Bright Ideas- Teaching fractions

It's that time again!  Time for another Bright Idea!

This month I want to share a couple of ideas on teaching fractions in the early years.

First thing I do is hunt up a few videos for the kiddos to watch

Then I give each child a piece of paper and ask them to fold it in half, we draw a line and then label one half.  We then fold it into quarters and label it again.  For higher grades we keep going up to 16ths.

I then asked the kidddos to write down what they now know about fractions, this is a great sharing activity.

The next activity I like to do is creating Pizza fractions.  I put my order on the board and give each child a 'pizza', a round piece of cardboard (this is a great alternative if you have students in your class who have intolerances and or allergies to many types of foods).  You can of course make real pizzas if time and money permits :)

 The students divide their pizza into the fractions, then add the topping to the correct fraction.

Each student then labelled their fraction pizza with the toppings they had included. 

I tell you there are some budding chefs in my class this year!  I hope you enjoyed this Bright Idea on our fractions activity.  

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Bright Ideas- Tips for Supporting ASD students in the classroom

Do you have students in your classroom who have Autisim or who are on the "Spectrum"?  These students can be the most amazing, frustrating, challenging, fun and illuminating students you will ever teach.  For some of them just to get through the day is an amazing achievement while for others they live so far into their own world that you rarely register on their radar.

Today I wanted to share with you some of the things that have worked with my students over the years.  Keep in mind that just like every other student these students all have different needs and some of these tips may work with your ASD student and some may not.  Ok her we go!

1. Headphones

Headphones are a great way for ASD students to minimise the noise that may be a sensory overload for them.  You will know if your student has noise issues as that will usually be the child who claps his/her hands straight over the ears at any loud or unfamiliar noise.  I have several old pairs of headphones that I have cut the cord off and keep for just these occasions including on field trips.
NOTE: The ear buds are not an ideal type of headphone as they can increase the sensory overload and they also fall out easily.

2. Fiddle toys

Fiddle toys are a great way to keep little fingers occupied during quiet times in the classroom especially during mat time.  It is important for the child to pick the fiddle toy that will work best for them as texture can be a sensory issue for some children.  Some of the best toys I have seen are the wooden hand massagers, the students have something that can fit in their pocket and it is not easily broken.

 

Other fiddle toys that have been popular are the stretchy gel like toys although these can be stretched too far and end up breaking.  Also if your student is a chewer these are not a good option.

3. Anxiety

ASD and anxiety usually go hand in hand,  it is important to recognise the signs of anxiety in your student.  This will mean you need to have a huge conversation with the parents as they will have invaluable information to let you know what signs to look for.  Quite often these students need reassurance and positive talk to get them participating in the most minor activities.  I like to find out from my students what helps to keep them calm, sometimes it is a picture of their favorite toy, a piece of ribbon, a stress ball, listening to music, reading or chewing on something hard.

Try to make these items as accessible as possible and be on the lookout for the early signs of escalation.  I have found using the 5 point scale very helpful as well.

4. Break time!
More often you will find these kiddos need extra breaks built into their day, this can be as simple as asking them to run a message, or allowing them to walk in an area that is within view of the teacher.  For my ASD students breaks are part of their individual program, it is not always at the same time and is not always the same type of break.  A lot if it depends on the student, how high their anxiety is, what the activity is and how tired they are.  GoNoodle has been an easy way to incorporate breaks not only for my ASD students but for the others as well.

I also have a quiet area that students can go to with a timer, when the time is up they come back and engage with the activity again.  Obviously some need longer breaks or breaks more frequently, remember we are dealing with individuals.

5. The Heavy Load
One of the things I have been doing lately is using heavy work to help my students regulate their level of anxiety as well as proprioception (which is them understanding where there body is in space in relation to others)  Heavy work gives students an understanding of where there body is in space, it can include things like sweeping, shoveling/digging, pushing against a wall, pulling against another person or object, carrying heavy phone books, being squeezed in a blanket or under cushions or swinging on a swing.

I know it sounds kind of weird but believe me our days always run much smoother when our heavy work breaks are timely.

6. Love and accept them.
This can sometimes be the hardest part to get to......these students will challenge you in ways you never thought possible but we need to remember to celebrate their amazing minds.  ASD students may not show you they love you, in fact some days they may tell you straight out they hate you, the may yell and curse at you......but they do not want you to give up on them.  They are without a doubt the students who more than anything needs a team of teachers, parents and community to work with them to help them succeed and achieve, and boy when they do it is amazing!

I hope you found something to take and use in your classroom tomorrow of course this is by no means an entire list of strategies to use and I am sure I will find time to add to this list in the future.

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Bright Ideas- 5 ways to decorate pegs

Welcome back for another Bright Ideas linky!

Do you use pegs on your boards to display student work?  

I have started displaying work using this method and I have tried a number of ways to decorate the pegs so they don't look blah.  I need to start off by letting you know that I used velcro on the back of the pegs as all of my boards are carpeted and the velcro sticks really well to it.  If you need to use pins you could hot glue a thumb tack onto the back, I recommend doing that BEFORE you do any decorating, also I have only used wooden pegs.

1. Glitter meets glue

The first thing I tried was to add a bit of glamour and sparkle to our pegs. I used some strong pva glue and painted down one side, then I put the glitter on.  I found it was best to put the glitter onto a plastic plate and then laying the pegs onto the glitter.  Give them a good shake before you put them on your wall or you will have glitter raining down on you for months.

2. Foaming all over

Another fabulous way to decorate pegs is courtesy of one of my teaching partners.  She found this foam craft at the cheap store and sliced it on the paper slicer, how clever is she!  We used hot glue to put them onto the pegs, she did give me permission to share this with you all.  We put velcro on the back and voila, ready to go.

3.  Cutify

We found these pegs that already had some cute little wooden insects glued on to them, but I think if you had something like this laying around you could definitely hot glue them on and create a theme of pegs for your room.  It wouldn't matter if it was painted or not, this set already was but if you had time and you were feeling super crafty this is a super cute way to display work.

4.  Tape it up!
One of the easiest and fastest way to cover a boring old wooden peg is to use tape.  I have used Washi tape here as well as patterned and colored duct tape.  Just put it on to cover the peg and then trim to where you need it.  Super easy, super fast!  The great thing about using tape is that you can change it out to suit your room theme as it peels off really easily.

5. Dye-ing to do this
I have to preface this by saying I haven't personally done this but a friend of mine has so I don't have any personal photos to show you.  Dying wooden pegs is an easy job but I do think you need a weekend to complete the task so they have enough drying time before you put velcro or pins on the back.  You could use fabric dye or I have heard that using tempura powder paint also works.  The only piece of advice I would give is to wear gloves when you are doing this or you will have technicolor hands for a while.

Source: http://indulgy.com

I am sure there are a thousand more ways to decorate a peg.....ok maybe not thousands but I am positive there would be people who could add to this list!

If you have enjoyed this Bright Idea make sure you follow me on my  blog, Facebook or Instagram to get more fantastic ideas also head to the linky to find other amazing bloggers with AMAZING ideas for you to check out!  

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Bright Ideas- Newspapers

Welcome back for another round of Bright Ideas!  I love being a part of this fantastic link organised by Shelley @ Teaching in the Early Years

This month I want to share 3 easy ideas on how to use those mountains of newspapers that well meaning parents bring in for your class to use.  I don't know about you but I just cannot say "No" when parents bring things in for our class to use, which means some years I have lots of magazines and newspapers piled up.

I am going to share a few quick ideas on how to get rid of those papers in a way that is useful and dare I say even educational.

1.  Let's get arty!

Papers are an ideal way to stop getting the tables messed up when you are painting in the classroom.  We have a large art table that we often use for group art work and I like to cover the area with newspapers for a quick clean up.  Students can also put one piece of newspaper on their individual tables to stop any crayon or markers making a mess on the table.  Easy clean up, straight in the recycle bin or fold it up for next time.

Papier mache is a messy and fun activity that my kiddos always love to do.  Most people would be familiar with covering a balloon with strips of newspaper that has been soaked in a glue mixture ( I mix equal parts of PVA glue with water) then let the balloon covered mess dry by hanging it up somewhere it can drip.  When it is dry students pop the balloon and are left with a hard round shell.  What you do with this is up to the imagination.  Here are some ideas

• Paint a face on it and make it into a puppet
• Turn it into a pinata by filling it with surprises or treats and paint it in bright colors, cover small hole with some paper, hang and use for parties or Cinca de Mayo.
• Use a leftover plastic bottle, thread two rubber bands through the edge near the opening, then loop those bands over the top of the plastic bottle.  Paint a face on the balloon, now you have a bobble head!  Decorate the bottle to be the body.
• Papier mache a plastic plate of bowl and when dry trim the edges and paint as a gift for students to give to for and special events eg Mothers/Fathers Day, Easter, Christmas.

Newspaper is a softer paper that is easy to scrunch up, it can be used to fill plastic or paper bags as filling or to create a puffy look when making paper crafts.  You can also use newspaper to create a 3D look when making dioramas.  

2.  Look and ye shall find!

Newspapers are full of text, which is a major component of our day.  I often give my students a page from a newspaper, a magnifying glass and a highligher, what they are searching for will change depending on the topic or concept we are looking at.  Some of the things my kiddos have searched for include 

• letters and sounds
• high frequency words
• parts of speech (adjectives, verbs, nouns, capitals etc)
• parts of text (headings, sub headings, paragraphs, etc)
• types of text (report, procedure, persuasive etc)

3.  Measuring up!

Newspapers are a an easy tool to use for measuring. 

Length- Give all students on double page of the newspaper and challenge them to make the longest paper chain they can.  Students can tear or cut strips, then measure the length to find who's is longest.  This can be followed up with a discussion on why one is longer than the other with the consideration that everyone started with the same size.

Perimeter- Students can measure the area around the edge of newspapers

Area- Students can use different objects to measure the area of a newspaper page or use the page to fill an area that is drawn on the ground with chalk.

You can get more hints, tips and tricks for your classroom by following me on Facebook, Instagram or my blog right here!

If you love these easy ideas, make sure you visit some of the other fabulous bloggers with even more fabulous Bright Ideas!

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Bright Ideas- Laminating 101

Welcome back for another round of Bright Ideas!

This month I wanted to share some laminating tips with you.  If you are a teacher a laminator is to you what a stethoscope is to a doctor, an invaluable tool.

So here are my tips!

1.  You Get What You Pay For!
When I got my first laminator it was a cheaper make, don't get a cheap brand, you know the old saying, you get what you pay for well it is true.  This is an investment that you should not skimp on, I also decided to get an A3 size so I could laminate larger posters as well as smaller sizes.

2. Size Matters
Have a range of different sized laminating pouches on hand.  I like to have A3, A4 and the smaller business card sizes. The reason I do this is for those times when you need to only laminate one small item you can use the small ones.  I also make a lot of my game cards the same size as the business card pouches so I don't have to bother with all the cutting.

3. Snip And Save
Cut the pouches to size.  You know when you have laminated everything and you have one piece leftover that won't fit into a small card size what do you do?  I have seen some teachers use a whole pouch to laminate one piece, NOOOOOO!!!  Just cut some of the pouch off, it is best when you cut it lengthways so you still have the folded piece to put through first.  The part that you don't use gets put away for the next time!

 4. Stick To It!
There is nothing more frustrating than having lots of little pieces to laminate, you place them carefully in the pouch and then cross your fingers as you lift the pouch like it is a newborn infant to feed it ever so steadily into the laminator, saying a prayer that nothing slips or moves on the way.   Or......get your faithful gluestick, put a little dab on the back of each piece and stick it down.  The glue dries clear and not one of those little pieces will move.  Easy!

See, nothing falling out even when I shake it!

5. Feed It In
This might seem like a no brainer but make sure you check which way you put the pouch in.  The folded edge needs to go in first, otherwise you might end up with this...

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I hope you have picked up a couple of little tips here, make sure you check out the other Bright Ideas from over 100 bloggers!

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Bright Ideas! Where are we?

Welcome to another round of Bright Ideas!

I love that we are able to share all of these fabulous ideas with teachers all over the world.

Today I wanted to share with you a quick way to let everyone know where your class is.  You know those times you decide that learning doesn't only have to take place in the classroom and that you are going to be daring and take your class outside or to another area of the school?  Of course that is going to be the time a parent or the Principal comes looking  for you and then you end up getting a slap on the wrist (I speak figuratively) because no-one knows where you are.  Did this happen to me?  Of course not!  

There are a number of ways you can let people know where you are, you can display your timetable in your room so it is plain to see when you have you specialist lessons like Music or PE, you can leave a note on your whiteboard if you are going to be somewhere else.  But this is my favourite way to let people know where you are.

Use your windows or glass door as a whiteboard, I made this cute background, laminated it and stuck it on the the inside of my glass door, I can then write on the glass with a whiteboard marker to let everyone know where we are.  If you have a solid door, you can still write on the laminate or slide a piece of paper into a page protector and write on the plastic with a whiteboard marker.

I can't believe how easy it is and why I didn't think of this before, you can see in an instant where our class is and I will never get in trouble again for not telling people where we are :)  

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Bright Ideas! The Literacy Shed

I am so excited again to be part of this amazing group of bloggers sharing some of their best ideas to help you in the classroom. 

Let's get started!

This month I wanted to tell you about a great website I have used in my classroom over the last couple of years.  It is called the Literacy Shed (it is UK based) and houses a store of great animations for the entire range of grade levels.  I have used this website when I was a substitute teacher as well as in my every day teaching.

The videos and animations are organised by themes and genres, after you have read through my description, click on the pic to head over to start browsing through the many videos.  This post does come with a warning though.......once you start browsing through the animations, you will not come out for hours......if I were you, I would use the bathroom now, then sit down with a coffee and a snack.  Comfy?  Good, you are in for a treat!

Right now I have been using this site to help my kids with inferring, many of the animations have no dialogue so students have to really think deep to find out what the authors message is or to predict what might come next.  We also looked at the lighting and colors used in the animations and how this influences our decisions, predictions and inferences.

Most videos have notes on how to use the animation in the classroom or how it has been used in another teachers classroom.  These are great to kick off a unit or to base a unit around the video.  Some of our favourites in my classroom are

The Happy Duckling, 

Don't Go (this one is very funny!), 

The Owl Babies, 

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore

and for the older classess

Eye of the Storm

Once in a Lifetime

The War and Peace Shed 

(very useful for Anzac Day and Remembrance Day)

Here is something I recently discovered.....there is also a MATHEMATICS SHED!!!

Of course there is nothing more left for you to do but to head over there and check out all the amazing videos you now have access to that will support your Literacy program and your Mathematics program in your classroom.  Oh I may have forgotten to tell you this very important thing......there is no sign up, no trial, no subscribing and getting annoying emails, in fact there is NO COST involved at all, yes this is a FREE website.

I will leave you with one tip, do make sure you check the video before you show your kiddos, yes they are aimed at children but you do want to make sure the video you use is aimed at the age or grade level you have.

Now for more Bright Ideas for your classroom head over to the linky! 

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Bright Ideas - More than one way to Show and Tell

Welcome to another Bright Ideas Blog Hop!  

Oral language is an important development in children and a traditional way it has been supported in the classroom is through the good old Show and Tell, I am not ashamed to admit that I think Show and Tell is a snooze fest and there are better ways to do it.  Here are some examples.

1. Mystery bag

I have used this in a variety of grade levels and kiddos eat it up!  Essentially it works like this.  I have about 5 cloth drawstring bags ( I made mine but you could easily recycle some you already have) The kiddos take the bag home the day before their rostered day for Show and Tell and put something in the bag.  There is also a sheet in there for them to write down 3-5 clues about there object.  I encourage the parents to talk to their child about what clues they could give.  When they come into school, they give their clues and the other students are allowed to guess, once the guess is done the child can then give extra information.
To keep things interesting I will often send home a list to the parents with topics we will be discussing in the classroom each week, this way the object in the Mystery bag can be used to generate whole classroom discussion as well.

PS You can also make a mystery bag from a pillowcase.

2.  The Topic book

A Topic book is really just a scrap book that on each page has a different topic.  Children can take the Topic Book home and then add information to a page of their choice through drawing, writing, adding photographs whatever they think they can add to talk about a particular topic.  You could have a few Topic books going home or just roster one per child per day, your choice.

3.  Whole class Show and Tell.

This method has Show and Tell on one day for all students.  Students sit in two concentric circles so that each student is facing another student (if you have one student leftover you can group a couple of students).
Choose one circle that will be moving in a clockwise direction, then put a time limit on how long each child gets to talk ( you have to or it takes forever!!!) This method means that one half of the class gets to share with multiple students in a semi one on one fashion. Again you can make this free choice or set a topic for each week.  In our class we relate it to our unit that we are investigating.

I hope this has given you at least one more interesting way to do show and tell without falling asleep!  Now head over to Mrs Pauley's Kindergarten to gather some fabulous ideas on displaying anchor charts,

or just click on one of the links below to find more Bright Ideas by grade level.

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Bright Ideas! Hop on!

I was so happy to participate in this Bright Ideas Blog Hop!  

I bet there are millions of fabulous ideas floating around in classrooms everyday, but I am just going to share one with you before you hop off to the next fantastic blogger!

I love to use cards and dice for games in the classroom, especially as a sub.  You can pretty much be guaranteed the classroom you are in will have them and if not, they are easy to carry in your bag.

First I wanted to share with you how I use one game and differentiate it for the different abilities in the class.

This game is a card game that I call Higher or Lower.  I'm sure it has other names like War or something like that, but meh, I like to be specific.

The basic premise is that students decide if the other player has to get a number higher or lower than the other player, then they turn over however many cards you as the teacher has decided on.  These players have turned over three because we were focussing on place value but if you had kiddos who needed to focus on 1 digit or 2 digit numbers you would tell those kiddos to turn over the appropriate number of cards.  When one player wins they get to keep theirs and their opponents cards, play continues until all the cards are gone.  

I love that I can have kiddos working on different skills with this game as well and they can venture into adding or subtracting 2 or more numbers.  I make sure my pairs are at a reasonably even level of ability so that they are both getting the practice they need.

Now onto a dice game that is great to use in any classroom.  

I like to use this game in many different ways.  We call it Race to________ (whatever number you want!)  I play this using number charts to 100 or 200.  I also play this with Kinders using counters to create towers.

Depending on the abilities you can give kiddos dot dice or number dice, they can build towers to 10 or beyond that number.  They love to see who can build the highest tower first.....and they are counting while having fun!  

I hope you are able to take a couple of these ideas into your classroom this week!  Now the best part you get to hop over to Mary at Teaching with a Mountain View to check out her bright idea for some quick and creative ideas for improving critical and creative thinking!  WOW!