Turkey Clothespin Activities

Okay, so I know Thanksgiving is a week away and you probably do not have time to make or think about another Thanksgiving activity, so put this easy activity in your November file for next year. This activity can be used for a math or ELA center as well as for fine motor development.  

Go to this website for the math printable. Turkey Clothespin Counting

Taken from Childcareland

I can envision an addition and subtraction activity (using dice to indicate the number of clothespins and placing the answer in the middle) or a making words activity (clothespins have individual letters and students place letters to make words - sw/ing or c/at).

Santa's Reindeer Cam

Santa's Reindeer Cam

Students will enjoy watching Santa as he feeds his reindeer.

He will be feeding/entertaining the reindeer three times a day every weekday (11 am, 6 pm. and 9 pm) and once a day on weekends (6 pm) until the Christmas Eve take off event.

Block Play (Yes even for 1st Grade)

If I had to have only a couple of centers in my classroom, blocks would definitely be one of them! I absolutely LOVE blocks and children love blocks too! Blocks are a natural element and feel good to touch and hold.

Noise and cleanup are the two biggest complaints I hear from teachers regarding block play. Well, it goes back to teaching procedures. First, blocks need to be played on a soft surface (rug, mat, or carpet). This will eliminate the noise as the blocks go crashing down. (But that's part of the fun - build it and knock it down). Second, use clean up as a learning opportunity or a game between students. It will make clean up so much more fun!!

I was perusing Dr. Jean's Blog and found this wonderful post on block play. Even first grade can implement theses activities. And if you need blocks, I am sure your kindergarten and CD friends will share with you!

Check out these ideas and bring some new life to your block center.


Dr. Jean's Block Play

Say It, Build It, Write It

I LOVE simple activities. And this one cannot get any simpler! This is a great activity to do with high frequency words, spelling words, word families, etc. (any kind of word work)

Directions:

• Create your form, laminate it, and have students use markers and wipe it off! 
• Use a cookie sheet if using magnetic letters to build words . You can get these cookie sheets at the Dollar Store.  You can also use play dough for another sensory experience.
• Students can work at their seat or at a table. 

Taken from Educator Station

Click on icon to view photos.
Directions for Students:

Draw a card. Place it in the first box and say it. Then build it. Then take a wipe-off marker and write it! Clear off the board and choose another word card.

What Do You Teach Young Children?

What do you Teach Young Children?

When you tell someone you teach young children have you ever been asked, “What in the world do you teach 4, 5, and 6-year-olds?”  Carol Hillman in her book, Teaching Four-Year-Olds: A Personal Journey responds by saying: “Many years ago. I would have answered by describing some of the science projects or the work with art materials I did with children. Now it is different. I feel more secure in my own position. I tell them what I really do. I teach children about the world they live in, about themselves, and their peers. And I teach children about adults, trust, and love. I work with attitudes. I hope to inspire a love of learning. This is what I teach.”

What do YOU teach children?

With something to think about, this is Mrs. Morris reminding you ….

Muffin Tin Math

I love finding activities that have materials you can purchase from the dollar store.

For this activity, take a mini muffin tin and label each section with a number {using an expo marker}. You can use any number as long as the answers to the problems are included.  Students take a card, solve the problem, and place a pom pom in the corresponding section. Continue play until students get 4 pom poms in a row.

Check out this link for word problem muffin tin math.

Muffin Tin Math Word Problems

Remembering Our Veterans

Remember to take time today to honor those who served and continue to serve our country!

Great Books for kids!

Taken from The First Grade Parade

Guided Reading Blog Party

Guided Reading: Chapters 4 & 5

"In short, an organized and well-designed classroom enables the teacher to observe, support, and meet the learning needs of each child." (p.43). That pretty much sums it up! Simple? Not exactly. It takes trial and error and most of all time! Time to build relationships with the kids, time to organize all of the materials, time to create that perfect schedule, etc. And who has all of that time?? Well, if our students are to be successful, confident, independent learners we MUST find the time. As I read the section in chapter 4 on underlying theory I immediately thought of the COT. Okay, I guess you could say 2 things are going on here. One, I LOVE theory (but you know that!) and second, I have been conducting COT observations so I guess I had all of those APS' on my mind. But seriously, I made some connections with the theory and the COT. First, let me share some of the theorists that have guided my understanding of literacy and learning.

1. Roger Brown - form follows function It is within the context of authentic, purposeful experiences (function) that we help children understand specific skills (form)
2. Michael Halliday - Children learn language in order to function in their world. We have to set up reasons for children to want to be literate
3. Brian Cambourne - There are certain conditions that need be in place in order for children to learn language (or anything). One of those is responsibility. The students have to be responsible for the strategies we teach so they can use them when they are away from us and for future learning. Also, expectation is a condition. We need to expect children to read and write and communicate that expectation to them. (Remind me to tell you the Brian Cambourne story!)
4. Lev Vygotsky - learning is a social process. Any 2 or more learners will learn from each other. Learning occurs through the give and take interactions between 2 or more people.
5. Shirley Brice Heath -  every community has a legitimate language system. Students come to us with "funds of knowledge". We value what they know and what they do as they emerge as readers and writers.

Now, let's connect the underlying theory to the COT.
1. APS 4A - establishes and communicates high achievement expectations
2. APS 4C - communicating relevance and purpose of learning; facilitates active ownership of learning
3. APS 5B - opportunities for both independent and collaborative learning
4. APS 5C - students applying learning beyond classroom
5. APS 8A - meaningful, relevant displays
6. APS 8C - facilitates inquisitiveness and teamwork; involves students in designing instructional activities

And so on.

I loved all of the ideas in Chapter 4 regarding space. The checklist for analyzing the classroom environment (Figure 4-3) is a great tool for reflecting on your environment.

The essential question of Chapter 5 is "When I am working with guided reading groups, what are the rest of the children doing?" The answer is simple. "All other class members must be engaged in meaningful literacy." Worksheets, color sheets, fill-in-the blanks, etc. are not efficient nor productive. Students need to engage in activities that are purposeful, authentic, and interesting for them. This chapter provides a repertoire of ideas and suggestions for literacy center activities. Another important aspect of managing the class is establishing procedures and routines. I love the quote on page 62, "Every moment invested in teaching routines is time well spent, because it will save hours of instructional time later." Read that again. Take the time at the beginning to explicitly teach routines & procedures. You may want to consider introducing 1 center at a time in small groups. Just like our preschool teachers introduce their centers. You cannot assume the students know anything regarding the routines. Demonstrate, demonstrate, demonstrate everything!!! Some groups will catch on faster. They can be the center experts. Students come to them with questions about equipment or other tools and the daily tasks. Figure 5-3 is a nice chart detailing the first 6 weeks of guided reading. This chapter is full of helpful charts and information on implementing centers and rotation schedules. You could even use these same procedures for math centers.

Think about this quote: "Getting students absorbed in meaningful, purposeful literacy activities requires a number of significant changes in the classroom - in the physical environment, in events and activities, and in the nature and quality of the interactions." Are you ready to make some changes???

Reflection:
1. Reflect on your classroom environment using the checklist on page 52 (Figure 4-3). What changes do you need to make? How might you go about making these changes. Set a timeline for yourself.

2. What work stations or literacy centers do you have? What types of activities are included in your stations? Are the activities differentiated? How? What procedures are in place for stations, i.e. competing activities, rotating stations, etc.? How do students engage independently in each station? Collaboratively?

3. How do you determine your work groups?

Portable Clothesline

I had forgotten about this great make & take center activity until I ran across mine while looking for something in my school stuff. Potable Clotheslines!! They are so easy to make and can be used for multiple activities.

Directions 

• 2 Yogurt containers or empty cans (make sure there are no sharp edges)
• Dowel rods (12" - 18")
• String
• Plaster of Paris (a little goes a long way)
• Clothespins

Mix plaster as directed. Pour into containers (at least 3/4 full). Place dowel rods in plaster. Let dry. Cut string into desired length, depending on your activity. Tie the end pieces of the string to each of the rods a couple of inches from the top. Separate the containers so the string stretches across like a clothesline.

Activities

1. Names - Students spell their names (and their friends' names) by clipping letter cards to the clothesline

2. Making words - Students clip letter cards to make words. You can use this activity to practice sight words, spelling words, vocabulary words, content words, etc.

3. Alphabetical order - Students places letter cards or word cards in alphabetical order

4. Making sentences - Students clip words cards to make sentences. Make sure to add punctuation mark cards!

5. Matching Games - Students match upper and lower case letters and clip on the clothesline. You can have students match synonyms/antonyms, colors/color words, beginning sounds/pictures, rhyming words, etc.

6. Math Games - Addition/Subtraction problems, Ordinal poistions, Numerical order (1's, 2's, 5's, 10's), counting, etc.

The activities are ENDLESS!!!

Choosing the Best Math Strategy

The Standards for Mathematical Content are a balanced combination of procedure and understanding.For students to have understanding they must be able to articulate and explain their mathematical strategies. 

I came across this activity for helping children identify strategies for addition. As the author states, "Learning HOW to carry out a strategy is one skill but it's not helpful unless a student knows WHEN to use that strategy.  It's useful to devote some instruction time to teaching your students how to match up a strategy with a problem."

Check out this website for Math Strategy ideas.

Add this work strategy identification game into a math center!  Students park the cars in the correct spaces based on the strategy needed. 

 Choosing the Best Math Strategy


Happy Friday!!!

Play vs. Academics: A False Dichotomy

Below is a GREAT article written by Amanda Morgan on the value of play and its role in academics. It's a little long but it’s well worth the read.Although the article specifically refers to preschool, I think all grades should consider the role of play in academics.

Play vs Academics: A False Dichotomy

An argument is brewing in the preschool scene. In one corner, you have those arguing for more academics to give children that head start that might correct the troubles of high-school drop-outs and low test scores. They claim that children rise to the occasion and show that they are capable of more than we’ve been asking.
In the other corner, you’ll find those who say play is disappearing from the cultural landscape of America and that its absence is a contributor to many childhood maladies such as obesity, ADHD, and declining social skills. They say that children “rising to the occasion” are really only performing splinter skills, which are more closely aligned with party tricks than with actual learning.
Certainly, both camps can make compelling arguments. But each time I read an article giving voice to the two sides, I find myself thinking: these aren’t mutually exclusive points of view. The notion that a child’s education can either be playful or academic seems to be creating an unfortunate and false dichotomy.
It seems to me that setting play and academics at odds with each other is pitting the method against the goal. It’s not an either/or choice, it’s a means and an end.
The term “academic” has come to mean “formal, direct instruction”, and in that sense, the two modes are different. But when “academic” is viewed as scholarly and giving rise to study and learning, it easily goes hand in hand with a play-based education structure.
To be sure, often the two camps are really at odds over what expectations are developmentally appropriate. But if we’re talking about developmentally appropriate learning outcomes, truly, academics can be taught and learned through a play-based curriculum. In fact, in many ways, I believe that the format of play and experience can teach and prepare young children for concepts that are more advanced than could be taught in a formal, conventional way. Here’s an example.
You would (hopefully) never consider plopping a multiplication worksheet down in front of a preschooler, followed by an explanation of the basic principles and procedures of algebra. However, I know a phenomenal preschool teacher who recently gave her students a similar challenge, but in an authentic, playful way.
As this teacher sat down to snack with a group of her students, she noted that there were five people at the table and each person could have 3 crackers. She then asked the children at the table how many crackers she should put on the plate to serve. One child enthusiastically answered, “Three!” So the teacher placed three crackers on the plate and set it on the table. The children looked around at five hungry faces, trying to figure out where they went wrong. As the gears turned in their minds, one child suddenly shouted, “Fifteen! We need fifteen!” Not bad for a “non-academic” school.
A quality play-based learning environment is not just a glorified birthday party. Each activity, each nook and cranny, and every loose part is arranged and made available with specific developmental objectives in mind. Ask a teacher and he or she will be able to tell you, “That builds fine motor skills for writing. That promotes sorting, which is the basis of the set theory of mathematics. This will help with phonological awareness, which leads to literacy. Here we invite creativity and problem-solving while over there they are using their language and interpersonal skills.”
It’s those foundational experiences that allow children to learn advanced concepts more easily and more thoroughly. I worry that in our effort to get ahead in education, we’re simply skipping these foundational pieces so often learned through play. It’s like being in a rush to construct a tall building, so we decide to forget about the foundation (nobody really sees that anyway) and jump right to the first floor. It might look OK at first, but eventually we get to the second or third floor and suddenly we realize that things aren’t solid, and we find ourselves slipping. I really think many of the academic problems we see in primary grades are not because the children didn’t start formal instruction early enough, but because they don’t have enough foundational experience for that formal instruction to make any lasting connections.
I guess what bothers me most is that setting play and academics at odds with each other often implies that one is for feel-good fun and the other is for real learning. That one is just daycare and the other is school. In reality, a play-based education is not only more responsive and developmentally appropriate for young children, but it also teaches them not only how to answer, but how to think. Not just to recite, but to inquire. Not simply to complete worksheets, but to build connections. Academic content isn’t just taught, it’s meaningfully constructed.

With something to think about this is Mrs. Morris reminding you to ...

Counting On Cups

Counting on is a mental math strategy used to increase math fluency. It is generally the first mental math strategy that should be taught, as it is the easiest for most students. Chances are that some or many of your students are already using this strategy without knowing it. Counting on means that you start with the biggest number in an equation, and then count up. For example, in the equation 5+3, you want students to start with the “5″ in their heads, and then count up, “6, 7, 8.” This is to discourage students from counting like, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5…..6, 7, 8.”  It sure does beat putting 6 on your fingers and 5 on your fingers....then, realizing you don't have anymore fingers when solving the equation 6+5! :)

Check out this counting on activity you can  easily implement into your math centers. This activity can be played with a partner or independently.

Counting on Cups

Don't Forget to Vote!

                       

Pumpkin Pie Playdough

If you are like me, when I think of Thanksgiving I think of pumpkin pie (and of course all of the other delicious foods!). So naturally I want to share a Pumpkin Pie Playdough recipe with you.
I know I have said this many times before, but playdough is SO good for children. Not only does it build and strengthen small muscles in the hands and fingers but it is a wonderful sensory learning experience. Honestly, I believe you could practice any skill using playdough, i.e. letters, sounds, counting, addition/subtraction, etc. All you need is a ball of playdough and directions for the activity. Tip: Children only need a fistful of playdough. Si try it in your literacy or math centers. You will be amazed!!

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Playdough
Ingredients:
2 cup Flour
1 cup Salt
2 tablespoon Cream of Tartar
2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
2 cup Water
Nutmeg, cinnamon, or pumpkin spice
Orange food coloring (add to water)

Directions:
1. In a medium sized bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Add wet ingredients to bowl and, again, mix well.

2. Add contents to a large pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until it forms a ball.

3. The dough is ready when the mixture pulls away from the pan and when the wet parts begin to look dry.

4. Turn the dough onto your counter-top and knead it until smooth. It will be quite warm to the touch, so be careful!

5. Add the spices AFTER the dough has cooled. The scents won't "take" as well when the dough is hot/very warm. The spices will turn the orange dough a nice pumpkin color.

6. Place playdough balls in an airtight container.

I doubled the recipe. This recipe makes a large ball. Remember children only need an amount the size of their fists. You can easily cut it in half.

ENJOY!