Every Ending is a New Beginning

cute-flower-girl-summer-sun-Favim.com-281317As the school year draws to a close, so does another year’s journey in both teachers’ and students’ lives.  For some children, this sudden abandon from all they have grown accustomed to (and love) is not an easy transition.

I recall, several years ago, when one of my beloved students had a very hard time ending the year.  Any time there was any reference made to the summer holidays, this otherwise happy-go-lucky girl, would break down into tears.  It completely took me by surprise (and melted my heart) when she confessed to being sad about not having me as her teacher anymore (she had been with me for both JK and SK). I consoled her as best as I could and we came up with a plan – she would come in to help me pack for the rest of the week and also be my special helper during recess the following school year.  It wasn’t an ending.  It was a new beginning.

It has been two years since, and this precious child still comes in every single day to help me.  I appreciate her dedication and support, but more than anything else I value the lesson she has taught me and continues to remind me of each day.  Regardless of age, background, title, position, etc., there is a beautiful bond that exists between people, if we just recognize it and let it flourish.

With that thought, I’d like to share a poem I wrote.  As I often do with my students (and family and friends alike), I would love to hear your interpretations of it.

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Thank you,

Lora


We Made a Pact

runningWe made a pact, he and I.
He’d come out and I’d join too.

We made a pact, not long ago.
He’d bring the warmth and I’d rejoice.

We made a pact, this much is true.
He’d light the sky and I’d lead the way.

We made a pact, but he bailed out.
Just like that, got up and left.

I searched for him as night crept in,
across the field,
between the clouds,
over the hills.

No sign of him.

I called to him but silence followed.
I grunted, frowned – I was not pleased.

I won’t forgive him.
I won’t. I won’t.

And now, because of his shenanigans,
Mommy said to go inside.

bedI ate my dinner but I was mad.
I brushed my teeth but I was livid.

I lay in bed, covered in heaps.
I won’t forgive this – we had a pact.

I tossed and turned and missed him so.
Perhaps I should forgive him.

I closed my eyes as sleep crept in.
Maybe, just maybe, I thought,
I’ll give him one last chance tomorrow.


Creative Commons License

We Made a Pact by Lora Rozler is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Alphabet Bingo

Alphabet BingoALPHABET BINGO is a fun game to play with young children as they learn the letters of the alphabet! Created with Primary students in mind, this unique game is designed to help kids recognize both uppercase and lowercase letters, while reinforcing basic shapes and colours.

Played like most bingo games, children use a cover-up bingo chip to cover letters as they are named by a “caller” (teacher, parent, student). Alphabet Bingo can also be played with a focus on sounds. For example, instead of calling out lower case b, emphasize a sound (i.e., This is a letter that makes the sound bbb, as in ball).  In this variation, both uppercase and lowercase b will be covered up.

The download includes 48 bingo cards, a set of 52 Upper case and Lower case Letters to call out and an instruction sheet.

Click HERE to get all you need.
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Happy Playing!

Lora


Alphabet Bingo by Lora Rozler is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Sight Words BINGO!

Bingo GameSight Words Bingo

Sight word acquisition is an important building block in the construction of a child’s ability to read. Once she is able to read these words, she has access to up to 75% of what is printed in almost any piece of children’s literature. How exactly do teachers and parents help children develop their stores of sight words? There are several proven techniques that any adult can use to teach sight words.

Children do not learn new words by being exposed to them only once. Repetition is key to sight word acquisition. Young readers should be given opportunities to read and write a new sight word multiple times. Repetitive reading of texts featuring certain sight words is one strategy for helping children commit these words to memory.

Once children have had the opportunity to study new sight words, games are a fun, hands on way to help strengthen their retention. These games are easy to create at home or at school and can be modified based on the particular sight words a child is learning at the time. We designed a game based on an all-time favourite, BINGO. The incentive to find a word coupled with the urge to complete a card, creates an active environment for memorizing these essential words.

The download includes 48 Sun-Moon-Star-Earth bingo cards as well as a set of 40 sight words to call out. All you need is lots of bingo chips and eager players, and you are ready to go.

Just click here to download the package.

Enjoy!

Learning with Caps – Recycled Play

f4939b9d9b4f5f90c8240245691056faLearning with Caps – Recycled Play

As a teacher, I find many uses for random household items that most people throw away. Bottle caps, for example, are never disposed of in my home.  Just this morning, my children and I played our own version of scrabble using yogurt caps I wrote letters on. They are a great way to engage children in learning (but I don’t dare tell them that). Sometimes I throw in different size and colour lids, just to see how the kids will fit them into the game.

They love coming up with their own rules (problem-solving, cooperation, creative thinking at its best):

“I know – how about the black ones be free letters?” says A.

“Yeah, we can use them when we get stuck, “ adds B.

I can’t help throwing in my own two cents. “They can be vowels.”

And off we go, making up words vertically, diagonally, horizontally, changing rules, adding rules, anything they want, so long as they are engaged.

scrabble scrabble2
What household items have you saved from the recycling bin? Please share to feature your idea on our blog.

 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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Happy St. Paddy’s Day everyone 🙂
It’s Saint Patrick’s Day, and time celebrate! Children can lift the flaps for interactive fun as they see the children in this book make holiday crafts, taste traditional Irish food, perform a play about Saint Patrick, and even march in a Saint Patrick’s Day parade. As an added bonus, they can search for the hidden leprechaun on each spread. A great way for young readers to learn about being a wee bit Irish!

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

1The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Published by HarperCollins

A tender story, alive with both sorrow and happiness. With its simple line drawings and almost lyrical writing it makes its reader stop and think about what it truly means to love someone.