I saw this yesterday morning at IHOP when I was checking out and I thought it was amazing! I just had to take a picture. (What did I ever do without my iPhone?)
Today I'm also checking in with Erin at I'm Loving Lit for her first ever linky party, Thursday Throwdown --Ways to Make Learning Interactive. You HAVE to check out Erin's blog...so many awesome ideas!!
One of the tricks I use when I teach the parts of the friendly letter (if my 4th graders can't seem to remember them from years past.....Hmmm.....) is to use our body parts. I learned this neat trick when I was student teaching from my cooperative teacher, Cathy Mardon. My kids LOVE IT! Here's how:
Ask the students to stand up and push their chairs in.
Heading: Pat the top of your head.
Greeting: Extend your hand from your mouth outward and down, as if you were carrying your words.
Body: Wiggle your hips and body as you run your hands up and down the side of your torso.
Closing: Pretend to tie your shoelaces.
Signature: Tap the bottom of your shoe. (Where you will find the "signature" of the company who made your shoes.)
Say the parts in succession as you go through the body motions. That's it....So when they pretend not to know the parts of the friendly letter (or leave one out), everyone stands up and goes through the five motions. It's awesome!
Well, I hear my husband walking around in the kitchen downstairs which means it's time to get breakfast started. (He has to work today, poor guy...) Don't forget to enter my Rafflecopter contest to win a $10 Amazon gift card and your choice of one of my new Writer's Notebook Divider Pages packs from my TpT Store.
Have a safe and fun 4th!
My favorite inspirational quote is: If you build it, they will come. For teaching, I interpret it as "If they build it, they will learn."
ReplyDeleteErin
My favorite quote is "Just when the caterpillar thought her world was over, she turned into a butterfly" This has gotten me through a lot of tough times :)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite inspirational qoute is " Every child is gifted; some just haven't opened their presents yet."
ReplyDeleteI love the friendly letter exercise and know my students will too!
Happy 4th!
Lisa
I love this friendly letter idea! I'm always looking for a little movement I can add in to a lesson to help my kiddos remember things!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite quote is "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." William Butler Yeats
Courtney
Polka Dot Lesson Plans
"Tell me and I forget, Teach me and I remember, Involve me and I learn."
ReplyDeleteby Benjamin Franklin
Lisa Decker
lkd615@gmail.com
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLove this interactive idea! I'll have to remember it for with my fourth graders for this upcoming year...especially since I'm planning on setting up pen pals for them with the class of a teacher I'm friends with in Boston!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite inspirational quote is:
It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.
-Aristotle Onassis
Jennifer you sweet little dance is too cute! :) I love the pic you took at IHOP, and I love IHOP! :) You are right. What would we do without our phones?
ReplyDelete~Brandee
Creating Lifelong Learners
Great song, love the shoe part!! So jealous that you have an IHOP, have not been to one since I was very young!
ReplyDeleteWhat a PERFECT way to remember the parts of a letter. Funny how some things seem so obvious but I would have NEVER thought of it... :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up!
Erin
I'm Lovin Lit
That balloon animal is amazing! I may have to link up to Erin's linky party too… your post about parts of a letter is so clever!!!
ReplyDelete