FALL IS COMING!

The first day of fall is Wednesday, September 23rd. Here some activities you might want to include in your lesson plans next week to help you celebrate!

Leaves Are Falling
(Tune: “Where Is Thumbkin?”)
Leaves are falling (Echo song. Children repeat each line.)
Leaves are falling (Flutter fingers down.)
To the ground. (Touch the ground.)
To the ground.
Red, orange, and yellow (Flutter fingers.)
Red, orange, and yellow
Falling down. (Touch the ground.)
Falling down.

*Let children dramatize being leaves and dancing in the wind. As the song ends they fall quietly to the ground.

*What happens to leaves after they fall from the trees? Later in the fall when there are lots of leaves on the ground demonstrate how to pick up a handful of leaves and crumple them in your hands. Explain how those leaves will decay and turn into soil.

Fall
Why do you think they call this season “fall”? What’s another name for fall?
What season comes before fall? What season comes after fall? Fall is a cool off time between hot summer and cold winter.

Signs of Fall
Brainstorm signs of fall and write them on the board. What kind of clothes do we wear in fall? What’s the weather like in the fall? Are there any special seasonal foods we eat? What kind of sports are popular in fall? What holidays do we celebrate in the fall? What do animals do to get ready for winter? What do plants do in the fall?
*Let children make an attribute web and label it with pictures or words of things that remind them of fall.  Older children can do this as a writing assignment, but for younger children this can be an opportunity for the teacher to model writing and develop vocabulary.

Nature Walk
Go on a nature walk and look for signs of fall. Provide children with tablets, paper, and pencils so they can record their “observations” on the walk.

I Like Autumn Language Experience Chart
Let children dictate sentences about why they like autumn. 
*Older children could write their own original stories about, “Fall, Fall, Best of All!”

Acrostic Poem
Write the words “fall” or “autumn” vertically down the side of a sheet of paper. Children think of a word that starts with each letter that relates to fall.
*You could also make a step book where they write seasonal words for each letter.

MAKE A HAT DAY

Whoever heard of Make a Hat Day? Well, it’s today, but here is a simple hat idea that you can adapt for letters, shapes, or other skills any old day. 

Materials: sentence strips or construction paper cut 4” x 24”, markers,
scissors, glue, construction paper scraps, stapler

Directions: Let children choose a favorite letter and write it in the middle of the strip of paper. Have them decorate the strip with pictures of things that begin with that sound. Adjust the headband to the child’s head and staple.

*Sing alphabet songs and let the children do a special dance when their letter is sung.

*Call out three (CVC) sounds and let children come to the front of the room if their letter makes the sound. Have the children hold hands to make the word. 
                         
Book Report
Instead of book reports, let students make headbands about their book and then do a book talk.

Shapes
Let children make shape headbands but cutting out construction paper shapes and gluing them to their headband.

Holiday Hats
Make headbands for Thanksgiving, Valentine's or to celebrate other special days.

Drama
Decorate headbands for characters from a story. Children can wear these and act out the story.

HOT POTATO

One potato, two potato, three potato, four…

Yesterday I suggested ways to adapt the traditional game of "Freeze" because it's a good way to help children develop self-regulation.  Today I'm going to suggest different ways to play "Hot Potato" because it also requires children to use impulse control as they start and stop passing the hot potato.  You can play this game inside, outside, or adapt it to different skills.

Materials:  sponge ball, small toy, seasonal object (such as a little pumpkin)

                music or whistle  (music for inside and a whistle for outside)

Hint!  I made a hot potato from an old pair of panty hose.

Traditional Hot Potato
Children stand or sit in a circle. The potato (or other object) is passed around the circle until the music stops or the teacher blows a whistle. The child holding the potato when the music stops is out of the game and must sit down or move away from the group. If a child drops the potato they are out of the game.  If a child throws the potato so it can’t be caught they are also out of the game. Continue passing the potato until one child is left.
*Instead of making children leave the game, ask them to do an exercise, say a rhyme, tell a joke, etc.

Shapes and Letters
The child caught holding the potato has to identify a shape, letter, or other information on a flash card.

Counting
Pass the potato and each child says a number as they receive the potato. Every time you get to a multiple of ten, that child is out.
*Start counting from a random number. “We’ll start with 17…”

Spelling
Say a word. Each child says a letter in the word. When the word is spelled the next child is out. Continue passing the potato and spelling words.

Recall
After you’ve read an informative book ask the child holding the potato to tell you one new thing they learned.

FREEZE, PLEASE!

Teacher says: Macaroni and cheese. 

                                        Children respond: Freeze, please! 

This is a great attention grabber, but playing games where children have to FREEZE is a good strategy for developing self-regulation and impulse control. (And from your phone calls and emails, it seems many of you have children who need a little work on this!) 

Freeze Dance
This can be done to any type music. (If I were you, I’d choose something that I personally liked or maybe my college fight song.) The children spread out as you encourage them to find their own space. Remind them that if they get out of their space or touch anyone else they are out of the game. Explain that when the music starts they can do their own happy dance, but when the music stops they must freeze. Start the music and dance along with the children. Stop the music randomly throughout the song. 

                                               

*Give children specific movements to make until the music stops. For example, you could ask them to march, tip toe, run in place, etc.

*For older children make them sit down if they move. Who can be the last one standing?

Stop and Touch
Here’s a way to help children make connections between letters and print as they sing, dance, and freeze. Have the children find their place. Explain that you will play an alphabet song and when the music stops they will have to find that letter in the classroom, touch it, and freeze. Continue playing the song and stopping on random letters.
Hint! Alphardy, Who Let the Letters Out?, Letter Pops, Kick Box the ABC’s, or Happy Birthday Letters would all be fun for this song.

Bubble Freeze
All you’ll need is a bottle of bubbles for this game. Explain that you will blow some bubbles and they may tip toe, jump, walk, or move quietly around the room until all the bubbles hit the floor and pop. When all the bubbles have popped they must be frozen.
*This can also be used to quiet children at circle time.

Draw or Write and Freeze
Give children a blank sheet of paper and a pencil or crayons. The younger children can draw as you do this activity, and the older children can write. (It’s a sneaky way to get them to practice writing letters, numbers, or words.) Tell them that you will set a timer (I’d use my phone) for one or two minutes. They can begin drawing or writing, but when the timer goes off they must put their pencil down, stand up, and do five jumping jacks. (Vary the exercise that you ask them to perform.)

I have to be an obnoxious grandmother and show you Kalina and K.J. on their first day of school.  I wish they would FREEZE PLEASE and stay this age!

SIGN LANGUAGE CENTER

Now, this is a million dollar idea that is free and will take you ten minutes to make. It can provide a pathway to the brain for your kinesthetic learners, and it can raise the bar for children who need a challenge.  Start with letters for young children and use sight words, spelling words, or vocabulary words for older students.

Materials: pocket folder, copy of manual signs for letters, index cards (I like the real images of the hands that I found on lifeprint.com)

Directions: Glue a copy of the manual signs to the inside of a pocket folder. Write letters, sight words, the children's names or other skills on index cards. (Not all of these, but whatever skill you want children to practice.) Place these in the pocket. Children choose one card at a time and practice making that letter or fingerspelling the word.
                         
Lotto Game - Make a file folder game where children match like manual signs.
*You could also make a matching game on a pocket chart.

Memory Game - Glue manual signs on one set of cards and letters on the other cards. Place these face down on the floor. Children take turns playing by turning over two cards at a time and trying to match letters and signs.
Hint! Start with 5 letters and signs at a time and increase as children become more proficient.

SIGNING INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR

Sign language is quiet, multi-sensory, and engaging. It’s a powerful strategy for classroom management, as well as for beginning readers. As one teacher once remarked, “Sign language is like bubble gum. It helps stick things in the brain.”

Even if you don’t know sign language, I’d challenge you to give it a try this year in your classroom. There are several free sites (aslpro.com, signwithme.com, lifeprint.com, handspeak.com) where you can download the manual signs for letters, and there are youtube videos where you can see them demonstrated. (This might be a good video for your students to watch during transitions to keep their hands occupied.) There are also several good sign language apps you can download.

Let’s get started with one of these ideas.

Classroom Management – Teach children signs for “pay attention,” “stop,” “sit down,” “me too,” “please,” “stand up,” “restroom,” “water,” “yes,” “no,” etc.
Hint! I might introduce one each morning and practice it throughout the day. 

Letters – Introduce manual signs to help children make letter connections.
*Use letter signs as you sing alphabet songs.
*Teach children the first letter in their name and use it to dismiss them to line up. 

Where Are the Letters?  Change the words to "Where Is Thumbkin?" to teach children how to make manual signs for the letters.
     Where is A?       (Place hands behind your back.)
     Where is A?       (Children repeat.)
     Here I am.         (Make "a" with your hand.)
     Here I am.         (Children repeat and make an "a" with their hand.)
     What do you say A?  (Wiggle hand.)
     What do you say A?  (Children repeat.)
     /a/  /a/  /a/      (Make the short a sound.)
     /a/  /a/  /a/      (Children repeat.)

Sight Words – Give children a kinesthetic way to “put words in their heads” by teaching signs for word wall words, vocabulary, or spelling words. 

Classroom Alphabet – Use manual signs with your classroom alphabet or word wall.

Alphabet Book – Use a digital camera to take photos of your students making the signs and use to make an ABC book. 
                           
*This book can be sung to "He's Got the Whole World in His hands."

Songs and Poems – Teach children how to sing songs and say poems in sign language.


Hint!  Remind children when they do sign language to make "strong" letters and not wimpy letters.  When they tighten their muscles it will be like sending their fingers to the gym.

DOLLAR LETTERS AND WORDS

This is a perfect project for any skill because children love to make things and they also enjoy collecting things. They’ll feel “richer” as they learn new words and add the dollars to their wallets.

Materials: construction paper 9” x 12”, markers, green paper cut 4” x 2”

Directions: First let each child make a wallet where they can “save” their sight words. Lay a sheet of construction paper horizontally. Fold up the bottom within one inch of the top. Glue the two sides and then fold in half. Let children decorate their wallets with their name and drawingss. As you introduce new words let the children write them on the green rectangles/dollars and then store them in their wallets.
                            
*Use these at small group time to play “mystery word” as you call out clues. For example, “This word starts with ‘t’ and ends with ‘e.’” This word is the opposite of ‘sad.’”

*Children can use their words to make sentences, sort parts of speech, etc.

*Let children take their word wallets home and practice them with their parents.

*If you have a few extra minutes in the day have children get out their dollar words and read them independently or with a partner.

*Challenge children to learn to spell their dollar words.
    

                                         

Letter Wallets - Younger children could save letters, numbers, or shapes in their wallets.

Math Wallets - Write addition and subtraction facts on dollars and save them in math wallets.

Vocabulary - Have children write vocabulary words on dollars and store them in their wallets.

Word Families - Use wallets to reinforce word families.