NSTA Book Review

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Open Court for Spelling: Ayre's List

OK.  You have found great basal readers and now you'd like some spelling lists.  How about the 1957 Ayre's list?  Scroll down the list to see which words pertain to different grades.  Here's the original list. 

Open Court Reading: Old School Phonics

Time to hype Open Court again, especially these Phonic Cue Cards.  (Click on the links for a full size color copy. ) Wigowsky also has posted the original phonics program and this teacher's guide, part of an appendix.  You can read more about Open Court in Let's Kill Dick and Jane and  Reading By Ear. In fact this book and the article are almost required reading if you are interested in using Open Court resources.  The Headway Series book program can be located through Amazon, Thrift, Abe, or eBay.  In this testimonial letter are titles and table of contents for some of the older Open Court book series.  Incidentally, these series were written for elementary children up to grade six.

A copy of the Blue book, Gold book , and Gold Book stories  can be downloaded, along with these guides. 


I found a good list of titles  in The Phonetic Reader forum.

First Star

The Blue-Pillowed SKy

A Shiny Golden Path

Rainbow Bridge

Slide Down the Sky

From Sea to Shining Sea

Time for Dreams

Across the World

Over the Moon

Sound of the Sea

Promises to Keep

The Well-Trained Mind Forum has titles form the Reading is Fun Series and the RISE program.

Browse through a copy!

Fidget Spinner Science

Who knew?  Fidget Spinners make great science!

Summer Camp Projects

Our class is over for summer and one of the moms wanted to discuss summer camps.  Summer is the time for STEM.  One theme I would love to implement is Engineering or a Maker Lab with Electronics, Building Projects, Catapults, Robotics, and Flight.  The Squishy Circuits  and the Paper Circuits would make great Camp activities along with Snap Circuits, which I would station on tables for the kids to explore.  Snap Circuits have detailed project plans which are easy to follow.  PBS Kids has a good design guide directed toward kids 9-12.  The leader notes include cost estimates and interesting challenges: watercraft, paper table, a zip line, paddle boat, and a 'helping hand'.  There are 100 Engineering ideas from the Homeschool Scientist.  When I plan summer camps around a theme, I like to offer a mix of more and less expensive activities around a theme, such as building.  For Engineering, I would include loads of team challenges.  I think building a paper table (PBS Kids), the Gumdrop structure, and one of these five construction challenges.  I would mix these less expensive challenges with a huge table of Legos and a series STEM challenge cards or any of these Lego Club activities.  When I have large groups of kids, I try to work in teams with rotating stations.  A huge Lego Table with loads of idea cards is a good management tool for kids who arrive early, stay late, eat snack quickly, etc.  Catapults are another STEM activity kids love.  Teach Engineering has detailed plans to introduce catapults.  Make a bunch of different catapult designs.
Robotics is another high interest sub-theme.  Here are 16 Robots Kids Can Actually Make.  Try these in advance or enlist an expert!  Buy a bristlebot kit to try.  For Flight, start with a host of flyers: Roto-copters,  Hoopster,  and paper airplanes, such as these designs from MIT.  Rockets go well with flight.  I start with Water rockets and Foam rockets, or even stomp rockets.  Whenever possible, we try to launch rockets with an expert.  We have had a lot of fun with Alkaseltzer rockets.  Are you ready for Camp?