Wonderopolis

WHAT IS a Lapbook ? Apples Lapbook A lapbook is an inexpensive portfolio or collection of mini-books, flaps, and folded display material, that provides interactive space for drawings, stories, graphs, graphics, timelines, diagrams, and written work, from any topic, unit study, book you choose, gathered, glued, and creatively displayed in a coloured standard sized cardboard folder, often folded in a “shutter-fold” (though our family doesn’t), that fits in your lap. <Johanna Whittaker (c) 2008> A lapbook is a project book or file folder, laid out in a creative manner, that fits in the child’s lap.

Writing Prompt: A Show, Don't Tell Game - The Write Practice A few minutes ago I searched online, “Show, Don’t Tell.” In point sixty-six seconds, there were six hundred and seventy-five million answers to my search. Clearly, writers want to learn how to show and not tell! But that number’s overwhelming. Sure, you can read lots of articles. Virginia State Licensing Standards for Day Care Centers - Daycare.com Family day home care is the most common form of child care in this country, especially for younger children. Parents may choose family child care for its intimate, home-like setting, flexible hours, consistency of care-giver, and small group size. The Code of Virginia mandates the licensure of family day homes that provide care for six to twelve children (exclusive of the provider's own children and any children who reside in the home). The care may be offered in the home of the provider or in the home of any of the children in care. During the (less than 24 hour) absence of a parent or guardian, the licensed family day home provider assumes responsibility for the supervision, protection, and well-being of a child under 13 years of age.

Perfect your punctuation: 4 TED-ED Lessons on commas, semicolons and more Let’s face it: Punctuation is hard. Even the most seasoned writers can get tripped up on the rules. Should that comma really be there, or is it just taking up space? Should this apostrophe go before or after the S?

The scary truth about what's hurting our kids - Your Modern Family In the past week, I’ve read several studies that are scary to me… the scary truth about what’s hurting our kids. We all know that what our kids hear becomes their inner voice, but it’s hard to control what they hear from others, isn’t it? CNN recently interviewed Dr Jean Twenge, author of iGen and her interview really worried me – because I saw the truth that I would be facing in just a few short years. Dr. Twenge started doing research 25 years ago on generational differences, but when 2011 -2012 hit, she saw something that would scared her to the core. This is the year when those having iPhones went over the 50% mark.

What makes a poem … a poem? - Melissa Kovacs The first poems were read aloud. Their regular patterns aided memorization of genealogy, oral history, and law. The performance aspect of poetry has never disappeared; Robert Frost toured the country and earned a living mainly through poetry readings. In 2012, there were 7,427 poetry readings in April, National Poetry Month. Some would even say poetry is meant to be read aloud. The poetic tradition can relate to orators, who craft messages to be delivered aloud to an audience.

Science for Kids: Toothpick Structures When most of us think of science for kids we think chemistry and biology projects, but why not incorporate a little engineering for kids in there instead? I actually think building structures with kids is one of the most engaging science activities you can do together; kids love building things and they won’t even realize they are doing a fun science project at the same time! Plus this project takes just minutes to set up using materials you probably have on hand (did you save those packing peanuts from all your online purchases this year?). And be sure to scroll to the end of the post where we of course DESTROY said structures with a simple trick! This post contains affiliate links to products I love and recommend to my readers, plus it keeps this little blog o’mine afloat! Thank you!

Ten Resources For World Creative Writing Month! March is World Creative Writing Month! Take part in this exciting opportunity with your children using our top ten teaching ideas and classroom resources! 1) Night Zookeeper - Your class can compete in an exciting writing competition and watch their team rise in the global writing league. Register here to get started. Science for Kids: Chromatography Butterfly Craft Looking for some spring themed science for kids? You’ll definitely want to explore chromatography using coffee filters and markers. The results from this science experiment can even be used to create a colorful butterfly craft for kids!

Crossword Puzzles Download the plug-in tools you need to use our games and tools, or check to see if you've got the latest version. Learn more Looking for ways to engage your students in online literacy learning? Find more interactive tools that help them accomplish a variety of goals-from organizing their thoughts to learning about language. Science & Engineering for Kids: Paper Building Blocks Most paper crafts revolve around creating something fancy out of paper, but did you know that you could use paper as a structural material? Our simple paper building blocks are a great way to demonstrate engineering for kids. Take a material that is weak in and of itself, fold it into a robust shape, like a triangle, and viola, you are now building with paper! How strong is it?

Theme Poems In this online tool, elementary students can write poems based on shapes from five different categories: Nature, School, Sports, Celebrations, and Shapes. Within these categories, 32 different shapes are included. By selecting a shape, students are learning how to focus their writing on a particular topic or theme.