Book Study: Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites Chapters 4 and 5

I forgot to link up last time so today's blog post is about chapters 4 and 5.

CHAPTER 4

Just like when we begin a lesson with our students, an author needs to hook their reader.  At the beginning of chapter 4, I love the quote in the first paragraph "you don't stop playing because you get old.  You get old because you stop playing."  As a primary teacher, games are very useful in my classroom.  I want to make learning meaningful and fun for my students.

Why should students play games?
"When student's are engrossed in game playing, the stress is lessened and memory for content is increased!"  (Tate, p. 31)

"Using game formats encourages students to cooperate with one another, helps them focus and pay attention, and is motivating and loads of fun." (Algozzine, Campbell & Wang, 2009a)

Games I have used in the classroom:

Math

-Subtraction Bowling

-Loose Tooth Subtraction

-Shamrock Sums

-Race to 100

Literacy

-SCOOT

-CVC Cupcakes

-Compound Word Football

CHAPTER 5 

Why should teachers use graphic organizers?
"They address both the left and the right hemisphere of students, so they are beneficial to all.  The students strong in the left hemisphere can supply the verbiage, and the right-hemipshere students have the option of showing what they know pictorially. " (Tate, p. 39)

"Graphic organizers are powerful tools for instruction since they enable students to organize data into segments or chunks that they comprehend and manage." (Gregory & Parry, 2006, p. 138)

Sadly I don't have many pictures of graphic organizers I use in the classroom.  A few examples from the past:

-Theme: picture of each Kevin Henkes book that I read then the theme of each book

-Editing/Revising: CUPS and MUGS

-4 square: each operation with commonly used words

-Venn Diagram: comparing 2 books

I am officially on spring break.  Can't wait for the beach.  Have a great week!