Read Across America week is one of my favorite weeks! It's a wonderful opportunity to learning rhyming, do some crafts, dress up in silly ways, incorporate math content, and include parents!
1) OOBLECK is one of our favorite things to make. It requires small group cooperation and an understanding of measurement. It's so fun to explore how it can feel like a solid and yet flows like a liquid at other times.
Ingredients:
1 part water
2 parts cornstarch
food coloring (optional)
Directions:
1) Start with the water in a bowl and add the cornstarch a little at a time.
2) Stir until well blended. You may want to use your hands.
3) When the Oobleck is just right, slowly add food coloring.
Use a spoon to stir so your hands are not dyed.
4) Have fun playing with it!
2) Also, you cannot celebrate Read Across America week without GREEN EGGS AND HAM! I've learned that it's easiest to have parents help with the cooking & distribution. During this process I always let students color an adorable place mat with the rhyme, "Sam-I-Am has something great: a special place to put your plate."
3) As a way of incorporating math, we always do some GRAPHING! We graph our shoe sizes, colors, and types (laces, Velcro, sandals, etc). This is a great opportunity to tackle some of those tough graphing comparison questions. For example, how many more students wear size 7 than size 5? How many fewer students are wearing tennis shoes than flip flops?
4) READING BUDDIES are a great way to practice both reading and listening and interact with other classes or grade levels. I prefer to set up two sessions of reading buddies. I set up one where my second graders can read to younger students (K-1) and one where my students are read to (usually 4-5th). They are entertained for such a long time. I have baskets of books readily available and they can just grab news ones as needed or swap with another partnership or trio near them.
5) MYSTERY READERS are a great way of inviting parents into your classroom. The kids love to guess who it might be and the anticipation builds. I have often used a google form to organize a number of mystery readers during Read Across America week. I usually post a photo of the Dr. Seuss books I own and a few other second grade favorites. I allow parents to choose a book from the photo or bring in their own! Parents who like to prepare & preread will often bring their own or choose a familiar book. This is always such a high point in the week!
Enjoy your next Read Across America Week!
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