Scrapbooking

My sister has been scrapbooking since the triplets were born. The scrapbooks are truly the history of their lives. I am very excited to be planning some very interesting activities for you. They are in the planning stages. When I have something I will be in touch.

In the meantime, I am looking at some clip art work that I know you will enjoy using in your teaching. Stay tuned!

Little Owl Lost

Little Owl Lost
by
Chris Haughton




I have been wondering what this book is such a hot item for Christmas. Even the publisher is out of this book!

The Gingerbread Theme

The Gingerbread Man
by
Catherine McCafferty


We have many traditions for Christmas, but one of my favorites is making giant gingerbread cookies for my children's classroom. We began this tradition in first grade and I have seen the progression of my children's creativity.

I was fortunate enough to find a fabulous - and easy- gingerbread cookie. Our first grade teacher admitted she hated gingerbread, but loved these. I can't get enough of them, so I save the broken ones and chomp on them with tea.

Here is the recipe:
Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:

Bag of sugar cookie mix
2 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 c. dark molasses
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground nutmeg



Follow package directions - omit water. Mix all ingredients together and chill for about 1 hour. Roll dough out on floured board about 1/8 inch thick. Cut desired shapes with cookie cutters. Bake 8 minutes at 350 degrees.


I wish I give credit to the creator, but it was passed onto me without a name.

I know that Betty Crocker has a gingerbread cookie package available, but I love these so much that I am unwilling to try any others. Maybe some day when I have more time. :)

There are so many activities parents and teachers can do with the gingerbread theme.
I have listed them below for convenience.

1. Draw an outline of a gingerbread boy or girl. Using this outline as a pattern, cut twenty using brown paper. Divide them into sets of two. Decorate each set exactly the same. Children match the two like gingerbread children. It may be fun to make a set of boys and then a "sister" set that matches the boys.

2. Of course, make gingerbread cookies and then have the children decorate them. I prefer the very large cookie cutters because they give the children more room to add goodies. We decorate with the squeeze bottle icings and candies.

3. This gingerbread poem is such fun to use with a flannel board and also to act out the story. I am not sure where I got it so I apologize to the author.

Once there was a gingerbread man,
Baking in a gingerbread pan.
Raisin eyes and a cherry nose,
Trimmed right down to his fingers and toes.
A gingerbread man in a gingerbread pan!

Here's the old woman who made him so sweet,
A treat for her and her husband to eat,
She made him with flour and sugar and eggs,
She gave him a face and two arms and two legs.
A gingerbread man in a gingerbread pan!


Now open the oven to see if he's done,
This gingerbread man, he know how to run.
Out of the oven and onto the floor,
Now run away out the kitchen door.
The gingerbread man, he's out of the pan!

Now chase him old woman, now chase him old man
Chase him, yes chase him as fast as you can!
Through the garden and out the gate,
Catch him right now, before it's too late.
The gingerbread man, he's out of the pan!

Along came a cow who wanted a treat
And the gingerbread man, he looked good to eat
Run, run, as fast as you can
You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man
I'm the gingerbread man and I'm out of the pan!

Along came a horse who wanted a snack
But the gingerbread man, he never looked back
Run, run, as fast as you can
You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man
I'm the gingerbread man and I'm out of the pan!

Along came a farmer who wanted a treat
And the gingerbread man, he looked good to eat
Run, run, as fast as you can
You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man
I'm the gingerbread man and I'm out of the pan!

Along came a dog who wanted a snack
But the gingerbread man, he never looked back
Run, run, as fast as you can
You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man
I'm the gingerbread man and I'm out of the pan!

Along came a hog who wanted a treat
And the gingerbread man, he looked good to eat
Run, run, as fast as you can
You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man
I'm the gingerbread man and I'm out of the pan!

Along came a fox who wanted a treat,
And this gingerbread man, he looked good to eat.
Jump on my back, my gingerbread pet,
And we'll cross the river, so you won't get wet
Mr. Gingerbread man, who's out of the pan!

There was no place to go, there was no place to run
And a ride on the river could be lots of fun!
So off with the fox did Gingerbread go
And what happened next, you already know
To the gingerbread man, who's out of the pan

That sly old fox had a de-lic-ious treat
And the old man and woman had nothing to eat
Not a bite was left for the cow or the dog,
The horse or the farmer or hungry old hog
There's no gingerbread man in or out of the pan!

So let us go home and get out the pan
And we'll make ourselves a new gingerbread man!
And when he is eaten, we'll make us some more
But this time we'll be certain to lock the back door!
A new gingerbread man, in a gingerbread pan!

4. Gingerbread is a compound word and if the students are read to study compound words, using "gingerbread is a great springboard.

5. One year, I photographed the sequence of making the gingerbread cookies. I glued them on heavier paper and laminated them. Now I use them for sequence cards. The kids love them.

6. It is always fun to have the fragrance of gingerbread in the classroom. The children love it, but burning candles is not permitted so I simply warm the candles with a warmer. Your classroom will be the talk of the school if you have this scent coming from it.

7. I put the ingredients we need to make gingerbread in jars (plastic) and show the children. The children examine the jars and talk about the taste they have. I allow them to taste each one after discussing them.

Listed below are some things that might help you with your needs when you teach this unit.



My gift buying is about finished. I found a book I am getting for my husband- to go along with his ipad.



I am thinking about getting one of these watches for the kids: Let me know what you thhink.



And, finally, I am asking for one thing!

Book Making with Children

I happened to be "cleaning" yesterday and came across some of my children's writings. The books brought a great deal of nostalgia about years gone by. You and I have heard it millions of times, "They grow up so quickly." It's true.

Well, anyway, I found the books they wrote one summer. They were so charming and some comments were hysterical. I cherish those childish words and will keep the books forever.

Children love writing books and my children are at the age now where they like to put the razzle-dazzle of pop-ups, varying fonts and color.

Lately, I have been researching paper folding to add to books.I suppose you can say that I am adding origami to our books. For example, one of my children decided to write a story about a frog. She added an origami frog to her book and it was a scream! She painted it, added drops of paint to make his spots and made the most charming face.

The topics to write about are virtually endless. Several include:
1. My Family
2. Animals
3. The Sport I play
4. How to...
5. My Favorite Place
6. The Alphabet
7. My family heritage
8. A Book About Me
9. My Vacation
10. Original Stories
11. My Crazy Day
12. Somebody Special
13. The Birthday Party
14. Friends are Important

If you have a classroom, make sure you have a section of books children have written. They love to read other children's writings. Be sure to include poetry books!

There are plenty of different types of books to make. Instead of explaining how to make the books, I thought you might like to visit these fabulous sites:
1. Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord is incredible. She provides wonderful step by step directions as well as free activities.
http://www.makingbooks.com/step.shtml
http://makingbookswithchildren.blogspot.com/
2. Vicki Blackwell also has some wonderful ideas on making books. She must be an amazing teacher. Check her site at:
http://www.vickiblackwell.com/makingbooks.html
3. Joan Irvin is the "Pop-Up Lady." She not only has some interesting pop-ups on her
website, she has also authored books on the subject. Be sure to visit "The Pop-up Lady!
http://joanirvine.com/HowTo.aspx
4. I wish I could give more credit to this creative lady, but she has only signed her name as Cathy. Her site is excellent with colored photos.
http://www.bookmakingwithkids.com/index.php
5. Jeanne Hunt has downloads that are easy to follow and ones you will want to save.
http://www.oneheartarts.com/bookmakingprojects.htm

You may want to view some of Susan's outstanding videos:






Another charming video is:



If you want to have a book professionally bound, you might consider reviewing the site: http://www.bookemon.com/create-book/Writings

If you are interested in viewing some recommended pop-up books, you might try these:


My favorite book about paper folding is: The Encyclopedia of Paper Folding.


Other books on origami include:

Phonics They Use

Phonics They Use
Patricia Cunningham

I am always looking for great books to teach reading. I believe in using lots of different techniques including phonics. This is a book I highly recommend. It has plenty of games and new activities and strategies for teaching reading and is a great resource for beginning as well as veteran teachers. The book provides step by step, easy to follow explanations of practical phonetic activities that can be used in the classroom. This is an excellent resource book that will always remain on my shelf.




Ideas that you might consider:
1. Room Reading: Print words that the children should know around the room. Give them charming glasses and interesting pointers to read and point. They love the reading aids.
2. Big Books: I like to make my big books using photos of the children. For example, the song Dem Bones take photos of your students. You might use a photo of Christopher's toes, Alexandria's leg and so on. I like to have them also make a picture of a bone and have their face photos on the page as well. They love this type of an activity!
Dem Bones
Oh those bones, oh those bones,
oh those skeleton bones.
Oh those bones, oh those bones,
oh those skeleton bones.
Oh those bones, oh those bones,
oh those skeleton bones.
Oh mercy how they scare!

With the toe bone connected
to the foot bone,
and the foot bone connected
to the ankle bone,
and the ankle bone connected
to the leg bone.
Oh mercy how they scare!

Oh those bones, oh those bones,
oh those skeleton bones.
Oh those bones, oh those bones,
oh those skeleton bones.
Oh those bones, oh those bones,
oh those skeleton bones.
Oh mercy how they scare!

With the leg bone connected
to the knee bone,
and the knee bone connected
to the thigh bone,
and the thigh bone connected
to the hip bone.
Oh mercy how they scare!

Oh those bones, oh those bones,
oh those skeleton bones.
Oh those bones, oh those bones,
oh those skeleton bones.
Oh those bones, oh those bones,
oh those skeleton bones.
Oh mercy how they scare!

With the hip bone connected
to the back bone,
and the back bone connected
to the neck bone,
and the neck bone connected
to the head bone,
Oh mercy how they scare!

Oh those bones, oh those bones,
oh those skeleton bones.
Oh those bones, oh those bones,
oh those skeleton bones.
Oh those bones, oh those bones,
oh those skeleton bones.
Oh mercy how they scare!

With the finger bone connected
to the hand bone,
and the hand bone connected
to the arm bone,
and the arm bone connected
to the shoulder bone,
Oh mercy how they scare!

Oh those bones, oh those bones,
oh those skeleton bones.
Oh those bones, oh those bones,
oh those skeleton bones.
Oh those bones, oh those bones,
oh those skeleton bones.
Oh mercy how they scare!

With the shoulder bone connected
to the back bone,
and the back bone connected
to the neck bone,
and the neck bone connected
to the head bone.
Oh mercy how they scare!
Original Version:
E-ze-kiel cried, "Dem dry bones!"
E-ze-kiel cried, "Dem dry bones!"
E-ze-kiel cried, "Dem dry bones!"
Oh hear the word of the Lord.

The foot bone con-nected to the (pause) leg-bone,
The leg bone connected to the (') knee bone,
The knee bone connected to the (') thigh bone,
The thigh bone connected to the (') back bone,
The back bone connected to the (') neck bone
The neck bone connected to the (') head bone
Oh hear the word of the Lord!

Dem bones, dem bones gon-na walk a-roun'
Dem bones, dem bones gon-na walk a-roun'
Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk aroun'
Oh hear the word of the Lord

The head-bone connected to the neck-bone,
the neck-bone connected to the back-bone
The backbone connected to the thigh-bone
the thighbone connected to the kee-bone
the kneebone connected to the leg bone
the leg bone connected to the foot bone
Oh hear the word of the Lord

Consider these books as a great resource:

3. Listening Center: Always have books on CD's so the children can follow along.
4. Wall Writing: Have a specific place in your classroom on a chalkboard, white board or on the refrigerator at home for writing words. If the children find an interesting word, have them print it on paper and place it on the wall.
5. Word Sorts Children can classify long or short vowels, initial consonants, prefixes, or nouns and verbs, from a collection of words or pictures. You can do lots of activities using word sorts.
6.Overhead Projector: Kids love to illustrate their writings using overhead pens. They can create their own graphic organizers pictures for books they are reading.
7. Magnetic letters: I love having a ton of magnetic letters in the classroom. I have cookie sheets for the work boards. The magnetic sheets you can purchase will go through your printer. Kids can match letters in words by placing the plastic dimensional letters over top of the ones you have printed on magnetic sheets.
The magnetic sheets are found here:
8. Stamp A Story: I have collected millions of rubber stamps. By using different fonts and stamps, children can create a variety of stories. They can be changed according to holidays or even events.
9. Living Books: There are plenty of websites that offer books for children to read. They offer a different type of technology for our upcoming geeks.
10. Kids Books: I always have a collection of books that children (in my class as well as upper grades) have created. I have them laminated and kid illustrated. The students love them.


Other books by Patricia Cunningham include:

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop

I must admit that I am not a computer expert. In fact, you might call me a novice, but I have been wanting to make classroom materials for so long that it is getting ridiculous. Having investigated through a variety of sources, I have decided to purchase Adobe Photoshop for my Mac. I understand it has all of the elements that I need. I will keep you abreast of my successes/failures.

It is nicely priced and has a rebate!

If you have had any experiences in creating learning materials, please let me know!



I am also going to need some tutoring, so I am considering one (or more) of the following:

Max's Words

Max's Words
Kate Banks - author
Boris Kulikov - illustrator


Max's brothers are collectors of coins and stamps, but Max doesn't collect anything. He decides to collect something, anything. He finally decides to collect words. He carefully selects them from all sorts of print materials and then sorts them by category: colors, foods, small ones, big ones. He then gets very creative with the collection in this charming story that is must for pre and early readers.

Activities for this book might include:
1. Children can be given magazines and newspapers to find words that are of interest to them.
3. Construct a paper tree using strips of construction paper or paper bag. Glue the tree on a sheet of construction paper. Have the children cut out leaves and glue words from magazines on the leaves. They can decorate the remaining portion of the sheet of paper.
3. In a classroom, create a large tree on a bulletin board. Children can find their favorite words in magazines and affix them on the tree. Students can also glue the definitions to the words on an adjoining leaf on the tree.
4. Provide the students with construction paper and library pockets. Children can draw a picture using the pocket as a shirt pouch, jeans or any appropriate wearing apparel. Children can periodically add words to the pocket and then use them in their writings or simply use them to write sentences
5. Each child can add words to a journal or a little home-made book. They might be specific designations of words such as descriptive, synonyms, sensory, etc.
6. Select some words from the book and list them on chart paper. Children can think of synonyms to use for the words.
7. Allow children to select a passage in the book to illustrate.
8. Research other books the author has written and read them.

Other books using a similar concept include:


Kate Banks has also written teh following books:
The Eraserheads