Hexagonal thinking is a rich new way to inspire discussion. This quick post will tell you everything you need to know (and provide you with ready-to-print resources) to successfully add Hexagonal Thinking discussions into your ELA classroom.
Comprehension Connection is a literacy website dedicated to providing teaching tips and resources for instruction for K-5 teachers focusing on comprehension.
Too many classroom icebreakers require students to take big social risks with people they barely know. Or they don't really help students get to know each other. Or they are just plain cheesy.
3rd Grade Thoughts: A teaching blog by Stephanie Van Horn
Everything you need to know about teaching 5th grade categorized and organized by topic for easy reference.
Today, I’m sharing Montessori-inspired activities that work well for a study of composer George Frideric Handel.
Blooming and Growing in Primary
If I Were a Superhero Identify a few well-known superheroes with your students and brainstorm adjectives that describe these superheroes and their actions. After reviewing the list, ask students to identify people in their real lives that possess these characteristics. Ask students to complete this thinksheet and describe what kind…
Welcome to Day 2 of Speech-A-Palooza! I hope you enjoyed Whitney's post yesterday! Today's post is from Jen Alcorn, author of Crazy Speech World. Themes are something new I am trying this year, too. I had always done the traditional holiday themes, but I am now trying out a new theme every other week. This post will be helpful for any of you that use themes in your therapy sessions... or are thinking about doing it! One of the most popular questions I get is about using themes for therapy. Mostly, how do I plan my themes? I'm sure other people have different methods, but here is how I do it... My therapy themes are simple and straightforward. Over the summer, I sit down with my calendar and map it out. It takes an hour or two, but it ends up making therapy planning incredibly easier. Why? Because you are able to narrow your focus. When I tackled this project the first time, it was a little overwhelming. But the more you do it, the more comfortable you become with the process and it ended up being pretty easy for me this past summer. Something you may find helpful is from Perkilou Products...it is a four week calendar for every month of the year. It gave me ideas when I was first starting to create my own. My own version is a little different. I center my planning around holidays and seasons, some of which I use for two weeks. You can download my version HERE. I also created a blank version, which you can grab HERE. After this part comes the fun stuff...finding materials! Blogs. I think these are the best places to get inspired and find activities. Pinterest. I have seen tons of Pin Boards dedicated to specific holidays, seasons, or themes. You can even search by theme using the search box. Books. Look through your own or go visit the library! You can find a book on any topic, try to find various levels, as well as fiction and non-fiction. Go through your STUFF! Pull your files out and go through your cabinets. I bet you have tons of your own materials that you can use :) I have started organizing my themes by binders to keep up with it all. I bought tons of page protectors to keep all my original worksheets and materials in, and all of my activities for that theme go in the binder. I also make a list of all the manipulatives that I have that go with the theme...like I have jack-o-latern baskets I can use for Halloween or the Popcorn containers with the carnival theme. I just don't want to forget what I have! We always have so much STUFF! I still use my trusty bag of favorites...CandyLand, Apples to Apples, Chipper Chat etc. to fill in the gaps. Not everything I do is related to the theme, but I love having the organization of using themes in therapy. I really believe that it has positively impacted my therapy and I would encourage any SLP to do it!
When I was in Paris recently, I saw a range of beautiful silk-covered concertina photo albums in the window of a stationery boutique. A tiny, eclectic paradise stuffed full of the most beautiful things, it was a shrine to all things paper. Their beauty diminished a little when I saw the price; about 25 Euros, […]
Have you seen those floating ball toys where you blow into one end and the ball "magically" floats above in place? Here's a way to create your own!
23 Primary Program review ideas and themes to practice your presentation songs before your program! Fun singing time song practice ideas for LDS music leaders.
Everything you need to know about teaching 5th grade categorized and organized by topic for easy reference.
Aloha friends! It is my 2nd week back in school and things are flowing pretty well in my class. We are still working on our rules and routines and figuring out new procedures as they arise. The first 3 weeks are pretty slow curriculum wise, but once we have these routines down we will be ready to roll. I am linking up with Blog Hoppin' for Teacher Week Day #4-Classroom Management. Classroom Management is one of the key ingredients to a successful year. There are so many wonderful and different ideas, tricks and tips and I am excited to share what works in my classroom. I think many of you have seen pictures of my room so some of these pics might be repeats. Each morning when my students arrive they mark their lunch and turn in their homework. I created this simple lunch chart out of a yardstick and the kids quickly move to where they need to be. It is right by the door and on the opposite side is my basket for homework folders. They put away their backpacks and write down their homework in their agenda books. Our books are provided by the school for each child. Then they begin their morning work. My rug area is our main meeting place in the classroom. The students are assigned a spot and I switch it each month. This particular rug has been so helpful to get them on the floor and seated without arguing who sits where. I received it through a Donor's Choose project. Each morning for the first few weeks we review our Class Rules. I just created these posters and they are really easy to see from across the room. I give lots of positive praise for my kiddos who are demonstrating these rules. My clip chart is really the star of my classroom. This behavior system has been magical in my class. Maybe it's because of the surf theme and the top says Cowabunga!! When I am waiting for students to get rolling or I notice any negative behaviors I quickly turn to my sweeties who are modeling good behavior and tell them to "Surf Up". Suddenly everyone seems to be on task and waiting for a chance to surf up. I usually pick 1-2 kids at different times throughout the day. At the end of the day anybody on Cowabunga gets to add a bead to their Award Necklace. Each student has a necklace to start the year. They add a bead each time they surf to the top of our chart. Once they have 5 beads I let them choose a new tag for their necklace. I have lots of different tags that I have created. Once kids start adding more tags they get so excited to see how many they can earn. If you are interested in these tags you can check them out {HERE}. This year I have really tried to label everything in my classroom and am teaching students that everything has a place. Their cubbies have their number on them and most have memorized their numbers for this year. Our book bags for Daily 5 are also numbered. They place their backpacks here on these hooks. Our supplies are clearly labeled so they know where everything belongs. This year I took the supply buckets off of the tables. I just couldn't take the kids playing with everything all the time. I have them keep pencils, scissors and crayons in their toolbox in their desks. If they need glue they grab a bucket for their table. I finally created my own Class Job Chart. I make everyone responsible for a classroom job. We have been taking the last 15 minutes each day to go over our duties. I will change the jobs at the end of the month. That way each child has enough time to learn their job well before moving to a new task. I will then have them train the new hires at the end of the month. The final management item that I have been working on is our class Attention getters. My favorite item for centers is my Music Wand. It has such a great sound and my students respond instantly to it. When my wand is not close at hand I use some good old sayings. The two I am using this year: Teacher: Macaroni and Cheese Students: Everybody Freeze Teacher: Hocus Pocus Students: Everybody Focus The teacher down the hall uses this one: Teacher: Shark Bait Students: Hoo Ha Ha! It always makes me smile when I hear it :) If you have started back already I hope you are getting your class in order and running smoothly. If you are still on vacation enjoy your time and sleep in for me! Make sure you stop by and check out all the great posts going on this week over at Blog Hoppin', and if you haven't stopped by our new collaborative blog make sure you do! We have a great eBook to help you through your first weeks of school!
I am linking up with DeeDee and sharing a peek at my week... and year. It's been a little chaotic around here lately, so I created a weekl...
Imaginative or dramatic play has a very important role in any child’s development.
FREE The -ight Family Spelling {Word Work} Lists & Tests Adorable Knight & Night Theme! This Spelling Unit has 15 pages. Some school districts call it Spelling, some call it Word Work! This packet has both versions! Differentiate your classroom, some students can have the 10 word list and some can have the 15 word list.Also terrific for mixed grade level classes! Come on over and get your copy! Your students will ♥love♥ it! I'm Fern Smith, my school's Teacher of the Year and 3rd Grade Team Leader. If you haven't been to my blog, I'd love for you to drop by and follow me! Thanks, ~Fern
If you’re looking for UNIQUE bulletin board ideas – you’re gonna love all these creative classroom bulletin boards, decorating themes and handmade classroom bulletin board decorations! Bulletin board ideas for...
If you're studying Ancient Egypt and mummies, this experiment with apples will be perfect for working on making your very own mummified items.
Introduce kids to the concepts behind curling with this simple printable table-top version.
I wrote a big post tonight on how I introduced the lesson (author's message) in a story to my students on Friday. Hop on over to read all about it and link over to my TpT store where you can find it for free! I hope it make sense, and I hope it's something you can use!
Crack the Code – Penguin Facts – Codebreaker Worksheet Going along with the Cold theme, I thought we could learn a little more about some of the animals from the colder regions, specifi…
We have had so much fun this week learning about the Human Body: Bones, Joints and Muscles. Come on over and join in the fun too!
Learn About the 7 Continents! Exploring the 7 Continents has never been more exciting! It’s a Small World Continent Study is filled with over 35 activities to help your students gain a greater understanding of the seven continents. This 130+ page unit is filled with great resources, posters, printables, activities, and projects that will open […]
In this About Me Freebie, children can draw themselves, color their favorite color, write about what they want to be when they grow up, list their pets and much more! This can be used at any age and makes a great keepsake for parents! **An extra page with the alternate spelling of "favourite" has been added for our Aussie friends! :) Happy Teaching! Back to School MORNING WORK: Kindergarten: Back to School Morning Work {Kindergarten} Morning Work for the YEAR {Kindergarten} First Grade: Back to School Morning Work {First Grade} Morning Work for the YEAR {First Grade} Second Grade: Back to School Morning Work {Second Grade} Morning Work for the YEAR {2nd Grade} MATH and LITERACY PACKETS: KIndergarten: Back to School Math and Literacy {Kindergarten} First Grade: Back to School Math and Literacy {First Grade} Second Grade: Back to School Math and Literacy {Second Grade} HANDWRITING: Back to School handwriting Packet JOURNAL PROMPTS: Back to School Journal Prompts Journal Prompts for the Year Some products you might like: Reading Response No-Prep Printables Number Words Printables and Activities BUNDLE Reading Fluency Passages {Blends} BUNDLE: Addition, Subtraction, Story Problems **If you have a question, comment, find errors or see a need for a technical update to a product, please leave me a message in the “ask a question” section of my store. **Purchase of this product is for one teacher, one classroom. For multiple classroom usage, please visit the “my purchases” tab and purchase more licenses. Copyright © Melanie Whitmire@Searching for Silver-All rights reserved by the author. Purchase of this item entitles the purchaser the right to reproduce the pages for personal or classroom use. Duplication for other classes, an entire school, or commercial purposes is strictly prohibited and is a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). To add additional licenses of this product, see your “my purchases” tab after purchase.
Teaching students how to identify the theme in literature can be down right difficult. This year I tried something new and it worked great!
The Summer Olympic Games have begun! It's so fun watching people who are so amazingly talented and who love what they do! Since the games started, we've been watching them together as a family in the evenings and really enjoying it! So far my son loves the swimming and is mesmerized by the gymnastics. I think it's great for our kids to watch these athletes achieve their dreams. I also love that they get to hear some of the athletes' stories and learn that their lives haven't always been all that easy and that hard work and dedication can take you so far in life!
An Interactive Way to Teach Kids Their Address as well as their state, country, continent, and planet! A fun introduction to geography for kids!
Tired of not knowing what to ask your kids about their school day? Use our Before School Conversation Starters to find out how your children are feeling.
Happy Halloween! It is the day to use up all your Halloween materials (if you are work today). I am sad that I have been out all week due to Sandy and unable to use all the materials I created/purchased/found. I guess it will have to wait until next year! I decided to get ahead and plan for the next holid ...
Here are some great grammar games, ideas, and activities that will help early/middle elementary aged kids enjoy grammar just a bit.
Using a yoga class theme is a great way to bring your students back to the present moment. It's a lot of fun too! Here are my tips for creating a theme, plus 39 themes to choose from.
Print This CraftPrint out a Summer Olympics Scavenger Hunt for each of the kids and see the excitement build as they ... Read More
Learn about fingerprinting for kids & play detective! Fun ideas for a CSI or spy party or science activity for preschool & elementary ages!
The whole point of February being 'Heart Health Month' is that your kiddos learn the importance of making responsible choices when it comes to nutrition and exercise. We think it's a great idea to get your kiddos out of their seats and actually doing some heart healthy exercises - not only so they can see how easy it is, but also how exercise/active play can be fun! We came up with this 'roll & exercise' game that you can do as a class or in small groups. Game preparation... Print the provided game dice onto card stock and assemble, or use this handy paper die template we found over at SparkleBox to create, print, and assemble your own game dice! Keep in mind that to play the game, you'll need two die - one for number of repetitions and one for exercises to be performed. [NOTE: Our 'rep' die starts at ten and goes up to twenty in intervals of two. Additionally, the exercise die incorporpates exercises students would commonly encounter in gym class.] To play the game... Game play is simple. First, have student volunteers roll the game dice - identifying both the exercise displayed and the number of repetitions to be performed. Then, have all players do the exercise! Play until your kiddos are tuckered out!
It's February and there's about ten inches of snow in my yard right now, but we're just wrapping up our study of plants. The middle of winter might not be the ideal time to learn about plants, but that's what my kiddos asked to learn about. So, plants it was! Over the next several posts,
Writing Worksheet – Your Life Themes (PDF) What are the themes that run through your life, like the leitmotivs in a symphony? Have you ever stopped to look for the pattern that repeats rhythmically in your experiences? What is it you’re always struggling with below the surface? What are the phrases that define all of your stories? Twine your…
As it would turn out, making giant paper cup pyramids is difficult for preschoolers, but what a great STEM activity to supplement our Around the World theme!
Kids may think they need candy and video games, but parents know better. Help your child learn the difference between a want and a need with this worksheet.
To launch and grow your own company, your whole life is going to have to become more efficient. Here's how.
