Sentence sticks work great to teach parts of speech: verbs, nouns, adjectives etc. Use it to make silly sentences or real sentences too!

Organizing a Bring Your Kids to Work Day is a great way to introduce kids to the workplace. Here are tips for planning a successful event.

Do you remember how to make a paper cup phone? Does yarn work for cup phones? Teach your child how to make a string phone with cups and test how far it works.

I'm happy to welcome Scott Prath, M.A., CCC-SLP, the Vice President of Bilinguistics in Austin, Texas to share his expertise on bilingualism and speech disorders with us. Distinguishing between bilingualism and speech disorders is vital when it comes to treating the bilingual population and I hope the information Scott shares in this post will be

1-2-3 Come Make a Social Contract & Some Classroom Rules With Me A classroom social contract is quick, easy and fun for your kiddos. By having a say in making up the rules, (even though they will turn out to be the same as a teacher would think of) makes things seem more “fair” and students more accountable. I love social contracts. I made one up each year no matter what grade I taught. I simply listed my rules on a poster. We discussed why they were important. Then I had everyone raise their right hand and say “I promise to obey our rules.” Older students can simply sign another sheet of paper, to be hung up under the poster, but for younger elementary, I liked to have them trace & cut out their hand print, then write their name on top. Promising, and then signing their name, makes students feel important. It also makes them accountable and more responsible for their actions. Promises are big deals to children, so a social contract gives you a lot of behavior modification leverage. All you have to do when a child gets off track and is breaking the class’s terms of agreement, is to ask, “Did you promise not to do that? Did you sign our contract? How should you act? What should you do?" Sometimes I didn’t even say anything. As a gentle reminder, I’d give the “rule breaker” the proverbial “teachers stare”. Once I made eye contact, I’d point to the contract. They’d follow my glance to the poster and I’d simply pat their name. This gentle reminder, worked wonders. I didn’t call attention to negative behavior, the child wasn’t embarrassed, and the gentle reminder got them back on track. Periodically I’d review our contract, especially after long weekends, and vacations. You can have a whole-group discussion, and ask children to reflect on how they think they’ve done, and ask if you should make additions or changes. Because my social contract has been so successful in my classroom, I decided to share it in my latest creation for TpT. The contract snowballed into a 65-page "School Rules Classroom Management" packet. I think you'll find very useful, as it's "kid-tested & teacher approved" so these positive behavior modification techniques really work, plus they're quick, easy & fun for your kiddos. I've included 4 social contract poster options. Choose one & mount the poster on construction paper, glue it to the center of a piece of tag board. Make a frame of student hand prints either with paint, or by tracing & cutting them out., Because accountability is so important, have children write their name over their print. Besides the social contract posters, the packet is chock full of a variety of ideas & activities for your classroom rules, ensuring a safe, warm, and respectful environment, and includes the following: 2, emergent-reader rule booklets (For more personal accountability there's one with girl graphics as well as one for boys, which students enjoy coloring.) A matching social contract mini poster, and personal “I promise” bookmark. 51 pocket chart promise cards, giving you a broad selection of rule cards to choose from. 15 (rule-oriented motivational) posters 3 options for “Ready-Set-Write the Rules” to help reinforce what you’ve just shared. Several notes home from the children. “I promised!” slap bracelets. My kiddos LOVE them! Using a square of Scotch tape, I fasten them on at the end of our day. This is a quick, easy and super-fun way to reinforce the rules, as parents will be prompted to ask: "What did you promise?" “Actions have consequences” bookmarkMindful of our “P’s & Q” poster & writing prompt My personal favorite: "I have rights; I have responsibilities” posters, plus“We’ve got SWAG” posters, along with matching "I've got SWAG" mini ones. Both are suitable for older students. I hope you find this social contract idea and the rule packet as helpful and successful for your class, as it was for mine. In celebration for getting ready to go back to school, the packet is currently on sale in my TpT shop for just $4.95. Click on the link to pop on over. As always, I have not one, but several FREEBIES for you today! I pulled 10 posters from the packet and rolled them into a Back To School Poster Packet for you. Click on the link to grab these fun FREEBIES today. Well that's it for now. Thanks for stopping by. I'll be watching 2 of my grandchildren today (Kaiden 2 & Kaitlyn 8 months) which is such a joy. There's nothing like the awesome enthusiasm of a child and seeing the world through their adventurous and delighted eyes. Wishing you a love-filled day filled with precious moments. "There are not Seven Wonders of the World in the eyes of a child; there are seven million." -Unknown

Research shows us that kids learn better when they are actively involved and having fun. It only makes sense that the same is true when it comes to teaching punctuation. These cute punctuation mark stick puppets make it more fun with plenty of hands-on learning opportunities.

If you want to teach your little ones about the concept of opposites you will want to check out these fun opposites worksheets and activities.

Do you remember how to make a paper cup phone? Does yarn work for cup phones? Teach your child how to make a string phone with cups and test how far it works.

What can we do for students who are deaf and hard-of-hearing? This guest post on Speechy Musings shares a few tips for language therapy for these students.

Stuck inside? This list of fun and easy low or no prep activities for kids use items around your home to keep your kids entertained while locked in!

SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT

How can you support the development of self-regulation in kids? This huge resource is full of self-regulation games, information, books, and more!

Use craft sticks to make synonym and antonym sticks to use while teacher kids language, vocabulary and creative writing skills! I simply used a variety of words and wrote it on craft sticks. One sticks

Assorted games for kids to play for learning about Pentecost as found in Acts 2. Supporting material available.

This hands-on sentence building activity is a fun Lego learning activity. Kids will have fun creating sentences in Lego Sentence Building.

11 fun problem solving activities for kids to improve social skills, critical thinking, conflict resolution, and anger management.

I can’t believe the school season is almost here already, and has probably already started for some of you! To celebrate new classes, students, and goals I thought I’d share my “Articulation Goal Tracker” form with all of you.

Tips for staying calm, calming your child, and tools that they can use anywhere.

Check out our tips for How to Treat Convergence Insufficiency with Vision therapy at Home. Do you ever wonder if maybe your child has issues with their eye

The loud voices. The constant squirming. The screaming. And the crying. Oh, the crying. Every. Week.

If you're looking for interoception activities for kids to improve internal body awareness and self-regulation, these ideas will inspire you!

For a Limited Time Get All Parenting Simply Products at 1 Low Price $243.94 $97 Parenting Simply Foundations Workshop Raising Responsible Kids Simple Ways to Parent Without Anger When Your Child is Defiant: Simple Ways to Avoid Power Struggles Simple Ways to Change Your Child’s Worst Behavior How to Manage Sibling Rivalry Without Losing Your …

Author/ Illustrator: Rebecca Cobb Interest Level: Ages 3 and Up From the Book Jacket: With warmth, reassurance, and empathy, Missing Mommy addresses the loss of a parent from a child's point of view. This touching story explores the many emotions a bereaved child may experience, from anger and guilt to sadness and bewilderment. Ultimately, Missing Mommy focuses on the positive - the recognition that the child is not alone but is still part of a living, supportive family. Why It's On My Bookshelf: As a counselor I am very familiar with the stages of grief. As I read Missing Mommy, I felt like author Rebecca Cobb was taking me through them. This is a book for the child who wants to open up and it's also for the child who needs to be silently validated. The story has a compassionate feeling as it describes heartache, anger, sadness, and finally acceptance surrounding the death of a parent. But I will always remember her. I know how special I was to my mommy and she will always be special to me. Extremely happy to have this as a new resource for children and families. A Link to This Book and Others You Might Find Helpful:

Here are 30 fun "mommy & me" activities you can do with your kids, as well as some top tips for making the most of your time together.

This is the ultimate list of mother daughter bonding activities. Use these mother daughter bonding ideas to strengthen your mother daughter relationship.

Mommy and me dates are a great way to spend time together and create wonderful memories, it doesn't have to cost much as most of these ideas are free.

Mommy and Me Activities for you do at home with your kids. 80 Activities to do at home to keep it fun and interesting for moms and kids!

In the busyness of daily life, it can be hard to find meaningful ways to connect with our kids. We try to have real and honest conversations with them at mealtimes, in the car, or at bedtime, but o…

Discover the complete family photography experience with your Syracuse Family Photographer. Learn what to expect during family photos. Relaxed, natural moments filled with laughter, tickles, and play.

Here are 30 fun "mommy & me" activities you can do with your kids, as well as some top tips for making the most of your time together.

Create a fun Mommy and Me game course out of the simple toys and activities your children have on hand. Game time can be fun time for kids and parents alike!

This FREE printable Mommy and Me activity page is so sweet and such a fantastic way for your kid's to show Mom all the love this Mother's Day!

Mommy and me dates are a great way to spend time together and create wonderful memories, it doesn't have to cost much as most of these ideas are free.

Mother daughter bonding activities that can be done at any age to grow closer. Make these fun activities part of your everyday life.

If you are looking for some fun and inexpensive mommy and me time activities, we have some great ideas right here! Sometimes as parents we think that we have to go places and spend money in order to have some quality time with our kids, but that is not the case.…

Been crazy busy with work or caring for your newborn baby lately and want to make sure you're getting some quality time in with your toddler? In search of mommy-daughter dates ideas that are suitable for toddlers? Life can get busy, sure, but it's still extremely important to carve out the time to show our

If you're looking for some fun one-on-one parent kid date ideas to spend some quality time with your child, look no further!

This is the ultimate list of mother daughter bonding activities. Use these mother daughter bonding ideas to strengthen your mother daughter relationship.

Mommy and Me Dates? Lifestyle blogger Carly of Lipgloss & Crayons shares these Mommy Daughter activities that are perfect ways to spend time with your little one for under $25!

Fun mother daughter date ideas for every budget! Planning a day, weekend or just an hour, these activities strengthen the mother daughter bond

Have you recently returned to work and feel like you don't have quality time with your toddler daughter? Have you added a new baby and aren't spending as much time with your older child? Are

Mommy and Me Activities for you do at home with your kids. 80 Activities to do at home to keep it fun and interesting for moms and kids!

Mommy and Me Activities for you do at home with your kids. 80 Activities to do at home to keep it fun and interesting for moms and kids!