tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49898114898527691432024-09-04T17:01:32.552-04:00“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” Dr. Seussmcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-84104923105878128152012-02-25T22:02:00.000-05:002012-02-25T22:03:36.834-05:00

     This week take some time to celebrate Dr. Seuss.......a favorite of children and adults everywhere!  This quote is perfect for us to share this week with our students.      I ran across some adorable ideas this week and want to share with you the amazing creative ideas I found....enjoy! Thing One T-shirt Supplies Needed:  

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-34036303506775581742011-11-11T12:49:00.001-05:002011-11-11T13:05:02.966-05:00

      Having the opportunity to teach at the elementary level for the last 20 years I have encountered the misconception that a "fluent" reader is a good reader.  The ability to read text quickly and accurately is definitely a plus,   However, if a reader is unable to attach meaning to the words they are pronouncing they are not proficient

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-27091914813944159702011-11-04T10:27:00.000-04:002011-11-04T10:27:14.377-04:00

Many of us have encountered a reluctant reader....the ones that no matter what cannot find a book that they would take the time to pick up and read.  I ran across an excellent list of books that are a perfect fit for that elementary reluctant reader in your life that I want to share with my readers.  All it takes is one book to hook those reluctant readers to set them on the path of

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-58376850668727756642011-10-09T16:01:00.000-04:002011-10-09T16:01:07.731-04:00

  Sometimes it is difficult for some of our students to grasp the idea of "text to self, text to text, and text to world".   I recently ran across this image while looking for ideas to help teach this concept!  What a great idea!!  This visual representation is a quick and easy way for the children to understand the meaning of the  comprehension terms.&nbsp

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-34268173950956460192011-09-30T21:19:00.000-04:002011-09-30T21:19:51.297-04:00

 Don't Miss Read For The Record on October 6, 2011Join in and help set a world record on October 6, 2011 as more than 2 million people read together  Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dedney to help close the educational achievement gap.  Jumpstart's Read For The Record & the Pearson Foundation are working together to ensure that all children receive the education they

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-48025589302211375082011-09-11T23:06:00.000-04:002011-09-11T23:06:29.070-04:00

A great deal...free books from Scholastic for your child!! Yes, I said free! Click on the following site to find out how to get your FREE books http://www.scholastic.com/kellogg/ . In order to qualify for your free book of  $5.00 or less you will need to purchase your Kellog product at Walmart and then enter the codes into the site and you will receive a $5.00 coupon for your

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-44097262968054944252011-09-03T16:58:00.001-04:002011-09-03T17:08:04.039-04:00

I have blogged before about this site....but since it is the beginning of the year I wanted to share this site again with everyone.  This is absolutely one of my most favorite sites ever!!! It teaches reading and writing through art and digital media.  Check it out I know you will agree. www.literacyhead.com gathers visual art from artists from around the world and organizes it in

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-90679042266440106142011-08-04T21:07:00.002-04:002011-08-04T21:53:30.517-04:00

Well...it is that time of the year again~back to school!! Part of my job at the school that I work at is to assist with Professional Development and this year part of the focus will be on ways to help our students become strategic readers. Teachers that can make abstract thinking visible and concrete will cause the students to understand their thinking and students will think to

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-50754478834501776162011-07-17T23:12:00.000-04:002011-07-17T23:12:35.459-04:00

     We want our children to read, read, and read...but how do we know if we are selecting books that match our child's reading level?? When our children are reading we want them to be reading at a level that does not cause them to become frustrated, but one in which the right level of challenge and ease exists. The purpose of daily reading is to build confidence and a

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-81170158874643384732011-07-16T00:02:00.000-04:002011-07-16T00:02:21.447-04:00

     This week I had to run into our local Walmart seveal times and noticed  my first "back to school" display of the summer being assembled....new crayons and all! After my initial shock of the realization that my summer vacation is half way over I thought to myself.....wait I haven't finished everything on my "summer to do list". &nbsp

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-82886859562071746842011-07-11T16:06:00.001-04:002011-07-11T18:21:19.545-04:00

I hope your children find these online games fun and entertaining....not to mention educational!  I thought I should share these Online Literacy Games sites since the weatherman forecasts intense heat nationwide and drenching rain where I live.  I hope these help your children beat the boredom blues and  retain their academics from last school year. PBS~Zoompbskids.org/zoom/

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-59256614099295616822011-07-08T23:01:00.002-04:002011-07-09T12:40:58.388-04:00

     The excitement is building as we enter into the month of July as we prepare our children for the big transition from preschool to kindergarten this Fall.  Trust me I know...we aren't just feeling excitement but most likely feeling a little bit of anxiety and nostalgia mixed together as our little ones are about to step into their kindergarten

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-38156921377300779462011-07-07T00:36:00.001-04:002011-07-07T00:38:19.132-04:00

The ipad and iphone have definitely altered the way we interact with the web, how we read, and how our children are learning and entertaining themselves. As parents and teachers we are constantly looking for new and engaging games to enhance learning opportunities.  Below are just a few that I ran across recently.  These games are awesome because our children are able to learn at their

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-22533519198379032082011-07-05T23:28:00.001-04:002011-07-05T23:31:58.299-04:00

     I came across this interesting blog tonight as I was browsing the Internet - Teaching With Soul. I was searching for information on using digital resources in the classroom and ran across this blog that is offering "New Teacher Boot Camp"  ...she is doing a free professional development series focusing on Web 2.0 tools for new teachers.  However, I

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-79644920671531565592011-06-30T18:28:00.003-04:002011-06-30T18:35:33.686-04:00

       I was wondering what kinds of budget friendly activities there are available for families this summer...I was excited when I discovered the following & I hope you are too! Did you know that Target sponsors programs, exhibits and performances that make artistic and cultural experiences more visible and accessible to children and their families? I had

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-75565425430263962222011-06-29T18:46:00.004-04:002011-06-29T19:02:49.127-04:00

          I wanted to share a funny book that I ran across recently ..It's a Book (yes that is the title) written by Lane Smith.  This a story about a lovable monkey, a jackass (really) that is "techie", and a little mouse that speaks the truth...a straight shooter and what occurs when they encounter print in a book. This book is a fun

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-88461428139401003902011-06-29T00:17:00.001-04:002011-06-29T00:20:46.173-04:00

     Phonics is a popular term used frequently when referring to students learning to read.  Phonics is the ability of readers to correlate sounds with letters or groups of letters based on the alphabet. The 26 letters of our alphabet symbolize 44 English speech sounds. Phonics differs from phonological awareness & phonemic awareness in that it&

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-5206189575510595712011-06-26T16:59:00.000-04:002011-06-26T16:59:31.518-04:00

Phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, and phonics all sound very similar, but they all have different meanings.       Phonemic awareness is very important to your child because it is a strong predictor of early reading success. Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear and manipulate the sounds in spoken words and the understanding that spoken words and

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-70308986724900020362011-06-23T23:42:00.002-04:002011-06-24T00:13:00.093-04:00

  Are you confused about what Phonological Awareness, Phonemic Awareness, and Phonics mean? As a parent we hear this jargon being spoken, however, the words have no value if we do not understand the meaning of the words and the relation to our child's reading development.  Yes, they do sound the same....but they are all different in meaning and essential to

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-626561943883282982011-06-20T23:18:00.002-04:002011-06-20T23:32:41.010-04:00

One of the biggest impacts a dad can have on their child's literacy development is by reading to and with their child.  Reading together will help you child become and remain a life long reader. Studies show that boys who are read to “by their fathers scored significantly higher in reading achievement, and when fathers read for pleasure, their sons read more and scored higher than did

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-15514374366177214102011-06-14T23:19:00.002-04:002011-06-14T23:27:31.367-04:00

        A New Kindle-Only Children's Interactive Adventure Series is being launched and will be published exclusively on the Kindle worldwide.  BookSurfers is written for the "tweens" - nine to 12 year-olds and is based on the classic novels Treasure Island and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The characters of  BookSurfers are Ryan, Jake, Becca, and

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-31877684193874997592011-06-13T23:20:00.003-04:002011-06-20T22:38:39.183-04:00

    How do we uncover the potential of reluctant readers?  Parents and teachers alike wonder what we can do to inspire them to become readers. The experts agree that there are different types of reluctant readers and that there is a vast range within the realm of reluctant readers.  A reluctant reader is one who does not show any interest or

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-64643068880661360792011-06-09T00:16:00.000-04:002011-06-09T00:16:27.371-04:00

     As your child graduates from preschool you are probably now anticipating your child's upcoming kindergarten year. Some parents are wondering if their child is ready for the transition into kindergarten?  Parents frequently inquire about what their child needs to know upon entering kindergarten and what they can do at home to help their child.

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-11129482920741632902011-06-06T20:26:00.003-04:002011-06-06T20:40:02.592-04:00

"Forget shopping, try swapping. Why spend $25 at Barnes & Noble or Target, when I can get the same thing for $2.50 on swaptree.com?" You will definitely thank me for this tip....check out www.swap.com and renew and replenish your media library for FREE!! I am not kidding:)) I have swapped books and DVDs and am so impressed with the quick turn around and the awesome selection available. 

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4989811489852769143.post-91739513485885186502011-06-05T22:41:00.003-04:002011-06-05T22:57:42.872-04:00

Some of my fondest memories as a child are of listening to read aloud's.... my parents reading many, many stories aloud and my favorite teacher reading Little House On The Prarie books aloud to the class. Think back to when you were a child...was one of your favorite books one that was read aloud to you?? Recently, I ran across an article that talked about a dad that read aloud to his

mcleod4familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00060273531155738608noreply@blogger.com1