right hand on left front hip.)
J (Left hand on right front hip.)
K (Right hand on back right hip.)
L (Left hand on back left hip.)
And M (Turn around.)
N (Left arm out with palm down.)
O (Right arm out with palm down.)
P (Turn left palm up.)
Q (Turn right palm up.)
R (Right hand on left shoulder.)
S (Left hand on right shoulder.)
T (Right hand on back of head.)
U (Left hand on back of head.)
V (Right hand on left front hip.)
W (Left hand on right front hip.)
X (Right hand on back right hip.)
Y (Left hand on back left hip.)
And Z (Turn around.)