Tomorrow is National Handwriting Day!

Before children can learn to write, they must first learn their letters! Start children on the path toward a lifetime of reading and writing with these emergent literacy activity ideas:

Invisible Writing

Multi-sensory strategies are a great way to introduce writing to young children. With the help of these emergent literacy activities, children will increase their alphabet knowledge, practice small motor skills, and develop an interest in writing!

Air Writing

Write letters in the air using your index finger and middle finger. Keep your elbow stiff.

Clap and Clasp Writing

Have children clap their hands together and clasp their fingers. Practice making lines, shapes, and letters in the air using clasped hands.

Body Writing

Use elbows, tongues, noses, feet, and other body parts to write letters in the air.

Tummy Writing

Try "tummy writing!" Have the children lie on the floor on their tummies. They can extend their arms and trace giant letters on the floor.

Flashlight Writing

Turn off the lights and make letters on the wall or ceiling with a flashlight. As a variation, tape letters to the ceiling. Invite the children to lie on their backs and shine a flashlight on the letters as you sing alphabet songs.

Palm Writing

The children write letters on their palms. Hold up one palm and trace letters with the index finger from the other hand.

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For more activities that open the door to a lifetime of reading and writing, check out I Love Letters! by Jean Feldman and Holly Karapetkova.

"Intelligence plus character, that is the goal of true education."

– Martin Luther King, Jr.

Engage in an exciting art exploration and discuss the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. with your children using this activity to introduce the day's theme:

Materials:

• Very large sheets of newsprint (at least 24" x 24"); one per child
• Tempera paint in various colors
• Paper towels

What to Do:

1. Place paper towels in shallow containers. Pour paint of one color into each container.
2. On large sheets of paper, lightly draw a large circle as a guide to help younger children.
3. Let each child pick one color of paint to use.
4. Have the first child begin by placing her hand in the chosen color of paint and then making a hand print on the paper.
5. The next child picks a color, and repeats the above procedure.
6. Repeat so each child in the class has a turn, forming a circle of hand prints.
7. If necessary to complete the circle shape, children may add additional hand prints.
8. When paint is dry, names may be added alongside the hand prints.

More to Do:

Talk about sharing toys, taking turns, and peaceful problem-solving, emphasizing the importance of discussion and cooperation. Discuss prejudice.

Related Books:

• A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. by David A. Adler
• Early Fluent Plus: Martin Luther King, Jr. from Teacher Created Materials (eBook)

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This activity was taken from The GIANT Encyclopedia of Theme Activities for Children 2 to 5 and originally provided by Sally Lipke from Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The GIANT Encyclopedia of Theme Activities for Children 2 to 5 is packed with more than 600 activities, created by teachers and selected from a nationwide competition.

For more Martin Luther King, Jr. Day activity ideas, check out our Pinterest board!

Wrapping paper comes in many wonderful patterns and colors, especially holiday gift wrap! So, why not take leftover pieces and use them in exciting art explorations? Get inspired by these creative wrapping- paper-repurposing activity ideas from MaryAnn Kohl and her book, Art with Anything.

Scrap Wrap Collage

Materials: Wrapping paper (recycled or new), drawing paper or construction paper, markers or crayons, scissors, white glue or glue stick

• Draw a large, simple shape on drawing paper or construction paper. Some ideas for the shape include a flower, fish, boat, or simply a square or circle. Simple shapes work best.
• Cut or tear scraps of leftover gift wrap into pieces to fill the shape with color and patterns. Glue the paper shapes into the collage.
• Use strips or squares of gift wrap to glue a paper frame around the finished collage.

Dress-Up Paper Person

Materials: Wrapping paper (recycled or new), white drawing paper, markers or crayons, scissors, yarn or wiggly eyes, white glue

• Draw the shape of a person on drawing paper. Use gift wrap scraps to cut out clothing for the paper person to wear. Some ideas include drawing a dress, pants, shirt, coat, hat, socks, pajamas, or shoes.
• Glue the clothing to the person. Complete the design with markers to make a face, hair, hands, or other features. Consider adding yarn or wiggly eyes for hair and eyes.

Paper Roll Sculpture

Materials: Sheets of wrapping paper (recycled or new), pencil, clear tape, scissors, optional-cardboard base, optional-decorating materials like ribbons or stickers

• Cut gift wrap into 12" squares. Cut at least 10 squares; more will be even better.
• To make rolls, start at the corner of the square on the "wrong side" of the paper, and place a pencil across the point diagonally. Roll the paper around the pencil all the way across the square. Then hold the roll and gently let the pencil fall out. Tape the roll at the center to ensure it will hold. Make at least 10 gift wrap paper tubes. The more, the better! Snip off the ends of the tubes to keep them tidy, or leave them as they are.
• Use clear tape to begin taping the colorful tubes together in any design, random or planned, creating a sculpture that grows.  Tape the tubes to a cardboard base, or simply tape them together in a variety of ways. You can also bend the tubes, join them end to end, or slip one tube inside another to create extra long tubes.
• Experiment and explore how to join the tubes in various ways to build a colorful sculpture. Consider adding other art supplies to the sculpture, like colorful ribbons or stickers.

Homemade Gift Wrap Greeting Card or Thank You Note

Materials: Wrapping paper (recycled or new), used greeting card or note card, scissors, thinned white glue and a brush, white paper, crayons or markers, pencil, pen, or marker

• Select a used greeting card. It can open from the top or the side. Open the card and place it face up on your work surface.
• Choose a favorite piece of wrapping paper and cut a piece to fit on the front of the folded card.
• Use a brush to paint the front of the card with white glue thinned with water. Press the gift wrap onto the glue. Trim away any paper extending beyond the edges of the card. Cover any writing inside the card with a piece of white or colored paper.
• Create a drawing or design on a piece of plain paper at least 1" smaller all around than the size of the card. Glue this on the front of the card, allowing the gift wrap to frame the design.
• Write a special message inside the card, and give the card to someone special. Don't forget to sign your name!

For more art projects that encourage recycling and make use of easy-to-find, everyday materials, check out Art with Anything by MaryAnn Kohl (available in both paperback and eBook formats).

Do you have any New Year's resolutions for teaching in 2013? Whether it's maintaining a more positive attitude to inspiring more enthusiasm in your students, we have some tips and tricks for keeping them!

Resolution #1: To better understand the cultural differences of my students.

Tips for keeping it:

• Children learn best when the educational experiences they receive are meaningful and relevant. So try to:
• Make many connections to a child's home life and what happens in the family setting.
• Identify and discuss special celebrations and neighborhood events children know about and participate in.
• Invite parents and neighborhood leaders to be vitally involved with school happenings.
• Collect artifacts for displays that are representative of the cultures in the class group.
• Sing songs and play games that connect to children's cultures.
• Display pictures of a variety of cultural groups, not only those cultures that are represented in the class.
• If children speak other languages, learn a few key phrases in their language to use when the children arrive on the first day.

Resolution #2: To keep a more positive attitude in my classroom.

Tips for keeping it:

• Try a few of these "emotional getaways" to lift your spirits:
• Plan a trip to the gym. Have an invigorating workout.
• Call a friend you haven't talked to in a while.
• Read an uplifting book.
• When you're in the classroom, try these tips for looking at life more positively:
• Plan activities in the classroom that will help you get in touch with each child's emotions.
• Talk to children about feelings. Tell them that all of us have negative feelings periodically.
• Remember that developing positive relationships with young children is the most important element in teaching. Focus on who the children are, not what they need to know in order to achieve.

Resolution #3: To inspire more enthusiasm for learning in my students.

Tips for keeping it:

• Add a few new toys or sets of puzzles that will challenge children.
• Create a bulletin board and encourage children to participate in its creation.
• Do seasonal activities. For example, in autumn, start a collection of acorns or leaves that children can collect on the playground.
• Change a few books in the Book Corner to accompany a new thematic study or a change in the weather.
• Introduce a new song that develops spontaneous movement activity.
• Invite parents or visitors into the classroom to share their various areas of expertise.
• Collaborate with another teacher to develop an activity that will be mutually beneficial to both groups of children (for example, older children reading to younger ones or a pen-pal program).

Resolution #4: To better plan transitions from one activity to the next.

Tips for keeping it:

• Plan for transitional changes, so children can make them with little disruption or rowdiness. Here are some suggestions for making transitions:
• Use a cueing signal to announce a transitional change.
• Ask children to move in a specific way (tiptoe, crawl, pretend to skate, pretend to be a caterpillar, walk like a cat, twinkle like a star, or others).
• Call children to line up by the color of their clothing.
• Call children to Circle Time (or the next activity of the day) by the color of their eyes or hair.
• Observe children as they clean up, and as they finish, tell them it's their turn to line up at the door (or come to Circle Time or whatever part of the day you are transitioning to).
• Begin by tapping one child who, in turn, taps another, who taps another, until all the children have been tapped to move.
• Ask the line leader to decide what transition to use.
• Ask one child to name a favorite song, which becomes the tune to move by.

Resolution #5: To set up a more interesting and attractive classroom.

Tips for keeping it:

• Place an inviting sign or poster on the classroom door to surprise the children as they walk in.
• Change bulletin boards periodically to enhance classroom learning.
• Display children' work (art is best) whenever possible, consider setting aside one bulletin board that will always have children's work on it.
• Personalize the classroom as much as possible (for example, display children's birthdays on a bulletin board).
• Provide a message board to write messages to various children during the week.
• Set up centers that are inviting for children to want to use.
• Mark areas of the classroom with attractive sings.
• Provide classroom spaces that offer children privacy when they need it.
• Provide a variety of sensory experiences for children.

For more teacher-tested techniques for successful teaching and learning, check out Preschool Classroom Management by Laverne Warner and Sharon Anne Lynch.

"Hold your children close. Enjoy them. Hug and nurture them. Love them." These phrases echo through our schools and communities this week, following the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut.

Much like the rest of the nation, Kaplan Early Learning Company is shocked and devastated by the tragic and utterly senseless shooting last Friday. It seems so feeble in the context of such trauma, but our thoughts and prayers are truly with the parents, children, school staff and community directly affected by this tragedy.

We know that many of you may be struggling to find the right way to discuss this tragic event with your children. It is our sincere hope that these resources will help you, your own children, and even your students, talk about and begin to process this tragic event in a positive manner.

After the Crisis: Using Storybooks to Help Children Cope

* Available as a free eBook download in your MyKaplan account until January 31, 2013.

The literature-based activities in After the Crisis are ideal for communicating with children who have recently been through a trauma. With activities and exercises that can be used in conjunction with children's books, this book is filled with discussion starters and activities that help promote children's ability to process, to cope and to heal. The strategies and activities in After the Crisis address numerous crises that can affect a child, including earthquakes, epidemics and mass casualty incidents, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and major storms, shelter experiences, volcanic eruptions, and the death of a loved one. For a limited time, After the Crisis is available as a free eBook download accessible in your MyKaplan account until January 31, 2013.

Socially Strong, Emotionally Secure: 50 Activities to Promote Resilience in Young Children

* Available as a free eBook download in your MyKaplan account until January 31, 2013.

Now more than ever, building a child's social and emotional strength is vital to a child's ability to handle the bigger challenges in life. The strategies and activities in Socially Strong, Emotionally Secure help increase children's natural resilience and keep them socially and emotionally strong for the rest of their lives. For a limited time, Socially Strong, Emotionally Secure is available as a free eBook download accessible in your MyKaplan account until January 31, 2013.

Activities from Socially Strong, Emotionally Secure that focus on reflecting on and talking about feelings, include:

• Give Me a Hand, p. 15-17
• Feelings Quilt, p. 29-30
• Puppet Talk, p. 31-33
• Bright Beginnings, Happy Endings, p. 55-58
• Positive Postcards, p. 59-60
• A Kiss I Can Keep, p. 61-62
• Turn that Frown Upside Down, p. 78-80
• Something to Talk About, p. 116-118
• All About My Feelings, p. 143-145

Additional Resources for Discussing Tragic Events with Young Children:

• Tips for Talking to Children About the Shooting (The New York Times)
• School Crisis Guide (National Education Association Health Information Network)
• Tips for Talking to Children of Different Ages About Tragedy and Disaster (SAMHSA)
• "Coping with School Tragedies, What Do We Do Now?" (BAM Radio)
• A National Tragedy: Helping Children Cope (National Association of School Psychologists)
• Talking to Kids About the Newtown School Shooting (Parenting.com)
• When the World is a Dangerous Place: Helping Children Deal with Violence (Exchange Magazine)