passionately curious

On Top of the World

Idiom of the Week is another great resource from Primary Concepts that presents language in a playful way.  Using the adventures of the Wordly Family, ideas for discussion and practice are organized into a small spiral-bound book that are perfect for filling those extra 5-10 minutes between activities.    

Here's an example:

on top of the world
©Primary Concepts

Word Story
The little Wordly boy was on top of the world! Summer vacation was coming up soon. He couldn’t wait to swim, play with his friends all day, and read in the sun.
When you’re on top of the world, you’re feeling extremely happy.

Talk About It
✪ How would you feel if you could really be sitting on top of the world?
✪ When is the last time you felt as if you were on top of the world?

Picture It Materials: a globe
Draw a circle to represent the world; then draw a picture of yourself on top of the world. Fill in the sentence frame:
I am on top of the world because______.

My kids can't seem to get enough of idioms.  They are using them at home and whenever they discover a new one, we are the first to know!  Here are some other books that we can't keep on the shelves in our classroom library:

There's a Frog in My Throat! 440 Animals Sayings a Little Bird Told Me
by Loreen Leedy & Pat Street

Monkey Business
by Wallace Edwards

Picture Cues for Phonics Work

This a great resource introduced to me a few years ago by one of our Reading Specialists.  The posters and display cards from PhonicsQ have simple, colorful pictures that are just right for elementary students.    As we work on the different components of our spelling program, I refer to them almost daily. You can use the cards for your Word Wall or to introduce spelling patterns. The blackline student cueing sheets can be used for bingo, word games, and reference while writing.   

Word Ladders

During Reading, I like the to be engaged in independent work so I can work, uninterrupted, with small reading groups.  This year, I've been trying the management system described in The Daily 5.  As a part of their weekly assignments, the children complete various Word Work (Spelling) activites.  I love the Word Ladder Kit from Primary Concepts. Children have their own sets of letter tiles and can work at their own pace. 

Below is one an example of Word Ladder.  The children build each new word by changing one or two letters or rearranging the letters.

bell
ball
bill
bib
crib
crab
cab
car
card
cart

                     

 

Name That Picture Book

Several years ago I purchased a wonderful wall calendar from Peaceable Kingdom Press entitled Celebrating Children's Books: A Tribute to 12 Outstanding Children's Book Illustrators.  I thought this was the perfect calendar for the classroom and looked for one each new year.   Not wanting to part with the whimsical and charming illustrations from some of the best children's literature, I cut apart each old calendar and laminated the pages.  Instead of using them for mere decorations, I wanted to engage my students.  I wanted them to wonder about new books or be reminded of old favorites.  Now, I display these illustrations on the back of my classroom door.  I change them periodically and always challenge the kids to "guess the picture book." 

 

Update: Unfortunately, Peaceable Kindom Press no longer publishes these calendars.  I'm always looking for other alternatives so leave a comment if you know of one!

 

 

Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference!

Author Lynne Truss has made a children's version of her NY Times best-seller Eats, Shoots & Leaves.  It's an entertaining and clever book that teaches the importance of using commas correctly.   In her introduction, Lynne Truss writes,

   
    Punctuation marks are the traffic signals of language: they tell us to slow down, notice this, take a detour, or stop. 
    Of all the punctuation marks, the comma is the most used and misused.  Commas can create havoc when they are left out or are put in the wrong spot, and the results can be hilarious.  This little dot with a tail has the power to change the meaning of a sentence by connecting things that shouldn't be connected or breaking apart things that should stay together.

Along with Bonnie Timmons' charming illustrations, Ms. Truss presents some fun examples.  Here are some of my favorites:

Look at that huge hot dog!
Look at that huge, hot dog!

Eat here, and get gas.
Eat here and get gas.

Word of the Day

While flipping through the Primary Concepts catalog this summer, I came across the Word of the Day.  This small spiral book contains interesting or "fun to say" words (flabbergasted, swish) along with prompts for discussion and corresponding activities. A new word is introduced several times a week during our Morning Meeting or as a time-filler in between activities. Some children have really taken to the challenge of using the word five or more times during the school day or at home. The word is written on a 3x5 index card and placed into our Word Jar (a large pickle jar).  Throughout the year, we will pull a word out of the jar to see if the kids can remember its definition and use it in a sentence. We'll also refer to this activity during Writer's Workshop when we talk about how writers use words to "show" something, instead of just telling us.