Finding Peace and Quiet for Your Children, Part: 2

Children need time to reflect at home and in school.  In order for children to self-sooth/self-regulate they must first identify their current emotions.  We use a tool/reflection sheet in the classroom and in the home.  There are days when we all wake up on the "wrong side of the bed."

Students need support, but what is helpful? Calming? Encouraging?  I have looked all over YouTube, Google, and more for guided mindfulness for children.  I have found my favorite product called, Sitting Still Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for Kids (and Their Parents).

GoNoodle is a wonderful free website for children.  Many schools use this site for brain, exercise, and movement breaks.  As a parent, I use GoNoodle for the calming activities.  The site has child-appropriate mindfulness and yoga activities.   The site gives participation points and has virtual rewards.  

When do I use this site?  I use this in the morning, before school.  Classrooms have a limited amount of time to focus on social and emotional development.  

Cosmic Kids Yoga is another site that leads yoga through storytelling.  Children love the engaging stories and become immersed in the story while exercising.

Stories can help children identify/validate a child's feelings.  I love to use Storyline Online in the classroom and home. The Screen Actors Guild has many videos of famous people reading literature.  

Building Independent Readers Class

Trying to get our students to be independent readers during Readers' Workshop can be tricky. We want to build classroom strategies to help students become independent, motivated, intentional readers. I just finished my first class from Linda Lee and Mary Haymond. "Building Independent Readers: A SystemicApproach" was published by Scholastic Books in 2012. 

These two dynamic teachers use a three-part Readers’ Workshop model. 

Part 1:  10-15 minute: mini-lesson

Part 2: 45-50 minute: independent reading

Part 3: 10 minute: share circle

Both Linda and Mary agree that most of their first grade students can read for 50 minutes straight by January!   Amazing!!  These students spend time building stamina in order to reach the 5o minute goal. 

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Digging for Washington State Orchard History

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I just love to travel through Eastern Washington. Many would say that the land looks similar.  When looking closely we observe basalt columns, rich farmland, orchards, and vineyards.  My husband’s family owned a large orchard in Yakima.  Parts of the orchard were sold through the years, but to this day families still boast of their long orchard history in and around Eastern Washington.  My social studies textbook does not cover much about Washington State’s agriculture. 
Many of these links do have primary source information. 


Washington State Orchard Information:




Washington State Orchard Information:




http://www.orangepippin.com/orchards/united-states/washington




http://www.orangepippin.com/resources/book-reviews






http://www.washfruit.com/history

Washington Agriculture Museums and Information:

http://scenicwa.com/listing/eastern-washington-agricultural-museum.html






http://centralwaagmuseum.org/






http://co.garfield.wa.us/eastern_washington_agricultural_museum/






http://www.pioneerfarmmuseum.org/directions.html- Eatonville, Washington





http://www.lib.washington.edu/preservation/projects/washag/ag

Deer Park:

http://www.cdphs.org/arcadia-orchard.html

Yakima:

http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=5356

http://yakimavalleymuseum.org/apple/journey01.cfm

http://www.johnsonorchardsfruit.com/history.html

http://yakimavalleymuseum.org/apple/index.cfm

http://www.treeripened.com/history.html

Wenatchee:

http://www.columbiafruit.com/history.html

http://www.inlandnw.com/?p=214

http://research.washingtonhistory.org/Results.aspx?q=orchards

Washington State:

http://www.bestapples.com/facts/facts_washington.aspx

http://appleorchardtours.com/history.htm

Literature:

Steven Kellogg’s, “Johnny Appleseed”

“Growing Kids and Planting Trees” http://www.weaversorchard.com/growing-kids-and-planting-trees/

 Washington Map

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Inspiring Reluctant Readers: National Bookmobile Day

Reluctant readers are found in our classrooms and homes. I just love finding books about struggling readers! Author, Heather Henson wrote a book called “That Book Woman.”  

Teenage Cal is the main character.  He is growing up in the isolated Appalachian Mountains. He just cannot understand why his little sister loves to read, until the "Book Woman" arrives.  This story is based upon the true Pack Horse Librarians, known as "Book Women" in Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky.

Author Heather Henson has a blog at http://www.heatherhensonbooks.com/books.html.


Pack Horse Librarian History Sites:

http://www.appalachianhistory.net/2011/01/pack-horse-librarians.html

http://newdeal.feri.org/library/j_1k_bg.htm

http://www.kykinfolk.com/knott/bookwomen_easternkentucky.htm

http://newdeal.feri.org/works/wpa07.htm


"Pegusus" Washington State's First Bookmobile:

http://www.historylink.org/_content/printer_friendly/pf_output.cfm?file_id=5439

http://www.libraryhistorybuff.org/bookmobile.htm

National Bookmobile Day: