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.
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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.
Please share them by filling in the Contact Me form below. You will NOT be subscribing. I look forward to hearing from you & will try to respond as soon as possible.
However, if you wish to be a FREE subscriber to the BLB Exclusive for more tips, ideas, strategies, updates & more, please fill in the form 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:
Welcome to Part Three of The FLC First Grader’s Series
Your 6-year-old is asking MORE questions than s/he usually does.
And even though s/he LOVES rules and boundaries in his/her expanding world, those very important inquiries are giving you clues to the puzzles being solved in her/his broadening brain.
Your First Grader’s Inquiry Skills are growing. They are becoming an important part of his/her brain development and academic success.
A “How-To……” book of instructions for everything in life right now would be just fine with her/him!
PART THREE : Inquiry Skills
It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question. ~ Eugene Ionesco
There is a philosophy that an answer can be found within the context of its question…..or at least its beginning is….
Your First Grader comes home with many new & wonderful ideas to share. S/he LOVES explaining how explorations became discoveries.
And, THEN, “what if…..?” Oh, the imagination of the inquiring mind!!!!
This state of inquiry, however, is not satisfied with thinking about things.
Your 6-year-old and his/her longer attention span likes to learn & problem solve by doing: experimenting, planning, building, collecting, and, maybe even , performing magic tricks just to solve what “appears” to be unsolvable.
You can promote these Critical Thinking questions. BLB’s Library has several ideas for you to use in an interactive resource:
provide storage boxes for her/his special collections of rocks, seeds, shells, leaves
Add nonfiction books to the library about animals, plants, sun, moon & stars, seasons, weather, holidays & celebrations, world cultures, community helpers, inventors & inventions, machines & transportation
Take field trips to history & science museums, work places & factories, other neighborhoods
encourage his/her growing awareness of time & days of the week by including him/her in planning daily events
S/he probably has lots of Giant Ideas (where DO they come from) with lots of Important Questions (how DOES s/he think up all of them)…….
Encouraging The Critical Thinking Process of Inquiry
Do you remember the KWL (What do you Know, What do you Wonder about, & What have you Learned) your teachers may have used during your classroom discussions?
Although it can be time-consuming, I found a KWL chart to be a very valuable exploration & discovery tool. Used interactively, it provided me, and my students, with knowledge already in place~no wasted time on redundancy~ and ownership of what was to be learned ~ with a few prompted questions, ideas, & vocabulary clues from me.
When Do We Use A KWL ?
You can use this tool with your child in a variety of scenarios:
to enrich & reinforce a variety of science, social studies & geography topics being taught in school
to increase reading comprehension elements in fiction & nonfiction reads at home and for school
to use as a home-management builder in a number of arenas: chores, safety, nutrition, clothing/weather, etc.
SO~I’ve created something a little different that includes a Resource section in this discovery chat titled KQRL. Here’s a downloadable 8.5×11″ PDF template you can print, laminate & re-use during you & yours’ Inquiry Investigations: KQRL Template
Wondering what science, social studies & geography concepts your First Grader will be learning in the classroom?
Your child’s school district can provide you with a list of objectives & expectations. Ask her/his teacher for assistance and explanations.
Science Explorations in First Grade
Using My 5 Senses-KellySikkema
Your child will engage his/her 5 Senses to observe, ask questions, and, then, record what s/he is learning. Entering data on graphs (pictographs & bar graphs), hand-drawings as well as written words are products used to show what s/he understands.
This is a “general” list of science concepts your child may (or may not) be learning throughout his/her year in First Grade:
Physical Science
Forces in Motion: push & pull, balance, magnetism, electricity
Changes in States of Matter (solid, liquid & gas)
Properties of Liquids
Sound Production & Travel
Properties of Air
Earth Science
The Universe: day & night sky, moon, stars, sun
Weather: seasons, temperature measurement
Properties & Uses of Earth Materials: soil, rocks, minerals, water
Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun. ~ Mary Lou Cook
PBSParents offers some very useful suggestions on how to explore science concepts with your child in everyday scenarios. And just for you, I created a table -YIPEE- to help with that!
Home~Grown Science Explorations & Discoveries
FAMILY ENVIRONMENT
PHYSICAL SCIENCE INVESTIGATIONS
EARTH SCIENCE INVESTIGATIONS
LIFE SCIENCE INVESTIGATIONS
Backyard/Front Lawn
Park/Playground
Nature Trail
Forces in Motion: trikes, bikes, scooter, wagon; playground equipment
Matter: solids, liquids, gases
Sound:different machines in the air/on the ground
Properties of Air: balloons, paper airplanes, Frisbee, kites, leaves
Light/Dark: day & night sky elements, moon phases, shadows, shade, self-reflection in water
Weather: clouds, temperature, precipitation
Materials:different rocks, soil varieties, waters(lake, pond, brook, river, mud puddles)
Different Plant & Animal Ecosystems
Stages of growth in plants & animals
In the Car
On the Bus/Train
Forces in Motion: Push / Pull
Sound: Machines at work
Travel: Speed
Light/Dark: self-reflection in window, vision adjustments to sight, building sights, day vs night sky visibility in different environments
Weather: cloud formations in open sky, visibility during precipitation at different speeds
Materials: landforms, bodies of water
Different Plant & Animal Ecosystems: city/country, desert/plains/forest/seaside
In the Kitchen
At the Market
Forces in Motion: push/pull of different utensils, float/sink of different food elements
Matter: changing states from solid to liquid to gas
Liquid Properties: changes with heat, cold, mixtures
Properties of Air: forces of air when applied to different foods, like meringues
Weather: on foods' stability, spoilage, growth in the garden
Materials: how rocks, soil, water affect foods
Human Body: nutrition, food groups, menu/recipe combinations, extra foods
Plant & Animal Ecosystems: growth, food sources, omnivores/herbivores/carnivores
Life Cycles: plants from seed, growth/harvest, preparation
I don’t know about you, but, there are questions children ask that defy an explanation…..So, instead of trying to give reason that might not be understandable or accurate, a more “scientific” approach will probably satisfy those questions. Wonder, inquire & investigate along with your child, encouraging him/her to explain why s/he thinks the way s/he does. Yes~answer a question with another question.
Ready to Set Up A Home~Grown Science Lab ?
Your Primary learner LOVES to investigate his/her Inquiries!
I’ve created 4 of them for you & yours, addressing several of the objectives found in the Physical, Earth, Life & Ecology Sciences. Each contain several investigations with sequential activities for observations, predictions, explorations, experiments & discoveries appropriate for children, ages 5-8. You can visit these “Labs” in BLB’s Shop by clicking on the links below:
Your First grader will, also, be learning about the diverse cultures & countries of the world. Using the Inquiry approach to these studies is a great interactive way to engage her/his learning.
Navigating the World Through Investigations
World Traveler – TeddyKelley
I found Social Studies & Geography an easy way to integrate reading & writing. Not only are they inter-related, they are incredibly relevant & engaging for most children. Who doesn’t want to explore his/her home country, ancestral roots, holiday traditions, and, then, navigate the way there?!
Here’s a general, sequential inquiry map several fellow teachers & I used in our classrooms before the curriculum timeline rules changed. It’s a thematic approach that blended & covered all required objectives, including some Math, Health & Science expectations. We began at the beginning~the Home.
Family & Home
Where do you live: apartment, house, duplex, trailer, shelter?
Can you draw a map of the inside of your home?
Who is part of your family at home?
What are the needs of most families?
How do families meet those needs?
Are chores & shared responsibilities part of your family?
Neighborhood
What other buildings are in your neighborhood?
How is an apartment complex like a neighborhood?
Do your friends and/or relatives live nearby?
Is there a park or playscape in your neighborhood?
Are these other places in your neighborhood: school, gas station, restaurants, markets?
Can you draw a map of your neighborhood, using a few symbols & a compass rose for directions?
The Communities in A Town or City
Community
What is a community?
How are neighborhoods & communities the same? Different?
Do you know where these buildings are in your community: retail shops, restaurants, fire & police stations, schools, churches, hospitals, clinics/offices, athletic fields, cinemas?
Who are the community helpers in these places?
How do you know ( uniforms, special jobs)?
When do you need these community helpers?
How do some of them keep communities safe?
What are “goods” and “services”?
Which community helpers provide services? Goods?
City/Town
What is the difference between a town & a city?
Do you know how many people live in our town/city?
How many of these places have you visited: concert hall, opera house, theater, museum, historical sites, sports arena, transportation hubs ~ bus terminal, train station, airport?
How did you travel to those places?
Where can you find a major waterway in our town/city? What is its name?
Have you ever traveled to a different town or city?
Was it in our state or a different state?
Can you locate our town/city on this map?
Widening the Scope
A teacher is a compass that activates the magnets of curiosity, knowledge, and wisdom in the pupils. ~ Ever Garrison
State
What is the name of the state we live in?
Is a state larger or smaller than a city?
Are there only towns & cities in our state?
Do you know the names of some other towns or cities in our state?
Do you know the names of any other states?
Have you ever traveled to any other state?
What did you see/do there?
Where is it on this map?
How did you travel there?
Can you locate our state on this map?
What are those other names a part of on the map?
What is famous about our state?
Country
These states are all part of a what?
What is a country?
Do you know the names of any other countries?
What is the name of our country?
Why is our country called “The United States of America”?
Click on the link below to download, copy & print a PFD I created for celebrating USA Symbols, Citizenship & National Holidays:
There is another, more in-depth way to encourage your child’s Inquiry Skills. It’s a technique called UbD.
Big Ideas & Essential Questions
An idea is “big” if it helps us make sense of lots of confusing experience and seemingly isolated facts. It’s like the picture that connects the dots or a simple rule of thumb in a complex field. ~ Grant Wiggins
Another Question-Elijah’sSong
Your child’s classroom teacher may, also, (or maybe not) be using a learning technique called UbD~Understanding by Design ~ especially during science, geography & social studies units, which are, then, coordinated thematically with fiction & nonfiction reads. Projects & knowledge are student-driven through exploration & discovery guided by questions the students have formed regarding the subject.
The “Essential Questions” will usually help define the “Big Idea”, which is usually a general, or abstract statement.
When forming the Questions, keep these insights in mind:
They have no right or wrong answers
They promote inquiry to help learn the Big Idea.
They encourage critical thinking, curiosity & real life problem solving.
Basically~ What do you see? What do you think about what you see? What do you wonder about when you see it? How & where can you find out more?
Need more info and tips on how to provide your child with inquiry-based explorations? George Lucas Educational Foundation’s Edutopia is a great site to visit. Just click on the link below:
Your First grader’s wonder is nutrition for his/her brain. encourage, promote & nurture those curious questions with exploratory & discovery investigations.
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!
context of its question…..or at least its beginning is….
