If you have an interactive whiteboard in your classroom you could all watch this beautiful traditional story and listen to the accompanying classical music composed by Tchaikovsky: THE NUTCRACKER
In the classroom this week: Exercise is still our theme this week. Here are some brilliant TEAM GAMES to play with your class.
You can try these exercises with Mickey Mouse. It’s fun to do them together while you watch the video on an interactive whiteboard. But you will need to move the desks out of the way first!
In the computer lab this week:
Talking Story – Level 1 Advanced, “Bend and stretch” continued.
Level 2
In the classroom this week: Do you know the nursery rhyme below? Enjoy singing it with your class. Rhymes and songs are a great help to children who are learning English as a second language.
You can make your own Top Trumps card game about spiders. This was designed by Nathan, aged 10, in Cape Town: SPIDERS. If you don’t know how to play, click here: TOP TRUMPS RULES.
In the computer lab this week:
Talking Story – Level 2 Advanced, “Let’s make a spider” continued.
Level 3
In the classroom this week: Continue making the climbing clowns that you started last week. Have your children seen clowns in action? If not, here are two cool videos to enjoy. These will be fun for the whole class to watch together if you have an interactive whiteboard.
In the computer lab this week:
Talking Story – Level 3 Advanced, “Make a climbing clown” continued.
In the classroom this week: It’s time to assess whether each learner is able to read all of this year’s key words. You have two weeks to do this assessment. Take time to sit with each learner individually and tick the words they are able to recognise. Be sure to send a copy home to parents! Click here for the Level 1 assessment sheet: Key words Assessment Level 1 lists 1-3
In the computer lab this week:
Talking Story – Level 1 Advanced, “Goggas”.
Your children can create their own SUPER BUG game card. Each child gets to choose the head, body, legs and special powers of their bug and then name their bug. This can be printed on a Top-Trumps style of game card. Children could create several if they choose, and then compare these with their friends’ cards. It’s a great way to make the “Goggas” Talking Story come alive!
Level 2
In the classroom this week: It’s time to assess whether each learner is able to read all of this year’s key words. You have two weeks to do this assessment. Take time to sit with each learner individually and tick the words they are able to recognise. Be sure to send a copy home to parents! Click here for the Level 2 assessment sheet: Key Words Assessment Level 2 Lists 1-4
In the computer lab this week:
Talking Story – Level 2 Advanced, “Maps”
Make maps relevant to your children by visiting GOOGLE MAPS and typing the full address of your school (including your country) in the “Search Maps” box. They will love to see the map of your school’s local area. In addition, if you click on the red pointer on the map, you can then select “street view” which shows your children a photograph of the building taken from the street. It’s an awesome experience when children see this for the first time! Within minutes they will be exploring on their own, typing in their own addresses and those of family and friends – just think of all the wonderful learning that is going on as children explore this feature on their own!
Level 3
In the classroom this week: It’s time to assess whether each learner is able to read all of this year’s key words. You have two weeks to do this assessment. Take time to sit with each learner individually and tick the words they are able to recognise. Be sure to send a copy home to parents! Click here for the Level 3 assessment sheet: Key Words Assessment Level 3 Lists 1-3
In the computer lab this week:
Talking Story – Level 3 Advanced, “The flood”.
Teach your children about flooding: what causes it; what we can do; emergency measures; watch videos about flooding. Here is a wonderful set or resources, designed for primary schools: FLOODING RESOURCES
In the classroom this week: Remember to learn Level 1, List 3 Key Words throughout this term. Each child should have their own printed words, cut into single word cards and put in a small bag or envelope.
The theme of this week’s talking story is prepositions of place (in, on, under, over etc.) Here is a video song that will help to reinforce these concepts:
In the computer lab this week:
Talking Story – Level 1 Advanced, “In, out, over and under”.
Level 2
In the classroom this week: Learn to read and spell Level 2, List 4 Key Words during the course of this term. Here is an online game to help reinforce high frequency words: I CAN READ GAME.
In the computer lab this week:
Talking Story – Level 2 Advanced, “Big machines”
Level 3
In the classroom this week: Throughout this term keep practising to read and spell Level 3, List 3 Key Words.
In the computer lab this week:
Talking Story – Level 3 Advanced, “Pick it up!”
This week’s Talking Story is all about litter and waste, and the impact on the environment and the animals who share it. You can ORDER A FREE VIDEO called “Share the World” which contains a section about how litter harms animals.
On 4 September 2010 Kathy McCabe was interviewed by CNBC Africa following the success of the Talking Stories in literacy teaching in the Western Cape, South Africa. Watch the interview here, and please leave a comment to let us know what you think!
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Education videos, Games, talking books | 
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