Count with Us!

Dear Parents (and Students),

This week we will be focusing on counting skills.  You can help at home by counting common items you and your child use around the house.  For example, count the number of plates on the table at meal time.  Count the number of spoons in the silverware drawer.  Count the number fruits on a tree in your yard.

You can also play these fun counting games.

Fishy Count

Fishy Count is one of my favorite counting games.  Notice that if your child selects the wrong number as he or she counts, the game will count the fish, so your child can count along and get the right answer.  That's a great way to learn from a mistake.

Counting Sheep
At the Count Us In site, you will find a game called Counting Sheep.  This game enables your child to click and drag a specified number of sheep into the paddock.  It's so easy and fun, your child will want to play again and again!

Counting Garden
At the Count Us In site, you will also find a game called Counting Garden.  This game has two levels--easy and hard.  Start out with easy, please.  Then move onto hard, if you think your child can play the game at this level.  Your child will click and count things in a garden, such as flowers or frogs.  He or she will then type the number counted in a small box and check his or her answer.  The graphics are really cute!

Hope you have fun playing counting games this week.  See you next time!

Super Spelling Games

Dear Parents (and Students),

Every week we learn new spelling words.  This week, you will have a chance to play some fun spelling games to expand your ability to spell words.  Ready to play?  Thought so!  Let's go!

Spell Check
At the Funbrain Spell Check site, you can select either easy or hard spelling words.  Play with easy words first . . . and, if you do well, then move onto the hard words.  How many spelling word points can you earn?  Let me know!

Missing Letter Match
In the Kidsspell Missing Letter Match game, you click and drag the floating letters to make words.  How many levels can you achieve in this game?

Spelloons
At Spelloons, keep the good spelling words in the air by clicking on them.  Let the bad spelling words (those that are not right) fall to the ground.  Each time you click, you earn points.  The more points you get, the higher your level.  How high can you go?  Special Note:  You can enter your spelling words into this game, so you can play with your spelling words each week.  That's a great way to review!
 
So, which game was your favorite?  Stop back in a few days, I will add even more, fun spelling games.

Ms. Ray

Punctuation Practice

Dear Parents (and Students),

This week we are learning about punctuation.  Yes, there are lots of types of punctuation; however, we will be focusing on capitalization and end punctuation (periods, question marks, and exclamation points). 

Here are some punctuation games that also focus on capitalization and/or end punctuation for you to play and enjoy!

Grammar Blast

At the Grammar Blast site, you gather points by identify one sentence out of four that has correct capitalization and end punctuation.  See how many points you can earn!

Punctuate the Sentence

In this game, you can select if you want to play with a letter, an e-mail, a story, or some other form of writing.  Then you click on the words that need capitalization and the spot where end puncutation should be throughtout a whole paragraph.  What you click turns green.  If you want to see if found all the capitalization and punctuation, you can click the Reveal button.  You can have the paragraph read to you, if you want.  Just click the Listen button.  Have fun!

Punctuation with a SPLAT!

In this punctuation game, you determine what the end puncutation should be for a series of ten sentences.  Select the puncutation mark, aim the machine, and SPLAT the puncutation onto the sentence.  See if you can get ten out of ten!

I hope you like playing the puncutation games!

See you next week with another set of games for your enjoyment and learning.

Ms. Ray

Learning About Similes

Dear Parents (and Students),

This week we are learning about similes.  If you are not familiar with similes, here's a quick explanation.  Similes are comparisons of two things (peoples, places, items, or ideas) using the words "like" or "as." 

Here is a sentences with a simile.  "His face was as read as an apple."  In this sentence, two things--face and apple--are compared using the word "as." 

Here are some simile games to provide more practice identifying and using similes.  Have fun!

Animal Similes
In this crossword game, all similes used relate to animals.  That should make the game easy!

Similes Crossword

At the English for Everybody site, you will find another similes crossword game.  Click on each simile to activate the crossword.  Enjoy!

Similes Quiz

Ready to test your similes talent?  Take the Similes Quiz.  All of the similes refer to animals, so the quiz is lots of fun.  You can check your own answers and try as often as you like to get all of the similes right.  Good luck!

Well, now that you are a master of similes, are you as proud as a peacock?  You should be!

Ms. Ray

Learning About the Parts of a Book

Dear Parents,

In class this week, we learned about the parts of a book.  You can help your child remember the parts of a book by looking at books together and talking about the various parts that you see.  Here are the parts we talked about in class.

1. Title
2. Author
3. Illustrator
4. Publisher
5. Cover
6. Call Number
7. Spine
8. Title Page
9. Copyright Page
10. Table of Contents
11. Glossary 
12. Index

Here are some online learning games that will help your child identify and remember the parts of a book.

Animal Factory Parts of a Book
At the Animal Factory Parts of a Book site, you will find a list of the parts of a book on the left pane.  You will find a picture of a book on the left pane.  When you click on the book part on the left, it will be displayed on the right.  This is a  great way to review all the parts of a book!

Parts of a Book
At the Parts of a Book site, you will find a game where your child clicks and drags the definition of each part into its proper place.  Click and dragging is fun and easy!

Parts of a Book Concentration Game
Wow!  This game is fun.  Match the parts of a book terms to win.

Parts of a Book Matching Game
In this matching game, you match the parts of a book term with its definition.  You will really know all the book parts after playing this game!

Parts of a Book Word Search
I love doing word searches.  Don't you?  In this word search game, all the words you will find are terms related to parts of a book.

I hope you enjoyed playing these games!  Let me know which one is your favorite.  Okay?

Ms. Ray

Classifying Objects (Sorting) Games for You and Your Child

Dear Parents,

Here are some games that you can play with your child to help him or her learn how to classify objects.  Classifying objects helps your child's language development.  I hope you and your child enjoy playing these games!

Nina the Naming Newt
Nina, the newt, loves to name things.  When you go to this website, you will actually find 12 classification games for you and your child to play together.  Click on the house and help your child select and name the objects that belong in a house.  Then click on another place, such as the restaurant or the zoo, and continue naming and classifying objects together.

Pinky Dinky Doo

In this classifying game, your child can help Pinky put away (sort) objects that can either be eaten or worn.  He or she can listen to the names of the objects as they are clicked and dragged into the right areas.  Special Note:  There is an ad that pops up when you first launch this website.  Simply click on the Skip Ad button to move onto the game.

Count Us In
In this classifying game, you and your child can determine how you want to classify or sort the objects on the page.  Maybe you will want to place all the flowers in the window box.  Maybe you will want to place all the birds in the tree or in the sky.  It's entirely up to you!  And when you are done, you can click Play Again to sort another way, if you want.  Have fun! 

--Ms. Ray

Links to Student Diverse Learners Edublogs

Dear Students,

In order to make it easy for you to access each other's edublogs, the links are provided below.  Enjoying exploring them!

Here are:

Evelyn's Diverse Learners Techublog

Roseanne's Learning Out Loud

Jenette's (Koki's) Teaching with H.E.A.R.T.

Shelley's Me, Too!

Richard's ED 470 Edublog

Barbara's Wild World of Words

Ingrid's The Renaissance of Teaching