More ABC and 123 ideas/Find joy

 Happy Monday to you!

The first thing I want to do today is to ask you--- how can I help you out?  I may be retired, but my heart is always with young children, their teachers, and their families. If there is something I can help you with just send a reply and I'll do what I can to find you a book, a song, problem-solve with you---whatever your need is at this time.

So now some ABC ideas-  I was thinking about what were some fun things I did in my room to increase interest in the alphabet with young children.  We visited name cards and cubby labels in the past.  Today let's talk hands-on fun.

Idea one- A discovery-bottle of letters.  There are many ways to do this, I'll mention a few and I hope some of you will share ideas you've had/created.  I Googled ABC pasta and came up with all sorts of sizes and colors, and prices.  I used medium-sized bottles and the small alphabet soup pasta in the past and then added ABC beads of the child's name in the bottle.  You could use small pasta and some large pasta...maybe color the large pasta and place the letters of the child's name in the bottle. As they rotate the discover bottles they see their letters and they see the small letters too.  Leading to --I see a little "a" and I see my "A".

Idea two- Use pictures to make or find ABC mats. Use manipulatives to make the letters on the mats.  I found in Printshop an ABC mat in order and then one that was scrambled I printed it on letter-sized cardstock and then ran it through the laminator.  We had a container of magnet letters and the kiddos went to town matching them to the letters on the mats.  They used the mats to name letters and play games too.

Here are some photos of the items mentioned above:

Some of the photos I clipped won't download, but if you Google beads and pasta, you'll find several different types of each.  I know some schools of thought say never use food for play, like the pasta, so you will have to find different beads and use non-food media for the hider material in your discovery-bottles.

I'm gonna run with another discovery-bottle idea for idea three.  I love to walk through Michael's and look at some of the "little things" you can find.  Mini dogs, cats, pumpkins, etc.  (I am hoping you can find them online or hit the store when not crowded.)  I would use a smaller sized plastic bottle. Decide if the items you find to use in the bottle are waterproof or not.  If waterproof you could tint the water, or add a drop of dish soap and some glitter.  Hide one pumpkin.  Hide two balls... OR you could hide items in bird seeds, sand, rice...the ideas go on and on.

Circle idea for idea four---- "Everyone with buttons on today stand up." Observe/count how many buttons on each person.  "Thank you, now you all can sit back down." 

"Everyone with short hair stand up."  Count how many with short hair.  Use a chart to write notes about what you are counting or take pictures while you do this activity.  Turn it into a "We Can Count" book.

I want you all to be in search of joy and to walk in that joy.  Children find joy in watching dust particles float in a ray of light.  It was always my practice to join in that joy.  It was and is my practice to find joy wherever I can.  In the pandemic, we need to find joy and to spread it around.  I hope this blog entry will help you find some joy in learning along with your students/children.

Wishing you well,

Teacher Debbie

Here We Go Again!

 As I drove my granddaughter to preschool today, the Dobson High School parking lot was empty.  I was reminded that my grandson is back at distance learning and maybe many of you are too.  You are teaching and parenting in times that we've not seen in most of our lifetimes.  I don't think there are easy answers.  The one thing I can say is to do your best.  Think out of the box.  Stay connected with your students and their families.

In crazy times, children need to know we see them, we care for them, and that we are here for them.  So if you have classroom rituals, (I sure hope you do) keep them going online too.  Now you may have to adapt, but you can do that ---YOU are a teacher and we improvise well, we roll with the flow.  Be you!

So my ideas today are things you can do in class and that you can do at home or send ideas to families to do at home.  You're probably not able to offer playdough play in the classroom so suggest playdough play at home.  A link to Kool-Aid playdough.  I use 2 pkgs. of unsweetened Kool-Aid mix.  https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/no-cook-kool-aid-playdough  

The following link offers different types of playdough to try ---https://kidactivities.net/play-dough-recipes

Family/Home created books-Why not suggest that families create a family book?

• This is our family: student/family drawn family pictures or photos.  EX:  My family has 5 people.  My family has 3 pets.  Photos or drawings to illustrate
• A counting book: In our home, we have ____ doors.  I have ____types of cereal I like to eat.
• Margaret, Margaret what do you see out your window?... in the kitchen...???
• The ABC's of My house book---A is for Aunt Kristi

You get the idea.  So many great books to keep students and families engaged and learning together from home.

Create matching games to send home via email or packet mailings.  Picture matches, color matches, Upper/Lower case letters, Nursery Rhyme characters. 

Introduce your families to Spotify and help them create music lists for sing-alongs, movement, and soothing sounds.  

Wishing you well,

Teacher Debbie