2010 October | Imagine This!

Friday, October 29, 2010

A monster way to get students reading all year round

Monsters may be best known for destroying cities, terrorizing villages, and devouring countryside, but they can also be a great tool for getting your kids excited about reading. Think back to when you were a child: how many Saturday nights did you spend under the covers watching Creature Features on local TV?

So why do kids love monsters so much? I think it’s because they offer something for everyone–especially young readers and struggling readers. Monster stories provide a unique experience that makes reading especially exciting: engaging and lively visuals, bizarre new sounds, and a whole array of sensations (fear, laughter, pity, curiosity) make these books monstrously fun. Perhaps that’s why I found 4,915 children’s books related to monsters on Amazon.com. Of course, that pales in comparison to the 88,193 books related to animals. (Then again, those animals actually exist.)

So get your kids excited about reading by making monsters a classroom staple. Here are a few ways to do it:

Posted by Dave in Early Childhood Education, ESL, Struggling Readers | 1 Comment »

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

5 ways to celebrate Lady Liberty’s birthday

On October 28, 1886, the Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World was unveiled to the American people and dedicated in New York Harbor. There, she welcomes all visitors, immigrants, and Americans returning to the United States. She has become a symbol of friendship, freedom, democracy, and hope. And in two days, the Statue of Liberty will celebrate her 124^th birthday.

So let’s celebrate! Here are five ways to make October 28^th a monumental day in your classroom: Read more »

Posted by Shar in Holidays in the classroom, Lesson plan ideas | 2 Comments »

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Best practices for helping your stutterers

Quiz: What do actress Marilyn Monroe, statesman Winston Churchill, singer Carly Simon, actor James Earl Jones (the voice of Darth Vader), and television journalist John Stossel have in common? Besides being famous, they have all struggled with stuttering. When I learned that tomorrow (October 22) is International Stuttering Awareness Day, I decided to get a little more informed on the topic and share what I learned.

In my research, I learned what stuttering is (and what it isn’t), what causes it, what some of the common misconceptions about stuttering are, and what a parent or teacher can do to help a stuttering child. I also learned what children who struggle with stuttering have to say about it. Read more »

Posted by Jim in Students with Disabilities | 5 Comments »

Friday, October 15, 2010

5 new ways to use your most powerful tech tools

Everyone’s talking about integrating more technology in the classroom. But finding time to sift through tons of new tech tools and decide which to use can be difficult. So why not simply make the most of two powerful tools you’re already using?

Interactive whiteboards are an easy-to-use tech tool that gets the whole class out of their seats and engaged in learning. Pair your whiteboard with another great tool–Imagine Learning English–to create simple, effective, technology-integrated lesson plans. Here are five ways to do it: Read more »

Posted by Lauren in Early Childhood Education, EdTech, English Learners, ESL, Struggling Readers, Students with Disabilities | 1 Comment »

Friday, October 15, 2010

Author spotlight: A simple way to get your kids excited about writing

Having a hard time getting your students excited about writing? Get them motivated to write by talking about a real-life writer. Here’s an author spotlight to help you get started–an interview with Shar Petersen, one of our favorite authors here at Imagine Learning.

Read the interview out loud with your class, then get your students talking about how they would answer some of the questions–like what they like about writing and what they would tell other writers. You can even use the questions to help students create their very own about the author pages for their writing projects.

When students think of themselves as authors, they’re more likely to take pride in the writing they create. And writing is a lot more exciting when you’re creating something you care about rather than something that’s just due.

Enjoy this author spotlight, and look for a new interview every month or so. Read more »