Music, Movement, Phonics, Math

Music and movement are essential ingredients in any preschool classroom. Studies have shown that children retain more information when they use more of their senses in learning. By adding music and movement to the learning process children become more engaged, have more fun, and retain much more.

MUSIC APPRECIATION AND EXPLORATION

Staple a scarf onto a wooden dowel to create a flag. Create clear boundaries and rules for this movement exploration activity to keep your classroom safe. I like to tell each student that there is a bubble around him or her that cannot be broken. Anyone who breaks someone's bubble will have to take a rest. Play slow classical music and watch the graceful fluttering of the flags. Change to fast marching music and watch the sharp percussive movements emerge.

SMALL GROUP FLAG ROUTINES

After exploring some movements that can be done with a flag, divide the class into small groups and ask them to create a short routine. If space is a problem, this activity can be done outside and then one group at a time can do their routine in the classroom. A typical routine might be:
8 counts of giant arm circles
8 walks in a circle with the flag held out to the side
8 counts of circles overhead (helicopter)
8 counts of flags high, flags low

MUSICAL CONSONANTS IN ACTION
Using the tune, "You're Happy and You Know It," practice consonant sounds with movement.

If you’re happy and you know it,
Bounce around "b" "b"
If you're happy and you know it,
Bounce around “b” “b”
If you're happy and you know it,
Then your face will surely show it
If you're happy and you know it,
Bounce around “b” “b”.

Creep along “c” “c”...
Dance with me “d” “d”...
Flap your arms “f” “f”...
Gallop now “g” “g”...
Hop along “f” “f”...
Jump so high “j” “j”...
Kick the air “k” “k”...
Laugh out loud “l” “l”...
March in place “m” “m”...
Nod your head “n” “n”...
Pull a rope “p” “p”...
Run in place “r” “r”...
Slide with me “s” “s”...
Tap your feet “t” “t”...
Vacuum now “v” “v”...
Walk around “w” “w”...
Yawn right now “y” “y”...
Zip your coat “z” “z”...

MATH SHAPES SONG

With masking tape, make a giant circle, square, triangle, and rectangle on the floor. As the kids sing the "Shape Song" a small group jumps inside the shape they're singing about. Everyone can draw the shape with his or her finger in the air. Make sure all the children get a chance to jump inside the shapes.

Tune: "Farmer in the Dell"

A circle's like a ball,
A circle's like a ball,
Round and round
It never stops.
A circle's like a ball!

A square is like a box,
A square is like a box,
It has four sides,
They are the same.
A square is like a box!

A triangle has 3 sides,
A triangle has 3 sides,
Up the mountain,
Down, and back.
A triangle has 3 sides!

A rectangle has 4 sides,
A rectangle has 4 sides,
Two are long, and
Two are short.
A rectangle has 4 sides!

The more music and movement you can incorporate into preschool activities the more fun and success the children will have in learning and retaining the material that they are taught.

Kathy Stemke on Education Tipster

Kathy Stemke on Helium
Kathy Stemke on Associated Content
Kathy Stemke’s Website

Teaching Tips for Early Readers

There’s nothing quite like seeing a child’s eyes light up with joy because they’ve finally read their first word. Having fun with language is the key you need to unlock the world of reading to your child. The following are tips for hooking kids on reading. Try them and see what works for you and your child.

1. Make reading a habit. Give your child lots of opportunities to read. Bring a book with you wherever you go. They can read in the car, or waiting in the doctor’s office.

2. Play a rhyming game with a puppet. Have the puppet say, “My name is Mark. Can you find words that rhyme with Mark?” If the answer is yes, jump up and down, and if the answer is no, squat down low. “Does park rhyme with Mark? Does ball rhyme with Mark?”

3. Trace and say letter sounds. Involving the senses of touch, sight, and speech is a powerful tool for learning letter sounds. Use a finger to trace a letter while saying the letter sound. Do this on a paper, in a sandbox, or on a plate filled with sugar.

4. Play sound matching games. Using a set of alphabet letters, have your child pick the letter that matches the sound you make. Start with five letters and add more letters when your child is ready.

5. Pick books that are the right difficulty level for your child. The aim is to give your child many successful reading experiences. Have fiction and non-fiction books available. Dig deep into the meaning of books. Ask comprehension questionsd.

6. Have your child watch your lips to see how you make certain sounds. You can ask, “Can you see my tongue touch my teeth when I say (th)? Does it tickle your tongue?”

7. Play sight word concentration games. Make two sets of common sight words, and have them hunt for pairs. If they can read the word, it goes in their pile.

8. Point out words all around the town. (traffic signs, grocery signs, advertising signs)

9. Gently correct your young reader.

10. Say silly tongue twisters, sing songs and say rhymes. This will help kids become sensitive to sounds in words.

Keep reading fun! With activities like these you can inspire your child to practice every day. The more kids see and work with words, the more they are able to effortlessly decode them. Be patient and encourage them. This will give them the desire and confidence to continue to learn, and soon they will be hooked on reading.

Uppercase & Lowercase Letter Recognition

Developmentally, upper case letters are easier so we teach them first. The upper case teaching order helps teach correct formation and orientation while eliminating reversals. At 3 and 4 fine motor skills can better accommodate uppercase letters. Learning capitals first makes learning lowercase letters easy. Teach lowercase c, o, s, v, and w, first because they are exactly the same as their capital partners, only smaller. By teaching capitals first, we have prepared children for nearly half of the lowercase letters that are similar in formation. Have the children learn this saying to help them distinguish a “b” from a “d.” When you write a “b,” just like in baseball, first draw the bat and then the ball—a bat and ball make a “b.”

UPPERCASE & LOWERCASE CLOTHESPIN MATCH

Denise Griffith from Wheatley Early Childhood Programs in Port Arthur, Texas created the matching game pictured here. With a fine marker write an uppercase letter on one side of a clothespin and the corresponding lowercase letter on the other side. Glue letter pairs around an 8” by 11” poster board. At first, have the children match the uppercase letter and then the lowercase letter with its matching pair. When they have mastered that skill, prepare another two boards. Make one board with only the uppercase letters, and one with only the lowercase letters. Now the children can practice matching uppercase to lowercase letters.

LETTER RECOGNITION STORIES

First, read the story to the children, and then ask them to follow the directions 1-3.
1. Circle every letter “w” in the story below.
2. Underline every letter “p” in the story.
3. Put a box around every letter “m” in the story.

I saw a pig on the farm.
I saw some worms on the farm.
I saw a man on the farm.
I liked the farm.

PLASTIC SPOON LETTER RECOGNITION

Write the uppercase letters on 26 plastic spoons, and the lowercase letters on 26 plastic forks. Label uppercase letters “ABC” on one plastic plate, and lowercase letters “abc” on another plastic plate. Have the children Identify and sort the uppercase and lowercase letters.

Fun with the Letter Qq !

Glitter Graphics

Mother Quail and her baby quails

Choose one child to be the mother quail and let the others be her babies. With everyone singing the quail song, the mother walks around the room and each time she tags someone they get in line behind her making a long chain.
(Tune: Down by the Station)
Out in the forest
Early in the morning,
See the mother Quail
Walking to and fro.
See a baby quail
Get in line behind her.
Quickly, quickly, off they go!

Move with Q

Set some boundaries with cones or lines for a movement exploration exercise. Remind the children that each person is surrounded by an imaginary bubble that can break if anyone gets to near. It's fun to use a drum or whistle that means everyone must freeze like a statue.

Move QUICKLY around the room.
QUIETLY, now tip toe QUIETLY.
Chop the stone in your QUARRY. Work hard in the QUARRY.
Walk like a proud QUEEN with your head up high.
Jump like a QUARTER that's being tossed.
QUIVER or shake like a leaf blown by the wind.
QUACK around the room.

Q PUZZLE HUNT

Each child colors and cuts out a Q object like a quail, queen, or quill. Everyone glues their object onto a large poster board and then it is laminated. Make a giant Qq puzzle by cutting out 20 large puzzle pieces. Hide the pieces around the room. Have the children find the parts and place them together to solve the puzzle.

QUARTER RUBBINGS

Make a large Qq or quarter on a poster board. This is a good time to introduce or review the quarter. The quarter (also called a quarter dollar) is worth 25 cents or 25 pennies. Have one or more children count out 25 pennies. One quarter can be written 25¢ or $0.25. The front of the quarter pictures a left-facing profile of George Washington, the first President of the United States of America.

The front reads, "LIBERTY," "IN GOD WE TRUST," and the year the coin was minted or made. The small initial by Washington is the mint-mark, showing the location that produced the coin (D means Denver, Colorado, S means San Francisco, California, and P means Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).

The back of the quarter pictures the presidential coat of arms (an eagle with outstretched wings). The back reads, "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "E PLURIBUS UNUM," and "QUARTER DOLLAR." E PLURIBUS UNUM is Latin and means one out of many.

Let the children make crayon rubbings of the quarter using different color crayons. The children then cut out the rubbings and glue them to the giant poster board. This, too, could be used as a puzzle.

Bird Songs, Facts, Books, & Activities

Birds Action Song

The first verse remains the same: children walking around in a circle holding hands singing "Here we go round the Mulberry Bush".

2nd verse:
This is the way we scratch for worms.
(children move their feet in a scratching motion)
3rd verse:
This is the way we peck our food.
(children peck)
4th verse:
This is the way we sit on our eggs.
(children squat down and wiggle)
5th verse:
This is the way we flap our wings.
(bend arms at elbows, put thumbs under armpits, and flap)
6th verse:
This is the way we fly away.
(children can "fly" anywhere they want within a set boundary, but return to circle at end of verse)

WHY BIRDS HAVE BRIGHTLY COLORED FEATHERS

When we observe the regal display of color on a male peacock, with his feathery fan-like tail spread out, his beauty fascinates us. Like thousands of other species of birds, this stunning specimen is staking claim to his territory and trying to attract a mate. His shimmering green and blue plumage shows other birds that he is a strong and healthy male peacock ready to defend his territory.

TERRITORY MARKING
Using visual and auditory cues, each bird species has evolved a spacing method to let other birds know where his territory boundaries end. His vivid color sends a message of dominance and ownership. This is extremely important to his survival. When birds are too densely populated in a particular area, they may starve. If they are too widely spread out, they might never find each other to mate and reproduce. The red shoulder patch on red-winged blackbirds provides an excellent example. The patch is coverable and is shown to males and females of the same species but never to predators. Males who had their patch experimentally covered tended to lose their territories more often than did uncovered birds. Similar results have been shown in other species such as scarlet-tufted malachite sunbirds, confirming that the brilliant badges function primarily in male-male competition over territories.

ATTRACTING A MATE
In most species the female is a “plain Jane” with brown or gray markings, while the male is dressed for success like a “dapper Dan.” The reason for this difference is job related. The female needs to be camouflaged in the nest to feed and nurture her young. The male needs to stand out in a crowd to attract a female and win her love. His intense and dazzling plumage shows her that he will contribute strong, healthy genes to their offspring. In fact, during mating season, some males will exhibit breeding plumage, which is more lustrous and vivid than at other times during the year. House finches are monogamous and males exhibit orange or red in their crowns and elsewhere in their plumage. The extent and brightness of the color in individuals is directly related to carotenoid pigments that are picked up from high quality seed. Extensive field studies have shown that artificially brightened males were much preferred by females, and that naturally brighter males were better at providing food to the female and her chicks.

Activity for home or school:

For most birds, nest-building supplies consist of whatever nature has lying around — wood, grass, twigs, feathers, and fur. You can provide the birds in your neighborhood with easy-to-obtain nest fodder by stuffng a mesh onion bag with materials such as pet fur, colorful strands of cloth, bits of stuffing, hay, colorful yarn cut into short lengths, hair from your brush, or feathers from an old down pillow. (Avoid anything synthetic or sharp.) Snip a few large holes in the sack so birds can poke around, then hang it in a tree, ideally near a feeder so it will get noticed.

In the coming weeks, be on the lookout for birds visiting the sack, then watch what trees they return to — from the right viewpoint, you might even get to see your building materials being incorporated into the birds' nests.


Books for the classroom:

"The Backyard Bird Watching For Kids" by George H. Harrison

This book provides a fascinating opportunity for children to learn how to attract birds to their own backyards. And there's no better teacher than "Mr. Backyard Bird Watcher" himself, expert birder and author George H. Harrison. This book will kindle in readers a healthy, enduring interest in birds and other wild animals.
72 pages. For kids 5-12

"Are You My Mother?" by P.D Eastman

Soft and cuddly as a stuffed animal or a favorite quilt, this padded-cloth book, will delight a small child and the person who reads it out loud. Suitable for infants and children up to about five years old.

A baby bird falls out of the nest and explores the surroundings in search of its mother. This book goes beyond being merely illustrated--it's a real experience. A child can hold the small cloth baby bird and at the end tuck it under the found mother's wing. Highly recommended for a small child in your life.

MORE PHONICS FUN

The more proficient your child gets at phonics the easier it will be to combine sounds into words. If you're homeschooling or reinforcing the phonics your child is learning in school, the following activities will reinforce the alphabet sounds and get your child ready for reading.

PHONICS SCAVENGER HUNT Place several pictures or objects around the room that represent the sound you are practicing. Don't forget to put a few other sound symbols in the room as well. This will ensure that your child will test the object for the sound before declaring a find.

BEACH BALL PHONICS requires you to section off a ball into many squares with a marker. Each square houses a letter of the alphabet. Toss the ball to your child, who recites the letter name and sound of the letter under their thumb. (S sounds ss, ss, ss)

PHONICS TOSS Paint the letters of the alphabet on a large foam board. Under each letter, cut a hole big enough for a small beanbag to fit through. Being sure not to cover the holes, glue or staple the board to a large cardboard box. Your child tosses a beanbag into one of the holes and says the sound.

SKIP JUMP SOUNDS Using lighter colored vinyl, cut out shapes, put a letter on each one with a marker, and tape them to the floor. Your child can jump from letter to letter, saying each sound as they land.

SEWING LETTERS is a great craft and letter recognition activity. Using poster board, draw and laminate 6"-8" block letters of the alphabet. Cut them out and punch holes around the perimeter of each letter about 1" apart. Using a large needle and yarn, have your child sew around each letter.

PHONICS RELAYS This is fun when there are two or more players. If you have an older sibling play, you can give them a handicap like counting to 5 one thousands before responding. Call out a letter sound and the children run to a chalkboard or dry erase board and print the letter of that sound. When they’re ready, modify this game to words or even short sentences.

WORD CONCENTRATION Make two sets of the common sight words on index cards, and lay them out 5-10 at a time. Have your child try to find a matching pair. It's fun to have a set of color words, number words, animals, and family members.

GIANT SCRABBLE Make large letter tiles 12” squares out of poster board. Laminate them at an office supply place. Give clues like: drinks milk, has whiskers, is soft and cuddly, says meow. The first one to shout out CAT finds the letters C-A-T and makes the word cat. This can be done sitting at a table with letter tiles, but running to use large tiles adds more fun to the activity.

This is one of the most exciting times in your child's life, because they are learning so many new and exciting things. Decorate their room with everything they have made so they can show off to visitors. Have fun, try these phonics and reading activities, and create some of your own. The possibilities are endless.

HOW WHALES EVOLVED

A whale is not as small as us.
Most whales are bigger than a bus!
Whales are not like fish in the sea.
Whales breathe air like you & me.
Whales can't walk upon the ground.
Whales must swim to get around.
A whale is a mammal just like me.
But its home is in the deep blue sea.

How could a whale have evolved from a mammal that lived and walked in the forest to an animal that lives and swims with its flippers in the sea? When most animals were developing limbs and climbing out of the oceans, the whales were developing fins and walking into the oceans. Whales evolved from warm-blooded, air breathing mammalian ancestors that lived on land, had large brains, and gave birth to their young alive, to an efficient swimming and eating machine that lives in the great oceans of the world.

NATURAL SELECTION
In nature, nothing is more constant than change. Animals adapt by producing anatomical, physiological, and behavioral traits that promote survival and reproduction. Adaptations evolve in response to interactions with other organisms and with the physical environment. Animals that adapt better, survive better, and leave more offspring with a copy of their genes than others in the population.

HOW DID IT HAPPEN?
About 57 million years ago, certain animals lived near the sea and would hunt just off the shoreline for fish. Because the sea was not very deep they could do this easily. As the hunt required further excursion into the deeper waters, the proto-whales who were best at swimming reproduced in greater numbers than those who weren’t. Gradually, their front legs became smaller and were useful as flippers, while the hind feet became larger and helped better propel the animal through the water. Later, the back legs changed into the horizontal extension of the tail, known in the modern whale as the fluke. They further evolved adaptations for diving and hearing under water. The transition from land to sea presented difficulties for which adaptations developed over many generations. Smooth skin and loss of protruding ear parts and hind limbs streamlined whales for swimming. The nostrils moved to the top of the head to facilitate breathing and an insulating layer of blubber replaced hair for warmth. The body, supported by water, was able to reach its enormous size.

ANCIENT FOSSIL PROOF
Whale fossils show the intermediate stages in the evolution of early whales to be of four distinct types. These fossils are evidence that whales evolved from a terrestrial animal.

A 52 million year old fossil found by Dr. Phil Gingrich, consisted of a very primitive whale skull with teeth and ear structures akin to those of terrestrial mammals, yet it had other features, which defined it as a whale. While it fed on fish, it could not dive deeply and probably spent much time on land.

A 50 million year old fossil shows a whale that was adapted to life in water as well as land. This transitional whale had large hind legs like a land dweller, and may have used them for walking as well as swimming. Its spine was long and flexible, with a tail not yet modified for propulsion. The most extraordinary feature of this animal was his enormous hind feet, which must have provided the major propulsive force in swimming.

A 45 million year old fossil shows an animal that had leg bones large enough to support the body on land. It is believed these whales spent most of their time in water, feeding on fish, but reproducing on land.

A 40 million year old fossil, Basilosaurus, burst onto the scientific scene with a bang. It was an advanced form of whale with a long flexible spine, forelegs modified into flippers for steering and stabilization, and a modified tail for propulsion. The hind legs were very tiny, and unable to support the animal’s weight. It was not able to walk on land.

Dr. Castello Banfi found 5 million year old, practically complete, 33-foot long fossil in 2007 in Itlay. We’re all anxious waiting for the exciting findings of his investigations.

REMNANTS FOUND IN TODAY’S WHALE
Inside the fin of a modern whale, you can still find the bones of an arm and hand. Today’s whale is equipped with a pelvis bone, which has long ago lost its function. And unlike fish, modern whales have lungs and nostrils called blowholes, and must surface occasionally to breathe.

When climates change due to geologic processes, animals have to adapt or face extinction. Whales certainly changed in a most unusual way. By reversing the water to land adaptation, and becoming an efficient mammal for ocean life, it is remaining one of the most fascinating evolutions of all time.

Alphabet Animal Action Phonics

Many children find it difficult to sit and learn phonics, so give them opportunities for movement! It's commonly believed that when you hear something, 10% of the information is retained. If you see it, hear it and say it, 40% is retained. But, if you also DO it, you retain 70%-100% of the information. Using a multi-sensory approach to teach children phonics and reading enhances their retention and capitalizes on their natural tendency to wiggle. In other words, incorporate movement as a teaching tool for phonics and reading.

ANIMAL ACTION PHONICS BOOK COMING SOON!

It is usually a good idea to introduce one letter sound a week. Learn and ACT OUT the first weeks letter sound S (The sneaky snake slithered up to me. It was a silly sight to see). Practice the rhyme as you do errands. Write the rhyme on a giant poster board and hang it in your child’s room. Flood your child's world with the letter sound of the week by looking for that letter everywhere you go (grocery store, signs, food they eat, books you read to them). Create a short book that emphasizes the new sound by cutting and pasting pictures of S objects. The following rhymes will give children many opportunities for action and fun.

SHORT VOWELS

A Andy the antelope started to clap, when an ant sat on his lap.
E Ellie the elephant swept and swept ate an egg, and then she wept.
I Ichabod inchworm started to twitch, because he had an itch, itch, itch.
O Ozzie the ostrich went hop, hop, hop, and his balloon went pop, pop, pop.
U The Umbrella bird under the sun wanted to run and have some fun.

CONSONANTS

B The baby baboon bought a mug, and gave his buddy a big bad bug.
C The curious cat began to creep closer, closer he did leap.
D The dolphin dives down under a wave, down so deep, his name is Dave.
F The freckled finch flew into the air, funny and fat, he was so fair.
G The grateful goat grew every day, he was so good, and he was so gray.
H The happy hippo loved to eat; he hopped all day in the heat.
J Johnnie the jackal would jump and leap; he never drove a jeep, jeep, jeep.
K Kenny kangaroo kicked his sis, than he gave her a kooky kiss.
L The lazy lizard would laugh and play, upon his log he would lay all day.
M The mild mouse moved with a squeak, to run from me he was so meek.
N The naughty narwhal has a nice spear, but make sure that you never go near.
P Polly pelican's pouch is pretty, it's empty, what a pity.
Q The quiet quail tiptoed quickly; his many quills were so very prickly.
R Roger rabbit ran and stomped, right through the river he romped.
S The sneaky snake slithered up to me; it was a silly sight to see.
T The terrific tiger would turn and skip, and every Tuesday he took a trip.
V The victorious vulture vaulted the best, and vowed to wear a vivid vest.
W Wally the walrus wiggled with a pig, and always wore a wonderful wig.
X The X-ray fish swam like a fox, but he never ever ate his lox.
Y The young yak yawned so very hard, on his yellow yacht in the yard.
Z The zany zebra zoomed like Flipper, but he always stopped to zip his zipper.

LONG VOWELS

A The aging ape is out of shape, because he ate and ate and ate.
E The enormous eagle is so regal, when he fly's with a seagull.
I The idle ibex stands so high, in the icy, icy sky.
O The orange orangutan climbed a rope to see what he could scope.
U The unique unicorn, dressed in blue, was stuck on ugly, ugly glue.

The more proficient your child gets at phonics the easier it will be to combine sounds into words. Be creative and have fun with Action Animal Phonics!

MATH AND MOVEMENT

Games are a great way to include all learning styles and reach every student in your class. Enthusiasm is contagious! When I introduce a new math game to my students with excitement and joy in my voice, they respond in kind.

MATH AND MOVEMENT Coming from an elementary, as well as physical education background, I not only use conventional math games, but I also use math games that involve large motor skills. Instead of insisting that kids stay in their seats, they get to jump and hop as they learn math. Young children love to move, so when you combine math and movement, you are sure to have a winner!

BEACH BALL MATH requires the teacher to section off a ball into squares with a marker. Each square houses a math problem (add, subtract, multiply, divide, etc). The children toss the ball to each other, and when they catch it, they answer the problem under their right thumb. For young children the problem can be as simple as identifying numbers or shapes, and for older children a way of practicing multiplication or division facts.

MATH TOSS is a favorite game for all ages. The teacher paints and numbers shapes on a large foam board. In each shape, they cut holes big enough for a small beanbag to fit through. Being sure not to cover the holes, they then glue or staple the board to a large cardboard box. The children toss two beanbags into the holes and either add, subtract or multiply the numbers together. Use your imagination with the older students and have them square the numbers first and then add them together.

SKIP JUMP MATH is a favorite game for young children. Using lighter colored vinyl, cut out shapes, number them with marker, and tape them to the floor. The students jump from shape to shape, saying each number as they land. The children can skip count by 1's, 2's, 3's,etc. They can jump in ascending or descending order. Skip jumping is a great way to introduce multiplication.

Use your creativity! Any of these games can be modified to fit all age groups or concepts that you are teaching (even phonics or sight words). Create your own games using the kid's favorite activities. It could be anything from "soccer math" to "math bingo." I hope that I have sparked your imagination, so that you will invent innovative and exciting games for your students. Have fun! I know your students will.