There are some times when no matter how you present a lesson, your student just can't see the connection. One of the tools I use to make lessons more clear is transparency sheets. They are a great way to not only mix things up a bit, but they can make lessons and lesson planning less wasteful, too. Just be sure to use mirror images when printing. Here are a few of the ways I use transparency sheets.
Lesson Planning - As I mentioned in my Workbox post, I use transparency sheets in our Workbox file folders. Each day I write out instructions for every lesson so that my daughter can quickly see what needs to be done for her classes. At the end of the day, I wipe them clean and write the next day's instructions. No paper lists to throw away! I've used the same sheets for 3 years now, and don't see them wearing out any time soon.
Handwriting - When my boys were little I printed out handwriting practice sheets for each of them. Having twins, it was easy to see just how many sheets of paper were being used up. When my daughter came along, I wised up and printed her handwriting pages on transparency sheets. We used them in conjunction with her Doodle Pro for a no mess way for her practice her letters over and over again. If you don't have a magnetic doodle board, simply use dry erase crayons or markers.
Science - As my youngest is now in 5th grade, classes are getting more complex. In science, she is currently studying the body systems of animals. How better to illustrate how all the body systems fit together than with transparency sheets?! I found images of the systems at InnerBody.com, and printed them on the sheets. She added them to her science lapbook, layering them so that she can view different combinations of systems together. (Just ignore the ugly packing tape used to attach the sheets to her lapbook. Sometimes you just use what you have!)
Maps - Whether the class is U.S. History or Government, transparencies are definitely the way to look at how states vote. I found these election maps at NationalAtlas.gov. Laying one on top of the other makes it very clear which states are red, which are blue, and which are more of a purple.
Early learning - Although I have not done it myself, as you can see from the purple states, layering colored strips of the transparencies blends the colors beautifully. Print one sheet with 1/3 of the sheet red, 1/3 yellow, and 1/3 blue. Cut the three colors apart. Then, leave them out for your preschooler to discover, and watch the magic of the rainbow light up his face.
How will you use transparency sheets to make lessons more clear?
Karissa
Ready or not, August is here. All month long I'll be writing posts about what we are doing to be ready for school. Today's post is all about our version of Sue Patrick's Workbox System. If you're not familiar with the Workbox System, it is an organization and teaching system that allows your children to work more independently. There is much more to her system than I will cover here, so if you want more information you can search Google, or buy her ebook. However, let me give you a brief overview.
You start with some sort of cabinet or container for each student. It can be a set of shelves, an organizer drawer set, or in our case a portable file box. Within that container you have smaller containers for each class that student is taking. For example, if you are using shelves, you might choose to use plastic shoe boxes for each class. If you use an organizer drawer set, then use a different drawer for each class. Since we use a file box, we have one hanging file for each class. I know that sounds a little confusing. It's not complicated, just kind of hard to explain. Let me show you. Here is my daughter's workbox, and each of the files for her classes.
Each day, I only put that day's classes in the box. So, if she only has math & social studies on that day, those are the only files in her box. Within the files is that day's work for the class. I include everything she needs so that she can work independently and not loose focus because she has to find her textbook, manipulative, or any other material. I also include an instruction sheet so that she knows which pages to read, what problems to solve, etc. (Tip: I use blank transparency sheets for my instruction sheets, and write on them with Crayola Dry Erase Crayons so they are reusable.) Here is what is in my daughter's social studies folder for her first day of class; it contains her textbook, workbook, lapbook, and instruction sheet.
Notice that there is a cute little decorative label clipped to the front of the file. I made these easy to remove in order to boost her sense of accomplishment. We have a ribbon with paper clips hanging on the wall at my daughter's desk. As she completes each class, she hangs the label on the ribbon as a visual reward for finishing the class. This makes it very easy for her (& me) to see what she has done, and what she has left to do.
I hope this helps you understand the Workbox System and how you can customize it to fit your home classroom. It does take a little bit of time to set it up for each day. I usually get the next day ready after the kids are in bed each evening. However, it saves even more time each day because everyone knows just what to do, and has all the tools to do it. Next week, I'll share how we use a block schedule to stay focused.
Karissa
