Make a Guessing Jar, Dictionary.com, and Motivational Book Pics from Literacy Staff for You

Literacy Department eNewsletter

Week of May 28, 2020

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Hopscotch, New and Improved!

Put a new spin on hopscotch by creating an outdoor obstacle course with sidewalk chalk. Kids can spend hours designing and creating their own course, providing opportunities to exercise mind and body! Get inspired by watching this video of an obstacle course, created by a Michigan mom and her daughters, as seen on

Good Morning America HERE

Incorporate directions such as: spin, zig-zag, do 3 pushups, jog in place, stomp, snap your fingers, touch your toes, whistle a tune, roar like a lion, make shapes to jump into, write letters to jump on, draw lines to jump over or balance on, and more! Then, read a book that incorporates movement. Try these titles available on Live-brary Overdrive.

Access Overdrive HERE

Monster Boogie by Laurie Berkner
Dancing Feet! By Lindsey Craig
Shake, Wiggle, and Roll by Carli Davidson
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams
Llama Llama Zippity-Zoom by Anna Dewdney

Word of the Day

Learn something new every day with Word of the Day! Dictionary.com posts a new word daily on their website, social media channels, and email newsletters.

In addition, Dictionary.com created a new Learning at Home center on their website. You will find many resources to promote learning such as vocabulary building activities and games, writing activities, grammar tools, and more. Access Learning at Home HERE

https://www.dictionary.com/e/learning-at-home-parent-teacher-center/

When I Feel Worried

Little kids are experiencing big feelings! The disruption of daily routines and the uncertainty going forward may bring up many feelings for children. They need the love and support of a trusted adult to help them figure out their feelings.

This article highlights the importance of helping children develop coping strategies in order to face challenges with strength. You will find many helpful tips, and a free printable, in the article 5 Steps to Help Children Cope with Stress . Access it HERE

Estimation Station

Create a Guessing Jar! Ivette’s Guessing Jar has 65 mints .

This family friendly activity is full of language opportunities while also practicing number sense, which can be an indicator of later success with math operations. Number sense is a group of skills such as understanding quantities, concepts such as more or less, estimation, and more. Read more about it HERE

To create a guessing jar, choose a jar and an item to fill it with. The possibilities are endless...a small toy like Legos, craft items like pom-poms, household objects like buttons, food like dried beans, candy like jelly beans, etc. Fill the jar but, do not forget to count the objects! Ask your child to guess “how many?” Then, count together. Experiment with different size objects and jars. Other questions to ask: Why did you guess that number? How do you write that number? Is your number (for example, 37) closer to 30 or 40?

2020 Census Information

The census is a count of every person who lives in the United States every 10 years. It’s important for our community because it informs decision making, representation, and funding. Response can be by phone, mail, or for the first time, online. Respond online HERE https://my2020census.gov/ or respond by phone (844) 330-2020. Ensure that you and your loved ones are counted!

The United States Census Bureau reported that 60% of all households in the country have responded- that’s over 88 million responses. You can view census response rates and keep track of how our state and counties compare to the national average HERE

Staff Picks - Pulling Your Own Strings by Wayne Dyer

Ivette suggests “Pulling Your Own Strings” written by Wayne Dyer. It gives strategies and examples of living with purpose. He captures human nature in its goodness and its imperfections. What would this world be if you couldn’t be yourself and walked around trying to be like everyone else? His message, don’t be a victim. Learn dynamic techniques for dealing with other people and living your life as your choose. Good read!

Access the audiobook on Hoopla HERE

Access the ebook on Live-brary HERE