GIVE A "TOOT" FOR OLD IDEAS

I was looking through some old photos and found a few ideas I wanted to share with you today.

Good-Bye Book
Leaving a school in the middle of the year can be heart wrenching to children. Before they leave let each classmate draw a picture and write or dictate something special about them. Put their drawings together and add a class photo to make a book. It will give the child leaving a special memory they can take with them.

Chalk Board Table
Is this cool? Ms. Smalls found an old table they were going to throw away. She painted the top with chalkboard paint and let the children write special messages, draw pictures, write sight words, etc. on it. The kids LOVED it!

Stickies
You know all those seasonal sticky designs you can put on windows. What a great center activity using cookie sheets!
*The alphabet ones would be perfect for writing words.

Toot a Roo
I don't know why I got such a kick out of this idea a teacher shared, but it's right up my alley. Cut paper towel rolls in half and let children decorate them with markers and stickers. When you want to celebrate or cheer an accomplishment all the children get out their "toot a roos" and go "toot toot toot toot toot toooo!"

HORIZONTAL, VERTICAL, LINES, CURVES

Let's have a little geometry today. We'll sing, develop small motor skills, and have a dose of creativity!

What’s a line? What’s a curve?
Start by finding out what children know about lines and curves. Let them take turns drawing lines and curves on the board. Can they walk around the room and touch a line? Can they touch a curve? As you walk down the hall have them silently point to lines and curves. Can they find lines and curves in nature on the playground?


Play Dough
Draw lines and curves with a permanent marker on placemats or plastic plates. Let children roll the dough and place it on top of the lines and curves.

Horizontal, Vertical (Carrie O’Bara and Terri Miller)
(Tune: “Where Is Thumbkin?”)
Horizontal, horizontal,
(Forearms held up horizontally in front of chest.)
Vertical, vertical.
(Forearms bent at elbows to form right angles.)
Horizontal, horizontal,
Vertical, vertical.

    

Then diagonal, then diagonal.
(Right arm slants in front and then left.)
Add a curve. Add a curve.
(Make a “c” with right hand and then left.)
Then diagonal, then diagonal.
Add a curve. Add a curve.


Skinny Books
This is a super idea to help children learn to track from left to right and practice pre-writing strokes. Lay 4 sheets of paper on top of each other and staple four times along the left side. Cut horizontal lines to make four skinny books. Children practice drawing horizontal lines, vertical lines, curves, and diagonal lines on each page.

        

Letter Sort
What letters are made from lines? Curves? Lines and curves? Let children sort magnetic letters on the board or for a center activity.

Artsy
Prepare sheets of paper ahead of time with random curves and lines made with a black marker. Children choose a sheet of paper and try and create a design or object from the lines and curves on their page. *Encourage them to fill in the whole page.

LIST OF LISTS

Children love to make lists like grownups do. Making lists will also nurture the executive function (task initiation and task completion) and encourage children to THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.

Homemade Clipboard

Each child will need a 9” x 12” piece of corrugated cardboard. Attach a butterfly clip, insert paper, and let the writing begin!

Lists
And here's a LIST of lists children can make on clipboards.

List of what they are thankful for.

List of their favorite books, songs.

List of their favorite foods.

List of their favorite subjects at school.

List of their favorite animals/pets.

List of their favorite sports or games.

List of what they can do if they finish their work early.

List of things that make them happy.

List of how to be a buddy/friend.

List of “cheers” and “goals.” 

You can also use the clipboards for some of the activities on the "list" below.

BOLOGNA DAY

October 24th National Bologna Day

My bologna has a first name,

It’s O – S – C – A – R.

My bologna has a second name,

It’s M - A – Y – E – R.

Oh, I love to eat it every day,

And if you’ll ask me why I’ll say,

Cause Oscar Mayer has a way

With B – A – L – O – G – N – A.

*Here’s the original 1973 video some of you might remember:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmPRHJd3uHI

Many years ago on Balogna Day, K.J.’s third grade teacher (Mr. D) taught them this song from the 70’s. K.J. sang it to his mother and she got a kick out of remembering the song as they sang it together. Those are the kind of experiences and bridges that are not in your curriculum that children will remember.

Sometimes you just have to shut your door and do something silly like National Bologna Day. And, although I don’t have a bologna song, I do have a sandwich book that’s perfect for descriptive writing.You'll need two cheap paper plates to make this book. Fold both plates in half. Cut in 1 ½” from the rim on both sides as shown. Cut off the folded edge between the rim on the second plate. Roll up the first plate and insert it in the hole in the second plate. Unroll and you’ll have a book.

*Let children write about their favorite sandwich.
*Have children write a “how to” make a sandwich.
*Invite children to be chefs and create a new sandwich.

NEED A BREAK TODAY?

Here are some ideas to help children MOVE and LEARN.

Jump - Jump as you read the words on the word wall, count to 100, and repeat other information.
*Children can also march or do other movements as they repeat skills.

Top to Bottom Math - Put your hands in the air and say a number. Touch your head and say "plus." Touch your waist and say a second number. Touch knees and say "equal." Touch toes and say the sum.
*Adapt this for subtraction, multiplication, and other math facts.

Phonercise - Put your hands in the air and say the letter "A." Put your hands on your shoulders and make the /a/ sound. Touch your toes and say a word that starts with that sound. Continue going through the alphabet.
*Ask older children to say words that are nouns, verbs, or other parts of speech.

Stand Up - Simply asking the children to stand up gets blood going to the brain. They can stand up when they read, count, or review other information.

Air Writing - Ask children to make numerals, shapes, letters, or write words in the air with their "magic" finger.

Foot Writing - Use feet to write words, letters, answers to math facts, etc.

Pantomime - Have children stand and dramatize spelling words or vocabulary words.


CROSS LATERAL
Draw a line from your forehead down the middle of your body. That’s called your midline. The brain is made up of two hemispheres and when you cross that midline it helps both hemispheres of the brain work together. Here are some exercises for crossing the midline that are perfect between content areas or before moving to new learning activities.
Hint! Place a piece of painter's tape down the children's midline so they can visually see how they cross it as you exercise and learn.

Karate Chops - Spread your feet apart and bend your knees. Alternate hands making karate chops as you skip count by ones, fives, tens, etc.

*Spell the letters in words and then fold hands and bow as you say the word.

Patty Cake - Face partners. Clap, cross hands, tap and say a letter. Clap, cross hands, tap and make the sound of that letter.
*Patty cake skip count.
*Patty cake spelling words. Clap and say the word. Cross and tap as you spell out the word. High five in the air and say the word.

See, this isn't so hard. What can you add to the list?

BONUS!

HERE ARE TWO NEW VIDEOS ALEX MAY JUST CREATED!

https://youtu.be/UKyhvESgklg

https://youtu.be/UcmOiomffUk

MAKE YOUR OWN COMICS

What a treat when I was a kid to get a new comic book! No, we didn’t have videos or computers, but friends would come over and we’d read comic books together. I know! I know! Sounds corny now, but it was a favorite indoor pastime when the weather was bad. Let me tell you, if the weather was good our mothers would say, “GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY!”

I also remember sitting on my grandpa’s lap as he’d read the Sunday comics to me. I think the cartoons were much more “child friendly” in the 50’s than they are now. However, it might be interesting to save some of the comics from the newspaper this weekend and share them with your class. Explain how cartoonists use “bubbles” to let you know what the characters are saying. 

Invite children to draw a picture of you and make a bubble with something you frequently say coming out of your mouth. You might be surprised!!!!

You could also let the children draw pictures of themselves or their friends and then use bubbles to make them talk.

Comics can also be used to reinforce standards. Start off by giving children copies of a cartoon frame with 2 sections. Tell them to think of a story that has a beginning and an end and draw it.

Next, let them think of a story with a beginning, middle, and end.

Finally, challenge them to create a story with 4 sections.

*Have children recall the sequence of a story with comic frames.

*Use comic frames to illustrate the life cycle of a butterfly, the water cycle, plant growth, and so forth.

Here’s a link to download blank cartoon frames:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljTjMyU21nWDZTN00/view?usp=sharing


Cartoons That Move
Would you like to learn how to make cartoons that move? It’s easy peasy, but you’ll surely impress your students when you teach them how to do this.

Hint! I would only do this with primary grade children.

Materials: white copy paper, stapler, black pen or pencil

Directions:
1. Fold the paper into fourths and cut on the creased lines.

2. Take two sheets and staple them at the top.
3. Lift the top layer and draw a simple shape on the bottom. Keep your drawing on the bottom half of the page. 

4. Now, place the top sheet over the bottom and trace over the lines. Vary one or two features, such as arms, ears, mouth, etc.
5. Take a pencil and roll the top sheet up around the pencil.
6. Quickly move the pencil up and down to bring life to your cartoon. Waalaa!

*Connect this activity to literature, science themes, or social studies.

DICTIONARY DAY

Did you know that October 16th is Dictionary Day? It's actually Noah Webster's birthday and a perfect day to let each child make her own personal dictionary.

Materials: pocket folder, prepared pages with alphabet letters, markers

Directions: Ask students to tell you what they know about dictionaries. Brainstorm the many uses of dictionaries. Model looking up words and reading definitions. Explain that each of them will get to create their own dictionary that they can use to help them the rest of the school year. First, let the children decorate the outside of their pocket folder. Insert the alphabet pages. As you add new words to the word wall or have new spelling words, ask the children to write them in their dictionary. These would also be a meaningful way to introduce vocabulary words. Encourage students to use their dictionaries when they write independently.


Hint! You might want to go ahead and type your core sight words on the pages before running them off.

Here are some other activities you can play with their dictionaries.

*Play “mystery word” where you give clues about words.
Can you find a word that starts with /m/ and ends with /d/?
Can you find a word that is the opposite of “fast”?

*Play the “rhyme” game.
Can you find a word that rhymes with “bike”?
Can you find a word that rhymes with “log” and is a pet?

*How many one letter words can you find? How many two letter words? Three letter words?

*Ask children to clap out the syllables in words.

*Can they match up words in their dictionaries with words in the classroom?

*Sort words that refer to people, things we do, describing words, etc.

*Have children find a word that starts with each letter in their name.

*Have children make up sentences (oral or written) with the words.

*Ask children to illustrate words or find magazine pictures that match the words.

SPIN A LEARNING WEB

Here are a few more ways to use spider rings to "web" children's interest.

Literacy
Children draw a spider web on a paper plate. Ask them to write a story about a spider on the back of the plate.

Where's Batty?
Turn four or five cups upside down as shown and write sight words (letters, numbers, etc.) on them. Explain that "Batty" is going to hide under one of the cups. Have children close their eyes and “hide” the bat under one of the cups. Children take turns calling out a word and looking under that cup for the bat. The child who finds the bat gets the next turn to hide it.




Arachnoids
What’s the difference between a spider and an insect? How many legs does a spider have? How many legs on 2 spiders? 3 spiders?

Bats
Is a bat a bird or a mammal? How can you find out? That’s right! Look on the internet and discover other interesting bat facts.

Graphic Organizers
Use attribute webs, Venn diagrams, T-charts, and other visual graphics to extend learning.

Sticky Drippy Spiders
Your students will also be delighted with this bottle. Pour about 1 cup of clear corn syrup in a plastic bottle. (The amount you need will depend on the size of the bottle. I really like to use larger round containers, but this was the only one I had on hand.) Add a few drops of red and yellow food coloring and swirl around to make orange. Add a few plastic spiders and watch them do their thing. (I used spider rings and cut the ring part off. I also put in a few bats.)



I Spy Bottle!
Several years ago we were eating in a Mexican restaurant in October and there were little Halloween toys in the spice bottles. It was interesting to watch adults, children, and families at every table trying to identify the objects. I guarantee this bottle will capture your students' interest!

You will need a clear plastic bottle or jar, salt or sand, and small seasonal toys. Fill the container 2/3 full with salt or sand. Insert the toys and then screw on the top. Shake.
*How many objects can the children find?

*Pass around the bottle and let each child make a complete sentence starting with "I spy a..."
*Have each child repeat what the previous child says and then add something they see. First child: I spy a spider. Second child: I spy a spider and a bat. Third child: I spy a spider and a bat and a cat.

*Ask younger children to draw what they see in the bottle.

*Have older students make a list of everything they find in the bottle.

*Can they write a story using the objects in the bottle?

*Use the bottle to reward children who are working quietly or children who are resting quietly.

Ring Hunt
Children love to hunt for eggs at Easter, but they’ll also have fun hunting for these rings in the classroom or out on the playground.


Spider Soup
This was one of my favorite Halloween activities! Get a large industrial size can of chicken noodle soup. Remove the wrapper and cover with construction paper. Write “spider soup” on the label. Take two packages of ramen noodles and crush. Put in a paper lunch sack and write “spider webs” on the front of the sack. Explain to the children that you’ll be having spider soup for snack. Show them the can and just LISTEN to their comments. Open the can and put it in a crockpot. (Someone will be sure to comment that they see spider legs and meat!) Show them the sack and explain that you will end crunchy spider webs to make it better. Dump those in and slowly cook until it is warm. Serve in paper cups.

      

WRITING NUMERALS

Oh, my! Those little hands may not be ready to write numerals, but the curriculum says they should. Believe it or not, 30 years ago we didn't even teach children to write numbers in kindergarten. We saved that for first grade. Now, we are expecting pre-k children to write numbers. I can't change your curriculum, but I can give you some songs and activities that may make it a little more positive and meaningful.

The Numeral Song 

This song goes to the tune of "Skip to My Lou." Have children stand and use their index finger to write in the air. Everybody's writing will look "good" when you do it in the air!

Come right down and that is all.
Come right down and that is all.
Come right down and that is all
To make the numeral one. (Hold up 1 finger.)

2 – Curve around and slide to the right…
3 – Curve in and around again…
4 – Down, over, down some more…
5 – Down, around, put on a hat…
6 – Curve in and around again…
7 – Slide to the right and slant it down…
8 – Make an “s” then close the gate…
9 – Circle around then come right down…
10 – Come right down, then make a zero…
We can sing the “Numeral Song”…
And make numerals all day long!

*Let children do air writing with other body parts, such as their elbow, foot, etc.
They can also practice writing on their palm or a friend's back.

*Squirt shaving cream on a safe surface so the children can practice making numbers.

*Have children practice writing numbers in salt, sand, and other sensory materials.


Number Chant
Children can associate numbers with the amount with this song and video. Encourage them to hold up the appropriate number of fingers as you sing.

Click to watch video

Theme Books (Beth Cordier)
Let children make books for whatever theme you’re studying. Make a word wall with words from the theme. (Put magnetic tape on the back so children can take them off and copy them.) Children choose a different word for each page and illustrate it.

*Older children could write sentences with the words.
For example: Fall Theme
Page 1 “Pumpkin”
Page 2 “Leaves”
Page 3 “Squirrels”
Page 4 “Footballs”

Here's another song where children can stand and practice writing numerals without getting frustrated.

Chant and Write
(Children echo each line.)

Zero is where it all begins- (Slap thighs to the beat.)
Curve down around and up again.
Number one is so much fun—
Pull straight down and you’ve got a one.
Number two is easy to do—
Up around down and across makes two.
Number three is simple to see—
Draw two humps sideways and that’s a three.
Number four I do adore—
Go down, across, then down some more.
We’ve reached five, now let’s not stop—
Pull down, circle round, put a hat on top.
Number six is easy to fix—
Big curve, small loop will give you six.
Number seven is really sizzlin’—
Straight across, slant down, and that’s a seven.
Number eight isn’t very straight—
Make “S” then back up for an eight.
Number nine I think you’re fine—
A loop on top of a long straight line.
Number ten we’ve reached the end—
Put a one by a zero and count again:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10!

Click to watch video

Highway Numbers 

Children can trace over numerals with toy cars or they can roll play dough and place it on top of the numerals.

WORLD GRATITUDE DAY

Gratitude is an emotion of expressing appreciation for what you have, rather than what you don’t have. Psychology Today reports that gratitude can be cultivated and it can increase levels of happiness when you do. Energy, optimism, and empathy are by-products of gratitude. World Gratitude Day is September 21st, so integrate these activities into your lesson plans this week.

P.S. Have I told you lately that I'M GRATEFUL FOR YOU!!! Thanks for reading my blog!

Model Gratitude
Make it a habit to include things you appreciate into daily conversations.


Brainstorm
What does it mean to be thankful and grateful? Write children’s responses on the board. What are some synonyms for thankful?



Lists
Children love to make lists, so let them make a list (draw pictures or write) of all the things they are grateful for.

ABC
Can they think of something for each letter of the alphabet that they are grateful for?

Gratitude Journal
Let children make a special "gratitude journal." Encourage them to write what they are grateful for each day for a week.



Gratitude Box
Cut a hole in the top of a shoebox and decorate. Place on a shelf along with paper and pencils. Children can write things they are grateful for and place them in the box. Read the notes at the end of the day before children go home.

Grateful Greeting
Start the day by going around the room and asking each child to say something they are grateful for.

End with Something GOOD
End the day by having children say something good that happened at school that day.

Hot Potato Pass
Children sit or stand in a circle and begin passing the hot potato (ball or other small object) around. When the music stops or when the teacher blows a whistle the child holding the potato must say one thing they are grateful for.