The Joy of Teaching – Page 38 of 46

June 11, 2015
by Evan-Moor
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The ABCs of Kindergarten Success: Ways to Help Your Child Learn the Alphabet

Image of magnetic letters spelling the word "kindergarten" A child’s academic success may very well begin with learning the ABCs. As years of studies have concluded, “The cognitive skills children demonstrate at kindergarten entry can potentially shape their early school experience.” (Sameroff and Haith, 1996)

Recognizing and naming all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet is an expectation of kindergarten, as stated in the Common Core Reading Standards. So becoming familiar with the alphabet will give your child a strong start in kindergarten.

From PlayDrMom’s blog

Here are a few parent-tested ideas for alphabet fun for preschoolers and kindergartners:

Alphabet Games: Learning Through Play

Interactive activities such as Evan-Moor’s online flashcards engage children in playing games with letters. Use this link to access free online activities: The Alphabet.
Apps such as Dora’s ABCs are a favorite with young children.
This alphabet scavenger hunt is a clever idea to get children active and practicing matching letters to objects!

From Learn with Play at Home blog

Engaging, Multisensory Activities
Hands-on activities and arts and crafts provide valuable practice of fine motor skills and help young children visualize letter shapes.

Your child can color this ABC animal book and use it as a starting point to learn how letters correspond to sounds.
Use magnetic letters on the fridge, magnetic board, or magnetic cookie sheet to encourage children to play with letters.
Make letter shapes with Playdough.
Use alphabet-shaped pasta to make Alphabet Soup with your child.
This blog provides examples of alphabet crafts for each letter.
Trace letters in sand, uncooked rice, or table salt in a cookie tray with sides or other container. Here’s an example from the Learn with Play at Home blog.

Songs and Chants
How many of us still rely on the ABC song to recall the order of letters in the alphabet? Songs and chants are a memorable way to learn and remember the alphabet!

YouTube videos provide a variety of ABC songs, such as this “Super Why” ABC song.

Books to Read
Reading alphabet books is a great way to teach alphabetic awareness. Here are just a few favorite titles:

Alphabet Rescue by Audrey Wood
Brian Wildsmith’s Amazing Animal Alphabet Book by Brian Wildsmith
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr., and John Archambault
Dr. Suess’s ABC by Dr. Seuss
The Hidden Alphabet by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Writing Activities

Writing letters strengthens children’s visual discrimination of letters.
These printable pages show how to write the letters of the alphabet in traditional or modern style. (from Jumbo Fun with the Alphabet)
Children will also enjoy writing their name, family names, and pet names.

For more ideas on kindergarten readiness, see this parent blog: 5 Tips to Help Your Child Get Ready for Kindergarten or these Evan-Moor resources:

Jumbo Fun with the Alphabet

Learning Line: Beginning Sounds activity book

The Alphabet flashcards

Please share your ideas for helping children learn the alphabet!

Theresa Wooler has more than 10 years’ experience in K–6 classrooms as a parent volunteer and homeschool educator, has taught high school English, and is currently involved in education through Evan-Moor’s marketing communications team.

June 2, 2015
by Evan-Moor
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How to Prepare a Schedule for Homeschooling in the Summer

Image of How to Prepare a Schedule for Homeschooling in the Summer As soon as we can start going to the pool, our family switches gears into summer mode. It is easy to let school slide in the summer, but we maintain our priorities of learning and staying on a schedule. Our personalities just do better when we keep learning and staying in a routine, though we do adjust it for every season.

Why school in the summer?
There are 3 main reasons:

When kids stay in practice and continue using the skills they learn, their minds retain the knowledge better. When I taught elementary school, we would easily spend 4–6 weeks reviewing skills learned in the previous grade level to make sure the children were ready to learn the new information. By schooling just a little bit, it actually prevents a lot of that regression.
Most kids do better when they are on a schedule, so having a routine can help your family focus on what is important each day.
Doing a little learning activity can prevent boredom and all-day TV watching, too.

What should you include in your summer schedule?
Your summer schedule should reflect what is most important to your family. Here are some ideas of things to include:

15 minutes (or more!) of DEAR time – Drop Everything and Read (parents, too!)
Nature walks or gardening (mornings or evenings may be best)
A weekly visit to local events, museums, family music concerts, and art galleries
Art projects
Science experiments
Writing or drawing in a notebook
Creating a family video to share or teach what you have learned this year
Daily Summer Activities from Evan-Moor – If you are looking for super quick, easy, and fun learning activities, this book is your golden ticket. My kids ask every day (even on the weekends) if they can do their Evan-Moor daily learning activity books. No joke. At $12.99, they are worth every penny to save you time and keep your kids learning this summer.

Some final tips:

Summer is a great time to finish up lessons or activities that you didn’t get to do during the school year. Also, your child can review any areas where more practice is needed – just keep it short and fun!

We work on bigger learning projects in the summer rather than our traditional routine of teaching multiple subjects.

Since our family has younger children, we get outside in the morning while the temperatures are cooler. The kids play and get out a lot of energy! It is also a great time to run our errands – especially if we are buying ice cream!

We have our learning time after lunch when it is too hot to go outside. Then, when school is done, we have a snack and get ready to go to the pool.

Finally, ask your child what he or she would like to study! Summer is a great time to let your child take the lead on what to learn. If kids are interested, their motivation to keep learning will be stronger.

If you need some ideas for summer activities, Evan-Moor has several options for you to consider. TeacherFileBox has lesson plans for PreK–grade 8 in every subject. You can also follow Evan-Moor on Pinterest for inspirational ideas all year long. Be sure and like them on Facebook, too!

I will be posting our summer learning experiences on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, too. Head over to connect with me there, as well!

I hope you have a great summer full of learning and fun!

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 http://www.thrivehomeschooling.com.

May 27, 2015
by Evan-Moor
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One Teacher’s Story: Using Daily Phonics for Assessment

In my first-grade classroom, I use a variety of Evan-Moor daily practice titles for quick lessons and easy assessments. While I don’t always use the lessons sequentially, I’ve found that these titles are valuable to help students practice a skill in class or for homework, and provide me a great way to check understanding every week.

Here’s how I’ve used Daily Phonics for assessment. My first graders were learning inflectional endings and I felt they were grasping the concept.

I decided to assess my students using Daily Phonics (grade 1.) My goal for the assessment was to break my students into groups so that I could challenge them with irregular verbs and possibly re-teach the few that needed it.
My students completed this weekly unit (Monday through Friday activities) in one 20-minute period. After grading their work, I realized that I was VERY wrong. My students had not learned inflected endings as I’d thought. Without the assessment piece, I would have kept moving along. Instead, I learned that I needed to re-teach inflected endings.
Next, I incorporated basic practice activities to re-teach the students, such as writing dictation sentences with inflected-ending verbs, hopscotch, and vortex-sorts using a Smart Board notebook.
Then, after a few weeks, I re-assessed my students with Daily Phonics

By using my weekly Daily Phonics assessments, I am able to quickly and easily assess my students’ understanding and differentiate my teaching based on their levels and needs.

Christina Sciarrotto has been an elementary school teacher for 13 years and currently teaches first grade in New York. She also serves as a mentor teacher and has served as a summer school principal for 8 years.

May 20, 2015
by Evan-Moor
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How to Prevent Math Summer Learning Loss

Summer learning loss, also referred to as the summer slide, is a fact. While reading tends to be a focus over the summer, it is actually math skills that are often lost over the summer break. “Most students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months.” (Cooper, 1996)

There are helpful, and often free, resources to help parents provide their children with math skill practice over the summer, without feeling overburdened or taking away from fun summer activities. By incorporating the following activities and resources into summer break, you can help your child prevent the summer slide:

Play Games

Just because you’re practicing math doesn’t mean it has to be boring! Games like Mancala or Triangle are great ways to practice basic math. They’re also easy to travel with, so pack them in a picnic basket or travel bag. Or, get out a deck of cards and play math games like addition or subtraction war. Or try this pairs game using buttons or items around the house: Game of Nim.

Cook Together

Cooking is a great way to practice math. By scaling the recipe, children can practice their multiplication, or use smaller measurements to ask more basic questions like: “How many ½ cups will we need to make 2 whole cups?”

Math practice books

Skill Sharpeners: Math activity books are available at different grade levels (grades PreK–6) with quick and fun activities that are perfect for practicing math skills.

Helpful hint: If your child needs extra encouragement, try using a math log. Similar to a reading log, you’ll add a mark to keep track of every page of math your child completes. After he or she reaches a feasible and predetermined amount, reward your child with a special activity.

Math Stories

Taking turns telling stories is perfect for keeping children engaged. Include math in this activity by filling in the blank in phrases such as: “When Sally counted her cookies, one was missing. She only had…”

Learning about Money activity books

This Learning Line activity book highlights money as a way to practice math every day. As additional practice for hands-on learning, use real coins.

Helpful hint: Set up a toy cash register and play “store” with change. Have your child be the cashier to practice addition and subtraction with double-digit numbers.

Online flashcards

Evan-Moor is also offering free online flashcards to engage your child in practicing basic math skills. Use these links to access Evan-Moor online activities: Addition and Subtraction Facts to 10 and Multiplication Facts to 9s.

Contributing Writer

Trisha Thomas is the mother of two and serves on the board of directors at a co-op preschool. She has also been a marketer of educational materials for grades PreK–8 for more than 15 years.

May 11, 2015
by Evan-Moor
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Tips for Storing and Organizing Centers

One dilemma of classroom organization is how to store your centers.

Centers take some time to make, but once assembled, self-contained centers are valuable learning tools for years to come! You may be able to enlist willing parents and students to help you make the centers—and then use some of these tips to store and organize your centers:

A DIY classroom organizer made of cereal boxes

Folder centers are the easiest to store in a crate or box with hanging files or magazine holders. Use folders with inside pockets, small envelopes or self-closing plastic bags (for storing task cards), and of course, laminating equipment. It’s helpful to attach a cover sheet on the front of the folder for quick reference. Here’s a sample folder center from Take It to Your Seat Centers: Math, grade 5.

Boxes are easy to stack on shelves or book cases

Shoebox centers are easily stackable on a shelf or table in the classroom. Students can simply take the portable center to their desk. Plastic boxes with a cover also work well and ensure that boxes are the same size. Create simple labels by using sturdy cardstock attached with double-sided tape.

Example of a hanger pocket center

Hanger pocket centers can be easily stored on hooks anywhere in the classroom, and students can hang the center on the edge of their desk or the back of a chair while working on the task. Use a hanger and butcher paper or a brown paper bag to create these centers. Here’s a sample and directions for creating a hanger pocket center for grades 1–3.

Bag centers: Ziploc bags, canvas totes, or gift bags

Large Ziploc bags are useful for organizing center directions and pieces, and can be stored in plastic bins without taking up too much space. This is ideal when you’re low on storage and if you frequently rotate center stations.
Canvas tote bags make sturdy center organizers and can be stored in a tub or crate or hung from hooks in the classroom. Even better, students can help you label (and decorate) the bags!
Another alternative is gift bags with handles, which you can purchase in different colors to help you coordinate centers by topics.

Here’s a sample center from Take It to Your Seat Centers: Language, grade 3. Each bag could be labeled with a center skill, such as parts of speech, subject-verb agreement, root words, etc.

Image of canvas bag totes handing on hooks in a classroom

Another clever way to organize and store centers

Example of using paper gift bags for centers

Evan-Moor Center Resources

Everything you need to create quality centers is included in each title. Check out these teacher favorites:

Take It to Your Seat Centers: Language

Take It to Your Seat Centers: Math

Take It to Your Seat: Geography Centers

Take It to Your Seat: Literacy Centers

Take It to Your Seat: Phonics Centers

Take It to Your Seat: Reading & Language Centers

Take It to Your Seat: Science Centers

Take It to Your Seat: Writing Centers

and Phonics Intervention Centers

May 8, 2015
by Evan-Moor
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Book Report Project Ideas and Forms: Trading cards, book mobiles, and more.

What’s the best book that you’ve read this year? Turn that question into a hands-on book report project. Students can choose their favorite book for imaginative reports and create trading cards, mobiles, pop-up books, board games, and more!

Use these free printables for creative book reports from
Evan-Moor’s How to Report on Books:

A character trading card project: This book project focuses on recalling facts about a character and creating trading cards.

Book mobile project: This book project guides students in identifying setting/characters and problem/solution, and in creating a mobile.Tips: glue white paper to backs of construction paper for the illustrations (step #1); add a length of construction paper to increase the long strip to form a ring (step #2.)

An exciting event pop-up: This book report project focuses on summarizing an exciting event from a fiction book and includes instructions on making a pop-up book report form.

Other engaging book report ideas include:

See our Book Report Fun Pinterest board for more book report ideas such as making character puppets, comic strips, posters, story bags, puzzles, and awards.

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May 5, 2015
by Evan-Moor
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Teacher Appreciation Week: Thank a Teacher Today

What qualities make a teacher extraordinary? It’s been three decades since I sat in Miss O’Connor’s freshman English class at Mater Dei High School, but I still remember her warm smile, how she played a song by The Police to help her students connect with The Odyssey, and, more importantly, how she took an interest in me and encouraged me to take honors English.

I’ve often thought of her over the years: when I decided to study English literature in college and when I became a high school English teacher. Of the many extraordinary teachers I’ve experienced and who have taught my children, I believe the underlying quality to their greatness is that they love what they do and they care.

With a passion for teaching and working with children, teachers can inspire their students to learn. Standards, learning objectives, and daily goals follow. And, in the end, students learn and remember a teacher in their life who cared about them.

As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, please take a moment to thank an unforgettable teacher who has affected your life or your child’s life!

Today, I thank Miss O’Connor – wherever she may be – for teaching with energy and passion, and for inspiring me to learn.

Your student, Theresa (Taugher) Wooler

Contributing Writer

Theresa Wooler has more than 10 years’ experience in K–6 classrooms as a parent volunteer, has taught high school English, and is currently involved in education through Evan-Moor’s marketing communications team.

April 29, 2015
by Evan-Moor
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Encouraging Positive Classroom Behavior—Without Raising Your Voice

At this time in the school year, students are very excited and we can all feel a little burned out! Try some of these classroom tips for effective teaching for a calmer, quieter learning environment.

Set Students up for Success

Giving students clear instructions, including consequences, gives students agency to choose good behavior.

Remember to use “I expect” statements. By clearly outlining what the expectations during an activity are, you are letting students know what your standards are.

Nonverbal Communication

I suggest waiting for silence. Stand where all students can see you and wait for students to take notice. If you have a particularly rowdy class, use a hand signal:

Quiet Coyote: touch your middle and ring finger to your thumb with index and pinky fingers pointing up.

Clap and Count: Clap your hands twice and put one finger up, signaling a first try. Wait a bit, then clap twice and put two fingers up so students who missed the first round can see this is your second attempt. Continue until all students are facing you.

I usually do this to three, but I have used it up to seven in some cases. This signal can also show a class how long you have waited.

Attention Getters

Encourage students to show you they’re ready in appropriate ways. “I say, You do” statements are a great way to get students’ attention without raising your voice. One of my favorites is “Catch a bubble.” When I say “Catch a bubble,” students blow their cheeks out like they have a bubble in their mouth.

Select a few “I say, You do” statements and rotate through those. Too many or new statements can be confusing.

Results They Can See

Set a group goal for all students to work for. An elementary teacher of mine used a glass jar she had at the front of the classroom. When we were quiet or followed directions as a group, she dropped a few marbles into the jar. When the jar was full, we got a reward as a group, such as an hour of free play at the end of the day.

Another visible reward system is the Kindness Board. When students are caught displaying positive behavior, the teacher writes the act down on a sticky note and sticks it on a board. Feel free to use names in this case, so students can claim their positive actions.

For more ideas, see this blog on Nine Tips for Teacher- and Student-Friendly Classroom Management.

How do you keep students on task? Please share your classroom management tips.

Contributing Writer

Karina Ruiz has four years of experience working with children for non-profit after-school programming for K–12 and four years of nanny work. She is currently a volunteer intern and attends California State University, Monterey Bay.

April 21, 2015
by Evan-Moor
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Emergency Substitute Lesson Plans

All teachers quickly learn that staying home sick is so much more work than just going to school! We’ve all gone into school on days when we know we should have stayed home. But what if it wasn’t so much work to stay home when you (or your children) were sick? It might make it just a little easier for you to pick up the phone and call in sick. We have pulled together our top three tips to help you prepare for that dreaded sick day. The key to these tips is reading them and following through right now… don’t put this one off for later. Preparing now will make your life simpler in the long run.

Tip 1: Create a Sub Tub This is a tote that has everything ready for your next sick day. EVERYTHING! If you put it together now, you won’t have to come into school in the middle of the night. Remember to include a schedule, class list, seating chart, plans for the day, and other important information. To get you started, check out our complete sub plans for preschool through sixth grade: Emergency Sub Plans, by The Curriculum Corner. Be sure to add a couple of age-appropriate read-alouds and a math game such as I Have, Who Has.

Tip 2: Extra Work Folder You know those days when you have something that you have copied and it doesn’t get used? Like that extra math practice page that you just didn’t have time for? Instead of recycling these pages, put them right into your Sub Tub. Have a file at the bottom of the tub labeled Extra Work. These practice pages can be used as time fillers if needed by the sub. Use an Evan-Moor resource such as one of the following to help you get started:

Ten-Minute Activities (grades 4-6)
Critical and Creative Thinking Activities (grades 1-6)

Tip 3: Leave an “In Case of Emergency” Card To save you time, we’ve created one for you! Just print and leave on the top of your Sub Tub. This way, if there are ever questions, the guest teacher will know whom to contact for support. Click here to print card.

We hope these tips help you get your new Sub Tub organized! Have other tips that help you? Please leave a comment to help others!

Jill McEldowney and Cathy Henry are neighbors and friends who both have significant experience teaching in the same large and diverse school district. Together, they developed and operate http://www.thecurriculumcorner.com, a site where busy teachers can find current, relevant, meaningful, and ready-to-go lessons, activities, and resources that fit their classroom structure and also meet national and state standards.

April 16, 2015
by Evan-Moor
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Ideas for Seasonal Activities and Free Printables

My favorite part of school was always the festive decorations. As seasons changed, my classrooms’ décor did, too. When I began my work in after-school programs, I found that it was quite natural to structure themed activities around the seasons, as it was a way to engage students by using current events and holidays that were already on their minds.

Evan-Moor’s Seasonal Activities series is tailored to grade levels and has loads of activities for every season and its respective holidays. Books are available for PreK–K, 1–2, and 3–5, all of which are also available as e-books!

As summer approaches, I find it gets tougher to hold students’ attention. I don’t blame them; we all can get a little antsy being indoors when the sun is shining outside. Try these lighter lessons from our Seasonal Activities books to give students a break while reinforcing grade-appropriate skill sets like phonics, sequencing, vocabulary development, and alphabetical ordering.

Grades PreK–K This book includes weekly at-home activities for students to complete with parents, like reading a book together, practicing counting, and making a healthy snack together—great on-the-fly and kid-friendly ideas.

May Day Basket: Students can practice their fine motor skills with these May Day activities through coloring, cutting, and pasting.

Teacher Tip: Ask students to tell you what colors they would like to use before beginning. This will help them practice colors, as well as metacognition.

Grades 1–2 These are a great way to loosen the noodles at the beginning of the day or a fun way to end the school day!