The Joy of Teaching – Page 19 of 46

May 13, 2019
by Evan-Moor
0 comments

Teachable Moments: Using Quality Time Fillers

When I was studying to become a teacher, one thing that impressed me most about my mentors was how these teachers purposefully used bits and pieces of time for effective learning. I am talking about those precious minutes ranging from 5 to 20 minutes that happen “just because.” They may happen daily, weekly, or unexpectedly. I found myself thinking how the value of quality time fillers adds up over a period of time. It became one of my goals to use effectively these precious bits of time during a school day.

Why are bits and pieces of time important?

Educators can use bits of time to recall prior knowledge, build on previously learned skills, or apply concepts already learned—all important to retention and memory. Caine and Caine suggested that spatial and rote memory types are enhanced with these opportunities.
Many students, especially those with short attention spans, thrive with having short chunks of instruction embedded into a day that primarily consists of longer lessons and tasks.
It is an opportunity to focus on target areas that will benefit or enrich students’ learning.
Used creatively and efficiently, time fillers effectively enhance the regular curriculum.

Getting the most out of quality time fillers

Be purposeful: Assess how this mini-block of time will best serve your students.
Be prepared: Have everything ready so that each student can access what they need in less than a minute.
Focus on one type of skill or topic: This dedicated time will have an impact.

Quality Time-Filler Ideas

1. Evan-Moor’s Thinking Skills for grades 1–6 develops critical, creative, and logical thinking skills in concise, imaginative activities. Check out the links below for free critical thinking lessons.

2. Evan-Moor “Daily” titles provide review and practice of math, language arts, science, and social studies in 10–15 minute activities. Daily titles include:

Daily Academic Vocabulary
Daily Geography Practice
Daily Higher Order Thinking
Daily Language Review
Daily Paragraph Editing
Daily Reading Comprehension
Daily Science
Daily 6-Trait Writing
Daily Word Problems: Math

3. Art project kits stored in individual zip-lock bags like weaving projects or paper crafts. Check out the links below for free craft templates from Paper Tube Zoo for grades K–3.

Paper tube animal project

Paper weaving project

4. Music ideas:
Total Physical Response such as dancing, clapping, singing, and chanting
Music theory such as learning about rhythms or notes (e.g., clapping rhythms)

What are some ways you have effectively met the needs of your students using teachable moments?

For more free activities and teaching tips subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter!

Marti Beeck started her career in education as a parent volunteer in her three children’s classrooms. Her teaching experience, including adult school, intervention, and the primary classroom, was inspired by her background in psychology and interest in brain-based learning. Marti currently works in the field of educational publishing as an editor.

May 13, 2019
by Evan-Moor
0 comments

20 Sanity-saving Ideas for the End-of-the-School Year: Includes free printable activities!

The end-of-the-school year can be a challenge for students and teachers alike. Everyone is in countdown mode and classroom behavior becomes difficult to control. Keep your sanity and your classroom organization at the end of the year by switching up your routine and lessons!

Here are ideas and activities to keep your classroom running smoothly until the last day of school.

Rewards, Rewards, Rewards

Since most students are not extrinsically motivated to learn with summer just around the corner, create new rewards for the whole class to aspire to! Create a dual system that rewards individual students, as well as the whole class.

Free Choice Friday
For students who follow classroom rules and finish their homework/lessons, provide a 20 to 30 minute time slot at the end of the day for them to play games, read, or do fun activities. (Students who don’t make the requirements can spend that time with you working on unfinished work.) Activities can be as simple as:
- Draw and write time
- Board/card games
- Center activities
- Creative toys such as Legos
Class Behavior Goal
Challenge students to meet a behavior goal as a class and reward them with:
- A pajama day
- Extra recess
- Class movie (Read a book aloud and watch the movie)
- Lunch with the teacher

Take it Outside

Spring is in full bloom and summer is just around the corner. Plan some lessons for outdoors to give students a break from their desks.

Silent outdoor reading: Invite students to take turns silent reading outside your classroom. Break them into small groups and invite a different group each day to read outdoors. (This only works if you have an aide or parent willing to help monitor students.)
Plan a science lesson outdoors: Check out DIY Schoolyard Habitat Lesson
Outdoor draw and write: Ask student to bring their writing journals outside and choose one plant in the schoolyard to draw. Ask them to write about their plant, as if they were describing it to someone who is blind.
Math review scavenger hunt: Turn your math task cards into a scavenger hunt. (You will need an extra adult for this activity.)
- Create master list of math problems students could solve. (This works great for end-of-the-year math review.)
- Using 3×5 cards, write down the answers to the problems and place the cards around the playground. (It helps to create one set of answers for each group playing.)
- Assign students into small groups with clipboards.
- Each group must solve the math problems on their master sheets and look for the correct answer card, hidden on the playground.
- Bonus feature: You can include an extension problem on the answer task cards to challenge students to think deeper!

Movement Activities for the Last Week of School

Incorporate brain breaks more frequently in May and the last days of school! Studies have shown that children are more engaged when they are allowed to move frequently.

Use classroom apps such as Go Noodle and Motion Maze.
Randomly fill a jar with movement activities and choose a student to pick one.
Play a game of charades with your weekly vocabulary words.

Creative Activities to Switch up your Lesson Routine

Let’s face it: the class schedule that provided so much organization and predictably for your students in the beginning of the school year is old news by now. Take a break from the textbook and insert some creative lessons into your end-of-the-year routine.

A Postcard Home- Creative Drawing and Writing Free Printable
Download this free creative writing activity here.

This writing activity sets up a situation in which students are spending the weekend away from their family and friends and write a postcard to tell what they have done and seen, including drawing a picture on the back. (From Evan-Moor’s Giant Every Day Write.)

“What is it?” Drawing and Writing Activity
When the school year ends, the “What Is It?” lesson may prove to have been your favorite for its simplicity. Students turn a doodle (such as a shape or line) into a drawing that corresponds with a particular theme or unit, and then explain their drawing orally or in writing. You can easily adapt this for all ages, calling the activity a “Squiggle Story” or “Doodle Draw.”

For more details and examples, read: What Is It? A Fun Drawing and Writing Lesson Integrates Standards Across the Curriculum

Pop Art Activity – Free Printable
This is a great activity to have students do during testing week or at the end of the school year. Check out this article and free download on how to make a Pop Art food poster! Making Art Relevant in the Classroom: How to Teach Pop Art

Time Filler Activities
Quality time filler activities are perfect for the last week of school when textbooks have been turned in and attention spans are short. Read this article for tips and free activities for grades 1-6, including free thinking skills activities and paper crafts that are easy to complete in short chunks of time: Teachable Moments: Using Quality Time Fillers

Book Swap
This is a great activity to encourage summer reading!
- Every student brings a used book to class (wrapped) with a brief summary of why they enjoyed the book. No spoilers!
- Each student is randomly given a wrapped book to open (one at a time in front of the class).
- Students record each book title opened so they have a list of summer reading books to check out at the library.
- Students can highlight their top ten favorite books they would like to read over the summer!

Make a Paper Book
- Students can write and illustrate their own story or make a paper book for class autographs.
- For directions on making your own paper book view this video.

- For creative writing prompts, see: Creative Writing Prompts for the End of the Year

Making Memories: Last Week of School Activities

The last week of school is usually filled with school assemblies and classroom organization. Listed below are some activities to keep your students occupied during the bustle and create a positive experience to end the school year.

Chalk Memories: This activity works well during the last week of school.
- Get a box of sidewalk chalk.
- Students can draw their favorite memories of the school year.
Picnic: Invite students to meet you on the grass for a lunch picnic the last day of school.
Autograph Keepsake: Have students create an autograph book/paper for their classmates to sign. (This works well when not everyone in your class purchases a yearbook.) They can spend time decorating it and signing.
Host a Mini-Olympics: Plan to host an outdoor Mini-Olympics with your grade level! Ask each classroom to create five outdoor activities (staffed with parent volunteers.)
- Each class creates gold medal necklaces with students’ pictures and names for students to wear during the event. (Necklaces can be attached with yarn.) Each time a student completes an event, add a sticker on the back of the medal.
- Before beginning the event, classes can line up for an Olympic parade around the school before starting the events. (You can even play the theme song!)
- Olympic events can be very simple and use the available playground equipment. Some ideas for outdoor Olympic events are:
  - Hula Hoop
  - Bean Bag toss
  - Jump rope
  - Soccer goal kicks
  - Three legged race
  - Basketball throw
  - Race around the track
  - Monkey bar course
  - Jumping jack station

What is your favorite end-of-the-year activity? Please share with our readers!

For more great teaching tips and ideas, sign up for Evan-Moor’s free monthly e-newsletter!

Heather Foudy is a certified elementary teacher with over 7 years’ experience as an educator and volunteer in the classroom. She enjoys creating lessons that are meaningful and creative for students. She is currently working for Evan-Moor’s marketing and communications team and enjoys building learning opportunities that are both meaningful and creative for students and teachers alike.

A homeschool review of Daily Summer Activities

May 3, 2019
by Evan-Moor
0 comments

A Homeschool Review of Evan-Moor’s Daily Summer Activities

Summer is right around the corner (don’t the kids do an excellent job reminding us of this?) and by that time, we all need a break from the normal routine! As a former elementary school teacher turned homeschooling mom, I firmly believe that it is vital for kiddos to have a break from their normal school routine during the summer (or if your child attends year-round), but to keep “one foot in the door” so that dreaded summer slide does not happen. And let me tell you from classroom experience, any teacher can easily tell who practiced facts, read books and touched base, on other subject areas over the summer.

It can be overwhelming to put together curriculum pieces for summertime, especially for parents. Sure, teachers can pull materials together in a snap because they know what they like and trust. Many times, parents do not know what direction to turn in and might consider any book that’s available. Well, like life, that’s not always the best way to approach it.

When I taught, I constantly had Evan-Moor books being rotated in my curriculum. Parents spoke highly of the work that was completed in the classroom and also sent home. Now as a homeschooling mom, I use many of their resources for my children and continue to have incredible success with them! Even though I keep a traditional school calendar with my children with the summer months not in session, I am adamant about keeping up with math facts, reading comprehension, and basic language arts applications. Instead of taking forever to compile materials for my kids, I wanted a book that had all of the content I desired so the kids could write in it and make it their own.

From a Teacher’s Point of View…

I was THRILLED when I received my Evan-Moor Daily Summer Activities workbooks in the mail. From a teacher’s perspective, these are the first things that I noticed and was most excited about:

The workbook pages are not limited to one grade. They are formatted for what your child just completed and will be entering in the fall (many call this “rising”). Meaning it is not going to be material they are not familiar with; the intention is for a refresh and review instead!
There are ten weeks of lessons included. This is perfect for the summer weeks, or, if your crew attends year-round school, the workbook can be a great resource for those stretches of time.
There is an overview in the beginning to show parents which concepts will be covered each week. This is a lifesaver, especially for tutors using the book, so they know what areas they can expand on and extend lessons, whether more reinforcement was needed, or if the child just took to the topic extremely well (“light bulb moment!”).
The curriculum is excellent, and the skills covered each week reach benchmarks and appropriate grade expectations. It is truly a one-stop shop where you can feel confident that you made the right choice.
Each week comes with a reading log for 20 minutes of daily reading Monday through Friday. Can we say accountability?!
Each workbook page is clearly labeled with which day it is to be completed on.

There are stickers enclosed for encouragement!

Pacing and Completion of Book

Of course the first thing that parents think of is how long will this take my kids? How can I convince them to complete it? This is the great part; each day covers one workbook page that is front and back. As mentioned above, I want my kids to have a break during summer, but keep some of the essentials current during this time. The workbook can be completed anywhere, too! It is not limited to the kitchen table; you can easily get creative and have them complete it outside, underneath a homemade fort, or even in the car during a road trip. Completing these lessons every day will certainly help carry over previously learned material.

Expanding on Lessons

The books provide excellent opportunities to expand on many of the skills/topics featured. For instance, geography is a feature every week. Expand your Daily Summer Activities lessons with some hands-on activities that relate to the topics within your weekly lessons, such as:

Poster board map: Use a piece of poster board to have your kids create their own map/map key of their choice!
Geography research: Your child could easily research one of the countries featured in the book and create a tri-fold on that country’s facts and then try to cook something that locals eat.
Handwriting practice: Whip out an old cookie sheet and spray shaving cream on it and have them practice on there. Other ideas include markers for windows, bathtub crayons, cotton swabs dipped in paint, and even the old-fashioned stick and sand!

What Did the Kids Say?

My crew was incredibly receptive to these workbooks! They loved the variety of assignments to be completed and never felt bored or tired of the work even though they knew what to expect. The layout of the pages was easy for them to follow and never caused frustration, which would never be the intent of a summer enrichment book. They were also pleased with how much work space was given so everything could be solved on the actual workbook page instead of having to use a separate piece of loose leaf paper. Naturally, the drawing pages were a huge hit!

In closing, the most valuable thing to remember when working with your child during the summer months is to make it enjoyable for all and make those special memories! I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it!

Best, Emilie

For an inside view of Daily Summer Activities, click here!

Emilie H. is a former elementary school teacher who currently homeschools her children. She has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education (K-5) and Learning and Behavior Disorders (K-12). She is very passionate about planning and mapping curriculum and creating meaningful experiences for her children!

April 29, 2019
by Evan-Moor
0 comments

How Evan-Moor’s Vocabulary Fundamentals Changed My Homeschool Lessons

I am a former elementary school teacher (grades 2, 3, and 5) turned homeschooling mom. Regardless of which pedagogy homeschooling families use for their curriculum needs, we find ourselves utilizing many instructional resources, whether it be a workbook series or following a blog online for ideas and support. I am writing today to let you know how much (okay, I will admit I am obsessed with this workbook!) Evan-Moor’s Vocabulary Fundamentals workbook has been such a lifesaver AND key instructor for my curriculum instruction!

I have used Evan-Moor products for years, both in the classroom and home, too. They have always provided me with the materials I was looking for without having to create something on my own (which can be rewarding, but let’s be honest, no one has the time to do that for each lesson to be taught!). This is the first year that I have utilized this workbook, and I don’t know what I would do without it. I purchased it because of what the table of contents listed, but I did not realize the depth of the material until it arrived in the mail. If I was teaching in a classroom, I can guarantee I would be using it to supplement my curriculum. While this workbook is published for grades 1–6, and is fabulous for the younger primary grades, this vocabulary series shines like no other for grades 4–6.

Here Is Why:

Synonyms, antonyms, and homophones are introduced in the early primary years, typically by first grade. This is essential for children’s language development and should not be put on the back burner as they progress in school years. This workbook for grades 4, 5, and 6 has an entire unit dedicated for synonyms, antonyms, homophones and even homographs. Can I say how wonderful this is?

I will usually provide my child with task cards (that I have created) that focus on one of these topics and then continue the lesson with the review pages from the workbook. This works wonders for me to provide a floor activity with movement and then to wrap the lesson with a writing application such as the pages from the workbook.
Figurative language for idioms is included! Figurative language can actually be really enjoyable to teach if you have a pre-determined plan on how you are going to get the kids to decipher between the different types of figurative language. I always provide laugh-worthy activities, so it is not always apparent that teaching/learning is taking place; I might have to change my plan of action if my kids read this! While these moments are great, I like to have some follow-up pages to ensure connections took place. My child was extremely receptive to the idiom section of the workbook and actually preferred solving the answers by color-coordinating the choices and answers!
Root words are an entire unit! How many of us always wished we had learned Latin and Greek root words while still in school… Seeing that there was an entire section dedicated to this made me so happy! What an incredible opportunity we can provide our kids by introducing these words at a younger age for additional exposure. In addition to solving the workbook pages, we utilize the words by using index cards to review the meanings and other words that contain the root word being studied. Time permitting, we will play review games that I created on the index cards (can you tell by now I have a slight affection for the 3 X 5 cards?).
Did I say prefixes and suffixes? Yes, I certainly did! My most favorite aspect of this workbook for grades 4, 5, and 6 is that there is an entire unit dedicated to prefixes and suffixes. When I taught second and third grades, phonics was my favorite subject to teach. The ideas for instruction were limitless, and the kids were always receptive because they fed off of my excitement and energy for the subject! I have always been a firm believer that phonics instruction should not end at second or third grade. Vocabulary Fundamentals provides two separate units chalk-full of review work for the most commonly used prefixes and suffixes. Just like I mentioned above, I prefer to have a kinesthetic activity or something that gets my child out of the chair so the work never seems redundant. To follow up with whichever prefix or suffix we are studying, the workbook pages provide excellent clarification for instructional time.
Last, but not least, Word Play is found at the back of the workbook. Word Play is essentially workbook pages that focus on vocabulary words while presenting them in different types of puzzles to solve for enjoyment. This section of the book is an excellent extension work opportunity if your child completes his/her work early.

Sample kinesthetic activities to include with your vocabulary lessons:

Circle-Step Synonyms and Antonyms:
Get them outside with clipboards and their work or utilize chalk on the driveway if word repetition is in order! You can also take simple outdoor games and turn them into educational reviews such as circle-step. Write words that are being studied in your Vocabulary Fundamentals unit so every time they land on that word, they can say the word out loud. The kids can be challenged by asking to furnish a synonym or antonym or by putting the selected word in a sentence.

Singing: If we are learning a new phonics skill, many times I will create an anchor chart (a condensed version of a resourceful bulletin board), and we will sing the anchor chart’s information out loud.

3X5 Card Prefix Ladder: Write prefixes from Vocabulary Fundamentals and line cards in a ladder format on the floor. Practice saying words that start with that prefix, moving up the ladder with each word.

By now, I am sure you get the picture on why I hold this workbook in such high regard! I highly suggest visiting Evan-Moor’s website and looking up the workbook to take a peek yourself. I hope reading this blog has provided help and insight for those who are looking for materials that are found in Vocabulary Fundamentals!

Wishing you the best in your homeschooling adventures,
Emilie

April 29, 2019
by Evan-Moor
0 comments

Summer Learning Ideas for Kids: Kitchen Math, Garden Science, and Other Educational Activities

Everyone talks about the summer slide, but is it really a thing?

A recent study called the NWEA RIT Scale Norms Study in 2015 estimated that students lose 20% to 50% of their school year gains as they grow older.

“Summer learning loss was observed in math and reading across third to eighth grade, with students losing a greater proportion of their school year gains each year as they grow older – anywhere from 20 to 50 percent.”
– NWEA RIT Scale Norms Study in 2015

As a parent and former teacher, I can attest to the importance of keeping your child’s skills fresh throughout the summer. Children who read and engage in educational activities with their families see growth in every area of their academics. Take time throughout your summer break to actively take part in your child’s learning process.

Try these summer learning activities and tips to create a summer learning routine:

1. Kitchen Math

Math is one of summer’s forgotten skills. Many studies show math skills decreasing faster than reading skills over the summer.

“In the summer following third grade, students lose nearly 20 percent of their school-year gains in reading and 27 percent of their school-year gains in math. By the summer after seventh grade, students lose on average 36 percent of their school-year gains in reading and a whopping 50 percent of their school-year gains in math.”
– NWEA RIT Scale Norms Study in 2015

Cooking
We don’t really think about it very much, but cooking requires quite a bit of math skills. Get your children excited about learning and practicing their numbers with some fun summer recipes. Remember to allow your child to make mistakes and let him or her try and figure out the measurements with a little guidance from you. Always handle hot pans and ovens yourself!

Get started with this free kid-friendly robin’s nest recipe! Click here to download!

Math Talk
So much of math is learning how to covert language into math sentences and computations. Give your child practice with math language by creating word problems within your daily routines. These frequent conversations are an excellent way to reduce math anxiety and present mathematical reasoning in a relaxed and fun environment.

If you are at the grocery store, create a math problem within their skill level that they can figure out as you shop.

(2nd–3rd grade) Today I am going to make applesauce. My recipe calls for six green apples, but I need to double the recipe. How many apples do I need to buy today?

(3rd–5th grade) Micaela picked 171 cherry tomatoes from her garden. She split them equally among herself and two friends. How many cherry tomatoes did each person get?
Fact Practice
Practicing math facts is a very important element in children’s math education. Having the ability to quickly and correctly compute simple numbers will be a huge asset as they progress. Find time within your busy summer schedule to fit in a few sessions of math fact practice. For fun flashcard activities read: Games to Play with Math Flashcards

Evan-Moor’s Daily Summer Activities includes a weekly grade-appropriate fact sheet to keep your child’s skills progressing throughout the summer.

Evan-Moor’s Daily Summer Activities includes a weekly grade-appropriate fact sheet to keep your child’s skills progressing throughout the summer.

2. Garden Science

Whether you have an outdoor box garden or just a window box, plan to grow a few garden favorites this summer! Gardening teaches gives children practice developing their creativity, responsibility, and physical development.

Build an herb garden
Research different types of herbs and what conditions they need to grow. Pick three that would grow in your climate to plant.
Start your own seed garden.
Begin your own seed garden indoors, and when the plants are hardy enough, plant them in your garden outside. This is a wonderful way for children to watch the growth cycle of plants and appreciate the hard work it takes to grow a mature plant.
Try a science experiment in your garden
Have your child design an experiment and hypothesize what the outcome will be! Plant and test his or her theory throughout the summer!
- Feed the same type of plant different fertilizer and see if one plant grows more than another.
- Try planting one plant in the sun and one in the shade to see if they grow differently!
- Try planting watermelon or pumpkin seeds. When the flowers begin to bloom, research what the difference is between a male and female plant. (Female flowers will have a small bulb of fruit growing just below their flower.) If you don’t have a local colony of bees, try hand fertilizing your flowers yourself. When the flowers have blossomed, touch the stamens of a male and female plant to cross-pollinate.

3. Summer Reading Fun

By now we all know the importance of reading over the summer months. Evidence shows (National Institute for Literacy, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the U.S. Department of Education) a strong connection between reading skills/frequency and academic success. Develop a reading plan for your family this summer! Set goals for family read-alouds and your child’s individual reading progress. Here are some suggestions for incorporating reading into your daily summer routine.

Family Reading Night
Choose a book for your family to read aloud during the week. If you find yourself too tired to read aloud at night, try playing a book on tape (Audible and iTunes are great options). These books on tape often have readers who create voices and sound effects to go along with their story.

Our Top Favorite Read-Alouds on Audible:
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Magic Tree House Collection by Mary Pope Osborne
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
Reluctant Reader Tips
If you have a reluctant reader, choose small, short, daily reading passages they can complete without feeling overwhelmed. Make sure the reading materials you are providing are within their reading level. It can be very frustrating for some children to read texts they are not fluent in. Follow the five-finger rule.

Five Finger Rule: If there are five words in the first page of reading text your child does not know, choose a simpler book.
Reading Rewards
Motivate your children to read with a summer reading reward program. Some ideas are:
- Movie Night: For every novel or set of books your child reads, he or she earns a family movie night. (You can even match a book with the movie!) Provide fun family treats and snacks for your movie night!
- Game Night: Pop a bowl of popcorn and choose your family’s favorite board and card games!
- Book Rewards: If your child loves comic books, reward him or her for reading with a comic book such as Calvin and Hobbes or Garfield.

4. Memory Book Writing

Create a summer memory book with photos and have your child write about each adventure. If you have a budding photographer, let him or her get behind the lens and take create his or her own photo portfolio. This will turn out to be a wonderful keepsake for your child to remember summer experiences. The book doesn’t have to be fancy, and the photos can even be drawn. The writing can be short or long depending on your child’s abilities.

Challenge them to edit their own work. You can even offer a reward for every mistake they find in their writing! (I find that small food rewards work well in this instance. Our family’s favorites are yogurt-covered raisins and chocolate chips. My children receive one raise or chocolate chip for each mistake found.)

Design a Summer Learning Schedule

Creating a summer learning routine will help you (or your child?) stay on track with your learning goals all summer long. Post a summer learning calendar to help your child complete reading and math goals appropriate to his/her age.

For example, for a child ages x–x:

Complete 2 pages of your daily summer activity book
Read for 15–30 minutes
Track your progress with a daily checklist and sticker book
Spend time outdoors!

Daily Summer Activities makes it easy to have fun and learn all summer long in only 15 minutes a day. There’s a checklist for your child to track daily progress and record summer reading books, and there are sticker reward sheets (up to grade 5). Middle school students can also track their progress and record summer reading.

Take a look at these sample activities.

Keep summer learning active and engaging with a combination of indoor and outdoor activities that challenge your child to think, solve problems, and most important of all, just have fun!

Summer Learning Activity Books:

Daily Summer Activities books on Evan-Moor.com

Daily Summer Activities books on Amazon:

Daily Summer Activities Between Grades PreK and K
Daily Summer Activities Between Grades K and 1
Daily Summer Activities Between Grades 1 and 2
Daily Summer Activities Between Grades 2 and 3
Daily Summer Activities Between Grades 3 and 4
Daily Summer Activities Between Grades 4 and 5
Daily Summer Activities Between Grades 5 and 6
Daily Summer Activities Between Grades 6 and 7
Daily Summer Activities Between Grades 7 and 8

Discover more summer learning ideas below!

How To Create Your Own Summer Camp at Home

How to Get Your Child to Read Tips for Summer Reading

$Math Flash Card Games$

April 29, 2019
by Evan-Moor
0 comments

Games to Play with Math Flashcards

$Math Flash Card Games$ As a teacher, I would often get questions from parents, such as “Is it really important for my kids to know their math facts quickly?” Yes, it really is. What so many of us forget is how much we use those skills in the upper grades and throughout high school. Students first begin to understand the importance of math facts when they learn long division. They are multiplying, dividing, and subtracting all within one division problem. If children do not have a firm grasp of their math facts, these new math strategies and skills become more and more difficult with each passing year.

Flashcard games are a great way to learn your math facts and have a little fun. The other day I was so surprised when my daughter asked if I would practice her math facts with her rather than doing the online program she normally uses. She explained that it is more fun to “just spend time with your mom.” I am so glad I took the time out of my busy day to play some fun games with my daughter! So, break out those flashcard games from your childhood and have fun practicing your math facts!

Build a Number Sentence

Addition and Subtraction
This exercise is a great one to start with if your child is just beginning addition or subtraction. It will help him or her visualize what is happening to numbers when they are added or subtracted. Choose ten addition or subtraction flashcards and place them in a pile.

Using counting objects such as cereal, Legos, pennies, rocks, or any tiny countable tiny objects, have your child create a number sentence for each flashcard.
You can also take it a step further and have him or her write out the number sentence and answer.
If your child is ready, ask him or her to use the number sentence to write a word problem. He or she can even illustrate it! This transferring of number sentences into word sentences is a wonderful way to exercise critical thinking skills. (Plus you can squeeze in a little writing and spelling practice, as well!)

Example:
7-2=5
OOOOOOO
Bella had seven cookies. She ate two of them. How many does she have left?

Multiplication and Division
If your child is practicing multiplication and division, have him or her demonstrate with counters what is happening to the numbers when you multiply and divide.

In multiplication, we want to know the total groups of numbers. Have your child build an array for a multiplication problem. When you are first learning multiplication, choose beginning facts such as 1s, 2s, and 5s.

Example: 2×5=10
2 by 5 array (2 rows by 5 columns)
XXXXX
XXXXX
2+2+2+2+2=10

Division is simply repeated subtraction and is the reverse of multiplication. In division we want to divide the total into smaller groups, and the answer is how many smaller groups there are. (Modeling with counters should only be done with division problems that do not have remainders.)

Example: 12÷3=?
(Divide 12 into 3 equal groups)
Start with 12
XXXXXX
XXXXXX
(Can you create equal groups?) (How many equal groups?)
XXX XXX XXX XXX
4 equal groups of 3 were created so…
12÷3=4

War

This flashcard game can be played with any addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division flashcards.

Shuffle a deck of flashcards and deal out all the cards between two players.
Each player turns a card over at the same time and solves it.
The player with the highest answer wins and collects the cards.
When the players are out of cards, the player with the most cards wins.

Math Families

This flashcard activity takes a slightly different approach to practicing math facts, and the number fluency required helps children build a strong math foundation. It can be played with one or more players. You will need either multiplication and division flashcards or addition and subtraction flashcards.

Start with a stack of two decks of addition and subtraction flashcards.
Match up the addition cards with the corresponding subtraction cards that make up a fact family. (When playing for the first time, separate out a small set of fact families for a total of 20 flashcards. Once your child understands the game you can begin to include more cards.)
You may also play this game with multiplication and division flashcards. Using a stack of multiplication and division cards, have your child match up the cards that create math families such as: 3×5=15 and 5×3=15; 15÷3=5 and 15÷5=3.

Maze

A single player or multiple players can play these games.

Scatter flashcards around a room in a random order.
Players must find and organize the cards by their answers from least to greatest. For example, 2+1=3 would be followed by 3+1=4 or the next-highest answer. (If you need a pared-down version of this game, simply choose 6 to 10 flashcards for your child and have him or her put them in order from smallest to largest or largest to smallest.

Flashcard Deals

Flashcard Sets of 3 for $9.99:

Flashcards on Amazon:

Addition and Subtraction

Multiplication and Division

Looking for a little extra math practice?

Skill Sharpeners: Math for grades PreK–6 provides colorful and fun math pages that give your child grade-appropriate math skills practice.

April 16, 2019
by Evan-Moor
0 comments

Using Voice to Persuade: Persuasive Writing Prompts for Grades 4–6

Teaching persuasive writing with an emphasis on voice is a great method for teaching students how their writing can influence people’s thoughts. Through this series of activities and lessons, students will understand that it takes careful word choice (voice), the development of logical arguments, and an organized summary to master using voice within persuasive writing. These persuasive writing activities are geared for students in grades 4, but can be adapted for grades 5–6.

Teaching persuasive writing can seem overwhelming, but following these steps helps to guide students through the writing process:

Use read-alouds and writing examples to show persuasive writing with voice.
Review elements of persuasive writing, such as opinion statements.
Discuss supporting evidence with examples.
Write a persuasive paragraph on a compelling topic!

Persuade: to cause someone to do something by giving them reasons; to convince. A persuasive article speaks directly to the reader with pronouns such as you, your, and we; it appeals to the reader’s emotions and provides reasons that support the opinions stated.

Introduce Persuasive Writing with Voice

Before asking students to tackle persuasive writing with voice, introduce them to examples of authors using strong voices. Expose them to various writing voices and explain why the author chose each voice for a particular audience.

Read-Alouds to Show Voice

A fun way to introduce voices within persuasive writing is through read-alouds. These three picture books are entertaining stories that get students invested in identifying voice:

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith

Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin

I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff

Click on the activity for this free download.

Examples of Voice in Writing

Once students understand the importance of voice, introduce examples of using voice within persuasive writing. Writers should ask themselves who the audience is and determine the most appropriate voice for their purpose.

The best examples are taken from two different texts written about the same topic to the same audience. The examples listed below identify the differences between a formal letter to the President of the United States and an informal letter. Students should identify which letter uses the correct voice for the audience (the president).

Review Elements of Persuasive Writing

Click on page for close-up view.

Opinion Statement

An opinion statement is one sentence that tells how you feel about a topic. In persuasive writing, you must always take a stand and state your opinion on the topic or issue. Often, the sentence after your opinion statement gives the most important reason for your opinion.

Practice writing strong opinion statements such as:

Should students be allowed to have cellphones in the classroom?

Sample answer: Students should be allowed to keep their cellphones during class. Cellphones are important to have in case of emergency.

Should your class go on a field trip to a science museum, a play, or an aquarium?

Sample answer: Our class should take a field trip to the science museum. We could do research there for our upcoming science projects.

Click on page for close-up view.

Supporting Evidence

In order to convince someone that your opinion is the best, you need to convince them using supporting evidence. Strong opinion writing will list multiple reasons as well as address opposing views of their opinion.

To persuade your readers, speak directly to them; give reasons that support your ideas, and write with emotion. An author’s voice is his or her attitude toward a subject, and creating a strong voice makes an author’s writing more interesting to read. Match your voice to the purpose and audience. Use persuasive techniques such as word choice, repetition, and emotional appeal that are appropriate to your audience.

Practice developing supporting arguments with these examples.

Assignment: Read these community project ideas. Choose one project to persuade your class to do. Write your opinion statement and create four reasons that support your opinion.

Volunteer at a wildlife rescue center. Help birds, amphibians, and small mammals that are hurt or sick.
Hold a book drive to collect new and used books. Donate the books to schools or libraries that need them.

Raise money to build wells in Africa. Hold fundraisers to collect the money.

Write a Persuasive Paragraph

Listed below is a combination of serious and fun persuasive writing prompts to give your students practice.

Which community service project should your class perform? (Use the ideas generated from your supporting evidence exercise.)
Sweet or salty? Which is better?
Should television be allowed in classrooms?
Should pets be allowed at school?
Should schools sell soda to students?
Students should be allowed to have cellphones turned on in class (yes or no).
State government should mandate for more recess time (yes or no).

Resources

Daily 6-Trait Writing grade 4 unit 5 provides 5 weeks of lessons scaffolded to teach students how to use their voice to write a persuasive essay.

Week 1: Examining Different Writing Voices (these bullets should be the same style as those above)
Week 2: Using Your Voice to Persuade
Week 3: Writing From Different Points of View
Week 4: Using Voice in Poetry
Week 5: Developing Your Own Voice

Get this grade 4 unit from Daily 6-Trait Writing TeachersPayTeachers here.

Additional nonfiction writing resources from Evan-Moor

Nonfiction Writing grades 2–6

Text-Based Writing grades 2–6

How to Teach Evidence-Based Writing in 5 Easy Steps

April 3, 2019
by Evan-Moor
0 comments

Homeschool Review of Evan-Moor’s Skill Sharpeners: Grammar and Punctuation

In this review of Skill Sharpeners: Grammar and Punctuation, we will explore the features and layout of the newest addition to Evan-Moor’s Skill Sharpeners series.

We can all agree that grammar and punctuation are quite important in written communication. Evan-Moor makes it possible for kids to enjoy practicing these skills.

Let’s take a look inside Skill Sharpeners: Grammar and Punctuation, the latest addition to Evan-Moor’s Skill Sharpeners full-color activity book series.

The Layout of Skill Sharpeners: Grammar and Punctuation

The table of contents clearly outlines the contents of each themed unit. This detailed list shows what specific skills are taught. It allows you and your kids to track their progress.

Each of the 15 themed units of Skill Sharpeners: Grammar and Punctuation includes:

A story or article that highlights the grammar and punctuation skills in a real-life situation.
Grammar rules that are clearly stated in their own colored box. It clearly stands out on the page to make sure kids see and understand the concepts.
Short theme-based activities and games where kids practice the grammar and punctuation rules. The activities vary from unit to unit, but each unit follows a similar structure. The kids enjoy the meaningful and engaging activities. This is great for easy planning, too.
Activities that invite kids to use both critical thinking and writing skills. These activities ensure kids really understand and use grammar skills in their own writing.
A review page. This can be used as an assessment if you prefer.

Here is an example from Skill Sharpeners: Grammar and Punctuation grade 4.

The “Away at Camp” unit begins with two friendly letters between friends at camp. The grammar focus is on commonly confused words, while the punctuation focus is using commas in a letter.

There are two pages to help kids edit friendly letters that are missing commas.

An application page invites the kids to rewrite letters from camp that have errors with commonly confused words and missing commas.

Finally, the unit concludes with a quick review, which can be used as an assessment if you would like.

Additional Resources in Skill Sharpeners: Grammar and Punctuation

In addition to the themed units, Skill Sharpeners: Grammar and Punctuation also features a Language Handbook that can easily be torn out and used as a reference book once the activities are complete.

The Language Handbook is ideal for kids to store in their writer’s notebook; it can also be used when kids are editing their own writing.

Another resource is a full-color answer key included at the back of the book. It is wonderful for kids to be able to check their own work. It makes Skill Sharpeners: Grammar and Punctuation a great option for independent work.

Build Your Kids’ Confidence with Skill Sharpeners: Grammar and Punctuation

If your kids love writing, Skill Sharpeners: Grammar and Punctuation will be a fun way to increase their confidence when using grammar and punctuation skills.

If your kids could use a little more grammar practice, then Skill Sharpeners: Grammar and Punctuation offers quick and engaging activities that keep kids focused. By completing one page a day, your kids can successfully practice their grammar skills without being overwhelmed.

At $9.99 each, my kids are thrilled to have a colorful activity book that they enjoy using for learning fun. Skill Sharpeners Grammar and Punctuation is available in each grade level from PreK–grade 6.

Curious About Other Skill Sharpeners Books?

If you haven’t checked out the other colorful activity books in the Skill Sharpeners series yet, now is the time to discover this teaching gem for grades PreK–grade 6!

My kids enjoy Skill Sharpeners and often ask to work ahead of their one page a day assignment. The topics always hold their interest. Most of all, I appreciate how Skill Sharpeners books show kids real-life ways that the skills are used.

Evan-Moor’s Skill Sharpeners series are packed with fun ways to practice skills. Skill Sharpeners are available in the following subjects:

Evan-Moor organizes each Skill Sharpeners book into kid-friendly themes. The themes are color-coded so the kids (and you) can easily see the kids’ progress.

Skill Sharpeners are such a fun addition to independent practice – whether at home or school.

Using Skill Sharpeners: Grammar and Punctuation in Your Homeschool Curriculum

If you are looking for homeschool curriculum resources, Skill Sharpeners: Grammar and Punctuation pairs well with Language Fundamentals.

Be sure and check out a specific list of grammar and punctuation skills offered in each grade level of Skill Sharpeners: Grammar and Punctuation to see which level is right for your child!

View this video for more information on Skill Sharpeners: Grammar and Punctuation.

Amy Michaels is a certified teacher with 11 years of elementary classroom experience who is actively homeschooling her own children. Her mission is share the best teaching methods and resources with all homeschoolers. Amy supports parents through her podcasts, webinars, and online training for homeschoolers on her website www.thrivehomeschooling.com.

March 14, 2019
by Evan-Moor
0 comments

Solar System TPT Lessons: Take a Journey Through Outer Space

Spark students’ interest in science with a study unit about the solar system. Still one of the last frontiers of science, outer space holds modern day mysteries of unknown origins that will have your students feeling like space science adventurers.

Sometimes students just need to take a break from the textbooks and delve into topics of study that pique their interest. Students love learning about the world around them, especially when it relates to space science.

Create a study unit with informational space lessons and hands-on activities with these TPT solar system lessons:

Earth Is a Part of a Solar System
Grades 1–3

Start your space study with this introductory unit on the Milky Way Galaxy. It teaches students about the order of planets in our galaxy and their relation to each other. This unit includes directions for implementing activities, experiments, and a minibook about the solar system, the order of the planets, and our universal address.

Each Planet in Our Solar System Has Unique Characteristics
Grades 1–3

This unit provides detailed information about the individual planets. Included are directions and hands-on experiments about orbits, the distances between the sun and the planets, and a minibook on each of the eight planets in the Milky Way Galaxy.

Pocket Book on Space
Grades 1–3

Perfect for displaying on Open House night, this extensive hands-on unit provides detailed directions, patterns, and ideas through which students create a “pocket book” about planets, the moon, stars, humans in space, and other topics. Activities include information pages, making a flip book of the planets, art projects, a minibook, a space puppet, writing activities, and more.

Space Riddles
Grades 1–3

This unit is a short, fun addition to any outer space unit. It provides directions for creating a question-and-answer minibook in the form of riddles about our planets and other objects from space.

The Moon (Earth & Space Science/Moon)
Grades 2–3

This informational reading unit investigates information about the moon, including its phases. The unit contains a two-page article, plus three student activities on answering comprehension questions, developing vocabulary, and keeping a log of observing the moon.

Outer Space Center Activities
Grades 3–4

This “Take It to Your Seat” science center provides information and activities in which students match terms about the sun, moon, planets, and outer space with definitions and write sentences. The unit is also includes directions for creating a center with a file folder that contains directions, task cards, and answer forms.

Phases of the Moon: Take It to Your Seat Science Center
Grades 3–4

This “Take It to Your Seat” science center provides information and activities in which students match descriptions with pictures of the phases of the moon, write a paragraph, and draw a diagram. The unit is placed into a file folder that contains directions, picture/definition task cards, information sheet, and response forms.

Moon Phases Match Game and Activities
Grades 3–6

This short activity bundle includes information, activities, and a memory match game about the phases of the moon, plus student record sheets.

Gravity (Physical Science)
Grades 4–6

This “Read & Understand Science” unit investigates the concept and effects of gravity in the solar system and on Earth. The unit contains a two-page article including directions for creating a poster, plus three activities to answer comprehension questions, use vocabulary, and use notes to explain the poster.

Gravity in Our Solar System (Reading Informational Text)
Grade 5

This nonfiction reading unit (level V) focuses on gravity. Students learn how all objects in the universe exert gravitational force on all other objects. The unit contains teacher support pages, a reading selection with supporting illustrations, and activities to guide students in close reading of the text. Students also gain practice applying content and academic vocabulary. The unit concludes with a lesson exploring text structure (Question and Answer) and a text-based writing activity.

Fun Hands-on Group Activities

Orbiting the Sun Grades 1–3
Get your students moving with this fun outdoor demonstration of orbiting planets.

Directions:

Create a large yellow sun from butcher paper.
Cut individual planets out of colored butcher paper. Download these free images of the planets to guide you.
Assign one student per planet and tell the rest of the class that they are astronomers studying the planets.
Take your class outside and assign a student to hold the paper sun in the center of the playground.
Place each student and his or her planet in the correct order from the sun. (Neptune will be at the very edge of the playground.) Planets (students) begin to orbit around the sun.
Ask your “astronomers” to explain what they see.
- It takes some planets much longer to go around the sun than others.
- Why? Some planets have to go farther than other planets.
- Which planet has the shortest trip?
- Which planet has the longest trip?
Explain that the amount of time it takes each planet to revolve around the sun is called a year. Ask your students, “Is a year the same amount of time on Venus as on Neptune?”

For more information, view these free educational videos from NASA for grades 1–6:

sea otters an ocean mammals lessons and activities

March 5, 2019
by Evan-Moor
0 comments

Sea Otters, Marine Mammals, and Ocean Life Activities for Grades K–3

Learning about marine mammals, or sea mammals, is important for understanding the impact they play in marine ecosystems. Marine mammals are quite amazing because they are similar to land mammals, but have adapted to aquatic life in order to survive. While these animals do not share a common ancestor, they do share several characteristics that classify them as marine mammals, such as:

The need to breathe air
Being warm-blooded
Having mammary glands that produce milk in order to feed their babies
Giving birth to live young
In some cases, having hair

Interesting Facts About Sea Otters

Sea otters are one of the smallest marine mammals in the ocean. They grow to about four feet long and can weigh about 65 pounds. They prefer to live near rocky shores and kelp forests, and some will come onto the shore occasionally, but they can actually live all their life in the ocean.

Why do otters have fur?
- Unlike most marine mammals that use blubber to stay warm in the cold ocean waters, sea otters rely on their extremely thick fur. In fact, sea otters have the world’s finest and densest fur—up to a million hairs per square inch! In comparison, you probably have about 100,000 hairs or fewer on your whole head. Sea otters use their fur to trap air, which helps them stay warm, but they have to keep it clean, because dirty hair will not hold air.
How do otters stay warm?
- Besides their dense fur, sea otters use their feet to reduce or maximize heat loss when water temperatures are too cold or too hot, respectively. To reduce heat loss when the waters are cold, they float on their backs with their feet out of the water. When the waters are warm, they extend their feet out underwater to maximize their surface area.

What do otters eat?
- Sea otters are carnivores, and their typical diet includes fish, crabs, clams, and octopuses. Sea otters prey on a variety of sea animals, and this can end up influencing the marine ecosystems that they live in. For example, they prey on sea urchins, which reduce grazing pressure. This allows kelp bed forests to grow and increase marine fauna density and diversity, which aids in the development of new ecosystems.

How do otters eat?
- Sea otters dive down into the water to catch their food, sealing their nose and ears to keep the water out. Once they are back at the surface, they roll onto their backs and put the food on their stomach, like a plate on a table, and use a rock to help them crack open their food. Just like people, sea otters use tools to help them eat, because some of the foods, like clams, have hard shells that can’t be eaten.

TeachersPayTeachers Marine Life Lessons and Activities for grades K–3

Grades K–2

Use these picture cards to help your students identify and learn about different types of marine mammals.

Grades 1–2

In this “Read and Understand Science” unit for grades 1–2, you can help teach your students how sea otters adapted to the habitat in which they live.
A fun reading activity to do with your class is this readers’ theater unit on a hungry octopus who steals food from three sea otters.

Grades 1–3

Marine ecosystems are full of diverse animals, and a fun way to explore the different types of animals with your class is by doing one of these four ocean animal art projects.
Learn about life in and around oceans with this science unit on Living in an Ocean, Spanish and English versions. Topics include animals without backbones, mammals, seabirds, and plants.

Practice sequencing with this matching activity on otters and fish: Sea Otter Reading Worksheet for Sequencing for grades 1–3.

Sea Otter Protection Programs

Some aquariums, like the Monterey Bay Aquarium, have programs to help endangered marine life recover from the threats that affect their populations. The Sea Otter Program is one example: they help rescue, treat, and release injured otters or look for homes for those otters that can’t return to the wild.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Sea Otter Program also raises and releases stranded pups through a surrogate program. This is important, as it connects to the concept that, in many kinds of animals, organism survival is dependent on what parents pass down to their offspring. Parents engage in behaviors that help the offspring survive, so stranded pups need the guidance of a surrogate to teach them how to live in the wild.

You can learn more about the Sea Otter Program by visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium website. Be sure to check out the daily sea otter feedings on their live cam. You can also find suggested science units on marine life under their “lessons” tab.

You can also head to the education link on their website for more live videos and marine life activities.

Subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter for more activities, teaching tips, and blogs like this.

Mineko Inouye currently works as the project lead for the Marketing and Communications department at CSU Long Beach. Before moving into Higher Ed, she worked as an afterschool teacher/site supervisor at an LA-based learning center. There she could see that students throughout LAUSD were learning at different paces based on their school, so she avidly used instructional workbooks like Evan-Moor’s to help bridge the gaps between her students. She’s thrilled to be assisting Evan-Moor’s marketing communications team. She loves the company because they, like her, will always be passionate about helping students learn.