Teaching Good Citizenship

Teaching good citizenship in the classroom is important for building a strong classroom community. We want students to understand that every member of the community, which are all of the students in the classroom and even those outside of the classroom, follows rules that help the community to function as a team. 

Teaching citizenship in the classroom usually happens at the beginning of the school year. Teachers explain to students basic classroom rules and expectations. Teachers know the importance of doing this right away, but we know that it is not a one-time thing. Teaching citizenship is done daily as we model and reinforce acceptable behavior. This is done more informally and more indirectly than at the beginning of the school year. But, it is sometimes necessary to go back and review classroom rules and expectations more directly, such as after a long holiday break. 

How do we teach good citizenship? Well, there are many ideas and resources for teaching good citizenship, but it is easiest to start with what students already know. Begin with the idea that we work to be good citizens every day in our day-to-day life. We follow a set of rules that allows us to respect and interact with each other. We follow rules that keep us safe and we follow rules that keep us out of trouble. There are rules set up by our government and rules that we follow in our homes. We also have values such as honesty, compassion, respectfulness, fairness, loyalty, tolerance, etc. These are things that are part of being a good citizen. 

Once students are reminded that we work to be good citizens every day it is easy to build the understanding that we need to be good citizens in the classroom as well. You can use books and videos that talk about following rules and being good citizens, which is always a great way for students to get a better understanding and see examples of good citizens. Along with the books, videos, and discussions you definitely want to begin introducing your classroom rules and expectations.

Find fun ways to teach students citizenship. You can role-play and model what good and bad citizenship looks like. Have students brainstorm ideas and provide examples. You can have them partner share, draw pictures, and write a word. One fun activity is what I call "Strike a Pose." Write some words on slips of paper or index cards. Put them in a bag or a container. Draw a card and then have students strike a pose. For example, the "respectful" card is drawn. Students strike a pose to show what that looks like. I would probably take a bow in front of someone. There is no right or wrong pose. It is just an idea for thinking about keywords. You could even preview the words and talk about what pose would work well before playing this game. 

Matching games with pictures or words is another fun activity. There are matching games that can be purchased, but you can easily make your own matching games. Again, you could write words on index cards (two of each word) and have students match them. You could also find pictures online, or take pictures. Remember, you want two of each. 

There are a couple other resources that I like to use. The first one kind of goes along with the drawing and writing idea that I talked about earlier. It is a resource that focuses on the different character traits of a good citizen. Each page provides a definition of the character trait and then provides a space for students to draw a picture and write a couple of sentences about the trait. 

Character Traits for Good Citizenship

I also like to use a booklet that helps students learn about the character traits of a good citizen. It is an 11 page booklet that works well as a small group reader. 

Good Citizen Book

It doesn't really matter how you decide to teach good citizenship or what resources you choose to use, the key is to keep the idea of building a strong community in mind. Remind students to think about who the people in their community are; how they expect these people to act; and what their role/responsibility as part of this community is. Believe me, setting the ideas of community and being good citizens in place will help to ensure a great school year.   

Making Learning Fun in the Classroom

When you watch tv and see the old one-room classrooms, like on Little House on the Prairie, you can definitely see that things have changed over time. The changes that have taken place over the last 30 years, starting with Brain-Based Learning and then moving into technology have given us permission and encouragement to make learning more fun and engaging. I absolutely love this. It doesn’t only make learning easier, it makes teaching easier as well. 

Teachers sometimes shy away from this type of interactive learning because they are afraid that student behavior will be contrary to the behavior they expect from their students, which is students sitting quietly in their seats and being on task. While good classroom management is key, teachers should know that students can be on task and learn as they talk and interact with others, sometimes even more so. 

Think about how you learn. Which way do you enjoy learning? Which ways do you learn best? I know for me, I learn in two ways. One is to sit and study on my own as I read, take notes, and repeat. The whole time I am kicking and screaming. The other way is a hands-on approach in which I am learning while I am doing, not even paying attention to the fact that I am learning.

Now, think about activities that you do in your classroom. Which ones not only encourage student learning but are actively engaging as well. You are probably doing more of these activities than you realize, which is great. For those teachers who aren’t doing much of this kind of teaching, or for those who are looking for some new ideas, I’ll share some ways that I like to incorporate fun and engaging activities in the classroom.

Games - Games are definitely on the top of my list of favorite activities. They are fun, interactive, engaging, and provide support as students practice and learn skills. Students can play a game over and over until they have mastered the skill. Besides being fun, games also make the teacher’s job easier. Rather than thinking of a new activity, teachers can reuse a game until students tire of it or until it is no longer needed. 

Center Activities – As a general rule, centers or small group activities have that interactive component structure, so this really doesn’t take much thought. Games, of course, are a common activity for centers, which is perfect. But, the main idea is to provide students with hands-on activities that allow them to think, talk, manipulate objects, test their ideas, and learn. I’ve already mentioned games, but there are also manipulatives, reusable practice pages, reading strips, retell puppet sticks, investigation activities, writing (salt, shaving cream, playdough, etc.), and thematic centers. I love thematic centers. An example would be an ocean center with a small creature (fish, turtle, crab), shells, books, cards, puzzles, writing clipboards, etc.

Computers/iPads - When I first began teaching, computers in the classroom were a new thing. Even then, they were just used for basic learning programs, if at all. I used computers as much as possible and made them part of my center rotations. I was able to do more with them as our school got Chrome books and iPads. Using technology in the classroom really took off at that point. Students are now definitely able to do more and become more engaged with assignments and interactive activities as technology has continued to improve. The plus side is that they enjoy this way of learning. 

Hands-on/STEM - Anything that allows students a hands-on approach to learning is awesome. Most of us learn by doing, so it makes sense that by allowing students to handle and manipulate objects they will develop a better understanding of how things work. 

They can practice spelling by using clay to form letters, writing letters in shaving cream or salt, and using letter cards to spell out a word help students to build a mental picture of the word. 

STEM activities are a great way to get students thinking, designing, and creating while using math, reading, writing, and science skills. It is a lot more fun for students to explore and try things as they learn. Their natural abilities and intuition come to the forefront as they complete the STEM activities.

27 STEM Activities - MEGA Bundle

Partner Share - I know that partner shares are not a unique idea, so I’m sure that this is something you are already doing, but there are a couple ways to change this activity up. Rather than just having your students turn to a partner and share their thoughts or share an answer, you can get them up and moving. 

Stop the Music and Share – Stop the Music is so fun, but students will get a bit silly, so you definitely have to set some ground rules (stay on task, no running, different partners, etc.) Before you start this activity you will want to have something for students to share such as question cards, clipboards with written information/words/pictures, books, etc., or the teacher can just ask a question each round and then the students share the answer. 

For this activity, it is helpful to have a good CD. I have found Kids Bop to be a good choice. Once students are set up with the information they are going to share you can start the music. Students move around the classroom having fun, but once the music stops they stop and find a partner. Then they share whatever it is that you want them to share. Super fun!

Partner cards are another great way to have students share. Students are given a card and then asked to get up and find their partner, which is the person with the matching card. They sit together somewhere in the classroom and then work on a given assignment (a simple task, answer questions, partner activity, etc.). This limits the number of people that they are interacting with, but it also allows for students to work with different people.

Outer Space Partner Up Cards

Music - Using kid songs in the classroom is a great way for students to practice their reading. Karaoke-style videos or songbooks work well. As students listen to the songs and follow along, they begin to learn the words, soon they are reading the words on their own. This is really a sight word way of teaching reading, but it definitely strengthens students' confidence and some learners do better with this way of learning. 

Learning to Read with Kids' Songs

Yes/No Cards - There is nothing I hated more during my own education than having to sit and wait as a teacher called on students to answer questions. There was also the worry that I would be called on and not know the answer. Yes and No cards or paddles are a nice way to get all students involved while making it fun with them having really very little concern of being embarrassed by their answer.

Ok, so you are probably thinking that students are still going to be embarrassed if they get the wrong answer, but two things happen, either no one is paying attention to how others are responding or they will notice how others have responded and they change their answer. Either way, they learn and are engaged as students indicate whether a statement is correct or not, you could also use true or false cards.

Readers Theater - If you have never used a Readers Theater script in your classroom I recommend you give it a try. There are scripts for all different levels of readers and they are super fun as students build their reading skills they can be a little silly and change their voices as they get into character. 

Story retelling sticks work in much the same way. Students can use pre-made story sticks (pictures of characters/parts of the story) to retell the beginning, middle, and end of the story to build comprehension skills.

There are many different ways to make learning fun and engage students. These are just some of my favorites. I hope that you find these ideas helpful, or maybe they just serve as a reminder. I know that students definitely benefit from this type of learning, so I hope that you make it part of your daily routine, or more of your daily routine, if you aren’t already doing this. 

Teaching Labor Day in the Classroom

For many people, Labor Day marks the beginning of a new school year. For others, it is just a nice three day weekend. Labor Day is kind of a strange holiday. It doesn’t mark a special day or specific person in history like other holidays do, yet it is one that remains a special one to many of us. 

Labor Day has been a holiday in America since the late 19th century. It is celebrated on the first Monday in September, which marks the end of summer. Many of us spend one last weekend of outdoor activities with family and friends. Others simply enjoy a long relaxing weekend.

Labor Day falls at rather an inconvenient teaching time of the year. Teachers are busy helping students get settled in and become familiar with the classroom and classroom routines. It is easy to let this holiday pass without much acknowledgment of it because it falls just before kids go back to school, or soon after. But, it is kind of disappointing for students to miss out on learning about this holiday. This doesn't need to be the case though. Teachers can easily include Labor Day into their day as students begin the school year. 

Adding anything extra to the curriculum isn’t easy, but squeezing in Labor Day works well. Students begin to feel comfortable in the classroom and with their peers as they talk about what they did on Labor Day weekend or over the summer; what jobs their parents have; and what they would like to be when they grow up. You can also use the Labor Day theme during normal work time. Here are some examples of how you can do this. 

Reading Passage and Comprehension Page

Use a reading passage that can be read whole class, or in small groups. Read the passage together and discuss it. You can have students highlight keywords, or write notes. Then have them answer comprehension questions, referring back to the passage as needed. 

Use this reading to model your expectations of how students are to work and behave during future reading in class. In other words, use this time to reinforce classroom management.

Activity Pages

Use activity pages such as a word search, vocabulary match, or an interview page to keep students thinking about Labor Day for a while. These pages work well as independent seat work, partner activities, or as part of a homework packet. You could also have students talk about what they want to be when they grow up. They can make a poster, or you could provide them with a printable page.

Allowing students to work together to complete these activities is a good opportunity for you to model how you want students to interact and be on task while working with others. 

Labor Day Poem

Using poems is a great way to help build reading fluency. I do this by having students read a poem and then color one piece of the picture on the page. Read the poem together whole class. Then have students read the poem again with a partner. Finally, have them read it on their own and color in part of the picture every time they read it. Struggling readers can focus on a small portion of the poem rather than the whole poem, moving on as they become ready.

The poem is another opportunity that allows you time to model and reinforce good classroom behavior. The goal for teaching Labor Day is, of course, not classroom management. I’m simply trying to show how you can use the theme to teach the curriculum and model classroom expectations at the same time.

My main emphasis is that teaching Labor Day is something that can be done. It is often not even a thought until after it has passed, but It is important for students to learn about holidays in general, with Labor Day being no exception. 

Hopefully, you can easily find some resources that you will enjoy using to teach Labor Day. I have a couple of resources that you might be interested in. You can view them on my Teachers Pay Teachers page. Either way, I hope that you will find a way to add this holiday to your already busy schedule. Don't think of it as a chore, enjoy it. Holidays are fun! Good luck!

Labor Day Activity Pack

Hooray, It's Labor Day PowerPoint w/Audio

You can also view this for free on Youtube.

Hooray, It's Labor Day - YouTube

5 Tips for Supporting Beginning Readers

 

When children are young their parents begin to expose them to reading by sitting with them and reading to them. As children reach school age, or sometimes a little earlier, they are introduced to phonics and sight words. We know that all of this is important for teaching children to read, but sometimes it isn’t enough. Children sometimes need more exposure and practice time with the text. There are 5 tips that I would like to share with you, some of which I am sure you are already doing, but they are tips that I have used to help children learn to read and support struggling readers. 

Tip #1 - Use Repetitive Books  

Using repetitive books in the classroom is so much fun. I like using books like Brown Bear, Brown Bear; The Little Red Hen; The Gingerbread Man; and The Little Old Lady that Wasn’t Afraid of Anything. There are a lot more, but these are the ones that come to mind. Students enjoy listening to these types of stories, and as you read they easily catch on to the repetitive frames. While you are reading you will soon find that they are chanting the frame. This is nice, but the cool part is that later they will take that book and start reading, or pretend reading, using what they have learned. It doesn’t really matter if they aren’t actually reading all of the words. It is a way for them to build their confidence and get excited about reading. They also become more open to reading along with someone in order to focus more closely on the words they don’t know.

 

Tip #2 - Use Read Along Resources - Videos/Karaoke Songs

Another really fun way to teach reading is to use read-along videos or kids' karaoke videos. I put together a songbook with the lyrics that go with some kid karaoke songs that I found on YouTube. I like to give students a copy of the book and then have them use it as I play a few of the videos. Playing the videos during a Brain Break or as a cooldown after lunch is a perfect time for this. Students follow along in the book or, of course, they can just see the words displayed on the video.

The thing that makes the songbook such a great idea is that during free reading time students often choose their songbooks in which they are successfully able to read because they have been practicing the songs with the video.

There are a lot of kids' song videos on YouTube, but there are also read-along videos. It is nice to use these videos because usually, students are already familiar with the stories, plus they are short. Students learn the stories quickly and are soon able to read along on their own.

Learning to Read with Kids Songs

Tip #3 - Use Poems - Read and Color

I enjoy using poetry in the classroom, especially with units of study. Every student gets a copy of the poem, which usually has a black and white picture that can be colored. First, we read the poem together and then students partner read. After students have gone through the poem several times, the next step is to have them read the poem on their own. 

Once students have read through the poem, I have them color one part of the picture. They reread the poem and continue coloring in different parts of the picture each time. For struggling readers, I just have them focus on a small section of the poem. I find that they usually work hard to learn the whole poem. I like to have students keep the poems in a folder so that they are able to take the poems out and read them during independent reading time. 

Fall Poem Freebie

Tip #4 - Book Bags - Easy/Appropriate Level
The key to becoming a reader is, of course, practice. I’ve already mentioned a few ways for students to practice reading, but book bags are another great idea. This works really well if you know your students’ reading levels. This allows you to provide them with books at their level to put in their book bags. Students do well with having familiar books in their bags that they can take home each night and practice reading. As they master each book, the book can be traded out for another one.

One reason for taking book bags home is that some students don't have books in their homes. I know that teachers spend way too much money on their classrooms, but having books for students to take home has always been one of my top priorities. One of the best places to find used books is in the bookstore at your local library. 

Book Bag Rules

Tip #5 - Partner Share - Read a Poem, Book, Sentence, Etc. with a Partner

I probably don’t need to say much about this tip, because I’m sure you already know the benefits of students working with a partner, but I don’t want the importance of partner sharing in reading to be overlooked. I think in the past, or maybe even still, this has been referred to as buddy reading. Although buddy reading is often done with a young reader and an older reader. The idea of a partner share is that it pairs readers that are closer to the same level, but having one partner with a little more reading experience is helpful. 

Partner shares don’t need to be micromanaged. Often, they are not even planned. Find time in the schedule to allow students to read with a partner. This can be done during free reading time, which is nice, but it can also be done as part of your lesson. I’ve already mentioned doing this with the poems where after reading the poem as a whole class, students practice reading the poem with a partner. This helps to keep them accountable and together students can work on words that they may struggle with.

Partner share does not need to be made complicated. It could be as easy as providing a strip of paper, or a card for students to read together.

If you are doing some of the other things in your classroom such as repetitive reading, book bags, and song books then you will find that partner share becomes something that students will begin to do on their own.

As I mentioned, you don’t want to micromanage, but there are benefits to sometimes pairing up students. One reason might be to break up students that don’t stay on task when they work together. Another might be to help students become more social and allow them time to work with someone that they might not normally work with. The last reason I will mention, which I have mentioned earlier, is to provide support to struggling readers. There are two ways to do this. You could pair a stronger reader with one that needs support, or you could pair two struggling readers together. With two struggling readers the teacher can provide the needed support as appropriate. 

There are many ways to support reading in the classroom, but I have shared some of my favorite tips. The key for me is to make reading fun, but the goal is to set students up for success. In doing this you will help to foster their love of reading. 

Ideas and Resources for Teaching Capitalization and Punctuation

Teaching capitalization and punctuation to young learners is not always an easy task. They need daily practice in order to master these skills. Finding fun and effective teaching ideas can also be tricky. It is important for students to have daily, repetitive practice, which isn’t always easy to fit into the daily schedule. With this in mind, I thought I would share some ideas and resources that I like to use for teaching capitalization and punctuation.

One thing I try to do with teaching capitalization and punctuation is to fit practice time in during downtime. For example, when students walk in the door and are waiting for others to be seated and/or when they are waiting for attendance to be taken, basically during the morning routine. I do this by having a sentence on the board or using a printed booklet with one sentence to focus on.

Having a sentence on the board is easy to do. When students are ready, they can correctly write the sentence on a paper, or they can write the incorrectly given sentence and then use red and green crayons to show the errors. I have students underline capitalization errors in green and then write the capital/lowercase letter above the letter that has been used. Then I have them use red to show the punctuation error. They underline the punctuation error in red and then add the correct punctuation mark. 

I mentioned using a printed booklet. I like to use Phonics and Sight Words Based Spelling/Handwriting Books. This allows students to practice several skills. The first step is for student to hear and write a given sentence. Then they look at the book to see how they did. The booklet then allows students to trace the words and rewrite the sentence several times. While doing this they practice handwriting, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. One sentence a day provides quick practice and by the end of the week students have completed their book. Students can be easily and quickly assessed on their learning. They are orally given all five sentences and asked to write them correctly. Teachers can monitor students’ progress with little effort. 

Phonics and Sight Word Based Spelling/Handwriting Sentence Books

For practice that is more lesson-based, I use a product that has actually become one of my best sellers. Students learn capitalization and punctuation rules with the teacher and then are able to practice the skills that they have learned. These pages work well for whole class instruction, small groups, and even homework. 

Capitalization and Punctuation Practice Pages

Using downtime in the classroom is a big thing for me. I like cool down times after recess or lunch. Students often need a minute to get back into learning mode. My favorite thing to do during this time is to show kid song videos in which students use their songbook to practice reading skills (they just think they are singing). But another thing I like to do is to show an educational video/PowerPoint such as one on capitalization and punctuation. You can find different videos on YouTube, but I have one that goes with the Capitalization and Punctuation Practice Packet that I shared above. This could be used before using the pages, after using them, as you go through the pages, or even on its own. You can watch this video on YouTube or purchase it in PowerPoint format. 

YouTube Link

Capitalization and Punctuation PowerPoint

I am a big fan of making learning fun. I like students to learn in a way that seems more like play than work but that still allows them to practice and learn the skills that they need to master. Using a video or PowerPoint activity does this, but playing a game is one of my favorite ways of doing this. Unfortunately, capitalization and punctuation practice usually means taking the time to practice writing sentences. I like using my Capitalization and Punctuation - Choose the Correct Sentence Activity because the practice can be done both ways. This activity could easily be used as a game in which one person chooses the correct answer on a card and a partner checks the answer card to see if the answer is correct. This activity can also be used to record the answer by writing out the sentence correctly and then checking to see if the answer is correct. Either option works well for individual practice or working with a partner. There is also an Easel version of this activity that allows students to practice in a digital game format.

Capitalization and Punctuation - Choose the Correct Sentence

I of course like to have students practice capitalization and punctuation in many other ways, but these are just some quick ideas that I hope you find helpful. My overall message would be to make teaching capitalization and punctuation easy on yourself along with being fun and effective for your students.

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Handprint Christmas Wreath

 

My grandson made this Handprint Christmas Wreath at school. It is such a cute idea that I decided to share it with you. The picture was done on a 14x14 stretch canvas board. It could also be done on a flat panel board. This size might be a little difficult to find, but it is worth the search because it is the perfect size for a 6-year-old's handprint.

I’m not exactly sure what type of paint was used. My grandson, remember he’s only 6, said it was in a tube and washable. It sounds like it was acrylic paint. They used green for the handprints and red for the berries. My grandson tried to explain that they used a paintbrush with a circle at the end. I’m sure any circular form would work. I would probably use a sponge cut into a circle, or a cotton ball.

The bow looks like a ribbon that was tied into a bow and then hot glued on. I’m sure you could find pre-made bows if you wanted to save time and go for a fancier look.

I hope that you enjoy this craft idea as much as I do. 

If you are looking for another Christmas gift idea that students can make for their families, I have a couple that you might like. 

My go-to Christmas gift is a Poinsettia Vase. I usually try to buy the small vases during Thanksgiving break. If I'm lucky I can find them all in one shot, but sometimes I have to shop around. Michael's and Walmart are my best bet. 

The directions for this project are a Freebie on my TPT Store. I've included the link if you are interested. 

Pointsettia Vase Gift Idea

Occasionally, I have a parent helper that has already received the vase because I had a sibling in my class a previous year. When that happens I have to think of a new gift idea, but I love the poinsettias. My second option is a calendar. It is a really nice gift but takes more work. 

The directions for this project are also a Freebie. Again, I have provided the link for you. 

Poinsettia Calendar Gift

The fun and wonderful thing about student-made gifts are that they are always special no matter what the gift is. 

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Making Comparisons using Simple Passages and Venn Diagrams

As students begin to feel more confident with their reading, I like to provide them with different types of reading material. I think that this is a great way to challenge them and help them develop critical thinking. 

This Making Comparison packet is a good resource for changing things up a bit. Students read simple passages and then use a Venn Diagram to compare the similarities and differences between two topics. 

The topics in this packet are familiar to students, so they are able to learn new information and also use what they know to make comparisons. 

The packet includes 10 passage pages with corresponding Venn Diagram pages. The passages provide students with nonfiction text, which is important for them to be exposed to. The comparisons in the passages are made between: dogs and cats; apples and oranges; cars and bikes; football and basketball; bees and butterflies; pizza and spaghetti; bats and birds; winter and summer; oceans and lakes; and penguins and polar bears.  

Here is a preview of the Dogs and Cats text and Venn Diagram:

How I Use: I provide students with one of the comparison passage pages. Then we read it together. This provides students with reading support if needed. It also allows me to clarify the facts and/or unknown words. After we have read the passage together, I have students read it on their own, or with a partner. I like to have students highlight keywords, or important facts during this time. Once students have finished reading I have them work on the Venn Diagram. 

Using these passages is a fun way to get students reading. They enjoy the familiar topics and are able to use their background knowledge. They are also able to share other things that they know about the topic. 

This packet is available at my TPT Store if you are interested. 

Here is the link: 

Making Comparisons using Simple Passages