"U" is for "Under the Sun"

"Under The Sun"

Written by Ellen Kandoian
Illustrated by Ellen Kandoian

A mini geography lesson, in which a girl going to sleep on the East Coast of the USA asks her mom where the sun goes after it goes down. So, we track the sun (and sunsets!) across the Great Plains, the Rockies, the West Coast, Hawaii, Japan, China... and then, mysteriously, Europe is skipped altogether!

The illustrations are beautiful. Children will enjoy this adventure with the sun as it travels around the world.


KATHY STEMKE'S WEBSITES:
Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965#
Articles: http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html
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New Website Enables Families to Be There for the Holidays

You can read a bedtime story on-line using a webcam.  The pages turn as you read to those you love that are far away.  To see more details click on the link below.


New Website Enables Families to Be There for the Holidays


 Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965#http://www.helium.com/users/406242.htmlhttp://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.htmlhttp://kathystemke.weebly.com
Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke
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TEACHING TODDLERS TO READ!

HeliumTeaching toddlers to read

kathy's websites:
Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965#http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html
http://kathystemke.weebly.com

DRAW, READ, ACT IT OUT!

Here is a simple story you can use early in the year. The bold words are the things you sketch as you tell the story. Use just enough detail in your drawing to get the point across. Use colors only where indicated.

A Fall Day at the Playground

Today I visited the playground. Right in the middle of the park I saw a big maple tree. The leaves were orange and falling from the branches. Next to the tree was a swing. I went up and down on the swing. To the right was a slide. I slid down to the bottom of the slide. The monkey bars were very high. I climbed to the top. A little squirrel was gathering nuts. There were 4 lily pads floating on the pond. I jumped on each one, and counted to four. It was a great Fall day at the playground.

*The teacher tells a story, drawing a "story map" as a memory aid.

*Students reconstruct the story, as a group, as the teacher points the story map.

*Teacher reads the story and students act out the story.

*Individual students tell the story using the story map.

Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965#http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html
http://kathystemke.weebly.com

Boys are Active Learners: They Need to Move as They Learn

Recently I came across a great website, which focuses on ways to help boys enjoy reading. The site by owner Mike McQween is full of great articles and tips for helping readers. The following excerpts come from an article which focuses on active learning or movement as a tool to use to help boys enjoy reading.

"Did you know that boys produce less serotonin than girls do? This can cause them to be more antsy and fidgety when forced to sit still for long periods of time.... "

"Boys are active learners. In order to get boys to love books, parents and educators need to change the way THEY think about books....I have learned that while reading to my boys, I need to allow them to ask as many questions as they want so that they feel like active participants in the reading process. Sometimes Caleb will jump off the couch and physically demonstrate something he was thinking about while I read to him."

To read the rest of this article and many more just like it on Getting Boys to Read.com click on this link:
http://www.gettingboystoread.com/content/boys-need-move-it-how-use-movement-help-boys-become-better-readers

Kathy Stemke's websites:
Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965#http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html
http://kathystemke.weebly.com