Read-to-Self Idea

January 18, 2012

Many teachers have been inspired by the Daily 5 to guide their reading instruction.  My class did a wonderful job building their stamina and were very proud of their independence while I was meeting in a small group or with an individual child.  However, one area I was concerned about with the Read-to-Self is when a child comes upon a word that he/she tried and tried to decode (using all the strategies he/she knows) and still unable to figure it out.  Or, when my higher readers were challe...

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Guessing Jar math game for estimating!

January 20, 2012

I am very fortunate.  Not only do I get to work with teachers, but I have an awesome opportunity to work with an outstanding mother who home schools her children.  She is a really fun and positive  parent that has a strong desire to offer her children the very best.  I respect her greatly. Her oldest child is kindergarten age.  With the time she invested, her child is reading and comprehending at the end of the first grade.  But, the mother felt her ability in teaching math was not a...

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Ordinal Number Game & Assessment

January 25, 2012

Ordinal number fun!  The children love this activity.  It is a quick and easy way to teach ordinal numbers. Items needed: 5 pairs of cards Goal/Objective: Understanding ordinal numbers Matching: images, numbers, letters, addition/subtraction sentences, etc. Set-up for activity: Using 10 index cards or 10 pieces of construction paper make pairs. For example: glue down the same wrapping paper on 2 pieces of paper so there is a match. Then, glue down a different wrapping paper...

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A different kind of Research Presentation for kids

March 3, 2012

A research project and presentation...necessary in all grades, but can be boring for most.  I will say, there are a lot of great resources available for teachers to offer their students...graphic organizers, templates, rubrics, etc.  But, what about presenting the information to the class?  What can the students do once they gathered the information, interpreted the information and now share & present the information in their own words?  Typically, showing a poster and reading from a ...

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