Explicitly teaching, as well as continually modeling and practicing reading comprehension strategies with students is one of the most important jobs we have as teachers of growing readers. Research shows that teaching reading strategies encourages
Make science come alive by seeing how the hand works as it moves. They will absolutely love making this Muscle System hand craft for kids!
Kids and young adults need social-emotional skills to be successful at school, home, and for the rest of their lives. These are the skills that help kids build confidence, understand their own strengths and weaknesses, collaborate with others, navigate social situations, develop strong relationships
This post is about a chart I created with my friends over a three day period. It was really review for us, so the lessons were sort of quick hits. We did a section of the chart, they practiced in their writer's notebook with a quick share. My goal was just to review some areas in writing and grammar that I've seen they need a little reminding about. This is what the chart looked like at the end of day three: As you can see, it's a busy chart. That's why I really suggest doing it as a quick lesson over a few days. I will explain how I did it and give you some changes you might make so that it's a better fit for your friends. Day 1 Learning Goal: Using more descriptive verbs that relate mood This was the chart at the start of the lesson. We started with a simple sentence: The boy went up the stairs. I then focused my friends on the first column, the different moods I might want to create as a writer. We discussed how our simple sentence just doesn't do it. As a class, we brainstormed some different verb choices that better suited the moods. I charted these, and then we read the sentence again, substituting the new verb choices each time. To practice, my friends then worked with a partner for a minute or two to brainstorm their own verb choice for the same sentence and write it in their writer's notebook. We did a quick share of some and then off they went for independent writing. Modifications: This could be the extent of your entire chart. You don't have to go on and do the other sections. For younger friends, working on verb choice alone may be enough. You could also focus this lesson on synonyms for verb choice. How many verbs can you think of that would show someone going up the stairs in a happy mood? Bounced up? Jumped up? Pranced up? Skipped up? Danced up? Day 2 Learning Goal: Using adjectives or more descriptive phrases to relate mood and stronger visual images For Day 2, we briefly reviewed the previous day's lesson and then discussed how we could add adjectives or descriptive phrases to help relate mood and create a more powerful mental picture for the reader. We brainstormed together to fill in the last column. Notice that for our happy and carefree mood, we didn't really change anything. It was important for them to see that sometimes you just may not be able to think of a way to change the sentence. I come back to this at the end of day three, so I'll explain then. For independent practice, my friends followed the same procedure at Day 1 using the same sentence in their writer's notebook. Modifications: To simplify it, you could focus on just adding one adjective in front of the word stairs in the original sentence. Note: I'm a little embarrassed! It wasn't until I was looking at the chart after school on day 3 that I realized I wrote "creeped" when "crept" is grammatically correct. I did go back and correct it with my friends, but it's not in these pictures. Oh well, it's probably good for them to see that even teachers (this teacher anyway) need to proofread! Moving on. . . Day 3 Learning Goal: Correctly using and punctuating dependent clauses and creating vivid, descriptive mental images Dependent Clauses have been a stickler for some of my friends, especially using commas correctly with them. For this section, we worked on adding dependent clauses that related mood. As you can see, we also threw in some adjectives for the boy. I also highlighted the use of the comma. For independent practice, my friends went on to add a dependent clause to the sentence they had been working on in their writer's notebook. We did a quick share, and then I had them write their "Power Sentence" on a sentence strip. We hung them up in the room, and of course I forgot to take a picture of them! But, I think you get the idea. Modifications: Dependent clause is definitely an upper elementary focus, so you might want to simplify this section. In all, this would be a great chart for a simple adjective lesson. Your friends could focus on simply adding adjectives for the boy. You could also remove the "mood" section altogether if you wanted to just focus on adjectives, but I do think the mood really guides this lesson no matter how you modify it. So, as you can see from the chart, we went from the simple sentence, "The boy went up the stairs" to: With a gleam in his eye, the boy race up to the top of the staircase. Head bowed, the boy sighed and dragged himself up the long staircase. With a nervous glance up, the timid boy crept up the dark and shadowed stairs. While humming a silly tune, the boy bounced up the stairs. With a scowl on his face, the boy stomped up each step of the staircase. As I noted, these were quick lessons each day. They were meant to be a quick, meaningful review, not take up our whole writing period. The new sentences are complex sentences that create mood and vivid mental pictures. This is a skill my friends can always use practice with. On day 2, we never changed "the stairs" section of the sentence. One of the reasons I let this go was to point out to my friends that every part of a sentence doesn't need to be bedazzled. We sometimes use that term in class. I will tell my friends that their writing needs some bedazzling! It's a silly way for them to see that they have fallen back into the habit of using only "simple" writing. It's also important to point out that every sentence shouldn't be so involved. We have done lessons on varying sentences for structure and length, so my friends know not to "over bedazzle" their writing. Does that make sense to anyone but me?!! So, that's my chart that I call the chart that just keeps on giving. :-D I like charts that you can go back to over time. I find that my friends tend to get those lessons better when we are able to go back to the same chart a couple of days in a row. It just seems to imprint on their brains a bit more than the anchor charts you hit for one day only and then hang up. Hopefully there is something in this chart you can use. Have a happy weekend! See you tomorrow!
Explicitly teaching, as well as continually modeling and practicing reading comprehension strategies with students is one of the most important jobs we have as teachers of growing readers. Research shows that teaching reading strategies encourages
Get hands-on when you study William Shakespeare's plays with these activities and crafts.
This week in my classroom it’s been all about SUFFIXES!! We started out with an anchor chart and some fun puzzles! Pinterest My students worked with partners to solve a set of puzzles… Pinterest I used the second set of puzzles as a center/literacy station. I printed on colored paper and laminated. I’m not going […]
Simple mental health lessons for kids, like this activity, leave even young children with something to think about in their daily lives.
Having a "toolbox" of coping strategies is critical for a child or young adult to deal with challenging emotions. Sometimes the emotions are due to anxiety, depression, anger, stress or other strong feelings. Regardless of the reason, it's important to teach, practice, and choose coping strategies t
Enjoy teaching plants' parts, structures and functions with these hands-on activities. Your 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will love them!
We began learning about arrays in math today! Arrays are a foreign concept for us, they were added to our math curriculum this year due to switching over to the CCSS. For my very first lesson ever teaching arrays, I thought it went great! Here's how our lesson went down. 1. We started off with a great Brain Pop Jr. Video to gain some knowledge of what exactly an array is and what it is used for. (Gotta love Moby and Annie!) 2. Then we made a colorful anchor chart to put on our math wall which will help us remember arrays for the rest of the week. 3. Next, we had some guided practice using white boards and pattern blocks under the Elmo. They had to make an addition equation but they figured out pretty quickly how to make multiplication equations, so I let them do both. They thought they were so cool because they could understand multiplication. 4. Lastly, we had some independent practice using an Array Match-Up center from my End-Of-Year Extravaganza Math pack. My kiddos did great for our first day with arrays and I had very few who completed their independent work incorrectly. The ones who did, only made very minor mistakes, overall I was very impressed with today's math lesson! Hope you find these ideas helpful!
10 hands-on and engaging ways to Teach Kids About Their Emotions.
If you (or your preschooler) has ever asked the question, "what is blood made of?", you must check out this fun activity to learn about the parts of blood.
Help kindergarteners compare length & use appropriate vocabulary with this FREE "Shorter and Longer" activity. Great hands on practice for comparing length.
If you want to begin teaching diversity to young kids, then you will definitely want to check out these crafts and activities that are fun and hands-on!
Are you looking for super fun measurement worksheets and activities for kindergarten?? You found them!! Your students will LOVE these hands-on learning activities and fun, extra practice worksheets that teach a variety of kindergarten measurement concepts.
Hand games are a great way to develop hand-eye coordination and are great bilateral coordination activities! Parents love them, too!
In our classroom we have been learning all about prepositions. I usually hate teaching grammar, but these hands-on reading units have made it so much more fun! Pinterest I started off by introducing prepositions with a song… These songs were PERFECT!! If you play them, be prepared for a classroom of little singers that will […]
Enjoy teaching plants' parts, structures and functions with these hands-on activities. Your 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will love them!
Easily teach kids binary using a free binary app and fun binary puzzles! Kids learn and practice binary in a fun, creative, and hands-on way.
The popcorn activity for sorting words containing the final /k/ spelling pattern was such a hit I decided to create an ice cream cone version to add a little variety. Sorting activities are a perfect way to introduce many of our spelling rules as students can see right away how the rule applies. Just as a […]
This week in my classroom it’s been all about SUFFIXES!! We started out with an anchor chart and some fun puzzles! Pinterest My students worked with partners to solve a set of puzzles… Pinterest I used the second set of puzzles as a center/literacy station. I printed on colored paper and laminated. I’m not going […]
Do you need a hands-on, sensory lesson to teach about kind words? You will love this! Perfect for preschool, kindergarten, and even older kids! Also part of the Virtual Book Club for Kids!
Help your students become global citizens with this lesson that teaches the about culture. Students will explore their culture and the cultures of their classmates in this engaging, hands-on activity.
I can’t even believe it’s almost NOVEMBER. My baby is THREE. It doesn’t seem right! He should still be in diapers!! Pinterest I’m loving this school year!!! I love my class… I always do!! BUT… it’s extra special having my girls at school with me each day!! Pinterest Our five minute car rides to and […]
Looking for fun ways to teach kids coping skills? Your students will love these fun, hands-on activities to help them deal with tough feelings.
The young middle school singers who arrive in my choral classroom each August are incredibly diverse. In my room, I have children whose native languages are Dari (the Persian language of Afghanistan), Mandarin, Hindi, German, Spanish, Swahili and many more. I've taught singing to children in my classroom who, believe it or not, are almost completely deaf, some who have trouble matching pitch, some who can barely articulate due to cerebral palsy, children with severe intellectual limitations, extreme cases of Autism, and children who are legally blind. ...And almost all of them come to me utterly unable to read music. My room is a true public school classroom in America, and I absolutely love that fact. There are many resources in marketplace for helping break through language barriers. Smartling, for example, is a translation software company that helps us break through language barriers by translating mobile apps and websites for companies. My feeling is that if children want to sing, they should sing, and it's up to me to find ways to communicate in a way everyone can understand so they can learn. I don't test their voices. Middle school children are so afraid to be put on the spot and forced to sing alone, so I stopped testing their voices years ago. I can hear what I need to hear in the group setting, discretely work on the issues that need addressing, and avoid causing them the extra stress. To be in my chorus class, the only requirement I have of them is that they have a true desire to learn to sing. Each year, there are over 300 children who walk through my doors each day electing to take choir, and I am honored they make that choice. To help them become musically literate, I had to learn to teach using all three learning modalities each day: Kinesthetic, Visual and Aural. When I began developing my Sight Singing Program, S-Cubed, the main goal I had was to help my beginning students, regardless of whether they speak English or whatever their individual challenges may be, truly learn how to take the dots, curves, stems and lines off of the page and successfully and accurately turn them into sound. I wanted to help them understand the language of reading music better, and I wanted them to have fun in the process of learning it. To reach them, I knew that I had to incorporate every possible learning modality. One of the most important parts of my sight singing method is the use of the Kodaly Hand Signs. The hand signs help to connect pitch to the physical movements of the hands. The use of the vowel sounds in the words of the Kodaly scale helps intonation and blend tremendously because teachers can teach students how to use tall vowels when they sing. In the Sight Singing approach I developed, I took the Kodaly Hand Sign movements and added more layers to help my beginners experience more success. When you see my students tackling a new piece of music for the first time, you see them pulsing their hands to keep the steady beat, and you see them lifting and lowering their hands to match the changing pitch. Click here to see an example. I carefully and deliberately teach those skill sets to my students and slowly build the coordinations required to successfully execute them one step at a time. It is all outlined in the descriptions of the individual lessons in my program. ...But the single most important element of my program is "fun". To begin building the skills I've described above, I play a game with the children called Forbidden Pattern. Click here to see a description of the game. Click here to see me playing the game with my students. This is really the "hook" of the program I've developed and it works with all of the children I've described in the first paragraph of this post. Regardless of what language they speak or what other challenges they face, when we turn the learning process into a game, our middle school children listen, laugh, thrive, and best of all, in the end, we all learn to speak the common language of music. Check out my blog!
Explicitly teaching, as well as continually modeling and practicing reading comprehension strategies with students is one of the most important jobs we have as teachers of growing readers. Research shows that teaching reading strategies encourages
Teach kids about ancient history and vikings with this viking longboat craft, book suggestions and project ideas.
Tonight I'm enjoying the sound of wind chimes through the window as the winds shift and winter blows back in. It's cold outside, so I'm staying bundled up inside and checking in just long enough to share a bulletin board I made today, to complement a lesson I'll be starting tomorrow on friendship. And, before I unplug again, some reflections on friendship: Making and keeping friends is an important skill for children to learn. Not only are friends fun to have around, but healthy attachments are an important part of a child's experience in school. Children that can form friendships tend to adjust to the school experience better because they're more likely to develop self-esteem and build important social skills, like getting along, cooperating and problem-solving. Since students don't come to school with these skills neatly tucked away in their backpack, we must be modeling, teaching, and practicing them in our day-to-day interactions right alongside of and, dare I say it, woven into academic content. How do you help your children find friends that fit? Here are some goals that friends can work on as new relationship opportunities present themselves: *Cooperate and be kind to others. *Be willing to play fairly, take turns, and share. *Listen to others' ideas. *Apologize and forgive one another. *Express feelings appropriately. Use "I" statements to share how you're feeling and what you need from your friends. *Practice empathy to respond to friends' feelings in an understanding, helpful way. *Be honest and loyal to your friends. *Keep a positive attitude and hang out with friends who uplift you. *Show respect. Be the kind of friend that you would want to have. *Express gratitude and appreciation. Encourage your children to choose one of these goals at a time to work on as they learn how each one looks, sounds, and feels in their world at their age. Remember that how these goals play out will change slightly through the ages and stages. Talk with your child(ren) about the qualities that they look for in a friend. Ask questions like these: *How did you decide on those qualities? *What do you usually do to make a new friend? *What advice would you give a classmate who is having a hard time making friends? *Would you want to be your friend? Why or why not? *What qualities do you have to offer to someone that might make you a good-fit friend? To enrich the discussion, have students trace their hands onto a paper, left on one side, right on the other. On the right hand, have them write five strengths that they bring to a friendship. On the other hand, have them write five areas for growth, things that they could do better in their friendships. If you don't have access to paper-pen supplies, partners can put their hands together as if they're giving a high-five and take the Five Finger Friendship Challenge aloud. Finally, check out these resources for additional friendship tips: 1. Do Kids Need Friends? 2. The Art of Boosting Your Child's Friendship Skills 3. Fostering Friendships
A big part of what we do with children is teach them safe and appropriate ways to cope and express themselves. We aren’t born knowing how to walk and we also aren’t born knowing how to …
Free, fun and useful Kindergarten - 1st Grade, Common Core aligned lesson plans, math games, calendars, behavior charts, materials and more!
Teaching Resource: A cute punctuation poster to display in your classroom.
I have a new favorite chart! I found this on pinterest and knew it would be great to use during the first week with my new little first graders. Amanda (the smartie who made this) from First Grade Garden graciously allowed me to share a printable I made to go along with her anchor chart. I was so busy my first week that I never got around do doing this activity with the kids, so I'm saving it for one of those days when I think they need a big reminder about being good listeners. Also, I may tie it in with a writing lesson on labeling. Click the image to download this document.
Kids will have fun learning about The Revenge of Ishtar in this fun, hands on Mesopotamia History Unit. This is great for kids of all ages.
Build a simple speaker from a paper plate, some magnets, and wire.
Far too many students are doing projects that look creative but offer almost no opportunity for real learning. Time for the Grecian Urns to go.
If you're preparing to teach decimals, you may be wondering where even to begin. Decimals can be an abstract, difficult-to-understand concept for some students, and it's essential to teach them in a way that helps
