Learning & Loving It is a series featuring simple, yet fun educational activities for home learning and virtual, interactive tutoring.

LRC Learning and Loving It
 

Rainbow Retelling Bracelet

This colorful bracelet will help a child retell the story they just listened to or read and can be used by tutors, teachers and parents. (Adapted from Growing Book by Book)
 

Supplies: String or plastic lacing, 6 stringing beads (red, orange, yellow green, blue, purple would work best)  
optional- a strip of paper and crayons to color a rainbow if you do not have beads/string


LRC retelling bracelet

Putting it together

    1. Measure the string or lacing for the correct size to fit the child’s wrist.
    2. String the bead by placing the colors in rainbow order (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
    3. Tie the string together with a knot.
     
    If you don’t have string or beads, you may make a bracelet with paper and crayons, colored pencils or markers. Just cut the strip to fit their wrist, and color lines across the width to match the colors of the rainbow. (See image above)

 

Retelling the story

    Slide one bead over at a time, or put a finger on one colored line, beginning with red. Use prompts to ask questions with each bead.

 

Prompts

    R= Ready to hear a retelling of the story? The characters in the story are…
    O= On to where the story took place (setting)
    Y= You have to hear the problem… (something that happens that needs to be fixed)
    G= Get ready for a few more details… (major events)
    B= Better start bringing it to a close and telling you how the problem was solved…
    P= Picking my favorite part is easy. It was when…

 
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Learning & Loving It is a series featuring simple, yet fun educational activities for home learning and virtual, interactive tutoring.

LRC Learning and Loving It
 

“Egg-Citing” Egg Activities for Reading & Math

Easter may be over, but don’t pack away those plastic eggs! We have “egg-citing” ideas for tutors, teachers and parents to use for learning.
 

Supplies: Plastic eggs, Sharpie marker, optional word family list (see attachment)

Spinning Eggs

Spinning Egg

    For skills in both and reading and math

  • For reading practice, make these eggs using word families to build new words at the egg is turned.
  • Ex: the “_at” family and can use letters like “b” to make “bat” or “c” to make “cat”.
  •  
    Optional activities with spinning eggs:

  • Make eggs using math fact families such as “5+4=” and “3+6=” “9”
  • For competitive students, time them saying the words and have them try to beat their personal best

 

Break-Apart Eggs

Break Apart Eggs

    For skills in both reading and math

  • With this activity, you’ll write a word (or letter) on the top half and a word (or letter) on the lower half.
  • Ex: upper/lower case letters, synonyms/antonyms, compound words, contractions, math facts, number recognition, etc.
    Then, you’ll break the eggs apart and either mix them up or hid the halves and have students match them to put them back together again.

 
Download your word family list here.
 
See the demonstration on Facebook.
 
Click for additional Learning & Loving It activities!
 
 

Learning & Loving It is a series featuring simple, yet fun educational activities for home learning and virtual, interactive tutoring.

LRC Learning and Loving It
 
Beach Ball Toss
 
1. Take a medium or small beach ball; Inflate and write the following on each panel or section of the ball with permanent marker:

    a. Who?

    b. What?

    c. Where?

    d. When?

    e. How?

    f. Why?

 
2. Read the whole or a portion of a text—fiction or non-fiction.
 
3. The Player tosses the ball into the air and catches it with both hands. He or she then looks to see the questions touched by each thumb, selects one, and answers the question. For more than one player, the ball is tossed to another player who after answering the question tosses the ball to the next player.
 
4. Points can be awarded to determine a final score.
 
Note: If the player is playing alone and the answer is unknown or thought to be incorrect, the player may refer to the text or passage to find the correct answer. This game works well with a variety of different subjects and applications.
 

  • Beach Ball Toss Instructions
  •  
    Tried it? Share how it worked for you or add any suggestions on our Facebook page: LRCPolk.
     
    Click for additional Learning & Loving It activities!
     
     

    Learning & Loving It is a series featuring simple, yet fun educational activities for home learning and virtual, interactive tutoring.

    LRC Learning and Loving It
     
    LRC Math Bingo
     
    1. Create the Bingo components:

    master card, player’s card, individual pieces, tokens (can be markers, bottle caps, paper clips, poker chips, pennies, etc.)

    2. Set Rules: Bingo can be—

      a. Straight: 5 spaces are covered with a token in a straight line—across, down, diagonal

      b. Full House: Every space is covered with a token

      c. Picture Frame: Spaces in outside borders are covered with a token

      d. Other variations, such as the cross, the X.

    3. To Start: Player places token on Free Space; caller places individual pieces in a container, such as a Solo Cup, and thoroughly mixes.

    4. Caller draws an individual piece, and player places token on the matching space on his player’s card.

    5. Player shouts out “Bingo” when pre-determined spaces are covered
     
    Note: This game works incredibly well with children (and adults) of all ages– sight vocabulary words for the younger child; math facts and algebra problems or science for the middle school student; or foreign languages or history facts for the older student. It can be played with partners or groups. Students have fun creating their own cards and pieces.
     

  • Download a blank BINGO board here.
  • Click here to download a sample BINGO card. 

     
     
    Tried it? Share how it worked for you or add any suggestions on our Facebook page: LRCPolk.
     
    Click for additional Learning & Loving It activities!
     
     

  • Learning & Loving It is a series featuring simple, yet fun educational activities for home learning and virtual, interactive tutoring.

    LRC Learning and Loving It
     

    Step by step instructions for using a cootie catcher (or fortune teller)

    LRC Cootie Catcher

       
      1. Take a single piece of paper, fold, and label–Click for diagram
       
      2. Poke your thumbs and forefingers under the flaps.
       
      3. Bring your fingers together so the Cootie Catcher forms a peak.
       
      4. Pick a color and spell it out, moving the catcher vertically and horizontally with your fingers for each letter.
       
      5. Pick a number and count it out, moving the catcher vertically and horizontally with your fingers for each number.
       
      6. Pick a number and lift the corresponding flap and answer the question.
       
      7. Repeat steps 3-5.

     
    Note: Cootie Catchers are great for reading comprehension questions, vocabulary words and definitions, formulas, math facts, geography, science, and history.
     

     
     
    Tried it? Share how it worked for you or add any suggestions on our Facebook page: LRCPolk.
     
    Click for additional Learning & Loving It activities!