School Success is a big part of what we do...is one of our core standards...Academic Achievement!! Typically, I focus on Study Skills during the month of September...I can usually get 2 good lessons in with each grade level on this topic! Marco Products has a ready-made curriculum called The Nature of Study Skills for grades K-3!!
They
had a set for 4th and 5th grade as well, but I'm not sure if they still sell it
with the kit! Not expensive at all ($24.95, Puppets might be sold separately)! This program still uses
puppets in their lessons and the students still get a kick out of seeing the
puppets come into the classroom!! There is a CD that comes with the lessons so
you don't even have to talk for the puppet...just manipulate the mouth as the
CD plays! It has reproducible activities and everything!!
Some of
the lessons included are:
- Listening
- Paying Attention
- Working Quietly
- Staying on Task
- Following Directions
- Being Prepared
- Goal Setting
- Prioritizing
- Organization
As I previously stated, the curriculum uses puppets so you would have to be pretty comfortable taking them into the classroom!! They may seem "Old School" but with everything technology in the classroom, the kids still get excited when I bring my "friends" in to teach lessons!!! The lessons use work habits of animals to show how those same work habits can be used by students to be successful. Each puppet is named after a famous person in American history to show how work habits of specific animals have helped them reach success.
For example...Kindergarten uses an Owl, named after Amelia Earhart, to explain the work habits of owls. Over the course of 6 lessons, they will take these work habits, and compare them to good work habits for students. With the listening lesson, the CD will explain how owls are great listeners and why listening is so important to their survival. You then, compare and discuss how being a good listener is a great work habit for students and why its so important. Following the discussion there is a hands on listening activity to illustrate and practice good listening!
I would love to share some of the lessons specifically, but due to copyright laws, I can't! I don't get to use all 6 lessons in my school because I'm in my classes 2x per month, but I pick out the ones that seem the most beneficial for my population. I would even suggest asking the teachers what they see as the biggest issue and focus the lessons on those...
Hope this helps some of you!!! Enjoy!!
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