Top Five Friday...Check Out Five FABULOUS Websites

Today I want to highlight five of my most favorite websites for teaching in lower elementary.

Here they are...

Visit Hubbard's Cupboard for amazing resources under the Literacy tab.  You will find links to printable books for high frequency words and seasonal usage.  You will also find explanations of teaching strategies such as Morning Message and art projects to accompany nursery rhymes.  This website is truly a teaching treasure.

http://www.hubbardscupboard.org

Consult Kinder Korner if you are interested in creating thematic units.  There are lots of ideas and concrete teaching materials.  Have fun exploring this website!

http://www.kinderkorner.com

This website has the BEST collection of ready-to-go teaching activities for all aspects of early literacy including phonemic awareness, phonics, alphabet knowledge, high frequency words, fluency, etc...Every reading activity comes with all the materials needed to utilize it immediately in your classrooms or with your children at home.  PLEASE don't miss out on this fantastic teaching resource.  This link will take you to the home page.  Then, follow these instructions.

1.  Click on the For Educators tab.

2.  Click on Student Center Activities tab.

3.  Click on Grades K-1 Student Center Activities (Revised, 2008) tab

4.  Choose the category you desire Phonological Awareness and Phonics or Fluency, Vocabulary, Comprehension.

You will find countless activities to do with your children!

http://fcrr.org

This website will be the most helpful to teachers and parents who desire to download and print decodable books. There are teaching guides and post reading activities that accompany every book.  There are some free downloads available on the website but the majority of resources are only accessible to members who pay a yearly fee.  It is definitely worth the investment to be able to provide your students and/or children with texts at their specific reading levels.  

http://www.readinga-z.com

Carl's Corner has a wealth of resources for students/children who have begun to read.  There are printable books, word finds, ideas for thematic units, activities with words that follow a specific spelling pattern and SO MUCH MORE!! I'm sure this website will soon be one of your favorites too. 

http://www.carlscorner.us.com

Highway Letters, Numbers, and Shapes

Over a week ago I was in California visiting my twin sister and her beautiful family.

I found this beginning writing activity book called Highway Letters, Numbers and Shapes by Dr. Jean Feldman at Creative Teaching Press and thought they would make a perfect gift for my nephew Jonathan.  He is 3 1/2 years old and is fascinated with CARS.   I didn't know, however, if his interest in cars would motivate him enough to practice forming alphabet letters that look like roads.  Guess what??? He loved it.  The first time I brought out the activity he completed every letter of the alphabet. 

One side of the page has the upper case letter and the back side has the lower case letter. 

The highway-themed letter cards model the correct steps for forming letters, numbers and shapes.  There are green lights and stop lights to tell children where to begin and stop. 

Jonathan enjoyed using toy cars to practice tracing these letters, although markers and fingers are other options.

So, this activity was a success!  It would work very well in a Block Center in a classroom as well.  Use what interests your children or students as a springboard for engaging in other fine motor, basic writing skills and other academic tasks.

A Quick Read for Your Lunch Break

One of my best friends who is an administrator with Yes College Prep sent me the following article to read.  It amazes me that she and her staff who work with middle school and high school students are reading about a child's first years of life.  It is critical to consider the what is truly best for infants and young children.  Here is what the latest research is saying....

Notre Dame News

Modern Parenting May Hinder Brain Development Research Shows

by Susan Guibert

Published January 04, 2013

First Day of Kindergarten or PK Ideas

I'm creating this post with two wonderful friends who are outstanding teachers, Janet Wilkins and Brandy Calkins.   I taught with Brandy at KIPP Explore and with Janet at Stephens Elementary in Katy.  

What are your favorite first day of school activities?

• When students walk into your classroom have table activities ready that will not require your direct supervision.  Here are a few:  Print out each student's name in a very large font and laminate each name or use page protectors.  Allow your students to use Play-doh to form the letters of their names or allow free play with the Play-doh.   
  
  Get to know your students right away by simply leaving a plain piece of paper and crayons on each table.  Let your students draw a picture.  If a child needs additional support, you may ask, "What do you like to play with at home?" or "What did you do this summer?" Later in the day, ask each student what his/her picture is about and write down his/her words.  This first picture and dictation could immediately go on a bulletin board.  

• Have your students go on a NAME HUNT with a parent when they enter your classroom.  Before locating the child's seat, have the student and parent look around the room and count how many times they can find the child's name.

• Engage your students in an interactive story dramatization of Brown Bear, Brown Bear By by Eric Carle.  The teacher needs to prepare for the lesson by copying, coloring and laminating pictures of the animals in the book. After reading the book the first time, show students how to hold up the animal when it is mentioned in the story.  Continue to read the book throughout the week so that each child has an opportunity to participate. 

• Read Corduroy by Don Freeman.  Have a stuffed bear that looks like Corduroy or a drawing of Corduroy.  Have the students imagine that Corduroy's button is lost somewhere in the school.  Take the students on a tour of the school while meeting different teachers and the principal as they ask, "Have you seen Corduroy's button?"  Finally have a specific person have a button that does look like Corduroy's button.  The students will be ecstatic to find the button and they will have explored the school building in the process.  

•  Have students sit in a circle and roll a small ball to each other say name and something about themselves.

• Sing fun songs with your students.  Get them excited about being in your classroom! Here are a few:  "The Hokey Pokey," "Shake Your Sillies Out," "Yo Gabba Gabba," "Hot Dog Dance" & "Mickey Mouse Club."  You can find songs and dances on YouTube!
  
  
  These are just a few ideas.  There will be more to follow....

First Day of School Teaching Treasure

I have been using the book Bono the Monkey at School for MANY years.  Children LOVE the story of a monkey who goes to school for the first time but does not know how to act.  As I was searching this morning, I found it in a PDF format on-line.  This is truly an amazing resource for teachers of young children who want to begin the school year helping children to identify what behavior is appropriate and not appropriate in the classroom.  Here is the link:  Bono the Monkey Goes To School!!!

After reading the book, I would have children help me fill in a T Chart with what Bono the Monkey does that is OK at school and what he does that is NOT OK.  Reading the book brings you to a natural discussion of classroom rules or expectations for behavior.

At Teachers Pay Teachers you can also find signs for classroom rules based on Bono the Monkey at School.  

There are many post reading or follow-up activities that can happen in a classroom on the first day or first week of school.  One of my favorites is letting students make Bono the Monkey and  student puppets out of popsicle sticks.  Students retell the story with you using their puppets.  They can then take the puppets home and tell their families the story.  

Celebrating Life

I fell in love with this book when I saw it in the bookstore.  The title grabbed my attention because my daughter was born at night.  We read it for the first time to Emma yesterday and the message the book conveys is beautiful.  It celebrates a child's name and his/her uniqueness. Here's a special phrase from the book:  "You are the one and only ever you..."

As I read it, I thought of those children who may not feel valued or even wanted from an early age.  Teachers and caregivers have the unique ability through the words they speak and the books they read to message to children that they are special and valued.  

One of the things I regret from my first years of teaching is not celebrating each child's birthday.  I was overwhelmed with the daily demands of my job and at times birthdays in my classroom went unnoticed and definitely not celebrated.  

I would encourage teachers and parents of young children to find a way to celebrate birthdays.  It may mean simply reading a book, giving a child a birthday crown or allowing a child to sit in a special spot. Many times it is the small and simple things that make the biggest difference.  Simply post a birthday chart or create a birthday graph together with your students.  Lakeshore and Creative Teaching Press have many colorful options.  The chart and/or graph will be a reminder to celebrate each child's special day.  

Getting Ready!

Choosing quality children's literature that your students will love is key for the beginning weeks of school.  Below I've listed ten of my favorite books for use in the beginning of the year (although these books will be reread many times throughout the school year).  Getting students to engage in and enjoy read-alouds is critical for every teacher of young children.  I've chosen each text for a distinct purpose....it may be the need to discuss students' feelings during the first week of school or simply to have students join in on a book that offers a repetitive, fun phrases.  I wanted to share these books because there is still time to find them at a local library or order them on Amazon before the school year begins.  

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell

Heartprints by P.K. Hallinan

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

Little Quack by Lauren Thompson

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.

Chicka Chicka 1-2-3 by Bill Martin Jr.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?  by Bill Martin Jr.

Corduroy by Don Freeman