Teacher’s Brain

Thank You Teachers Giveaway

Hi awesome Teacher’s Brain Followers!  I just want to say THANK YOU for following my store and BLOG.  I wanted to let you know of a few ways I’m saying THANK YOU this month to all of you.

1. Use this link to enter a raffle for 2X 100 Gift Cards or a $50 Gift Card to TpT
http://gvwy.io/ycgbefy   (enter up until the 29th)  I teamed up with a lot of other authors to bring you this chance to win.  (Follow my FB Page while you’re at it 😉
2. Use #HelloSummer in the TpT Search box for the next two days to get awesome 50% off resources.
JUST CLICK the pictures to check out the sales or FREE resources.

1/2 OFF for a Limited Time

#HelloSUMMER End of the YEAR Summer Packet From 1st grade to 2nd  #hellosummer Vocabulary Kindergarten - 3rd YEARLONG Reading Blocks Program

3.  *********************FREE******************FREE*********************

End of the YEAR Summer Packet From 1st grade to 2nd FREE SAMPLE       Community Helpers - Fostering Positive Relationships with POLICE      Plants - Label the Plant Parts Freebie Worksheet

I hope you have a FANTASTIC SUMMER! Follow my BLOG at www.teachersbrain.com to keep up with some more resources and teaching tips.  Thank you for all the kind comments.  You all are truly what helps me get up and get motivated each day!

 

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Building Children’s Vocabulary

Taking time to talk and read with children is a great way to help them hear and read new words.  Adults who have conversations regularly with children allowing them to ask questions about things that are interesting  in a non-threatening way, help build children’s vocabulary.  Children enjoy learning new big words.

Everyone wants children to do well in school.  Building their vocabulary is one way to help them become better readers.  The more background knowledge a reader knows, the better they become at comprehending what they read.  Talking to and reading with children are two great ways to help children hear and read new words.

Sharing a new word with children is quick.  Choose words that are of interest to children.  Usually words that are common with adult speakers, but less common in children’s books are popular.

Provide an example of a new word: Gigantic means something really big.

Then use it in a sentence that relates to daily life:  That monster truck is gigantic.

Next, have the child come up with an example:  The elephant was gigantic.

Last, use the word frequently during the week: Look at this gigantic ball!

Take time to share new words with children every day.  The payoff is GIGANTIC.  You can find some activities in this Yearlong Vocabulary Reading Blocks Program.

Vocabulary Kindergarten - 3rd YEARLONG Reading Blocks Program

 

Keeping Kids Learning All Summer

It is always a challenge to keep children learning when it’s summer time.  My own children are glued to their computer games.  When they are not on the computer, they are swimming in the pool.  Traditional learning is hard to compete with summer activities, but it’s important to keep up with today’s rigor.  Here is a list of great oral and physical activities to keep your children engaged in learning:

1.Pudding Painting is one of my favorites for children to use to learn sight words.  Spread pudding on the bottom of a cooking sheet pan.  Call out a sight word and have them write it in the pudding.  If they get it right, they get to lick their finger.

2.Have your child sort laundry by color or size before you wash them. Let them pour in the soap with your supervision as a reward.

3.Ask your child to skip count to 100. Then count by 5’s to 100.  Tell them this joke they can use with friends. “I bet you I can count to 100 in 10 seconds or less.” When someone excepts the challenge, they can count by 10s to 100.

4.Teach your child to set the table.  Have them count all the silverware.  Reinforce the “game” by offering desert for the right answer.  Continue with counting other objects, like plates, cups or placemats.

5.Children love to paint! Give them water colors and paper outside. Let them go crazy with splattering/flicking paint on the paper.  This gets their creative juices flowing!  I use to let my kids pain their play house with water colors.  When it rains, it come right off.

6.Encourage your child to tell you the months of the year, and the days of the week in order.  High five them for reinforcement.

7.Tell your child they can only watch TV or play a video game if they can tell you the time on the clock. (not digital…)  😉

8.What kid doesn’t like to make things with dried pasta.  Take a cup full of various pasta and first have them sort them into piles by shape. (You can use food coloring to make them different colors, if you are that kind of special parent.)  Then have them glue the pasta on construction paper to make a picture.

9.Father’s Day is often overlooked during the school year, so let your child use your ipad or phone to record their voice and send a special message to dad.

10.Encourage your child to come up with words that rhyme with ones you say (e.g. cake, make, rake), then have them use the words to make a funny poem or song.

11.At bed time, ask your child to sequence the events of their day.

12.Create a new dance move or hand shake with your child.

13.Play a board game like Candy Land with your child.

14.Ask your child to show you a Jumping Jack, Push Up or Skipping.

*** You would be surprised how many kids can’t do these tasks.

  1. Use chalk outside to make Hopscotch. Teach them how to play.

You can also find some Summer Packets to have children sit down for 20 minutes a day and focus on skills to prepare them for the next grade.

End of the Year Summer Packet For KINDERGARTEN to 1st Grade ReviewEnd of the YEAR Summer Packet From 1st grade to 2nd