WIN/WIN WITH PARENTS

Several years ago I read Amanda Ripley’s book THE SMARTEST KIDS IN THE WORLD, one of the most interesting findings was that what parents did at home mattered significantly. Reading to children and talking about school was very important. Parents showed their children they valued education by asking about school, what they learned, what they liked, etc. Parents who modeled reading also had a positive impact.

Here are a few tips to encourage parents to communicate with their children about school.

Journal
Make daily journals for students by putting white paper in a pocket folder. At the end of each day students draw what they learned and dictate or write a sentence to go with their drawing. The journal goes home each evening so children can discuss what they did at school with their parents. The parents sign the journal, write comments or compliments, and return it the following day.




Conversation Starters
Make copies of the attached conversations starters. (Adapt them to your age level and curriculum.) Cut them apart and put them in a bag. Children draw one as they leave at the end of the day and give it to their parents to prompt a discussion about what they did.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jlja2w2OWtzRjlIdkk/view?usp=sharing

Hint! One school suggested that parents "turn it off" in the car when they picked up their child. The quiet time might encourage children to talk about school because they'd know they had their parent's undivided attention.

Screen Time Survey
Ask parents to keep a log of how much time their child spends in front of a screen for a week. The following week ask them to “turn it off” and spend an equal amount of time reading, playing games, doing chores around the house, etc. with their child.

Brain Tickets
Run off brain tickets similar to the ones below. To earn a brain ticket children need to tell the teacher one new thing they learned at the end of each day. Explain to the parents that their job is to ask their child what she learned to earn the ticket.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljUmNfQTJld3VsV00/view?usp=sharing


Laptops for Every Child
A teacher explained at her first parents’ meeting that she recommended that every child needed at least one laptop – two if possible. It’s not the kind of laptop that you plug in, but the kind with two knees. This laptop is perfect for reading, talking, hugging, and singing!

WRITE ON

Here are other tips to encourage children to do informational writing.

Suggestion Box
Keep a shoebox and blank paper on a shelf for children to write their complaints and suggestions.

*Use for complaints and “tattle tales.”

What can you find out?
Collect non-fiction books about a topic that you will be studying in your class. Place the books on a table along with clipboards, paper, and pencils. Let two children work together and take notes to look in the books and see what they can find out (learn) about the topic.


Science Journal
Have each child make a science journal to record observations, notes, and what they are doing and learning in science.

Picture Talks
Cut pictures out of magazines and ask the children to label.

       

*Cut people out of catalogs and label body parts.

Letters 

Write letters to politicians, movie stars, rock stars, or other famous people.

*Write letters to our troops.

Newscast
Write a newscast for your classroom or school.

Survey
Take surveys on the bus, in their home, or in their neighborhood. They might ask who’s going to win the football game, favorite pizza topping, favorite book, favorite game, etc.

Class Newspaper
Make a class newspaper by assigning small groups of children to different topics. Run off and send home.

Pen Pals
Children can be pen pals with another class in your district, or you can go online and you’ll find several sites. They can even be pen pals with their teacher over the summer.

NON-FICTION WRITING

Nonfiction writing is all around us from signs to newspapers to emails to food wrappers. Most state standards include informational writing similar to the one below:

Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.

Over the next few days I’ll suggest some activities where children can have the opportunity to be engaged in “playful and challenging” nonfiction writing. These activities can be used for independent work or in a literacy center. Many would also be perfect to do with a partner.


Interview
Have children interview parents, friends, school personnel, etc.

*Ask their parents what it was like when they were in school. What games did they play? What was their favorite subject? What was their favorite book?

Directions
Write directions or a “how to” for, a sport, a game, a craft, or something they are good at.


Recipe
Write a recipe for a favorite food.

*Create a menu for a restaurant they would like to own.

Lists
Make lists of books they read, toys they own, what they can do instead of watching TV, things in their desk, etc.


Invitation
Write invitations to a class program or party.


Advice
Write suggestions on “how to be a good friend,” or “what to do when you get angry.”


Diary/Journal
Let children have a quiet time each day to write in a journal or diary.


Riddles & Knock Knocks
Let each child write a riddle or joke to add to a class book.

STICK BOOK

Here's a book your students will WANT to write in! It can be used as a letter book, for retelling the sequence of a story, for writing sight words or spelling words, for original stories, for math, science - you name it!

Materials: 2 sheets of paper, a craft stick, rubber band, and hole punch 

Directions: Fold two sheets of paper in half and cut along the folded line. Stack these and fold in half again. Hole punch on the folded side about 1 ½” from each end. Push one end of the rubber band through one hole and insert the end of the popsicle stick through the loop. Push the other end of the rubber band through the other hole and insert the other end of the popsicle stick through that loop.

Hint! To make a bigger book just fold several sheets of paper in half.

Cut up halfway as shown to make a book of onsets and rimes.

Make a nature book by substituting a real stick. 

                       

*A novelty pencil can become a journal or a seasonal book.


*A plastic fork or spoon makes a cookbook.

                                          

*How about a candy cane or cinnamon stick?



*Make a color book by using a crayon.Popsicle Stick Book

TACO BOOK AND BACKPACK BOOK

Here are two books that are challenging to make and will encourage children to be "authors and illustrators.

Taco and Burrito Book

Materials: construction paper, white copy, scissors, glue stick

Directions: Fold one sheet of paper in half. (That's your taco.) Cut off the creased edge about 1 1/2" from the top and the bottom of the fold.

Now, take 2-5 additional sheets of paper (you can vary this for the number of pages you want in your book). Fold them in half. Cut down 1 1/2” from the top and bottom of the crease.

                      

Roll up lengthwise like a burrito and insert in the hole you cut out of the taco. Unroll, fold in half, and you’ll have a book.

                                                  

Finally, take a sheet of construction paper and fold it in half. Glue all over the inside of the construction paper and then insert your book and rub.

                 

Use this book for:
edited stories
note taking
journals
science or social studies reports


Backpack Book
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.

Use for: phonics
numbers
word families
facts about a concept/notes
book report
take home finger plays and nursery rhymes
reader’s tool kit

GOOD IDEAS #12

Recognizing and accepting the way children feel is an essential part of making them feel comfortable. I think talking about feelings is more important now than ever with all the craziness in our world.  Start with a song...

If You’re Happy and You Know It (Traditional Song and Tune)
If you’re happy and you know it, that's O.K.…(Clap twice.)
If you’re happy and you know it, that's O.K.…(Clap twice.)
If you’re happy and you know it, that's O.K.…(Clap twice.)
Whatever you're feeling, that's O.K.  (Hug self.)

*Insert other feeling words and actions in the song. For example:
“If you’re sad and you know it cry your eyes…” (Rub eyes.)
“If you’re angry and you know it stomp your feet…” (Stomp feet.)
“If you’re scared and you know it say, ‘Oh, my!’”…

End with, “We all have feelings, that’s O.K. (Stick up thumb.)
We all have feelings, that’s O.K.
Happy, sad, mad, or glad, 

We all have feelings and that’s O.K.” (Thumbs up.)

VIRTUAL CLASSROOM

Check in with every child and ask them to tell how they are feeling.  Stick up your thumb as you respond and say, "That's O.K."

Puppets
Make puppets of Emoji feelings similar to the one shown. Discuss things that make you angry or sad or scared. What can you do when you feel (emotion)? Role play appropriate and inappropriate responses for different emotions.

VIRTUAL CLASSROOM
Give children patterns and craft sticks to make these at home.  Tell little stories and ask them to hold up the puppet to show how they would feel.

Journals
Let children write their names and draw “feeling faces” as they enter the classroom each day.

    

*As you read books, invite children to relate when they’ve felt like the characters in the story.

*Extend vocabulary by brainstorming different ways to say “happy,” “sad,” “angry,” “surprised,” etc.

VIRTUAL CLASSROOM 
Make journals for children to record their feelings at home.  Encourage them to share their drawings and discuss them with their classmates.