DO YOU RECALL?

Have you ever heard the saying: "Work smarter, not harder." That's what I like so much about the brain research. There are some very simple strategies that you can easily integrate into your day that can improve learning in powerful ways.

According to brain research children need to recall information throughout the day. (Think of it as that extra pat on the back or a second helping of dessert.) Here are a few tips for having children recall information after you’ve read a story, taught a lesson, or at the end of the day.

Thumbs Up Thinking

If you’ve learned something new you can stick up your thumb. If you’ve learned more than one new thing you can stick up a finger for each additional thing.

Right Now! Right Now! 

Stop at random times in the day and shout, “Right now, right now, right now, right now! Who can raise their hand and tell me something they know right now that they didn’t know when they came in the classroom this morning?”

Partner Share 

Have children turn to a friend and share something new they learned.

Toss and Tell 

Take a bean bag or wadded up paper ball. Ask a review question and then toss the ball to a student. The student answers the question or says something they learned and then tosses the ball back to you. Continue as time permits.

Draw 

Let children make “thinking pads” by cutting scrap paper into fourths. Staple about 10 sheets together. Use thinking pads to have children illustrate what they’ve learned after a lesson or after reading a book.

Microphone 

Pass around a play microphone or telephone for children to state what they’ve learned.
*Let children pretend they are a news reporter and state facts about the day.


Catch a Star
Ask children to think of something new they learned or something they did that made them feel proud. Tell them to reach up and grab a star and then put it in their hearts.

Close Your Eyes and Smile
Have children close their eyes. If they can see something new they learned they can open their eyes and smile at you.

Fist List
Children make a fist and then hold up a finger for each new thing they learned that day.

Kiss Your Brain 

Write “Kiss Your Brain!” on a poster and tape it to your door. Before children leave for the day they must say something they learned and then kiss their brains.



Chant 

Start a beat for this chant by slapping thighs and clapping hands. Go around the room as you say the chant and children respond:
Hey, Hey, what do you say?
What did you learn in school today?

So, what do you RECALL from reading my blog today? Can you use one of these ideas in your classroom this year?

TIME TO SAY GOOD-BYE!

END THE DAY WITH A STORY AND A SONG!

Music is a beautiful way to start and end each day!  I also loved an idea I saw on FB several months ago.  A teacher suggested that we should spend the last 15 minutes of the school day reading to children so that they would have a "happy" thought when they went home.  You know, for some kids a song and a story might be the best LOVE we could give them!

Note! One of my fondest memories of elementary school was when Mrs. Jones, my 6th grade teacher, would read to us after lunch every day.  LOVELY!   

It Is Time to Say Good-Bye (Tune: "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain")
(Clap your hands and stomp your feet to the beat.)
It is time to say good-bye to all my friends.
It is time to say good-bye to all my friends.
It is time to say good-bye,
Give a smile and wink your eye. (Smile and then wink.)
It is time to say good-bye to all my friends. (Wave good-bye.)
Yeehaw!!! (Fist in the air.)

Goodbye Friends (Tune: “Where Is Thumbkin?”)
Goodbye friends. (Wave good-bye.)
Goodbye friends. (Children repeat each line.)
Time to go. (Point to clock.)
Time to go.
We had fun learning.
We had fun learning.
Love you so. (Cross arms as if hugging and then point to children.)
Love you so.

The More We Get Together (Traditional Tune - Sing in sign language.)
The more we get together, together, together.
The more we get together, the happier we’ll be.
For your friends are my friends, 
and my friends are your friends.
The more we get together, the happier we’ll be.

The more we learn together…

The more we play together…

The more we sing together…

Here's a video where you can watch me sing these songs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9QbZnLqeMw

Good-Bye Chant
Put your thumbs up if you learned something new today. (Put thumbs up.) 
Clap your hands if you had fun today. (Clap hands.) 
Give yourself a hug if you were a kind friend today. (Hug self.) 
See you tomorrow for another special day. (Wave and smile.) 

SO LONG - FAREWELL

You know how important it is to start each day in a positive way with a song, but it's equally important to end each day with a smile and a song.


It Is Time to Say Good-Bye (Tune: "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain")
(Clap your hands and stomp your feet to the beat.)
It is time to say good-bye to all my friends.
It is time to say good-bye to all my friends.
It is time to say good-bye,
Give a smile and wink your eye. (Smile and then wink.)
It is time to say good-bye to all my friends. (Wave good-bye.)
Yeehaw!!! (Fist in the air.)

Goodbye Friends (Tune: “Where Is Thumbkin?”)
Goodbye friends. (Wave good-bye.)
Goodbye friends. (Children repeat each line.)
Time to go. (Point to clock.)
Time to go.
We had fun learning.
We had fun learning.
Love you so. (Cross arms as if hugging and then point to children.)
Love you so.

The More We Get Together (Traditional Tune - Sing in sign language.)
The more we get together, together, together.
The more we get together, the happier we’ll be.
For your friends are my friends,
and my friends are your friends.
The more we get together, the happier we’ll be.

The more we learn together…

The more we play together…

The more we sing together…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9QbZnLqeMw

3 –H Good-bye
Heigh-de-ho, heigh-de-hay,
Sure am glad you came today.
Before you go, what do you say?
Hug, handshake, or high-5 today?




*Cut out a hand (handshake), heart (hug), and "5" (high five). Children choose the one they want to give the teacher before they leave the classroom.


Pat on the Back
Cut hand shapes out of construction paper. Write a positive comment about each child on a hand. Tape the hand to their back before they leave at the end of the day.

Partner Share
Children turn to a friend and tell their favorite thing they did at school that day.


Sales Person
Good teachers are like sales people "selling" children on learning and other activities! Before children leave at the end of the day give them something to anticipate the upcoming day. "I can't wait for you to come back to school tomorrow. We're going to _____________! It's going to be AWESOME!"

ALL DAY LONG

The songs on this recording will keep your children singing "All Day Long!" There are circle time songs that will help children learn to spell the days of the week and months of the year, as well as tunes for special occasions like having a birthday or losing a tooth There are chants to line children up, clean up, and sit down, plus a hand washing song, "Lunch Time Round-Up," and "Backpack Boogie." Children will sing and learn with songs about using scissors, holding a pencil, coloring, and "Magic Words." You'll guide children with a smile, dance, and song through the transitions in your day.

Look at all these songs:

1. Rise and Shine
2. Happy Days
3. Month Hop
4. Weather Song
5. Surprise Sack
6. New Shoes
7. Welcome Back
8. Loose Tooth
9. Birthday Song
10. Line-Up Cadence
11. Dismissal Song
12. Have a Seat
13. Give Me a Clap
14. Wiggle Them
15. Tidy Up
16. Hi Ho Helpers
17. Scrub a Dub
18. Lunch Time Round-Up
19. Hush, Little Baby
20. Magic Words
21. Name on Your Paper
22. Pencil Grip
23. Scissors Snip
24. A Coloring We’ll Go
25. What Did You Learn Today?
26. Back Pack Boogie
27. Skinnamarinkydinkydink
 

Click to see all the ways you can bring these songs into your classroom.