Batty About Bats Cover My son is going to make a bat book using the activities and information below. These booklets and activities will all go into my son’s bat book: "‘Batty’ Facts About Me" from Scrapbooking Student Writing "Bats" (nonfiction fifth-grade story) plus comprehension questions and cloze activity (edHelper.com) "Bats" (read and color) plus comprehension questions (edHelper.com) "Halloween Bat Clips" (Enchanted Learning) "Bats!" plus comprehension questions (Enchanted Learning) "Vampire Bat" (Enchanted Learning) "Fruit Bats" (Enchanted Learning) These are some examples of "chapters" or "sections" that will be in my son’s bat book: Basic Information about Bats Anatomy of a Bat Different Types of Bats Creative Bat Stories Creative Bat Artwork Other Bat Work (Bat worksheets; for example, "bat math problems") Web sites for children to learn more about bats: Writing About Bats DLTK’s Halloween for Kids: Bat Activities KidZone: Bats (My very favorite "bat" site!) A to Z Kids Stuff: Bats

Here are some ideas for helping children write stories: The best day I ever had at school This is how I get ready for school I was late for school because…. List silly excuses for not turning in your homework List unique reasons for being late for school My favorite classmates are…. My favorite subjects are…. because…. This summer I My teacher’s name is ___. I am in room ___. My school’s name is ___. I am in the ___ grade. This year I want to learn about…. I am good at…. I love…. My family My friends My favorite toys My home is…. List things you like about yourself I like to play….

My nine-year-old niece is a huge environmentalist and she recycles. Yesterday, she calmly asked her teacher, "Do you know how many trees died to give us homework for this week? You really should not give us homework. How are we supposed to breathe when we grow up and all of the trees are cut down?" I have heard a lot of homework excuses over the years, but this one left me speechless…I’m glad I wasn’t the teacher!

Note: For money games and Web sites please scroll down to the bottom. Children learn more about money through real-life experiences than they do through worksheets. If you think about it, most people (including children) could care less about other people’s money; children really don’t care about "…how much Sue has in her piggy bank after buying a candy bar for $1.50." Using real money—especially money that the children have in their own "piggy banks"—is a very effective way to teach how to add and subtract money. Here is a real-life example (one that cost me a lot of money because I underestimated how smart my son was!): My son already knew the value of all of the coins and bills by the time he was five-years old. He also knew how to count money. (See Web sites below if your children are learning the value of coins and bills or are learning how to count money.) Anyway, a few years ago my son wanted a Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP), which, at that time, cost $300. There was NO WAY my husband or I was going to spend that kind of money on a toy for a seven-year old. So, thinking I was brilliant, I told my son that if he saved up half the money, then we would pay for the other half and he would get his PSP. His allowance was around $4 a week, so I didn’t give the PSP another thought for several months until…. My son came to me one day and said, "I have saved $150 for half of the PSP. Can we please go buy it today?" I was shocked! "How did you save that much money?" I asked. "Well," he calmly explained, "I added how much money I had in my toy bank when you told me that I needed $150. I had $7.51 saved up. Then I subtracted $7.51 from $150 to find out how much I needed to save for the PSP. I saved all of my allowance and all the money I received for Christmas and my birthday. Every time I received more money, I subtracted it from the amount I needed for the PSP. Today’s allowance finally got me to $150." He pulled out wads of bills and coins and there it was….$150. Needless to say, we headed to the store and with his money and ours, we picked up a PSP. My son is ten-years old now, and I am still in shock that we dished out that kind of money—but a promise is a promise. If you really want to teach your children about money, start with the money they have, tie it in with something they really want and the children will do the math by themselves—trust me, I learned the hard way! Children are like us adults: We care about the money we have, we know what we want and how much it costs, and we do the math to figure out what we have to save to get what we want. Web sites that teach children about money and math: US Mint: Games US Treasury: Treasury Trivia Hunt FunBrain.com: Change Maker A to Z Kids Stuff: Money King Middle Grade School’s List of On-line Math Activities - Money US Mint: Dollar Dive kids game Gamequarium: Money Math FunBrain.com: Math Baseball

I made this book years ago when my son was learning to count. He loved the book Ten Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, so I tweaked the idea using spiders instead of monkeys. I used pompoms for the spiders and a black marker for the legs. The bed and the text were created on my computer using a clip-art image for the bed. The text is hard to read, so I have included it below the photos of the pages of the book (click the photo for a larger image). (The laminated photos of the book look a little worn because it has been read many times by many children.) Cover: Ten Spiders in a Bed Page One: There were ten in a bed and the pink one said, "Roll over, roll over!" They all rolled over and one fell out." (The pink spider fell out) Page Two: There were nine in a bed and the blue one said, "Roll over, roll over!" They all rolled over and one fell out." (The blue spider fell out) Page Three: There were eight in a bed and the purple one said, "Roll over, roll over!" They all rolled over and one fell out." (The purple spider fell out) Page Four: There were seven in a bed and the yellow one said, "Roll over, roll over!" They all rolled over and one fell out." (The yellow spider fell out) Page Five: There were six in a bed and the black one said, "Roll over,roll over!" They all rolled over and one fell out." (The black spider fell out) Page Six: There were five in a bed and the white one said, "Roll over, roll over!" They all rolled over and one fell out." (The white spider fell out) Page Seven: There were four in a bed and the brown one said, "Roll over, roll over!" They all rolled over and one fell out." (The brown spider fell out) Page Eight: There were three in a bed and the red one said, "Roll over, roll over!" They all rolled over and one fell out." (The red spider fell out) Page Nine: There were two in a bed and the green one said, "Roll over, roll over!" They all rolled over and one fell out." (The green spider fell out) Page Ten: There was one in a bed and the orange one said, "Good night!" (The orange spider sleeps happily in bed alone.)

Here are some ways to use tactile letters to teach the alphabet to your child (an example is pictured at the bottom; click to enlarge): Spread the letters out (on a table or the floor) and ask your child to say the name of each letter. Spread the letters out and ask your child to say the sound(s) each letter makes. Spread the letters out and help your child trace the letters with his/her index finger. (Trace the letter the way you would write it on paper.) Spread the letters out and ask your child to make words with the letters. (Use simple words that can be "sounded out".) Spread the letters out and say a letter. Ask you child to hand you the letter you said. Ask your child to grab his/her favorite book. Spread the letters out and pick up a letter. Ask your child to "go for a hunt" in the book for all the letters that are the same as the one you picked up. (This is a great way to teach children about different fonts!) Spread the letters out then ask your child to close his/her eyes and pick up a letter. On a piece of paper, ask your child to write the letter as fast, as slow, as small, and as large as he/she can. Spread the letters out and pick up a letter. Ask your child to "hunt for things" around your house that begin with that letter. Spread the letters out and ask your child to pick up a letter. Then ask him/her to write the lower-case letter for the upper-case or vice versa. Point out the letters that you played with at home on billboards, menus, road signs, etc. when you go out. There are many ways to make your own tactile letters. You can use foam letters hot-glued to cardstock squares or tactile stickers attached to foam squares. Whatever you choose to make the tactile letters, make sure they are large enough and safe enough for your young ones. (I can’t stand the thought of any child getting hurt!)

My son researched many spiders on the Web (listed in the Spider Theme Unit). He printed out different pictures of spiders and information about each. I asked him to group the spiders. He chose the following: "Weirdest", "Funniest", "Scariest", and "Creepiest". He cut out the spiders and placed each in the group in which he thought it belonged. He stapled the picture of the spider above the information about it such that a reader has to "flip up" the spider to read the information. Each group of spiders was pasted onto a page for his Spiders book. Here are pictures of the pages:

I asked my son to make a "How to" book on how spiders made webs. I gave him a choice of book type to use and he chose to make a pop-up book. Instead of having him draw many spiders and webs for this book, however, we used stickers of spiders and webs. My son loved the way the book turned out and has reread his nonfiction book several times already. BTW, he decided that he wanted to learn to draw cats, spiders, and other Halloween objects from different "How to Draw" books. We don’t usually use stickers on nonfiction books, but if other art projects are working well and there is not enough time for your children to do everything you want them to do, stickers come in handy! Cover: Page One: Page Two: Related posts:Stickers and Story Starter Webs Usually l let children choose the setting, characters, and...Batty for Bats! (Bats Theme Unit) Batty About Bats Cover My son is going to make...My Son’s Spider Book Cover Here is a picture of the book cover I made...Pumpkin Theme Unit My son is going to make a pumpkin-shaped book with...Halloween Theme Unit My son will be making a Halloween book for his...Spider Activity and Web Sites An acrostic is a poem in which the first letter...Flip-up Spider Book Pages My son researched many spiders on the Web (listed in...Apple Theme Unit Here are a few ideas for an apple theme unit....Silly Spider Counting Book I made this book years ago when my son was...Child-Made Pumpkin Fact Books The purpose of child-made pumpkin fact books is for your...

Usually l let children choose the setting, characters, and the "who, what, where, why, and when" before they begin a creative story. However, this time I decided to try something different—I chose the prewriting "set-up" for the story, but I used a couple of stickers in place of words. The result was an instant hit! The child writing this story decided immediately that the witch, Susie, was going to be thrown a surprise party by a family of spiders for her 115th birthday. He drafted a story outline (this story is going to be five paragraphs) and he began drafting the first paragraph with gusto! I was so happy to hear him giggling to himself as he began writing the story. I will share other ways that stickers have helped "jump-start" children’s writings in blogs to come. May you all enjoy reading your children’s creative stories! Related posts:Bone-Chilling Halloween Story Starters Here are some starting words for helping children write Halloween...October Story Starters I hope the following October story starters (see worksheet example)..."How Spiders Make Webs" Pop-up Book I asked my son to make a "How to" book...Bone-Chilling Halloween Story Starters Here are some starting words for helping children write Halloween...October Story Starters I hope the following October story starters (see worksheet example)...Story Starters and Writing Tips Here are some more story starters.... Write a letter to...The "Vowel Story" (ages 2-6) This story has helped elementary teachers teach vowels for years....First-Day-of-School Story On the first day of school, I would tell each...One Time I was Really Frightened! Here's a story-writing activity for Halloween (see worksheet example): Tell...Halloween Theme Unit My son will be making a Halloween book for his...

I am writing this blog because my son has been frustrated between simplifying fractions and comparing fractions with uncommon denominators. What is a fraction? Answer: A fraction is a number that names part of a whole or group. Money (the real kind) and candy (especially after Halloween) are great manipulatives for teaching fractions Coolmath4kids.com: What are Fractions? Dr. Mike’s Math Games for Kids: Fraction Dominoes Kids Online Resources: Fraction Tutorial What is a numerator? Answer: A numerator is the top number in a fraction: (for example: 1/2) What is a denominator? Answer: A denominator is the bottom number in a fraction (for example: 1/2). I remember denominator because downstairs and denominator both begin with the letter "d". How do you add fractions with common denominators? Answer: Just add the numerators and the denominators stay the same! (for example: 3/6 + 2/6 = 5/6) Coolmath.com: Adding Fractions with Like Denominators AAA Math: Adding Fractions with the Same Denominator How do you subtract fractions with common denominators? Answer: Just subtract the numerators and the denominators stay the same! (for example: 3/6 - 2/6 = 1/6) Coolmath.com: Subtracting Fractions with Like Denominators How do you add or subtract fractions with uncommon denominators? (for example: 2/3 + 3/6 = ? or 2/2 - 3/6 = ?) Answer: Before you can add or subtract fractions with uncommon denominators, you first have to change the fractions so that all fractions being added or subtracted have the same denominator. This can be a little tricky. The Web sites below are awesome: Coolmath.com: Adding & Subtracting Fractions When the Denominators are Different FunBrain.com: Soccer Shootout - Fraction Addition FunBrain.com: Soccer Shootout - Fraction Subtraction How do you compare fractions? Answer: Comparing fractions can be tricky. Check out the Web sites below for great examples and explanations: Coolmath.com: Which Fraction is Greater? (Part 1) Coolmath.com: Which Fraction is Greater? (Part 2) AAA Math: Comparing Unlike Fractions How do you simplify or reduce fractions? Answer: A simplest form of a fraction is a fraction where the only common factor of the numerator and the denominator is 1. I like to explain to children that numerators and denominators are like sisters and brothers—they need to be treated "the same". Whatever you give to one, you must give the exact same to the other or "it wouldn’t be fair". For example, if you divide the numerator by 3, then you must divide the denominator by 3. If you don’t treat the numerators and denominators the same when reducing them, it would be like giving one sister two cookies and the other sister one cookie. It just would not be fair. The Web site below gives great explanations and examples of how to reduce or simplify fractions: Coolmath.com: Simplifying Fractions How do you multiply fractions? Answer: Just multiply the numerators and denominators of the fractions and reduce the answer to its simplest form if needed. Coolmath.com: Multiplying Fractions FunBrain.com: Soccer Shootout - Fraction Multiplication How do you divide fractions? Answer: Just multiply the numerators and denominators AFTER flipping the second fraction and then reduce to simplest form if needed. Coolmath.com: Dividing Fractions What are equivalent fractions? Answer: Equivalent fractions are fractions that represent the same number (for example: 1/4 = 3/12). Coolmath.com: Equivalent Fractions Harcourt School Publishers: Match Fractions and Fraction Models Primary Games: Fraction Freeze What are mixed numbers? Answer: A mixed number is a number that combines whole number and a fraction (for example: 2 5/6). Coolmath.com: Fractions - Mixed Numbers Coolmath.com: Fractions - Dividing Fractions with Whole and Mixed Numbers What are improper fractions? Answer: An improper fraction is when the numerator is bigger than the denominator; making the number larger than one (for example: 12/3). Coolmath.com: Improper Fractions No wonder children are confused when it comes to fractions; you get them mixed, have to simplify them, reduce them, and add, subtract, multiply, and divide them…and that’s only the beginning. Yikes!!!! I’ll cover how to change fractions into decimals and percentages in another blog. I hope this information helps the children you are teaching as it has for my son. Related posts:Money, Cents, and Great Web Sites, Too! Note: For money games and Web sites please scroll down...My Favorite "Math Games" Sites In the last few days a number of people have...The Standing-in-Line Game It seems like my first graders and I were always...Science Web Sites with Fun Games A child asked me today to find some "really fun"...