THIS ISSUE'S THEME: Beautiful B

WELCOME! to Education World's Early Childhood Education Newsletter. Every other week, we'll bring you activities and suggestions to give your teaching themes a boost. You'll find some new ideas -- or perhaps a new spin on an activity you've used in the past. We're happy to be a part of your teaching and hope your school year is filled with wonder, creativity, and fun-filled learning.

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Volume 7, Issue 13
August 17, 2009
Theme: Beautiful B

Art by Bobbie Peachey, Web Clipart Guide (about.com) Used with permission

Beautiful B

Look at me
What do you see?
What words can you say
That start with a B?

This school year, each of our newsletters will bring you and your children rhymes, activities, and resources that feature a different letter of the alphabet. We know that many of you introduce the alphabet to your children one letter at a time by sharing activities that reinforce each letter over the course of several weeks. We hope our year-long format will support your teaching and give you some new ideas to enhance your alphabet instruction.

Susan LaBella
Editor, Early Childhood Education Newsletter

BEACH TIME!
Give each child a plastic Zip-lock bag. Help children add a bit of sand to fill the bottoms of their bags. Then add some tiny seashells. Next, squirt a small amount of shaving cream into each bag, followed by a few drops of food coloring. Children can close their bags and gently massage the shaving cream and coloring to create “waves.” Finally let children carefully open their bags to drop a few small plastic fish or other sea animals into the “waves.” Follow up your activity by reading Elisha Cooper’s book, Beach.

BUBBLE-PACK PAINTING
Give each child an 8 by 11-inch sheet of plastic bubble wrap (used for packing). Let children paint the bubbles with tempera paint. Before the paint dries, children can press a piece of 8 1/2 by 11-inch paper onto the bubbles to create fun prints.

BEAUTIFUL BINOCULARS
Give each child two empty toilet paper rolls and help him/her glue the rolls together to form “binoculars.” Punch a hole on the outside end of each roll. Tie a string between the two holes. Let children decorate their binoculars with glitter, sequins, or stickers to make them as beautiful as possible. Show children how to hang the binoculars around their necks as they take a nature walk. Note: Use this activity only with children who are old enough to handle strings responsibly.

BOUNCING BALLOONS
Glue onto a sheet of cardboard five baby-food jar lids with their open sides up; the lids should form a small semi-circle. Fill each lid with a different color of tempera or finger paint. Let each child dip the fingers of one hand into the lids, one finger per lid/color. Then have children press their fingertips onto a sheet of white construction paper, making prints. When the prints have dried, children can draw lines from each print, creating balloons with strings.

A BED FULL OF BUGS
Give children slices of whole wheat bread. (This is the bed.) Help children spread butter, cream cheese, or any other spreadable onto the bread. (This is a blanket.) Finally let children place raisins, cereal bits, or small pieces of fruits or vegetables onto of the blanket. (These are the bugs!) Enjoy this fun snack.

YOUR WORD CORNER
Here are some words you will need.
See them, say them … hey, you can read!!
big
blue
bed
book
Write the words on a chart and review them. Then read aloud each sentence below. Try each word in each sentence. Let children tell you which word fits.
The sky is a _________color.
An elephant is _____________.
I read a good ________________.
I sleep in a ________________.

Check out the following Web sites for additional background and activities.

Animal Printable Coloring Page #1
Animal Printable Coloring Page #2
Some animal names start with “B.” Find them here and color their pictures.
http://thecoloringspot.com/animals/animals-set-1.html
http://thecoloringspot.com/animals/animals-set-2.html

BIG Brachiosaurus
Find out all about this large dino. Kids can color one too.
http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Dell/2237/dino/dino-b.html

Buttons
You can do so much with these -- activities galore.
http://www.123child.com/UBB/showthread.php?t=6332

Bus Theme
You’ll find tons of ideas to use with a bus theme.
http://www.fastq.com/~jbpratt/education/theme/transportation/main.html#Bus

My Body
Scroll down to find all sorts of books and activity ideas about”My Body.”
http://www.fastq.com/~jbpratt/education/theme/body.html

COMING NEXT ISSUE
August 31, 2009
The Letter C

Each week, Education World spotlights books of interest to educators. This week, read a brief summary of two more of our "top 50 books for educators."

The Bully Free Classroom
Subtitled "Over 100 Tips and Strategies for Teachers K-8," this useful volume provides well over 100 bite-sized ideas that are quick to read and common-sensical. Bullying, of course, is a terrible phenomenon in schools and famously hard to deal with effectively. So, a relatively brief (166 pages) resource that offers a wide variety of ideas and approaches is probably one of the most valuable items you can have on hand as a teacher in the modern classroom.
Click to learn more or to purchase this book.

Rainbows, Head Lice, and Pea-Green Tile: Poems in the Voice of the Classroom Teacher
These poems deal with the humorous experiences of being an elementary school teacher, and also touch on some of the more human, poignant moments the teaching life brings. One poem, "The Threshold," dramatizes the moment a new teacher is about to step into the classroom to meet a new class of kindergarten students. "...I hesitate/For beyond this door/The future awaits me/ ...I feel a little silly/I can't stand here all day long/After all, they're just children/What could possibly go wrong?"
Click to learn more or to purchase this book.

Click the icon to the right to see more books and many other products that are available in the Education World MarketPlace.

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The Best of LEARNING GAMES

If you enjoy Education World's weekly LEARNING GAMES feature, you'll love this book! Education World and the National Education Association (NEA) have joined forces to create a handy, pocket-size booklet of more than 30 of our most popular learning games. PLUS an extra bonus -- ten more games for classroom fun!

These classroom games span the grades and the major subject areas -- and inject a healthy dose of fun into the serious business of teaching and learning. Looking to fill the end of a hectic day with something fun and educational? Looking for a great reward for students that will make valuable use of free time? Looking to reinforce basic skills with a fun activity? These games will fill the bill!

Included in this 80-page booklet you'll find these games and more:

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For a modest $24.95 PER YEAR, upgrade to Personal Edition, "Super SchoolNotes," with thousands of resources linked to your state's standards.

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MORE FEATURES OF INTEREST
Reader’s Theater More than two dozen scripts, perfect for the classroom.
Best Books for Teaching About… Booklists for 30 popular teaching themes.
Sign Up for Our Newsletters Ten free newsletters full of practical ideas.
Special Education Center Tools for the special education community.
Techtorials Tutorials take the terror out of tech.

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LEAVE 'EM LAUGHING
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Wanted: PTA Speakers

As a traffic safety consultant, I often gave talks to organizations on accident prevention. One night after I spoke to a PTA group, the program chairperson thanked me profusely and gave me a check for fifty dollars.

"Giving these presentations is part of my job," I said. "Could I donate the money to one of your causes?"

"That would be wonderful," the chairperson gushed. "We have just the program that could use it. We're trying to raise money so we can afford better speakers."

Looping Has Its Disadvantages

Sara, a first-grader, was a student in Mrs. McNeil’s class. The active little girl needed constant prodding to get her work done. Unfortunately, Sara’s work habits had not improved much when she moved on with Mrs. McNeil to second grade. But, still, Mrs. McNeil kept after Sara.

One day when Sara had given an extra small effort, Mrs. McNeil told her, "Sara, if you don't get that page done before recess, you won't be able to go out and play."

Sara started to write, but then she paused, looked up, and asked Mrs. McNeil, "Do you teach third grade too?"

Geography Whiz

Jason: My teacher was mad at me because I didn't know where the Rockies were.
Mother: Well next time, remember where you put things!

Little Johnny Strikes Again

Teacher: Where did knights learn to kill dragons?
Little Johnny: At knight school!

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