FEETSPEAK’S Book Study: Comprehension Activity Units
FEETSPEAK Book Cover
Here’s an Overview of FEETSPEAK’S Book Study: Comprehension Activity Units I have created and posted on my http://eashields.com/ website. In addition to several informational posts: “Childhood Mutism” and “Helping Your Grieving Child”, there are TWELVE so far with more to be added….
I’m listing these Activity Units in the order they were published with sequential considerations in place ~ not unlike how I would present them in the classroom. You can, of course select, download, and complete them in any order.
Number One: Story Sequence
The ACTIVITY CONTENTS of this 9-page Unit include:
Most of the Activities’ Material Needs are: card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, and colors. Additional Idea & Suggestions are included for completing each Activity.
Several more Book Study Activity Units for FEETSPEAK are in developmental stages…
Are you Understanding and Using Common Abbreviations ?
Before we begin ~ this Post is about Abbreviations NOT Acronyms….
Both Abbreviations and Acronyms are shortened forms of words or phrases.
An Abbreviation is a shortened form of a word ~ usually 2-4 letters ~ used to represent the whole word, such as Dr. for Doctor or tbsp. for tablespoon, while an Acronym contains a set of initial letters from a phrase that usually form another word such as ASAP for As Soon As Possible or LOL for Laugh Out Loud.
Why Use Abbreviations ?
When talking and/or writing it takes less time to say or write the first initial of each word or an abbreviated form of the full word than to spell out every single word. This makes communication easier and faster.Several every day examples are:
Writing down directions to somewhere is easier to when using N, S, E or W on a St., Ln. or Blvd. instead of writing North, South, East or West on a Street, Lane, or Boulevard.
Words like tablespoon, teaspoon, Fahrenheit, pounds are hard to fit on a recipe card, so, using tbsp,tsp. F. and lb. will keep the measurements on the 3 X 5″ recipe card.
Large group words like Company and Association take up a lot of space on a sign, so using Co. and Assn. can save time and money.
When to Use Abbreviations ?
In writing, abbreviations are especially useful when you need to squeeze a lot of writing into a small space, like:
signs
posters
letters
envelopes
lists
notes
texts
recipes
diagrams
measurements
directions
You can, also, use abbreviations in place of long or cumbersome phrases to make your sentences easier and quicker to read:
Without Abbreviations ~Drive North on Highway 357. Take the Green Street exit. Turn right on Maple Lane. Then, continue on Maple Lane until Poplar Boulevard.
With Abbreviations ~ Drive N. on Hwy 357. Take the Green St. exit. Turn rt. on Maple Ln. Then, cont. on Maple Ln. until Poplar Blvd.
So, I created 6 Activity Units for Understanding and Using Common Abbreviations during everyday communications when writing and talking.
Each Activity Unit contains eight similar Components.
Activity Unit Components
Here is a list of the Components included in each of the six Abbreviation Activity Units:
Construction Instructions
Lesson Plan
Anchor Chart Diagram
Pre -Test Forms with Answer Cards
Game Sort Mats with Storage Pocket & Game Pieces*
Response Sheets
Abbreviation Sentences & Answer Sheet
*Game Pieces include the “long” word and its abbreviation.
Keeping reading for a brief description of each Activity Unit.
Classroom Clips
This 37-page Activity Unit includes a general collection of Abbreviations seen in the different subject areas taught in the classroom: Reading, Writing, Social Studies, Geography, Science, and Math (Customary & Metric).
This 30-page Activity Unit includes Customary & Metric Abbreviations for height, weight, distance, volume, and temperature. A Math problem-solving component is part of the Abbreviation Sentences.
This 24-page Activity Unit includes Customary & Metric Abbreviations seen in Recipes as well as Food Amounts found in packaging. A Math problem-solving component is part of the Abbreviation Sentences.
This 45-page Activity Unit includes Customary & Metric Abbreviations for In-Town Directions, USA’s 50 States, the 7 Continents, and Global Directions. A Geography/Map component is part of the Abbreviation Sentences.
Some of these Activity Units have “cross-over” Abbreviations. For example: Common Titles for Individuals are found in both Classroom Clips and People. Measurements can be found in Classroom Clips, Mini-Scopes, and Short-Order Kitchen.
However, each specific Activity Unit offers more than a few Abbreviations regarding its Abbreviation subject area. Plus, the Game Sort Mats, Game Pieces, and Abbreviation Sentences are specific to its subject area as well.
Regardless of which Activity Units you decide to purchase for your teaching purposes, I hope you and yours have fun while learning this valuable Literacy Skill.
Questions? Concerns? Shares?
Just fill in the Contact Me form below. You will NOT be subscribing.
Otherwise, fill in the BLB Exclusive form as a FREE subscriber!
With the help of Writers Republic, I have self-published the first story book of the I AM A CHILD trilogy! It’s Hot Off The Press: FEETSPEAK!
I wrote these three stories several years ago with a muse on my shoulder guiding me with ideas, verbiage, imagery, and, significantly, a common thread ~ the resilience of children faced with tragic circumstances.
The kindness and care of loved ones, the understanding and flexibility of community as well as the beauty and solace of nature contributed to the healing process of each character.
Before I tell you how each of these three elements play a part in the story of FEETSPEAK, I want to share with you why I wrote these stories.
Why I Wrote These Stories
Thirty years teaching Early Childhood and Elementary school children from all over the world on at-risk campuses confirms my belief in the uniqueness of each child.
Many of these children suffered life-altering tragedies from loss, displacement, hunger, and neglect. Their ability to overcome these challenges with their resilience continually astounded me, as a child who grew up in a comfortable, middle-class environment.
They inspired me to create the stories in the I AM A CHILD Trilogy.
So, briefly, this is what the story of FEETSPEAK shares with you, Readers….
FEETSPEAK’s Story
All children are born into an ancestral heritage, rich with tragedy, joy, and a touch of magic.
No two stories are alike, yet encouraging an appreciation for cultural diversity, creative problem solving, and ecological respect as well as protecting the timely development of the contemporary child are daily challenges faced by parents and educators.
In FEETSPEAK, a young child, traumatically mute after her parents are killed during a rainstorm, communicates by selecting different shoes to wear.
Living near a pond and its creatures on the Midwest Plains with her maternal grandmother provides Cinnamon with comfort and understanding.
However, when an engaging French family with a young girl her age moves into the house down the road, Cinnamon must learn other ways to share her thoughts and express her feelings with her new friends.
Soon to enter First Grade, will she be ready to participate and learn in this totally new environment?
You may now be wondering ~ how do those three elements: loved ones, community, and nature influence the healing process of a traumatized child? Please note my stories are just that ~ stories of fiction. Of course they are idealized, but in my experience, these three factors in people’s lives can be extremely influential and effective.
The Loved Ones of FEETSPEAK
My young heroine shares her story surrounded by her loving family. She lives with her grandmother. She frequently visits her uncles and aunt.
Her close neighbors become constant friends and company. Their kindness, acceptance, and care provide the six-year-old child with new experiences to help her explore other places outside the quiet world she has escaped into.
Some of these “other places” are very new and, somewhat, uncomfortable to her, but her family and friends, as well as the community members she encounters help her overcome her reluctance to engage.
An Understanding Community of FEETSPEAK
When a variety of life’s circumstances enter and disrupt Cinnamon’s routine existence with her family and friends, she slowly begins to understand the necessity of living outside her sheltered world. She even begins to enjoy the diversity of the experiences.
Meeting new community members like doctors, teachers, shopkeepers, and entertainers, among others, open up different vistas for communication. She is definitely intrigued, although hesitant. The community continues to engage with her in spite of her uncertainty.
And, perhaps, the most powerful of all the environmental elements is the constancy of Nature.
The Constancy of Nature in FEETSPEAK
I spent many hours ~ I LOVED it!~ researching the flora and fauna of the several environs described in the story, FEETSPEAK, as I did in the other two stories of the I AM A CHILD Trilogy.
Most of the story takes place during the Spring, Summer, and early Fall with one Wintry exception. The majority of the setting takes place on the Plains of the USA’s Midwest and special care was given to a little pond near the small wheat farm Cinnamon lives on with her Grandmother.
A respectful graciousness is shared by all the characters in the story for the beauty and gifts Nature gives.
Country living is shown to be bountiful, yet challenging. A willingness to work and respect the land is threaded throughout the story of FEETSPEAK.
A brief exploration of the USA’s Blue Ridge Mountains and the maple woods of its Northeast are, also, part of the scenery.
Part of my publishing package with Writers Republic includes a whimsical, engaging website, which gives me opportunities to Blog about FEETSPEAK and include many Book Study activities.
My Author’s Website
This website is extremely easy to navigate. The Navigation Bar includes an animated Home Page ( it’s delightful ! ), an About the Author (ME!) link, an About the Book link with a summary and buttons to click for places to purchase and view book pages, my Blog link, and a Contact Me link for all your questions, comments, concerns, and requests.
FEETSPEAK is available in hardback, paperback, and digitally.
I’ve already posted several Blogs (surprise!) and there’s LOTS more to come. Read on….
THE BLOG
As an educator, one of my VERY FAVORITE teaching opportunities involved a Book Study. Teased by my teammates for going on and on with activity after activity focused on ONE class-read novel, I just handed them the FAT Unit I created that went on and on into the wonders of a well-written novel.
“The possibilities,” I’d remark with a grin, “are ENDLESS!”
And it is with the same enthusiasm, I have created and developed MANY activities for you and yours to explore and choose while reading FEETSPEAK.
Some, not all, of course, of the Book Study activities include:
learning new Vocabulary Words
analyzing Comprehension Elements
using Graphic Organizers
investigating Characters and their Traits
exploring the Power of Colorful Descriptors
transferring Verbal Imagery into Drawings
writing Letters
cooking up a Recipe or five…
discovering Nature
Believe me ~ there’s MORE!!
The Blogs I have published so far:
WELCOME !
CHILDHOOD MUTISM
HELPING YOUR GRIEVING CHILD.
The next Blog is FEETSPEAK’S STORY SEQUENCE.
Most activities will be a digital download.
Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this Info~Blog for Hot Off The Press: FEETSPEAK! as much as I enjoyed writing it. It’s my latest (and, maybe, my greatest) “endeavor” !
A writer uses Figurative Language to include a word or phrase that doesn’t have an everyday, or literal meaning.
S/he uses one or more types of Figurative Language to emphasize:
an emotion,
time,
amount,
and/or size of a situation and/or character
outside of its usual, normal place.
Humor and drama can be part of the writer’s purpose and expression.
Usually, Figurative Language tries to explain something that is not real or factual by helping the reader form a visual image.
Writers of novels, short stories, poetry, songs, plays, speeches, news, and, even, informational, nonfiction texts will entertain and engage their readers with one or more of the different types of Figurative Language.
What Are The Different Forms, or Types of Figurative Language ?
Although there are between 10 and 15 types of Figurative Language, your 8 ~ 11 year-old child will be learning seven of them.
As a Third Grader, s/he will be taught to recognize the difference between literal and non-literal language when reading, writing, and speaking.
Of the seven different forms of Figurative Language, usually Similes and Metaphors are introduced as the first of these types to explore. Your child may already be familiar with these 2forms of Figurative Language. S/he can identify them through the content s/he reads and hears in the classroom.
S/he will probably be familiar with the other types through interactive family, friends, and environmental communication. They are: Idioms, Hyperboles, Personification, Alliteration, and Onomatopoeia.
Now, you may be wondering why would a writer want to use Figurative Language.
Are There Advantages to Using Figurative Language ?
Yes ! There are more than a few Benefits for encouraging your budding writer (and speaker) to include Figurative Language in his/her expressions.
Communication
Your child hears Figurative Language expressed in music, radio announcements, speeches, commercials, movies, and TV shows. It’s important for him/her to understand what is being said.
Your child engages their creativity and imagination when including Figurative Language during oral and written expression.
As your child transitions from concrete to abstract thinking, Figurative Language can make those complex ideas, concepts, and feelings easier to visualize and, then, understand.
If your child is learning the literal words & phrases of English as another language, practice with Figurative Language will improve his/her literacy & communication skills.
Reading
Your child’s understanding of Figurative Language will increase her/his overall comprehension of the content being read.
Not only does reading text with Figurative Language engage a reader, it, also, helps your child visualize, interpret and analyze the setting, character traits, plot, and author’s purpose of the story.
Writing
Using Figurative Language when writing presents your child with many opportunities for expressing his/her thoughts in vivid, colorful, unique, and interesting ways.
Your child’s ability to use Figurative Language is a way to effectively change a simple thought into a beautiful, complex image.
So, How Do I Support My Child’s Learning?
Here are a few suggestions for supporting your child’s usage of Figurative Language:
Make sure s/he can define the meanings of each type of Figurative Language.
Use a variety of different forms of Figurative Language when communicating and identify them individually.
Point out examples when reading, watching media, listening to music, information & advertisements as well as writing.
Ask questions about your child’s writing, such as “compared to what, as in, sounds like, looks like, feels like, smells like, etc.
See if your child can differentiate the different kinds of Figurative Language and tell you when it is NOT being used.
Try some interactive activities, too.
How About Some FUN Learning Activities ?
Games and other interactive, hands-on activities with cross-curricular inclusions are effective ways to engage your child’s learning of figurative Language.
See if you and yours enjoy identifying some of the types when doing any of these:
Present a collection of picture books & magazines. Take turns locating and identifying which forms of Figurative Language are being used and what they mean.
During your next walk in Nature or anywhere, have your child describe the surroundings using the five senses with Figurative Language phrasing.
Select different objects around the house and ask your child you use a specific form of Figurative Language when describing them.
Look a a piece of art the next time you visit a museum and both of you use Figurative Language to describe the piece and how it makes you feel.
Create a Figurative Language Image Gallery and play a Match game with the drawings to the form of figurative Language.
Write skits that include Figurative Language and act them out.
I have, also, created games and activities for each of the seven types of Figurative Language. So, keep reading……
Product Unit Components & Elements
Each of my six Product Units~Similes & Metaphors (combined as one unit), Idioms, Personifications, Hyperboles, Alliteration & Onomatopoeia contain the following Components:
Front & Back Covers
Contents List
Materials List with Construction Instructions
Literature List
Simple Lesson Plan
At least 4 Different Activities with Directions & Answers
The Elements follow Bloom’s Higher Order Thinking Sequence and provide opportunities for increasing Critical Thinking Skills through:
Definition Cards
May have Label and/or Name Cards
Storage Pocket for Game Pieces
May have Sort Mats
Fill-In & Matching Activities
Writing Applications
First up ~ Similes & Metaphors
Similes and Metaphors
Let’s define these two types of Figurative Language:
A SIMILE is Figurative Language that compares two unlike things using the words “like”, “as”, or “resembles”. It is very similar to a METAPHOR.
A METAPHOR is Figurative Language that compares two things, which are usually not alike and does not use comparison words ( like, as, resembles).
Here areSimiles & Metaphors links for Kid-Friendly Lists:
You can access this 44-page Product Unit with learning activities, including several for Tall Tales from my Teacher PayTeachers Shop by clicking on this link:
Teaching your growing Learners this valuable Literacy element can be a very engaging and valuable asset for encouraging creativity and understanding our Language. I hope you will find some, if not all, of these Units useful.
Questions? Concerns? Shares?
Just fill in the Contact Me form below. You will NOT be subscribing.
Otherwise, fill in the BLB Exclusive form as a FREE subscriber!
Friends, Sun, Sand & Sea; That sounds like a Summer to me. ~ Lily Ross
Depending on where you live or are, August can be the HOTTEST month of the year……
The breeze is hot. Swim water is warm (except the Pacific Ocean). You sweat in the shade. Ice ….what ice !?!
What do I do in August? Wish, wish, wish for RAIN!!!! And stay indoors near a fan and air co…..
Yes, staying indoors for hours during the day seems to solve the TOO HOT problem…..but it can, also, create another problem, too……
Here are a few Solutions: invite your family & friends to showcase their talents in a Show; daydream & create using your imagination; study great inventions as an inspiration for constructing a robot; and/or cook up some Edible Insects (with food stuff NOT bugs).
Opportunities for creative expressions in art, science, math, social studies, and writing are included in the four units of August’s activities.
Each and Every Unit of the Literacy Enrichment Collection
The Components of each Unit include:
colorful Front & Back covers
a Contents list
an Introduction Sequence
a Master Materials List
a Thematic Literature List of fiction& nonfiction trade books
an overall Lesson Plan
Projects/Activities with Construction Instructions written on an Independent Reading Level for Grades 3 ~ 6
Ready, Set and Go!
Preparation for each of these units can be done by following this sequence:
Read over the Materials & Tools needed for each project in the Master Materials List ~ a component included with each Unit.
Gather the Materials & Tools together specific for each Activity ~ card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, colors, etc.
Protect your work space with a plastic, washable tablecloth, newspaper, or butcher paper ~ the latter invites doodling & checklists.
Read all the steps included in the Sequence part of the Instructions provided for each Project/Activity BEFORE beginning.
Keep a copy of these Construction Instructions close by, so you can re-read as you create.
Clean up your work space when you have completed what you wanted to do.
What Is the CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program?
Click on this link for more information on CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at August’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ June Poetry for the Literacy Enrichment Collection
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
August’s five poems are printed onto five thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
You could be the star, you shine so bright. You could be your own Spotlight! ~ Hey Miss Awesome/Sualci
Week One of CLAMDiggers: August’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 50-page unit entitled SPOTLIGHT: Dancers, Singers, Musicians; Painters, Sculptors, Magicians .
It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Begin with the Overview, Set-Up & Who’s Who List Template included in SPOTLIGHT.
Then, put Publicity to work with try-out flyers and templates for posters & the program.
Next, have the Talent Selection Committee handle the Auditions & Callbacks, Performance List & Prep.
Prepare The Master of Ceremony with tips, vocabulary & a Master Performance List.
Finally, give the Crew their job descriptions for Staging the Show.
Decide if you want to present a Theme-Based Talent Show with an Additional Acts List.
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, poster board, colors, pencils, clipboards, highlighters, note-cards, stage setting materials/tools, etc.
You can access the SPOTLIGHT unit by clicking on the link below:
And I have created several interactive, hands-on Games and Activities for learning the Vocabulary Words your child will be seeing, hearing, reading, and writing according to his/her current Grade Level.
CLAMDIGGER’S Summer Games for Boosting Vocabulary
Each of these Summer-themed Games contains Grade-Level Specific Vocabulary Word Lists collected from frequently cited reading texts ~ fictional and informational as well as academic terms used in the classroom on a daily basis.
The 7 games included follow Bloom’s Taxonomy sequence for increasing Critical Thinking Skills:
The Vocabulary Guide presents a review of grammatical terms used to identify the components of Words ~ KNOWLEDGE.
Specific Game Sorts allows the learner to understand how each word follows certain rules ~ COMPREHENSION by organizing, summarizing, translating & describing the wide range of categories Vocabulary Words can share.
Specific Word Activities provides opportunities for the learner to take what s/he knows & use it ~ APPLICATION of learned content to produce solutions in a variety of problems.
Word Part Specific Charts, Lists & Tables enables the learner to use Critical Thinking Skills for ~ ANALYSIS of learned Vocabulary Words into components by recognizing the relationships of their different and/or similar elements.
Additional Vocabulary List gives the learner connections for making unknown words known ~SYNTHESIS of these diverse elements for building and strengthening Vocabulary acquisition.
And prepares the learner for ~ EVALUATION, then, provides opportunities for making judgements on newer, unknown Words by using the Skills attained from following the above sequence.
A Grade-Level Specific Literature List ~ see above BLB Resource Library link~ along with a general Lesson Plan are included.
A variety of Word categories are explored with each Vocabulary Word groups.
Vocabulary Word Groupings
These Summer-themed Vocabulary-Boosting Games cover the following Word Elements:
Summer Blooms: Nouns & Verbs
Pool Party: Adjectives & Adverbs
Summer Fruit Basket: Prefixes, Suffixes & Root Words
Under The Sea: Synonyms & Antonyms
Sandcastles: Summer Compound Words
Summer Vocabulary Words Study: Third-30 words/Fourth-40 words/Fifth-50 words
If you’re not barefoot, then you’re overdressed. ~ Anonymous
July is DEFINITELY a Summer month !
This HOT, HOT month if filled with activities & food to COOL, COOL you down ~ swimming, anything frosty & icy, non-heat cooking & eating (unless it’s a BBQ), fans, air co, shade, hammocks, shorts, flip-flops, sunglasses, and LOTS of sunscreen.
Our BIG summer celebration happens on The Fourth of July with lots of star-spangled fireworks to light up the Summer Night, which is usually full of the moon & stars. Many Tall Tales & Legends are shared on lazy Summer days & nights before & after hours of splishing & splashing in a cool body of water.
Opportunities for creative expressions in art, science, math, social studies, and writing are included in the four units of July’s activities.
Each and Every Unit of the Literacy Enrichment Collection
The Components of each Unit include:
colorful Front & Back covers
a Contents list
an Introduction Sequence
a Master Materials List
a Thematic Literature List of fiction& nonfiction trade books
an overall Lesson Plan
Projects/Activities with Construction Instructions written on an Independent Reading Level for Grades 3 ~ 6
Ready, Set and Go!
Preparation for each of these units can be done by following this sequence:
Read over the Materials & Tools needed for each project in the Master Materials List ~ a component included with each Unit.
Gather the Materials & Tools together specific for each Activity ~ card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, colors, etc.
Protect your work space with a plastic, washable tablecloth, newspaper, or butcher paper ~ the latter invites doodling & checklists.
Read all the steps included in the Sequence part of the Instructions provided for each Project/Activity BEFORE beginning.
Keep a copy of these Construction Instructions close by, so you can re-read as you create.
Clean up your work space when you have completed what you wanted to do.
What Is the CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program?
Click on this link for more information on CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at July’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ July Poetry for the Literacy Enrichment Collection
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
July’s five poems are printed onto five thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one nation evermore. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes
Week One of CLAMDiggers: July’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 19-page unit entitled Independence Day .
It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Create a Star Streaming Patriotic Pinwheel by following the directions & using the pinwheel & stars template.
If you want to contribute a dish or two for the Fourth of July Eats, read & select some Food Ideas for A Star-Spangled Celebration to make and/or prepare the recipes included: Sandwich Stars & Lemon Star Punch with Red, White & Blue Salad and A Patriot’s Parfait .
Water is the driving force of all Nature. ~ Leonardo da Vinci
Week Four of CLAMDiggers: May’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 36-page unit entitled Fun in the Water: Oceans, Lakes & Rivers.
It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Learn the difference between salty & fresh waters when you construct & play several sort & match games with What Do You Know About Water, Water Everywhere ?
Build Tiny Islands in the Sea and record your observations of their growth on a data chart.
Make a water safety poster & sort game when learning about Water Safety & Water Fun.
Create a Water Safety & Fun Memory Books Mobile with a variety of book cover images.
General Supply List: heavy printing paper, cardstock, scissors, glue, tape, stapler, rubber bands, veggie tops & bottoms, book binding material, white poster board, colors, blue & green cardstock, notebook paper, pony beads, fishing line, crimps, hole punch, paper clips, pliers, ruler
You can access the Fun in the Water: Oceans, Lakes & Rivers unit by clicking on the link below:
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. ~R.W.Emerson
How very lovely is the month of June !
There’s still enough Spring in the air with its gentle breezes to cool off Summer’s warming sun! Long vacations are on the horizon with camp outs, street fairs, amusement parks , and farmers’ markets gaining more attention.
It’s the perfect time to celebrate Fathers’ Day; organize some Summer Solstice Backyard Fun with friends, family & neighbors; go on the long-awaited vacation to a favorite haunt and/or a new, exciting place; and, of course, before the warm weather becomes HOT, enjoy The Sun with all its sparkle.
Opportunities for creative expressions in art, science, math, social studies, and writing are included in the four units of June’s activities.
Each and Every Unit of the Literacy Enrichment Collection
The Components of each Unit include:
colorful Front & Back covers
a Contents list
an Introduction Sequence
a Master Materials List
a Thematic Literature List of fiction& nonfiction trade books
an overall Lesson Plan
Projects/Activities with Construction Instructions written on an Independent Reading Level for Grades 3 ~ 6
Ready, Set and Go!
Preparation for each of these units can be done by following this sequence:
Read over the Materials & Tools needed for each project in the Master Materials List ~ a component included with each Unit.
Gather the Materials & Tools together specific for each Activity ~ card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, colors, etc.
Protect your work space with a plastic, washable tablecloth, newspaper, or butcher paper ~ the latter invites doodling & checklists.
Read all the steps included in the Sequence part of the Instructions provided for each Project/Activity BEFORE beginning.
Keep a copy of these Construction Instructions close by, so you can re-read as you create.
Clean up your work space when you have completed what you wanted to do.
What Is the CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program?
Click on this link for more information on CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at June’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ June Poetry for the Literacy Enrichment Collection
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
June’s five poems are printed onto five thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
Anyone can go on an adventure, even if it’s in your own backyard. ~ Carmela Dutra
Week Three of CLAMDiggers: June’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 56-page unit entitled Backyard Summer Fun.
It contains the following Projects/Activities:
A Backyard Fun Eco ~ Fair includes the planning, organizing, activities/games ideas with how-to direction cards, supply lists, and the images you’ll need to post at each site.
The seasonal NatureWatchers’ Summer Journal comes with the journal covers, page inserts , and vocabulary list.
General Supply List: cardstock, printing paper, pencil, colors, scissors, binding, O-ring, hole punch, specific Fair supplies
You can access the Backyard Summer Fun unit by clicking on the link below:
CLAMDIGGERS’ Summer Literacy Enrichment Collection is a HUGE combination of my Product Units, Resources from my Resource Library, and Freebies guaranteed to engage your youngster(s) with lots of entertaining activities and projects ~ involving LOTS of too-busy-to-be-bored time….
But, before I begin & you read on, let me share some things my many Summers with Kids of various ages taught me:
a DAILY routine is a SANITY ~ SAVER for you & the kids
Outdoor time EVERY DAY is a MUST, especially if it’s water-related
Multiple opportunities for arts, crafts & projects is a NECESSITY
Click on this link for some wonderful website helpers:
If you need something more organized and day-to-day, I’ve created Celebration Calendars for June, July & August. This project-unit consists of a monthly-themed activity list and a daily celebration list with over 65 specific activities. Recipes & Activity Sheets are , also, included. Here’s the TpT link:
And if travel will require some time and distance, I created a Road Trip Fun Activity Booklet to entertain your youngster(s) which you can access on this link:
Creativity and the Arts are part of the list of activities to promote the growth & development of Critical Thinking Skills.
I Can Be SO VERY Creative!
Anything Is Possible – Anand Kumar
Smell the sea and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly. ~Van Morrison
If your child needs a little confidence nudge and/or inspiration, my Resource Library has a reading list as well as a few ideas for beginning a creative hobby that might help:
Is your youngster seem to always have his/her nose in a book and you’d like to see some diversity in the reading material choices? Keep reading…
I Can Read All Summer Long!!!
Reading – Nathalie_art
One benefit of Summer is that each day we have more light to read by. ~ (paraphrased) Jeanette Walls
How wonderful to be able to read into the night and early morning without a care in the world except for what’s going to happen next in the book I am devouring….
Of course, my Reference Library has several Book Lists for you and yours in several genres:
Read on for Social Studies, Geography & History Resources & Activities are coming up next….
Studying Our World
The World At Your Feet – CFI
If you’re not barefoot, then, you’re overdressed. ~Unknown
Studying Our World ~ to me, anyway ~ is ABSOLUTELY fascinating. If your youngster (or three) loves finding out how the civilizations of Our World have affected us today, I have a few drops in that bucket to hold his/her (their) interest.
The categories I’ve listed, of course, have cross-over elements and events.
If your youngster(s) need a little boost in Reading & Writing this Summer, keep reading for LOTS of Resources, Product Units & Freebies. Your Home-School efforts just got a little easier !
Your Home-School Summer School
Summer School Bummer – Kidaha
Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it in summer school. ~ Josh Stern
My son, a smart as he is, was NOT an avid reader `like his mom, the school teacher. However, during the Summer Vacation months, a 30 minute DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) time was NOT an option. He chose when to spend those reading minutes during the daylight hours. Hottest time, preferably….
So, if you need some Home-Summer-School action and need some additional assistance, I’ve got some support for you & yours.
Hope these tips, ideas & resources help to make your Home Summer School a success!
And make sure you take some “do nothing” time ~ it’s important….
Taking Some “Do Nothing” Time
Doing Nothing Is Doing Something – Completely Shaw
Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability. ~ Sam Keen
On August 11, 2017, Parent Co. published an article on their site entitled, “Why the Lazy Days of Summer Are Actually the Most Memorable for Kids”.
Podcast host/writer Shauna Niequist & writer Tish Oxenreider traveled extensively with their children. When they asked them to cite the most memorable events of the vacations, the extraordinary was not expressed. What was shared were the ordinary things like “swimming in the hotel pool, wandering through fields, playing with new friends, and eating”.
Consequently, both moms came to the same conclusion ~”When everything is awesome, nothing is awesome.” Their children remembered everyday, ordinary events when they had their parents’ undivided attention.
“Uh huh”….. I mused. So, I created a little 18-page Freebie with Lots of Together activities and a Scrapbook template for capturing, recording, and keeping those Summer Memory Makers.
Hopefully, this CLAMDiggers Summer Literacy Enrichment Collection of Resources , Product Units & Freebies will keep you & yours engaged all Summer long with its new ideas for your Family Literacy Circle.
Let me hear from you with questions, concerns, comments.
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Artists celebrate this month with songs, poetry, and paintings. Warm breezes with plenty of sunshine invite all of Earth’s living things to frolic through soft, grassy fields of wildflowers and wade in its warming waters.
It’s the perfect time to celebrate Mothers’ Day, giggle at Baby Animals, give your Bicycle a tune up, ride around your Neighborhood, and go on a Picnic with friends.
Opportunities for creative expressions in art, science, math, social studies, and writing are included in the five units of May’s activities.
Each and Every Unit of the Literacy Enrichment Collection
The Components of each Unit include:
colorful Front & Back covers
a Contents list
an Introduction Sequence
a Master Materials List
a Thematic Literature List of fiction& nonfiction trade books
an overall Lesson Plan
Projects/Activities with Construction Instructions written on an Independent Reading Level for Grades 3 ~ 6
Ready, Set and Go!
Preparation for each of these units can be done by following this sequence:
Read over the Materials & Tools needed for each project in the Master Materials List ~ a component included with each Unit.
Gather the Materials & Tools together specific for each Activity ~ card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, colors, etc.
Protect your work space with a plastic, washable tablecloth, newspaper, or butcher paper ~ the latter invites doodling & checklists.
Read all the steps included in the Sequence part of the Instructions provided for each Project/Activity BEFORE beginning.
Keep a copy of these Construction Instructions close by, so you can re-read as you create.
Clean up your work space when you have completed what you wanted to do.
What Is the CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program?
Click on this link for more information on CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at May’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ May Poetry for the Literacy Enrichment Collection
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
May’s six poems are printed onto six thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
Animals are born who they are, accept it, and that is that. ~Gregory Maguire
Week Two of CLAMDiggers: May’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 16-page unit entitled Baby Animals.
It contains the following Project/Activity:
A Baby Animals Pop-Up Book includes Construction Instructions, Cover/Page Insert Template, Info Chart with Blank Fill-In Template. Baby Animal Photos, And a Vocabulary List.
The whole world is one neighborhood. ~ Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Week Four of CLAMDiggers: May’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 22-page unit entitled Neighbors in the Neighborhood.
It contains the following Project/Activity:
Design A Neighborhood includes Construction Instructions for building a Neighborhood with Places, Street Names, Building Names, Map Key & Compass for a Make-A-Map, and Building Faces Templates.
General Supply List: heavy printing paper, cardstock, straws, play dough, green poster board, small chipboard boxes, black construction paper, colored paper & cardstock scraps, pencil, ruler, scissors, tacky glue, colors, tape, sticky notes
You can access the Neighbors in the Neighborhood unit by clicking on the link below:
Week Five of CLAMDiggers: May’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 24-page unit entitled Let’s Have A Picnic.
It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Plan A Picnic includes Picnic ~ Menu Ideas, a Sample Menu with Blank Menu Templates, 5 Picnic Recipe Cards with several Blank Recipe Cards & Collection Covers, Lists for Eco-Packing a Picnic, and Invitations for Indoor/Outdoor Picnics.
Make A Sit-Upon gives Instructions for Constructing a Indoor/Outdoor seating mat.
General Supply List: heavy printing paper, cardstock, colored cardstock scraps, colors, white grease pencil, scissors, hole-punch, O-ring, newspapers, oilcloth, clothespins, tacky glue.
You can access the Let’s Have A Picnic unit by clicking on the link below:
Winter’s done, and April’s in the skies; Earth, look up with laughter in your eyes! ~ Ch.G.D.Roberts
Rain, rain, rain is usually the song April sings as it welcomes Spring and its bright greenery, vibrant flowers, and new baby animals. It almost appears to be magical how the Earth transforms from gray and white to a rainbow of colors everywhere!
April’s Magic can encourage your flights of fantasy into the world of Fairy Tales, inspire your creative side during Cloudy & Rainy days, empower your Earth~Saver awareness, and strengthen your respect for the beauty, diversity and power of Trees.
Opportunities for creative expressions in art, science, math, social studies, and writing are included in April’s activities.
Each and Every Unit of the Literacy Enrichment Collection
The Components of each Unit include:
colorful Front & Back covers
a Contents list
an Introduction Sequence
a Master Materials List
a Thematic Literature List of fiction& nonfiction trade books
an overall Lesson Plan
Projects/Activities with Construction Instructions written on an Independent Reading Level for Grades 3 ~ 6
Ready, Set and Go!
Preparation for each of these units can be done by following this sequence:
Read over the Materials & Tools needed for each project in the Master Materials List ~ a component included with each Unit.
Gather the Materials & Tools together specific for each Activity ~ card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, colors, etc.
Protect your work space with a plastic, washable tablecloth, newspaper, or butcher paper ~ the latter invites doodling & checklists.
Read all the steps included in the Sequence part of the Instructions provided for each Project/Activity BEFORE beginning.
Keep a copy of these Construction Instructions close by, so you can re-read as you create.
Clean up your work space when you have completed what you wanted to do.
What Is the CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program?
Click on this link for more information on CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at April’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ April Poetry for the Literacy Enrichment Collection
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
April’s five poems are printed onto five thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
Everything you look at can become a fairy tale and you get a story from everything you touch. ~Hans Christian Anderson
Week One of CLAMDiggers: April’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 33-page unit entitled Fairy Tales.
It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Fairy Tale Kingdom Board Game includes how-to make directions & placement Diagrams using a File Folder with Images/Labels, Game Cards, Treasure Coins & an Answer Scroll
Pixie Puffs & A Magic Potion are recipes to make & eat while playing the Fairy Tale Kingdom Board Game
General Supply List: file folder, card-stock, printing paper, paint sample cards, small yellow sticker dots, small toy animals, feather, star cluster, large button, ribbon, rubber bands, scissors, ruler, glue stick, large paper clips, baggies, recipe ingredients, cooking & serving tools/ utensils
You can access the Fairy Tales unit by clicking on the link below:
Week Three of CLAMDiggers: April’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 36-page unit entitled Earth Day Every Day.
It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Eco ~ Desk Set: Upcycle Chipboard, Tin Cans & A CD includes a Recyclable Diagram with How-To make directions
5 Upcycle ~ Action Lists calls all upcyclers to create projects with Activity Cards for reusing milk jugs, plastic bottles, tin cans, old socks and more
Earth Walk Journal: Track Your Carbon Footprint provides Earth-Savers an opportunity to document their progress with template inserts on tips for eco-friendly actions
General Supply List: chipboard boxes, contact paper, metal cans, old CD, scissors, tacky glue, felt, printing paper, cardstock, hole punch, O-ring, laminate, pencil, binding materials
You can access the Earth Day Every Day unit by clicking on the link below:
Shade outstretch, wide and free; Grow well, good tree! ~ N.B. Turner
Week Four of CLAMDiggers: April’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 31-page unit entitled Arbor Day: A Celebration of Trees.
It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Hello, Trees ! includes a collection of information formatted in cards, a diagram, leaf identification, tree sort game with comprehension & vocabulary components
Hug A Tree Book provides the reader with informative text for writing & illustrating a book
Make A Twig Frame comes with sequential directions and a visual How-To diagram
Tree of Life Wall Sculpture gives step-by-step instructions for constructing a 2 (or 3) dimensional tree sculpture
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, binding materials, pencil, colors, construction paper, paper scraps, glues, tape, stapler, scissors, twigs, cardboard, photo, heavy book, brown kraft/butcher paper, brown paper bags, decorative papers
You can access the Arbor Day: A Celebration of Trees unit by clicking on the link below:
It is astonishing how short a time it takes for very wonderful things to happen. ~ Frances Burnett
March is filled with mystery. And some of its mystery is written in the whirling winds, changing from Winter to Spring.
This Mysterious Month encourages your Imagination to create a tale or two, observes Windy Weather, celebrates the Green of another Spring, and/or engages that sense of Humor you may have lost inside Winter’s cave.
Opportunities for creative expressions in art, science, math, social studies, and writing are included in March’s activities.
Each and Every Unit of the Literacy Enrichment Collection
The Components of each Unit include:
colorful Front & Back covers
a Contents list
an Introduction Sequence
a Master Materials List
a Thematic Literature List of fiction& nonfiction trade books
an overall Lesson Plan
Projects/Activities with Construction Instructions written on an Independent Reading Level for Grades 3 ~ 6
Ready, Set and Go!
Preparation for each of these units can be done by following this sequence:
Read over the Materials & Tools needed for each project in the Master Materials List ~ a component included with each Unit.
Gather the Materials & Tools together specific for each Activity ~ card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, colors, etc.
Protect your work space with a plastic, washable tablecloth, newspaper, or butcher paper ~ the latter invites doodling & checklists.
Read all the steps included in the Sequence part of the Instructions provided for each Project/Activity BEFORE beginning.
Keep a copy of these Construction Instructions close by, so you can re-read as you create.
Clean up your work space when you have completed what you wanted to do.
What Is the CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program?
Click on this link for more information on CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at March’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ March Poetry for the Literacy Enrichment Collection
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
March’s six poems are printed onto six thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one. ~ Dr. Seuss
Week One of CLAMDiggers: March Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 42-page unit entitled Use Your Imagination. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Use Your Imagination: A Guide in a personal journal format for recording “your fantastic ideas” with graphic organizers & “curiosity queries”.
Let’s Write A Script with templates for a storyboard, playbook covers & script pages.
Triangular Prism Diorama Sets with directions for constructing stage sets.
The wind said, ” You know I am the result of forces beyond my control”. ~A.R. Ammons
Week Two of CLAMDiggers: March Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 26-page unit entitled Windy Weather. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Wind ~ Wise includes informative text with a Comprehension & Vocabulary Fill-In component
Wind Power has a Positive & Negative comparison Match Chart as a lead-in for a Book with a Page Insert Template
Wind Catcher with instructions & a Diagram for creating an outdoor Wind Catcher
Wind Vane is a multiple activity with directions & a Diagram for constructing an outdoor Wind Vane as a tool for gathering data to fill-in a Wind & Weather Data Log table
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, binding materials, pencil, colors, scissors, ruler, glue, specific Wind Catcher & Wind Vane construction materials
You can access the Windy Weather unit by clicking on the link below:
Week Three of CLAMDiggers: March Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 20-page unit entitled A Wee Bit O’ Green. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Better Than Gold Poster with directions, images & Better Than Gold ideas for creating a Leprechaun/Rainbow-themed visual
A Book O’ Green includes page templates & answers for categorizing all things green
General Supply List: poster board, card-stock, printing paper, paper scraps, markers, green pens, reference materials
You can access the A Wee Bit O’ Green unit by clicking on the link below:
Spring-an experience in immortality. ~ H.D. Thoreau
Week Four of CLAMDiggers: March Literacy Enrichment Collection is an 20-page unit entitled Spring Into Spring. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Sprout A Mini Garden includes instructions with a materials list for starting seeds to plant in your Spring/Summer garden
Watch It Grow Flip~Book with directions for converting your observation log into a flip-book
Nature~Watchers’ Spring Journal is a book & vocabulary template with page inserts for recording the changes in plant & animal life in Spring
Humor is humankind’s greatest blessing. ~ Mark Twain
Week Five of CLAMDiggers: March Literacy Enrichment Collection is an 41-page unit entitled HUMOR: Now THAT’S Funny! As a lead-in to April Fools Day, it contains the following Projects/Activities:
A Comedian’s Handbook: Helpful Hints is a 24-page informative booklet with front/back covers and includes presentation ideas.
SOOOO FUNNY! : My Favorite Jokes & Riddles has a category list for you to include as you construct a book of your favs to share.
Create Cartoon Strip has dialogue templates and a sample cartoon frame to use for your new cartoon series.
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, binding materials, pencil, notebook paper, cartoon strips, adding machine tape. construction paper
You can access the HUMOR unit by clicking on the link below:
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. ~ Aesop
February’s wintery weather is warmed by Valentine’s celebration of love and Friendship.
Recognizing Asian cultures’ New Year with its 16 days of family festivities as well as honoring the Presidents of the United States are, also, part of this month’s unit interactive studies.
Opportunities for creative expressions in art, science, math, social studies, and writing are included in February’s activities.
Each and Every Unit of the Literacy Enrichment Collection
The Components of each Unit include:
colorful Front & Back covers
a Contents list
an Introduction Sequence
a Master Materials List
a Thematic Literature List of fiction& nonfiction trade books
an overall Lesson Plan
Projects/Activities with Construction Instructions written on an Independent Reading Level for Grades 3 ~ 6
Ready, Set and Go!
Preparation for each of these units can be done by following this sequence:
Read over the Materials & Tools needed for each project in the Master Materials List ~ a component included with each Unit.
Gather the Materials & Tools together specific for each Activity ~ card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, colors, etc.
Protect your work space with a plastic, washable tablecloth, newspaper, or butcher paper ~ the latter invites doodling & checklists.
Read all the steps included in the Sequence part of the Instructions provided for each Project/Activity BEFORE beginning.
Keep a copy of these Construction Instructions close by, so you can re-read as you create.
Clean up your work space when you have completed what you wanted to do.
What Is the CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program?
Click on this link for more information on CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at February’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ February Poetry for the Literacy Enrichment Collection
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
February’s five poems are printed onto five thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
A family in harmony will prosper in everything. ~Chinese Proverb
Week One of CLAMDiggers: February’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 15-page unit entitled Asian New Year. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Lion Dance Mask with Lion Dance Mask Tracers Template
Celebration Lantern with Gung Hei Fat Choy Characters & Asian New Year Animal Images
General Supply List: card-stock, construction paper, paper plates, glitter, large craft stick, red paper ribbon, yellow crepe streamers, pipe cleaners, ruler, scissors, glue, hole punch, markers, stapler
You can access the Asian New Year unit by clicking on the link below:
Week Two of CLAMDiggers: February’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is an 15-page unit entitled Valentines. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Hanging Crayon Hearts with Heart Shape Tracers Template
Fold – Up Valentines Poem Book with Hearts Templates & Valentine Poems
Friendship is a sheltering tree. ~ Samuel Coleridge
Week Three of CLAMDiggers: February’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 21-page unit entitled Friendship. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Friendship Work-Out Sheet with Solution Strategies for Friendship Building
Friendship Board Game with Game Labels & Image, Labels & Image Placement Diagram, 60 Game Cards & Blank Game Cards Template
Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today. ~ Abraham Lincoln
Week Four of CLAMDiggers: February’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is an 18-page unit entitled US Presidents. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Presidential Hats of George Washington & Abraham Lincoln with Templates & Diagrams
All The Presidents’ Hats with Hats Info Cards & Hats Symbols
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, construction paper, gold paper, glitter, oatmeal canister, plain red, white or blue cap, scissors, glue, stapler
You can access the US Presidents unit by clicking on the link below:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at January’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ December Poetry for the Literacy Enrichment Collection
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
January’s five poems are printed onto five thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
The most beautiful adventures are not those we go to seek. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson
Week One of CLAMDiggers: January’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 17-page unit entitled Nature In Winter. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Every act of love is a work of peace, no matter how small.~ Mother Teresa
Week Three of CLAMDiggers: January’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 15-page unit entitled Civil Rights. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
World Peace Flag: Construction Instructions with People & Map Templates
“I Have A Dream” Sequence Hanger: Construction Instructions with Cloud Sequence Templates
General Supply List: card-stock, construction paper, dowel, colors, ribbon, hole-punch glue, scissors
You can access the Civil Rights unit by clicking on the link below:
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes. ~ Sara Teasdale
Week Four of CLAMDiggers: January’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 19-page unit entitled Hibernation. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Hibernation Landcape: Winter Landscape with Its Hibernating Animals
Stuff A Pita: Recipes & A How-To Writing Form with Organizer
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, construction paper, cotton balls, recipe ingredients, pencil, colors, scissors, glue
You can access the Hibernation unit by clicking on the link below:
You can access CLAMDiggers’ JanuaryLiteracy Enrichment Collection units individually or as a 4-Unit bundle for your convenience & savings. Just click on the link below:
The manner of giving is worth more than the gift. ~P. Corneille
The hustle and bustle of December is a month filled with festive memories ~ past, present & future, delicious & fragrant aromas~ inside & outside, exciting possibilities ~ every day & to come, and multiple celebrations of traditions~ old & new. In my opinion ~ ’tis not a Day, but a Season!
CLAMDiggers’ December Literacy Enrichment Collection includes six of these events:
Remembering an Early American Christmas
Including the Gifts of Nature with Oh! Christmas Tree!
Exploring the Mysteries of Santa and His Reindeer
Recognizing the Traditions of Hanukkah
Discovering the Principles of Kwanzaa
Celebrating the New Year to come
Each and Every Unit of the Literacy Enrichment Collection
The Components of each Unit include:
colorful Front & Back covers
a Contents list
an Introduction Sequence
a Master Materials List
a Thematic Literature List of fiction& nonfiction trade books
an overall Lesson Plan
Projects/Activities with Construction Instructions written on an Independent Reading Level for Grades 3 ~ 6
Ready, Set and Go!
Preparation for each of these units can be done by following this sequence:
Read over the Materials & Tools needed for each project in the Master Materials List ~ a component included with each Unit.
Gather the Materials & Tools together specific for each Activity ~ card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, colors, etc.
Protect your work space with a plastic, washable tablecloth, newspaper, or butcher paper ~ the latter invites doodling & checklists.
Read all the steps included in the Sequence part of the Instructions provided for each Project/Activity BEFORE beginning.
Keep a copy of these Construction Instructions close by, so you can re-read as you create.
Clean up your work space when you have completed what you wanted to do.
What Is the CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program?
Click on this link for more information on CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at December’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ December Poetry for the Literacy Enrichment Collection
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
December’s seven poems are printed onto seven thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast. ~William Shakespeare
Week One of CLAMDiggers: December’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 35-page unit entitled An Early American Christmas. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Earl American Christmas Game
Merry Christmas, America ! : A Melting Pot Match Game of Our Traditions
Early American Christmas Memoir, Ornament & Family Coupons
A Frontier Christmas Memory: A Nine-Page Mini-Storybook with a Vocabulary Challenge
Quilted Star Ornament: A Template with Construction Instructions
Family Coupon Book: Template Covers, Inserts & Coupon Ideas
The whole world is a Christmas Tree; And stars its many candles be. ~H. Blodgett
Week Two of CLAMDiggers: December’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 31-page unit entitled Oh! Christmas Tree!. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Oh!Christmas Tree!Trio of Trees & Pinecone Pair
A Trio of Trees: Templates for a 3-D Sculpture
A Pair of Pine-Cone Presents: Ornaments & Trees
Oh!Christmas Tree! Gathering Guide+Bird Feeding
Nature’s Decorations: A Gathering Guide
Seasons Greetings, Nature: Bird Feeders & Menu Ideas
There seems to be magic in the very name of Christmas. ~Charles Dickens
Week Three of CLAMDiggers: December’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 33-page unit entitled Santa and His Reindeer. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Santa+His Reindeer Wreath, GiftBag + Manual
Santa’s Reindeer Flight Plan: A 7-Page Booklet with Fill-In Info
Just For Fun!: Color & Cut-Out Santa & His Reindeer Wreath
Reindeer Gift Bag: Template & Construction Instructions
Santa & His Reindeer Game
Real Reindeer: A True/False Game
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, binding, pencil, colors, glitz, ribbon, scissors, glue, hole-punch, O-ring, stapler, heavy tape, Web access, reference books
You can access the Santa and His Reindeer unit by clicking on the link below:
A candle is a small thing; but one candle can light another. ~Moeshe Davis
Week Four of CLAMDiggers: December’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 18-page unit entitled Hanukkah. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Hanukkah
Star of David Ornament: Template with Construction Instructions
Lotsa Latkes with Applesauce & Some Matzo Ball Soup, Too!: Ingredients & Cookware List with Recipes
Hanukkah Memories Mini Fold -Up Book: Template with Diagram
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, construction paper, glitter, ribbon, recipe ingredients, pencil, colors, scissors, stapler
You can access the Hanukkah unit by clicking on the link below:
If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. ~African Proverb
Week Five of CLAMDiggers: December’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 15-page unit entitled Kwanzaa.. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Kwanzaa Seven Principles Bowl
A Harvest Bowl of Principles: Construction Instructions for A Poster with Image & Text Templates
Kwanzaa Mkeka Mat
Make A Mkeka: Construction Instructions
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, construction paper, black marker, ruler, scissors, glue, framing materials, hole-punch, raffia, laminant or clear contact paper
You can access the Kwanzaa unit by clicking on the link below:
There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind. ~C.S. Lewis
The final week of CLAMDiggers: December’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 15-page unit entitled New Year. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
New Year
The Best & Worst of Last Year: A Memories Book with A Best/Worst Choice List
New Year Wishes Basket: Construction Instructions with Wish Ideas
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, binding, pencil, colors, paper plates, paper scraps, glitz, ribbon, scissors, glue, hole-punch
You can access the New Year unit by clicking on the link below:
You can access CLAMDiggers’ DecemberLiteracy Enrichment Collection units individually or as a 6-Unit bundle for your convenience & savings. Just click on the link below:
You won’t be happy with more until you’re happy with what you’ve got. ~ V. King
Crisp November is a month full of creativity, discovery, and gratitude. CLAMDiggers: November’s Literacy Enrichment Collection includes four of these events:
Engaging in an Autumn Fantasy
Exploring Long Ago to Modern Day
Discovering the Influence of Our Native Americans
Preparing for Giving Thanks
The Components of each Unit include:
colorful Front & Back covers
a Contents list
an Introduction Sequence
a Master Materials List
a Thematic Literature List of fiction& nonfiction trade books
an overall Lesson Plan
Projects/Activities with Construction Instructions written on an Independent Reading Level for Grades 3 ~ 6
Preparation for each of these units can be done by following this sequence:
Read over the Materials & Tools needed for each project in the Master Materials List ~ a component included with each Unit.
Gather the Materials & Tools together specific for each Activity ~ card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, colors, etc.
Protect your work space with a plastic, washable tablecloth, newspaper, or butcher paper ~ the latter invites doodling & checklists.
Read all the steps included in the Sequence part of the Instructions provided for each Project/Activity BEFORE beginning.
Keep a copy of these Construction Instructions close by, so you can re-read as you create.
Clean up your work space when you have completed what you wanted to do.
Click on this link for more information on CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at November’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ November Poetry
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
November’s five poems are printed onto five thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
Let cheerfulness abound with industry. ~ R.L. Stevenson
CLMDgrsNov: Autumn Fantasy
Week One of CLAMDiggers’ November Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 22-page unit entitled Autumn Fantasy . It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Autumn Fantasy: Dancing Scarecrow, Barnyard Hoedown Diorama + Music Maker
DANCING SCARECROW: Template with Construction Instructions
MUSIC MAKER; Construction Instructions
BARNYARD HOE~DOWN DIORAMA: Farm Animal Templates with Construction Instructions
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, wallpaper, decorative papers, craft paper, construction paper, open diorama box, yarn, raffia, paper plates, large craft stick, dried beans, colors, glue, stapler, scissors
You can access the Autumn Fantasy unit by clicking on the link below:
Week Two of CLAMDigger’s November Literacy Enrichment Colllection is a 55-page unit entitled Then And Now . It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Long Ago to Modern Day: Card Match and Vocabulary Game, Mini-Info Book Connecting the Past with the Present + Toys Will Be Toys Informational Text
LONG AGO TO MODERN DAY: A Card Match & Vocabulary Game
FROM THE PAST TO THE PRESENT: A Mini-Info Book Connecting the Past with the Present
TOYS WILL BE TOYS: Comparing & Contrasting Long Ago & Modern Day Toys Using Informative Text
Teach us to walk the soft earth as relatives to all that live. ~Sioux Prayer
CLMDgrsNov: Native Americans
Week Three of CLAMDiggers’ November Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 25-page unit entitled Native Americans. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Native American Words We Use Match Game, Fill-In Comprehension, Sacred Animal Sand Painting + Dream Catcher
NATIVE AMERICAN WORDS WE USE: Photo & Vocabulary Match Game with Fill-In Comprehension Activity
SACRED ANIMAL TOTEM SAND PAINTING :Some Animal Images with Construction Instructions
DREAM CATCHER: Construction Instructions
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, pencil, colors, glues, scissors, dictionary, colored sand, paintbrushes, small bowls, beads, feathers, yarn, paper plate, glitz
You can access the Native Americans unit by clicking on the link below:
Take a rest; the field that has rested gives a bountiful crop. ~ Ovid
CLMDgrsNov: Giving Thanks
Week Four of CLAMDiggers’ November Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 20-page unit entitled GivingThanks. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Giving Thanks Wreath + Giving Thanks Placecards
LET US GIVE THANKS WREATH
LET US GIVE THANKS PLACE~CARDS
Giving Thanks Mini Poster + Placecards
LET US GIVE THANKS MINI POSTER
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, dry bean soup mix, heavy-weight paper plates, raffia, tacky glue, pencil, 8 X 10 picture frame, colors, scissors
You can access the Giving Thanks unit by clicking on the link below:
You can access CLAMDiggers’ NovemberLiteracy Enrichment Collection units individually or as a 4-Unit bundle for your convenience & savings. Just click on the link below:
The wind walks wildly in the trees tonight. ~ JT Stickney
Mysterious October is a month full of exploration, discovery, color, and imagination. CLAMDIGGERS: October’s Literacy Enrichment Collection includes four of these events:
Celebrating Country & City Pets
Discovering Old World Explorations
Learning & Applying Healthy Nutrition
Enjoying the Fun of Halloween
The Components of each Unit include:
colorful Front & Back covers
a Contents list
an Introduction Sequence
a Master Materials List
A thematic Literature List of fiction& nonfiction trade books
an overall Lesson Plan
Projects/Activities with Construction Instructions written on an Independent Reading Level for Grades 3 ~ 6
Preparation for each of these units can be done by following this sequence:
Read over the Materials & Tools needed for each project in the Master Materials List ~ a component included with each Unit.
Gather the Materials & Tools together specific for each Activity ~ card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, colors, etc.
Protect your work space with a plastic, washable tablecloth, newspaper, or butcher paper ~ the latter invites doodling & checklists.
Read all the steps included in the Sequence part of the Instructions provided for each Project/Activity BEFORE beginning.
Keep a copy of these Construction Instructions close by, so you can re-read as you create.
Clean up your work space when you have completed what you wanted to do.
Click on this link for more information on CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at October’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ October Poetry
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
October’s five poems are printed onto six thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
Animals are such agreeable friends they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms. ~George Eliot
CLMDgrsOct: We Love Pets
Week One of CLAMDigger’s October Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 30-page unit entitled We LOVE Pets . It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Exploration is wired into our brains. If we can see the horizon, we want to know what’s beyond. ~Buzz Aldrin
CLMDgrsOct: Old World Explorations
Week Two of CLAMDigger’s October Literacy Enrichment Colllection is a 53-page unit entitled Old World Explorations . It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Oct: Ship & Game Cards
SETTING SAIL: Parts & Provisions of the Seafaring Vessel
Oct: Game Board
INTO THE NEW WORLD: An Exploration Board Game
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, pencil, colors, rubber bands, scissors, glue stick, tape/stapler, blue poster board, blue & green paint chips, ziploc, die, game-player movers, treasures
You can access the Old World Explorations unit by clicking on the link below:
Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live. ~Jim Rohn
CLMDgrsOct: A Nutrition Guide
Week Three of CLAMDigger’s October Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 42-page unit entitled Healthy Body! Healthy Brain! : A Nutrition Guide. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Week Four of CLAMDigger’s October Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 47-page unit entitled Boos & Hisses! It’s Halloween ! It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Oct: Pumpkins
HANGING PUMPKIN PATCH
Oct: Halloween Party
HAPPY HALLOWEEN PARTY!
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, recyclable paper shreds, straw-colored raffia, string, ribbon, yarn, pencil/pen, envelopes/stamps
You can access the Boos & Hisses! It’s Halloween! unit by clicking on the link below:
You can access CLAMDiggers’ OctoberLiteracy Enrichment units individually or as a 4-Unit bundle for your convenience & savings. Just click on the link below:
Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought. ~A. Szent-Gyorgi
September is such a dynamic month full of celebration and changes. CLAMDIGGERS: September’s Literacy Enrichment Collection includes five of these events:
Appreciating our Community of Helpers
Preparing for Back to School
Celebrating our Grandparents
Observing the changes of Autumn
Exploring the wonderful world of Apples
The Components of each Unit include:
colorful Front & Back covers
a Contents list
an Introduction Sequence
a Master Materials List
A thematic Literature List of fiction& nonfiction trade books
an overall Lesson Plan
Projects/Activities with Construction Instructions written on an Independent Reading Level for Grades 3 ~ 6
Preparation for each of these units can be done by following this sequence:
Read over the Materials & Tools needed for each project in the Master Materials List ~ a component included with each Unit.
Gather the Materials & Tools together specific for each Activity ~ card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, colors, etc.
Protect your work space with a plastic, washable tablecloth, newspaper, or butcher paper ~ the latter invites doodling & checklists.
Read all the steps included in the Sequence part of the Instructions provided for each Project/Activity BEFORE beginning.
Keep a copy of these Construction Instructions close by, so you can re-read as you create.
Clean up your work space when you have completed what you wanted to do.
Click on this link for more information on CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at September’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ September Poetry
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
September’s six poems are printed onto six thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
This is the CLAMDiggers’ Enrichment Program Overview!
A child can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his/her might that which s/he desires. ~Paulo Coelho
I am very excited to share CLAMDiggers: a 52~week, cross-curricular, enrichment, and interactive program I developed from my teaching and learning experiences with children, ages 8~11 years-old.
They always encouraged and inspired hands-on activities with readily available materials. Producing projects, such as games, books, sculptures, puppets, skits, paintings, food, keepsakes, etc. enhanced not only the learning process propelled by children’s love of an engaging read, but also, stimulated their creative skills in critical thinking, problem solving, visual & spatial reasoning, etc.
In the Beginning…
In the Classroom-Ludi
CLAMDiggers was originally developed as a classroom enrichment program and/or an after-school activity club for children, ages 8-11, integrating fiction and nonfiction literature with craft-making, role-play and artistic expression.
However, given the changing landscape of education, I tweaked and edited each Unit’s activities to make them more tech-friendly and accessible. Their priority remains as an interactive, hands-on learning experience.
Initially formatted for a classroom teacher, I re-worded Activity Directions into an Upper Elementary Independent Reading Level. The Lesson Plan is written as a guide for teaching reading comprehension within the thematic trade book selection list.
An Educational Overview
Building Cognitive Skills with CLAMDiggers-Hires
CLAMDiggers is designed to build Cognitive Skills through Critical Thinking.
While promoting the ongoing development of a child’s eagerness to explore the accomplishments of creative production through manipulative experiences, CLAMdiggers:
cultivates an appreciation for appropriate children’s literature using a thematic approach
addresses cross-curriculum objectives throughout each lesson for analysis, synthesis and evaluation
inspires creative production using a variety of art media
provides opportunities for extension and enrichment within the framework of each session
increases an understanding of the global community on both physical and cultural levels
The impact of CLAMDiggers is immediate and expansive, as each child internalizes the confidence to express imaginative responses.
CLAMDiggers’ Format
CLAMDiggers’ Format-Canva
This labor of love of mine is assembled into seasonal / monthly / weekly collections (Summer, too) and formatted to correspond with educational guidelines. Each session includes:
An Introduction with an Instructional Sequence
The Unit’s Introductory Overview includes a suggested Instructional Sequence for integrating the fiction and nonfiction, Thematic Literature, grade-level trade books listed with the Haptic Activities included.
Master Materials & Literature Books Lists
The Unit’s Master Materials List is a complete inventory of each Activity’s necessary supplies for completion. Substitution ideas are, also, included. The Unit’s Thematic Literature List is compiled of titles I successfully used in the classroom. Children predictably and positively responded to these 10-12 reads. There are spaces for you to lists your choices as well.
A Lesson Plan with Curriculum Objectives
Each Lesson Plan generally focuses on ideas for utilizing a variety of Comprehension Elements within the Literature reads. It, also, provides the Objectives the specific session will address. These Curriculum guidelines are designated in abbreviations: LA (Language Arts), MTH (Math), SS (Social Studies), SC (Science), HLTH (Health), A (Art), M (Music) & PE (Physical Education). The Activities/Projects are listed as well.
Activities/Projects with Directions, Illustrations, Templates & Extensions
Directions for the Activity or Project have been sequentially tested for understanding. I know how LITERAL children can be, especially with Hands-On tasks. Some illustrations and templates may be included for, hopefully, easier modelling and tracer accessibility. Extension ideas at the conclusion of each Activity/Project will give you and your child more possibilities for enrichment.
Seasonal & Monthly Studies
CLAMDiggers’ Invitation for Study-Atlantamomoffive
Each Seasonal collection of Literature Study & Activity/Project options includes opportunities to:
celebrate Nature’s seasonal changes
investigate weather patterns
observe the sky’s phenomena
explore a variety of animals
discover plant-life
Monthly Units have a collection of mini- poetry posters to introduce a focus on the content of the different lessons within each weekly session. They may include connections to:
celebrate holidays & special occasions
examine historical events
research social environments
create plays & games
apply critical thinking skills for problem solving
use imagination for expression
Here’s Condensed Contents List of the CLAMDiggers’ Seasonal & Monthly Main Ideas:
JANUARY: Nature in Winter/Snow/Civil Rights/Hibernation
FEBRUARY: Asian New Year/Valentines/Friendship/US Presidents
MARCH: Dr Seuss & Imagination/Windy Weather/A Wee Bit O’ Green/Spring Into Spring/Humor
APRIL: Fairy Tales/Clouds & Rain/Earth Day Everyday/Arbor Day: A Celebration of Trees
MAY: Mothers’ Day/Baby Animals/Bicycles & Safety/Neighbors in the Neighborhood/Let’s Have a Picnic
JUNE: The Sun/Fathers’ Day/Backyard Summer Fun/Going on Vacation
JULY: Independence Day/Summer Nights: Moon & Stars/Tall Tales & Legends/Fun in the Water: Oceans, Lakes & Rivers
DECEMBER: An Early American Christmas/Oh! Christmas Tree!/ Santa & His Reindeer/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/New Year
Weekly Unit Components
Weekly Literature-Canva
Each weekly unit, or session includes the following components:
front & back covers
a contents list
introductory sequence overview
master materials activities list
thematic literature book list
lesson plan
one-four activities with sequential instructions & extension ideas
Crafts, Literature & More
Crafts, Literature & More-Hermann
You can utilize CLAMDiggers’ enrichment program in a variety of ways:
a Home-School enrichment program
an hour after-school club session introduced with a teacher-read trade book and guided activity
a several hours mini “workshop” with your child or several children partner-reading several trade books, electing a teacher-read book and producing activity (ies)
an on-going classroom, thematic DEAR with an independent and/or partner-student read, promoting a book-share, a teacher-read encouraging comprehension and culminating in project production with usage for evaluation
center-based tasks to include student-generated comprehension assessments in conjunction with activity production
cooperative group preparation of book and project presentation
multi-grade level student partnerships for book-shares and activity production
extra-credit or homework assignments to encourage parental involvement
Laminating a pocketed folder with brads or providing a notebook with dividers will help your child or children keep lessons and materials organized. A permanent black marker will enable them to title the cover.
Book Reviews & Comprehension activities with Project Directions can be part of the folder’s contents.
Encourage your students to anecdote the Directions with questions & thoughts. It will help generate Critical Thinking and, hopefully, facilitate Brainstorming and Creativity for Extension Activities .
CLAMDiggers’ Access
Whether selecting a few weekly units individually and/or a monthly bundle (which will include a 30-page booklet of Graphic Organizers for Reading Comprehension, Brainstorming & Writing), CLAMDiggers’ enrichment program for Upper Elementary Learners will be available ~hopefully~ for purchase on Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s Teachers Pay Teachers Shop several weeks before the Month’s due date. September’s Monthly/Weekly Units are first. Access to the Monthly Poetry Posters will be in the Shop as well. Here’s the link to my Shop:
I hope this literature-based, Literacy enrichment program has caught your interest. Here are a few 10-page Freebies I created to show my appreciation. Just click on the links to open these PDFs:
As a parent-teacher and/or classroom teacher of children, ages 8-11, I know you and yours will find these Units engaging and fun. I would love to hear from you.
Questions? Concerns? Shares?
Just fill in the Contact Me form below. You will NOT be subscribing.
Otherwise, fill in the BLB Exclusive form as a FREE subscriber!
First Grade is encouraging lots of new vocabulary words -seems like everyday a few more are expressed with accuracy- in your serious, yet exuberant learner. S/he loves using them during play.
And, although s/he seems to prefer structured, play-by-the rules activities, free, unstructured play time is just as important, as always, for your child’s healthy growth & development.
PART TWO : Play & Creative Arts Skills
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. ~ Albert Einstein
Have you noticed your 6-year-old is becoming more aware of others and prefers playing in groups (with a new best friend everyday)?
Are his/her self-control skills improving?
Is s/he willing to share and work out problems with others more frequently-withOUT adult supervision- (even though tattling is still an issue)?
Does s/he LOVE showing off her/his talents?
Is his/her Pretend Play becoming more elaborate with the desire to use REAL objects NOT toys-food, clothing, vacuum cleaner ?
Are blocks, Legos, paints, poems & songs in the Top 10 List of her/his favorite things to do?
Lesia Oesterreich, a Human Sciences Specialist at Iowa State University Extension & Outreach, offers a few ideas to continue encouraging the growth & development of your child’s Creative Arts & Play Skills at home:
To help promote an understanding of rules: make connections by playing simple table games like cards, dominoes, tic-tac-toe & some board games like Candy Land, Chutes & Ladders, Qwirkle
To show how to work together: solve jigsaw puzzles, plant a garden, make a snack, perform household chores
To encourage a sense of accomplishment : provide opportunities to weave, build models, cook, make crafts, practice music, present plays & puppet shows
However, if your child attends a public school without the benefit of daily recess…...
Structured vs Non-Structured Play Time
Although your youngster is becoming quite fond of the predictability of routines both at home, school & after-school activities, child development experts continue to agree on the value of daily, unstructured play time. Click on the link below for a great article on this :
If you think your child is not getting some unstructured play time during the school day, you might want to check with the district/state guidelines.
l found it very disappointing that as of March 2018, according to an article written by Irena Schunn for the Capital News Service (“Virginia Makes Play Time A Priority in Elementary Schools”), only 8 states in the USA REQUIRE elementary schools to provide daily recess (not counting PE).
Speaking of PE, the Council on Physical Education for Children and the National Association for Sport & Physical Education, both agree that PE does NOT have the benefits of good, old-school recess:
Recess allows ” elementary children to practice life skills such as conflict resolution, cooperation, respect for rules, taking turns, sharing, using language to communicate, and problem solving in real situations.”
Oh Yeah-we could all use some recess, I’d say…..
Then, there’s the “hindering of children’s Executive Functioning”……and this is a biggie in your child’s growth & development.
HUH?!?!?
And what is “executive functioning”? Hint…..it may or may not be part of a CEO’s job description…. But, seriously……
The formal definition: “The executive functions are a set of processes that all have to do with managing oneself and one’s resources in order to achieve a goal. It is an umbrella term for the neurologically-based skills involving mental control and self-regulation.”
Here’s an in-depth explanation with a list of what these functions are and do:
Ellen Wexler’s 2014 article, “Study: Too Many Structured Activities May Hinder Children’s Executive Functioning” was contributed to the site educationweek, with several unsettling findings.
Researchers have found that working to achieve goals using the self-directed executive function -planning, decision-making, manipulating information, and switching between tasks- develops mostly during childhood.
Too much time spent in structured activities, according to a study by psychologists at the University of Colorado & the University of Denver, interfere with children’s, specifically 6-year-olds, ability to make decisions, work towards goals, and regulate their behaviors.
In other words, children NEED to spend time deciding what they’re going to do with their time.
SOME time is NOT a free-for-all…..EGADS!!!!
And I Do This How????
Unstructured Play-MarkusSpiske
I’m NOT advocating dis-enrolling your child from his/her favorite soccer team, dance class, art session, music lesson, or theater group. On the contrary, ONE, not several, of these extracurricular activities is a wonderful opportunity for many reasons (which I will get into later on in this post…You Know IT~).
First of all, the benefits for “free time” are: cultivating independence, encouraging imagination, boosting creativity & strengthening problem solving skills. (K. Ginsburg MD, pediatrician @ the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia)
Instead of turning on the video-sitter, try these non-structured~no rules or guidelines other than safety, of course~ activities:
Whatever the weather (within safety reasons): GO OUTSIDE ~ splash in puddles, make snow sculptures, capture bugs, hike, climb & swing in trees, ride bikes & scooters, construct forts & houses, stir up some stone soup, gather leaves, hop & skip around.
Create & Get Messy: Indoors & Outdoors~ water & mud play (bakery, cafe, sculptures, buildings, roadways), paint, chalk, leaf collages, rock formations
But I’M BORED!!!!!! :Time to brainstorm how not to be without too much adult “interference”……What worked for my mom and me ~ “Find something to do or I will find something for you to do…….”
Of course. there are some Pretend Play scenarios that can be accommodated for Outdoor play, especially if a tent or playhouse is available….
“Pretend I’m A…….. & You’re A……..”
Almost all creativity requires purposeful play. ~ Abraham Maslow
Have you noticed a change in your 6-year-old’s Pretend Play?
OR do you need to get that Pretend Play started? Check out my resource in BLB’s Library for 8 Helpful Websites by clicking on the link below:
Yes, the scenarios are becoming more involved ~ with engaging others, with creating “plot” layers, with inventing props. You could have a budding playwright, set designer, actor, director and/or screenwriter on your hands.
You might want to set your phone on video……
Although his/her imagination is “running wild”, understanding the difference between real and make-believe is taking hold. Using real objects while doing real activities during “pretend” play is becoming more important.
BLB’s Shop has a colorful PDF product for 6/7 Pretend Plays complete with props, signage, & templates ready to download & print. Just click on the link below:
BLB’s Library has a resource to help you & yours with a more complex approach to Pretend Play. It offers 6 Scenarios involving more characters engaged in more involved activities with performance ideas & tips. Just click on the link below:
Creative activity could be described as a type of learning process where teacher & pupil are located in the same individual. ~ Arthur Koestler
Whether you are homeschooling or enhancing your child(ren)’s education at home, there are many ways to include play as a learning strategy.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children states young learners need to begin their days with time to :
“develop self-regulation; language; cognition; social competence; opportunities to explore the world safely; emotional control; symbolic & problem-solving abilities; emerging skills……play is the engine that drives their learning”
I had planned to include a TON of information regarding this, but, instead, I’ll supply links to the articles I found written by experienced, primary educators. There are many! Here’s a few listed alphabetically by author, not importance:
Some Play~Pretend, Free, Open-Ended, Structured, Non-Structured, etal~, though, can be influenced by the imaginations of centuries-old minds~think Fairy Tales….
Can That REALLY Happen in Real~Life???
Come On, Tooth Fairy! MohamedAbdelgaffar
Fairy Tales are indeed alive & well in your 6-year-old’s vivid imagination. Think~ Tooth Fairy visits!
A major experience in a First Grader’s life is the losing of his/her baby teeth, especially those two front teeth. As a first grade teacher, I had to “help” out many of those dangling pearls, mainly for fear the children would swallow them.
One of the best, and most endearing, as well as imaginative, class-books we wrote was entitled, “What the Tooth Fairy Does with My Tooth”. From giving it to babies to crushing it into fairy dust (crushing?! OH NO!), each child had an interesting perspective on what happens to her/his tooth.
Here are a few engaging Tooth Fairy Tales to share with your “toofless~wonder”:
Bear’s Loose Tooth by K.Wilson & J. Chapman is a rhyming (YAY) story about a young bear experiencing his first loose tooth while he & his forest friends are eating lunch. He wonders how he will eat without it. The illustrations are soft, yet bright forest colors.
Tooth Fairy’s Night by C. Ransom is a Step-Into-Reading book your child will enjoy reading with/to you. The text shares the tooth fairy’s daily evening rituals & travels. The illustrations are colorful & cheerful renderings of her starry nights.
Loose Tooth by L.M.Schaefer & S.Wickstrom is a funny, My First I Can Read book about a young boy trying to get his stubborn, loose tooth to come out (NOOO not the string on a doorknob!!!!). The illustrations are comical in a cartoon-style.
But, on a more serious note about those make-believe tales…..
To Tale or Not To Tale……
Tales of all kinds are part of all cultures~fairy tales, folk tales, tall tales. Many have been verbally handed down to new generations from thousands of years ago. These tales hold within them legends of bravery, trickery, good and evil. Aesop, a Greek storyteller who lived 2600 years ago, engaged his listeners with talking animals that taught life lessons.
I, like millions of other children, was raised with fairy tales told by the Grimm Brothers and/or adapted by Disney (loved the music!). Whether read to me or seen on the big screen, these 1000s-of- year-old tales, full of wonder & magic, engaged my imagination, and, still do.
However, not all children are fans of this genre. My son preferred the whimsy & humor of Dr. Seuss (an absolute FAV of mine) and stories with talking animals.
Child experts agree most fairy tales (except maybe The Three Little Pigs & Goldilocks’s visit to The Three Bears’ cottage) shouldn’t be shared with children under 6-years-old.
What do you think?
The Fairy Tale Debate
It’s Raining Rainbow Bubbles-MyungWonSeo
Lisa Lipkin, a New York-based storyteller & author of Bringing The Story Home: The Complete Guide to Storytelling for Parents~a very informative read~ shares her Pros & Cons in “The Fairy Tale Debate”:
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Fairy tales have resourceful characters, who figure out how to outwit the villains & their dastardly deeds.
The “hero” characters make good choices in spite of the odds.
The tales show: faithfulness to a belief or character; kindness & patience are rewarded; and teamwork brings success.
The imagery in fairy tales is fantastical with enchantments, talking animals, and super-human courage.
NOOOOOOOOO~Too Scary!!!
The villains, who are scary & evil, do cruel & heartless things.
Sometimes, those villainous deeds~full of greed & spitefulness~go unpunished.
There are ominous forests full of secrets, spells & magic.
Some of the phrasing in fairy tales is scary & foreboding.
Heroes & villains use gratuitous violence.
Men & women are stereo-typed~think beautiful, helpless princess needs to be rescued by a handsome, white knight…..
Goodreads has several parent reviews of Ms. Lipkin’s book.
Harvey Karp MD, a pediatrician & author of the humorous book, The Happiest Toddler on the Block, shares a few ideas ( with my two cents) on how to read & anecdote those “questionable” fairy tales:
In the beginning of the story, interactively engage all the senses when describing the characters, using the pictures, expressions, questions, & prior knowledge.
During the middle of the tale, talk about the “lesson(s)”~there is always a few~ you want to teach and/or have your child realize as part of the lesson.
Towards the ending~it’s usually happy~ make sure to include an emphasis on the little helper characters~think the mice in Cinderella~ and use your voice as a tool for understanding the roles of the different characters.
Wait a while before introducing stories with children at-risk~think “Hansel & Gretel”, “Bambi” (I got so hysterical, my mom & I had to leave the theater), “Little Red Riding Hood”, etc.
Love Fairy Tales, but want to challenge those stereotypes with your child(ren)? Joanna Parkes shares a great PDF using drama to do just that:
Expressions of creativity~ ART~ can be recognized in many forms.
Bringing to life any abstract, imaginative thought with one’s physical being is, to me, a method of art.
Whether using a paintbrush or a cooking utensil, the inventive energy of an artist becomes a reality.
Your youngster will use this energy to explore, discover, and, then, interpret her/his world in a unique & inspired voice. Nurture, nurture, nurture it.
If you’ve got a perfectionist or a reluctant artist in your midst, a good book might help him/her relax into the world of art. I gathered a few reads into a book list available in BLB’s Library. Click on the link below:
The benefits of encouraging artistic expression are, not only numerous, but also, essential to your child’s healthy growth & development.
10 Benefits of the Creative Arts for Your Child
Lauren Martin offered “10 Reasons Why Arts in Education Is So Important for Kids” in an article she posted in 2014 for learningliftoff.com.
Creativity
Improved academic performance
Motor Skills
Confidence
Visual Learning
Decision Making
Perseverence
Focus
Collaboration
Accountability
I’m just listed them, but you can read the in-depth version by clicking on the link below plus a few other articles explaining the significance of the arts for your child’s growth & development:
However, there are things you can do at home to enrich your child’s life with the Arts.
Art Enrichment At Home
As music is the poetry of sound, so is painting the poetry of sight. ~James McNeil Whistler
In all my decades of teaching children, I NEVER met a child who didn’t enjoy creating an expression in art.
Whether visually through painting, drawing, &/or sculpting or performing through dancing, singing, &/or playing an instrument, every child has an artistic talent.
As a parent, you can strengthen your child’s growth & development by including into your home some of Jay Davidson’s ideas he suggested in his article for the Child Development Institute.
Performance Arts
Listen to My Song-Pezibear
Act out stories with props & costumes
Save old Halloween costumes & your old dress-up clothes, shoes, etc.
Listen to music at home & in the car that is not your usual fare.
Check out different music from the library.
Dance & sing together.
Visual Arts
My Vision on Paper-Zela
Stock an “Art Studio” at home with a variety of tools & materials.
Create a scrapbook together of photos, memorabilia, drawings, etc.
Look for an Arts Program after school, on weekends, during vacations, and as a camp. Your local community parks & rec center can help with this.
Want more info? PBS Parents has a great Creative Arts article. Just click on the link below:
others and prefers playing in groups (with a new best friend everyday)?
