LITTLE LESSONS FOR ONLINE LEARNING PART 3

You are my BVFs (Best Virtual Friends)! It's true! I can't wait to share with you on Thursdays. I am thrilled to take your suggestions and come up with "Little Lessons" for online learning. Last week there were requests for activities for families, sight words, manners, rhyming words, subtraction, and Earth Day. Today I'll offer ideas for families, sight words, and manners. Tomorrow look for activities for helping children learn to rhyme. Next week will focus on Earth Day, recycling, the litter patrol, and more.

FAMILY ACTIVITIES

Talk about a GIFT! Julie Scully sent me this Scavenger Hunt book that I can SHARE with all of you! It's got so many fun activities in it that I might need to get Mr. Feldman to play with me!!!!

Here are two ways you can get your FREE copy! This is exactly what families need right now to play, learn, and have fun!!!

Click to download Scavenger Hunt

 
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/20-Ready-to-Use-Scavenger-Hunt-Games-around-the-house-5393573


SIGHT WORDS

Here's a link to "MY WORD!" on my website. You'll find games, songs, and materials to make sight words taste "yummy"!

     My Word

There is also a FREE website that would be helpful to parents.

 Visit Sightwords

And if you don't know about Heidi Songs you'll definitely want to check out her clever tunes for helping children learn to readm

 Visit Heidisongs


MANNERS
 
You'll find a free link "Magic Words" to encourage children to use good manners. I also think it helps to teach children sign language for "please" and "thank you" so you can prompt them non-verbally.

Magic Words
There are two little magic words
That will open any door with ease.
One little word is, “Thanks!
And the other little word is, “Please!”

When you’d like to ask for someone’s help,
And you’re not sure where to begin.
“Please” will start you off,
and “thanks” comes at the end.
                                                         

Try this link to see download button

(Buy Now) for the two free songs.

Click the Buy Now button and follow along. You should get a screen that lets you download the songs. In addition, you should receive an email with the links.

FINGER PLAY MATH
You know how much I love finger plays for oral language, phonological awareness, small motor skills, etc.  Many of the finger plays are also perfect for introducing subtraction to little children. 

Gummy Bears
Down at the candy shop what did I see?
Five little gummy bears smiling at me.  (Hold up 5 fingers.)
Along came (child’s name) with a penny one day.
He/she bought the green one and took it away.  (Put one finger down.)

Down at the candy shop what did I see?
Four little gummy bears smiling at me.  (Hold up 4 fingers.)
Along came (child's name) with a penny one day.
He/she bought the red one and took it away.  (Put another finger down.)

Three...two...one





*Trace around a child's hand on construction paper and cut out.  Glue the palm to another sheet of paper.  Bend down one finger at a time as you sing the song. 

                                               

VIDEOS TO COMFORT CHILDREN
I'd like to think that all children have families who talk to them about what's going on in the world right now.  I'd like to think that parents are trying hard to make their children feel secure and have some family fun.  However, you and I know that isn't always the reality for our little ones.  Here's a video that Deborah Penney made to comfort her children.  I know something this sweet is like a "hug" for her students!

 

Visit with Deb and Rosie

HOME TEACHING GRID
You can order Carolyn Kisloski's "home teaching grid" for next week here:

Home Teaching Grid

TRY A LITTLE FINGER PLAY TODAY!

GREAT FUN FOR FAMILIES!

 
Finger plays are like short poems and are a great way to engage children.  You'll be amazed how getting them to move their fingers really helps them focus. Finger plays also nurture these skills:

Oral language – Repetition of finger plays builds oral language skills.

Auditory memory – Children activate their short-term memory as they memorize finger plays.

Comprehension – Most finger plays have a simple story plot for children to follow.

Imagination – With so much time spent in front of a screen, finger plays encourage children to make pictures in their brains.

Sequence – Remembering the sequence in finger plays can help children retell stories.

Phonological awareness – Finger plays build a foundation for rhyme, rhythm and alliteration.

Eye-hand coordination – Visual connections with finger plays are important for writing and reading.

Small motor skills – Doing finger plays is like sending the fingers to the gym to exercise.

Math Concepts - Counting, subtracting, and making sets are included in many finger plays. 

 

Here's a video where you can learn some of my favorites:

Finger Plays

NATIONAL POETRY MONTH

April is National Poetry month.  Why is poetry important to share with children?

Poetry develops oral language.
Poetry develops auditory memory.
Poetry helps children make print connections.
Poetry develops phonological awareness (rhyme, rhythm, alliteration).
Poetry enhances fluency.
Poetry develops vocabulary.
Poetry sparks children’s interest in reading.
Poetry helps children fall in love with language.

Parents and Poetry 
Here are some questions to start a conversation between parents and children about poetry.

Do you like poems? Why? Why not?
 
What’s your favorite poem?
 
Do you have a favorite poet?
 
Did you learn any poems when you were a child?
 
Do you have a poetry book? 

Pocket Poem 
Seal an envelope, cut it in half, decorate, punch holes, tie on a piece of yarn, and let children choose a favorite poem or nursery rhyme to tuck inside.

Here's a poem for your pocket that my daughter Holly wrote.

A Poem
By Dr. Holly

A poem, a poem
Is a very special thing.
It takes the words
And makes them sing.

A poem is a present,
A poem is a treat
With words piled like ice-cream
In your bowl to eat!

A poem, a poem
Is a treasure and an art
So always carry one
With you in your heart. 

Laurel Wreath
Just for fun, let children make laurel wreaths out of paper plates and leaves. The Greeks awarded these in Olympic events for sports as well as poetic meets. 



Poetry Café
How about a  poetry party where you serve hot chocolate instead of coffee.  Let children choose favorite poems for you to read or encourage them to recite nursery rhymes or finger plays.  Explain that in the coffee houses instead of clapping, the audience would “snap” their fingers for the poets.
                                                  

FREE FAMILY FUN!!!!

     I am so excited to share this FREE resource with you. Many of you might be familiar with the Frog Street Curriculum as well as the Letter People. I contributed to both of those and I'm so happy that my videos with "Action Rhymes," "Handshakes," and "Cheers" are going to be available to your families. They will also find lots of other free resources to help us "love to learn and learn to love" during this time. 

As we continue to develop continuity of learning due to school closures, Frog Street is launching another great resource for learning at home! The DIG Pre-K at Home parent portal is an online learning platform that features Dr. Jean's educational videos, The Letter People Songs, The Letter People Games, and a comprehensive Resource section with extensive activities to complete at home. DIG is a core Pre-K program that develops the whole child, inspires big learning across all domains, and grows early learners into confident kindergarten-ready students. During this COVID-19 stay-at-home season, this resource will be FREE to teachers and families. 







Click for FrogStreet

When you go to this link you can register or log in if you are already registered. Then, just click on "Dr. Jean."

Sign in to Frog Street

Isn't it refreshing to find a company that cares more about CHILDREN than a profit right now?

SING LITTLE CHILDREN, SING!

"Easter" blessings to all of you! Here are some songs to put in your heart!

Eighteen years ago Shari Sloane and I made a CD called "Sing,Little Children, Sing" with gospel songs that we grew up with, as well as some songs to teach the books of the Bible, Disciples, Ten Commandments, etc.  If you go to my website (drjean.org) and put "June 2016" in the search engine you will be able to download a FREE copy of this CD.  You'll also be able to download the lyrics for the 22 songs.

Thanks for sharing HIS LOVE!

  
Here are songs on the CD: 
If you love the Lord, clap your hands 
Do Lord
Down in my heart (Joy)
This Little Light of Mine
Rise and Shine
I'll be a sunbeam  
Jesus loves the little children
Jesus loves the little ones like me
Happy all the time
He's got the whole world in his hands
Praise him
Sunshine mountain
Angels watching over me 
In my heart there rings a melody
The BIBLE
Books of the Bible
Creation
Ten Commandments
Twelve Disciples
Do you know Adam and Eve? 
Jesus loves me
Into my Heart

RECYCLED PLASTIC EGGS

I know your kids haven't even hunted for these eggs yet, but there are tons of learning activities that you can do with them at home next week.  

P.S.  Here's a video I did a few years ago where I demonstrate how to recycle the plastic eggs..

https://youtu.be/reJQsv0H5oM






 





Reading Games
Write an upper case letter on one half with a permanent marker and the lower case letter on the other half.


Give children small pictures of objects to put into appropriate eggs.

Put antonyms on eggs for children to match.
                 
Write synonyms on eggs.

Write two letter words on eggs. Children make words and then read them. Can they use the word in a sentence?
                                  

 
Write onsets (consonants or blends) on one half and rimes (word endings) on the other half. Children twist around and read words. You could also ask children to write the words.
                                                          
 
Make puzzles of sight words and put them in the eggs. Children put the letters together, read the word, and then write the word.

 
Make puzzles of simple sentences and challenge children to put the words together and read the sentence.
                                 

Math
Write numerals or number words on the eggs. Children fill with the appropriate amount of beans or paper clips.

Children match up dots or number words with numerals.

Place a certain number of small objects in the eggs (2-10). Children dump out the objects and then write all the combinations they can make.

Give children a variety of objects. Ask them to predict if each object will fit in an egg or if is too big. Sort the objects after testing if they will fit.
                                                 

Reinforce place value by writing numerals 1-9 on the eggs. Children put the eggs together and then say the numeral.

 
Science
Let children draw pictures of all the animals that come from eggs.

Place objects in the eggs, such as popcorn kernels, cotton balls, bells, etc. Children shake the eggs and predict what is inside.
*Make two eggs with like objects for children to match the sounds.

Musical Instrument
Put dried beans in the eggs and tape to a plastic spoon to make maracas.
                           

Yummy Snack
Put small crackers, raisins, cereal, grapes, or other healthy snacks in the eggs.

 
Sand and Water
Place eggs in a water table or sand box for pouring and measuring.

TIME TO PLANT YOUR GARDEN

Spring is in the air and it's time to do a little planting!

The Planting Song
(Tune: “The Farmer in the Dell”
Let’s all plant some seeds, (Pretend to dig.)
Let’s all plant some seeds.
Hi, ho, it’s spring you know,
Let’s all plant some seeds.

The rain begins to fall… (Wiggle fingers down.)

The sun warms the earth…(Arms over head.)

The seeds begin to grow… (Pretend one arm is a plant.)

Growing, Growing!
What does a seed need to grow? Brainstorm with the children and write their responses on the board. Take five cups and draw the following as shown:
soil, water, sun, air
soil, water, air
soil, water, sun
soil, sun, air
sun, air, water

Plant several bean seeds in each cup. Encourage the children to predict what will happen. Observe. Evaluate predictions after several weeks.



Seed Hunt 
 Brainstorm different seeds that come from foods we eat, such as apples, oranges, sunflowers, avocados, popcorn... Challenge children to look in their kitchens at home and bring in seeds. Plant the seeds in clear cups and label. Place in a sunny window, water, and you might be surprised at what comes up!


*We also planted jelly beans and pennies, but alas, they never grew. It was fun experimenting and thinking about eating those jelly beans and spending those pennies!



Seedy Snack
Popcorn, sunflower seeds, pickles, and strawberries! What do they call have in common? They could all be part of a seedy snack. Let the children brainstorm all the things they eat that have seeds.

Eating Plants
Discuss what parts of a plant you eat. What roots do you eat? What leaves? What stems? What flowers? What seeds?
*Divide a sheet of paper into fourths and label, “seeds,” “roots,” “stems,” “flowers.” Have children write or draw different foods they eat from each category.




Dirt Pie

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljVkxNQXRFYVRvVUE/view?usp=sharing

I wanted to share this video that Carol and Carol did for parents.  It's so insightful and definitely something that parents need to be reminded about.

 

View on YouTube