Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Giveaway: How Big is a Million? (children's math book)

This past year we did a big penguin study. Always looking to make math connections, we especially enjoyed How Big is a Million?, an Usborne book. I'm excited to work with Jen at Chestnut Grove Academy to offer this book in a back-to-school giveaway!

The book...
Pipkin, a young penguin, wants to know How Big is a Million? He finds ten fish, 100 penguins, and 1,000 snowflakes, but he cannot find a million. Finally, his mother takes him outside to look at the starry night. In a pocket in the back of the book, the reader finds a poster depicting exactly one million stars. In contrast to some other "million" books where the quantity is distributed throughout the book, this picture allows the reader a glimpse of a million of something in one shot. Sweet book for exploring the concept of one million.

As a side note, I wondered if the book actually shows 1,000 snowflakes. I knew it depicts 10, 100, and a million, but I wasn't sure about 1,000. A friend of mine found some information from the author, explaining how the book developed. Fascinating! (I was glad we didn't have to count all 1,000 in order to check for accuracy!)


**GIVEAWAY**

Enter to Win:

Prize (1): one copy of How Big is a Million?
**U.S. shipping only.**

Contest Details:
Begins today and continues through September 10th. Contest ends at midnight on the 10th (U.S. Eastern time) and a winner will be announced on that week's Math Monday Blog Hop. I will choose a winner at random using Random.org.

How to enter:
You may choose as many as you like from the following, leaving a comment (in the comment section at the bottom of this post) being mandatory (unless you think I have superpowers and can figure out your contact info by osmosis.)

#1: Become a follower of my blog. (Or tell me that you already are.)

#2: Become a follower of Jen's blog, Chestnut Grove Academy.

#3: Visit Jen's Usborne page and comment about one Usborne book that interests you.

Please make sure that I have a way to contact you...such as janedoe at gmail dot com. If I don't hear back from a real person within 24 hours, I'll draw again.

Good luck!

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Dealing with Difficult Behaviors, Especially ANGER

Over at Fun in First, Jodi wrote a post about Dealing with the Difficult Child. As a teacher and mom of five kids, I've certainly dealt with my share. Over the past few years, I've sometimes worked as a respite care provider for kids with significant behavioral issues. Whether you're dealing with a difficult child in the classroom or at home, here are a few ideas...

  1. Working with a kid that quickly goes from 0-60 on the anger scale? Maybe he shuts down entirely? Chances are, the child's brain has shifted from the cortex (the front, thinking part of the brain) to the lower brain, sometimes dubbed the "reptilian brain," and entered into fight, flight, or freeze mode. Unfortunately, you can't really reason with someone in this mode. It's akin to reasoning with a lizard. So you need to do whatever it takes to get the child out of the lower brain. Usually, that means using few words. Instead, try...
  2. Jumping. If you've got a mini-trampoline, all the better. You won't be the first one to have one in your home or classroom for that purpose! If the child is able to repeat a positive phrase while jumping, great! Something like "I make wise choices," can help. As I understand it, the joint compression involved with jumping can produce seratonin or "happy hormone." Pushing hard against a wall (I tell kids to try to push the wall down!) can have the same effect.
  3. "Steel and spaghetti." I learned this technique from an incredible child psychologist. (Same with #2, actually!) Have the child tense every bit of his body as tight as he can (steel) for several seconds and then completely relax every part of his body, bending forward so that his fingers are dropping toward the ground (spaghetti.)
  4. Try doing the Brain Gym PACE sequence.When I took Brain Gym training, we were told to use this with students to prepare for new learning. So it's good for many reasons! 

Are you interested in learning more about dealing with difficult behaviors? If so, let me know so I can post more. It's a topic that greatly interests me.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Math Monday Blog Hop #21

It's BACK TO SCHOOL time!!!!

To celebrate, I'll soon be hosting a giveaway! (Hopefully later this week, so check back.) In the meantime, join in the blog hop for math lessons and resources. I've been getting some fabulous ideas from you all. Thank you!





Math Monday is all about sharing favorite math lessons and resources. What would you like to share with fellow educators this week? Please link directly to your post (so we can find it!) rather than to your entire blog. Thank you for participating!

1. Patterns in Peru (great math book!)  
2. Pattern Bugs: Hands-on Math (and book!)  
3. Beach Teacher  
4. Cooperative Learning  
5. Math Pickle (great website K-12)  
6. Learning Stations  
7. Place Value Windows  
8. Math Scavenger Hunt  
9. Comparing Weight  
10. sorting and one-to-one correspondence  
11. It's a Stick Up! (Counting Money Role Play)  
12. Greater than/Less than Alligator  
13. Number Sense Ocean  
14. Teen Review Plan  
15. Helping children learn to count to 100 and beyond  
16. Tips for teaching ordinal numbers 1st to 10th  
17. Fibonacci Retold - The Rabbit Problem  
18. >,  
19. Pattern Possibilities  
20. Intro to the Decimal System - Montessori Way  
21. Capture the Pirate!  
22. Introducing Factor Trees  
23. Number Corner  
24. Twizzlers Math: Perimeter & Area  
25. Base ten Blocks with coins posters  

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Monday, August 22, 2011

Math Monday Blog Hop #20

I can't believe we're at week #20!!!! Wow!

I have 1.5 weeks of teacher inservices to go. (Math, dontcha know!) I've been saving up all kinds of ideas. I've got product reviews. A giveaway to do. But that will need to wait til my WORK is done. ;) Meanwhile, please post your fabulous math ideas. I'll be back with mine in 10 days or so!



Math Monday is all about sharing favorite math lessons and resources. What would you like to share with fellow educators this week? Please link directly to your post (so we can find it!) rather than to your entire blog. Thank you for participating!

1. Math Books for Kids - the Ginormous List!  
2. Math Notebooks - Tales of Frogs and Cupcakes  
3. Number Representation Match- Ms. Preppy Blog  
4. String Time-Measuring  
5. Problem Solving Toolkit and KFC  
6. Oceans of First Grade Fun  
7. Back to School Math Snack  
8. Relaxed Retrospectives  
9. Confidence is the key!  
10. Complete-A-Clock Printable  
11. Sandpaper numerals  
12. Dinosaur Graphing and Pattern Blocks  
13. Snack Attack  
14. Exploring Education  

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Monday, August 15, 2011

Math Monday Blog Hop #19

I have a couple weeks of teacher inservices to go. In September, I'll be back to more math ideas. Meanwhile, what are you planning in MATH for your first couple weeks back in school??





Math Monday is all about sharing favorite math lessons and resources. What would you like to share with fellow educators this week? Please link directly to your post (so we can find it!) rather than to your entire blog. Thank you for participating!

1. Mathematical Plates (Early Learning with Antek and Kuba)  
2. Mathematical Plates-Extensions  
3. Eggs-Act Sums  
4. Family Classic Math Lit.  
5. Under Construction: a Greater-Than Less-Than Game  
6. Place Value Tent Cards  
7. CGA - Dinosaur Tangrams and Dominoes  
8. Coin Values at All Things Beautiful  
9. April  
10. Preschool Math Fun  
11. Math Videos  
12. How far are the planets from the sun?  
13. Geodesic Dome  
14. A Teacher's Touch  

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Monday, August 8, 2011

Math Monday Blog Hop #18

P.S. Sorry about the lack of postings...I'm doing teacher inservices this month. In September, I'll be back to more math ideas. Meanwhile, I'm soooo enjoying reading all of your ideas! Keep contributing! :)




Math Monday is all about sharing favorite math lessons and resources. What would you like to share with fellow educators this week? Please link directly to your post (so we can find it!) rather than to your entire blog. Thank you for participating!

1. Greater than, less than, at Seasons of Joy  
2. Faith  
3. Number Scroll Ideas  
4. Fireflies in a Jar (Glow-in-the-Dark Addition)  
5. All Things Beautiful; Marrshmallow Place Value  
6. Preschool/Kindergarten Math ideas  
7. Math Sticks- Teach Beside Me  
8. Graphing Centers Kindergarten  

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Monday, August 1, 2011

Math Monday Blog Hop #17




Math Monday is all about sharing favorite math lessons and resources. What would you like to share with fellow educators this week? Please link directly to your post (so we can find it!) rather than to your entire blog. Thank you for participating!

1. Math Book List  
2. Teaching Happily Ever After- Academic Vocabulary  
3. Math Weather Patterns  
4. Playing shops: numbers & money  
5. 10-Pin Addition (Math Bowling)  
6. Money - Denomination to 10 cents  
7. All Things Beautiful-Shark Math  
8. Chestnut Grove Academy - Measuring (making ice cream)  
9. Teach Beside Me- Hungry Frogs  

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