October 31st is Reformation Day, a day to celebrate Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation, or the movement that led reformers to break away from the Catholic Church. I have taught kids aged 4-12
‼️Excellent Quality Soft Cotton Canvas‼️ Full drill painting Size 30x40cm Each set includes: Sticky Canvas Color Coded Round Drill Diamonds Pair of Tweezer Double-ended Drill Pen Resealable Bags Tray It is suggested that once you receive the rolled up painting to flatten it out overnight before working on it with a heavy item ie: stack of books or plates This is a wonderful way to spend some quality time with your loved ones working on both ends of the painting and completing it together. Perfect gift for someone whether it is brand new or completed with love ❤️
I know the “school year” is winding down, but I wanted to drop in really quick with a few tips for directed drawings. If you’re like me, then you LOVE
5 effective strategies to help elementary teachers create a calm, productive classroom. Find ideas on creating a calm corner in the classroom and ideas for making calm down kits for students.
Whether it's the death of a community member, a shooting, or a natural disaster, teachers and counselors can support students using these strategies.
The end of the school year signals the beginning of summer for many students. This is the perfect time of year to teach about the sun and have some “fun in the sun” performing learning activities outdoors! These hands-on activities are perfect for keeping young students engaged and learning those last few days/weeks of school. […]
October 31st is Reformation Day, a day to celebrate Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation, or the movement that led reformers to break away from the Catholic Church. I have taught kids aged 4-12
Our literature-based learning often lends itself to discovering other places and cultures, which is one of many reasons we love this method! Learning about Italy, Japan, and China have been some of our richest homeschool moments so far. Along with learning about other countries and their continents, we learn where those places are located on the globe. In order to help my girls learn the 7 continents, I created a set of printable Continents Cards that we use in a variety of ways. Note: This post was originally published in 2014. The Continents Cards and the post have been freshly
Thousands of free printable preschool worksheets, games, activities, and more! Preschool themes, math, alphabet fine motor, sight words, sign language, reading, social studies preschool curriculum.
Book clubs for children are a great way to get children reading new books. It can be hard to choose books that are appropriate for the tween years though. I put together a list of perfect homeschool book club books. They inspire conversation and even include a related craft idea.
Check out these favorite dinosaur books for preschoolers so you'd have a quick, go-to list of dinosaur children's book suggestions!
It's almost summer so we are back with a treat for the entire family. We are so excited to bring you this fun summer reading program of books, ideas, and helpful tips to encourage kids to read all summer long. This is our seventh year doing the summer reading program.…
It's not everyday that our nation elects a new president. And although I am more than tired of hearing campaign ads and seeing yard signs, I am eager to exercise my right to cast a vote...a passion I hope to ignite into all of my children. I realize that the national "Kid's Vote" campaign has made significant strides in spreading the excitement to the next generation of voters, but it does very little to teach kids about the actual election process. So in keeping with my desire to incorporate real-life into learning, I have pushed "pause" on our current Egypt study to complete a mini-unit on voting...specifically voting for a new president. (This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for full details.) Resources that we used We used the following living literature style books: Know Your Government: Governor by Jacqueline Laks Gorman Know Your Government: Mayor by Jacqueline Laks Gorman Chickens May Not Cross the Road and Other Crazy (But True) Laws by Kathi Linz The Taxing Case of the Cows: A True Story About Suffrage by Iris Van Rynbach If I Were President by Catherine Stier Duck for President by Doreen Cronin Voting and Elections by Patricia Murphy We watched a youtube video on what the very first election process was like. I also gleaned inspiration from several great on-line resources which I have compiled on my Government Pinterest board. Election Process in Practice In an effort to clearly explain the election process, I decided to host a 2012 Family Dinner-Time Election. I joined forces with the Announcer's Wife to put together both a PRIMARY and a GENERAL election to elect the dinner to be served on election night. Our family was one political party and her family was the opposing party. I began by allowing each of my four older kids to pick a dinner-time candidate...a main dish that they enjoy. After looking at a few campaign ads and posters we had received in the mail, they were each instructed to make a campaign poster for their nominee. When the Hubs arrived home for lunch in the afternoon, we spent some time conducting a "town hall meeting" or simple debate. The children were each given a chance to explain why their dinner candidate was the best choice and why the others were not. I explained that voters take many factors into consideration when determining their vote. The Hubs and I (as the audience) asked questions and pointed out key "considerations"...like the fact that we might not have the ingredients for that particular item, the Announcer's family is mostly gluten free, mom has a meeting to get to on election night and might not have a lot of time to cook a huge time-consuming meal, etc. They all did a fantastic job responding to our concerns just as a real presidential nominee would do. Next came the voting. I made up simple "official ballots", set up a voting station, and invited the family to cast their vote for the PRIMARIES. The votes were counted and WAFFLES came in with a commanding lead. I then explained that we would need to choose a "running mate" for our candidate. We discussed how a presidential and vice-presidential combination was much like a dad and mom partnership. Dad is in charge, but Mom is second-in-command and is a helper to Dad. Just as Mom has many strengths that compliment Dad's, a Vice-Presidential nominee is chosen because his/her strengths will compliment that of the Presidential candidate. We all agreed that FRUIT would make a nice "running mate." In a humorous twist, the Announcer's family elected PANCAKES and BACON to represent their political party in the general elections. Our two families will be meeting together the Tuesday of the national elections to conduct our own general election. I have made up simple ballots for both readers and non-readers alike. The votes will be cast and tabulated. Later that evening, I will be serving up the winning combination at the dinner table. Who knows which dinner-time combo will win in this Battle of the Breakfast Foods. Right now, it's too close to tell.
Fun hands-on American History lesson for elementary children on the Andrew Jackson, Trail of Tears, & John Audubon in 45 minutes for Kindergarten, 1st, & 2nd grade-level children - Notebook & lapbook pages & book suggestions - Use with your class, homeschool, after-school program, or co-op! US
Teach kids empathy and compassion through mindful, fun lessons, discussions, and activities that build social awareness and community.
Japan activities are perfect to add to your kindergarten or first grade social studies lessons. Includes Mount Fugi craft, kid friendly sushi, and more.
Poetry haiku ideas to get students reading and writing poetry. Use this template to teach learners how to write a haiku.
Here's a list of Accelerated Reader levels by color. Find AR books according to your child's reading level and purchase them for less here too!
Check out how to make preschool portfolios with your students. They make great end of the year keepsakes. Included is a free printable poem for your kids.
I want to try all of these.
The end of the school year signals the beginning of summer for many students. This is the perfect time of year to teach about the sun and have some “fun in the sun” performing learning activities outdoors! These hands-on activities are perfect for keeping young students engaged and learning those last few days/weeks of school. […]
Inside: Authentic YA Spanish books for teens and pre-teens. Some of my most formative companions as a pre-teen were books. I read them over breakfast, after school, and returned to my favorites over and over. They formed such a deep part of my imagination that anyone who loved the same books felt like an instant friend.
The skill of rhyming is so important for children in preschool and kindergarten! I love to read rhyming books to help children develop an ear for rhymes. This is the ultimate list of rhyming books! #rhyming #phonologicalawareness #booklist #booksforkids
Kids will enjoy learning about Ancient Greece and Greek Mythology with these great books and hands-on activities!
Grab the free printables and the details of this fun project HERE.
Turn car and truck play into literacy learning time with these fun and playful ideas.
Teaching students how to make predictions starts with great mentor texts. This post includes book suggestions and lessons to get you started.
Tracing is an excellent way to teach preschoolers the fundamentals of pencil control and these safari and jungle animals tracing worksheets are just perfect for that. Before a child can begin to write letters and
This blog post is full of ideas for the First Week of Kindergarten. Includes book suggestions, activities, and links to accompanying ideas.
If you are wanting to teach kids about countries around the world this is a fun, free printable to teach kids about 18 countries - perfect for preschool, kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, and 3rd gr
Learn about plants with this 80 page botany lesson for kids! Information, worksheets, experiments, and more for elementary age!
Try creating a musical science pool for a fun outdoor music science experiment for kids
Here are 14 reasons why you don’t want your kids consuming large amounts of sugar. It will affect more than their health—it will affect their abilities to learn and think as well!
Today I'm sharing one of my favourite tasks for building community in the classroom. Students are able to share an important aspect of themselves (the story of their name) with the class and with me, their teacher. Through this task we are also working on important skills, like reading comprehension, writing, and reflection. Day 1 To begin, I asked my students to write any name they wish they had on a sticky note. They then placed it in a mason jar. I read my class the story "The Name Jar" by Yansook Choi. We stopped at several points in the story to predict, make connections, infer, and ask questions. At one point, we paused in the story so that students could journal about the name they wrote down on the sticky note earlier: - Did they choose their own name? Or another? - Why? - If you chose another name, where did you hear that name before? Day 2 At the end of Day 1, students were given homework. (Stick around to the bottom of this post for a chance to get your own copy of this sheet.) I make it very clear, that while names all have meanings, your family may not have chosen your name for that reason. They might not know the meaning, and you can choose to look it up with your family if you wish. I also focus a lot on nicknames and your own feelings about your name. While I've never taught a student in foster care, or one who was adopted, I do think it's important to mention that this could be a touchy task in those situations, so be sure to know your students first, and modify as needed. Students use the homework task, and the journal write from the previous day, to write "The Story of their Name". Some possible options to include are: - who you are named after - the meaning of your name - a name you'd rather have - your feelings toward your name - nicknames you may have - the person (or people) who chose your name - how your name was chosen This piece of writing is then self, peer, and teacher edited, and a "good" copy is made. Day 3 I found this excellent step-by-step self-portrait from "Art Projects for Kids". I modified the task so that instead of drawing the left or right side of their face, they would draw the top half. Students find that folding their page into quadrants as she suggests is very helpful. Under the document camera I demonstrate each step, and students copy, adapting to their own facial features. Each student gets a mirror to look in to help them personalize. The final pieces are put on a bulletin board for display. Students also coloured in a bubble letter version of their names to complete the display. (I used the font KG Red Hands Outline for this.) Day 4 Once we've completed the task, the last job is to reflect on our work. I pulled some elements from our Arts Education curriculum (very relevant regardless of where you teach) for students to self-assess on. I've used the proficiency scale language our school has moved to for all reporting. A few students found it helpful to complete their reflection while looking at the finished product on their bulletin board, but most didn't need this. Want a copy of both my homework and reflection pages? Follow the image or button below to grab your copy. Take Me to the Free Download Pin this post.
This year we are going to be learning a lot about Brazil! With the Summer Olympics being hosted in Brazil, I wanted to do some fun things to teach my kids all about it. Plus,
Border to border, the state of Nevada covers more than 100,000 square miles and the majority of that land is dry, arid desert.
Teach kids empathy and compassion through mindful, fun lessons, discussions, and activities that build social awareness and community.
This Stranger Safety Lesson is an easy way to teach your PreK-2nd grade students about stranger safety. This lesson includes a Presentation, suggested book, and worksheets to reinforce safe habits in your students. This lesson reiterates the idea that while not everyone is nice, most people are to avoid fear and confusion in younger children. This product includes: 1 PPT Presentation 1 PDF Presentation 1 Lesson Plan Sheet 1 Mini Book 1 Fill-in-the-blank worksheet 1 Coloring Sheet You may also like: Surprises & Secrets Lesson and Presentation PreK-2nd Safe & Unsafe Touches Lesson and Presentation: PreK-2nd Safe Touches Board Game: K-2nd Grade Personal Safety Lesson 2nd-5th Grade Personal Hygiene Board Game: 3rd+ Safe Touches Tic-Tac-Toe K-2nd Grade Stranger Safety Tic-Tac-Toe Personal Safety BINGO: 3rd-5th Grade
Teachers, looking for a book to read on the first day of school? Pick a back to school read-aloud from the list - it will be a hit in your class!
