Here are responses to "Fun Activites" from 4 people. Thank you to you 4!! What a
wonderful bunch of people you are to share your ideas. I think this is an area
that many would like more information about. I had more replies that asked me to
post a hit, than I had from actual ideas. If anyone has any more fun ideas for
activities, please let me know so we can add them to our list. Thanks so much!!
I print out a bunch of authors last names for Kindergarten and First Graders, and
they have to find a book by that author to check out that week. You will get a
couple children who don't want to check out that book, be flexible. I use popular
names, such Marc Brown, Berenstain, H.A. Rey, you know, the ones who get checked
out every week by those kids anyway. Most kids have fun when they find a book by
that specific author.
Here are some good sites. http://www.theeducatorsnetwork.com/main/index.htm
http://www.teach-nology.com/
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson131.shtml
http://www.mcgruff.org/tpschool.htm http://www.edhelper.com/
I have a friend who has an activity for teaching ABC order (or reviewing it). You
take index cards and cut them in half. Use four or five -- you do not want this to
be too overwhelming to a group of second or third graders, especially early in the
year. Then, you put a letter on each card. Make several sets, even enough for a
class. Package them in baggies. Hand one to each student -- telling them not to
turn them over until you give the signal. Then, have them open the baggie, dump out
the cards and put them in ABC order. I know this activity seems simple, but it does
build ABC order skills.
I would like to find fun activities for helping kids locate books, One of the best
ways to help them understand book placement is having them help shelve. They love
it. I would discuss book placement and how to read the spine label. Then, we'd talk
about the shelves and the guide words like in a dictionary to help narrow down
where to go. Then, one group of 4 at a time, I'd have them go place their book on
the shelf. When they thought they had the correct spot, they were to put he book in
keeping one hand on it, and raising the other. Then I'd zoom around and check them.
Tables close to the shelvers, were to give hints if they saw somebody straying, but
not to give answers. Usually there were enough books for everybody to do two. They
had great fun, because they were helping in the library and learning by moving. the
dewey system, Same basic strategy. The fiction, we did even with first graders.
They probably did better because they weren't trying to read the letters as words.
The non-fiction, I did with 3 and up. We discussed again the spine label and how
this time you look at the first line to match up with the guide words and then one
you found the correct number, then you matched to the letters. Again, they had
great fun helping in the library. I also had flash cards of Dewey and fiction
numbers. We'd have "relay" races between tables on who could put them in order
first. I made two matching sets, and then rotate through the class by table until
we were doing to the winning table. Winners would go against me. Indexes (indices)
were also grand fun. I made a copy of two good pages from the encyclopedia. (they
had all the things I wanted to teach about) I did a lot of put your finger on. That
way I could see at a glance if they were in the right spot, they were keeping up,
and their table mates where able to see also if somebody was off at their table. To
help me, I'd pick a student who was with me, and ask them to check everybody at the
table, I'd rotate the student if I could remember. When I would have up to 7 tables
of 4 students each, it could take me a while and bog down the lesson to check
everybody. But, I would explain that the finger thing was for me, so that I could
tell if we were together and would help them, because until they got used to the
little tiny print, it was hard to see it all. I would also tell them some of the
adult secrets to reading fast. You don't read it! They'd all look at me. I'd say,
no, you just look at the first letters in the column and skim through until you see
what you are actually looking for, then you slow down and start reading. They
thought they were great secrets I was imparting on them. We'd work with the copies,
then after discussing all the pieces and codes and things we'd move to the
classroom set of the Almanacs. They really complained then about the little print.
But, I'd remind them they knew what they were looking at now, and could figure it
out. I had a bunch of little animal books, with a two page index. We'd use those in
2nd grade to practice index. Great fun. When they started to get it, then I'd start
asking thinking questions. What do we look up, if we want to find out what they
eat? How big? Those kinds of things. It would become a zoom race. But, we'd make
sure everybody was successful and we were having fun. The state books were really
fun too. We could do things on the flower or size or statehood date. First graders,
we'd practice with the class set of dictionaries for young readers. They were
amazed that there were books of words. We got to practice guide words, skimming for
the first letter, then second letter and so on. They got to try spelling first on
their own, and then if we needed hints, it came from the students. I was so proud,
one class after the lesson, grabbed their dictionaries and carried them over to the
OPAC so they could spell the words correctly as they typed them in! The big posters
on award books could be used to begin a book search. Gives the author's name, now
do you find the book? Any way, you can make anything fun just by giving it a twist.
Even note cards were fun with my kindergarteners. The universe one, I told them
that note cards were used to help you keep facts straight. Tonight at dinner, you
can hide your note card in you pocket or under your bottom (they love bottom
references) and then you can quiz your mom and dad. On one side of the card,
looking at the top view of the milky way, we'd decide how to draw it, which way the
arms spiraled and what the shape reminded us of. Then we'd put our drawing on our
card. (I drew on the board) The back side of the card, we'd do a side view. Decide
how it looked, what it reminded us of. After that lesson, I would always have at
least one parent come in and tell me that their kindergartener did it, they'd
quizzed the family at dinner that night and they'd had great fun. I used the big
books a lot for teaching note taking with the younger grades.
Tara Marshall, LMS
St. Joseph, MO
taralmnet@yahoo.com
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