FOOD FOR FUN LEARNING!

Food definitely is multi-sensory and can capture children's interest. Even though you might be at a school that does not allow the use of food at this time, these ideas would be great to share with your families.

Cereal Math
Fill sandwich bags with with ½ cup of mixed cereal, such as Fruit Loops. Children can practice the following.

· Estimation- How many pieces are in your bag?

· Counting- Count and see how many you have. Did you estimate more or less? Is it an odd or even number?

· Sorting- Sort the cereal by color, shape, or size.

· Patterning- Can you make a pattern with your cereal?

* Addition and Subtraction - Demonstrate addition with the cereal or subtraction by eating it!


Graham Crackers
Give each child a large graham cracker. What shape is it? Break it in half. What shape is it now? Break the squares in half. What shape do you have now?

*Let children nibble saltines to make circles and triangles.




Pretzel Shapes
Give children pretzel sticks and pretzel twists and challenge them to make geometric shapes. How many pretzel sticks will you need to make a hexagon? How many pretzel sticks will you need to make a triangle?

                               

*Challenge them to make letters with the pretzels. This is fun to do with a partner as they take turns making letters and identifying them.

*Use pretzels to tally.

                                                      


Three Dimensional Shapes
What could you eat that's a sphere? Cone? Cube? Pyramid?

FUNCTIONAL PRINT BOOKS

FUNCTIONAL PRINT books provide another opportunity for nonfiction reading and writing.

The Tooth Book
Have children draw a picture of what they look like after they lose a tooth.

*Remind them to be sure and draw a “window” in their mouth where their tooth used to be!

*You could also take a photo of their new smile and let them write about how they lost their tooth.


Weather Report
Choose a different child each day to be the meteorologist. Invite the weather person to record the weather with a drawing or sentence.

          


The Birthday Book
Have children write a story and draw a picture on a special page in this book when it’s their birthday. (You could also take a photo of them.)

                                                        

School Rule Book
After discussing school rules, ask each child to come up with a rule that they think is important. Have them illustrate their rule and write or dictate a sentence to go with it. Put their rules together to make a class book. Hang the book in an important spot in your classroom and refer to it when children are behaving inappropriately. You might add, “You need to do (such and such). The rule is right here in our book!”  

                                                                                       


Things the Teacher Needs to Know
When a child comes to you to complain or tattle, hand them the book and say, “Write it all down and don’t leave out a thing. I’ll read it later on when I have more time.”

The Boo Boo Book
If a child gets a little scrape or scratch, have them draw a picture of it in this book. Give them a band aid to put on their “boo boo” so it will feel better.

                      

Acts of Kindness
Create a book where children can record kind deeds their fellow classmates have done.

Hint! The teacher can model this by “catching children” in the act of doing something thoughtful and loving for others.

Excuse Book
If children forget their homework or have other excuses, let them “write it down” in this book.

Peace Talks
If two children have an argument, have them sit down next to each other at a table. Open a spiral notebook and ask each of them to draw a picture and write about what happened. Explain that when they resolve their problem they can let you know. It won’t take long for them to realize it’s easier to be friends!


*You can download covers for some of these at drjean.org (Back to School 2005). You can also buy spiral notebooks on sale and then add a class photo and title.

BOOK REPORT BONANZA

I'm on a rocking and "writing" roll this week.  Here are some ideas to inspire children to WANT to read and SHARE their adventures with books.  

Note!  When you look at these activities I'm sure you'll be able to create ways to use them with children from pre-k through elementary school 

Book Mark - Put out the scrap box, scissors, and markers and let them have fun.

Play Dough - Give children a handful of play dough and ask them to mold something from the story.

Pantomime - Children get to pantomime a character or event from their book.


Dress Up - Children dress up like their favorite character and tell about their book from that character’s point of view.

Illustrate - Let children draw or paint pictures about their books.


Puppet - Puppets can be made from lunch sacks, paper plates, sticks, or socks.

MORE IDEAS FOR OLDER STUDENTS!

Cereal Box - Children bring in cereal boxes from home and cover with paper. Challenge them to design a new cover for their book on the box.


Song, Rap, or Poem - Let children make up an original song, rap, or poem about their book.


Quilt - Give each child an 8” square and ask them to illustrate their story. Punch holes in the corners and tie together with yarn.


Mobile or Windsock - Use paper to create mobiles, windsocks, or pennants about books they have read.


T-shirt - Bring in old white T-Shirts and decorate with fabric markers.


Email - Write an email or letter to a character. 

*Do an internet search and write a letter to the author.


Advertisement - Each child stands and has a minute to “sell” their classmates on a book. Older children could write their advertisements.


Sequel - Invite children to write a sequel to their story.


Ending - How would you change the ending of your story?


Cartoon - Make cartoons of events in a story.


Graph - Make a class graph of favorite books or authors.


Sandwich Board - Cut a file folder in half. Write the title, author, and illustrator on one side. Illustrate on the other half. Punch holes and tie on string so children can wear them and have a parade.

WRITE ON!

Here are other ways 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.


Want Ad - Look in the newspaper at want ads. What would they like to advertise? Write a description.


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 Common Core Standard 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.

Here are 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.

*This time of year it would be interesting for children to write “how to cook a turkey."

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

*Ask children to bring in an empty cereal box and design a new cover for it.


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

*As Thanksgiving approaches a list of things they are thankful for would be appropriate.


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.

                                   

I'M TAKING NOTES!

YOU WILL REMEMBER INFORMATION LONGER IF YOU HAND WRITE NOTES!!!

Robert Locke

But what does note taking have to do with young children? All through their educational journey children are going to have to listen and take notes. Why not get started ASAP? However, we need to remember that it is the PROCESS and not the PRODUCT. Here are some fun strategies to help children focus and then scribble, draw a picture, write a word, or just doodle.

Start by explaining to children that taking notes can help them remember important information. As you read a book, encourage them to doodle and draw pictures of things they learn or find interesting. Invite them to share their drawings and recall information with their classmates or a partner. As they progress, suggest they write down words to help them remember things.

Here are some tools children could use for note taking:

White boards (plastic plates can be substituted for white boards)

Clipboards (make these out of corrugated cardboard and use a butterfly clip at the top)


Chalkboards (old fashioned, but the kids still love using them)




Blank books (brochure, house book, or a piece of paper folded in fourths – Put these terms in my search engine to get directions.)

Sticky notes (children can put their sticky "notes" on an anchor chart)


Forms (children draw a picture and then write a sentence)

                

Encourage children by commenting about what good writers they are as they take notes. “You’re taking notes just like the big kids do in high school and college!” “Isn’t it fun to know how to write and take notes to help you remember!!!”


NOTE! There are countless studies that support when students take notes by hand they remember better than taking notes on a laptop. (http://www.npr.org/2016/04/17/474525392/attention-students-put-your-laptops-away) 

WRITER'S CHANT

Teachers have got to sell children on writing as well as reading. How empowering to tell a child, "YOU ARE A WRITER!" "YOU ARE AN AUTHOR!"

Here's a great chant where children can move and get their "writing groove" going!

The Writing Process
Children repeat each line to this chant as you open your arms wide and clap as you step from side to side.

Chorus:
Who knows the writing process?
(Children repeat.)
I know the writing process.
(Children repeat.)

First step. (Hold up one finger.)
(Repeat)
Brainstorm. (Hands on the side of your head and shake down.)
(Repeat)

Chorus

Second step…(Hold up 2 fingers.)
(Repeat)
Write it down…(Pretend to write with index finger on palm.)
(Repeat)

Chorus

Third step…(Hold up 3 fingers.)
(Repeat)
Edit your work…(Shake finger.)
(Repeat)

Chorus

Fourth step…(Hold up 4 fingers.)
(Repeat)
Publish your work…(Brush hands together.)
(Repeat)

Chorus

Oh, yeah! (Hands on hips with an attitude.)
(Repeat)


Handy Edit
Teach children how to edit their work with this “handy” idea.
(Make a fist with your right hand to begin.)

1. If you started your sentence with a capital letter you can stick up your thumb.

2. If you read the sentence and it makes sense you can stick up your index finger.

3. If you remembered to put punctuation at the end you can stick up your pinky finger.

4. Then you can say, “I love my sentence.” (Turn your fist over and you will be making sign language for “love.”)

Ready for Writing Rap (Traci Wade)
1, 2…sit up, please do.
3, 4…feet flat on the floor.
5, 6…push your chair in quick.
7, 8…lay your paper straight.
9,10…write neatly then.


Writer's Wall of Fame
Here’s a simple idea that will save you time and encourage all those little “authors” and “illustrators” in your classroom. All you need is a file folder to make a display pocket for each child. Cut a 1 ¼” border around the top half of the file folder. Let children decorate it with their name and pictures. Open and laminate. Fold in half and staple to a bulletin board or tape to a wall. Children can display their own work by slipping drawings, stories, etc. in the pocket.


Chew and Write
Give children a piece of sugarless gum. Once they write their name they can open the gum and start chewing. They are allowed to chew the gum as long as they keep on writing!