2/27/2014 Today in History: Matthew Brady Photographs Abraham Lincoln

Don't Forget- We will be taking 20% off the regular price all of our products on Feb. 27 and 28, and Teachers Pay Teachers will be having a promo of another 10% off.  The new Dr. Seuss reader is already 20% off, and that discount will continue through until the end of the sale!

On this date, February 27th, 1860, the famous Civil War photographer Matthew Brady photographed Abraham Lincoln for the first time.  It was taken the same day that Lincoln gave a noteworthy speech Cooper Union in New York.  This picture was later modified and published on the cover of Harper’s Weekly.  Lincoln credited the buzz from his Cooper Union speech and Brady’s portrait for securing him the Republican nomination for presidency.  Brady would photograph Lincoln many times after he was elected president, and also Lincoln’s wife and sons.  

Performing my original play "They Called Him 'Honest Abe'" is a fun way for your class to learn more about the life of Abraham Lincoln, from his childhood and living in a log cabin to living in the White House.  This play is an original play written for use as readers’ theater, as a part of balanced literacy (Read-Aloud, Shared and Performance Reading or Guided Reading), or for an actual play production.  Although the play is written for students in grades 3-5, it can be adapted for other grades and abilities.

2/17/2014 Happy Washington's Birthday, or Happy Presidents' Day, and Learn About Benjamin Banneker

I hope that you enjoyed your holiday today, whether your school is in an area that celebrates the day in honor of George Washington's Birthday on February 22nd, Washington and Lincoln's birthdays, or all of the U.S. Presidents

If you are looking for new ways to engage your class with learning more about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln around this time check out my President's Day reader, and original reader's play about Lincoln

Learning more about Benjamin Banneker is a great way to tie in the study of American Presidents with Black History month.  Benjamin Banneker was a notable African-American author, scientist, and surveyor.  Among his other accomplishments, he helped to survey the borders of  Washington D.C.  Your students will enjoy learning about Benjamin Banneker and his many accomplishments in my level P reader A Design for the Capitol - Benjamin Banneker. This book is one of the ten books included in the collection "Famous African-Americans in U.S. History: Leveled Books for Grades 1 – 3".

Specific concepts, skills, and vocabulary targeted in this book are listed on the first page of the story. And to help reinforce literacy skills involving reading, language, spelling, and writing, the book comes with two accompanying worksheets.

2/8/2014 The Arts, and Prepping for President's Day: They Called Him "Honest Abe"

Where time, and funding, may be found to allow the arts to be included in the classroom is a familiar question for educators.  What is not in question are the numerous benefits arts in the classroom may provide.  According to a blog post from Edutopia.com on arts education “Years of research show that it's closely linked to almost everything that we as a nation say we want for our children and demand from our schools: academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement, and equitable opportunity. . . Involvement in the arts is associated with gains in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skill. Arts learning can also improve motivation, concentration, confidence, and teamwork.”  

A nice way to make sure that the arts are included while not stressing out your schedule is to integrate art activities into your existing lesson plans.  The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts offers some great free resources for teachers, including Five Easy Drama Games for the Early Elementary Classroom- “Drama games tap into students’ imagination and can be conducted in any classroom for a variety of purposes—in warm-ups or closures, team-building activities, or to accompany and enhance a lesson plan.”

Performing my original play “They Called Him "Honest Abe"  for an audience or as readers' theater is a fun way for your students to celebrate President's Day, or combine it with other social studies activities. The play tells your class about the life of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the US, from his childhood and living in a log cabin to living in the White House.

This play is an original play written for use as readers’ theater, as a part of balanced literacy (Read-Aloud, Shared and Performance Reading or Guided Reading), or for an actual play production. In readers’ theater or through one of the balanced literacy approaches to teaching reading, children are not expected to memorize their lines, yet the reading encourages strong oral skills. An added benefit is performing the play for other classes or parents while increasing social skills, cooperative learning and creativity. Using plays in literacy-based classrooms promotes active listening for the performers, as well as the audience, and offers an engaging way to teach reading skills.  Complete with a teaching guide that lists questions before and after performing the play, words to preview, and extension activities, your students will have fun, build self-confidence, and increase in reading fluency, comprehension and vocabulary development.

2/6/2014 It is almost President's Day!

We are almost into the second full week of February, which means that President’s Day is fast approaching!  Although officially this holiday is George Washington’s Birthday, it has become commonly known and celebrated as President’s Day.  President’s Day honors the birthdays of George Washington, on February 22nd, and Abraham Lincoln, on February 12th, and the lives of all 44 American Presidents.

Your students can enjoy learning more about President’s in my President's Day first-grade Level C reader. Your class can learn about this holiday, as well as other subjects including pets, the weather, magnets, and maps in my First Grade Pre-Primer Leveled Books: Level C - Set 2.

The books are grouped into various collections. This set includes 10 first grade pre-primer level C books: The Classroom Pet, Fun Sandwiches, Weather Station, President’s Day, Weather, A Metal Magnet, The 4th of July, Be F-I-T!, Do Not Lie, A Map and a Globe.
The companion Level C - Set 1 includes: On the Farm, The Nut Cookies, In My Bedroom, A Letter to My Brother, Grandma’s Puppy, Fall Leaves, Vacation; Water A Liquid, A Solid, A Gas; Don’t, Feelings About School. First grade levels include letters C, D, E, F, G, H and I, in total there are 140 titles.  I hope that you may take the time to check out some of my leveled readers in your own classroom.