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Teachers' Lounge: Back To School Prep

The summer is flying by, and before we know it, it will be time for another school year! Invite your kids back for a fun year with lots of classroom decor to help your little ones feel comfortable, and excited about the year ahead! A great classroom environment will spark creativity and help the kids gear up for all the new things they will learn this year. 

Add COLOR in the classroom.

What better way to kick off a new school year than a colorful room and a rainbow theme! This Birthday Pocket Chart is the perfect and fun addition to any classroom!
 
Classroom Prep Teacher 

Decorate your Door.  

A simple WELCOME sign in a rainbow of colors is a fun and inviting way to enter a classroom. School Prep Teacher Classroom

Decorate with their names.

You and your kids will be getting to know each other, so it’s important to include your students’ names as a part of the classroom decor! Make them into signs and they will feel welcome seeing their name on the wall, or on the door. School Prep Classroom Teacher

Keep it simple.

Don’t put too much on your walls. It’s best to keep it simple, and not overwhelm the kids in the first weeks. Let the children help you decorate your walls with their own projects as the days go on. An “About Me” art project from each student is an example of great wall decor. School Prep Classroom Teacher

Set up an art table.

Organize your art supply area by color! Keep a separate jar or container for red, orange, yellow etc. Classroom Teacher Prep

Set up a sensory table.

Pom Poms or dyed rainbow rice and scoops are fun and colorful. This simple sensory activity is great to start off the school year!
 
School Prep Teacher Classroom

Create a reading corner.  

A fun reading corner with a rainbow of colors (Pillows, bookshelves, etc.) will be an inviting spot for the kids to cuddle up with a good book! 
 
Classroom Teacher Prep
 
There are so many options when it comes to classroom decor, but it’s best to keep it simple, fun and colorful! Your kids will feel comfortable, your classroom will be inviting, and your school year will be off to a great start!

 

Happy Learning!

School Classroom Prep
Teachers' Lounge: Back To School Prep
The summer is flying by, and before we know it, it will be time for another school year! Invite your kids back for a fun year with lots of classroom decor to help your little ones feel comfortable, and excited about the year ahead! A great classroom environment will spark creativity and help the kids gear up for all the new things they will learn this year. 

Add COLOR in the classroom.

What better way to kick off a new school year than a colorful room and a rainbow theme! This Birthday Pocket Chart is the perfect and fun addition to any classroom!
 
Classroom Prep Teacher 

Decorate your Door.  

A simple WELCOME sign in a rainbow of colors is a fun and inviting way to enter a classroom. School Prep Teacher Classroom

Decorate with their names.

You and your kids will be getting to know each other, so it’s important to include your students’ names as a part of the classroom decor! Make them into signs and they will feel welcome seeing their name on the wall, or on the door. School Prep Classroom Teacher

Keep it simple.

Don’t put too much on your walls. It’s best to keep it simple, and not overwhelm the kids in the first weeks. Let the children help you decorate your walls with their own projects as the days go on. An “About Me” art project from each student is an example of great wall decor. School Prep Classroom Teacher

Set up an art table.

Organize your art supply area by color! Keep a separate jar or container for red, orange, yellow etc. Classroom Teacher Prep

Set up a sensory table.

Pom Poms or dyed rainbow rice and scoops are fun and colorful. This simple sensory activity is great to start off the school year!
 
School Prep Teacher Classroom

Create a reading corner.  

A fun reading corner with a rainbow of colors (Pillows, bookshelves, etc.) will be an inviting spot for the kids to cuddle up with a good book! 
 
Classroom Teacher Prep
 
There are so many options when it comes to classroom decor, but it’s best to keep it simple, fun and colorful! Your kids will feel comfortable, your classroom will be inviting, and your school year will be off to a great start!

 

Happy Learning!

School Classroom Prep
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3 Ways to Avoid Summer Slide

3 Ways to Avoid Summer Slide!

Summer is here and there's fun to be had!  However, just because school is over doesn't mean learning should be on break too!Make sure that all the amazing growth your child has made this school year doesn't run down the drain faster than a melting popsicle! Check out some easy and engaging ways to prevent the dreaded "summer slide" while promoting critical thinking and creativity with science, math and reading!

Science

Science experiments are as close as your freezer door! With the weather changing from Spring to Summer, temperatures fluctuate greatly. Using the Learning Resources Classroom Thermometer, an ice cube, and my phone as a timer, my children decided to test out how the temperature effects the time it takes for an ice cube to melt.We talked about how we feel the heat in the air as well as on our feet as we walk barefoot on the concrete. In 106 degree heat (phew!), it only took 2 minutes and 5 seconds to melt.Avoid Summer SlideThe following day was 75 degrees and my daughter noticed the “red line” didn’t go up as high on the thermometer.I asked her if she thought it would take the ice more time to melt, or less time. She made the connection that less heat means more time, and guessed it would take 3 minutes this time. Low and behold it actually took 8 minutes and 55 seconds! She could not believe how long it took to melt since it was still hot outside!Want to make it more fun? Try mixing up some fun colors in the water or change the size of the ice cubes with different ice molds. Encourage your child to ask questions, observe, and report on their findings!

Math

Using the Learning Resources Giant Soft Cubes: Dots I had a plan of having my children roll and count the dots to see how many hops to take across the room to the “secret treasure". This can be a piece of candy, a small toy, just be sure to keep it hidden! This is a great way to sharpen counting skills as well as get some energy out!The dice is perfect for this game as it is big, easy to see, and soft enough to not worry about corners!Summer SlideAfter we played the hopping game, my daughter and son came up with some additional games to play. This fun spark of creativity led to some unplanned learning time! Hooray!These games included: determine how many hops to take on the trampoline before it was the next person's turn, figure out how many bites of chicken to take, pick how many M&M’s to snack on (FAN FAVORITE), and barter how many extra minutes of playtime before bedtime. Throughout any activity we used the cubes for, my children were excited to count and count and count some more!

Reading

Being a reading teacher, this subject is near and dear to my heart. Simply reading to your child is one of the most important things you can do to keep little brains working.Use the 5 WH questions (who, what, where, when, why) to generate questions for your child as you read. Encouraging your child to tell you the story just using the pictures is another great way to stimulate the brain! Try reading a short story each night before bedtime and have them follow along if they can.Avoid Summer SlideTo ensure your child maintains the growth they’ve made during the school year, nothing complicated needs to be done. Just plain and simple engagement and conversations with your child go a long, long way! Science, math and reading skills can fit into every day play and will keep your kids prepared for the next school year to come!Summer Slide
3 Ways to Avoid Summer Slide!
Summer is here and there's fun to be had!  However, just because school is over doesn't mean learning should be on break too!Make sure that all the amazing growth your child has made this school year doesn't run down the drain faster than a melting popsicle! Check out some easy and engaging ways to prevent the dreaded "summer slide" while promoting critical thinking and creativity with science, math and reading!

Science

Science experiments are as close as your freezer door! With the weather changing from Spring to Summer, temperatures fluctuate greatly. Using the Learning Resources Classroom Thermometer, an ice cube, and my phone as a timer, my children decided to test out how the temperature effects the time it takes for an ice cube to melt.We talked about how we feel the heat in the air as well as on our feet as we walk barefoot on the concrete. In 106 degree heat (phew!), it only took 2 minutes and 5 seconds to melt.Avoid Summer SlideThe following day was 75 degrees and my daughter noticed the “red line” didn’t go up as high on the thermometer.I asked her if she thought it would take the ice more time to melt, or less time. She made the connection that less heat means more time, and guessed it would take 3 minutes this time. Low and behold it actually took 8 minutes and 55 seconds! She could not believe how long it took to melt since it was still hot outside!Want to make it more fun? Try mixing up some fun colors in the water or change the size of the ice cubes with different ice molds. Encourage your child to ask questions, observe, and report on their findings!

Math

Using the Learning Resources Giant Soft Cubes: Dots I had a plan of having my children roll and count the dots to see how many hops to take across the room to the “secret treasure". This can be a piece of candy, a small toy, just be sure to keep it hidden! This is a great way to sharpen counting skills as well as get some energy out!The dice is perfect for this game as it is big, easy to see, and soft enough to not worry about corners!Summer SlideAfter we played the hopping game, my daughter and son came up with some additional games to play. This fun spark of creativity led to some unplanned learning time! Hooray!These games included: determine how many hops to take on the trampoline before it was the next person's turn, figure out how many bites of chicken to take, pick how many M&M’s to snack on (FAN FAVORITE), and barter how many extra minutes of playtime before bedtime. Throughout any activity we used the cubes for, my children were excited to count and count and count some more!

Reading

Being a reading teacher, this subject is near and dear to my heart. Simply reading to your child is one of the most important things you can do to keep little brains working.Use the 5 WH questions (who, what, where, when, why) to generate questions for your child as you read. Encouraging your child to tell you the story just using the pictures is another great way to stimulate the brain! Try reading a short story each night before bedtime and have them follow along if they can.Avoid Summer SlideTo ensure your child maintains the growth they’ve made during the school year, nothing complicated needs to be done. Just plain and simple engagement and conversations with your child go a long, long way! Science, math and reading skills can fit into every day play and will keep your kids prepared for the next school year to come!Summer Slide
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Whatever You're Feeling Today is Okay!

We’ve all been there… Our toddlers or preschoolers come to us crying about mean words spoken, cutting in line, or a friend not their sharing toys. Whatever injustice they are feeling, our first instinct is to tell our little ones that “it’s okay!” And it is okay. Odds are that the issue is not a too big that they can't get by with patching it up with a hug, a kiss, or a Popsicle!However telling our kids “it’s okay” doesn’t help them understand what they’re feeling and why they’re feeling that way. With a little guidance behind emotions we can help them identify and verbalize their feelings and also learn to cope with them. In fact, only saying “it’s okay” kind of brushes your child’s feelings under the rug and tells them that it’s time to let the issue go and move on, whether it feels resolved to your child or not.In fact, what we should be teaching our kids is that whatever they’re feeling in any moment is fine and a normal part of life! Feelings are feelings and your child is going to have them for the rest of their life, so best learn how to deal with them head on. The first step is learning to identify WHAT they’re feeling. Are they crying because they’re angry, frustrated, hurt, or sad?Emotions, FeelingsTo assist your child name the emotion they’re feeling, it’s helpful to understand what happened leading up to the feeling. Start by having your child take a few deep breaths to calm down. When they’re ready, ask your child to tell you what happened. Then help them name their feelings AND show that you understand the scenario with a reply that goes something like, “Oh, gosh! It sounds like Timmy pushed you in the sandbox and that made you angry!” Then, show some empathy yourself, “It would make me angry to be pushed, too.” And help your child learn to problem solve with a question like, “What do you think we should do about how we feel?”

Learning Resources’ Soft Foam Emoji Cubes are a great way to help kids name and talk about their own emotions.

Emotions, FeelingsThey will also learn to begin to recognize various emotions in others. Two cubes feature emoji faces displaying 12 different emotions. Begin by rolling one die and asking how your child thinks that emoji is feeling? Is it feeling sad, confused, embarrassed?Next roll one of the other colored die and read the question it lands on. “Share a memory of when you felt shy” or “One time I was frightened because…” are perfect conversation starters and will get your kiddo comfortable with talking about various emotions.

A paper plate emotion spinner is another fun activity to help kids learn to identify their emotions.

Start by drawing 8 small circles around the edge of a paper plate.Emotions, Spinner, FeelingsIf your child is able, let them draw a different emotion in each circle. You can suggest things like happy, sad, angry, frustrated, silly, shy, scared, and nervous.Emotions, FeelingsNext, cut a circle the same size out of the edge of a second paper plate. Label the plate “How Am I Feeling?” Let your child paint the center, if you like. Stack the plates, punch a hole in the center of both, and attach them with a brad.Feelings, EmotionsSpin the top plate to reveal various emotions peeking through the hole and ask your child to identify them. You can also use the plates as a tool to help your child verbalize feelings in the moment – a particularly helpful (and distracting!) tool when your child is too upset to speak or doesn’t know how to articulate what they’re feeling.Emotions, FeelingsNext time your child is upset, take a deep breath, and in addition to telling them “it’s okay”, help them feel their emotion and understand it. This will do wonders for their emotional well-being as well as your own. Then, of course, give them a hug, a kiss, and a Popsicle! ????Feeling
Whatever You're Feeling Today is Okay! We’ve all been there… Our toddlers or preschoolers come to us crying about mean words spoken, cutting in line, or a friend not their sharing toys. Whatever injustice they are feeling, our first instinct is to tell our little ones that “it’s okay!” And it is okay. Odds are that the issue is not a too big that they can't get by with patching it up with a hug, a kiss, or a Popsicle!However telling our kids “it’s okay” doesn’t help them understand what they’re feeling and why they’re feeling that way. With a little guidance behind emotions we can help them identify and verbalize their feelings and also learn to cope with them. In fact, only saying “it’s okay” kind of brushes your child’s feelings under the rug and tells them that it’s time to let the issue go and move on, whether it feels resolved to your child or not.In fact, what we should be teaching our kids is that whatever they’re feeling in any moment is fine and a normal part of life! Feelings are feelings and your child is going to have them for the rest of their life, so best learn how to deal with them head on. The first step is learning to identify WHAT they’re feeling. Are they crying because they’re angry, frustrated, hurt, or sad?Emotions, FeelingsTo assist your child name the emotion they’re feeling, it’s helpful to understand what happened leading up to the feeling. Start by having your child take a few deep breaths to calm down. When they’re ready, ask your child to tell you what happened. Then help them name their feelings AND show that you understand the scenario with a reply that goes something like, “Oh, gosh! It sounds like Timmy pushed you in the sandbox and that made you angry!” Then, show some empathy yourself, “It would make me angry to be pushed, too.” And help your child learn to problem solve with a question like, “What do you think we should do about how we feel?”

Learning Resources’ Soft Foam Emoji Cubes are a great way to help kids name and talk about their own emotions.

Emotions, FeelingsThey will also learn to begin to recognize various emotions in others. Two cubes feature emoji faces displaying 12 different emotions. Begin by rolling one die and asking how your child thinks that emoji is feeling? Is it feeling sad, confused, embarrassed?Next roll one of the other colored die and read the question it lands on. “Share a memory of when you felt shy” or “One time I was frightened because…” are perfect conversation starters and will get your kiddo comfortable with talking about various emotions.

A paper plate emotion spinner is another fun activity to help kids learn to identify their emotions.

Start by drawing 8 small circles around the edge of a paper plate.Emotions, Spinner, FeelingsIf your child is able, let them draw a different emotion in each circle. You can suggest things like happy, sad, angry, frustrated, silly, shy, scared, and nervous.Emotions, FeelingsNext, cut a circle the same size out of the edge of a second paper plate. Label the plate “How Am I Feeling?” Let your child paint the center, if you like. Stack the plates, punch a hole in the center of both, and attach them with a brad.Feelings, EmotionsSpin the top plate to reveal various emotions peeking through the hole and ask your child to identify them. You can also use the plates as a tool to help your child verbalize feelings in the moment – a particularly helpful (and distracting!) tool when your child is too upset to speak or doesn’t know how to articulate what they’re feeling.Emotions, FeelingsNext time your child is upset, take a deep breath, and in addition to telling them “it’s okay”, help them feel their emotion and understand it. This will do wonders for their emotional well-being as well as your own. Then, of course, give them a hug, a kiss, and a Popsicle! ????Feeling
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Celebrate Astronomy Day with Kids

Each year Astronomy Day is celebrated worldwide. The stars have fascinated humanity for literally centuries, and even to this day captures the imagination of kids of all ages. Celebrate this event with them this year and don't worry if you don't own any expensive telescopes. These DIY activities use real life discoveries to inspire your little astronomers!

Track the Phases of the Moon

Bone sticks from across Europe and Africa dating back as long ago as 35,000 BCE that tracked the moon’s phases. Use a simple number line with your kids to track the phases of the moon over the course of a month, from full moon and back again. Do it for several months and see what patterns they begin to observe.

Depict a Celestial Phenomenon

A celestial phenomenon is a astrological event that involves one or more objects. The earliest example depicted was discovered in Germany in 1999. The Nebra Sky Disc dates back to 2000 BC and it depicted a star cluster, phases of the moon and the rising sun.

Use a black paper plate, or even just black paper, and encourage your children to depict their own star formations. If they can’t stay up to observe them at night, project some indoors with this Shining Stars Projector.

Astronomy to Keep Time

The Chinese astronomers kept detailed observations beginning about 600 BC, for the primary purpose of timekeeping. Their records allowed them to predict eclipses, and include the first record of events such as supernovas and comets.

On the other side of the world, the Mayans developed their own astronomical tables for predicting the phases of the moon, eclipses, and the appearance of the other planets. They used these and the cycles of the Sun, the Moon, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and constellations to establish the Mayan calendar.

All of the above astronomy was without a telescope, and you can still observe these astronomical events with your kids today. Check out this astronomy calendar and pick a full moon, eclipse, planetary event, or meteor shower to observe as a family.

Try this simple astronomy experiment to help kids as young as preschoolers understand what makes night.

Just because ancient astronomers did all of this without a telescope doesn't mean your little ones have to! All of the above activities can be done with the naked eye but if you feel like shooting for the stars check out Learning Resources Big View Telescope. How will you celebrate Astronomy Day?

 DIY Astronomy Day Activities!
Celebrate Astronomy Day with Kids

Each year Astronomy Day is celebrated worldwide. The stars have fascinated humanity for literally centuries, and even to this day captures the imagination of kids of all ages. Celebrate this event with them this year and don't worry if you don't own any expensive telescopes. These DIY activities use real life discoveries to inspire your little astronomers!

Track the Phases of the Moon

Bone sticks from across Europe and Africa dating back as long ago as 35,000 BCE that tracked the moon’s phases. Use a simple number line with your kids to track the phases of the moon over the course of a month, from full moon and back again. Do it for several months and see what patterns they begin to observe.

Depict a Celestial Phenomenon

A celestial phenomenon is a astrological event that involves one or more objects. The earliest example depicted was discovered in Germany in 1999. The Nebra Sky Disc dates back to 2000 BC and it depicted a star cluster, phases of the moon and the rising sun.

Use a black paper plate, or even just black paper, and encourage your children to depict their own star formations. If they can’t stay up to observe them at night, project some indoors with this Shining Stars Projector.

Astronomy to Keep Time

The Chinese astronomers kept detailed observations beginning about 600 BC, for the primary purpose of timekeeping. Their records allowed them to predict eclipses, and include the first record of events such as supernovas and comets.

On the other side of the world, the Mayans developed their own astronomical tables for predicting the phases of the moon, eclipses, and the appearance of the other planets. They used these and the cycles of the Sun, the Moon, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and constellations to establish the Mayan calendar.

All of the above astronomy was without a telescope, and you can still observe these astronomical events with your kids today. Check out this astronomy calendar and pick a full moon, eclipse, planetary event, or meteor shower to observe as a family.

Try this simple astronomy experiment to help kids as young as preschoolers understand what makes night.

Just because ancient astronomers did all of this without a telescope doesn't mean your little ones have to! All of the above activities can be done with the naked eye but if you feel like shooting for the stars check out Learning Resources Big View Telescope. How will you celebrate Astronomy Day?

 DIY Astronomy Day Activities!
READ MORE

Teach Botley to Pick-up Litter!

Discover the possibilities Botley brings to your early coding curriculum.  Aligned to CSTA standards, these printable classroom activities will help your little learners discover coding without any screens or apps. Just power on Botley, and you’re ready to go!

Click here to download your botley classroom coding activity

Code botley to pick up litter to teach students about Sequences, Loops, and Conditionals.Share your classroom coding success with us on social media using #Botley!
Teach Botley to Pick-up Litter!
Discover the possibilities Botley brings to your early coding curriculum.  Aligned to CSTA standards, these printable classroom activities will help your little learners discover coding without any screens or apps. Just power on Botley, and you’re ready to go!

Click here to download your botley classroom coding activity

Code botley to pick up litter to teach students about Sequences, Loops, and Conditionals.Share your classroom coding success with us on social media using #Botley!
READ MORE