Author: TCR Staff

Craft Sticks Activity: Learning Shapes

June 24, 2015 TCR Staff Comment

Craft sticks are so versatile you can use them for nearly any learning activity. Today, we are using Plastic Craft Sticks and foam attributes to learn shapes.

Choose a few shapes to use from the Foam Attribute Blocks Pack and set them aside. We started with square, triangle, and hexagon.
Take Plastic Craft Sticks and separate them by color.
For each set of craft sticks, write down the name of a shape and the number of sides it has on the stick with a marker. You can easily wipe off and rewrite on the craft sticks for other activities.
Separate each set of plastic craft sticks by its shapes.
Have students outline each shape using the correlating plastic craft sticks.

Have students choose a set of plastic craft sticks and have them count it. Once, they’ve counted the number of sides and learn what the shape is called, help them decide which foam shape it goes with.

Teacher Resources

4th of July Activities: Story Starter & More

June 15, 2015 TCR Staff Comment

In this teacher-directed activity, all students work together to come up with a creative 4th of July story. Here’s how:

Bring a small American flag to class. It will be passed from one student to the next.
Explain to the students that the American flag that they are holding is no ordinary flag. Tell them that it is magic because it symbolizes 4th of July and whoever holds the flag can tell great stories.
Explain that no one is permitted to talk unless that student is holding the flag.
Begin a story by making one up yourself that takes place on the 4th of July.
When you are finished with your story starter, pass the flag to another student who will continue the story for a few more sentences.
When that student has finished his or her part of the story, ask him or her to pass the flag to another student.
Continue this way until there is one student left. That final student has to complete the Independence Day story. Alternatively, if you want the story to be completed, indicate to students in a prearranged way. Perhaps at the beginning you all agree on a sign that will mean “wrap it up”.

More 4th of July Activities:

Celebrate Independence day all week long with these 4th of July activities:

Bubble Fireworks
4th of July Facts & USA Brain Teasers
Patriotic Science
Baking 4th of July Cookies

This activity is from Celebrating Holidays: Reading, Writing & Hands-on Activities.

Classroom Activities

5 Ways to Play & Learn with Bear Counters

June 1, 2015 TCR Staff Comment

Using bear counters and other manipulatives is one of the best ways to teach a variety of math concepts to preschoolers and elementary-aged kids in a hands-on way. Counters are great because you can use them in and out of the classroom for summer learning. Here are 5 ways to play and learn with bear counters.

Addition and Subtraction

Have students use the bear counters to count out each number to be added, and then combine the amounts. They can use different-colored bear counters to represent the different numbers. Students could also use different-sized bears for the different amounts. Bears can also be used to practice the concept of subtraction in a similar manner. Students can do the problems on paper first and then use the bears to check their arithmetic.

Weights and Measures

Students can practice measuring weight with the bear counters and a balance scale. Two small bears equal the weight of one medium bear, and one small and one medium bear equal the weight of one big bear. Three small bears also equal the weight of one big bear.

Place Value

Pass out small bear counters and have students group them into piles of ten. Tell them that 10 small bears is equal to one medium bear. Ten medium bears is equal to one medium bear. Ten medium bears is equal to one large bear. Have them practice trading up with you. Then they can practice making numbers using the different-sized bears. For example, have students use the bears to create the number 128. They should show you one large bear, two medium bears, and eight small bears.

Multiplication and Division

If multiplying, students should pre-group their bears. For example, if they are working on multiplying by 3, have each student organize their bear counters into several groups of 3. If dividing, they should separate the number into groups the size of the number being divided. For example, if dividing 12 by 4, they should separate the 12 bears into groups of four.

Fractions

Put some bear counters of different colors in a group. Have students record how many bears are used in total and how many are of each color. Explain that the total number of bears represents the denominator while the bears of one color represent the numerator. Have the students practice writing the numbers in fraction form.

You can use all different types of counters. For more fun math learning activities, see math manipulative games.

Teacher Resources

6 Summer Learning Activities to Do With Kids

May 18, 2015 TCR Staff Comment

Here are some fun, low-cost, summer learning activities that you can do with your students and kids. These summer learning activities are stimulating and educational for kids of all ages.

Brain Teasers

Brain Teasers and puzzles are an awesome way to challenge the brain. These educational opportunities are so fun, kids won’t feel like their doing work at all. Summertime Learning Books has a bunch of amazing math brain teasers and activities for kids.

Project Pantry

Find a spot in your classroom or house where you can store supplies. This might be a closet or a bin that stays in one spot. Get some clean paint cans or buckets. Fill them with all types of craft and art supplies. Besides the typical paints, markers, paper, scissors, and glue, include some more unusual things, such as tiles, artificial flowers, and wrapping paper. This way, you want to do a summer craft project, you have everything you need at that moment.

Collect Something

Let students choose something to collect that is free or inexpensive, such as paper clips or buttons. If the child wants to collect something that might be impractical, like horses, find pictures in magazines or catalogs, and have the students cut them out and start a picture collection.

Flash Cards

Use flashcards to learn new vocabulary words or create your own flashcards using index cards. Depending on the child’s interests and grade level, these cards might feature sight words, math problems, or states and capitals. You can create them yourself with markers or on a computer. Let the kids help cut pictures out of magazines and glue them on the index cards. Then, find a spot outdoors, and go through the flash cards with your child.

Grocery Store Trip

Take a fun learning trip to the grocery store. Even with non-readers, you can have them help you find items on the shelf. Start by giving each child a list of his or her own. Review the list before you go. For non-readers, you might want to cut pictures from ads. Once you get to an aisle where you know there is something on your child’s list, prompt him or her to find the item. You may have to help your child get something down from a shelf.

Eating the Alphabet

Wouldn’t it be fun to eat the alphabet? During the course of the summer, see how many fresh fruits and vegetables you can eat from A to Z. You and your child can use a blank chart or poster and write the letters A-Z on it. Once you have the chart, each time your child eats a fruit or vegetable, write it next to the matching letter of the alphabet. You can also do a smaller version of the chart by using summer themed computer paper and You can also let your child draw a picture of what he or she has eaten.

Find more summer learning activities and lessons here.