ABC and 123's Kick Off Extravaganza

Welcome to ABC and 123: A Learning Cooperative. We are busy planning an exciting two week kick off starting Friday March 13th! Some may find Friday the 13th to be an unlucky day, but since one Katie is celebrating a birthday that day, we think it will be the perfect time to celebrate this new beginning.

We are genuinely enthusiastic about learning and teaching, at all levels, to all abilities. We just couldn't wait until the 13th to let you in on our excitement. We are looking forward to seeing many great learning activities and lessons from you, our collaborators! Please take some time to look around. Browse the links on our left sidebar to check out the upcoming themes we are collecting ideas for, our posting schedule, and tips on how to write a great submission.

The activities you share do not have to be brand new. If you have some "big hits" posted in your archives, that you've tried with your children and/or students, we'd love to review them. Please send you submissions to: abc123learning@gmail.com

When you return on March 13th for our kick off event, you will have the opportunity to test your luck with the first of our daily time saving, learning activity giveaways. A new giveaway EVERY day for TWO weeks - yes, you read that right! The 13th will also be our first day "live" sharing with you the lessons and activities we've compiled!

Are you as excited as we are? Here is what you can do in the mean time.
~Become a follower and be one of the 1st to participate on the 13th!
~Grab our button to share the news & make it easy to find your way back!
~Leave us a comment regarding a theme you'd love to see featured!
~Send us your submissions!

If you do those three things you will already be well on your way to winning a prize in our first giveaway! There may even be an additional prize announced for early bird participation.

Looking forward to cooperating with you as we learn together,
Katie & Katie

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Sample Lesson Plan: Wonder Why?

Learning Objective:
Your child will explore states of matter, specifically experiencing melting point.

Materials:
~buckets of snow
~kitchen sink
~optional: shovels, toy cars & trucks, cookie cutters, spoons & more

Procedure:
Fill the sink with snow & play!
While you play, encourage questions & ask some of your own.
~I wonder, what will happen to the snow once it comes into the house?
~I wonder, how long the snow will take to melt completely?
~I wonder, will turning on the cold water change the snow at all?
~I wonder, would hot water change the snow in the sink?
~I wonder, what will be left in the sink if the snow melts?

Bonus Lesson: After seeing the crud (twigs, leaves, sand, dirt, etc.) left lining the sink, once the snow melts, your child in not likely to wonder anymore about why he/she should not eat snow!

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Sample Lesson Plan: Sorting by Color

Sorting Valentine Erasers By ColorLearning Objective: Child will identify, name, and sort by color.

Materials: Colored erasers, colored paper squares

Lesson Plan:

1. Give your child a set of colored erasers with three or more different colors represented.
   
2. Have child examine erasers.
   
3. Discuss with child the colors of the erasers, identify each one by name
   
4. Lay out paper squares, saying the color of each as it is layed down
   
5. Model for child how to sort erasers by color by sorting one or two erasers, saying color name as sorting.
   
6. Have child sort erasers by color, assisting as needed.


7. Continue to reinforce color name by discussing what he or she is doing, "Yes, that is red. What color is the next one? It's green."

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Lesson Plan Format

We are always looking for clear and concisely written lesson plans to feature and post. We know you have great ideas, please share them! Email submissions to abc123learning@gmail.com

To view our current submission requests, click here.
To see our posting schedule, click here.
To see sample lesson plans, click here:

Please include the following in your submissions:

• A clearly written title: one that tells exactly what your lesson is about
• Learning objective: even if they are not part of your post, please include them in your email submission at the top of your email. This helps us categorize submissions for posting.
• A DIRECT LINK to the post you are submitting for consideration; not a link to your blog homepage.

While we will consider all submissions however, activities submitted in the following format will receive special consideration:

• Title: The name of your activity, should give the reader a clear idea of the subject and topic, can also be the title of you post
• Picture: Picture of lesson being done, finished product from lesson, or picture of materials used for the lesson - please have prior consent from the parents of any minor child who appear in your photographs.
• Learning Objective: Short, clear statement of what skill is being taught during the lesson
• Materials: List of materials required to complete lesson
• Tutorial/Lesson Plan Procedure: Step by step, usually numbered list of how to do the lesson. You may also want to include extension activities or ways to modify your lesson for older or younger learners.

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Current Submission Requests

Please email submissions to abc123learning@gmail.com
To view our current submission requests, click here.
To see our posting schedule, click here.
To see sample lesson plans, click here:

We are currently looking for reader submissions for activities and lesson plans on the following themes in addition to our daily featured content areas. Please see the box at the top of our posting header for current submission requests.

Activities and lesson plans should teach one of the core academic content areas such as:

Language arts: including phonemic awareness, book activities, reading, Writing: such as learning to write, using graphic organizers, note-taking, journaling, and paper writing - both story-telling and research basedMath: from beginning concepts such as sorting, patterning, and number identification to addition, multiplication, algebra, and higher mathematical concepts

• Science Concepts and Experiments
• Geography:
• Social Studies:
• School specials such as music, physical eduation, art, etc.
  Life Skills - think of these as manners and behaviors you'd like your child to exhibit such as acceptance, goal setting, compassion, dependability, forgiveness, independence, respect, etc.
• Any other subject, you feel readers would be interested in, but please keep in mind we are focused on academic and life skills content.

We are always looking for clear and concisely written lesson plans.
Please include the following in your submissions:

• A clearly written title: one that tells exactly what your lesson is about


• Learning objective: even if they are not part of your post, please include them in your email submission at the top of your email. This helps us categorize submissions for posting.


• A DIRECT LINK to the post you are submitting for consideration; not a link to your blog homepage.

While we will consider all submissions however, activities submitted in the following format will receive special consideration:

Title - the name of your activity, should give the reader a clear idea of the subject and topic
Picture - picture of lesson being done, finished product from lesson, or picture of materials used for the lesson
Learning Objective - short, clear statement of what skill is being taught during the lesson
Materials - list of materials required to complete lesson
Tutorial/Lesson Plan Procedure - step by step, usually numbered list of how to do the lesson.

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Posting Schedule

Please email submissions to abc123learning@gmail.com
To view our current submission requests, click here.
To see our preferred lesson plan format, click here.
To see sample lesson plans, click here:

The following is a break down of the types of activities we will feature each day. This way, our readers and contributors will know what to expect and when. One or more category may be featured each day. Monthly themes will be incorporated in daily featured activities and on Thursdays.

Monday
~Monday Math: Number concepts, telling time, measurements, arithmetic, algebra and beyond
~Management Monday: Organizing teaching materials, time, behavior, etc.
~Monkey Around Monday: Physical education ideas, movement in the classroom

Tuesday
~Teacher Feature: Reviews of recent professional articles or books, spotlight on successful lesson, classroom material recommendations, teaching tips, ask a teacher
~Toddler Time: Early childhood activities and lessons

Wednesday
~Wondertime Wednesday: Science, Experiments and Investigations
~Words…Words…Words!: writing, sight words, spelling, etc
~Where in the World Wednesday: Geography activities

Thursday
~Thematic Thursday: activities and lessons pertaining to monthly thematic topics
~Thinking about Books: Link to activities centered on a children’s book
~Teaching Teens: Activities and issues related to middle and senior high schoolers

Friday
~Fun Friday: Favorite activities, field trip ideas and reviews, fun family activities and traditions
~5 Minute Fridays: Quick little activities
~Food Friday: Kids in the Kitchen

Saturday
~Show & Tell Saturday
~Saturday Specials – focus on art, P.E., music, drama activities, cooking, special thematic day (i.e. color day celebrations)

Sunday
~Sunday’s Life Skill: Life skills and social skills
~Sunday Social Studies

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ABC and 123: Who We Are

Welcome to ABC and 123: A Learning Cooperative! We are hoping you will make yourself "at home" here in our little corner of the blogosphere. We would like to welcome you in with an introduction. We are Katie & Katie. Beside, the obvious similarity, we share interests in education, reading instruction, and developing curriculum. Our interest led us to similar careers in both elementary and special education. Now, at this point in life, our interests in children have further lead each of us to a break from the classroom to enjoy our own young children at home.

Being home with our children gives us opportunity to focus on their learning by providing educational activities. We desire to share, find, and try new activities. Thus, the development of ABC and 123. Parents everywhere are interested in their children's education and desire to provide beneficial activities for teaching basic academic and social skills. Some are very confident with their abilities to do so, and others are not sure where to start. We want to work with you by bringing awareness to all those great ideas you already have and to encourage you to try new things. It is our desire for ABC and 123 to grow into a valuable resource, for parents and educators, to support educational growth for all children!

Please email submissions to abc123learning@gmail.com
To view our current submission requests, click here.
To see our posting schedule, click here.
To see our preferred lesson plan format, click here.
To see sample lesson plans, click here:

Meet the Katies

Katie from Katie's Nesting Spot

Education:
BS in Elementary Education
Endorsement in Elementary Education
Endorsement in Mental Impairment
Endorsement in Severe Disabilities
CA Reading Certificate

Teaching Experience:
Adult Special Day Class, Severe Multiple Impairments
Early Elementary Special Day Class, Severe Multiple Impairments
Special Day Class Kindergarten
Kindergarten
Inclusion Specialist K-2

Personal Interests:
Scrapbooking and Papercrafts
Crafting, currently teaching myself how to sew
Learing new skills, working on cooking right now
Photography
Reading, mainly about British History
US Travel, especially by the water

I'm enjoying experiencing life with a toddler. We have just begun doing structured at home learning activities. It's been facinating to watch my daughter grow and learn new skills. I'm amazed by all the new things she says daily and her observations of the world at large.

My professional goals are to return to graduate school to continue a Master program in Early Literacy, be involved in curriculum development, and to teach in an early childhood classroom.

Katie from A Listmaker's Life

Education:
BA in Elementary Special Education
Endorsement in Emotional Impairment
Endorsement in Learning Disabilities
MA in Reading Education

Teaching Experience:
Upper Elementary LD
Middle School Cognitively Impaired
First Grade
Second Grade

Personal Interests:
Curriculum Development
Scrapbooking
Creating Unique Family Traditions
Reading
Walking the Beaches of Beautiful Lake Michigan

I have taken a break from the joys of classroom teaching in order to enjoy my own children, ages 4, 3, & newborn. My goal when I return to a professional setting is to be involved with curriculum development, staff training, or coaching classroom teachers for effective literacy instruction.

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