Teacher Talk

Gymnastics for the Mind

Gymnastics for the mind, entertainment for the soul and training for the hands is how Oriland describes the art of origami. My much less elaborate description is "beautifully intricate and really, cool looking."

From an educational perspective:
Origami creates creates conditions of intensive interaction of the brain’s hemispheres and effectively allows development of motor skills of both hands, intellectual and creative abilities.

On a somewhat related note, no one sheet of paper can be folded in half more than seven times. Go ahead, try it.

Image: http://morguefile.com/forum/profile.php?username=sideshowmom

Safe Toys in One-Word

Hasbro

Teacher's Top-Ten

A teacher's top-ten list of why Kimbo Educational products deserve serious consideration in teaching and learning strategies.

Nursery Rhymes are one of the best tools for helping children build phonological awareness (an ear for sound). Movement awakens and activates thinking. Between birth and three years of age, a child's brain is twice as active as an adult's. Toddlers are particularly receptive to developing both vocabulary and an ear for sound. Music decreases anxiety and reduces stress. Movement is a sensory experience that anchors thought. Exercise keeps us alert and enhances our memory. Nursery Rhymes teach the rhythm and patterns of language. Dancing enhances pattern recognition. Music and movement build a foundation for literacy. Vocabulary size and sound discrimination ability (rhyming words, alliteration, etc.) are the two best predictors of reading success.

The Perfect Gift

20 Reasons Books are the Best Gifts!
by Ruth Smith, Director UBAH

 

20. Books don’t need to be assembled.
19. Books don’t need batteries.
18. Books never come in the wrong color or size.
17. Books don’t need to be serviced by a dealer.
16. Books won't need replacement parts.
15. Books are easier to gift wrap than footballs.
14. Books don’t bite, scratch, or kick.
13. Books don’t need watering or fertilizing.
12. Books don’t irritate your allergies.
11. Books don’t go out of style.
10. Books look good with any decor.
9.  Books don’t get aphids or attract ants.
8.  Books aren't noisy and won't annoy family, friends, and neighbors.
7.  Books don’t shrink, stretch, or fade.
6.  Books don’t need extension cords.
5.  Bookswon’t scratch the coffee table.
4.  Books don’t cause cavities or get stale.
3.  Books take you places without even leaving home.
2.  Books are gifts which can be opened again and again.
1.  Books, no matter how much you use them, are never empty.

Order before December 15th and receive before Christmas!

FREE Children's Books!

Earn FREE Usborne children's books. Here's how:

1. Host an online eShow
   • Complete this form.
   • Pick an end date.
2. Contact your friends, neighbors, colleagues, etc.
3. Have them visit this site, click on your eShow and purchase books.

The orders are totaled up for all the people that placed an order for your eShow and your allowance of free books is calculated based on this chart.

We can even schedule an online chat enabling your guests to learn about Usborne books' unique qualities, ask questions and get help while selecting the best books for their children.

Usborne Books

Exclusive to Usborne Books

Parents! Teachers!

• Give the gift of learning.
• Create a Wish List today!
• Earn FREE books through an online eFair.
• Sell Usborne Books. Make money. Have fun.

Thank you for considering Usborne Books from Professional Learning Board to meet your child and student learning needs.

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Exclusive to Professional Learning Board

Teachers! Parents!

• Staff Development courses only $25
  (Positive Interventions and Teaching Reading courses are great for parents too!)
• www.teacheretools.com <-- Low cost websites, hosting, tools and more!
  (Don't let the name fool you...available to parents too!)
• Virtual Classrooms enhance classroom learning experiences.
  Get yours at www.nextgenerationclassroom.com/k12

Discover additional online learning and technology tools and resources.

I'm so excited about this!

This month, and still in time for the holidays, I've begun selling Usborne Books.

"Huh? What are Usborne Books and why am I excited?" you  might ask.

Let me explain...

Usborne books are more than pages with text. They encourage interactivity and draw children of all ages into the content enabling them to experience the text. A huge selection of non-fiction material (animals, transportation, machines, careers, etc.) keeps my pre-schoolers enthralled.

As a teacher, I've found Usborne books to be one of our schools' best resources for learning to read and absorb subject matter content. As a new parent, I am thrilled to be able to bring these products into my home and share them with friends, relatives and colleagues.

Please visit my online store and let me know how I can help you pass along the gift of learning. I'll write more about this as it develops but feel free to set-up an eShow, schedule a fund-raiser, purchase gifts or make a Wish List today. And, as always, if you have any questions, comments, tips, etc. please let me know.