Hop Aboard the FREE Expressive Word Express!
FREE is a super expressive, attention-getting word.
Hi and welcome back to Attentionology for K – 5 Teachers!
Quick question…what’s your favorite word? For many, the answer is the word FREE.
FREE is a super expressive, attention-getting word.
The word FREE is so catchy that advertisers of products and services worldwide use it frequently.
Educators can hop aboard this FREE word train and use FREE to catch and keep K – 5 students’ attention in school.
Head down the following track for a How To or Two…
FREE BOOKS - I recently spotted a handwritten sign on a large shelf in a media center that read FREE BOOKS. Sitting just below the sign was one lonely book – a testimony to the power of the word FREE. All the other reusable books were already claimed by new owners.
Why not make the word FREE a more frequent companion in media centers and classrooms. How? Change up what you give away!
Post a train on a bulletin board. Invite students to write expressive words on cards to tack to the train cars.
FREE TICKETS FOR THE FREE EXPRESSIVE WORD EXPRESS – Kids can join teachers aboard the Free Expressive Word Express Train.
Post a grade-appropriate cut out train or photo of a train on a bulletin board in your classroom. Add a header that reads Hop Aboard the Free Expressive Word Express!
Invite students to write expressive words on colorful cards. Tack up the cards to the train cars to create your own Expressive Word Express Train.
Encourage students to reference the Expressive Word Express train car cards during writing time.
Offering opportunities for students to express their thoughts and ideas is a widely recognized best practice in K – 5 classes.
FREE ADVICE – Whip up a box full of FREE ADVICE.
Write helpful hints for achieving success in school (and life) on index cards or on slips of white paper (like fortunes inside cookies) and place them inside a colorful box.
Place the box in a conspicuous place in your classroom and post a FREE ADVICE sign by the box to attract attention.
Encourage students to help themselves and benefit from private readings of your helpful hints.
FREE is a super expressive, attention-getting word.
How else can you put it to work to encourage students to express themselves? (more…)
Barbara Cleary has been serving as a resource to hundreds of educators for more than 25 years.
An award-winning writer, producer, teacher, and trainer, Barbara’s focus is on offering easy, fun tools and tricks that support K-5 curricula and assist teachers with classroom management.
