Math Language

I just found this great website that students, teachers and parents can use to access lots of "virtual" math manipulatives. Math is full of language concepts! Words like before, after, below, around, more than, less than...and don't forget those math word problems!

The website has items arranged by grade level (preK through 4). The "help" button at the bottom of the screen gives a good explanation of how to use the tools. There are a couple of ways that I can see this as a fun teaching/practice tool for language...

 Under the PreK to grade 1 "manipulatives" tab, click on Bears in a Boat. Click and drag the boat onto the work and have your child follow your directions to put bears into the boat. Use position words, "Put a purple bear in front of (next to, behind) a red bear;" or time concepts, "Put a red bear in the boat after/before you put a blue bear in." You could practice following directions with quantity concepts such as, "Make all but one of the bears in the boat yellow;" or "Make some of the bears in the boat green."

Under the manipulatives tab, choose calendar.  Help your child fill in the calendar for the month, clicking and dragging the numbers, days of the week and name of the month.  Talk about the day that is after Monday, or the week after Valentine's day.  Use words like before, after, next, last, first.  Write in special days or appointments with the text tool and then print the calendar for your fridge.  Try some real-life word problems such as, "We are going to the dentist on the last Friday of the month.  How many days until we go to the dentist?"

There are many more ways to use these tools...explore and have fun!

CLICK HERE for the website.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here is a Valentine's Day game for students who need to practice spoken following directions. Just click on the  PowerPoint to begin.

Click Clack Moo

Some of my second grade friends are reading this story in class next week.  To listen to and watch this story read aloud click here.  Then discuss your child's answers to these questions:

What was the problem that the cows wanted to solve?
How did they attempt to solve their problem?
How do you know that this story is fictional (not a true story)?
Duck helped to solve the problem.  Do you think the farmer was happy about the solution?  Explain your answer.
Do you have a pet, or know someone who does?  What do you think that pet would say if it could type?
Can you tell the story in your own words?

Bugs that Boogie!

Here's a language activity for this week.  Watch this video for the book "Bugtown Boogie" and then encourage your child to discuss his answers to these questions (taken from the website.)

1. What does it mean to “boogie?”
2. What are some of the bugs you recognize enjoying the Bugtown Boogie? What sounds do some of those bugs make?
3. Do you think any of the bugs noticed the boy watching the festivities? 
4. What happens to make the music halt and each and every bug go silent?
5. How does the Queen Bee react?
6. How do the bugs know when it is time for the party to end?

For articulation practice, after listening to Bugtown Boogie, print out this "Connect the Dots" page.  Have your child use his word list to practice his sound, and after he says 10 good productions he can connect two dots.  Encourage him to continue practicing his words and connecting dots until his picture is finished.