READING CALENDAR

This Reading Calendar was sent out the beginning of each month and due the end of each month.  Parents were taught how to fill out the calendar and the grade system on the back at Open House.  Before the Open House, we filled out the calendar in class together each morning, so the children could get guided practice.  The positive about this calendar was the parents and child saw the grade they would receive for the month for Reading Calendar.  There was no question!

JIGSAW BOOK REPORT

This is a really nice book report concept.  Students read their book for the month.  Get a white cardboard for each student.  Teacher can decide the size that is appropriate for the age group of the students.  Students draw a detailed picture about the book on the front of the cardboard.  At the top of the poster have the students write the name of the book, the author, and their name in black marker.  Students can then color the picture with crayons.  Remind them to fill all of the space, cover the white, and color in one direction neatly.  All of this can be done in class if you wish.  On the back of the poster students need to draw lines (with pencil) to represent puzzle pieces.  You may need to demonstrate on the board.  Teacher decides how many pieces are required.  Each piece will be a part of the book report requirement.  This will depend what you are studying in class and what your concept requirements are for your grade level.  Some requirements:  series of events; title author, copyright, number of pages; character...
The student will give his book report using a piece of the puzzle.  Teacher will need to have something for the student to put puzzle together on.  I used a cork board and gave the students push pins.  At the end of the report all of the puzzle pieces are together and the students get to see the picture.
I find this report keeps the students engaged since they are watching a picture come together.

BUNNY BAKES

EASTER COOKIE

LOVE THE EARTH REPORT CARD

It's report card time again.  Why not send out this report card with the 3rd quarter card.  Discuss in detail prior to sending home.  It can be used for extra credit.  Have students color in class before sending home.  When returned, post in the hallway so everyone can see how your class takes care of their world.  Then make a class book so it can be enjoyed some more.  At the end of the year place in Journal/Memory Books.

READING UMBRELLA

This is a great way to encourage reading at home.  Print the raindrops on blue copy paper.  The umbrella can be various colors of construction paper.  It is so cute to see all of these hanging in windows or from ceilings.

APRIL FOOL JOKESTER

MARCH READING ACTIVITES CALENDAR

INDOOR MAGIC GARDEN

BIOGRAPHY BOOK REPORT

HANGING PLANTS FROM JUNK

FEBRUARY READING CALENDAR

CEREAL BOX BOOK REPORT

HEART ART AT HOME

A NICE HOME PROJECT FOR ALL AGES!  Assignment is to make  HEART ART from the heart that is sent home.  Parents and students are to participate.  Look at what a 3rd grade class did at HOME.

YEAR OF THE FAMILY

I made this a Class Book at the beginning of the year.  It helped to have an idea what kind of family your students came from.  Make sure you erase 1994 at the top of the page.  If you do not want to have "Family Day" for each student, put this on their "Star of the Week" Bulletin Board.  You can delete the top portion of the page.  Have the students take home so parents can help them fill in the questions.  The students can use the page to help them talk about their family. Make sure to make a copy for your class book, before you  put the papers away for Star of the Week.  See STAR OF THE WEEK in Beginning of the Year.

EVERY YEAR SHOULD BE ABOUT FAMILY 
This page is from Copycat Magazine - out of print - see below.     

eBay Store - copycat: copycat magazine, k-3 teachers, back issues

After 20 years, Copycat Press Inc. has closed. Copycat Magazine is a teacher's resource for grades K-3, and we have the only remaining unused inventory ...

stores.ebay.com/Copycat-Store

STRING ART TREE

                                                                       

POPPERS FOR OUR SOLDIERS PROJECT

                                                                                                                                    

This projects is a spin off from I'M AN EXPERT PROJECT  assigned to 

Third Graders to

meet a Language Arts Concept.  It would be given out late October as a Home Project.  Projects would be presented in class the last three days of December.  The Popper Project went over so well, we adopted it as a yearly Service Project for our Soldiers.  Students brought in toilet paper rolls they had been collecting since September, red, white, and blue tissue papper, ribbon, and decorations, such as glitter, sequins, stickers.  They also brought in bags of wrapped candy.  One afternoon we made poppers at different stations manned by parent volunteers.  Stations included the STEP 2 - wrap popper and tie one end, STEP 3 - fill the popper with candy, sequins, glitter, stickers..., STEP 4 - tie the other end, STEP 5 - decorate the popper with stickers (less is better), LAST STEP - curl the ribbons and attach a signed note card.  Classes chose to make their own poppers in their classroom or they came down to our room in small groups to make one.  Teachers also came to make a popper during their break time.  Parents, Teachers and Students (students did in class) were asked to write short Valentine Cards telling the soldiers how much we appreciate them. All poppers were packed in paper boxes that the school saved for us.  Each box had some of the Valentine Cards.  Before the lid was put on - the extra sequins, glitter, stickers and candy were sprinkled on top.  All boxes were packed ready to be shipped prior to break.  We then found families in our school that had loved ones overseas and gave them boxes to ship in January to be received for Valentines.  Everyone enjoyed this project.  One year a soldier responded back to us and sent us the flag below!  

I'M THE EXPERT BOOK REPORT

This project was taken from Instructional Fair 8453 Book Projects to Send Home.  We did it right before Christmas Break.  A lot of the activities presented were Christmas items and many of the students donated the completed items to The Home Bound in the Parish, so it also became a Mini Service Project.  See HOW TO MAKE POPPERS PROJECT (for an example) and note how we expanded the student's project to become a yearly Valentine/Patriotic Project to send to our soldiers oversees.  http://okscribbler.blogspot.com/2009/12/poppers-for-our-soldiers-project.html

DIRECTIONS

DIRECTIONS cont.

TO PARENTS

GRADE SHEET

RELIGIOUS DOOR HANGERS

Copy onto tag board.  Students color, cut out, take home and put on their bedroom door.  This sign greets them frequently during the season to remind them of the REASON!