March 2012

What wonderful model of diffusion can send your students into gales of laughter, can be released from anywhere in the classroom, and can be supplied by each student around 15 times a day? If you haven’t guessed yet, contemplate these two literary greats: The Gas We Pass by Shinta Cho and Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray. Flatulence is hardly a topic you think about when planning what to teach. It’s a topic that can come up…er…unexpectedly, and this week’s featured resources will help prepare you to take full advantage of this and other gross topics that may come up unexpectedly in your classroom.

I read a sign in a Kindergarten class the other day that said, "The best way to become a better reader: READ, READ, READ, READ, READ!" and the Kindergarteners do! Teachers and parents read out loud to them. Kids practice reading in fun learning centers. They lounge in comfy reading corners and read stacks of colorful books in the classroom. Teachers understand that learning to read is paramount, so reading and listening to stories is an integral part of the early primary classroom. Stories are full of bright pictures, and reading time is often mixed with art time, allowing students to display their imaginations. Most importantly, the reading that goes on in the Kindergarten is fun. It's magical.