Each year students grow and change. Their homework space needs to keep pace. It may mean a taller chair and a larger desk, new reference materials or situating the workspace closer to the family computer to accommodate more online tasks. Regardless, now is a good time to start looking around and honoring your child’s changing needs.… Read More »
I started out to share my samples of story mapping with you until I discovered 3 great sources online: 1. www.enchantedlearning.com/graphicorganizer/storymap has 40 graphic organizers, cloze activities, research formats, rubrics, etc. The overviews are downloadable but the site is member-supported ($20/year) and may be worth the investment if you use their styles of organization. 2.… Read More »
ABC books bridge all grades. They present everything that’s great about children’s books: a single storyline or theme a predictable format (A-Z) a consistent text (wordless, simple words, phrases or sentences) illustrations that enhance the words multiple choice in topics (animals to science and math to poetry). When students write their own, they experience success… Read More »
It is important for students to know their own learning style needs. Even after you give students a learning style assessment, it is important for them to take responsibility for adjusting their habits so they can achieve greater success. I know my style and my tendencies. Can you find yours in this brief look? The… Read More »
Whether you call them morning warm-ups, sponge activities or opening routines, it a good idea to have an activity to focus students when they arrive in the classroom. The activity/activities you select should: * be self-starting * focus thinking * provide a challenge Myself, I prefer a variety of activities so the students are more… Read More »
The last two blogs addressed two extremes of learning styles. With two seemingly opposing learning styles: analytical and global, how do you cover their best way to learn? By creating options. Primary teachers most often teach to the multiple intelligences and a variety of learning styles in an effort to reach the variety of young… Read More »
Ever had a class load of students who needed help, all at the same time? Or students who want privacy, but your room has no nooks and crannies? It can be frustrating and difficult to reach them. (Insert my suggestion that you have classroom volunteers to help you!) To overcome the waving hands, try the… Read More »
Any time is graph time. Creating a graph center at school or at home on the refrigerator is a simple way keep kids thinking. Use a variety of graphs: 1. bar graphs (vertical and horizontal) 2. pie charts 3. picto graphs 4. line graphs 5. area graphs Use them around the year graphing everything from… Read More »
Individual student practice in the past have used up trees worth of paper. As our ideas of ‘practice’ grow and change, a variety of substitutes formats are available. Here are the pros and cons of several alternatives. 1. Individual dry erase boards work well for practice and review. Students record their ideas, adjust with a… Read More »
Providing a variety of ways that students can ‘show what they know’ makes projects more interesting and allows for more creativity. Label the first two Tic-Tac-Toe and BINGO. Tic-Tac-Toe A tic-tac-toe board sets out six components. Students select 3-in-a-row to complete one ‘win’ in this X’s and O’s game turned into a set of requirements.… Read More »