A DAY TO REMEMBER

This is a day to remember 9/11 – where you were – what you felt.

This is a day to remember to say a prayer for those who lost their lives and their families.

This is a day to remember those who so valiantly tried to rescue strangers they didn’t even know.

This is a day to remember that we live in the BEST country in the world and to be PROUD that we are AMERICANS!

This is a day (as our pastor Cress Darwin reminded us this morning) to forgive.

God bless America!

EVERY CHILD NEEDS A LAPTOP?

A teacher told me that when she has her first parent meeting she tells the parents that every child in her room needs a laptop – two laptops if possible.  These are not the kind of laptops that you plug in.  These are the kind of laptops that come with two knees and are just right for reading, talking, singing, and loving!

It's really sad that some children don't have that kind of laptop at home.  And I haven't seen the importance of lap reading in any state standards.  However, MaryAnn Wolfe and other top reading researchers in our country will tell you that is critical to learning to read.  

Never put worksheets or technology above sitting with your children and enjoying a REAL book!  One teacher said that she had a hard copy of a  Curious George book and a copy of the same book on her electronic reader.  She encouraged her students to compare and contrast the different formats, which I thought was brilliant.  And, guess what!  They overwhelming agreed that the real book was hands down the best!  See how smart children are!

GRANNY AT THE FAIR

It’s time for the fair in many parts of the country right now, so how about a silly song called “Granny at the Fair”?  This is an echo chant where children repeat each line as they add the motion for each verse.  You can sing it to the tune of “How Dry I Am.”  I guarantee you’ll all be laughing at each other and yourselves by the time you finish the song!

My granny went

To the county fair.

And bought for me

A rocking chair.  (Begin rock back and forth.)

My granny went

To the county fair.

And bought for me

A fan there.   (Fan self with left hand as you rock back and forth.)

My granny went

To the county fair

And bought for me

Some scissors there.  (Pretend to cut with right hand as you

                  continue to fan and rock.)

My granny went

To the county fair

And bought for me

Itchy underwear.  (Wiggle as you cut, fan, and rock.)

My granny went

To the county fair

And bought for me

Some gum there.  (Pretend to chew bubble gum as you wiggle,

                  cut, fan, and rock.)

My granny went

To the county fair

And bought for me

Some nuts there!   (Point to each other!)

A POEM FOR YOUR POCKET!

You know that I’m a huge advocate for poetry.  So many things in life get “lost” along the way, but when you give children a poem it’s theirs for a lifetime.

When I was a little girl 60 years ago we didn’t have televisions, computers, or videos.  We also didn’t have very many books or access to a library.  However, the books that we did have were treasured and the stories were read over and over again.  One of my favorite poems was “The Swing” by Robert Louis Stevenson.  When our grandson K.J. was visiting last week I got out my raggedy old book and read the poem to him.  It was “magic”!  I was in my mother’s arms once again and she was reading to me.  What a joy to share that bridge in time with him!

When you have a few extra minutes today, invite your children to close their eyes as you share this poem:

The Swing

By Robert Louis Stevenson

How do you like to go up in a swing,

         Up in the air so blue?

Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing

         Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,

         Till I can see so wide,

Rivers and trees and cattle and all

         Over the countryside—

Till I look down on the garden green,

         Down on the roof so brown—

Up in the air I go flying again,

         Up in the air and down!

Note:  You could ask children to draw pictures of what they “see” in their brains, or just let it be!

Fiddle Sticks, Self Control Lotion, and Dumbo!

Have you noticed some students who just can’t seem to keep their hands to themselves?  Well, here are a few ideas that might help.

Get a shoebox and write “brain toys” on the box.  Next, get some old socks and tie knots in them.  When children need to focus invite them to get a “brain toy” from the box.  They can hold the sock, untie it, tie knots, and give their fingers something to do.

I’ve had teachers say, “Well, what if everybody wants a sock?”  Who cares?  Get a sock for everyone.  The main goal is to give children an outlet that is acceptable, quiet, and won’t bother another student. 

A similar idea came from a first grade teacher.  She gave each of her students a jumbo craft stick to decorate.  They tied a 20” piece of string to their sticks and kept them in their desks.  When their hands got “figdgety” they could get out their fiddle sticks and wind and unwind the string.

You just never know what will work until you try!  I recall a teacher who kept a bottle of lotion on her desk and called it “self control lotion.”  When her students were having trouble paying attention she would give them a squirt of lotion and tell them to rub it in.  They believed her just like Dumbo believed he could fly with the feather in his trunk!  Her students would actually come up to her and say, “I need a little self control lotion.”

Teaching is a challenge, but it’s also like winning the lottery when you find the right “fix” in your classroom!  Keep on trying!

PROFESSIONALLY SPEAKING!

Someone recently asked me how I kept current with research and professional issues.  I’ve always felt that part of our job as professional educators is to keep growing and to learn as much as we can.

First, I believe it’s important to be a part of professional organizations.  I am a member of NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children),  IRA (International Reading Association), and NKA (National Kindergarten Alliance).  It’s very powerful if you have the ability to attend their local and national conferences, but you can also stay connected by reading their newsletters and visiting their websites.

naeyc.org

ira.org

nka.org

I’m also always on the look out for meaningful books that validate best practices and that help us “teach smarter.”  Here are some books that I’d let you borrow if you lived near me!

PROUST AND THE SQUID by Maryanne Wolfe

“How a child first learns to read is a tale of either magic and fairies or missed chances and unnecessary loss.” 

Here’s what one of the top reading researchers suggests to help young children learn to read:

1.   Lap reading.  Language + books = LOVE

2.  Oral language.  Oral language and cognition are intertwined.

3.  Laughter, tears, and friends – books are safe.

4.  The language of books

5.  Alphabet knowledge.

6.  Phoneme awareness with Mother Goose.

7.  Logographic reading.

WHY GENDER MATTERS by Leonard Sax

Anyone who teaches school certainly recognizes there is a difference in how boys and girls act in the classroom and how they learn.  What an insightful book for educators and parents! 

MIND IN THE MAKING by Ellen Galinsky

Galinsky has grouped the research into these seven critical life skills that children need to know:

1.     Focus and self-control

2.    Perspective taking

3.    Communicating

4.    Making connections

5.    Critical thinking

6.    Taking on challenges

7.    Self-directed, engaged learning

SMART MOVES by Carla Hannaford

This book explores the mind/body connection so pertinent to classroom learning.  Hannaford explains WHY children must move and HOW to help them move to increase learning potential.

The interesting thing here is that all of the experts in the field are saying BACK TO OUR ROOTS!  Talk to them, read to them, sing to them.  Let children move, play, and explore!  A “good education” is more than a reading or math score on a test.  Maybe some of our administrators and decision makers need to read these books and trust teachers to implement more creative strategies in their classrooms!!!!!!

"ENDANGERED" ACTIVITIES

Where did the summer go?  Wasn’t it June the other day?  September is here and you can check out some new activities called “Oldies but Goodies” on my website (drjean.org).  

This project started when I asked my grandson if he had ever played “The Farmer in the Dell.”  He didn’t know what I was talking about!  “The Farmer in the Dell,” “London Bridge,” “I’m a Little Teapot” and so many other songs and games are part of what I refer to as our “early childhood heritage.”  If children don’t experience these things in pre-K or kindergarten, then they’ll probably never get to do them!  And that’s sooooo sad!

“Fusion” is power word these days, so I’m going to suggest ways that you can “fuse” these traditional activities with your curriculum goals.  You can engage children and capture their attention and then use these songs as a springboard for reinforcing reading, writing, and math skills.  Have fun and learn at the same time…that’s what it’s all about!

There are stories, songs, circle games, book ideas, center games, and ideas to keep you singing and dancing all month long!  Happy September!

Here's a great suggestions from Spotlight on Kindergarden:

Very few of my students come to Kindergarten knowing simple nursery rhymes and traditional K-type songs and games. I try to incorporate as many of these into my daily routine as possible. One way to do this is to sing a song, such as She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain, as they clean up after each of their work station. When the song is finished I expect each station cleaned up and each kiddo in their seat. I try to stick to the same two to three songs for a couple of weeks - until I hear them joining in - and then I add in another. By the end of the year they know a lot of songs! (sometimes I use nursery rhymes too)
Tessa
Spotlight on Kindergarten