SCHOOL THEMED PRINTABLE JIGSAW PUZZLES

Suggestion:  For a party, laminate or cover with clear contact paper purchased at your local office supply store and use as placemats.  The placemats can be sent home as treats.

 

  

MATERIALS:

paper

printer

scissors

cardboard (I like to use corrugated cardboard for making puzzle pieces)

glue

something to color with

Instructions:

Print out the puzzle template.

 

Cut out a piece of corrugated cardboard the same size as your template (8 1/2 x 11 ish).

 

Glue your  page onto it. 

 

ADULT:  using sharp scissors or exacto knife, cut out the cardboard along the puzzle template lines.

Bulletin Boards at Home:

 Bulletin Boards aren't just for school.  Use a door in your house or small cork board as an at-home bulletin board.  Use your favorite areas of the larger bulletin board projects to help reinforce lessons your children are learning in class.

FRUIT:

STORY SEQUENCING CARDS

What is it?

Arrange a series of picture cards into the logical order to create the story from beginning to end.

This gives the children the chance to demonstrate and reinforce their recollection of the story

Activity Suggestions

1.  Free Play

Give the child the cards in a random pile.

Allow them to arrange the cards in the order they want to to make up their own story.

2.  Memory (Guided) Play

Read the child the story using our mini book.

Template Instructions

Flash card type templates.  You can use these in a variety of activities (see activity suggestions above).

       Print out the template of choice. 

       Colour pieces, as necessary. 

       OPTIONAL:  Glue to a thin piece of cardboard (ex:  old cereal boxes) and let dry (you can also laminate or cover with clear contact paper to make them last longer)

       Cut out the cards.  This step may require adult assistance. 

       OPTIONAL:  You can glue a small piece of sandpaper or felt onto the back of the cards -- this will allow them to be used on a felt board.

       Close the template window after printing to return to this screen.

       Set page margins to zero if you have trouble fitting the template on one page (FILE, PAGE SETUP or FILE, PRINTER SETUP in most browsers).

After the story is through, ask them to arrange the cards in the same order as in the story

DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Miscellaneous Projects

Every once in awhile I end up designing a craft for my children that doesn't fit in my other Themes.  I thought it worthwhile adding this miscellaneous craft Theme so you can share in them too.  Some of the time, there's still an event associated with these crafts (like learning to read or a trip to the dentist). 

http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/transportation/crafts.html

this is a site were you can used for yours classes in the kindergarden

http://www.kidzone.ws/math/kindergarten.htm

its a nice place were your students can learn in another funny way!!

http://kids.springo.com/results.aspx?searchphrase=uptoten&Ivid=24&Ssid=22&Safeflag=1#page=1193064384161%261%26v%26-1

Montessori Children's House

child with pink tower

The Montessori 0-3 Program

Over fifty years ago Dr. Montessori realized that working with children older than three was too late to have the most beneficial effect on the life of a human, and she initiated what was to become a two-year, full-time, course for adults living or working with children from birth to three years of age.

This Assistants to Infancy course is attended by parents, birth and early childhood professionals, Montessori teachers, administrators and teacher trainers from around the world and a graduate is awarded an AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) diploma. It consists of almost eight hundred hours of lectures, material making, and observations, plus homework, readings and papers. It counts for the major part of a Masters degree in education from Loyola College in Baltimore. For more information on a USA course, contact: The Montessori Institute, 790 Washington Street #704, Denver, CO 80203. or go to The International Montessori Index, www.montessori.edu.

Educational Materials for 0-3

A sparse environment of carefully chosen materials calls the child to work, concentration, and joy. A crowded or chaotic environment can cause stress and can dissipate a child's energy.

Before the age of six, a child learns from direct contact with the environment, by means of all the senses, and through movement; the child literally absorbs what is in the environment. The toys and materials in the home and school should be of the very best quality to call forth self-respect, respect and care from the child toward the environment, and the development of an appreciation of beauty.

Montessorians are very cautious about allowing children to be guinea pigs for the use of new inventions, and in the long history of humans on earth, both computers and televisions are very recent inventions. We are finding out that even such relatively simple objects as pacifiers and walkers get in the way of optimal and healthful development, and recent brain research reveals to us that computers and television may have far more negative influences on our children's development than positive. They affect the child so much more because of the inordinately large amount of time spent in front of them in some situations.

Can We Talk About Self Esteem?

What Is Self-Esteem?

To understand self-esteem, it helps to break the term into two words. Let's take a look at the word esteem (say: ess-teem) first. Esteem is a fancy word for thinking that someone or something is important or valuing that person or thing. For example, if you really admire your friend's dad because he volunteers at the fire department, it means you hold him in high esteem. And the special trophy for the most valuable player on a team is often called an esteemed trophy. This means the trophy stands for an important accomplishment.

And self means, well, yourself! So put the two words together and it's easier to see what self-esteem is. It's how much you value yourself and how important you think you are. It's how you see yourself and how you feel about your achievements.

Self-esteem isn't bragging about how great you are. It's more like quietly knowing that you're worth a lot (priceless, in fact!). It's not about thinking you're perfect — because nobody is — but knowing that you're worthy of being loved and accepted.

What Are Learning Disabilities?

What Are Learning Disabilities?

Learning disabilities aren't contagious, but they can be genetic. That means they can be passed down in families through the genes, like many other traits we get from our parents and grandparents. Someone with a learning disability probably has other family members who have had some learning troubles, too.

Kids with learning problems are sometimes surprised to find out that one of their parents had similar troubles when he or she was in school. But kids today have an advantage over their parents. Learning experts now know a lot more about the brain and how learning works — and it's easier for kids to get the help they need.

Dyslexia (say: dis-lek-see-uh) is a learning disability that means a kid has a lot of trouble reading and writing. Kids who have trouble with math may have dyscalculia (say: dis-kal-kyoo-lee-uh). And people who have trouble forming letters when they write may have dysgraphia (say: dis-graf-ee-uh). Other kids may have language disorders, meaning they have trouble understanding language and understanding what they read.

It can be confusing, though. What qualifies as "trouble" enough to be diagnosed as a learning disability? Reading, doing math, and writing letters may be tough for lots of kids at first. But when those early troubles don't fade away, and it's really difficult to make any progress, it's possible the kid has a learning disability.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is sometimes thought of as a learning disability but it's not usually considered one. Why? Because most kids with ADHD can learn in school without special assistance, even though they may be easily distracted or have trouble sitting still in class. Although ADHD itself isn't a learning disability, researchers believe kids with ADHD may be more likely to have learning disabilities.

Making Sure Kids With Special Needs Get Toys, Too

KIDS WHO MIGHT NEED EXTRA HELP

Isn't every kid special? We think so, but what do we mean when we say "kids with special needs"? This means any kid who might need extra help because of a medical, emotional, or learning problem. These kids have special needs because they might need medicine, therapy, or extra help in school — stuff other kids don't typically need or only need once in a while.

Maybe you know of kids in your school who need a wheelchair or use braces when they walk. Those kids have special needs. They not only need the equipment that helps them get around, but they might need to have ramps or elevators available. They also might need to get a special bus to school — one that lifts them up into the bus so they don't have to get up the steps.

Kids who have an illness, such as epilepsy, diabetes, or cerebral palsy, would have special needs, too. They might need medicine or other help as they go about their daily activities. Kids with sight problems might need Braille books to read. Kids with hearing or speech problems would have special needs, too. A kid who has hearing trouble might need hearing aids to hear and speech training, too, since it can be hard to say words correctly when you can't hear very well.

Kids with learning problems often have special needs. Kids with Down syndrome might go to a regular school and might even be in your class. But they have special needs when it comes to learning, so an aide (someone to help) might come with them to class.

You might be able to spot a few kids with special needs, but you probably don't notice all of them. A kid could have a problem that isn't noticeable unless you know the person well. For instance, someone could have trouble with anxiety (worry), but you wouldn't know it unless the kid told you about it. Privately, their parents, teachers, and counselors may be working to help them with this problem.