Not only can you use this homemade game to teach young kids the alphabet, you can use it to encourage older children to spell words. Anna was inspired to make this project when she got a great deal…

What kind of books do the kids like reading? Who are they favourite characters? The kids have to...

Article original rédigé par MPN et publié sur Montessori et Cie Reproduction interdite sans autorisation

We can look at the SmarterBalance/Badger Exam as a stressor in our lives OR we can look at it as an opportunity to strengthen our universal instruction. We can look at some of our students and say "they can't" OR we can look at those students and say "they will" and find a new way to reach them. We can look at our colleagues and find their faults OR we can discover ways to share our strengths and make everyone around us stronger in the process. We can worry about how far we still have to go OR we can look at the exceptional things that go on at Van Brunt each day, and build on those positives. On a daily basis, I am impressed with what goes on at Van Brunt. Your hard work digging into curriculum, relationship building, and supporting each other are some of the things that make Van Brunt a great place to be. High Fives: *Our youngest learners were deeply engaged in a Lucy Calking writing lesson. They were so eager to share their thinking on paper. *I loved to see how excited students were when their classmates experienced success during a spelling lesson. It's great to see such positive responses from our students. *Teachers were using data to reassign students in RAZ-Kids. The students were challenged to work hard and meet new goals. *A science review game had the students so engaged that they may not have realized how much they were learning! Students were encouraged to pay attention as questions were asked in a variety of ways. *Teachers were coming together as a team to problem solve and think of creative ways to meet the needs of every learner. *Guided reading lessons are becoming stronger and even more focused. Students know the expectations and rise to the high standards you have set. Important Information/Updates: *RtI Committee Updates: Our current assessment tools were discussed and conversation was had around which one (MAP, AIMS, F&P) we want to put the most weight for determining interventions. It was decided that MAP is what people currently like the best. There was also discussion around the percentile cut-offs for intervention. The high school currently uses 1st-10th percentile for Tier 3 and 11th-20th for Tier 2. There will be further discussion on this topic. We have also received PRESS, a resource for Tier 2/3 intervention in reading. *Information: As you are sending home information to parents, please provide a copy for the office. This would include things such as newsletters, permission slips, field trip reminders, etc. If it is going home...we would like a copy in the office. This will make life much easier as we receive parent phone calls. *Attendance: We have been using the automated calling system for absences. It is so important that accurate attendance is taken each day. If a child comes in late, please make sure to change your attendance. I completely understand that mornings are busy, but we don't want to worry parents when unnecessary safe arrival calls are being made. As I was in classrooms this past week, I saw that book groups were being introduced. Here is an interesting article: Assessing Learning During Student-Led Book Clubs Week at a Glance: Monday, January 26 PBIS Committee Meeting 7:30 Tuesday, January 27 I am out of district at the Badger Exam Training (Morning) Wednesday, January 28 I am at an Admin Meeting 8:30 I am at Rotary 11:45 POPS Assembly 2:30 PLC 3:30 (Focus will be on the Badger Exam for 3rd-6th grade teachers and special ed. 4K-2nd, please use this time for your guided reading lesson planning or Lucy Calkins work. If these groups don't include you, and you have your data gathered for your SLO, you may use this time to work on TPES.) Please let me know if you have any questions. Thursday, January 29 ELA Committee Meeting 7:30 Friday, January 30 Have a great week!!

Science and art combine in this amazing and simple rainbow experiment. The kids will love to make, explore and paint rainbows,

Are you looking for some FREE Phonics Activities? Well, you’ve come to the right place!! Today in our Struggling Reader Series, I’m sharing TONS of links to free phonics activities. Don’t get stressed out looking at the entire list. We’ll talk really quick about how to narrow down what phonics skills your learner needs to work ... Read More about The ULTIMATE List of FREE Phonics Activities

M.C. Escher, or Maurits Cornelis Escher, was a graphic artist known for his creative, and mind-boggling drawings, woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints.

If you have followed the discussion over the past years about "21st Century Skills" or have been on this planet long enough, you know that the ability to work with others is just as important as any "content" knowledge that we, as teachers, can provide. That being said, working "cooperatively" is NOT natural for all people, especially young children, and we have to make sure we are thoughtful about how we help students learn this valuable skill. Today I thought I'd share three key things to keep in mind--and then offer a few suggestions to get your brain thinking about ways to incorporate more learning partnerships in YOUR classroom! Partnerships are the perfect "starting point" for cooperative work! Think about how difficult it is for us, as adults, to get 4 or 5 of us to agree and be productive! Young students simply haven't been around long enough to know how to do that "delicate dance" of sharing, contributing, listening, and more. Learning how to actively listen is easier with just one other person. Sharing with just one person is so much easier for student who are more shy--and it's easier to have a back and forth conversation than try to balance several people. As students become accustomed to working with pairs, then it becomes easier to add people to the group. When forming partnerships, be mindful of your students' feelings. Be careful about the "find a partner" direction--because that is SO difficult for so many students. Whether they be shy, slower thinkers, worried about other students' feelings--asking students to form partners on the fly is often a tricky situation. Think about those who struggle finding partners and make sure everything is safe for them. Ideas? Use a "people picker" like popsicle sticks or index cards. Premake partnerships whenever possible (in addition to avoiding popularity contests, this allows you to encourage students to work with MANY other students, not just best friends). If you DO have students pick partners at times, consider a disclaimer, "If you don't find a partner in 15 seconds, come to me." so you can quickly help pair off those last few students. My students get very used to working with EVERYONE in the class (males, females, tall, small, etc) and they actually REQUEST me to pick popsicle sticks to take the partnering process out of their hands. We need to explicitly TEACH partnering skills Before I ask my students to work in partners, we have a number of discussions where we talk about what partnering LOOKS like, SOUNDS like, and WHY working in partnerships is beneficial. Together we made a list that we continue to refer to as we refine our partnering skills. The students did a pretty good job, I thought! Consider making a similar list with your students to make sure they understand that partnering isn't always easy--but it's worth it! As students start to work in pairs, you may need to stop and review some of these...and your students may come up with different ideas as well. Students need to realize that partnering isn't easy--and they will have to work at it! For some students, understanding that "balanced power" means that BOTH people have to share and both people have to listen is key--they can all relate to times they have had someone try to take over a group...and trying to work with someone who is NOT engaged or on task. So when should I use partnerships? All day long! Think about all the different ways that "Two heads" might be better than one...try some of these! Creating a climate where students work peacefully together will help increase engagement, improve learning, and increase the amount of academic discourse in your classroom. Another added bonus? As students work well TOGETHER, you are free to circulate, coach, and get a better sense of what is happening with your students' learning. Buddy reading Whether your students read with younger students or with others in your class, learning to read so others can hear, taking turns, staying on task, and using an appropriate voice level are all easy to practice with buddy reading. Try making copies of a fun poem for students to experiment with--or have them partner read an article. If you really want to dig in, have students read a novel as partners where they have discussions and buddy reading over an extended period of time. They can even complete a culminating project together! Checking for accuracy One of the first "partner routines" my students learn as we start the school year is "check for accuracy". I start this with basic math problems, math homework, and other tasks--where students work alone, then compare answers with a partner. We then practice how to handle when answers are different...and learn how to re-solve the problem together to see who was wrong and how to "fix up" any mistakes together. This really helps create a climate for collaboration, not competition and is a great way for students to check homework, to check over practice work, or to test the spelling of a tricky word! "Turn and Talk" One of the classic partner activities...and a GREAT way to get all students involved in discussions--turn and talk is a way for students to participate more frequently. This DOES need to be explicitly taught as well. If you simply say, "Turn and talk to a partner", you can sit back and watch certain students immediately turning to a best friend, other students sitting back and waiting to be asked (often ending up sitting silent)--and this doesn't lead to productive talk. Teach students to turn and talk by first checking around them to "include" students (may mean creating a trio!) and to make sure that each partner has a chance to share their ideas. This is a great way to get everyone talking--especially when asking questions ALL students should have access to. Not all students will know the answer to all math problems...but everyone should be able to answer questions related to opinions...to read alouds ("What do you think Ally should do next?")...or other easily accessible ideas. Math games Math games are a fun and easy way to teach the give and take of partnering. When students struggle, you can sit with them and coach the fair play and sportsmanship...but with games, the turn taking part is more automatic and students can work on some of the other factors such as voice level, on task behavior, using supplies wisely and more. This is one of the games in one of my "Partner Play" resources! Partner journals One thing my students enjoy once in a while is what I call "partner journals". You can do a lot of different things with this--but essentially in involves "sharing a notebook" to reflect back and forth on a read aloud, an article, a math problem--anything. Check out THIS POST for more information. It is a great way for students to realize that they write so that others can understand--and if they don't, communication breaks down. Try it and see! Challenge problems Putting students in situations where they need to solve difficult problems can be a great way for partners to learn how to make suggestions, listen to ideas, and politely disagree. When the answer isn't immediately obvious, it becomes clear that "two heads can be better than one"...and students can take their learning to higher levels. What about when students WANT to work alone? This is when coaching might be important...students need to see that other students might have great ideas, might help them find errors in their own thinking--and can make the entire process more fun! My students did a great job partnering on this back to school shopping challenge! These algebra thinking cards were MUCH easier when partners started working together! The math discussions they had were fantastic--and they found lots of misconceptions and mistakes they were making as they worked! My favorite quote? "I knew I could never do math this hard by myself!" And so much more! These are just a few suggestions to get your students working in pairs--but there are so many more! Keep stressing how important collaboration is--and how it takes practice to get good at it...but when we ARE good at it, working together can be so much fun! Follow me on... Facebook Pinterest Instagram @Fourthgradestudio Twitter @FourthGrStudio Periscope @ FourthGrStudio Teachers Pay Teachers Store Blog

How are adjectives like magnets? This is an analogy that you'll want to use with your students! Check out the matching adjectives anchor chart in this blog post, too!

15 Memes Only Art Teachers Will Understand Professional Practice % %

UPDATE: The photographer is Michelangelo di Battista and the paper weaving is by Jennifer Berning: Hat tip: FFFFOUND!

I’ve been making an exciting foray into the world of natural paints and inks. It’s not so different from natural dyeing really. You can use the same dye plants but just create a really strong dye b…

There are so many engaging resources and activities that can be used to help 2nd grade students master verbs!

Decorar pedres per àrees temàtiques per poder jugar o aprendre conceptes amb els nens. Personatges d'un conte, l'espai, el cos humà, senyals tràfic,insectes

This Ice Painting DIY is a fun and colorful (and easy to clean) activity to do with your kids. Making ice paint is easy and can unlock your child's creativity. Here's what you need:

This viral TikTok Cotton Pad art hack is a mesmerizing and simple art activity for kids with beautiful results!

If you follow me on Instagram or frequent my blog you will know that we spend A LOT of time making art as a family and I get asked lots of questions about our process. Once in a while I like to share my thoughts on "creating with a kid" here on the blog. (Please note that I am not a childhood development expert or a kids' art teacher- I am simply a mom who is an artist!) Last week I shared a peek into another of our family collaborations and today I thought I would share a follow up post about creating with a kid. As my long time readers know I've been making art with Lucy from day one. From riding on my back while I filmed online classes to letting her create with me in the studio, it's been a priority to share the art making process with my daughter. My philosophy is.... As I have mentioned in the past it is important for both my husband and I to incorporate Lucy into as many creative projects as possible. And while it makes no difference to us if Lucy grows up to be an artist, we do want her to be a creative thinker. I believe creativity and the ability to think in a creative way it one of the greatest gifts we can give our children and while I am always evolving as an artist and mama, I am learning so much as I watch her develop her own creative voice. I am learning that with every development stage, there are all kinds of challenges and success in our creative process. Now that Lucy is three things have started to feel and look a lot different from age one, two or even six months ago. She is no longer dazzled by paint! I used to be able to pull out the paint and she would be endlessly entertained. Now paint is not so dazzling, instead it's just another supply that she is comfortable using. And while I love this, it also makes the collaboration and creative process a little different. Here are a few new discoveries that are working for us: INTRODUCE NEW TECHNIQUES We used to slop paint on a canvas and call it a day but Lucy wants more- more challenges, more techniques more narrative. In other words she continues to develop her creative voice and we have to keep up and find ways to foster it. I've found that showing her how to use different materials and share new techniques has provided the challenge that she is craving. Things like stamping with all kinds of materials, expressive mark making, painting and drawing shapes, letters and patterns, using different size brushes, painting with a brayer, sticks, hands and feet and embracing all kinds of craft projects are all things that really capture her interst. Through this process I continue to find a balance between teaching and then letting her discover her own way. MIXING PAINT Mixing paint is a favorite process for Lucy right now. No matter what the age, there is something exciting about making your own colors and getting to have "ownership" over selecting and mixing colors. When I paint I am always trying to avoid making muddy colors but I try really hard to stay hands off when Lucy is mixing her colors. I show her some simple color combos but most of the time I let her figure it out on her own. The freedom to mix color, without being micro-managed has resulted in making her own discoveries that really get her excited. In the last six months she has discovered, through trial and error, how to avoid making mud. CREATE A NARRATIVE In the past six months Lucy's imagination has exploded. She loves telling stories, she plays make believe, she creates characters from her imagination and she even stays in character for weeks. What we know for sure is that a story or a narrative is really important to her. Right now art has become a vehicle for Lucy to tell stories and I want to foster this! Those days of slopping paint on a canvas has been replaced with a story that she draws and paints. Her entire art making process is all about these stories. Often when we are working alongside each other we do a lot of talking about her stories. We ask open ended questions that prompt her to create and expand her creations. As an artist I know how profound it is develop a narrative within your work and to see Lucy doing this at only three years old is incredible! CREATE HYPE These days Lucy has a mind of her own and while we love giving her freedom to make her own choices we still want to provide structure within the activities that we take on. When it comes to making time for art I've found that creating "hype" about a technique or a project creates excitement and willingness to try new things- regardless of her toddler moods. If I make a plan to take her to my studio in the afternoon, we will begin hyping it early in the morning- we chat about what we'll make, what colors she will select and what tools we will use. This process make for a smooth transition between activities. CREATE TOGETHER We all really enjoy creating together on our own individual projects. This rhythm has been a part of our lives since Lucy was born so it is natural for our family dynamic. At age three, it seems she is most comfortable and focussed when she is able to be interactive and social while making art. What is really cool is that we are all able to from each other learn simply by observing and working in the same room. From drawing a face to making polka dots to creating shapes- I know that many of the things that Lucy has learned has been from watching Andy and I work on our own art- not from us telling her what to do. While I know this will change as she gets older, for now it works for all of us and we really enjoy these times together. PATIENCE, PATIENCE, PATIENCE!!! The common thread in all of Lucy's creative stages is the need for patience. I used to only need patience for the mess making but these days my patience is wrapped up in her developing personality. While she is the sweetest kid, she can be stubborn, moody, intense and has A LOT of energy. All of this can affect the time that she spends creating. All I can do to stay patient is continue to remind myself that she won't be a toddler forever and this time teaching and fostering her creativity is precious! To read and see more of our time creating with a kid check out the entire series posts HERE

Not only can you use this homemade game to teach young kids the alphabet, you can use it to encourage older children to spell words. Anna was inspired to make this project when she got a great deal…

We have been having so much fun discovering different ways to paint. You may recall we did some Slide Painting and Kids Window Art. Today we explore painting with squirt bottles. That's right, those condiment bottles that you probably already have at home can be used for painting. Painting with condiment bottles is an outdoor activity, as it can get messy. Wear play clothes and get ready for fun! Supplies: Condiment squirt bottlesTempera paintEasel paperLarge box Add some paint to your squirt bottles. I added one part water for every four parts paint. This will thin the paint and make

Try thinking outside the box by painting with anything BUT a paintbrush with these fun preschool painting ideas!

Do you remember our post with painters tape and stripes? We went through a painting kick for several weeks... We put some canvases to good use, and

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ThinkOutsideTheWipe #CollectiveBias There once was a time I was so particular about everything. Everything had a place and remained organized and clean. After we had our first child I admit it became a little more difficult to manage,

This ice painting activity for kids is creative and unique. Children of all ages will love watching the ice melt as they decorate paper and see colours mix.

Explore the sense of touch in this process art activity for kids inspired by the new book, Super Sensory Invitations to Play.

Use shapes to create process art for kids. Block Painting is a fun and easy way to learn shapes, colors, and more with toddlers and preschool.

Teachers, parents, caretakers, non crafty moms, or anyone who works with kids, this is for you. Paint mixing is one of my all time favorite things to do with kids. Not only is it fun, but this basic activity exposes kids to math, science and art all in one go. It introduces color theory, cause and […]

Process art for toddlers | A simple art method for children to create their own beautiful artwork to display. More toddler craft ideas on the blog.

Here is a massive list of 70+ of the BEST and MOST FUN process art activities for toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners!

A really easy way to make an art session more interesting is to ditch the paintbrush and use a different tool! Here are 15 fun ways for kids to paint without brushes. Want to make a painting session more interesting? Try these fun art techniques. Most are suitable for kids of all ages, and need very little advance preparation. Bubble Wrap Blocks Cookie Cutters Marbles Scourers, Scrubbers and Sponges Soda Bottles Tree Branch Combs Lint Roller Paper Plates Cardboard Tubes Mesh Fruit Bags and don't forget... Hands! I hope this has inspired you to try something new at your next painting

They work great, they last way longer than those trays of store-bought watercolour paints, and they're inexpensive, fun and easy to make!

Splatter Paint is a fun process art for kids. Using rainbow colored paints and pipettes you can create a rainbow paint splatter art project for kids.

Easy string painting for kids | painting with yarn | benefits of string painting | process art for toddlers and preschoolers | painting ideas for toddlers

Create amazing art with this fun STEM painting activity using recycled materials!