GOOD IDEA #15

Oh, yeah!  Washing hands is going to be more important than ever in the future!

Wash, Wash, Wash Your Germs (Kate Brown)
Sing this song to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" when children wash hands.
Wash, wash, wash your germs.
Wash your germs away.
So that you do not get sick
and you can play all day!
                                               

VIRTUAL CLASSROOM
We're all going to be washing our hands a LOT more in the future. You should probably teach the children to sing the above song several times to make sure they get all those germs!

Body Writing (Paige Savage)
Use your body to practice writing letters. Your head is the top line. Your belly button is your middle line. Your toes are the bottom line. Start at your head for tall letters and the belly button for short letters.
For example:
Capital T - Start at your head and straight down. Pick up your pencil and add his hat.
Lowercase t - Start at the head and straight down. Pick up your pencil and add his belt.


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This could easily be adapted for active learning. Use this idea when teaching alphabet letters to younger children, or use it for writing sight words or spelling words with older children.


Rainbow Wishes (Karen Eldred)
Use this for a friend who is sick or for someone special.
     Close your eyes and make a picture of _____ in your brain. (Close eyes.)
     Rub your hands together slowly as you think of _____. (Rub palms)
     Rub faster, thinking of everything you remember or love about them.
     Send them your LOVE. (Throw arms up in the air.)
     Grab the love and bring it back to your heart. (Cross arms over chest.)
                                                                

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Wouldn't this be a positive way to comfort a child who has lost a pet...or misses a parent...or has a friend who moves?

GOOD IDEA #14

Having children stand and learn will definitely activate their brains more than looking at a screen!

Air Writing (Lisa Callis)
Go from large to small as you practice air writing letters, numerals, shapes, etc.
      Stick out one arm and write with your finger.
      Hold your shoulder with the opposite hand as you write with one finger.
      Hold your elbow and write.
      Hold your wrist and write.
      Hold finger and write.


 
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Large movements are the perfect way to put different letter and number strokes in the brain.  Using different body parts will also provide repetition in an interesting way.


Visual Memory Game (Karen Kennedy)
Place pictures of six shapes in a pocket chart. Name the shapes. Hide a picture of a kitty or another seasonal object under one of the shapes. Let children take turns trying to identify where the kitty is hidden?

*Use numbers, letters, words, etc. to play the game.

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You could reinforce any skill when you play this game online.


Class Names (Tune: "Ten Little Indians")
Aiden, Grayson, Hugh, Jack
Jacob, Jayden, Mac, Maddie
Nicholas, Oliver, Samuel Willa
These are the friends in our class. 
                                 
Hint! With different class sizes, just adjust the names to fit by either singing quickly in a row or drawing out one name a little longer. 

                                                                 

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Names are important wherever you are.  Sing this song slowly and ask children to make a motion or a silly face when they hear their name sung in the song.

GOOD IDEA #13

It's like visiting "old" friends to look back at past blogs and think about how to adapt them to the virtual classroom.

Hickety Pickety Bumblee Words
(I thought this was a good chant if you’ve got a few extra minutes in the day.
You can point to words on the word wall or you can hold up word cards.)
Hickety pickety bumblee,
Who can read this word for me? (Children read word.)
Clap it. (Clap out syllables as you say the word.)
No sound. (Mouth the word.)
…Continue doing other words.
                                          
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This is good for sight words as well as phonological awareness (syllables).  You could change it to shapes, letters, or whatever skill you want to reinforce. 

ABC Tae Bo
Children would would get a “kick” out of doing a modified Tae Bo to learn because it's good for their bodies and their brains.

*Self-Regulation – Before starting remind children that they must keep their hands in their own space. If they touch someone else or get out of control they will have to sit down!  

Guard Position – Stand, make fists with your hands, and put them up by your face.
Talk – Say the letters as you punch from right to left.
Sounds – Make the sound for each letter as you punch.
Words – Say a word that starts with each letter as you punch.
Backwards – Say the alphabet backwards as you punch.
Count – Count forwards, backwards, skip count, etc. as you punch.

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I can't wait for some of you to try this and tell me what happens.  How can any child resist this?

Zip Bags (Erin Garrigan)
Use a zip bag as a number line. Children can slide the tab to add, subtract, etc.



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Wouldn't it be good if each child had one of these to use at home?  They could hold up their answer for a quick check.

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.)

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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.

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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.

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

                                                         

GOOD IDEA #11

How about a book for parents, an attention grabber, and a finger play today?

Welcome Step Book for Parents (Kristine White)
Prepare a book for parents with important information.
Welcome – All about the teacher
Contact Information – email, phone, conference schedule
Daily Schedule
Weekly Folders – expectations for the parents
Morning Procedures and Afternoon Dismissal

                            

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This is going to be a MUST when school starts. We've got to have parents on our "team" and let them know how to prepare their child for school every day. I'm working on something special for you to help you create your own handbook for parents.


Ring, Ring (Denise Wertz)
Get the children quiet with this idea.
Teacher says: Ring, ring!
Children respond: Hello!

*Keep doing this until all the children join in and are paying attention.

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Children would respond to this attention grabber in person or on a screen.  I'd suggest holding your hand up to your ear like you are talking on an old fashion phone.

Color Birds (Brenda Dowthitt)
(Put index fingers in the air in front of you to begin.)
Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill. (Fingers out in front.)
One named Jack and one named Jill. (Wiggle fingers.)
Fly away Jack. (Put one finger behind you.)
Fly away Jill. (Put the other finger behind you.)
Come back Jack. (Bring one finger back.)
Come back Jill. (Bring other finger back.)

*Change the colors of the birds. For example: Two little blue birds…
                                                                             

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You could engage children, develop oral language, and reinforce colors by adapting this finger play.

GOOD IDEAS #10

These ideas would be great for practicing skills in the classroom or on the screen.

Push, Pull, Click, Click (Susan Shomo)
Use this chant to focus children’s attention before identifying flash cards:
Push. (Push hands in the air.)
Pull. (Make a pulling motion)
Click, click. (Snap fingers.)
Say this sound/letter/word/shape (hold up flash card)
Really quick!



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You could use this online to focus children physically.


Beat the Teacher (Cynthia Leonard)
The teacher slowly writes a numeral (letter, word) on the screen. The students try to guess the numeral before the teacher finishes writing.

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The children love to "beat the teacher" in any game.  After the teacher finishes writing the children could be encouraged to copy it.

Standing “O”vation (Cathy Richardson & Jeanette Wannop)
Everyone stands up and makes an “O” with their arms as they sing “ooooooo.” This is a great way to recognize something exciting or someone’s success.

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Standing "O"vation "O"nline!

                                           

GOOD IDEAS #9

IDEAS FROM VIRGINIA AND TENNESSEE IN 2012!  WHAT FUN TO GO DOWN MEMORY LANE!

Let’s Look Important!  (Diane Ringer)

(Use this idea instead of criss cross applesauce.)

Would you like to know how to look important?  
Put your right hand over your heart like this.  (Demonstrate)

Put your left hand across your chest and fold your arms like this.  (Demonstrate)

Lift up your chin and smile importantly.  Now look at all my important people!

          
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What child will be able to resist "looking important"?

Song Requests  (Heather Cline)

Make a box for song requests.  Children write their favorite song on a sheet of paper and put it in the box.  Pull requests each morning and sing.

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This might be fun for older students.  Ask them to email you their favorite song and you could put their suggestions on paper and save in a bag.

Weightlifting Count to 100 (Amy Gibson)

Pick up your weights and count 1-20 as you do bicep curls; 21-40 for shoulder press; 41-50 tricep press; 61-80 butterfly press; 81-100 overhead.  

Wipe brow!!!

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Exercise bodies and brains at the same time by weight lifting as you count, say the alphabet, read sight words, and so forth.

White Board Clipboard  (Suzi Burton)

Attach a large butterfly clip to individual white boards for each child.  Voila!  Clipboards!



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Don't you think a white board and markers should be a part home or school supply lists?