IT'S NATIONAL BOLOGNA DAY!

FACEBOOK LIVE AT FIVE TOMORROW 10/25

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD OF WORKSHEETS!

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

O.K. So what has this got to do with rigor and standards? Other than letters and putting them together to make a word, not much. So, why am I writing about this? K.J.’s third grade teacher (Mr. D) told them each day about a national holiday and tied in a vocabulary word. For example, on National Milk Shake Day they learned the word “savor” because you want to savor it and make it last. Well, October 24th is National Bologna Day and 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.

SHOW ME YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE!

As adults, we don’t memorize phone numbers any more because everything we need is in the palm of our hands. However, it’s still important for children to know their full name, birthday, phone number, and address. It's amazing how many children don't know this information.  One year I had a little boy and I said, “What’s your name?” He replied, “Bubba.” I said, “No honey, your full name.” Well, he straightened me out as he said, “Bubba Bubba!” 

Driver's License
Having children make a driver's license might just be the perfect incentive to encourage them to learn their full name, birthday, and address. Use a small photo of each child and attach it to card stock with information similar to the one pictured.  Older children can write in the information and younger children can dictate it to an adult.
                               
Hint! It might be helpful to have a hand mirror so children can identify their eye color. 

Here are some tips to remind parents how to help their child learn this information at home.

Full Name
Help children learn their full name “The Wheels on the Bus.”
My full name is (first) (middle) (last),
____, ____, ____,
____, ____, ____,
My full name is (first) (middle) (last),
That’s my full name.  

Birthday
Birthdays can be sung to “Happy Birthday to You.”
September 24th, 

September 24th,
My special birthday

Is September 24th.

Phone Number
Phone numbers can be learned by singing them to “Michael Row Your Boat Ashore.”
213-297-4308
213-297-4308 

Address
Addresses can be sung to “Do You Know the Muffin Man?”
874 Pine Oak Circle,
874 Pine Oak Circle,
874 Pine Oak Circle,
Cincinnati, Ohio

Zip Code
Learn zip codes by singing them to the tune of “BINGO.”
There is a zip code where I live
And I will sing it to you.
54892, 

54892, 

54892
Now I know my zip code.

These are good rhymes to transition children, as well as to reinforce birthdays, phone numbers, and addresses.

Apples, pears, peaches, plums,
Tell me when your birthday comes.
                       

Candy, candy, ice cream cone.
Tell me the number of your telephone.


Rabbit, dog, cat, mouse,
Tell me the number on your house.
                                              
Hint! Have a “cheat sheet” with the information so you can prompt the children that don’t know.

P.S.  Here are two new videos that my webmaster created that I think you class will enjoy.

http://bit.ly/drjean-Scarecrow

http://bit.ly/drjeanMyMonster

PUMPKIN! PUMPKIN!

Here’s a simple game that you can make with a pumpkin, gift bag, or other seasonal container. It’s great for practicing skills, listening, and following directions. Keep it on your desk and you can use it whenever you have a few extra minutes.

Take index cards and write simple one or two step directions on them. For example: “Touch the flag and then walk to the trash can.” “Go under the teacher’s desk and then knock on the door.” “Balance on one foot and say a nursery rhyme.” “Go to the front of the room and tell a joke.” Place the cards in a plastic pumpkin. Let children take turns selecting cards and following the directions.

Hint! You will have to read the directions to younger students.


*Let older students write their own directions to use for the game.

Just think about skills your students need to master and an action and you're ready to get going.  For example:

      Clap and count by ten’s to 100.

      Touch your nose and spell the word SHE.

      Point to the word ‘THE’ in the room and then jump two times.

      Touch something that is a sphere and then tiptoe and touch something that is a circle.

      Turn around and count backwards from 10.

     Walk to the front of the room and act out an adjective.

     March and touch a noun.

     Walk to the back of the room and tell the day of the week, the month and the year. 

     Gallop as you count by 5's to 100.

     Skip around the room as you say the months in the year.

COOKING UP A NURSERY RHYME

You know it makes me sad that so many of you are not allowed to cook in your classrooms any more. When I think of the cooking experiences I had with my students it makes me smile. One of my favorite memories was when we were making pizzas. I said, “Let’s put them on the pan so I can bake them.” Floyd, a precious red head said, “That’s O.K., teacher, I’ll just eat my raw!”

Years ago a teacher sent me these recipes to tie in with nursery rhymes.  I wish I could remember who to give them credit to!  Even if you can’t have food in your classroom, you might enjoy making these with your own child, a neighbor, a scout troop, or a grown friend!  They are too "sweet" to be forgotten!

                                                 Ole King Cole’s Coins
Every king has a treasure trove filled with coins so why not make these healthy coins to fill up your students.

Ingredients:
Fresh carrots
Sour cream
Dill

Have the students wash and scrub the carrots with a vegetable brush. Now slice them up so that they look like coins. Chop up the dill and mix in the sour cream for the students to dip.

Name Cakes

After singing the ABC’s the children can eat them with me!

Ingredients:
Rice cakes
Peanut butter, cream cheese or frosting
Alphabet cookies

Find the letters of you name and place them on the table. Spread the topping of your choice over the rice cake and press down the letters of your name into the topping on the rice cake. These name cakes were alphabetically delicious.

Muffin Man Zucchini Muffins

The Muffin Man didn’t have this recipe in his cookbook but now you do.

Ingredients
½ cup grated zucchini
1 egg
2 Tablespoons of oil
¼ cup of honey
¼ cup of grated lemon peel
¾ cup of flour
½ teaspoon of baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cinnamon

Add the first five ingredients and mix well. Now add the rest and pour into muffin tins that have liners added. Bake at 400 degrees for twenty minutes. I’ll bet the Muffin man steals this recipe.

Jack Horner’s Thumbprint Biscuits

Jack Horner stuck his thumb in a plumb, but your children will get a kick out of sticking their thumbs in a biscuit.

Ingredients
Canned biscuits
Grape jelly

Give each child a biscuit and tell them to stick their thumb in the middle. Let them fill the hole in the middle with a spoonful of grape jelly. Bake according to directions on the package. Have your children say, “What a good (boy, girl) am I!

Moon Pizzas

The cow jumped over the moon and the astronauts landed on the moon. This recipe will add a whole new dimension to the rhyme or a study of the solar system.

Ingredients
English muffins
Pizza sauce
Shredded mozzarella
*Pepperoni, olive slices or cheeses shaped liked stars or moons are optional

Toast the English muffins ahead to time - especially if you like your pizza crust crunchy. Now spread the pizza sauce over the surface of the moon (English muffin) and add the mozzarella and other toppings of your choice. Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese melts.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD OF HALLOWEEN???

I know that some of you are not allowed to dress up on Halloween. I was looking through old blog posts with vocabulary words and I found this idea that Ginny McLay shared when I was in New Hampshire several years ago. It dawned on me that it would be a fun activity on October 31st - or any day. 

Vocabulary Word Costume!
Ginny McLay and was inspired by her love of vocabulary to help her kids love learning new words with a costume party.
                                            
After focusing on words (synonyms, antonyms, nouns, verbs, and adjectives) invite children to think of a word that they LOVE, ADORE, AND ADMIRE and create a costume for their word.

Easy steps to make a costume!
      1. Think of a few words that are really interesting.
      2. Choose a word that you can make into a costume.
      3. The word and definition must be somewhere on the costume.
      4. Practice the word and definition
           My word is _____. It means:_________.

Ideas for costumes:
      1. Write the word and definition on a headband.
      2. Write the word and definition on a piece of paper and make a necklace out of it.
      3. Write the word and definition on a t-shirt and decorate with fabric paint.
      4. Write the word and definition on a brown paper bag…cut it like a vest!
      5. Use a costume you already have at home and think of a great word. Write the word and definition on a sash.


Can you tell?  "Mysterious" and "celebrate"?

Great reads for vocabulary include:
Miss Alaineus – A Vocabulary Disaster by Debra Frasier
Fancy Nancy Books
Max’s Words by Kate Banks

NURSERY RHYME PARTY 
A substitute for Halloween for younger children might be to have a nursery rhyme party.  Children could all dress up like their favorite nursery rhyme character and then take turns reciting their rhyme.  I'll share some snacks with you tomorrow.

WHAT'S A WORD BAG?

This is a super idea for a center, homework activity, or partner project. It can easily be adapted to different skill levels and age groups.

Word Bag
Put flash cards with vocabulary words, sight words, spelling words, etc. in a zip bag. Add different multi-sensory materials similar to those below. Children can take the bag and choose any material they like to reproduce the words.

     *Wikki sticks
     *magnetic letters
     *colored pencils for rainbow words
     *alphabet stickers
     *alphabet blocks
     *dry erase board
     *play dough

Mystery Word 
Choose a word each day as a “mystery word." Write it on the board and then tape a sheet of paper over it so the children have to “take a peek” as they enter the classroom. At morning meeting discuss the meaning of the word. Can they dramatize the word? Can they use it in sentences?

WACKY WAYS WITH SEASONAL WORDS

Let's have some learning fun with seasonal words.  You can use these for October, autumn, Halloween, or any season or holiday throughout the year.
                                  


Mixed Up Words
Take vocabulary words, Halloween words, or spelling words and mix up the letters. Challenge children to figure out the words and then try to write them correctly on their paper.
Hint! Colored pencils or smelly markers make this so much more fun.
        


Word Makers 
Give children a seasonal word or vocabulary word. How many other words can they make using the letters in that word? (This might be a good activity for children to do with a partner or in a small group.)
                                      


Pumpkin Head 
This game is similar to “Wheel of Fortune.” The teacher thinks of a word and makes blanks on the board for the number of letters. As children call out 
letters, the teacher writes them on the appropriate blanks. If a child calls out a letter 
that is not in the word the teacher draws a pumpkin on the board. For each letter 
that is not in the word the teacher adds features (stem, eyes, nose, mouth, etc.) to the 
pumpkin. The children try to identify the word before the pumpkin head is completed. 

*Keep a “bone pile” in the corner where you write letters that are not in the word. 

            


Picture Words
Challenge children to write words in a way that reflects their meaning. For example, write “spooky” in shaky letters, “fall” in letters that go down, “colorful” with many colors, “candy” decorated with sprinkles, etc.