Elementary Matters: September 2015

Have you ever had to have one or two items that were slightly different from the others, and were concerned the children might feel "cheated" if their item was different?

The Lucky One: This is a little trick I learned from the cafeteria ladies in my school. Different is lucky!

Here's a little trick I found from the cafeteria workers at my school. There was one tray that was slightly different from the others. Rather than letting the kids feel left out when they got that tray, the "different" tray became known as the LUCKY tray!

Here are my math counters for Monday. I was short one ziplock and had to use a "regular" ziplock bag. Which set would be the "special" one?

It's all a matter of attitude, isn't it?

Just be careful. When our math program didn't send enough work books, I had to run off one extra copy until the new workbook arrived. They didn't consider the one black and white page the "lucky" one, when all the other copies were colorful!

It feels like we just started school, and already we're looking at October in the not-so-far distance.

October Resources: Here are several resources, including a few freebies, to help your students learn with seasonal fun! (Fire Safety Week, autumn, football, and Halloween!)

October brings fall, Fire Safety Week, football, and, of course, Halloween!

Brain research tells us that if children can make a connection with their learning, then learning will happen. I find most children can easily make a connection with special days and sports, which makes them more enthusiastic about learning! In face, I'm banking on their enthusiasm, and I have plenty of resources to celebrate learning and building skills in a fun way!

My latest baby is this one: October Team Building, Morning Greeting, Shares, and Daily Writing Prompts.

Teachers can project these questions as the children arrive in the morning to get them thinking about the day. They can also be used as daily writing prompts.

The above resource is related to this fun October trivia digital resource, available on the Boom Learning platform. These are great for your fast finishers and those who need a little something extra!

Here's a little something to maintain positive communication with families: October Parent Communication Brochure

In an attempt to "fit in" more Science and Social Studies concepts, I've looked over my grade-level College and Career Ready Science and Social Studies Standards and found ways to squeeze these concepts into my day. Most of the work is done; all you have to do is print and go! I even have an S.T.E.M. activity with an October theme! Check out this resource here: Science and Social Studies Activities for October.

This Bats resource is a sample of the above collection. Check out this fun resource here: Bats Informational Mini-Book

Here's a dollar deal to get the kiddos thinking about Fire Safety: Fire Safety What-If task cards.

October Resources: Here are several resources, to help your students learn with seasonal fun! (Fire Safety Week, autumn, football, and Halloween!)

It's fall in New England! There are so many beautiful changes here that make it one of my favorite seasons: warm days, crisp nights, football, and the beautiful fall colors on the trees. To make your life (and mine) easier, I've combined important concepts with fall ideas in these Fall No Prep Activities!