Book Of The Week: Leprechaun On The Loose

Leprechaun On The Loose by Marcia Thornton Jones

Summary:  Sydney finds himself in a lot of trouble, caused by a sneaky leprechaun who seems to be sabotaging his class's St. Patrick's Day party!  First the leprechaun licks the icing off of the cupcakes, ruins the decorations, and spills all of the juice.  Then Sydney devises a plan to catch the leprechaun, but will it work?

Vocabulary:

• icing - frosting
• backstroke - a swimming stroke done on the back
• dove - to move from a higher to lower place with the head or front part of the body first
• soggy - very wet
• scurry - to move quickly as if in a hurry
• faint - weak
• tidbit a little bit
• bait - food used to catch an animal or fish

Questions:

Who were the two main characters in the story?  Name one way that they are the same and one way that they are different.

When and where did the story take place?

What did the leprechaun do first that got Sydney in trouble?

What happens to Sydney when he tries to get the leprechaun from the fish tank?  Was this a good idea?  Why or why not?

Why did Sydney open up the hamster's cage?  What happened when he did?

Why did Sydney want to catch the leprechaun?  How did he do it?

What choice did Sydney have to make once he caught the leprechaun?  Would you have made the same choice?  Why or why not?

What happened at the very end of the story?

Extension Activities:

St. Patrick's Day Writing and Describing

What Have I Learned has great ideas from constructing a leprechaun trap, to shamrock craftivities, to math and literacy

Pre-K activities from Over The Big Moon and itsy bitsy fun

Book Of The Week: President's Day by Anne Rockwell

President's Day by Anne Rockwell

Summary:  The students in Mrs. Madoff's class are putting on a play.  Get to know a little bit more about four of the nation's Presidents: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt. 

Vocabulary: 

assembly - a group of people gathered together for a reason

paper-mache - a material made of shredded paper and glue that becomes hard when dry

granite - a hard stone used for making monuments and buildings

elected - to chose by voting

divided - separated

nation - people who live in a space and have their own government

gallop - to ride a horse at full speed

hobbyhorse - a toy that has the head of a horse at the end of a long stick that children can pretend to ride

mural - a large painted picture

spouting - to flow out in a forced way

election - choosing a person for position by voting

Questions:

Which Presidents were born in February?

What important job do adults have every four years?

What did the students decide to do?

Who helped the American people fight for freedom from the king of England?

Why did Charlie get to be Abraham Lincoln?

Who was the 16th President of the United States?

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

What was the Declaration of Independence?

Who had the nickname "Teddy?"

What was important to Theodore Roosevelt?

Why do you think the audience clapped for a long time when the play was finished?

What did the students do after the play?

Who won the election?

Extension Activities:

President's Day Pack

US Presidents: Finding Text Evidence Reading Comprehension Passage

President's Day Powerpoint Presentation

President's Day Vocabulary

President's Day Bingo

Outdoor Fourth of July Speech and Language Fun!

The Fourth of July is just around the corner, but it's not too late to for last minute activities to tie in to your therapy sessions!  Here are a few of our favorites that require minimal prep time but are sure to be a hit with your kids!

Independence Day Ring Toss
This activity requires small flags and hula hoops or other rings that fit around the the flags.  Simply put the flags in the ground and have students toss the rings over the flags.  This activity would be so easy to incorporate with any speech sound or specific language skill such as naming categories, synonyms and antonyms, etc.

Fourth of July Balloon Game
I have done this activity before, and it was a HUGE success.  Attach a large popsicle stick to a paper plate using masking tape.  Your kids may want to decorate the stick and/or plate with patriotic colors using markers, paint, glitter, etc. Blow up a balloon, and have your kids volley it back and forth.  It is a great activity for teamwork, social referencing, and encouraging others.

Fourth of July Scavenger Hunt
The Military Wife and Mom has a free download for you to use.  It's a great way for kids to learn about the Fourth of July and target themed vocabulary at the same time!

Ice Chalk
Create ice chalk (click on link above for recipe) and use it to draw Fourth of July symbols and talk about their meaning.  You may want to create a game of Pictionary or write speech words with your kids' target sounds as they relate to the Fourth of July.

Red, White, and Blue Memory
This activity works best with a group of kids.  Sit in a circle and begin naming things that are red, white, and blue.  As each person adds an item, he or she needs to recall what the others have already named.  This is a great skill for working on auditory memory as well as categorization.

This is just a small sample of activities that are out there!  Feel free to share your ideas in the comments below!

Happy Fourth of July!

Book of the Week: Martin's Big Words

Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport and illustrated by Bryan Collier

Summary: 

This book shares about Martin's life, his response to seeing a "white only" sign at a young age, and his fight for civil rights.  The simple and direct language of the text provides students with an easy read while maintaining the integrity of King's legacy.  The full-color pictures help highlight the major events.  

Vocabulary:

• hymn - a song or poem written to praise
• preach - to present or talk about a religious subject
• minister - a person who can perform or help at a religious service or event
• citizen - a person who is a member of a country because of being born there or accepted by law
• arrest - to stop and keep someone from breaking the law
• blistering - extremely hot
• protest - a statement or action by a group of people who want something to be changed
• equal rights - the same rights for all people
• convince - to have someone believe or accept what you say
• segregation - separating people by groups, especially by race
• admire - to look up to someone; to have a lot of respect for someone
• Nobel Peace Prize - an international prize awarded every year in several different categories including peace

Questions: 

How did Martin feel when he read the signs that said "white only?"  What did his mother tell him?

What did Martin become when he grew up?

What did Martin say when others said "hate?"  What did he say when others said "separate?" What did he say when others said "war?"

What happened when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man?  When and where did it happened?  

What were some of the things Martin did with the black Americans to protest for equal rights?  

What was Martin's dream?

What did Martin Luther King Jr., win?  Why did he win it?

What happened to Martin when he went to Memphis, Tennessee to help garbage collectors who were on strike?

Need some MLK activity ideas?  Check these out!

Printable "I Have a Dream" mobile - Scholastic

MLK Foldable - Classroom Creations by Melissa

MLK Poster Activity - Curriculum Castle

MLK TimeLine and Activities - Kennedy's Korner

MLK Quotes to Illustrate - The Teacher Next Door

Cheers to 2016!

CHEERS TO A NEW YEAR!

Looking back...

Role Change: This year we found ourselves fulfilling different roles for the 2015-2016 school year.  In the past, we were the building's speech-language pathologists.  After lots of shuffling, analyzing, and transitions, our district started a new model, requiring only one speech-language pathologist in the building.  As Annie was preparing to move to the preschool setting, we were both presented with an opportunity teach an ASD program in the building. Angie was able to move into the ASD position, and Annie took over the speech-language caseload in the building.

Finding a Balance: With our new roles, we found ourselves working every evening on lesson plans, paperwork, and trying to sleep with our newfound stresses.  Our balance of school, blogging, and family was a challenge, and we're still working on it!

Blog Facelift: We started a new look for our blog at the end of this year.  In a few more weeks, it'll be ready to go!  Yay!

MSHA: This year, we attended the Minnesota Speech-Language-Hearing Association Conference.  It's always great to see old colleagues, meet new people, and expand our learning.  The highlight of the convention was meeting Julia Cook and continue building our library of her fabulous books!

Noted highlight- a selfie with Julia Cook's dog, Kirby! 

Social Thinking: We were able to attend the Guided Observation and Social Thinking Targets day in Minneapolis. While there, it affirmed all of the teachings we had learned from the iLaugh model and expanded our knowledge base about writing effective IEP goals for social communication. It also helped our greater understanding of each kind of social communication profile.  Nerdy yes! Yet another great opportunity! 

Looking ahead...

                         
As we look to 2016 we know we will have more than a few continued joys:

Blog posts about books: We love our Book-of-the-Week posts and it helps align our lessons with a theme and Common Core Standards.
                                       
Collaboration: Even in different roles, we continue to bounce ideas off one another, other fellow SLP's, and teaching friends.

Humor: Whenever a student is having a bad day or we are having a bad day, humor is our go-to! (Laughing is better than crying right?)

Thankfulness: We feel so blessed to continue to work in the same building, have a lovely group of you who continue to read the blog, and for the online community of teacherpeneurs that have taught us so much.

New Adventures: This is one thing that we know we will continue to have as 2015 also brought many wonderful destinations in the form of learning opportunities, new roles and blog posts.

Cheers to your new adventures in 2016! 

Book Of The Week: Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett

Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett

Summary: Sassy Gingerbread Baby lives in the bedroom of a boy named Mattie.  When Mattie has plans to play with his friends and working in the kitchen, Gingerbread Baby decides to find friends of his own.  He happens to find a bakery, where he cartwheels, leaps, and sings to get the attention of a sugar cookie girl, white swans in a sugar frosting sea, and others.  When no one acknowledges him, he gives up and leaves the bakery for home, only to be chased by a mouse, a cat, the baker, his wife, and a red fox.  Narrowly escaping their capture, he returns home to find Gingerbread friends waiting for him.

Vocabulary:

• scrumptious - tasty
• lane - a narrow road or city street
• peppy - full of energy
• gallant - brave
• elegant - fancy
• plucky - adventurous
• petticoats - a skirt worn under an outer skirt; a slip
• coattails - the loose back part of a coat that is below the waist; it is often times divided into two parts

Questions:
Where did Gingerbread Baby live?  Did he like living there?  Why or why not?
What happened when Mattie didn't spent time with Gingerbread Baby?
Where did Gingerbread Baby go when he left the house?
Who did Gingerbread Baby see at the bakery?  Did they want to be his friend?  How do you know?
Where did Gingerbread Baby go when no one wanted to be his friend at the bakery?
What happened to Gingerbread Baby while he slept?
Who followed Gingerbread Baby out of the bakery and to his house?
How did Gingerbread Baby feel when he made it home safely?
Who was waiting for Gingerbread Baby at home?
What do you think Mattie was doing in the kitchen before Gingerbread Baby even left the house for the bakery?

Extension Activities:
Board Game: http://janbrett.com/games/gingerbread_baby_board_game.htm
Gingerbread Description Writing: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Gingerbread-Description-Writing-Freebie-420894
Gingerbread Glyph: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Gingerbread-Glyph-143725
Gingerbread Holiday Activities: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Gingerbread-Holiday-FREEBIE-1564816
http://lessons.atozteacherstuff.com/358/book-unit-gingerbread-baby-by-jan-brett/

Book of the Week: We Gather Together...Now Please Get Lost!

We Gather Together...Now Please Get Lost! by Diane deGroat

Summary:
The day of Gilbert's field trip to Pilgrim Town doesn't go completely as expected.  Gilbert wakes up late, gets to school late, and doesn't get to choose his buddy for the field trip.  He is stuck with tattle-tale Philip.  Philip seems to ruin all of the fun until Gilbert devises a plan to lose him.  As luck would have it, his plan backfires, and Gilbert learns he has something for which to be thankful.

Vocabulary:

• absent - to not be in an expected place
• settlers - people who settle in a new area
• harvest - the gathering of crops
• feast - a large meal with many different types of foods
• slouch - to sit in a bent or lazy way
• blacksmith - someone who shapes iron with heat and hammers 
• tattle-tale - someone who tells on others or tells their secrets
• restroom - a public bathroom
• anxious - to feel worried or nervous

Figurative Language:

• to wake up with a start - to wake up suddenly and startled
• to get up on the wrong side of the bed - to start the day tired, lazy, or grumpy
• to have your stomach growl - to have your stomach make a low, rumbling noise, usually because of hunger 
• hard winter - a very cold winter with a lot of snow
• to stick together - to stay together even if things are tough
• to get lost - to tell someone to go away in a rude way
• slip into the restroom - to go their in a quiet and sneaky way so others do not see
• to turn red - to feel embarrassed

Literal Comprehension Questions:
Why was Gilbert so tired in the morning?
Who was Gilbert's teacher?
Who was Gilbert's partner?  Was he happy with his partner?  Why or why not?
Where was Gilbert's class going on their field trip?
Where did Gilbert go to hide from Philip? What happened?
Who helped Gilbert get out of the bathroom?
What did the students do after Gilbert and Philip joined the rest of the group at the end of the story?

Inferential Comprehension Questions:
Why couldn't Gilbert fall asleep?
How do you know that Gilbert was tired when he got up?
Why did Gilbert and Philip sit quietly on the bus?
Where were the students going on their field trip?
Why did Gilbert run ahead of Philip when they got to Pilgrim Town?
How did Gilbert feel when he was stuck in the bathroom?
Why did Gilbert think Mrs. Byrd would be mad when she picked them up at the Lost Child Corner?
Why did Philip turn red at the end of the story?
Would you want to be Philip's friend?  Why or why not?

Check out these great resources to accompany the book!
http://www.teachingoasis.com/We%20Gather%20Together.pdf

http://www.oswaltacademy.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=177773&type=u&pREC_ID=393638

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/We-Gather-TogetherNow-Please-Got-Lost-Character-Traits-Freebie-2162220

Book Of The Week: Monster Trouble!

Monster Trouble! by Lane Fredrickson

Summary: Winifred Schnitzel was not afraid of the neighborhood monsters who kept her awake every night until she found their one silly weakness...

Vocabulary:

• attempt - to try to accomplish something
• belch - to burp 
• mayhem - lots of chaos and complete disorganization
• moot - not agreed upon
• constructed - to build or put together
• clever - smart
• perky - full of energy or excitement
• plunder - stolen goods

Literal Comprehension:

Who is the story about?

Who bothered Winifred?

Where did they go when they bothered her?

What did the monster's do to Winifred?

What happened to Winifred the day after the monster's bothered her?

What did

Winifred do to the monster's to scare them away?

Inferential Comprehension:

How old do you think Winifred is?  Why do you think that?

Is Winifred like most other girls her age?  Why or why not?

How did Winifred feel when the monsters came to her house?

Why do you think all of the monster's decided to go to Winifred's house?

Why was Winifred sleeping before the monster's came a second time?

Why do you think the monsters hate kisses?

Want more monster activities?

The Measured Mom has a TON of ideas!  She includes monster math, game, and other activities.  

"I Need My Monster" writing activity from 3rd Grade Gridiron

Somewhat Simple offers cute printable for kids to design their own monster.

Real Life At Home offers more monster book ideas and activities!

Pre-Fourth Firework Fun

This summer has flown by and will continue. I needed a quick minimal prep activity that could easily fit my usual range of summer clients. I needed an activity that could be incorporated for students from 3-8 with minimal mess. I found an excellent firework craft that can be made from forks, paint and a piece of paper, and can be for all age groups. Here is the link to their version http://www.craftymorning.com/kids-fireworks-craft-using-fork/. For mine I found most things at a dollar store and a few things (the paper plate and forks) at the summer clinic I work at. Here are the pictures.

I picked paint that was a little goopy to minimize the spilling effect for the younger kids. Before starting, you also may want to put a mat under your painting area.

Here we go....

I ended up taking two prongs off the forks we were using to give a little extra ability to spread the paint. Either two or four prongs work. You can also do this activity with straws taped together.

This student wanted to add some glitter glue to make her fireworks stand out more.

Some students used white paper, some used blue and some used black.

We used this craft to work on the following:

Compare and Contrast- Naming the similarities and differences between the real fireworks to the picture they created-

Follow Directions- While making the craft I had students follow directions, using color, size, and sequential directions (before and after, first, next etc.) 

Articulation/Vocabulary: As we made the craft students formulated their own sentences or definitions. Here is a link to some great Independence Day Vocabulary or Articulation Words http://myvocabulary.com/word-list/independence-day-vocabulary/

Personal Wh-Questions: 

What do you predict will happen this weekend when it is the 4th of July? 

Are you excited about ________________?

What do you remember about last year? 

Why do you think we celebrate Independence day/4th of July? 

Do you get to use sparklers why or why not? 

Is making this craft something you like to do ? Why or why not? 

What do you think your mom, dad or siblings will think of it? 

Early Language: I was able to adapt this craft for a few really young students who were 2 or 2 1/2 to build more communicative functions requesting ( more, all done) commenting ( Look, that one) or for  simple labeling (colors, paper, paint,  glitter or fork). 

Overall this craft fit the bill for most of my students. I am also finding during summer therapy they are loving the craftivities. Hope you too can use this for some summer fun!

Book of the Week: Happy 4th of July, Jenny Sweeney!

Happy 4th of July Jenny Sweeney! by Leslie Kimmelman

Summary: This book is cliche, but it is a short read for younger children and helps to paint a picture of a traditional Fourth of July celebration.  From parades to barbecues and flags to fireworks, the pictures provide a great opportunity to focus on descriptive language, work on grammatical structures (i.e. pronouns and verbs), and variety of concepts.

This books lends itself well to comparing and contrasting Jenny's Fourth of July celebration to your kids'.   They may also sequence events of their Fourth of July and provide a short narrative using sequential markers.  

Instead of focusing on specific vocabulary from this book, I think it's the perfect opportunity to expand on vocabulary for children who are a bit older.  Here are just a few ideas:

• freedom 
• independence
• patriotic/patriotism
• Constitution
• Declaration of Independence
• liberty
• anthem
• Old Glory
• Uncle Sam
• "stars and stripes"

There are countless activities for you do with your kids to encourage their learning.  Here are a few of our favorites and the links to them:

Listen to patriotic music - This is a great opportunity for kids to learn to stand when the national anthem is played out of respect for our country.

Create a flag - Talk about the significance of the colors, stars, and stripes of the flag.

Make jewelry - These ideas are great for patterning for younger kids and following directions for older kids.

 

Make your own fireworks (in a bottle) - This is a perfect activity to use any extra crafting materials you have around your house.  It is a great activity for working on descriptive vocabulary.

Create stars streamers - This is a great activity for following directions.

Go on a scavenger hunt - Practice Fourth of July vocabulary using this easy activity that gets the kids moving around!

We are having plenty of fun in therapy this week!  Keep checking back to see what the kids are doing!

Book of the Week: America's White Table

This week's Book-Of-the-Week is America's White Table by Margot Theis Raven.  In this book, a family sets a “White Table” to honor Uncle John a soldier from the Vietnam War. It highlights the meaning behind the table settings used to honor Veteran’s who are Missing in Action or become a Prisoner of War. Stylistically the author uses rhyming and themes of patriotism and sacrifice to lay bare this tradition. You are left with a sense of Uncle John’s commitment to his country but also of what the “White Table” means for every soldier and his family. Perfect for ages 8-13 words well with higher order thinking skills (HOTS) and discussion surrounding holidays of Veteran’s Day or Memorial Day.

Vocabulary:

Wound-

Bitter-

Honor-

Gratitude

Sacrifice-

Missing in Action-

Prisoner of War-

Branch of the Military-

Promise-

Memorial Day-

Story Questions:

Why do we celebrate Memorial Day?

What are the four branches of the Military?

What does MIA stand for ?

What does POW stand for?

Why did the family set the table? How do you know?

What does the white table cloth stand for?

What does the empty chair stand for?

What does the Lemon stand for?

What does the Salt stand for?

What does the rose stand for?

What did uncle John give up to go to Vietnam?

How does this is image or picture make you feel? Why?

If you were a soldier and saw this white table how would you feel?

Do you know someone who is in the military? Tell me about them.

Do you think Uncle John was a Hero? Why or why not?

How did uncle John feel when he saw the little white table?  How do you know?

Did you like this story? Yes or No?

We hope you enjoyed Memorial Day! We are amazed at how thoughtful our 4th and 5th grade students are this week with thinking about this book. 

Book of the Week: The Easter Bunny That Overslept

 

By: Priscilla and Otto Friedrichs

Summary 

What happens when the Easter Bunny oversleeps by a whole month? Confusion for Bunny and the world. Even though he misses Easter he tries to make up for it by giving out Easter eggs for the 4th of July and for Halloween. The world just keeps laughing at the disheartened Easter Bunny, but a chance to help Santa gives the little rabbit a new sense of self. Written for ages 4-8, this story is a cute and inspiring read for spring.

Questions:

Why were there not eggs for the children?

What do you think will happen to the bunny after he misses Easter?

What day does the family say to Easter Bunny?

What holiday is it instead?

Do they want the Easter Bunny’s eggs? Why not?

What holiday does the bunny try next?

How does he paint his eggs?

Who stops the parade? Why?

When the bunny knocked on doors what did everyone think?

Who was at bunny’s door?

Why did the children laugh and run away?

How did the bunny get lifted up?

Where did he land?

Does the Easter bunny get along with Santa? How do you know?

How does bunny help Santa?

How does Santa help solve Bunny’s problem?

In the end of the story are they happy?? How do you know?

Vocabulary:

Snug- Short version of  snuggled

Hoppity- describer word to explain bounciness

Crossly- With a cross tone

Spooky- Scary

Marveled- to wonder about

Alarm- to awake or bring attention to

Hoppy Easter: Inferencing and Directions

Our students are very motivated with holiday-realted activities.  It's hard not to get excited for St. Patrick's Day, Easter, and all of the other spring-related holidays.  To curb our spring "itch" and capture the student's excitement, we planned a few Easter-themed activities.  We will be decorating eggs WITHOUT paint or dye but with crayons.  Whew!

This easy Easter egg glyph incorporates two and three-step directions with embedded concepts.  We will need to modify the directions given the varying needs of students, but we know they're going to love it!

We also will be using simple clues to for inferencing for this Easter Egg Hunt. Assembly is minimal, but will be so worth it!  Simply print out the cards, cut and fold. Put each task cad in a plastic egg. Place the eggs throughout the school in places like the principal's office (surprise!) and library using the cards as your guide. Whoever guesses the correct place gets to keep the egg.  We plan to add candy for some Easter fun!

Grab a copy of the glyph freebie here and inferencing freebie here!

We Are Lucky!

As we walked around school yesterday during a break in our professional development day, we realized that we are very lucky to do what we do and work where we do.  We don't have any four-leaf clovers, a cute little leprechaun, or a pot-o-gold, but we are very lucky, and here's why!

We have our own room.  Wait a minute…we have a FULL-SIZE CLASSROOM complete with a SMART board.  

We have an onsite barista!  Actually, this amazing lady is one of the gym teachers.  She manages to brew four different kinds for the staff EVERY day.  Now that is lucky!

We have fantastic co-workers.  We would not see student success without them! 

We get to dabble in literacy!  Yay!  We are valued for knowledge of language and language development and get to use that strength as a reading interventionist for part of our day.

Finally, we get to work with each other.  We get to bounce ideas off of each other, vent to each other, and celebrate successes with each other!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Go green!