Activities! School Readiness! A Superhero, Fun at the Beach, a Lemonade Stand (with song) and Fun with Chalk ("Write On, Carlos!")
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Hello, Everybody!
Here we are in the thick of summer (I hope you are staying cool wherever you are!) and I am starting to think about school. More specifically, school readiness.
MathStart and I See I Learn books were written to help young children learn skills critical to success in school, but also in life. Each story uses a combination of visual learning strategies and storytelling. Children are accomplished visual learners. And who doesn’t love a story?
This week’s featured I See I Learn book is ¡Carlos escribe su nombre (escribir tu nombre) | Write on, Carlos (writing your name). Learning to write your name is a big, BIG milestone. Among many other good things, it means you can get your very own library card! I remember when I got my first library card. I felt so grown up!
One of my favorite parts of the story is how much Carlos’ mom helps him. Go, Mom! Moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncle, caregivers—everyone can help young children get ready for school!
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This week’s featured MathStart books are:
Mighty Maddie (comparing weights) *The original Mighty Maddie is my granddaughter. Do you have a Mighty Maddie in your family, too?
Let’s Fly a Kite (symmetry) *Kites are so much fun!
Lemonade for Sale (bar graphs) *Check out the toe-tapping Lemonade song!
Your friend, who loves to write his name, especially on symmetrical kites, is in awe of Mighty Maddie’s ability to compare weights, and always stops by for a sip of lemonade,
Stuart
Mathstart is a series of 63 storybooks organized into three levels for Pre-K through Grade 4. Each story teaches a different mathematical skill.
You can buy individual books, sets by level, or a complete library. Here is list of where to find MathStart books!
• Level 1, Pre-K/ Kindergarten:
Mighty Maddie (comparing weights)
Maddie's birthday party and the house is a mess! Toys are everywhere, even in the bathroom. Dad helps carry heavy things up to her room, while Maddie gathers the rest. But it's up to Maddie to put everything away. As Jumbo the cat and Teenie the dog watch, she turns into "Mighty Maddie," a caped super-hero able to sort toys in a flash by how much they weigh. The fire truck is heavy, but the ballerina tutu is light, and the feather tiara is even lighter. Sometimes things that are big, such as pillows, are lighter than things that are small, such as books. Will Maddie manage to get everything stashed away neatly in time for the party?
Understanding that the weight of an object is not always dependent on size—mass—is an important measurement.
• Level 2, Kindergarten / Grade 1:
Let’s Fly a Kite (symmetry)
It's a good thing that Hannah and Bob have such a nice, smart babysitter. When Laura suggests that they make a kite to fly at the beach, the kids immediately start arguing over whether it should be decorated with a lightning bolt or a whale. Laura draws a line down the length of the kite, so they each have exactly the same size and shape to draw on. Later, the children divide the back seat of the car, the beach blanket, and even their sandwiches into two equal parts.
Symmetry is a geometric property that helps children classify shapes.
• Level 3, Grades 2 - 4:
Lemonade for Sale (bar graphs)
When members of the Elm Street Kids' Club decide to sell lemonade to raise money to fix up their clubhouse, they do it in style.
Dressed in special “lemon hats,” with Petey the Parrot, the club mascot squawking, “Lemonade for Sale!,” business booms at first. Sheri keeps track on a bar graph, plotting the number of cups sold against the days of the week. But sales drop quickly when Jed the Juggler comes to town.
What will the Elm Street kids do?
Gathering, charting and comparing data is an important skill for assessing progress and making predictions.
Listen to “Lemonade!” from the hit musical, “The Main Street Kids Club: A MathStart Musical
I See I Learn is a series of 16 stories that follow the adventures of the children in Miss Cathy’s class at Ready, Set Pre-K in See-and-Learn City (see map).
Each story focuses on a different social, emotional, health & safety and cognitive skill important for success in school and in life. For Pre-K / Kindergarten.
20% off on book sets on the I See I Learn store!
Write On, Carlos (writing your name)
Carlos wants to write his name like some of his friends can. He asks his mom for help. He practices over and over again. See how proud Carlos is to show his friends what he can do.
Learning how to write one’s own name helps a child learn how to recognize and form letters and leads to writing more words.
Writing is fun!
FREE PDF POSTER
¡Carlos escribe su nombre! (escribir tu nombre)
Carlos quiere escribir su nombre como sus amigos pueden. Le pida ayuda a su mamá. Practica muchas veces. Ve como Carlos se siente orgulloso para mostrar a sus amigos lo que puede hacer. Aprendiendo como escribir su propio nombre ayuda a un niño a reconocer y formar las letras y le lleva a escribir más palabras.
¡Escribiendo es divertido!
FREE PDF POSTER
Do you have a story or a question? Please send me an email!
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