Non-Fiction Writing/Reading Graphic Organizer

Second Grade Style has a great Graphic Organizer for Non-fiction writing available to download FREE at Teachers Pay Teachers here.  Although it is listed as a writing graphic organizer, I think it would make a great graphic organizer for reading non-fiction.  Your child can summarize what they read, pull out the key vocabulary, notice text features and more.  Reading non-fiction is definitely a different skill set than reading fiction, and many children struggle with it.  This might be a great way to help them!

Telling Time Practice Clocks

If your kiddo is just learning to tell time, you might want to print out one of these interactive clocks.  Laminate it for re-use.  Have your child write the hands on the clock or the time below.

Interactive clocks

Using Quotes For Writing Prompts

I love great quotes!  Did you know that quotes can also make great writing prompts. Provide a quote a day or a week to get your kiddo thinking.  Read the quote together, and give your child time to think about it. Take a few minutes to discuss what the quote might mean. 

Analyze the quote looking for excellent word choice or interesting word play.  An example might be Rudy Benton's quote, "7 days without exercise makes one weak".  Discuss with your child how the word "weak" is spelled referring not to the number of days in a week, but the fact that if we don't exercise, we become physically weaker.


Ask your child to respond in writing to the quote.  Do they agree or disagree with what the person had to say.  Why or why not?  They could also respond to one or more of the prompts below:

• Describe a time when you or someone you know demonstrated the main idea of this quote.
• Why do you think the speaker was prompted to say this?
• What do you think the quote means?
• How can you use this quote to help you in your daily life?

Character Metaphor Project

Older kiddos often get left out of the hands on crafty projects that younger kids get to do.  Here is an idea for giving your older kiddo a bit of fun while they explore a character in the book they are reading. 

Materials

1. Person template (click here to print)
2. old magazines (ones with lots of pictures)
3.   Glue                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Directions: 

Have your child choose a character from the novel they are reading or a period of history they are studying.  This character/person should be one that is so fascinating that they’d enjoy learning a bit more about him or her.

  Then follow the steps below:


1. Using old magazines, pictures, greeting cards, drawings, or clip art, choose pictures of objects or things that describe something interesting about your character. Consider body parts as you do this.

• Head/Face/Mouth – Think about their intellect, beauty, and other mental and physical descriptions.  What do they think about often?  (Wilbur from Charlotte's Web, pics of spiders)
• Hands – How do they use their hands? (Anne Frank, pic of Diary)
• Heart – What are their feelings, attitudes, and concerns for other things or people? (Atticus Finch, pic of something equally black and white)
• Feet – Where do they go? What do they do?  (Mother Theresa, pic of India)

1. Glue the pictures in collage form on the area that best suits that picture. If the character/historic person is stubborn, glue pictures of rocks on their head. And so on.
2. On the back of the person template, write a description of why you chose that metaphor for your character and why you put it in that particular place.

Real Estate Area and Perimeter Game

I love this fun game that teaches area and perimeter from G. Sims "Husker" in her review of Dice in Dice on Amazon. She calls it the Real Estate Game.

You will need:

Graph paper
colored pencils
Dice in Dice (you could alternatively just use 2 dice)

(you might want to consider laminating a few grids of graph paper and use dry erase markers instead to make it re-usable).

 To Play:

1. Roll one dice in dice (or set of two dice) and use those numbers as the sides of the area of your land plot.
2. Draw a line around your plot. The line forms the perimeter of your plot.
3. Write the multiplication problem in your plot.
4. Color in your plot with a colored pencil. You will be coloring in the area of the plot.

This game is played in pairs. When there is no more room to place your next plot of land, the game is over. The player with the most land area is the winner.

Book Report Form From The Mailbox

The Mailbox always has great lesson ideas, including this cute book report form.

Fun Angry Birds Graphing Worksheets

My boys are having a blast drawing their own Angry Birds pictures (and learning math skills!) with this super cool Angry Bird graphing worksheets from Math-Aids.com.  Your kiddos will love them too!

Angry Birds Graphing Worksheets