Blog - Page 16 of 20

how to play ‘mary had a little lamb’ on the recorder (or try to, at least)

by Teach Mama September 25, 2012

written by Teach Mama

We tried.

Maybe a bit too hard–or maybe not hard enough–depending on how you look at it.

But we have been rockin’ the ole recorder over here for a few weeks, trying our darndest to be musical and to catch a wee tune.

how to play the recorder When the kids play, I mean really play, they sound good.

To themselves.

And I remember that feeling quite vividly: being young and wishful and banging out what I though was a serious masterpiece as I tickled the ivories on our piano at home. To me, it sounded like a work of art, like the angels had taken over my hands and that I was sharing my gift with the world–or at least my family.

And neighbors.

But now, as a parent and watching my 0wn three littles do the very same thing, I can only wonder how my mom managed to hold onto her sanity with four girls pounding those keys like there was no tomorrow, playing Heart and Soul, Chopsticks, and our own creations.

So when I was just about ready to throw in the white flag, I decided to switch things around a bit.

Here’s the skinny. . .

How to Play “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on the Recorder (or try to, at least. . . ):

Instead of fighting the kids’ urges to play their own little diddy every other minute, I gave them a little bit of a focus.

Don’t get me wrong–they did a whole lot of free play, solo creative music writing, walking around the house and yard and bedroom playing their songs for hours on end.

But when I felt like I needed to rein in the talent, I did some research, pulled together my own (pathetic) recorder-playing abilities, and jumped on the opportunity to sneak in a little learning into my kiddos’ little recorder-playing careers. I thought it would be helpful for the kids to learn a familiar song on the instrument, so we started with teaching them how to play Mary Had a Little Lamb on the recorder.

It wasn’t easy, and we’re still trying.

I shared the total how-to’s over at the Melissa & Doug blog, on the Rockin’ Out With the Recorder piece. Please check it out for a close-up on the notes and a little bit more about why the recorder is a darn good stepping stone instrument for kids.

Here’s a close look at our rendition of the actual song, Mary Had a Little Lamb, for the recorder:

playing the recorder

Bring on the music! Here are some of our favorite ways to bring music into our home:

Check out a few other posts that may help you develop strong and healthy habits for your family:

fyi: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Forever and always I recommend only products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” For more information, please see teachmama media, llc. disclosure policy.

September 25, 2012 2 comments

Our Super-special Kindergarten Lunchbox Love Notes

by Teach Mama August 27, 2012

written by Teach Mama

One of my first, most distinct happy, happy memories was when I was six years old.

I was eating my very first lunch out of my very first lunchbox, in my first-ever time in the cafeteria, on my very first day of first grade.

And I don’t remember much from that lunch aside from the fact that the most beautiful, most amazing, most fancy and most special hair comb that I had ever seen in my life was in my very own lunchbox.

I remember feeling nervous and excited and worried. I pulled it out of my lunchbox. The comb was a translucent pink, and hanging from it were three or four incredibly delicate, soft, small feathers. And there were beads–white and pink beads. They all hung from a pinkish leather string, all attached to the comb.

I loved it.

I remember reading the simple card from my mom–I think it was an index card–that said something simple, nothing that I remember verbatim but something that conveyed to me that my mom was thinking of me–and that she loved me very much.

I’ll never forget it.

I had the comb for years and years and years and years and every time I saw it, I thought of that day–that day when I felt so grown up and proud, yet so small and sad, at the same time.

Perhaps that’s why I’m all lunchbox-note crazy, but I just know for a fact that the way that note and that very simple gift made me feel I wanted to share with others–especially my own little loves.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Our Super-Special Kindergarten Lunchbox Love Notes: So yes, I’ve always done my best to send Maddy, Owen, and Cora off to school with some sort of lunchbox love note, but when each of the kids headed off to the wild world of Kindergarten, I sent them with a little something extra special.

For Maddy, it was a fancy ribbon barrette.

I’m sure I was thinking of the one my mom gave me.

For Owen, it was a small license plate with his name on it.

He loves seeing his name on things.

For Cora, it was a simple necklace on a long pink chain. She isn’t always up for things in her hair–but jewelry? She’ll take it just about any day.

kindergarten love note necklace

And really, along with a very simple, easy-to-read happy first day note, that’s what I put in my new Kindergartner’s lunchboxes.

It’s not about giving the kids gifts–it’s about a little surprise to celebrate this big and exciting step. And to let them know I’m thinking of them.

That’s it–just a little, under the radar tradition for our family–our super-special Kindergarten lunchbox love notes–started by my most amazing, totally incredible, always thoughtful, and absolutely fabulous mom.

Here’s to hoping I can do a half as good of a job raising Maddy, Owen, and Cora as my mama did my sisters and me.

August 27, 2012 8 comments

crafts

beautiful backpack butterflies

by Teach Mama August 22, 2012

written by Teach Mama

beautiful backpack butterflies

One of the things we love to do as a Back-to-School tradition is to find some cool way of blinging out the kids’ backpacks.

Especially before the big Kindergarten year, I feel like sending kids’ off to school with a little somethin’ special on their backpacks is fun, special, and comforting.

When Maddy went off to the wilds of Kindergarten, we made super-cute Happy First-Day Flowers. Felt flower pins for her first-day backpack bling.

When the O-Man went off to Kindergarten, we rocked out some customized Shrinky-Dinks for his backpack bling.

And now this year, before Cora heads off to the wonderful world of elementary school, we did some serious blinging. Because, well. . . my girl loves her some sparkle, jewels, and shine.

With the help of a birthday craft kit from one of her very best buddies, we spent last evening making some butterflies. It wasn’t difficult in the least–it was a quick, fun way of spending time with the girls while Owen was at soccer–we chatted, laughed, and got a little glitter-gluey.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Beautiful Backpack Butterflies: It was a simple Rose Art Craft set (feel free to check it out below and hook a mama up with her Amazon Affiliate links, thank you!).

I do think it was the first time we used a set like this, and I was impressed–it was really so cute. So simple but totally fun for the girls.

Maddy works on symmetry in her butterfly wings. . .

. . . and we tried our best!

The butterflies were already assembled so all the girls had to do was to add some glittery sparkle and sequins to the wings! There were three butterflies in the kit, a blue, yellow, and green one, and Cora generously gave Maddy the blue one to design. Cora designed the green and yellow with a little help from me.

We chatted a little about symmetry–nothing crazy but just about part of what makes butterflies so beautiful is that their wings are the same on both sides. We talked about how to create symmetry and that it’s not always easy.

Butterflies are glitter-gluey. . .

. . . and ready to get a little bling!

It was fun!

After a while, when the butterflies were super-sparkly and fancy, we let them dry.

And then we tried them out on Cora’s brand-new backpack!

Soooo beautiful. So faaaaa-ncy!

Talk about super-cute backpack butterflies!

And that’s it–a fun, simple back-to-school activity that can be used just about any time of the year!

Huuuge thanks to Cora’s little buddy for gifting her this set for her big #5 birthday, and huuuuge thanks to Land’s End for gifting me this awesome backpack for Cora’s Kindergarten year! I received the backpack and several other Land’s End goodies I look forward to sharing at a Land’s End Back-to-School event during BlogHer in NYC. This is an unsponsored post; I was not asked to write about these items, but I chose to because they’re just that awesome. Affiliate links are included below:

Want to grab a few little art sets for your own kiddos’ backpack? Add a little bling to their new school year? Check ’em out:

August 22, 2012 5 comments

computation math

3 quick, hands-on, totally cool math games

by Teach Mama August 20, 2012

written by Teach Mama

$3 hands-on math games$

Every summer, our school hands out summer packets–worksheets upon worksheets with ways that parents can continue the learning all summer long.

And among the worksheets are ideas that incorporate learning in everyday activities for both reading and math. I have to admit, I (gulp!) actually like these packets, but I also have to admit (gulp!) that I don’t force the kids to do every single page.

If there’s a concept that Maddy or Owen don’t understand, we skip it.

If there’s an activity that’s too involved or complicated, we skim through it.

If there’s something on the calendar that just won’t fly with my kids, we do something different.

I feel okay doing this because the point–I believe–is to keep kids engaged, to get their brains moving, and to remind them of the concepts they learned the previous year. So we do what we can.

But this summer, Maddy’s packet had a ton of really awesome, hands-on, totally cool math games from a site that I am grateful to have discovered. These games are quick, and they are smart.

We’ve played them more than I expected, and even Owen got into the fun once or twice.

Here’s the skinny. . .

3 Quick, Hands-On, Totally Cool Math Games: Though there are more than three in the packet–and dozens and dozens on the site, these are among our faves.

Along with Magic Triangles, which I shared a few days ago, the games we liked the most were quick and hands-on. And who doesn’t like quick in the summertime, right?

$magic triangle math$

Magic Triangles was a fave

1. 11 More — The premise of 11 More is simple: adding 11 to the number rolled on a die. Players each choose a color counter and take turns rolling a die. They calculate the total of the number rolled plus 11.

And then the player places a counter on the corresponding number on the ‘board’. The first player to have four counters in a row (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) is the winner!

$11 more math game$

We used gems as our counters. . .

$11 more math game$

. . . and though I tried hard. . .

$11 more math game$

. . . Maddy beat me several times.

———————————————————————

2. Count by 5’s –again, a very simple game. But there’s something that kids love about flipping cards, taking turns, and trying to win. In this game, players simply take turns flipping a card from the top of the deck and figuring out where on the board it ‘fits’.

We played that the first person to complete a row was the winner, but we played it pretty loosely.

We flipped. . .

. . . counted by 5’s. . .

. . . and completed rows!

———————————————————————

3. Magic Star Puzzle— The Magic Star Puzzle was the toughest of the games Maddy played.

The object is to position the counters marked 1-12 in the star so that each row of four numbers has a sum of 26. Sounds easy–but it required a lot of thought!

Magic Star Puzzle was a challenge!

And that’s it–just 3 quick, hands-on, totally cool math games that kept the kids’ brains and hands moving during the summer months. What I love about these games is that they can be used any time of the year–for math centers, for math supplemental help, for tutoring, you name it!

Let the math fun begin!

fyi: Huge, huge, huge thanks to our school and fabulous teachers for putting together these awesome packets. And thank you thank you thank you for introducing me to an incredible site, K-5 Math Teaching Resources–a simple site packed with really great resources for children. I am truly in awe! If you want to find the games mentioned above, head to the 2nd Grade Number Activities.

August 20, 2012 20 comments

computation math

magic triangles: hands-on math game

by Teach Mama August 8, 2012

written by Teach Mama

$magic triangle math$ It’s been crazy busy over here for the past few days, with visiting family in the Keystone State, attending BlogHer in NYC, and then spending some more time with family.

But after the wash was done, the suitcases away, Hermie back and settled in her new terrarium, and the kids and I slowly re-adjusted to our new summer schedule without swim and dive, the fun began.

Summer math and reading packets from school. Yes, we’ve dented them for sure, but there is a bunch more waiting for us–the pages that Maddy and Owen skipped because they needed more help, more explanation, and a wee bit more support.

So that’s what we’ve been doing.

Not every day, all day–don’t get me wrong.

But in the morning, after chores and after a bit of reading and lazying around, we’ve hit the packets.

One activity, though, really caught my eye. Maddy, who’s rocking and rolling onto grade three (I still cannot believe it even as I type it!), has a section in her math packet of hands-on math learning activities. I love it. It’s perfect for her because she needs hands-on, and she needs practice with the basics.

And who doesn’t love a few good math games?

Here’s the skinny. . .

Magic Triangles — Hands-on Math Game: The premise of Magic Triangles is really simple.

Using an equilateral triangle with three empty circles on each side, children move around numbers 1-6 (written on small pieces of paper) until the sum of each side matches the sums of the other sides.

Super easy, right? Not so much.

$magic triangle math game$

Maddy’s Magic Triangle is set up and ready to go. . . now just to figure out that Magic Sum!

This activity had Maddy moving numbers and moving them again and then moving them again until she got it. And when she mastered it? She was elated.

We used supplies that were close at hand, but you could really just use a white board or paper if that’s all you have. I like the hands-on element–the moving the numbers around, holding the triangle, and really being able to feel the game in your hands. But it can be a great game to play with pencil and paper as you wait for a table in a restaurant, too.

$magic triangle math game$

Owen tried his hand at the Magic Triangle Math Game–but he was stumped.

But the first thing he did the next morning? Try his hand at the Magic Triangle until he figured it out!

We cut an equilateral triangle from a piece of cardboard, and then we stuck three blue circles on each side. Maddy wanted to use sticky notes for the numbers, so she wrote numbers 1-6 on small orange stickies. And then she started thinking and didn’t stop until she figured it out.

We didn’t record solutions (gulp!), and we didn’t try to find multiple solutions. Perhaps we’ll give that a ‘go’ today. And I won’t tell you what the ‘Magic Sum’ is so that it’s not ruined for you, so have fun with it!

And that’s it–just a fun, hands-on math game that disguises learning (and serious math practice and critical thinking!) in the name of fun and games. Right up our alley!

I’m looking forward to trying the other hands-on math games in Maddy’s summer packet, so huge thanks to her amazing grade three team and to Math Teaching Resources where a number of these activities originated.

August 8, 2012 9 comments

outdoor learning

olympic torch game for kids

by Teach Mama August 1, 2012

written by Teach Mama

olympic torch game

Have you been busy keeping up with the Olympics? Sure, they have only just begun, but if your kids are anything like mine, they’ve been hit with the Olympic FEVER!

Who knew that this world event would be so much fun–even watching from thousands of miles away?

No matter what sport is your family’s favorite, most everyone seems to be intrigued by the Olympic Torch Relay. Though we were driving back from the beach so we couldn’t see it live, we watched it with the kids several times, and they were in awe.

We laughed about our own version of the Olympic Torch Relay that we held here in our own back yard a few weeks back, and though ours was a far cry from the amazing London version, I really do think it helped prepare Maddy, Owen, and Cora a teeny, tiny bit for what they watched on the screen.

It’s about activating schema, right? Getting those brains ready to learn!

Head over to the Melissa & Doug to get the skinny, where I wrote about our own, super-simple, totally fun backyard adaptation of the famous Olympic Torch relay in a silly Olympic Torch Game we created.

The kids even perfected the ‘torch kiss’ and the lighting of the cauldron, though I have to admit, the 2012 cauldron lighting is something I never could have imagined. . .

Check it out: Olympic Torch Game

And happy 2012 Olympics!

August 1, 2012 3 comments

how to get kids to stop, observe and write

creative writing writing

getting kids to stop, observe and write

by Teach Mama July 22, 2012

written by Teach Mama

Our Everyday Journal cards have proven to be a really incredible—and sneaky—way of getting the kids focused and thinking in a way that I’m not sure they’d be willing to do otherwise.

There’s something exciting about choosing a card, about having the topic be a surprise, and about being willing and open to trying something totally new. And Maddy, Owen, and Cora have each slowly discovered their favorite areas of focus with the cards—photo inspiration, nature inspiration, poem inspiration, techy inspiration, and artsy inspiration.

But one of our first topics involved nothing other than finding peace and quiet, and still it remains one of their top activities.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Getting Kids to Stop, Observe, and Write: The prompt was simple. All it said was

Go outside and find a quiet spot.

Pick one thing that you can see and describe it the best way you know how—how does it feel, smell, taste, sound, and look?

I said, Sounds simple, doesn’t it? So you’re going to find a quiet spot—all to yourself—and then what are you going to do?

Maddy jumped in: Looks like we’re just going to sit in a spot that we choose and pick something to write about—like everything about it.

Right, I said. You’re going to use your five senses to write about what that thing looks like, how it feels, how it smells, how it tastes—if it’s safe to taste it!—and how it sounds. Cool?

Like if I were going to sit here and observe this one blade of grass, I would write something like, ‘I am green, long like a string bean, but flat. I’m thick at the bottom and get skinnier to a point at the top. I have tiny lines on each side of me. I am dancing gently in the wind, moving side to side. I’m quiet—I don’t make a sound.’ I smell fresh and crisp right after I’m cut or picked, but I don’t have a smell if I’m left alone. And how does it feel?

We began with a challenge–having our kids stop, observe, and write–and it got their creative juices flowin!

Some are soft and others are pokey, said Owen.

You’re right. Very true. But for this journal we’re picking just one—and I know it’s hard—but one object to write about. So look at this piece of grass (I pointed to the grass by our feet) and tell me how it feels.

It’s soft and bendy when you walk on it but still a little pokey at the top, he said.

Okay, so I’d write something like, ‘I’m mostly very soft and smooth and bendy when stepped on but have a gentle pokey top.’

Then for taste? Hmmmm. How does a piece of grass taste? I asked.

It can taste grassy, said Cora.

You’re right. It tastes like grass—let’s try one. Anyone want to try to eat a piece of grass?

No one did—which surprised me—so we left that part go.

Cora worked on her letters in her workbook–to her insistence–and that was cool with me.

So let me read what we have, and we can make sure we have all of the pieces before you go and do your own observation writing, okay? Listen closely for all of the senses—how it looks, feels, sounds, tastes, and smells–you think you have anything we should add, let me know.

I read it, and they said it sounded great and could they please please please go do theirs now?

So they did. Off they ran to find a quiet spot in the yard to stop, observe, and write.

And though this activity was a bit above Cora’s abilities, she did want to take her letter-writing practice book out to a quiet place in the yard to practice writing her letters. I suggested she go out and choose one object to draw—but she said she wanted to write. And really, since this summer and it’s all about fun with some learning stuck in, I let her go for it.

Maddy and Owen took longer than I thought, but they didn’t write a whole lot—another reason that modeling is so totally important. Once they shared their pieces, we talked about whether or not they included all of the five senses, and both kids did not. So they re-read what we wrote together, went back to their spots, found their object, and did a bit of revising.

It was fun. And they really loved it, so much so that we’ve done it several times this summer, even on days that they didn’t choose the card.

It was a matter of finding what got my kids going–and interested in writing–that helped me here. Like Jolie Stekly, writing and literature expert and former classroom teacher says in her piece on Mom’s Homeroom called, The Writing’s on the Road, it’s all about finding little gems of opportunity to give our kids reason to write and at the same time to avoid that dreaded summer slide.

She encourages parents to “in the same way we sneak greens into our kids’ other foods — like adding a few leaves of spinach into a fruit smoothie — we can do the same with writing during the summer months” She says that “summer travel and events (vacations, road trips, camping, day outings, summer camps) provide great opportunities to put your kids’ already-acquired writing skills to use in a meaningful way” and that they’ll see the writing as fun–not work.

I like that–simple and sneaky like spinach in a smoothie. So if my kids are game to write in the backyard, quiet and carefully, I’ll take it! Happy writing!

July 22, 2012 6 comments

comprehension fluency reading

improve fluency: slow down speedy readers

by Teach Mama July 19, 2012

written by Teach Mama

how to slow down speedy readers I’ve said before that one of the things that you never want to say to a reader is Slow down! You’re reading too fast! or. . .

. . . You’re reading waaaaay too slow. C’mon, pick up the pace so we can get through this, Honey.

It’s just not helpful, and no one feels great saying these things or hearing them. And I think we all know that though those suggestions may be short-term, if kids are slow–or speedy–readers, any time they read aloud, they’re not reading fluently.

The awesome news there are a few other really worthwhile, constructive ways of helping children as you ‘coach’ them into more fluent reading. Everyone wants to be a fluent reader–especially our younger, newer readers.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Learning During Read-Alouds–Improve Fluency by Slowing Down Speedy Readers: Fluency is a whole lot more than reading at an ‘easy-to-understand’ pace.

According to Timothy V. Rasinski in the May issue of The Reading Teacher, fluency should be HOT! In an article titled just that–and no, I’m not joking–Rasinski says that [his] conception of fluency puts it at the center of authentic reading instruction in which the aim of students’ reading is comprehension (Rasinski, T. V. (2012), Why Reading Fluency Should Be Hot!. The Reading Teacher, 65: 516–522).

He goes on to say that fluency is a critical component of reading instruction and that its two components, automaticity and prosody, are essential to its makeup. No need to freak out about these two ‘biggie’ reading terms, my friends.

Here’s a quickie clip sharing one way I helped Maddy slow down her super-fast reading this year–improving her prosidy by forcing her to slow at end punctuation marks:

‘Automaticity’ just means that readers can recognize words automatically and without effort, which is why we need to practice those sight words and design balance literacy programs that include word work! ‘Prosity’ just means that the reading demonstrates the natural rhythm and intonation of language. Together, automaticity and prosidy make up fluency, so it only makes sense that in order to read fluently, the reader must understand the text.

I’m looking forward to sharing more tips to improve fluency as the year unfolds, but until then, I hope that this little ‘slow down’ trick helps a speedy reader in your life.

What methods do you use to slow down speedy readers? Please share!

July 19, 2012 5 comments

alphabet Best Of Teach Mama early literacy

10 fun ways of helping kids learn the abc’s

by Teach Mama June 28, 2012

written by Teach Mama

It’s so easy for us to say we want our kids to learn the ABC’s and 123’s before kids hit Kindergarten, but how do we actually do it?

Is there an ideal time to start teaching these all-too-important basics?

What if your kiddo is just not interested in such things? How do you make learning the ABC’s fun?

It’s a lot easier than you may think, and honestly, in my opinion, there’s no time like the present to get rockin’ and rollin’ on helping your kids learn the ABC’s. So whether your child is 6 or 6 months, I’d say get going. Now. And have fun with it.

Start singing, stickering, hunting, painting, and spraying your way to either an alphabet-filled summer.

Here’s the skinny. . .

10 Fun Ways of Helping Kids Learn the ABC’s:

1. Play ABC Games — Play alphabet board games, play alphabet clothespin games, play alphabet wordo!

2. Point Out ABC’s Everwhere —Go on Alphabet Hunts, hide the ABC’s around your house (then do it again). Then go on Backyard Alphabet Hunts— so fun, it’s nuts.

3. Celebrate the Letters of Kids’ Names — For the little guys, start with their letter–the first letter of his or her name–and go from there. Find the letter on the cereal box, on signs, in books. Play Family Name Letter Connect. Once they master that, move onto the other letters of the name and then introduce family names.

4. Read ABC Books — There are tons of them out there, believe me, but a super-fun fave of ours is Superhero ABC. Visit my pal, Allie’s awesome post, 50 Fantastic ABC Books for more.

5. Sort the ABC’s — Separate letters and numbers. Sort tricky fonts. Play with those magnetic letters on the fridge and sort the ABC’s on lids.

6. Spray the ABC’s — You heard me. Spray the ABC’s.

7. Play ABC Bingo — Play Alphabet Bingo with uppercase letters. Play it with the letters of your child’s name. Play it with lowercase letters. Stamp it or write it. Just play it.

8. Sing the ABC Song — Sing that song–c’mon, you know it–same tune as Twinkle, Twinkle and Baa Baa Blacksheep. Sing it all the time. Sing it at bath time, bed time, breakfast time. Sing other songs of course, but make ABC top of the charts. It will help.

9. Crazy Write the ABC’s — Write the ABC’s with sticky stuff, with paint, with water, or with wiggly wigglies. Make it different. Write on windows. Write in the sky.

10. Move and Groove the ABC’s — Get up and move to the ABC’s with ABC Exercise Cards or get leafy with an Outdoor Alphabet Hunt.

Want more? After checking out the links above, visit our Read Aloud Learning Series for some super-easy tips, then check the right sidebar for other topics you need.

Want a few more alphabet activities? Check out:

backyard alphabet hunt
homemade alphabet book
leafy letter learning
ABC hunt
on the road ABC hunt
lowercase ABC hunt
build your own bingo: uppercase and lowercase match
ABC cards and clothespin match
alphabet letter splash
alphabingo (play with lowercase letters)
alphabet letter lids
leafy outdoor alphabet hunt
build your own board game
clothespin letter match
10 fun ways to learn the alphabet

help kids learn the abc's

Follow us on pinterest, and check out our literacy pins:

Follow Teach Mama’s board literacy on Pinterest.

June 28, 2012 15 comments

books reading

how to make summer reading FUN for your kids

by Teach Mama June 20, 2012

written by Teach Mama

For many children, summer reading is not a big deal.

They’re readers by nature, so the task of reading ten books–or more–is a simple pleasure. For others, however, summer reading is second on their list of things to do only to walking on glass or poking sticks in their eyes.

So how do you make summer reading fun for kids?

How do you get them to want to read, to want to put down the Wii controller or the DS and instead pick up a book?

It’s not easy, but if you start now–if you carve out some simple patterns with summer reading early in the game–perhaps this year will be different.

And maybe, just maybe, you’ll have year-round readers on your hands.

Here’s the skinny. . .

How to Make Summer Reading CRAZY Fun for Kids: There are a million ways to do this, mind you, but for now I’m sharing three.

Just three teeny, tiny ways of the hundreds. Here you go:

What do you think? What are YOUR sneaky-parent ways of making summer reading more fun for your kiddos?

Do you start off with a Summer Reading Backyard Book Party like we did, or do you rock it out some other cool way? Perhaps your kids are already bookworms? What if one is and one is not? What’s a parent to do?

Next up: How to talk to your kids about their summer reading books (without making them run screaming from you). . . .

June 20, 2012 8 comments

foundations parenting

summer fun cards: making the most of our summer

by Teach Mama June 19, 2012

written by Teach Mama

One of our most favorite parts of summer is making our Summer Fun Cards.

We’ve made them for the past three years, and each year I’m thrilled that each year the kids really seem to get into it. Summer Fun Cards are like our Christmas wish list for summer.

So when Maddy saw it on our calendar for last Friday, she asked every. Single. Day. if we could make them.

We ended up not waiting until Friday and rather doing them here and there Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Monday. And they’re filled with ideas new–and old–and we cannot wait to get to them.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Summer Fun Cards: We don’t make these fancy. They’re certainly not a beautiful work of art like my dear friend MaryLea’s.

But ours are pretty, and they do make a super-colorful hanging along our railing.

Cora works on the roller coaster in the picture for Dutch Wonderland. . .

. . . and Maddy draws a shark and a dolphin. (Huh?)

We started making them after lunch last Wednesday, much to Maddy’s prodding, and because the kids are already familiar with what they are, our Summer Fun Cards didn’t need much of an intro from me.

This year, our cards included some oldies but goodies:

ice-cream from Jimmie Cone

go to the beach

eat crabs

make s’mores

go berry picking

see July 4th fireworks

catch lightening bugs

eat breakfast outside

sleep at Nanny & Pap’s

But they also included some new-for-us ideas, some of which are just a tad bit silly:

go on a ropes course

swim with sharks and dolphins (and live)

see MA (something) 4! (translation: see Madagascar 3 at the movies)

go to the aquarium

swim in a new pool

go geocaching

Our Summer Fun Cards finished–

–and hung up so we see them every day!

And that’s it! Just a quickie, fun start to the summer–a sure-fire way that we make time for all of our favorite summertime things!

Happy Summer, all!

June 19, 2012 11 comments

books reading

kicking off summer reading: backyard book party

by Teach Mama June 10, 2012

written by Teach Mama

The school year is slowly winding down, and finally (finally!) we’re settling into our summertime schedule–not the spring-summer overlap that has had me near crazy for the last two weeks.

With the soccer season officially over, three days of dance recitals down, andflag football totally ohhh-ver, we’re on the high road to swim and dive. And awhole lotta time at home. With my three favorite people in the world.

Summer is always my favorite time of the year, and this year’s no different.

We just so happened to have two new families coming to our school this fall–two families with whom I’ve been acquainted for quite some time, since Maddy, Owen, and Cora were teeny. So I thought that this final weekend-before-school-lets-out would be a good time to have everyone over for a quick little impromptu playdate and Backyard Book Party.

The sun was shining, the kids were playing, and everyone left with a handful of books. And it was super to chat with a few great friends and let our kids get re-connected.

I think it’s something I’d like to do each year before school lets out because for us, this little Backyard Book Party got all of our kids reading–and excited about continuing the book-love throughout the summer.

Here’s the skinny . . .

Backyard Book Party: I was grateful to have received a Summer Reading Party Pack from PBS Kids & iVillage in celebration of their Summer Reading Community Challenge, packed with fun summer reading goodies, and perfect for a get-to-know-you brunch.

Yay for our Book Party goodies from PBS & iVillage and our friends at Scholastic!

Fun and silly printables–that you can have too!

The party pack included Word Girl & SuperWHY! games and coloring pages, much like ones you can find on PBS Parents or PBS Kids, along with some cool temporary tattoos, bookmarks, stickers, and books.

The party was short and sweet, but we covered a lot of crazy-fun territory:

Welcome! Brunch and Play: Mini-bagels, donuts, muffins, and fruit! YUM!

Fly-Swatter Painting: It was the book that really caught my attention. It was a new one to me–There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick, by Lucille Colandro and illustrated by Jared D. Lee.

When I saw it, I thought, Oh! I know this one! Kids love it! And immediately, the song was stuck in my mind: I know an old lady who swallowed a fly. . . I don’t know why she swallowed that fly. . .

Kids loved Fly-Swatter Painting. . .

and the moms thanked me that the paint was washable!

But then I looked closer and realized that our books were not the old standby but were indeed a new and exciting version where our happy old lady swallows a chick. Earlier, I decided that one of our Book Party activities was going to be a craft–something where our kids could get a little creative and colorful–and our book was my inspiration for a fun and crazy craft: Fly Swatter Painting.

A super way of activating schema–getting kids’ brains moving before they start reading this new book would be to get their brains connecting to something they remember in the original book, right? Flies! That was it! Fly Swatter Painting would be perfect!

I taped up some white roll paper, put washable paint on paper plates, and let the kids at it. They loved the mixing of colors and swatting of paint–they giggled and swatted and it really gave them something to smile about!

No paint brushes here, folks. . .

. . . only fly swatters and paper plates of paint. . .

. . . such an incredibly beautiful masterpiece!

Get to Know You Games: After a quick re-introduction for the handful of kids who were here, we did some fun ice-breaker games.

Silent Sorting is something I used to do in the classroom at different times in the year so my students got to know each other a bit better. I think I learned these ‘ice-breakers’ way back when I worked at Maryland Leadership Workshop–which I highly recommend parents check out.

Silent Sorting is just that–kids sorting themselves without speaking! So with specific instructions, the whole group of kiddos first sorted themselves from youngest to oldest by age, and then they sorted themselves into alphabetical order by first name. SO fun.

Usually a great ending signal is that the whole group claps together three times, but I skipped that. . .

Book Swap: For the older kids who I knew would be a bit ahead of the There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick, we had a Book Swap–a totally informal, ‘bring a book that you’d like to swap’ swap.

The kids were thrilled to add their book to the table, look through the bin of books, and talk to each other about BOOKS! They all left heavy-handed and psyched for summer reading–yay!

Drawing, Games, and Play: When everyone arrived, they put their names in a bin for a drawing at the end of the party.

We gave away two prizes–one Scholastic bag filled with reading goodies and one Curious George DVD and book. The two little winners loved their prizes. But even if you don’t have prizes to give away, something small–a new book from the dollar store or a pack of markers and a tablet–would do the trick.

Kids love drawings!

Two fun prizes from Scholastic and PBS Kids–AWESOME!

The kids loved playing Suspend!

And they also love games–I put out Melissa & Doug’s new game, Suspend, which the kids challenged themselves with as the party winded down. It’s a super game that I cannot wait to share more about. (And we’ll have a giveaway to boot!)

Check out An Easy-to-Build Stage for the Performers in Your Family!

And that’s it! Just a fun late Sunday morning Summer Reading Backyard Book Party with friends new and old! I am really looking forward to continuing the tradition and continuing Book Swaps throughout the summer. . .

fyi: As a PBS VIP I was given the opportunity to participate in the PBS Kids iVillage Summer Reading Community Challenge, but anyone can–and I encourage you to! I received the Summer Reading Kick-Off Party from my friends at PBS & iVillage, but my opinions here are all my own. Many thanks to PBS Kids, iVillage, Scholastic, and Melissa & Doug for providing me with items in this post. This post does include affiliate links.

And many, many thanks to the amazing and talented Deborah Stewart of Teach Preschool for inspiring our Fly Swatter Painting! I saw her guest post on the amazing and talented Anna’s Imagination Tree blog awhile back. Thanks, ladies!

June 10, 2012 6 comments

computation math

quick trick: mind-blowing math tricks

by Teach Mama May 24, 2012

written by Teach Mama

It’s no secret that I am not a math person. $mind blowing math tricks$

And it’s really no secret that my kids’ math skills will soon (hopefully!) surpass my own.

I cried my way through calculus (no joke), and I’d rather walk on fire than take another statistics course. While my friends would quickly calculate the final cost of that awesome pair of shoes at 25% off with a $14.75 store credit and (shhhh!) a pal’s employee discount, I’d still be stranded at the 25% off part.

Or I’d pull out my super-secret tiny purse calculator. (It was before we all had smartphones, thank you.)

I have to think through or write out just about any sort of math computation.

So I’m a huge fan of tricks. And songs. And just about anything that makes this math mountain easier for me to climb.

But are ‘math tricks’ okay for kids to learn? What do you think?

Here’s the skinny on a math-happy Quick Trick I learned recently that I find so totally cool. . .

Mind-Blowing Math Tricks: A few weeks ago, someone told me about the 9 times tables trick. At this point, I have no idea who that person was (sorry!), but if you were the person, please remind me.

I had never heard of it before, so when I showed Maddy, she was pretty amazed. So very happy.

It goes like this:

9 times tables trick— take 9 x 3 and put your third finger from the left down. Then count the number of fingers on the left side of that finger (here you get 2) and on the right side of the finger (you get 7). Put those numbers together (27) and there’s your answer. 9 x 3 = 27.

Why does it work? I have no idea. But it’s so cool.

$mind-blowing math tricks$

Maddy tries out her ‘new’ multiplication by 9 trick.

Want to read about some tricks for:

multiplying by 4?

multiplying by 11? $mind-blowing math tricks, 9 times table$

multiplying by 12?

multiples of 3?

And want to know why the multiplying by 9 trick works? Check out 5 Cool Math Tricks You Didn’t Know over on Mom’s Homeroom; it’s full of mind-blowing mathy-math tricks that may make this road a little easier for your kiddos.

But I especially love what math expert, Laura Laing believes about these crazy math tricks. ‘Kids can benefit from knowing math facts cold’ she explains, because ‘when the arithmetic is simple, children are allowed to focus on more complex concepts’. We get that, right? Just like our kiddos need to have a solid knowledge base of sight words so they can focus on comprehension instead of decoding.

However, Laura feels that children should have a strong foundation of basic math skills before the ‘math tricks’ are introduced–this is usually around grades four or five. (Shoot, so poor Maddy will be off here. . . )

She explains that ‘straight memorization is not always the best’ and that ‘when kids spend a great deal of time really unpacking what these math concepts mean, their understanding is far more likely to extend toward many other concepts’ (5 Cool Math Tricks. . . ) which . . . well, yes, yes, and yes! Save the tricks for a little later so the understanding is a little deeper.

But a few tricks in a kid’s back pocket won’t hurt, right?

Do you have any other math tricks that work for your little ones? Have you shared them with your kids already, or are you waiting for a strong, foundational skill-set to develop? I’m so curious! Do tell. . .

fyi: This blog post is part of an incentivized online influencer network for Mom’s Homeroom. Mom’s Homeroom is brought to you by Frosted Mini-Wheats.

May 24, 2012 25 comments

math numbers

counting, identifying, and writing numbers during play

by Teach Mama May 23, 2012

written by Teach Mama

counting, identifying, and writing numbers during play

One of the things I believe in strongly is that any time can be a great time to sneak in some sort of learning.

Whether it’s counting the candies in the line at the grocery store checkout, learning about the fish in your neighbor’s backyard pond, or trying new veggies from your local CSA, kids are naturally curious and their brains are pretty much like sponges at this point.

They want to learn. They want to try new things every single day. So it’s our job to jump on those opportunities when we can—and where we can.

Yesterday was a rainy, grey day, so Cora and I decided to open one of her birthday gifts—a Shrinky-Dink Pet Playset.

And though we are huge fans of all things shrinky dink, we did manage to sneak in some learning along the way—and of course Cora didn’t even realize she was learning.

She was just happy to have time to craft, chat, and play with her mama.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Anytime Number Learning– Counting, Identifying, and Writing Numbers During Play: The cool thing about anytime number learning is that it can be done with anything, at any time.

counting, identifying, and writing numbers during play

Cora organizes the pieces. . .

counting, identifying, and writing numbers during play

. . . then surprises us with some of her first-ever written high(er) numbers!

We just happened to have Shrinky Dinks on the brain and a playset at our fingertips. But it can be done with blocks, dolls, cars, crafts, you name it. Very simply, all we did was pull out all of the Shrinky Dink pets and parts, and we colored and counted as we completed each piece.

Cora started by saying, Let’s count how many pets we colored.

And I said, Super idea. We can count as we put them on the baking sheet, and once we have about 15, our tray will be filled and we can start shrinking!

Yes! she said, as she started placing them randomly on the tray.

It might be easier for us to keep track of our counting if we put them in straight rows, like our grid games, I said. Let’s try that.

Shrinky dinks are all lined up and ready to be shrunk!

So we did. And the rows weren’t perfect, but they were all we needed. As we counted, Cora wanted to write down the number of Shrinky Dinks we had. She asked me, What way does a ‘7’ go again?

I grabbed the Number Spelling and Math Terms sheet that I created for Maddy a few months ago, and I put it on the table in front of Cora. The Number Spelling and Math Terms sheet is here to download as a pdf if you’d like.

This is Maddy’s number sheet, but I’m sure she’d have no problem letting you borrow it. (Anything Maddy does is cool, so I was totally playing on that. . . ) Take a look at this sheet, count down from one, and see if you can find number 7.

She did. It was a super reference to have, and she used it the whole morning.

She wrote number 7 on her page. And as soon as we finished coloring the eighth Shrinky Dink, she wrote a number 8 right next to the 7.

We’d chat a bit, color a bit, sometimes stop for a snack or to let Brady out, but we’d always come back to re-count our colored Shrinky Dinks. And Cora would write another number on her paper.

Once our tray was filled, we’d shrink them and add them to the set.

We got to as high as 15, and then we shrunk the Shrinkys. Then we’d start again.

Quick, easy, and sneaky learning in between coloring and catching up and playing with Shrinky Dink pets. Love it.

Today, we’ll finish up the coloring and shrinking–and during homework time I plan to give her the Number Writing Practice sheet I have saved on my laptop for months now. And if she’s up for it, great; if not, no biggie. I think it would be a great foll0w-up, and it will be even more fun if it’s followed by some window writing, jell-o writing, or the like!

I am embarrassed to say that I’m not sure where it came from! So if you are the creator–or if you know the creator–please let me know so I can link back to your work (if you’ll allow me!).

Happy playing, counting, and sneaky learning!

May 23, 2012 8 comments

early literacy sight words

words 3 ways: learning sight words for kindergarten

by Teach Mama May 17, 2012

written by Teach Mama

Cora is totally into learning how to read, so I am seriously running with it.

She wants to practice the sight words that were included in her kindergarten packet. She wants to be able to decode the words in her High 5 Magazine and her Weekly Reader.

She wants to read to her dolls, read to Brady, and read to me.

At least most days she does.

Some days, she doesn’t want to have anything to do with reading, and she only wants to dance or sing or paint or play dress-up. But that’s okay with me because she’s getting closer, and I know it.

So I’ve been exploring some new and exciting ways for her to practice the ‘all-too-important’ kindergarten sight words, and I think we’ve come up with a way that seems to work for her.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Words 3 Ways: Learning Sight Words for Kindergarten:

The concept of words three ways is simple– children ‘play’ with words in three basic ways.

It’s similar to Maddy’s Trace, Copy, Recall for beginning work with spelling words, but catered a bit more toward littler ones. It’s a great way to begin work with sight words.

The printable words three ways can be downloaded below as a pdf if you’d like to let your little one try it at home.

Sometimes I write the words in uppercase letters and sometimes I write them in lowercase; I want her to be familiar with both.

Cora has been using Words 3 Ways for a few weeks now, so she understands how it works, but when I introduced the idea, I said, Okay, Cora, today we’re going to rake a really big step. You just had Kindergarten Orientation, so I know you’re excited for school to start in the fall, but there are a few things we’ll do between now and then that will help you be really, really ready for all the fun you’re going to have in Kindergarten.

I know you already know a lot—your letters, numbers, and how to write your name and our family’s names, so we’re moving on to bigger things, now, and I know you’re ready. We’re going to really start playing with sight words.

Sight words are words that you’ll see in almost all of the books you’ll learn to read in Kindergarten—they’re usually small words that you can’t really sound out, so you need to know them by ‘sight’. We got a list of sight words from your Kindergarten teachers, and I put them on flash cards. We’ll play different games with them, and by the time you start school, you’ll be able to read them all by yourself! How awesome is that??!

So today we’re going to start with Words 3 Ways. It’s a fun way for you to learn five new words. The words are here (pointing to words in left column). Let’s read them together.

Okay, now you get a chance to do three things with each of these words: first you’ll use your finger or a highlighter to trace the word. Then you’ll form the word, and you can do that by stamping the letters, using letter stickers, or using magnetic letters. And the last thing you’ll do is write the word.

So you’ll trace, then you’ll form the word, then you’ll write it.

Let’s start with the first word. I’ll read it, then you read it.

‘The’. Cora read it herself. Great! Now use the highlighter to trace the word.

She traced it.

I could tell that you were really concentrating on each letter: ‘t’, then the ‘h’, and then the ‘e’.

Cora’s writing her words. . .

Now you get to form the word, or build it.

Do you want to stamp it or use letter stickers? She chose to stamp the word, and as she hunted for and then stamped each letter, I said the letter name.

Finally, you get a chance to write the word all by yourself.

Do you want to use a pencil or the bee pen or a marker to write it?

She used the pencil, just like Owen and Maddy use for their homework, to carefully form each letter.

Fabulous job! I said.

While Maddy and Owen worked on their homework, I talked Cora through the next two words; she finished the last on her own.

And the next few days, she asked me for Words 3 Ways with different words. Awesome.

Right now, Words 3 Ways has become Cora’s go-to, her favorite ‘homework time’ activity because she’s all about reading. I’m a huge fan, too, because I can really add any words I want into the sheet—family names, color words, number words, sight words, you name it. And I like that she’s tracing handwritten words; we sometimes forget that kiddos need to learn how to read handwriting and print.

Words 3 Ways gives emerging readers an opportunity to focus on a small number of words, looking closely at them in three different ways–first tracing the word, then building it, and then writing it on their own.

It’s not foolproof, it’s not instantaneous, and it requires foll0w-up, but it’s a start! Happy sight word learning, little readers!

Grab your copy of the form here:

We’re huge fans of Melissa & Doug’s Alphabet Stamp set because it is a super set for emerging readers to use when building words, playing with names, or creating personalized masterpieces for loved ones.

Want a few more alphabet activities? Check out:

backyard alphabet hunt
rainbow words: free sight word printable
homemade alphabet book
leafy letter learning
ABC hunt
on the road ABC hunt
lowercase ABC hunt
build your own bingo: uppercase and lowercase match
ABC cards and clothespin match
alphabet letter splash
alphabingo (play with lowercase letters)
alphabet letter lids
leafy outdoor alphabet hunt
build your own board game
clothespin letter match
10 fun ways to learn the alphabet

And don’t miss our #raiseareader series on YouTube!

Follow us on pinterest, and check out our literacy pins:

May 17, 2012 30 comments

computation math

mastering multiplication tables (with mini flash cards)

by Teach Mama April 29, 2012

written by Teach Mama

Learning math facts has been a long, hard road for Maddy. $mini multiplication math fact cards$

It’s actually very often a long, hard road for many kids–including myself–way back when.

I remember hours of practicing my basic facts and hours of frustration at the fact that I just wasn’t learning. I just wasn’t remembering. I felt anxiety on every Mad Minute; I felt stupid because other kids were able to do so much more than I. I felt angry. And confused.

Eventually I got over it, but to this day, I still feel like I don’t really know math like I should. So I’ve been determined to support my children’s learning of math from the very beginning.

We’ve tried to make math an everyday thing for us; we try to incorporate it into our morning newspaper reading to our trips in the car to preschool–or anywhere. We use flashcards often and openly.

And for a long time I felt a wee bit guilty about the fact that we’ve been creating–and using–math fact flash cards for weeks and months and years. I’m not sure why I felt bad, but I did.

If I were a halfway decent mom, I’d help her learn these facts in fun and creative ways all of the time, I convinced myself.

I tried to make flash card practices fun, exciting, and sneaky, but what I realized before long is that it’s hard–really hard–to make flash card work fun all of the time. I get that. But what I have been reading, researching, and remembering is that flashcards aren’t all that bad. (Woo-hoo!)

Here’s the skinny. . .

Mastering Multiplication Tables: We have flash cards with us usually at all times. I simply throw a set into my bag or in the car, in the event that we are stuck somewhere and have time that we can bust out a little addition or subtraction fun.

mini multiplication math fact cards

multiplication table mini flash cards

Only recently has Maddy been invited to move forward and into multiplication in her weekly math-fact assessments, and we realized that a lot of the multiplication learning fell on our shoulders since technically, multiplication is a third grade component.

First of all, I made math fact cards multiplication, following the format of our addition and subtraction mini flash cards.

The math fact cards multiplication can be printed as a pdf on cardstock, cut, and either used together or by number families. Then throw ’em in a bag, and you’re ready to roll.

Then we started using them. I pulled them out here, there, and everywhere:

$mastering multiplication tables$

in the car, waiting to pick up kids or drop them off;

while preparing dinner;

before or after bedtime books;

at the grocery store;

out front, out back, outdoors, or in;

while drying hair;

before or after homework;

anywhere and everywhere.

Some days, we’d just run through them one by one. Other days, we’d mix it up. We might:

play ‘Shine On’ — flip the top card on two piles and shine a flashlight on the first answer she knows;

race — Maddy and I race to say the answer to the card that’s flipped;

use chalk, paint, markers, water–anything–to write the answer to the flipped card;

play ‘High/Low’ — flip the top card on two piles and point to the card that shows the higher (or lower) number as the answer;

just plain-Jane call out the answers.

Whatever floats our boat, whichever way the wind carries us that day.

And recently I ran across an article on Mom’s Homeroom about learning the times tables (“Make Time for the Times Tables,” by Laura Liang, and I was literally doing a jig of joy because the teacher-expert who wrote it actually advocated for using flashcards to learn the (sometimes) tricky multiplication tables. Actually, she didn’t say that outright; she said that “relying on one strategy is not enough” and that “memorization and the ability to model the facts are both necessary.” Yay! Yes! Woot!

I knew this–of course I did! It’s the same deal with teaching reading–and nearly everything else. We don’t rely on one type of strategy to teach reading comprehension; rather, it’s a combination of strategies and techniques, a combination catered especially to each learner’s needs.

So from here on out, I’m going to continue flashing those multiplication cards to my Maddy, helping her to memorize–but also to learn the number concepts of those tricky multiplication tables. And hopefully other parents will do the same. Happy flash-carding and math-learning!

fyi: This blog post is part of an incentivized online influencer network for Mom’s Homeroom. Mom’s Homeroom is brought to you by Frosted Mini-Wheats.

April 29, 2012 27 comments

family life travel

disney word searches: getting kids ready for the trip!

by Teach Mama April 25, 2012

written by Teach Mama

We were on a major word search kick a while back, but we’ve taken a good long rest from them. disney word searches teachmama.com

So in honor of our upcoming Disney Social Media Moms Celebration, I decided to bring back this oldie but goodie for Maddy, Owen, and Cora. Word Searches!! What fun! Letter recognition! Fine motor practice! Reading! Talking! LOVE!

What a super way of activating a little schema, getting their brains ready for what they’ll see in the Happiest Place on Earth, for getting three already-crazy kids even more excited for a totally exciting event?!

I haven’t shown them their Disney Word Searches yet–they’re a surprise for the plane, for those inevitable waits during travel, for whenever we need them. I think they’ll even be a good down-time activity in the hotel between trips to the pool, the park, or conference events.

Or for those Disney-lovers out there, they may be just what the doctor ordered between those yearly vay-cays.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Disney Word Searches: There are four word searches, all basically the same format but with four different themes:

word search disney characters –with all of our favorite characters, princesses, and movie stars

word search magic kingdom –with park highlights, rides, and features

word search epcot –with EPCOT highlights, rides, and shows

word search animal kingdom — with Animal Kingdom park highlights, rides, themes, animals

* new *

word search disneyland–– with Disneyland lands, rides, attractions, & more

The word search packets–ready to go!

All I did was print out one copy of each word search for Maddy, Owen, and Cora, and I stapled them together–one happy little packet for each of them.

And I’ll throw a ‘teacher pen’– one of those thin-tipped red or purple pens that I always used for grading–along with several highlighters, which my kids love to use for word searches into my bag. And when the time is right, I’ll pull it all out.

My hope is that it will give the kids a chance to read the words–words they’ll hear and see and experience–in Disney so when they actually hear, see, and experience them, it’ll be that much more exciting.

But if we don’t get to them? No worries–they only took a second to create, and I think they’ll be a great way of ‘remembering’ our trip when we return!

And that’s it–just a little, sneaky learning in the name of (eeeeeee!) Disney and all things wonderful.

I used Discovery Education’s Free Puzzlemaker for these (and all) of our word searches. Thanks, Discovery Education, and happy word-search creating, my friends! Also check out the great game-creating resources on readwritethink.org — I LOVE the crossword creator!

Here are a few other ways to countdown or celebrate your own Disney vacation:

fyi: affilliate links used below

April 25, 2012 8 comments

disney world fun fact lunchbox notes | teachmama.com

family life travel

disney fun fact lunchbox notes

by Teach Mama April 19, 2012

written by Teach Mama

We are big into lunchbox love notes around here, so why on earth would I have not thought earlier to make Disney Lunchbox Notes?

Be still my heart.

It’s the perfect combination: a captive audience, early readers, a topic that totally interests them–and a place I know they LOVE? Add to the mix that they’ll be there very shortly, and it’s a complete win.

At least in this teacher-mama’s book.

Even if they read a handful before we go and then the rest when we return, I think the continued lunchtime Disney love will prolong the Disney magic.

I am so over the moon excited about these, that I can barely contain myself.

Though Owen’s last request was for math fact lunchbox notes (not joking), he’s going to have to settle for these super fun Disney-themed lunchbox notes.

Here’s the skinny. . .

disney fun fact lunchbox notes: They range from facts about characters to facts about the theme park to facts about the big man–Walt Disney–himself.

And each little lunchbox note has a cute little Disney photo along with it.

One sheet of the disney fun fact lunchbox notes, ready to be cut and added to lunchboxes!

Love, love, love.

The disney fun fact lunchbox notes can be downloaded below.

Feel free to share with a link back or a pin–I’d love it!

Some fun fact teasers:

How many people work at Walt Disney World?
Every day an average of 210 pairs of sunglasses are turned in to the Disney World Lost & Found. . . .
How many stones are there in Cinderella’s Castle in the Magic Kingdom?
What was the strangest thing ever brought to Lost and Found at Disney World?
What does EPCOT stand for?

Eight notes on a page, three pages total. Twenty-four notes may take us pretty close through to the end of the school year. Yay! What a way to go out!

And that’s it–just a quickie, super-sneaky way to throw in a teeny bit o’ learning and reading in the every day. Okay, at lunchtime. But that counts. . .and with an ‘I love you!’ or a ‘Have a great day!’ written by Mom or Dad, it’s sure to throw a smile on any Disney-loving kiddo!

Here are a few other ways to countdown or celebrate your own Disney vacation:

fyi: Many thanks to the following sources for providing images and/or facts: disney.go.com; www.statesman.com

http://corporate.disney.go.com/media/news/Fact_WDW_Fun_Facts_08_06.pdf

http://www.orlando-florida.net/press-releases/50-things-you-dont-know-about-disney-world.htm

April 19, 2012 28 comments

homemade alphabet book | early literacy | teachmama.com

alphabet early literacy

homemade alphabet book: get personal with the abc’s

by Teach Mama April 11, 2012

written by Teach Mama

There’s been a ton of little things that we’ve done over here to help Maddy, Owen, and Cora learn the letters of the alphabet, but I have to say that an all-time favorite of theirs has to be their Homemade Alphabet Books.

And really, the Homemade Alphabet Books are not all that crazy, gorgeous, or special.

But they are made exclusively by each kiddo, with photos and pictures chosen by them, with ribbons and colors and everything chosen by them as well. The Homemade Alphabet Books are theirs.

And though Maddy and Owen are long past needing–or reading–their books, they still like to look back at the photos they chose way back when they were ‘so, so little’ and my little Cora keeps adding to her book every few days.

It’s fun–it’s easy, and it’s totally worth your time.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Homemade Alphabet Books:

Making these books is super-easy.

Using them is just as important.

Alphabet Books are just that–books that have a page for each letter of the alphabet: one page with the uppercase and lowercase letter and the facing page with child-chosen pictures, drawings, photographs of images that begin with that letter.

I used old printer paper that my mom gave me, but any paper will do. My kids love watching me make books–though we have a ton of cheapo notebooks in our house, they really seem to like books made ‘especially for them’ or in this case, by them.

We count out 28 sheets of paper–one for each letter of the alphabet and one for a front and back cover. And the construction of the book is simple:

Creating the skeleton of the book is easy. But building the book, filling each page, is a work in progress.

It’s not something that can be done in one day, by any means.

When I was tutoring, I’d often make one of these Homemade Alphabet Books with my little guys–especially my struggling readers–and we’d focus on one or two letters each session. And each time we added a new letter or two, we’d first read the previous pages, beginning with the cover and going through each and every page, pointing as we read the words: Colin’s Alphabet Book. . A, a (we’d say the letter and then the sound), airplane! Apple! Alligator!

We’d point to each picture that began with that letter as we said the name of each object. For some kids, this Alphabet Book was literally the only thing they could read, but it was that teeny, tiny piece they needed to grow confidence and build a solid foundation of literacy learning and phonological awareness.

By the time they finished with letters X, Y, and Z, they memorized the first half of the book. Which is awesome because if they forever remembered D, d, dog! duck! dolphin! donut! –words that began with certain letters–it gave them something.

Those words and those sounds belonged to them. Finally, they ‘owned’ a little piece of reading. A small book. Their book. And they were one step closer to really being able to put multiple sounds together to read words on a page.

Jewels–among other things–for letter ‘J’. . .

. . . icecream and iceskates for ‘I’. . .

. . . Grandma and Grandpa start off Cora’s ‘G’ page!

One thing I love about this activity is that it can really be child-directed. There are some weeks when Cora wants to work on finishing her Alphabet Book for three afternoons straight. And then days–or weeks–pass and she doesn’t pick it up.

But when she finally does, it’s like she’s reunited with an old friend. Mommy! Remember the day I cut out the pictures of Grandma and Grandpa? They are here on the page for ‘G’!

Some days she’ll just want to cut out pictures and glue them in the next day. And other days, she’ll pick and choose the letters she wants to do, depending on her mood, the weather, or what she finds in a magazine or photograph.

And other days, she just wants to flip through her Alphabet Book, reading the letters and saying the pictures to herself between playing dress-ups or coloring, and that’s fine, too. It doesn’t really matter. . . after all, it’s hers!

That’s it–just a teeny, tiny bit of fun alphabet learning. . . with a whole lot of room to move, depending on how old your little ones are.

Alphabet books are generally designed for the “development of phonemic awareness through alliteration and assonance in emergent and beginning readers” and follow a very standard pattern of “a single focal letter and accompanying text with illustrations.” However, I’m totally psyched about the different ways to expand upon these seemingly simple texts–and I cannot wait to play with them a bit with Maddy, Owen, and Cora over the next few weeks and months. More to come!

And huge thanks to Evers, A. J., Lang, L. F. and Smith, S. V. (2009), An ABC Literacy Journey: Anchoring in Texts, Bridging Language, and Creating Stories. The Reading Teacher, 62: 461–470. doi: 10.1598/RT.62.6.1 for the quote above and for providing more inspiring Alphabet Book ideas!

Want a few more alphabet activities? Check out:

backyard alphabet hunt
homemade alphabet book
leafy letter learning
ABC hunt
on the road ABC hunt
lowercase ABC hunt
build your own bingo: uppercase and lowercase match
ABC cards and clothespin match
alphabet letter splash
alphabingo (play with lowercase letters)
alphabet letter lids
leafy outdoor alphabet hunt
build your own board game
clothespin letter match
10 fun ways to learn the alphabet

And don’t miss our #raiseareader series on YouTube!

Follow us on pinterest, and check out our literacy pins:

April 11, 2012 28 comments

family life outdoor activities

quick trick: play. outdoors. (no matter the weather!)

by Teach Mama March 14, 2012

written by Teach Mama

play outdoors in any weather, play outside Who knows what happened to winter this year?

I am convinced that we had absolutely no snow this year because this was the first time I ever–ever!–bought snow boots for Maddy and Owen (because lucky Cora has Maddy’s hand-me-downs) before the season started instead of scrambling like a maniac at first word of a snowstorm. I saw those boots, in the sizes I needed, calling to me back in October.

I thought I outsmarted the universe by buying them, and instead the universe outsmarted me.

Anyway. It’ll drop buckets of snow next year, and my poor kids will suffer in tight boots. I’m only kidding. (Not really.)

However, snow or no snow, I said before that my kiddos really need free time for free play. But now I’m mentioning that they really need time outdoors. Out back. Over at the park. Outside–anywhere–so they can feel the sun and the wind or the rain and the breeze.

Or the snow. (Whatever.)

I can’t say it enough, especially because it seems that every time I turn a corner lately there’s another article stressing the importance of free time, creative play, with an outdoor focus.

And I get that. Boy, do I get that.

So this little Quick Trick is quick and simple, and it has a little added bonus: a giveaway!–all in the name of outdoor play for kiddos.

play outdoors in any weather, play outside

Kiddos need time to be outdoors. . .

play outdoors in any weather, play outside

climbing trees or just hanging out.

I’m grateful to have connected with a totally new-for-me company who just so happens to make incredible clothes for children, especially outerwear. We’ve had a chance to try out a few products from Polarn O. Pyret for the last few months, and my kids love them. And my kids haven’t really ever loooooved their coats. Until now.

And one lucky teach mama reader will have a chance to win $50 towards some new gear for his or her little ones. Yay!

Here’s the skinny. . .

Play. Outdoors. (No Matter the Weather!): We know that though this week may be the exception, that there are rarely ‘perfect’ spring days. Spring here in the eastern part of the US really does come in like a lion, with the wind, the chill, storms, and extremes, and it goes out like a lamb. Finally, by May, the temperature’s a bit more consistent, the sun is (usually) shining, and everything seems a bit more. . . peaceful.

And though it’s not always easy to schlep little ones outdoors when the weather’s a little ‘less than perfect’, we really need to try to get them outside.

It doesn’t have to be something big. . .

. . . it can be a walk through the neighborhood or . . .

. . . a walk in the woods.

Despite the weather, kids need to get out. And it’s our job to take them there.

According to a September 2009 column (Recess–It’s Indespensable!) in the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Play, Policy, and Practice Interest Forum, there are some pretty important reasons for giving our kiddos free time outdoors each and every day.

In fact, the article focused on the importance of recess–a time the authors describe as ‘It was a time to be outdoors; to organize our own games; to play on the swings, slides, and other playground equipment; or just to hang out with friends’ because, according to research, a staggering number of children don’t have time allotted to play each day (gasp), and some kids who do have ‘recess’ each day have it for only 1-15 minutes (huge gasp!).

Being outdoors has positive cognitive, socio-emotional, and physical benefits for children.

There are some real reasons that kids need time to play outdoors each day, cognitive, socio-emotional, and physical reasons:

Children are less fidgety and more on-task when they have recess, and children with ADHD (attention deficit/ hyperactivity syndrome) are among those who benefit most.

Brain research shows a relationship between physical activity and the development of brain connections.

On the playground, children exercise leadership, teach games to one another, take turns, and learn to resolve conflicts.

In a free choice situation, children learn negotiation skills in order to keep the play going.

On supervised playgrounds, particularly where children are taught games and conflict resolution skills, there is little fighting.

Children who are active during the day are more active after school, whereas children who are sedentary during the day tend to remain sedentary after school (couch potato syndrome).

Children’s activity levels are generally higher during recess than during physical education (PE). Recess and PE serve different purposes.

Information from NAEYC Play, Policy, and Practice Forum.

So let’s do it, right? Let’s get our kiddos outside. No matter the weather.

We know that some days, it doesn’t even matter what the weather is like–kids just need to be outside.

But for so many, the crazy spring weather is a deterrent, though it doesn’t have to be because some days, all you need is decent gear to keep your little ones comfortable outdoors.

Polarn O. Pyret wants to encourage families to make every day a play day this spring (I like that!), and the week of March 12-16 (that’s this week!) they want parents to pledge to get their kiddos outside, no matter the weather. So hit those playgrounds, walk to school, so some outside chores, or just enjoy a hike. Share your photos or play ideas on their Facebook page!

And to celebrate, Polarn O. Pyret will be coordinating a spring outerwear promo (20% off) from March 1-March 18, and hopefully parents can find some great gear for their little ones. Half the battle is just finding the right clothing to keep kids comfortable outdoors, and these are products that do it. Hands down.

—————————————————————

GIVEAWAY: A $50 gift card to Polarn O. Pyret!

Do you want to win a $50 gift card to Polarn O. Pyret?!

All you have to do is leave a comment here sharing what YOU look for in children’s outerwear!

For extra entries:

Tweet this: Play outdoors! And win $50 for @polarnopyretusa on @teachmama — http://wp.me/p1NAxy-1F8 #play #weteach #ece #giveaway

Share this post on your Facebook page–very easy!

Share this post with a friend (just tell me who you shared it with!)

Pin this post on Pinterest! (Use ‘pin it!’ button below post!)

By entering this giveaway, you are demonstrating your understanding of and compliance with the Official Sweepstakes Rules.

This is a quick giveaway for a Quick Trick, and it ends Saturday, March 17, 2012 at midnight ET. Winner will be chosen by ‘And the Winner is. . .’ and will be notified on or around 3/17/12. Winner must respond within three (3) days of notification or forfeit the prize, in which case an alternate winner will be selected. All Official Sweepstakes Rules apply.

fyi: I am a PO.P Brand Ambassador, and I received products for review (including the snazzy fleeces in the photos), but my opinions–as always–are my own, influenced only by my three littles who have been the ones using the PO.P products. This is an unsponsored post, and PO.P is providing the $50 gift card to one teachmama reader for the giveaway.

March 14, 2012 31 comments

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