"Row Your Alpha-boat" Song

"Row Your Alpha-boat" Song
(Tune: "Row Your Boat")

A, A, this is A

/a/-/a//a/- /a//a/

B, B, this is B

/b/-/b//b/-/b//b/

(continue until you reach z)

35 Science Experiments That Are Basically Magic

Full article is here!

Gifted Students Do Not Always Excel in School

One of the benchmarks the majority of school districts use to determine whether or not a child is gifted is their grades. Is the student good at math? Is s/he consistently on or above their reading level?

Unfortunately, this does not always works. I've seen too many students turned down for the GT program because they don't "fit" in those categories. And I've argued against it.

But I do agree that the gifted student is very creative. S/he loves to create things, be it in their writings, artwork, or in other ways.

Gifted students don't have to have large vocabularies. Very often, they're the quiet ones who tend to go off by themselves to read a book. They may have a larger vocabulary, but they don't tend to get into long discussions to prove it.

Gifted students aren't always your most vocal students, and they don't always question everything. Sometimes they silently make up elaborate stories to explain things they wonder about. If they do have questions, they may wait until the teacher is alone before approaching her to ask, rather than blurt out their question during class.

Gifted students don't always fit a "profile". As a teacher, use your gut and expertise to single out and encourage that child who otherwise may fall to the wayside because "guidelines" say differently. Your decision may change that child's educational, and later on professional, life. Don't forget, Albert Einstein flunked math in elementary school.

Using Pinterest Pictures in the Classroom - Fruit Peelings Rainbow

1. What does this look like to you?

2. What do you think this is made of?

3. Can you name the different fruits making up this rainbow?
(Answer from bottom to top: lime, lemon, orange, pomegranate, grapefruit)

4. Is this rainbow like the rainbows we see after it rains? Why or why not? How is it different?

5. Which colors are the same as a real rainbow? Which ones are missing?

6. How many sections do you see? How many sections are in a real rainbow? Which one has more/less?

7. Why do you think someone made this fruit rainbow?

8. This rainbow is 3 dimensional. What do you think that means?

9. If you could make your own 3D rainbow, what could you use?

Spell-a-Word Game

Here's a game you can make using sets of those Dollar Store magnetic letters!

Make a set of index cards with 3-letter words such as CAT, DOG, RUN, HOP, GET, etc.

1. Children pick one card to "fill".

2. Children toss a penny. Heads = get a letter, Tails = lose a letter.

3. When a child gets a Head, they pick a matching letter from the bucket to put on their card. If they get Tails, they have to put a letter back.
4. First child to fill up their card Wins!

Later on, switch the group of cards they can choose from to 4-letter words, then on to 5-letter words near the end of the year when their reading skills have improved!

Cinnamon Schoolbook Cookies at Trader Joe's

If you have a Trader Joe's nearby,
check out the letter-shaped cookies!

"They're Elementary, My Dear Joe."

Did You Know...

I checked it out. It's true.

At Least It Wasn't the Dog This Time

20 Kid Ideas That Are Addictive – in a Good Way

Paper Chains in Social Studies

You can also find a few ways to utilize paper chains in social studies:

* Street - school - city - county - state - country: link them in geographical importance

* Names of family members - father, mother, self, siblings (can add grandparents, pets, etc. if they want.)

* Divide class into groups. Give each group a topic (ex: farm animals, pets, fruits, ice cream flavors, etc.) Have each team come up with as many answers as they can, writing one answer on each loop. (Of course, spelling doesn't count.) See whose chain is the longest.

Things To Do When You're Stuck in a Professional Development Workshop - letter strips

I originally found this on Pinterest, but it got me to thinking. How many times have you walked into the teacher's workroom and found strips of paper left over by the cutting board? Why not take those strips and write an alphabetical letter at the top, so the children can practice writing the letter down the strip? Rather than cut and glue letters at the top, a Sharpie can do the job just as good. And it makes a super workshop activity to keep your hands busy.

Ideas for a Summer Camp at Home!

Link here.

Happy Fourth of July!

Get the history behind this star-spangled celebration over at TIME For Kids!

July Play Calendar

Click picture for full size to print.