Playfulness is important; it creates an alternative space where emotional, cognitive and social dimensions can be explored and tested. This highly practical book explores the endless possibilities of using playful, creative and interactive activities to meaningfully engage with children with multiple learning difficulties or autistic spectrum…

Tips to keep students interested during the final weeks of school include: work outside (studying bubbles and writing poetry about nature); put on a show about one subject; play social studies Jeopardy; devote entire days to one subject area; have a teach-the-teacher day, where students and teachers trade roles; and create a video keepsake…

Toys can be incorporated into health education classes in order to make the health lessons more meaningful and stimulating. (MM)

Suggest that if teachers select poems they enjoy, memorize them, say them aloud every day, invite children to recite them also, set up a special place to display poems and poetry books, and do not rush children, they will make poetry come alive for students. (JL)

Using a soccer cyberhunt, elementary school students can learn all about the game of soccer while practicing computer skills. The cyberhunt teaches about: the history of soccer; soccer's name in other countries; number of players on the field; women's World Cup soccer; soccer rules; soccer legend, Pele; soccer moves; and the soccer ball. A…

Suggests three attitudes that teachers should cultivate to become good storytellers: awareness of the importance of telling stories, commitment to learning how to tell a favorite story, and respect for the listeners' rights to interpret the story for themselves. (AEA)

Elementary classroom musical activities that illustrate and encourage creative characteristics and behaviors are described. (RM)

Presents a listing of historical books for elementary school students by author Jean Fritz; includes a poster and a calendar with daily class activities to teach students about famous historical figures. (SM)

Describes how one teacher got elementary students excited about writing poetry by providing them with simple rules and structures and encouraging them to take chances. Strategies included having each child contribute one line to a poem, discouraging rhyming (which is difficult and blocks creativity), encouraging them to write freely, and having…

Scavenger hunts, collecting bottle caps, observing shadows, and other outdoor activities can be developed into a mathematics unit that motivates students to acquire basic mathematical skills. A variety of natural ways to collect data are offered to help foster learning. (DF)

This book presents activities to keep K-6 students moving in a variety of ways as they learn. The movement experiences are planned around key curriculum concepts in movement and music as well as in academic curriculum areas. The experiences develop students' basic timing, language abilities, vocabulary, concentration, planning skills, and…

Presents ideas to help elementary educators teach their students thinking skills through word splashes (collages of words and pictures that help students think and make connections). A student page offers a word splash activity. (SM)

Nine elementary teachers explain how they design their classrooms to match and support their instructional styles. The teachers focus on whole language programs, student portfolios, science activity set-ups, technology transformation, learning center strategies, and space utilization. (SM)

Presents suggestions for bringing reading and writing to life in the classroom and helping students develop a lifelong love of both. Includes creating a refrigerator door for displaying student work, using digital notebooks, establishing a publishing center, holding lunch-bunch meetings, binding students' writing into class collections, reading…

This book offers a collection of games for K-8 students that will enliven instruction, boost student motivation, and enhance learning at school or at home. It features in- and out-of-desk activities to motivate and engage students, promote teamwork, build skills, and enhance interactive problem solving. The book includes hundreds of tips on how to…