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by Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

People all over the world celebrate Christmas, but not everyone celebrates the same way. Many of the traditions in the United States originated in other countries. Listed below are common customs and traditions of many different countries. See if you can find the traditions followed by your family and find out what country they came from. You might even find a new tradition or two that you and your family would like to add to your celebration this year.

Norway

In Norway, the children are sent outside or next door while the adults decorate the Christmas tree. When the children return and see the tree for the first time it is fully decorated with presents underneath. Imagine how happy they must feel when they see the tree. The family then joins hands and stands around the tree singing Christmas carols.

Australia

In Australia, Christmas is celebrated during the middle of summer. They do not have a white Christmas like many parts of the United States. Australians like to eat their Christmas dinner outside and then go to the beach for family fun.

Britain

In Britain, children write letters to Father Christmas asking for Christmas presents. Instead of mailing their letters to the North Pole, the children toss their letters into the fireplace and they float up the chimney to the North Pole. Sometimes the lists catch on fire. If that happens, the child has to write another list.

Mexico

In Mexico, children leave shoes out for Santa rather than hanging stockings by the fireplace. On Christmas Eve, singers parade throughout the towns carrying bells and candles on long poles. The parade ends at the local church where everyone attends a Christmas service.

Hopefully this gave you an idea of how children in other countries celebrate Christmas. Maybe you would like to follow one of these traditions this year.

Here is a holiday craft to get you in the spirit.

Puzzle Wreath Ornaments

Supplies:

Cardboard
Puzzle pieces from old puzzles
Glitter
Ribbon
Scissors
Glue

Give each child a small ring cut out of cardboard. Staple a small piece of the ribbon to the top of the ring in a loop. This will be for hanging the ornament later.

1. Have child glue puzzle pieces to the cardboard ring and ask them to cover every part of it.

2. Ask them to put a few dots of glue on top of the puzzle pieces.

3. Let them sprinkle glitter on the glue.

4. Shake off excess glitter from wreaths.

5. Hang wreaths on a Christmas tree.

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An article on How to Blog Safely (About Work or Anything Else) is offered by the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

by Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

A rebus story is a story that is not just made with words. It is a story that combines words and pictures. The picture can represent an entire word or part of a word. The reader will have to sound out each syllable of a word when they read the rebus story.

This type of story writing is an excellent way for young writers to begin writing stories. They can draw pictures for some of the longer words that give them difficulty.

The best way to begin to write a rebus story is to write out the entire story in words. Then go back and read the story out loud to yourself. Listen to each syllable of each word. For example: Sunday (This word could be represented by a picture of the sun and the word “day”).

Use the following story starters to write a winter rebus story.

1. I was sledding down a giant hill when suddenly….

2. Sharp icicles hung from my garage. I saw the neighborhood bully walking by just as some of the icicles started to break loose. He….

3. I made a nice round snowman dressed in a hat and scarf. When I woke up the next morning he was missing. What happened to him?

4. I was skating on the pond by my house when suddenly the ice cracked. I hollered and hollered for help. I started slipping into the freezing water…

5. Describe the most beautiful sunset you have ever seen. What were you doing while you watched it?

6. In my hometown it never snows. I knew it would take a miracle to get snow on Christmas Eve. The weatherman said it might happen this year …..

7. I had never been snow skiing before. I went to ski school and you will never believe what happened to me. I started down the hill….

8. My friend dared me to stick out my tongue and touch it to the freezing cold light pole. Now I am stuck. What will happen to me?

9. The animals and birds outside of my house must be very cold. Here is what I did for them.

10. My goals for the New Year are….

by Renee Kirchner,Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

Personification is a type of figurative language in which a non-living object is given human qualities. The verb in the sentence involves a human action. Here are a few examples:

The ocean waves rocked me to sleep.
The wind sang a beautiful song.
The thunder clapped its hands together in perfect rhythm with the rain.
The roses tilted their faces towards the sun.

Personification can make your writing more fun. Your writing will be stronger and more interesting if you try this technique some of the time.

The swimming pool invited me in for a refreshing swim.
The poison ivy vines raced up the side of the tree.
The sunrise painted a beautiful picture in the sky.
The tall grass danced in the wind.

The person reading your writing will understand that wind cannot sing and waves cannot rock you to sleep, but your writing will be more like a poem.

Can you use personification in your writing? Give it a try.

An Exercise in Using Personification:

Fill in the blanks with a verb that gives human qualities to the non-living object in the sentence.

1. The flowers _______________ at me as I walked through the park.

2. The fall leaves ________________ to the ground.

3. The rain __________________ his cheeks as he ran home.

4. The train _________________ the family through the woods and over the mountain.

5. The soccer net _________________ the ball in mid air.

6. The rainbow __________________ the sky with brilliant colors.

7. The thorn bush ________________ at our ankles as we walked on the trail.

8. I watched the flower bulbs _________________ out of the soil after the light spring rain.

9. Spider webs ________________ in the moonlight from the trees in my front yard.

10. The basketball ________________ from my hand as I released my final shot of the game.

by Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

Metaphors talk about one thing as if it were another. They are not introduced with the words “like” or “as”, but make direct comparisons. Here are a few examples:

His shirt was a flag, flying in the breeze. Her eyes were jewels, sparkling in the sun. The ocean is a playground for scuba divers. A song is a poem set to music.

Metaphors can compare something unfamiliar with something familiar to give you a frame of reference.

The surface of the moon is a snowy yard with footprint craters. The bottom of the ocean is a dark cave. A kiwi is a fuzzy lime. A resume is a report card for adults.

A metaphor comparison is not literal. You can’t always take the meaning directly. Here are some examples:

His room was a pigpen. (This means his room is messy, not that pigs live in it.) The harvest moon was a pumpkin. (This means the moon was round and orange, not made out of pumpkin.)
Her teeth were pearls. (This means her teeth were white like pearls, not that each tooth was actually a pearl.)
The baby’s cheeks were two rosy apples. (This means the baby’s cheeks are round and red, not really apples.)

Writers use metaphors to make their writing colorful and you can to. Give it a try.

Life is a Roller Coaster Sometimes!

An Exercise in Writing Metaphors: Complete the sentences to make your own metaphors.

1. The moon is a _____________________________________________.

2. Freckles are ________________ when they spread across your face.

3. His arms were _________________ as they lifted the heavy chair.

4. The stars are ______________ as they twinkle in the night sky.

5. The storm was a ______________ as it clawed against my window.

6. The freshly mowed lawn was a ___________________________.

7. The noisy children were __________________ as they raced through the museum.

8. I was a ___________________ as I tiptoed across the wooden floor.

9. The river was a _________________ as it twisted and turned down the mountain.

10. His cheeks were __________________ as he chewed the giant wad of bubble gum.

by Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

Autumn, also known is fall is the transition season between summer and winter. In the northern hemisphere autumn starts in September and in the southern hemisphere, it starts around March. Although there are different definitions of autumn, it is generally assumed that autumn lasts from September through November. During these months the days begin to shorten and animals and plants prepare for the upcoming cold season.

When we think of fall, we usually think of beautiful fall colors such as red, yellow and orange on the trees. As the days become shorter, trees do not have enough light for photosynthesis. The leaves begin to stop producing the green chlorophyll and we begin to see pretty fall colors such as yellow and orange. Small amounts of this color were in the leaves during the summer, but the green chlorophyll covered it up.

Try this fun art project with your children:

FALL LEAVES (Torn paper collage)

Supplies:

Black construction paper (8 _ x 11)
Brown construction paper
Red construction paper
Yellow construction paper
Orange construction paper
Glue

The black construction paper will be the background for this collage. Tear red, yellow and orange construction paper into small one-inch pieces. These will be the leaves on the fall tree. Using a pencil, draw a tree trunk in the brown paper and carefully tear it out. Glue the tree trunk onto the black background. Arrange the leaves on the tree in a pleasing way and glue them down. It looks nice to scatter some of them on the ground for a true fall effect.

The black background will make the bright colors seem more vivid.

Fall Books to Read:

Fall by Nuna Roca. Barron’s Educational Series, August 2004

This title is for children in preschool through grade 2. Filled with colorful illustrations and sample projects and crafts, it is a great introduction to the season of Fall.

When Autumn Falls by Kelli Nidey. Albert Whitman, September 2006.

As the heat of summer fades, fall begins. The temperatures drop as well as the leaves from the trees. Children will enjoy reading about familiar fall pastimes such as piling leaves up and carving jack-o’-lanterns.

Now It’s Fall by Lois Lenski. Random House Children’s Books, October 2000 (reprint).

This newly reissued classic by Lois Lensky holds all of the pleasures of fall. A whole new generation can fall in love with her books.

by Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

We’ve all read tall tales before. The legends of Paul Bunyan and John Henry are examples of tall tales. The accomplishments of the hero in the story are larger than life or exaggerated. Read a few tall tales with your students so they can become familiar with the genre. Here are some good ones to start with:

Paul Bunyan by Steven Kellogg. HarperCollins Publishers, June 1985.

The story of the larger-than-life lumberjack, Paul Bunyan, is familiar to many children. Steven Kellogg writes about all of Paul’s exciting adventures with Babe the Blue Ox. His illustrations bring the book to life.

American Tall Tales by Mary Pope Osborne. Random House Children’s Books, September 1991.

Nine folk heroes are introduced in this collection of tall tales by Mary Pope Osborne. Readers will meet Johnny Appleseed, John Henry, Paul Bunyan, and many others. The exaggerated stories of their adventures will delight children.

Dona Flor: A Tall Tale about a Giant Lady with a Great Big Heart.by Pat Mora. Alfred A. Knopf, October 2005.

Readers will meet, Dona Flor, in this tall tale about a giant woman. She makes giant tortillas for everyone to eat and they can use the leftovers as rafts and she lets children use her giant flowers as trumpets. When a large lion threatens the village, Flora sets off to find it.

Tall tales all have one thing in common - they’re probably as much fun to write, as they are to read. Why don’t you try your hand at writing a tall tale, or at least the beginning of a tall tale? We’ve written the start of the first sentence, now all you have to do is fill in the rest. Whether you write one sentence, a paragraph, or a whole story, make sure that you exaggerate. See how wild your imagination is.

1. Dan Magallan and his horse traveled the country _______________________________.

2. The locomotive sped toward the car that was stalled on the train track. It would take a miracle to save the driver. Suddenly __________________________.

3. A long time ago in a land far, far away there was a knight who was braver than all of the men in the land. He was called the dragon slayer and he _____________________.

4. The giant waves of the hurricane were no match for ____________________________.

5. Big Tex rode a twenty foot rattle snake when he came into town _________________.

6. Giovanni, the pizza maker was legendary in these parts. He used to ______________.

7. Leo the Great could tame any wild beast. He rounded up the wild animals of the jungle and _________________________________________________.

8. Billy Bob had an amazing set of lungs. He could blow all of the sand out of the Sahara Desert. With one breath, he could suck up all of the water in Lake Michigan. These amazing powers came in very handy when ______________________________________.

by Teaching Tips Contributing Editor, Renee Kirchner

If you’re a parent of a new elementary student and you’re unfamiliar with the time-honored parent-teacher conference, there are some easy ways to make the most of your conference. The conference is designed as a face to face meeting between a child’s teacher and his or her parents. Open and honest communication is critical in this first meeting so the child will have the best chance of succeeding in school. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

PREPARE BEFORE THE MEETING

It isn’t just the teacher that needs to come prepared to the first meeting. Before the meeting parents should talk to their child about the teacher and the child’s class. Do they have any questions or concerns that have come up during the first week or two of school? Parents can make some notes before the meeting about important information they don’t want to forget to discuss with their child’s teacher. This list might include family dynamics, the child’s personality, special needs, medical issues, work habits, etc. Parents should let the teacher know the child’s strengths and weaknesses. Is your child neat as a pin? Do they tend to procrastinate? The teacher would benefit from this type of information.

DURING THE CONFERENCE

What will your child learn this year?

It is important to find out what the learning goals are for the school year. Ask the teacher if the school gives students standardized tests. If so, what is the average passing rate at the school? How many chances will each child have to pass the test? If your child has special needs because they are either gifted or learning disabled, be sure to ask what type of programs the school offers for your child. Finally, ask the teacher about any major projects or assignments for the year and the due dates so that you can help your child plan their time wisely.

What is the best way to get in touch with you?

It is important to find out when the teacher’s planning period is. You also need to find out if it is easier to get in touch with them by phone or email. Email is often easier because the teacher can respond when she has time to sit at her desk.

AFTER THE CONFERENCE

The parent-teacher conference is the first step in the two-way dialogue between you and your child’s teacher. If you go into the meeting with a positive attitude, it will go much smoother. Don’t let this meeting be the last time that you get in touch with your child’s teacher. Keep the lines of communication open all year long. Never wait until you have a huge problem to talk to the teacher.

ADDITIONAL TIPS

Be on time. If you are running late, call the school. Only use your allotted time spot – don’t go over because other parents are waiting. Always be respectful and stay calm. Don’t argue with the teacher.

We have such a great group of writers in the Children’s Writers Coaching Club here at the National Writing for Children Center. Some are beginning writers, but several are published children’s book authors.

Today, the spotlight is on Coaching Club Member, and our Contributing Teaching Tips Editor, Renee Kirchner.

Renee is a children’s author and freelance writer living in Carrollton, Texas. She is the author of Biomes, a non-fiction chapter book published by KidHaven Press.

Renee has written articles, stories, poems and puzzles for a variety of publications such as FamilyFun magazine, the Dallas Morning News, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Guideposts for Kids, Highlights, and many others. She enjoys writing both fiction and non-fiction for children and adults.Renee holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Texas Tech University and spent ten years at Verizon working in various marketing positions. She is an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and served as the marketing coordinator for the North Texas chapter during 2005. Her family and her writing are her life’s greatest passions. Email her about possible writing assignments at [email protected] or read more about her writing at her website.

Here’s What Renee is Working On Right Now:

” I just completed 25 lesson plans for Gryphon House for their upcoming
GIANT Encyclopedia of Lesson Plans. The editors at education.com have asked me to write an article for their back-to-school newsletter. My critique group is helping me edit a collection of poetry for children that I just completed. I hope to send it to publishers in the fall. I also wrote a picture book
manuscript with a children’s librarian this summer and we are getting feedback
from her fellow librarians. Finally, I have sent resumes, writing samples and
proposals to many non-fiction publishers this summer and I am hoping to get a
WFH (write for hire) project very soon.

Here’s What Renee Likes About the Children’s Writers Coaching Club (CWCC):

“I like the CWCC because it helps me stay in touch with my fellow writers.
Writing is largely a solo endeavor and it can become lonely if you don’t have
anyone to talk to about your craft. I especially enjoy receiving the monthly
packets with the cds. I love listening to stories about other writers’
struggles and successes while I am shuttling my children to and from their
activities.

by Teaching Tips Contributing Editor, Renee Kirchner

Johnny Chapman was born in Leominster, Massachusetts in 1774. Have you heard of John Chapman? Probably not. He is better known as Johnny Appleseed. We remember him and celebrate his accomplishments on the anniversary of his death on March 18, 1845.

Johnny had a longing in his heart to travel. He was not alone. Many families in the Connecticut Valley were packing up and heading west in the late 1700s. At the age of twenty-three Johnny said good-bye to his family and started westward. He packed lightly, carrying only a pewter pot, a hatchet, a blanket, a flint for making fire, a bag of cornmeal, and a sack of apple seeds. He carried a Bible in his coat.

His dream was to cross the country and plant apple trees along the way. He wanted a warm welcome to await the pioneers that would follow. Just imagine their delight at finding fruit to fill their empty stomachs.

His journey first took him to Pennsylvania. Those who saw him on his travels said that he put his stewpot on his head for a hat. Most of the time he didn’t wear any shoes. He liked the feel of the breeze on his feet. When he found a fertile patch of soil he would plant an orchard of apple trees. He would mark the spot with a brush fence. He was always careful to clear away weeds and rocks so the trees could take root.

Johnny did not live as a beggar. He sold his trees and apples along the way to pay for his supplies. If he was invited to stay in a cabin during his travels, he would sleep on the floor. Many nights he slept in the fresh air.

His adventures took him to Ohio. He was a little bit afraid of the Indian stories he had heard. The Indians never hurt Johnny Appleseed. He was not like the other white settlers on the frontier. Johnny lived a simple life. He did not chop down trees or kill animals. He was respected by the Native Americans and became good friends with many of them.

Johnny kept traveling west. He spent the last years of his life in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He died on March 18, 1845 at the home of a friend. He was seventy years old.

Johnny Chapman made a lasting contribution to America. His apple trees have grown and multiplied. Many of the apples you eat today may have come from the seeds of his trees. He will long be remembered as a kind man with a wonderful dream.

APPLE TASTE TEST

Materials:
4 kinds of apples (Red Delicious, Golden Delicious,Granny Smith, and MacIntosh – cut into slices)

What to do:
Each child will taste four kinds of apples and decide which variety they like best. This will teach them that their opinion is important and that not everyone likes the same kinds of food. The teacher will go around the room and ask each child which one was their favorite. She can then introduce simple math concepts. For example, “Children, we had ten people tasting apples today. Four children liked Granny Smith apples and two children liked Red Delicious apples. Did more children like Granny Smith or Red Delicious?” There are unlimited ways
to introduce the concept of numbers with this taste test.

Related books:

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World
by Marjorie Priceman

Dumpy’s Apple Shop
by Julie Andrews Edwards

by Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

Success in school is not just a matter of luck. Parents can help their children become successful in school by starting early and helping their children establish good habits. If you get children off to a good start during their first few years of school chances are the following years will go much more smoothly.

Here are some tips that have worked very well for my own children:

Establish Good Study Habits

Young children must learn good study habits and develop a homework routine. First, you need to find a quiet place where children can do their homework. I have found that the kitchen table works very well for young children. A large table allows a child space to spread out and they don’t feel isolated and alone while working on homework. Parents can cook dinner while monitoring the child’s homework. Let children try to do their own work, but stay close enough so they can call for help if they need it. When children get older they may want to retreat to desks in their bedrooms for a quieter environment. My kids still tend to gravitate to the kitchen table.

Communicate with Your Child’s Teacher

Teachers want every child in their class to succeed. The likelihood for success is increased when parents and teachers communicate regularly. Attend parent/teacher conferences. Express your concerns. Parents usually know what is best for their own child. However, have an open mind and listen to what they are seeing in the classroom. Children often exhibit different behavior at school than in the home.

Spend Time at your Child’s School

The more time you can spend at your child’s school, the better. Children love to see their parents at school musicals, plays, and performances. It makes them feel special. Volunteer to help their teacher if you have time. Younger kids especially like to see their parents in the middle of the day. Transitioning to school after staying at home with a parent can be a big adjustment. The more time you spend at the school, and the more you learn the school routines, the more you will be able to contribute to conversations with your child about his or her day at school.

Establish a Bed Time Routine

One of the most important things a parent can do is to make sure their child is getting enough sleep before going to school. Set a bedtime and stick to it. Children who are sleepy cannot pay attention to the lessons.

Read with your Child

Many parents of young children (Kindergarten – 2nd grade) do not realize the importance of reading with their children. Being a good reader is critical to success in school. Good readers can read passages from text books, and can comprehend test questions better. Children do not become good readers over night. The only way to become a good reader is by reading. Try to read a book or two together every night. You can take turns and let your child read one page and then you read the next page and so on. This makes the task of reading an entire book much less overwhelming for a young child.

Ask Your Child About School

When your child gets home from school, you should ask them what they did each day. Children will feel as if you really care about what is going on in their life. If they respond with “Nothing,” you can pose more specific questions. Don’t just ask about their grades. Ask them what they did at recess or at lunch. Ask them if anything funny happened during the day. I’m sure they will have a lot of great stories to tell you.

Start the Day Right

Give children enough time to get ready in the morning. Do not wake them up five minutes before they need to be at school. Children will have a more productive day at school if their morning gets off to the right start. Make sure they have plenty of time to wake up, get dressed and eat a good breakfast.

Talk About the Future

Let children know early on that you think they are bright and capable. Talk to your child about his or her future. Discuss careers and college from a young age. If you believe in your children, they will believe in themselves.

Make Sure Your Child is Ready

Children begin getting ready for school long before Kindergarten. Your children need to develop fine motor skills such as holding a pencil or crayon and being able to use scissors. Teach your child how to write their name. There are simple ways that you can help children learn at home. Watch educational programs on TV, read books to your child, color pictures with them, or explore nature together.

Acknowledge Their Success

When your children do well in school, acknowledge their success. If they bring home a terrific report card, gets a ribbon in the science fair, or makes first chair in band, have a family celebration. You could cook their favorite meal as a reward.

by Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

The Sun is the closest star to Earth and it is the center of our Solar System. In fact, the Sun makes up 99.8% of the mass of the Solar System. Without the Sun, there would be no life on Earth. The Sun provides us with heat, light, and energy. Plants use the Sun’s energy to grow and in turn animals survive by eating the plants.

The Sun is made up of hot gases such as hydrogen, helium, calcium, sodium, magnesium and iron. It is also extremely hot. At the center, the Sun is at least 10 million degrees.

Even though we can easily see the Sun, it is very far away. The Sun is 93 million miles away from the Earth. It is easy to see because it is so large. The Earth is about 8,000 miles wide, while the Sun is about 900,000 miles wide.

Questions:

Q1: Is the sun a star?

Q2. Sunlight is the Earth’s primary source of what?

Q3. What is the Sun made of?

Q4. Is the Sun larger or smaller than the Earth?

Imagination Question: How old is the Sun and when is it expected to burn out?

Answers:

A1: Yes
A2: Light, heat, and energy
A3: Hot gases (hydrogen, helium and other elements)
A4: much, much larger

Imagination question:

The Sun is about 4.5 billion years old. It is expected to burn out in about 5 billion years.

Books about the Sun:

Sun: Our Nearest Star by Franklyn Mansfield Branley

Sun by Seymour Simon

Sun Bread by Elisa Kleven

The Sun is My Favorite Star by Frank Asch

Under Alaska’s Midnight Sun by Deb Vanasse

by Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

Prediction is an important reading skill that children must develop. It helps them to understand stories and create meaning as they read. Teachers can help children learn how to use clues from a story to predict what will happen next. One of the best types of text for teaching predicting is the circular story.

Circular stories follow a pattern. They end the same way they began after following a series of predictable events. Talk to children about other things that follow a circular pattern such as seasons or an animal’s life cycle. Explain that every year we have four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall. We always have four seasons and we can predict the type of weather to expect because it follows a circular pattern each year. Let them know that some stories are predictable, just like seasons, because they follow a circular pattern.

There are many fine examples of picture books that you can use to teach prediction. Read some of the stories listed below and ask children to predict what will happen next when you read. It might be helpful to draw a circle on the board and write out the plot points. This will illustrate how the story comes back around to the place that it started.

Picture books with circular plots:

The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant

When relatives arrive from Virginia, the house is filled with people and good times. There are so many relatives that they can’t all eat at the same time and they sleep on top of each other. At summer’s end, the relatives leave and the house seems big and quiet again. But, the relatives will be back again next summer.

Stephanie’s Ponytail by Robert Munsch

Stephanie arrives at school one day with a ponytail. The next day, all the girls are wearing ponytails, too. Stephanie wears her hair differently every day trying to thwart the copycats. Finally she tells her classmates that she is going to shave her head. The story has a surprise twist ending. The cumulative text is great for teaching how to make predictions.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

In this modern-day classic, one simple act, giving a mouse a cookie, triggers a whole set of other events. The demanding mouse needs a glass of milk after eating the cookie and so on and so on. Children will enjoy guessing what the mouse will need next.

Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto

Maria thinks that she lost her mother’s diamond ring in a batch of tamales she was making for Christmas dinner. When her cousins arrive, she tells them the problem and they help her look by biting into each of the tamales. Soon all of the tamales are gone and they have to make another batch.

Seven Little Rabbits

Seven little rabbits go down the road to visit their friend toad. This repetitive text keeps children guessing if any of the rabbits will make it to toad’s house. One by one they get tired and need to take a nap. The rhyming text makes for a great read aloud.

by Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

It’s only natural for kids to want to pack away their books during summer vacation. They want to play with friends, swim, and ride their bikes. However, a summer spent without books could cause their current reading levels to drop before school starts in the fall. If you make summer reading a pleasant pastime, kids will be more likely to pick up a book.

Summer is a great time for kids to branch out and try reading something new. In summer there are no book reports or projects to complete when they finish a book. Reading should be for pure enjoyment. Encourage your children to read books from many different authors and genres. If they normally read mysteries, suggest that they try biographies, historical fiction, science fiction, or poetry. Don’t limit summer reading to hardcover or paperback books either. Children would probably enjoy reading comic books, magazines, and newspapers also. The objective in the summer is to make reading fun.

Learning how to choose their own reading material is an important skill for young children. Children are more apt to read a book if they select it. Parents can model book selection by taking their children to a library or a bookstore. Pick up a book and look at the cover. Next, flip through the pages and read the jacket out loud. Let your children hear your thoughts. For example, “I love books by this author. I’m so glad he has written another one. I think I’ll check it out and see if I like it.” Children also need to understand that it’s ok to not like a book. Everyone has started a book and then decided it wasn’t for them. Children do not instinctively know that it’s ok to not finish a book if they don’t like it.

Children might become overwhelmed when they see the huge selection of books available at the bookstore or the library. It might be a good idea to visit some websites and get some book recommendations first. Here are some excellent websites to try:

RIF (Reading is Fundamental

The RIF (Reading is Fundamental) website if full of great information. There are fun summer activities for families that are centered on reading. The website also has recommended reading lists broken down by children’s ages and interests.

KidsReads.org

This website is excellent if your child is looking for the newest releases. Each month a new selection of books are reviewed and posted. Frequently there are in-depth author interviews on the website so kids can read about their favorite authors.

American Library Association

The American Library Association has lists of recommended reading that will please everyone. The lists include classics, paperbacks, Newbery Award books, Caldecott Award books, and many others. Children will never run out of book suggestions after visiting this site.

This summer can be a great adventure for your children when you mix free time with some great books. Have a great summer and happy reading.

Happy Independence Day, USA!

Here are some facts about the United States flag and a fun craft for Independence Day

from Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

President Harry S. Truman designated June 14th as a National Holiday in 1949. On Flag Day, Americans fly the flag in front of schools, offices and homes. Students learn about the history of the flag and how to treat the flag with respect.

The modern day American flag has seven red stripes and six white stripes. The top left corner is blue with fifty white stars. The thirteen stripes stand for the original thirteen colonies and the stars represent the fifty states. The red stripes represent England and the white stripes represent the United States.

Because the flag is so familiar, we may think that it has always been the same. This is not true. No one knows for certain who designed the original flag. We believe that Congressman Francis Hopkinson, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, designed the original flag. Even though there is a legend that Betsy Ross made the first flag, historians to not believe that this is true. Before June 24, 1912, there was no standard for the American flag. Flags made before this time had unusual arrangements of stars and odd proportions. President Taft established the proportions of the flag and the arrangements of the stars in an Executive Order. The number of stars on the flag increased each time a new state was added to the United States, but the number of stripes will always stay the same.

By 1912, when Arizona and New Mexico entered the Union, the flag had forty-eight stars. The number remained the same until 1959, when Alaska became a state. A year later, on July 4, 1960, the fiftieth star was added to mark Hawaii’s entry into the Union. The flag today looks exactly like the one we had in 1960.

America’s national anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner” was written about the American flag. Francis Scott Key wrote a poem in 1812 that was later set to music and adopted as our national anthem. The flag flying over Fort McHenry in Maryland after a bombardment during the War of 1812 inspired him.

It is our universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset. However, when patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed twenty-four hours a day if it is lit up at night. The American flag should be displayed above state or city flags when flown on a flagpole. Occasionally the flag is flown at half-staff. This is a sign of respect for the memory of a public official or in the event of a national tragedy.

Our country honors the flag, which stands as a symbol of our unity as a nation, of our freedoms and of our power. Respect and honor the flag on Flag Day and on all other days during the year.

INDEPENDENCE DAY CRAFT

Handprint American Flag:

Materials
Large sheet of white paper (about the size of two poster boards)
Paint: Red, white and blue
Small sponge in shape of star
Pencils
Ruler

Instructions:
This flag can be made at home, but it will work best as a classroom activity. The completed flag should be displayed on a large wall or bulletin board.
1. Have students draw a box in the top left corner of flag for the fifty states.
2. Using the ruler, draw thirteen stripes on the flag with pencil. Mark the stripes that will be red with a small checkmark. The American flag has seven red stripes and six white stripes. The top and bottom stripes are both red.

3. Have one student paint the top corner box with blue paint.

4. Other students will take turns dipping their hand in red paint and placing red handprints on the stripes marked with the checkmarks. There is no need to paint the white stripes.

5. When the blue paint is dry, have several students make fifty stars by dipping the star sponge into white paint and pressing on the blue area.

by Renee Kirchner, teaching tips contributing editor

Learning doesn’t have to stop just because it’s summer. Not all learning occurs by reading books and solving math problems. Kids need adventures and new experiences to expand their view of the world. There are many great activities you can try that will bring your whole family together and teach your children something at the same time. Here are a few suggestions:

Take A Trip to the Zoo

Do your children like animals? Encourage their interest in animals with a trip to the zoo. Read a few books about zoos before you go. Go online and check out the latest attractions at your local zoo and decide which animals your kids want to see the most. Even if you went last summer and the summer before it doesn’t matter. Zoos animals have new babies, zoos add new attractions, and your kids are older and will notice different things. So, if you haven’t made it to the zoo this summer, you still have time.

Start a Garden

A family garden is a hobby that the whole family can enjoy. Go to the nursery together and let everyone choose what they want to plant. You could plant a flower garden or a vegetable garden. Even the smallest hands can help by watering seeds or plants. This is a great way for children to learn about nature. Gardening will also help nurture a love of the outdoors and keep kids off their electronic games and computers for an hour or more each day.

Plan Your Summer Vacation and Create a Travel Scrapbook

Is your family taking a trip this summer? Involve your kids in the planning process. Let them help you research hotels and restaurants on the internet. Get out a map and plan your route together. Travel is a great way to learn about geography in a relaxed, fun way.

When you come home with lots of pictures that need to be organized, spend an evening together creating a family scrapbook. Everyone in the family can add designs and special mementos from their trip. The scrapbook will become a treasured keepsake.

Go On a Weekend Camping Trip

If your family hasn’t taken a summer vacation, maybe you would have time for a short weekend camping trip. You could even do a daytime camping trip if mom and dad have to work in the summer. Load up the car with fishing poles, bathing suits, hiking gear, and great food to grill. Camping will also help nurture a love of the outdoors and keep kids off their electronic games and computers for an entire weekend. Don’t forget the marshmallows!

Try Stargazing

Summer evenings are perfect for gazing at the stars. Your family could lie out in the backyard on a blanket and point out the various constellations. You could also purchase a reasonably priced telescope and a book about the stars. It’s a nice way to reconnect with each other and have a chance to talk.

I hope your family enjoys one or more of these activities. Have a great summer!

by Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

Pablo Picasso was born in Malaga, Spain in 1881. He was not a good student in school and he had trouble learning to read and write. Pablo always loved art. He had his first art exhibit when he was thirteen.

At the age of eighteen, Pablo moved to Paris. He was very poor and often worked on his paintings by the light of a single candle. The work that Pablo did while he lived in Paris from 1901-1904 is known as his “blue period.” This is because everything he painted came out sad and blue.

In 1904, he entered his “pink period” and the subjects of his art as well as the colors of his paintings appeared happier. It was during this time that Pablo married his first wife. He was married twice and had four children during his lifetime.

Pablo helped create a new style of art called Cubism beginning in 1908. The paintings he created appeared to be made up of “little cubes.” One of his most famous painting using this technique is called the “Three Musicians” painted in 1921. His favorite subjects to paint were musical instruments, still-life objects and his friends.

During the 1930’s, Picasso added surrealism to his paintings. His paintings seem to have double images and dream-like qualities. He also worked on sculptures during this time.

Pablo Picasso is considered to be one the greatest artists of the 20th century. He created over 20,000 works during his lifetime and died at the age of ninety-one on April 8, 1973.

Art Exercises to Try at Home:

1. Create a collage person by using scraps of fabric and paper cutouts. Arrange the shapes into a pleasing vertical arrangement and glue them to your paper. Add a face, arms and legs to create a person. The collage person should be distorted like the people in Picasso’s paintings. (Shapes can overlap and fabric or interesting materials such as yarn or buttons may be added.)

2. Try painting an entire picture in a blue palette. Think of something that makes you sad and try to mimic Picasso’s “blue period.” Blue is known as a cool color because of the feeling it evokes. Other cool colors are green and purple.

3. Try to remember an unusual dream that you have had. Draw a picture of what you can remember. It is o.k. if it doesn’t seem to make any sense.

4. Picasso liked to make pictures of faces that were distorted. Draw three large oval shapes. Create three faces using cut out shapes of different noses, ears, mouths, etc. Put the faces together in unusual ways. The eye can be below the mouth or the nose can go where the ear normally would. What do you think of your artwork? Would you ever create art like this on your own? Why or why not?

5. Picasso went to the circus three or four times a week. This was during his “Rose Period.” Draw a picture of a circus scene. Use mainly pink and blue colors in your picture.

Books about Picasso:

1. Picasso by Mike Venezia

2. Painting with Picasso by Julie Merberg

3. Pablo Picasso: Breaking all the Rules by True Kelly

by Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

Georges-Pierre Seurat was born in Paris on December 2, 1859, in Paris. His mother was very affectionate, but his father was a solitary person. Like his father, Georges kept to himself. He attended the School of Fine Arts in Paris in 1878 and 1879. Georges studied the works of Rembrandt and Francisco de Goya.

His family had plenty of money and they supported him while he worked on his paintings. His first major painting was Bathers at Asnieres, which he painted in 1883. In the painting, people are cooling off from the summer heat on the banks of the Seine River.

His most famous painting is Sunday on the Island of La Grande Jatte. The painting showed people relaxing on an island in the Seine River on a sunny afternoon. The painting was started in the summer of 1884 and was completed two years later. Georges sketched scenes every morning for several months and worked in his studio during the afternoon.

La Grande Jatte is one of his first paintings in which he used his new painting technique known as Pointillism. He placed thousands of tiny dots side by side on the canvas. This method of painting was very slow and painstaking. Some people criticized his work, but others thought he was creating a new style of art.

In 1891, he experimented with different ways to use lines in his paintings to show emotion. The painting called The Circus used upward-slating lines to show happiness, horizontal lines to suggest calm, and downward-sloping lines to express sadness.

Seurat died unexpectedly at age thirty-one of meningitis. He will always be remembered for his original method of painting.

Art Exercises to Try at Home:

1. Select a page from a coloring book. Make a copy of it. Fill in one copy by painting with large brush strokes. Fill in the second copy by painting with little dots of paint. (Q-tips work well for this). Which picture took longer to paint? Which one do you like better?

2. Try this mixing experiment – Mix up the following colors:

- orange (red + yellow)
- purple (red + blue)
- green (blue + yellow)

Using a paintbrush, apply a circle of each color to a piece of paper. On a second piece of paper, draw three circles. Apply dots of blue and red inside the first circle, dots of red and yellow inside the second circle, and dots of yellow and blue inside the third circle.

Hold up the second piece of paper. What do you see? Does your eye mix the color for you? Can you see purple, orange and green?

3. Draw an entire picture using only straight lines. You will use the lines to show emotion. Upward slanting lines show happiness while downward sloping shows sadness. Lines that go horizontally give the feeling of calmness. Draw the lines very close together and try to cover most of the paper. (Ex: If you were drawing the still, calm water on a lake you would use horizontal lines.)

4. Georges Seurat painted many landscape pictures. Make a landscape picture of your own by cutting shapes and figures out of construction paper. Place the large objects at the bottom of the page. They will appear to be close to you. Place the smaller objects near the top of the page.

5. Purchase some blank postcards from an office supply store or the post office. Paint a postcard for a friend. Using small brushes and colorful paints create a mini masterpiece. Mail the painting to a friend to brighten their day.

Books About Seurat

George Seurat by Mike Venezia

Sunday w/Seurat by Julie Merberg

Seurat and la Grande Jatte: Connecting the Dots by Robert Burleigh

By: Teaching Tips Contributing Editor, Renee Kirchner

It is important for elementary aged children to understand the concept of compare and contrast. This concept can be applied to many areas of the curriculum including math, science, and literature. When a child is asked to compare and contrast two different things, they are supposed to tell how they are alike and different. Comparing shows the similarities between two objects and contrasting shows the differences. Children will use words such as both, like, also, and similar when comparing. Words such as unlike, however, and but might be used when contrasting two objects.

Children’s books, both fiction and nonfiction, can be useful tools for teaching the concept of compare and contrast. Select one book with two different characters or choose two books with similarities and differences in character or plot. Nonfiction books will also work well. For example, you could choose a book on reptiles and compare and contrast two different types
of reptiles.

There are two useful tools that teachers use as prewriting activities when teaching compare and contrast: the Venn diagram and the T-chart. The Venn diagram is made up of two or more overlapping circles depending how many objects you are comparing. Each circle contains different information about the objects and the overlapping portion in the middle contains the
similarities.

For example if I was comparing a rabbit with a wolf, the rabbit circle might have herbivore and the wolf circle would have carnivore. The overlapping portion in the middle might contain the word mammal, since both animals are mammals. Of course your student would put more than one descriptive word in each circle. The more detail they use, the better. The T-chart is organized differently than the Venn diagram. If we use the example of the rabbit and the wolf the chart would look like this:

Characteristic Rabbit Wolf
Diet Grass Meat
Animal group Mammal Mammal

Here are some examples of picture books that would work well for studying the concept of compare and contrast:

One Picture Book with Two Characters

Bubba and Beau: Best Friends by Kathi Appelt

Bubba is a Texas baby and Beau is a Texas puppy and they are best friends. They have adventures together and both of them become very upset when their pink blanket gets washed.

Similarities between Bubba and Beau:

Both of them are keen on chewing, neither one is housetrained, and they both disdain soap.

Differences between Bubba and Beau:

Bubba loves the pinky pinky blankie because it smells like Beau and Beau likes the pinky pinky blankie because it smells like Bubba.

Two Picture Books with a Similar Main Character

Cindy Ellen: A Wild Western Cinderella by Susan Lowell

Chickarella by Mary Jane Auch

Similarities between Cindy Ellen and Chickarella:

Both of them have an evil stepmother or step-chicken, a fairy godmother or fairy fowl mother, and both have a prince or a princely rooster.

Differences between Cindy Ellen and Chickarella:

Cindy Ella can wrangle, rope and gallop. Chickarella starts a high fashion business that grows out of making clothes for the ball.

Children can use the examples above to create a Venn diagram or a T-chart and then write a compare-contrast paper about the different characters.

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Note: Although school is out for summer vacation in most places across the country, parents can still read with their children this summer and use activities like this one to have fund with their children as they help them become better readers.