THIS ISSUE'S THEME: The Letter G

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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This week's newsletter is sponsored by GEDDES School Supplies.

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Volume 7, Issue 18
October 26, 2009
Theme: The Letter G

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

Glorious G

[Teacher cups hand to ear]
What do you hear when you say g?
[Children reply in unison]
Giraffe, gingerbread, gym.
[Teacher calls out]
Yes, that is a soft g...
[Children reply in unison]
A gentle giant named Tim!

[Teacher cups hand to ear]
What do you hear when you say g [guh]?
[Children reply in unison]
Gold, gift, goat.
[Teacher calls out]
Yes, that is called a hard g...
[Children reply in unison]
A goose with a great gray coat!

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

Susan LaBella
Editor, Early Childhood Education Newsletter

GINGERBREAD PEOPLE
Precut two gingerbread people shapes from brown paper bags. Give two to each child. Staple the shapes together around the edges leaving a space unstapled so children can stuff their person. Provide children with sequins, glitter, markers, paint, buttons, or pieces of cloth so they can decorate their people, giving them faces, clothing, and so on. Follow up by reading The Gingerbread Man by Catherine Mc Cafferty or Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett. Then use this recipe make gingerbread cookies for a snack.

GHOSTLY GOOD SNACKWICHES
Use a ghost-shaped cookie cutter to cut shapes out of whole wheat bread. Spread each shape with cream cheese. Use mini chocolate chips to add eyes and a mouth. Yum!

LET’S GOLF
On a grassy area outdoors, dig a hole deep enough to hold a coffee can. Place an empty coffee can in the hole, level with the grass. Give children toy golf clubs and a small rubber ball or a plastic golf ball. Let children try to sink the ball into the can. Note: If you are unable to dig a hole, try placing the can on its side on the ground. Children can practice getting the ball into the can.

GRAPES, GRAPES, GRAPES
Provide children with samplings of green, red, and purple grapes. Let children taste each kind and decide which they like best. Then create a “Grape Graph” that shows the results of children’s decisions. Ask more-or-less questions about the students’ graph. For example: Did more students like green, red, or purple grapes? Which grape did the fewest students like?

GREEN G’s
Cut out shapes of the letter G from green sponges. Give one to each child. Wet sponges well and place them in pie plates. Invite children to sprinkle grass seed onto their sponges. Place in a sunny spot and keep sponges moist. Children will love seeing their green, grassy sponges grow!

GOOD GRIEF -- GRAVITY
Explain to children that gravity is a force that pulls things down toward Earth. We depend on gravity to hold so many things down -- cars, people, furniture, pencils, and papers on your desk, and so on. If there was no gravity, everything not stuck in place would suddenly have no reason to stay down; it would start floating. After explaining gravity, hide around the classroom a variety of items whose names begin with the g sound -- for example, gloves, a golf ball or golf club, a gold coin, a glass, a gift box, a globe, stuffed toy animals such as a goat or a goldfish or a gorilla, a grapefruit, a graduation cap, a guitar, or a gumdrop. Let children search for the items. When items are found, encourage children to drop each one (that is not breakable) to see gravity in action.

YOUR WORD CORNER
Here are some words you will need.
See them, say them … hey, you can read!!

give
going
good

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

Got Gorilla?
Reinforce the hard g with this fun printable.
http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/early_childhood/alphabet/g/

Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Read the story to children. Then use these cute edible finger puppets to retell it.
http://thislittleproject.blogspot.com/2009/06/teddy-bear-picnic-and-more-edible.html

Letter G Activities and Craft Ideas
These sound like fun! Give one or two a try.
http://www.ehow.com/way_5232262_letter-activities-craft-ideas.html

ABC Books
Try this idea, letting children use only the letter g.
http://www.teacherplanet.com/links/redirect.php?url=http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/1287.html

The Letter G
You’ll find loads of g ideas here.
http://www.123child.com/UBB/showthread.php?t=6887

COMING NEXT ISSUE
November 9, 2009
The Letter H

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."

Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement
For a book from one of the major education associations -- the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) -- this is a relatively compact book of under 200 pages that offers nine categories of instructional strategies, along with the research and statistics to back up their efficacy. Among the nine are Summarizing and Note Taking; Homework and Practice; Nonlinguistic Representation; and Cooperative Learning. The emphasis in the book is on elementary instruction. Written by Robert Marzano and others.
Click to learn more or to purchase this book.

Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know
This is one of the modern classics in education, first published to much bru-ha-ha in 1987. The author, E.D. Hirsch, argues that education is suffering because we lack a strong common "bank" of cultural knowledge -- i.e., what every American should know. He even goes so far as to include a list, a huge list of 5,000 essential items of knowledge. Seen at the time as a conservative, even reactionary text, Hirsch argues that it is precisely those less advantaged students who would benefit from schools focusing more on getting these basic 5,000 items into every kid's head.
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:

• Math Facts Race (Math, grades K-8)
• You Can Count on Spelling (Math and Language Arts, grades K-12)
• Find It... Fast! (All Subjects, grades K-12)
• Concentration Review Game (All Subjects, grades K-12)
• The Dictionary Game (Language Arts, grades 3-8)
• Play Ball: A Major League Review Game (All Subjects, grades K-12)
• Friendly Feud (All Subjects, grades K-12)
• Plus 35 more games!

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MORE FEATURES OF INTEREST
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LEAVE 'EM LAUGHING
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Profound Thoughts on Parenthood
Middle and high school teachers will surely relate…

There are three ways to get something done: Do it yourself, hire someone to do it, or forbid your children to do it.

Adolescence is the age when children try to bring up their parents.

Kids really know how to brighten a household; they never turn off any lights!

You know the only people in this world who are always sure about the proper way to raise children? Those who've never had any.

Cleaning your house while your kids are at home is like trying to shovel the driveway during a blizzard.

Oh, to be only half as wonderful as my child thought I was when he was small, and half as stupid as my teenager now thinks I am.

Biggest Lie

Two boys were arguing as the teacher entered the room. “Why are you arguing?” the teacher asked.

One boy answered, “We found a ten-dollar bill and decided to give it to whoever tells the biggest lie”

“You should be ashamed of yourselves,” said the teacher. “When I was your age I didn't even know what a lie was.”

The boys gave the ten dollars to the teacher.

Look at All the Love!

“Mommy! Mommy!” shouted Gabriel as he ran in after school, “my teacher loves me!”

“How do you know that?” asked his mother.

“She sent me kisses,” he replied. “Just look at all these X's all over my spelling paper.”

Little Johnny Strikes Again

Teacher: If you had one dollar and you asked your father for another, how many dollars would you have?

Little Johnny: One dollar.

Teacher (shaking head): You don't know your math.

Little Johnny: You don't know my father.

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