RECENTLYThis week I received an email from my good friend, Silvia, who lives in Guatemala. I first met Silvia Zulena Saga Pineda, last year, when she wrote telling me about the young children she was teaching in the garage of her home. Silvia resides in the poorest area of Guatemala. These children, if it were not for Silvia, would have no other place to attend school. Over the summer, Silvia's garage started to leak so badly she needed to move the school to another location. That did not slow her down at all. She now has so many students that she teaches them in two shifts, by herself, each day. In total now, Silvia's small school has 30 students with 4 more on a waiting list.
Last year, when I featured Silvia in our newsletter, the students at Lancaster High, in Lancaster, Ohio, took it upon themselves to raise funds to buy Silvia's students books for their classroom. Thanks to the students of Lancaster High, and their teacher Jenny Spencer, Silvia's classroom is now filled with over $700 worth of books.
You can visit Silvia's website online at www.compartiendoesperanza.ws, and you can write to Silvia and her students by emailing silvisaga@gmail.com. (Silvia speaks Spanish.)
Helping Silvia's classes would be a wonderful spring project for any class to undertake. For further details about the success of last year's project, please feel free to email me.
This Week's Theme - Celebrating Spring
The month of March and the advent of Spring is an exciting and uplifting time. We've chosen two free song downloads that celebrate flowers, seedlings and Spring. These are from volumes 1 and 4 of the Singing Sight Words series. We hope that you and your students enjoy these songs and the accompanying activities! Based on the Dolch sight word lists, our Singing Sight Words series uses 50 songs to teach over 300 of the most commonly used sight words.
Click here to buy this week's special: the 4 volume Singing Sight Words series PLUS the 4 corresponding reproducible resource/activity books. They are all on special this week for only $99.99 (regular $127.60).
Free Song Downloads
Flowers from the CD/Book Kit: Singing Sight Words, vol. 1
Click here to purchase the entire Sight Words series for
only $99.99 (regular $127.60).
Download the song Flowers in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-FlowersMp3.shtml
Lyrics for Flowers can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/Flowers.pdf
Just a Little Seed from the CD/Book Kit: Singing Sight Words, vol. 4
Click here to purchase the entire Sight Words series for
only $99.99 (regular $127.60).
Download the song Just a Little Seed in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-JustALittleSeedMp3.shtml
Lyrics for Just a Little Seed can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/JustALittleSeed.pdf
Corresponding Online Links and Activities
Younger children will enjoy this spring time coloring book which may be printed out.
http://www.bry-backmanor.org/actpag35.html
This FREE SPRING ACTIVITY from Celebrate Seasons entails planting seeds and watching them grow.
http://www.sara-jordan.com/SpringCycleActivity.pdf
Students in grades K-5 will have fun with this Eggshell People activity. Check it out!
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/02/lp259-02.shtml
Here is a good on-line concentration game for students from K-5.
http://www.primarygames.com/season_match/spring_match/spring_match.htm
The Kaboose website has some theme based puzzles and word searches.
http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/spring/word.html
Education World's Five Lessons for Teaching About Plants
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson259.shtml
Oodles of great activities from Saskatchewan, Canada (the Curriculum and Instruction Branch)
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/kindergarten/kindsths.html
Learn about the return of the robin.
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/robin/SpringFever.html
I have a nickname for my daughter. I call her G.G. That's short for Genius Girl. Last week G.G. came to visit and brought me a birthday present she had sculpted and painted - a cute little fridge magnet. G.G. has a talent for sculpting, illustration, animation, film making and designing clothes. School has never been easy for G.G. who daydreams and struggles through academic courses. I am mentioning this because I believe that all kids have a little genius inside of themselves. Of course, geniuses are not good at everything they do, but as teachers and parents, we can spot and encourage the talents and strengths in each child.
A Special Note to Our Readers
The students of Lancaster High School in Ohio have been collecting supplies to donate to Silvia Saga de Pineda’s small mission school in Guatemala. Anyone planning a trip to Guatemala from the US, who wouldn’t mind taking a second suitcase of supplies, is asked to contact teacher Jenny Spencer. ¡Gracias!
This Week's Theme - Fostering and Developing a Global Perspective
If you've been watching CNN as much as I have, you probably wonder what is going on in this world. In North America we are living in an Age of Excess. Global warming is damaging the glaciers in the Arctic and affecting the rest of the world. There is a drastic rice shortage which brings devastation to countries where the main staple is rice. Meanwhile, newscasts are peppered with stories of the American primary elections and the hundreds of millions of dollars being poured into campaigns. I thought that this week we'd feature the song, "Who's Going to Save Us Know?" in English, Spanish and French. The theme of this song is really ecology but it also teaches the names of the continents and oceans.
Free Song Downloads
Who's Going to Save Us Now? is from the album Reading Readiness Songs.
¿Quién nos salvará? is from the album Fonética funky. Qui viendra a notre secours? is from the album Folies phoniques.
Click here to purchase Reading Readiness Songs on special this week only!
Click here for your free download of the song Who's Going to Save Us Now? in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-EnvironmentMp3.shtml
Lyrics for Who's Going to Save Us Now? can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/WhosGoingToSaveUs.pdf
Click here to purchase Fonética funky on special this week only!
Click here for your free download of the song ¿Quién nos salvará? in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-NossalvaraMp3.shtml
Lyrics for ¿Quién nos salvará? can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/NosSalvara.pdf
Click here to purchase Folies phoniques on special this week only!
Click here for your free download of the song ¿Quién nos salvará? in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-NotresecoursMp3.shtml
Lyrics for ¿Quién nos salvará? can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/Notresecours.pdf
Corresponding Online Links and Activities
Learn About Europe By Having Fun Judging the Eurovision Song Contest
You'll have a great time with this activity! Have your students learn about geography, and the countries in the European Union, as they listen, critique and vote on all of the participating bands involved in this year's Eurovision.
This year there will be two Semi-Finals of the Eurovision Song Contest held on May 20th and 22nd. Twenty-five finalists (bands) will be chosen from the original 48 bands competing. These finalists will compete in on May 24th in the Finale, to be held in Serbia.
Students in your classes could each choose a band, play the video of the song for the class, and research the country represented by the band. Have students in your class vote for their favorite band/song.
Further study could include why contestants of many countries feel that they have a better chance if they perform in English. Your class could discuss whether it might be better to preserve the heritage of each country by insisting that countries perform in their native languages. (Would this be a disadvantage to smaller countries who may have fewer potential voters speaking that language?)
You'll find a list of participating countries/bands here:
http://www.eurovision.tv/page/participants-2008
By clicking on the link (of each country) students can print out the bios of each group and the lyrics of each song.
You can find out a little about the history of the Eurovision Song Contest here:
http://www.eurovision.tv/page/history
The curious will find frequently asked Questions and Answers about the song contest here:
http://www.eurovision.tv/page/help-faq
AND NOW FOR THE REALLY EDUCATIONAL PART!
Check out these links. I searched the net for the very best European geography quizzes I could find. Congratulations to the folks at ILike2Learn.com. These quizzes are bright and the maps are cheerful. There is even a little help box for those of us who need help! I'd probably make this part of the contest too. Students should learn all of these!
Here is the map quiz:
http://www.ilike2learn.com/ilike2learn/europe.html
Here is the capitals quiz:
http://www.ilike2learn.com/ilike2learn/Europecapitals.html
If your students are a little young to participate in Eurovision, please accept my apology. So often our newsletters include activities for early learners. If you'd like to participate in something a little simpler for younger students, I suggest you have your class write to pen pals in European countries (see below for our Pen Pal Forum). The European map quizzes would still be fun and challenging for kids of any age.
I'm gearing up to do 3 road trips during the next 8 weeks and will be driving through Texas, Florida and California, stopping to visit parent/teacher stores. If you'd like to meet for coffee, as I make my way through your state, please send me an email and we'll see what we can arrange. It's always nice to take a break on these long trips and I enjoy meeting the people I've written to for so long.
Easter weekend is always fun around here. My house backs onto an enormous park where little kids run. searching for Easter eggs. Fluffy, my dog, and I went out to watch. Fluffy may have been coveting those chocolate eggs because when we got home she took her first opportunity to attack a box of chocolates and eat as much as she could. Luckily, she wasn't sick.
This Week's Theme - Celebrating Earth Day
On April 22nd, people around the world will be celebrating Earth Day. We hope that you enjoy these two bilingual songs (English-Spanish and English-French). These songs teach about recycling and the use of common "question words".
Free Song Downloads
What Is Recycling? / ¿Qué es el reciclaje?, is from the album Bilingual Songs: English-Spanish, vol. 4. What Is Recycling? / Qu'est-ce que le recyclage?, is from the album Bilingual Songs: English-French, vol. 4.
Click here to purchase the entire English-Spanish Bilingual Series on special this week only!
Click here for your free download of the song What Is Recycling? / ¿Qué es el reciclaje? in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-RecyclingMp3.shtml
Lyrics for What Is Recycling? / ¿Qué es el reciclaje? can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/RecyclingSP.pdf
Click here to purchase the entire English-French Bilingual Series on special this week only!
Click here for your free download of the song What Is Recycling? / Qu'est-ce que le recyclage? in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-Recycling2Mp3.shtml
Lyrics for What Is Recycling? / Qu'est-ce que le recyclage? can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/RecyclingFR.pdf
Corresponding Links and Activities
Corresponding Links Check out these curriculum based links with activities. Send an Earth Day Ecard Free, by clicking here:
http://support.nature.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ecard_earthday2006_ed6
This five-day unit of ideas and activities, written by Deanna Fry and published in Green Teacher magazine, will help elementary school teachers explore our connections with the earth. http://www.greenteacher.com//articles/earthweek.html
Print these four recycling kits for activities to be done in the classroom or at home to celebrate Earth Day. Files in PDF. From Planet Pals.
http://www.planetpals.com/pprecycle.html
You'll find some great Earth Day activities for all ages here at the Earth Day Wilderness site. http://earthday.wilderness.org/teachers/classroom.htm
If anyone lives in Orlando and would like to meet for coffee, please email me. I’ll be there for a few days close to the beginning of March.
For everyone else who doesn’t live in Orlando, we have an ongoing party happening at MySpace. There is some running dialog in the blogging area. Besides having fun and sharing stories, each week, participants have a chance of winning free CDs. Please join by clicking here.
This Week's Theme - Time Management and Teaching Accountability
I'm posting up these songs and activities for personal reasons. Lately I've been feeling that I haven't done such a good job as a parent and tutor, teaching time management and accountability. Hopefully I can redeem myself by sending some great songs to everyone teaching how to tell time in English, French and Spanish.
Free Song Downloads
This week we are offering three free songs. The three CD/book kits, that feature these songs, may be purchased at a 35% discount on our website this week only.
Telling Time is from the album Reading Readiness Songs, La hora is from Fonética funky...y algo más and Quelle heure est-il? is from Folies phoniques...et plus.
Click here to purchase Reading Readiness Songs on special this week only!
Click here for your free download of the song Telling Time in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-TellingTimeMp3.shtml
Lyrics for Telling Time can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/TellingTime.pdf
Click here to purchase Fonética funky...y algo más on special this week only!
Click here for your free download of the song La hora in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-LaHoraMp3.shtml
Lyrics for La hora can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/LaHora.pdf
Click here to purchase Folies phoniques...et plus on special this week only!
Click here for your free download of the song Quelle heure est-il? in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-QuelHeureMp3.shtml
Lyrics for Quelle heure est-il? can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/QuelHeure.pdf
Corresponding Links and Activities
Printable Time Management Charts for Kids of All Ages
Organize your kids with these neat online printouts from PBS.
Weekly homework charts:
http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/school/time/print_homework_chart.html
Weekly planners:
http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/school/time/print_weekly_planner.html
Grab the dice and print out this time management game (suitable for 8-9 year olds)!
http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/parents/lesson_plans/time_mgmt_game.html
Interesting Links for Preteens
This game, To Cheat or Not to Cheat, requires a fairly sophisticated reading level but would be of interest to preteens.
http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/games/cheating/index.html
Try out this neat crossword puzzle from PBS with a time management theme
http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/school/time/print_crossword.html
Reading Material for Parents and Teachers
Here is an interesting article I found on TerrificParenting.com with hints and tips about teaching kids responsibility
http://www.terrificparenting.com/parenting-problems/mistakes-teaching-responsibility.htm
I like this article written by Sandra Tuell, Teaching Kids Time Management.
http://www.newhomes.com/realestateblog/2007/09/10/teaching-kids-time-management/
You'll find some useful hints on teaching kids to be organized here:
https://www.myappointmentbooks.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2
Fall here is filled with walks in the woods, canoe rides, and of course pumpkins. A friend of ours grows gigantic pumpkins which he enters into local contests each year. This one, in the photo, is approximately 550 lbs!Click here to enter our contest! If you send photos of your own pumpkins we will post them up for everyone to see. All submissions will be entered into a draw and the winner will win a copy of Celebrate Holidays. Good luck!
I often think about my young nephew the genius. He spends all of his spare time online. Sound familiar? But how much are kids actually learning? Click here to read my thoughts.
This Week's Theme - Celebrating Autumn and Hallowe'en
We have a very neat song about The Legend of Stingy Jack. We thought we'd feature this song since it is about Hallowe'en. Enjoy!
Free Song Downloads
This week's download, Stingy Jack is from Celebrate Holidays.
You can purchase the entire album at a 35% discount on our website, this week only. Click here: http://www.sara-jordan.com/product-119-special.shtml
Download in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-HalloweenMp3.shtml
Lyrics for Stingy Jack can be downloaded here: http://www.sara-jordan.com/StingyJack.pdf
Corresponding Links and Activities
Check out our very own Hallowe'en Cartooning Lesson
http://www.sara-jordan.com/activities-cartoon4.shtml
The younger crowd will enjoy coloring these free downloadable pictures. This site would be a good activity for preschoolers accompanied by a parent or older person.
http://parenting.leehansen.com/downloads/coloring/halloween-coloring.htm
This site has many lesson plans, thematic units and activities centered around Hallowe'en
http://www.theteachersguide.com/halloweenlessonplans.htm
You'll find a great assortment of games and activities here:
http://www.abcteach.com/directory/theme_units/month_to_month/j_october/
halloween/
Those of you who know me personally, know of my addiction to the internet. Even those of you who don't know me, probably suspect that I spend more time in cyberspace than anywhere else. That's why you won't find any photos of me on the blog doing anything else this week. I've been spending time in front of the monitor trying out the activities for this newsletter. They are fun, mesmerizing, and a challenge for kids and adults of any age. If you find yourself sitting too long in front of the computer, don't blame me!
This Week's Theme - Celebrating Multiculturalism and Diversity
Finally spring has arrived. With the coming of the new season and the beginning of new activities we felt it was a good time to enjoy some of the different cultures that exist around the world. This week we are celebrating diversity and multiculturalism with the song Celebrate the Human Race from the CD kit with the same name.
Free Song & Lyrics Download - Celebrate the Human Race from the CD/Book Kit: Celebrate the Human Race
Download in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-HumanRaceMp3.shtml
Lyrics for Celebrate the Human Race can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-HumanRace.shtml
You can view the contents of the entire CD here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/product-106.shtml
Corresponding Links and Activities
LEARN ABOUT EUROPE BY HAVING FUN JUDGING THE EUROVISION SONG CONTEST
You'll have a great time with this activity! Have your students learn about geography, and the countries in the European Union, as they listen, critique and vote on all of the participating bands involved in this year's Eurovision.
28 countries in the European Union will be competing in the Semi-Finals of the Eurovision Song Contest on May 10th. Ten bands will be chosen as finalists and will perform in the finals on May 12th.
Students in your classes could each choose a band, play the video of the song for the class, research the country represented by the band. Have students in your class vote for their favorite band/song.
Further research on the net could include why Italy chooses to boycott the contest, why France insists on only performing in French and why contestants of many other countries feel that they have a better chance if they perform in English. Your class could discuss whether it might be better to preserve the heritage of each country by insisting that countries perform in their native languages. (Would this be a disadvantage to smaller countries who may have fewer potential voters speaking that language?)
You'll find a list of competing bands/songs here.
http://www.yle.fi/eurovision/main.php?id=2587
By clicking on the link (of each country) students can print out the bios of each group and the lyrics of each song.
You can find out a little about the history of the Eurovision Song Contest here:
http://www.yle.fi/eurovision/main.php?id=668
The curious will find frequently asked Questions and Answers about the song contest here:
http://www.yle.fi/eurovision/main.php?id=1481
AND NOW FOR THE REALLY EDUCATIONAL PART!
Check out these links. I searched the net for the very best European geography quizzes I could find. Congratulations to the folks at www.ILike2Learn.com. These quizzes are bright and the maps are cheerful. There is even a little help box for those of us who need help! I'd probably make this part of the contest too. Students should learn all of these!
Here is the map quiz.
http://www.ilike2learn.com/ilike2learn/europe.html
Here is the capitals quiz.
http://www.ilike2learn.com/ilike2learn/Europecapitals.html
If your students are a little young to participate in Eurovision, please accept my apology. So often our newsletters include activities for early learners. If you'd like to participate in something a little simpler for younger students, I suggest you have your class write to pen pals in European countries (see below for our Pen Pal Forum). The European map quizzes would still be fun and a challenge for kids of any age.
Having just arrived back from a hectic trade show in Atlanta (NSSEA's Annual School Supply Show), this has been a period of relative rest. Last weekend, my daughter Jessie came to town so that we could attend the local annual women's charity concert, raising money for Women's Place, a shelter for abused women and children in our city. I've included some photos here.
This Week's Theme - Celebrating Spring
After quite a few big "snow dumps" we are patiently awaiting the arrival of spring. Hence this weeks theme, Celebrating Spring.
Free Song & Lyrics Download - Spring and the Cycle from the CD/Book Kit: Celebrate Seasons
Download in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-SpringCycleMp3.shtml
Lyrics for Spring and the Cycle can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/SpringCycleLyrics.pdf
You can view the contents of the entire CD here: http://www.sara-jordan.com/product-118.shtml
Corresponding Links and Activities
Click here for a FREE SPRING ACTIVITY. This activity entails planting seeds and watching them grow.
Students in grades K-5 will have fun with this Eggshell People activity. Check it out!
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/02/lp259-02.shtml
Here is a good on-line concentration game for students from K-5.
Heck it even took ME a few minutes to do the game and I am 53!
http://www.primarygames.com/season_match/spring_match/spring_match.htm
The Kaboose website has some theme based puzzles and word searches here:
http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/spring/word.html
(Suitable for grades 1-5)
You may remember me mentioning how excited I was at the chance to become a volunteer literacy tutor for adults in our community. Well, after a few months of waiting, the agency still hasn't set me up with a student. In the meantime, however, two incredible things have happened! Two literacy tutoring situations have literally fallen into my lap. The first involves a young neighbor, who I've started helping. We are working together to boost his literacy skills to reach the grade one standards. This cute little six-year-old lights up my day every time he comes over here and I now have many ideas for new songs. The second situation is even more incredible. It's a long story, but in short, I now help a woman in Oklahoma learn to read. She is in her 50s. Over the next little while, I plan to share with you what is working for me and my students, as we tackle literacy head-on.
This Week's Theme - Literacy -
Making Learning to Read Fun and Meaningful!
The song I've chosen this week is a simple song. It's fun to sing and it's easy to read. It will be useful for students, of any age, who are learning to read English. It is called Swing, Swing Up, and is a song teaching the sound of the letter 's'. It comes from the album Funky Phonics: Learn to Read, vol 1.
Free Song & Lyrics Download - Swing, Swing Up from the CD/Book Kit: Funky Phonics: Learn to Read, vol. 1
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Corresponding Links and Activities
Here are three pages from the Funky Phonics: Learn to Read, vol. 1, Resource/Activity Book. These activities and exercises focus on the letter 's' and are based on the contents of the song, Swing, Swing Up.
Click here to download the pages.
Today I found the most amazing resource for teaching kids (and even older adults) how to read. The website is http://www.starfall.com. They have all sorts of things for readers at every level! This website, packed with free learning resources, is provided by Dr. Stephen Shultz and his wife, Susan Polis-Shutz, owners of the famous Blue Mountain greeting card company.
You'll find some easy games for beginning readers by clicking the link below and looking at the games under the column Play.
http://www.starfall.com/n/level-a/learn-to-read/load.htm?f
You'll find some great fun animated activities focusing on the letter "s" here:
http://www.starfall.com/n/level-k/letter-s/load.htm?f
Here are a few hands-on manipulatives that I have purchased for my six-year-old neighbor. They work particularly well.
We use magnetic letters made by the company Melissa and Doug. They can be purchased through Amazon. I found that it was better to purchase two sets, otherwise you may not have enough letters to make words.
Here is the link:
http://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-Wooden-Letters-52%252dpc%252e-Set/dp/B00005BHT3
This First Words kit from Magnetic Poetry was also a big hit. Here is a link to the same set that I am using here. They seem to be working very well.
http://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-Poetry-First-Words/dp/B000CBHTGA
We are proud to be finally putting the finishing touches on Bilingual Preschool: English-French. It will be available for purchase starting December 18. At the same time we will also be releasing Bilingual Preschool: English-Spanish, for which we already have some sample songs on our website. http://www.SongsThatTeach.com
Putting these two new titles together has been a big job and we spent a lot of time on it this fall. It feels very rewarding to see the final product after working on it for so long. There are so many components to assemble when making a new CD kit that once it all comes together there is a real feeling of accomplishment among all those involved. A special thank you goes out to our singers: Julie Crochetière and Peter LeBuis as well as to Mark Shannon, our recording engineer and arranger. Congratulations to everyone who worked on these two products, behind the scenes, on a job well done. You can read more and see some pics on the blog. Enjoy!
This Week's Theme - Music and Movement for Early Learners
Our new Bilingual Preschool: English-Spanish CD kit promotes learning a second language and makes it fun to do so. We have incorporated interactive learning and classroom involvement into the songs and activities. This is why we have chosen Music and Movement as our theme for the week. This week's song is from our new CD. This fun, catchy tune allows early learners to sing and dance, in two different languages. It's great for learning Spanish. It's also great for learning English.
My daughter, Jessie and her boyfriend Grant put together this video to show how kids can reinforce their learning by incorporating movement into the song.
Free Song & Lyrics Download - Movin' and Groovin' / Ritmo y movimiento from the CD/Book Kit: Bilingual Preschool: English-Spanish
Download in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-GroovinMovinMp3.shtml
Lyrics for Movin' and Groovin' / Ritmo y movimiento can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/S31-GroovinMovin.pdf
You can view the contents of the entire CD here: http://www.sara-jordan.com/product-S31.shtml
Corresponding Links and Activities
Here are some neat links to websites that emphasize the importance of staying active through fun activities and games involving music.
Preschool and Kindergarten:
Here are some ideas submitted by teachers for different activities that can be done in the classroom using a musical setting.
http://www.ecewebguide.com/movement.html
Here are some fun music and movement games.
http://fun.familyeducation.com/toddler/music/37371.html
This is an article by the National Network for Child Care and includes some instruction and activities relating to music and movement.
http://www.nncc.org/Curriculum/cc21_music.movement.html
Here is a fun classroom activity.
http://www.wiu.edu/thecenter/art/activity/activitypages/drawmus.html
Older Students:
This is a Spanish-English quiz including direction words.
http://iteslj.org/v/s/ac-directions.html
Here are all sorts of labelling and naming activities in Spanish.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/label/spanish.shtml
This website has a wide variety of English-Spanish online games and activities.
http://www.tpsd.org/mms/spanish.htm
I just got back from Frankfurt, Germany late last night where we were exhibiting at the Frankfurt Book Fair. I had heard about the fair, the world's largest, for many years but this was the first time we actually participated. It was very busy with almost 300,000 visitors and over 7,000 exhibitors. For a whole week the city of Frankfurt was bustling with international booksellers, agents, librarians and publishers. It was exciting to meet with so many people from around the world who are interested in the well being and education of children everywhere. Please check out our blog for more on our adventures in Frankfurt.
This Week's Theme - Hallowe'en Fun
Hallowe'en is fast approaching. I was trying to think of a theme that was educational without a focus on sugar overload. I thought that kids might to learn a little about anatomy since we see so many images of skeletons during Hallowe'en. I hope that you enjoy the song we have included as well as the Hallowe'en cartooning lesson my daughter created. I've come across some pretty impressive free phonics games online for preschoolers. I'll include a link to those too.
Free Song & Lyrics Download
Musculo-Skeletal Party from the CD/Book Kit: Healthy Habits for Early Learners
Download in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-MusculoMp3.shtml
Lyrics for Musculo-Skeletal Party can be downloaded here: http://www.sara-jordan.com/Musculo.pdf
You can view the contents of the entire CD here: http://www.sara-jordan.com/product-116.shtml
Corresponding Links and Activities
Here are some of our own activities and some links you may find of interest:
Here is a drawing of the skeletal system you can print out for your students. This could be a coloring assignment for younger students. Older students can be asked to search the net (or the library) in order to actually name the different parts of the skeletal system.
http://www.tipztime.com/minicharts/skeleton.html
This link will help students find and label the different parts of the skeletal system.
http://www.innerbody.com/htm/body.html
Grownups! Try this quiz for a laugh! It's a bit hard but at least it will give you some new conversational tid-bits at your next social function.
http://www.funtrivia.com/flashquiz/index.cfm?qid=1914
Cartooning Lesson
Preschoolers will enjoy this basic cartooning lesson celebrating Hallowe'en.
http://www.sara-jordan.com/activities-cartoon4.shtml
As the summer draws to a close, it seems that much of my time has been spent couped up in the 'music room', composing new songs. Over the Labor Day weekend I tried to relax before the recording begins today. We will record the two albums over the month of September. I will try to post photos of the sessions as the month progresses. It's great to see the end in sight.
Labor Day weekend was celebrated by taking walks between the rain showers scattered throughout the weekend. Check out the photos on my blog.
You may remember me mentioning my son, Ben, who is skateboarding across Canada with 3 friends, to raise money for breast cancer research. The foursome left Halifax, Nova Scotia on May 1st. Having travelled 6,500 km, they are now west of Calgary, on the last leg of the trip. This is the scary part, however, since the last few weeks they will be longboarding through the Rocky Mountains. Like any nervous mother, I bought him extra health insurance and check their website every day. You can watch their progress at: www.PushfortheCure.com. Ben does all of the photography, the web design, most of the media promotion, plus longboards the entire distance. They will finish on October 9th, in Vancouver, which is the Canadian Thanksgiving.
Wishing you a safe and happy return to the school year.
This Week's Theme - Migration
It's hard to believe (because the weather here is still warm) but soon migration will start to occur. Butterflies may be on their way to Mexico already! We hope you enjoy this song about migration and the wonderful corresponding links which follow.
Free Song & Lyrics Download - Take a Hike from Celebrate Seasons
You can view the contents of the entire CD here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/product-118.shtml
Download in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-TakeAHikeMp3.shtml
Lyrics for Take a Hike can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/TakeAHike.pdf
Corresponding Links and Activities
Did you know that milkweed is the only food source for Monarch caterpillars? There is a severe shortage of milkweed along their 3,000 mile migration route. Without milkweed their young will perish in large numbers. You can help by starting your own butterfly garden. Order your free milkweed seeds here: http://www.livemonarch.com/free-milkweed-seeds.htm
You'll find many more fun and free activities that kids can do to support the migration of monarch butterflies here:
http://www.livemonarch.com/kids.htm
Pacific Loggerhead and Pacific Leatherback turtles face the possiblity of extinction over the next two decades. Many die by getting caught in fishing gear each year. Did you know that sea turtles sometimes migrate half-way across the ocean? Take a look for yourself:
http://whyfiles.org/196ocean/2.html
Curious to know where North American birds migrate to during the winter? Check it out.
http://www.wildbirds.org/whergow.htm
How far does a hummingbird migrate? Check this neat quiz to find out:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/exbirds/avian.html
This issue of our newsletter is coming to you from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. So much of my travel is business related, this trip to San Miguel was really for a bit of rest and relaxation. It’s also a challenge for me to live day-to-day speaking Spanish. Check out the blog for some great photos and recommendations, should you ever feel the need to escape to a quieter place (and practice speaking Spanish)!
This Week's Theme - Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo is coming up soon. I thought it would be a great theme for this issue of the newsletter. On this day, residents of Mexico and Chicanos in the U.S. celebrate the courage of the Mexican people during La Batalla de Puebla, which took place May 5th, 1862. Puebla is 100 miles east of Mexico City. This Mexican victory did not win the war but it showed the courage and strength of the Mexican troops and this famous battle became a symbol of Mexican unity and patriotism.
Free Song & Lyrics Download - A Latin Party / Una fiesta Latina
This song is from: Bilingual Songs: English-Spanish volume 3 and teaches the use of descriptive adjectives.
Download in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-LatinPartyMp3.shtml
Lyrics for "A Latin Party / Una fiesta Latina" can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/LatinParty.pdf
You can view the contents of the entire CD here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/product-S29LK.shtml
Corresponding Links
Check out these Cinco de Mayo, curriculum based, links with activities.
Printable coloring pages for very young children:
http://www.kids-korner.net/activities/coloring/may/pic-2-may.html
Great activities:
http://mailjust4me.com/play/cinco1.htm
Here are some more lessons, games, arts and crafts and language activities.
http://www.theholidayzone.com/cinco/
Cute Cinco de Mayo greeting cards (free from 123Greetings.com)
http://www.123greetings.com/events/cinco_de_mayo/
Read about the history of Cinco de Mayo here:
http://personal.monm.edu/PGRAVES/history.htm
Life is fun but busy. Patricia and I are presently at the Guadalajara Book Fair where we are exhibiting all of our new Bilingual and Spanish titles (click for photos).
Bilingualism is a big thing here. It got me to thinking that perhaps we should feature the song: I'm Shopping / Voy de compras from Bilingual Songs: English-Spanish vol 3.
This song, the brainchild of Diana Isaza, teaches the differences between estos, estas, esos and esas. It's a showtune about a shopaholic who can't stop. In this period of post-Thanksgiving shopping frenzy, it might be a good time to stop and discuss with students why the holiday season has become so commercial and that the best things we can give in life (time, love, affection and concern) are free.
THIS WEEK'S THEME
SHOPPING AND THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF HOLIDAYS
The song I'm Shopping / Voy de compras teaches the differences between estos, estas, esos and esas. We can also use the song as a springboard to talk about the commercialization of the holiday season. Regretably, we can't send you many links this week, but I suggest that children could spend time making holiday crafts, made with the heart rather than bought with currency.
FREE BILINGUAL SONG DOWNLOAD - I'm Shopping / Voy de compras
You can view the contents of the entire CD here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/product-S29LK.shtml
Download in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-ShoppingMp3.shtml
Lyrics can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/Shopping.pdf
CORRESPONDING LINKS
Featured holidays from various cultures with historical information on their origins and corresponding activities:
http://library.loganutah.org/directory/links/holidays.html
More information on various holidays with even more activities.
http://db.education-world.com/perl/browse?cat_id=1793
THIS WEEK'S THEME - Celebrating Diversity, Promoting Peace
We hope that you'll enjoy the two songs we are sending this week. As I mentioned earlier, we endeavor to celebrate diversity and promote peace on our web site through our pen pal corner. This week's theme is based on two of our songs, "Celebrate the Human Race" which will be enjoyed by younger children and "Pen Pals / Amigos por correspondencia".
Besides being an entertaining song, "Pen Pals / Amigos por correspondencia" teaches many things. The lyrics can be used to teach many 'adjectives of quality' and opposites. This song is appropriate for both Spanish and ESL classes.
"Celebrate the Human Race" is one of my favorite songs. It is suitable for K-4 students. I would pair it up with some of the other corresponding activities for an interesting unit.
FREE SONGS & LYRICS DOWNLOADS
"Pen Pals / Amigos por correspondencia"
Download in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-PenPalsMp3.shtml
Lyrics for Pen Pals / Amigos por correspondencia can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/PenPals.pdf
The song Pen Pals / Amigos por correspondencia is from the recording Bilingual Songs: English-Spanish vol. 4.
This CD will be released within the next two weeks.It is possible to pre-order now and save 33%. You can view the contents of the entire CD here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/product-S30LK.shtml
"Celebrate the Human Race"
Download in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-HumanRaceMp3.shtml
Lyrics for Celebrate the Human Race can be found here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-HumanRace.shtml
The song Celebrate the Human Race is from the recording Celebrate the Human RaceYou can view the contents of the entire CD here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/product-106.shtml
CORRESPONDING CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES AND LINKS
I always encourage teachers and parents to have their students enter the geography challenge and pit themselves (and their knowledge) against students from all over the world. Countries are rated according to how well they do. Here is the link for that:
http://www.geographyzone.com/new/index.php?t=1&b=1
Stamp collecting can be a rewarding, educational and fun pastime. Check out these links to help get your kids started. You'll have lots of fun too!This site will be of interest to kids between 5-12 years of age. W.J. Bill Finch, collected stamps for over 80 years before passing away two years ago. As a tribute to his devotion helping young people become stamp collectors, his family keeps the site going. There some interesting things on this site, including the offer of free stamps for kids between the ages of 5-12 years of age.
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/8406/index.html
Preteens can check out this neat site:
http://www.bnaps.org/stamps4kids/pre.htm
THIS WEEK'S THEME
GLOBAL WARMING AND ITS POSSIBLE LINK TO HURRICANES
Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. A recent article on CNN online warns that global warming might be making hurricanes even more ferocious. The article concluded that although some scientists say that any link is premature, at least one prominent study suggests that hurricanes have become significantly stronger in the past few decades over the same period we have been experiencing 'global warming'.
Please feel free to download our 'environment' songs in English, Spanish and French for use in your classroom (or at home). We've found a few interesting corresponding links teaching kids about global warming, hurricanes and preparing for other natural disasters.
FREE SONG DOWNLOAD IN ENGLISH - Who's Going to Save Us Now?
You can view the contents of the entire CD here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/product-103.shtml
Download in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-EnvironmentMp3.shtml
Lyrics can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/WhosGoingToSaveUs.pdf
FREE SONG DOWNLOAD IN SPANISH - ¿Quién nos salvará?
You can view the contents of the entire CD here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/product-S03.shtml
Download in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-NossalvaraMp3.shtml
Lyrics for "¿Quién nos salvará?" can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/NosSalvara.pdf
FREE SONG DOWLOAD IN FRENCH - Qui viendra a notre secours?
You can view the contents of the entire CD here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/product-F03.shtml
Download in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-NotresecoursMp3.shtml
Lyrics for "Qui viendra a notre secours?" can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/Notresecours.pdf
GLOBAL WARMING, HURRICANES AND NATURAL DISASTERS
LINKS FOR PRESCHOOLERS
Here is an online coloring book for kids (pdf format that can be printed out) teaching about the weather and natural disasters.
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/color.pdf
ONLINE GAMES AND ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS FIVE THROUGH TWELVE YEARS OF AGE
'Cool Kids for a Cool Climate' teaches the causes and effects of climate change. It's animated, colorful and interesting. Check it out.
http://www.coolkidsforacoolclimate.com/Causes&Effects/
CausesEffectsIndex.htm
'EPA Global Warming Kids' Page' teaches about global warming, the water cycle and the carbon cycle through cute animations and quizzes.
http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/kids/version2.html
Check out these games for kids teaching about climate change!
http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/kids/games/index.html
FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has a very cool website teaching about hurricanes.
http://www.fema.gov/kids/hurr.htm
'FEMA For Kids' site has a load of information and quizzes for kids teaching about disasters and preparation.
http://www.fema.gov/kids/dizarea.htm
THIS WEEK'S THEME - "PETS - AND HOW THEY CAN TRANSFORM LIVES"
Although this week's song is a preposition song, its centered around a pet cat. I wanted to dedicate this newsletter to my son's dog, Happy, who just passed away last week. Originally Happy came to us as a wild dog I found at the local shelter. As time passed, Happy became more tame and my son Ben, became much more of a risk taker. Together they shared incredible adventures including a bicycle trip from Toronto, through the Laurentians, south to Montreal and back to Toronto. I'm sure they shared many other adventures I'll never know about. Happy will be missed.
FREE SONG DOWNLOAD IN ENGLISH - Prepositions
You can view the contents of the entire CD here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/product-120.shtml
Download in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-PrepositionsMp3.shtml
Lyrics for "Prepositions" can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/Prepositions.pdf
FREE SONG DOWNLOAD IN SPANISH - Las preposiciones
You can view the contents of the entire CD here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/product-S20.shtml
Download in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-PreposicionesMp3.shtml
Lyrics for "Las preposiciones" can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/Laspreposiciones.pdf
FREE SONG DOWNLOAD IN FRENCH - Les prépositions
You can view the contents of the entire CD here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/product-F20.shtml
Download in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-LesprepositionsMp3.shtml
Lyrics for "Les prepositions" can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/Lesprepositions.pdf
PETS AND HOW THEY CAN TRANSFORM OUR LIVES
Here are a few links with activities that can be used in tandem with this week's songs.
LINKS FOR PRESCHOOLERS
Here is a link to a fun crossword puzzle about pets:
http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/family/pets/print_crossword.html
LINKS FOR KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE 2
Pet ownership requires responsibility. Young kids can learn about the responsibility by coloring the 10 Commandments of Pet Ownership.
http://www.vca.org.au/kids/games/colour01/index.html
Lots of kids have lots of different kinds of pets including gerbils, rabbits, ponies, cats, dogs, hamsters, goldfish, mice, rats and guinea pigs. Read all about them here and have fun with these activities and quizzes.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/wild/pets/
ONLINE GAMES FOR KIDS FIVE THROUGH TWELVE YEARS OF AGE
Activities and worksheets teaching about pets and other animals
http://www.avma.org/careforanimals/kidscorner/petpourri3.asp
Check out some fun quizzes about dogs here:
http://loveyourdog.com/gamecenter.html
It seems that things are always busy! A wonderful thing about technology is that it brings everyone in the world closer. We find ourselves corresponding with publishers in Slovenia and retailers in Singapore as easily as if they were next door! The down-side is when technology fails us. This week we had two phone lines (including the fax line) cut and disabled for a couple of days. Luckily everything is in order now. I still think technology's great.
Just outside of my office window, three baby robins are growing so big that they're falling out of the nest. Soon these cuties will be heading south. I snapped two pictures of them this week. You can see the baby birds on the blog. I thought that I'd feature our song about migration this week. We think that you'll enjoy our song "Take a Hike", as well as links to lots of free corresponding lesson plans and other goodies.
THIS WEEK'S THEME - "MIGRATION"
It's hard to believe (because the weather here is so hot now) but soon migration will start to occur. Butterflies may be on their way to Mexico already! We hope you enjoy this song about migration and the wonderful corresponding links which follow.
FREE SONG DOWNLOAD: - Take a Hike from Celebrate Seasons
You can view the contents of the entire CD here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/product-118.shtml
Download in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-TakeAHikeMp3.shtml
Lyrics for Take a Hike can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/TakeAHike.pdf
CORRESPONDING EDUCATIONAL LINKS AND ACTIVITIES
Did you know that milkweed is the only food source for Monarch caterpillars? There is a severe shortage of milkweed along their 3,000 mile migration route. Without milkweed their young will perish in large numbers. You can help by starting your own butterfly garden. Order your free milkweed seeds here: http://www.livemonarch.com/free-milkweed-seeds.htm
You'll find many more fun and free activities that kids can do to support the migration of monarch butterflies here:
http://www.livemonarch.com/kids.htm
Pacific Loggerhead and Pacific Leatherback turtles face the possiblity of extinction over the next two decades. Many die by getting caught in fishing gear each year. Did you know that sea turtles sometimes migrate half-way across the ocean? Take a look for yourself:
http://whyfiles.org/196ocean/2.html
Curious to know where North American birds migrate to during the winter? Check it out.
http://www.wildbirds.org/whergow.htm
How far does a hummingbird migrate? Check this neat quiz to find out:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/exbirds/avian.html
THIS WEEK'S THEME - "IT'S WINTER IN NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA!"
Finding the summer weather a little too hot? It's easy, in the middle of a heat wave, to forget that the southern hemisphere is experiencing winter right now. This week we received a neat family photo from Chris and Ross of New Beginnings, an online store in New Zealand, of them sliding down the hill on a toboggan and we thought we'd make different seasons around the world this week's theme.
FREE SONG DOWNLOAD: - Different Seasons from Celebrate Seaons
You can view the contents of the entire CD here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/product-118.shtml
Download in Mp3 format:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/promo-DifferentSeasonsMp3.shtml
Lyrics for Different Seasons can be downloaded here:
http://www.sara-jordan.com/DifferentSeasons.pdf
CHECK OUT THE SNOW IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND WITH THESE WEBCAM LINKS
It's great skiing weather in New Zealand.
http://www.nzsnow.com/html/coronet-peak-webcam.htm
If you click on the arrows at the bottom of each photo, here, you'll find yourself going on a web cam tour of some pretty amazing shots. http://www.ski.com.au/snowcams/thredbo5.html
GREAT LINKS IN PREPARATION FOR BACK-TO-SCHOOL
ONLINE GAMES FOR PRESCHOOLERS
Trust the CBC for putting out some quality stuff. This is the first time I've seen this website but it's filled with impressive, interactive, educational games.
http://www.cbc.ca/kidscbc/
ONLINE GAMES FOR KIDS FIVE THROUGH TWELVE YEARS OF AGE
Try out the "Fun Brain Arcade" with games for kids from grades one through eight. I wish my kids were still young so I'd have an excuse to try these out all day long!
http://www.funbrain.com/brain/JustForFunBrain/JustForFunBrain.html
Cool math games for kids. They're addictive!
http://www.mathplayground.com/