Spice Up Word Play to Attract Kids’ Attention

Hi and welcome back to Attentionology for K – 5 Teachers! Word Play is a great way to catch and keep kids’ attention. Where? Anywhere…school, camp, vacation destinations, during holiday travel time…anywhere! Voiced Word Play  works best for young children. Rhythmic

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Helping Kids in Troubled Times

Hi and welcome back to Attentionology for K – 5 Teachers! Helping Kids in Troubled Times – More worrisome world news can make even the brightest of us feel troubled. When you sense that a number of students feel anxious

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Make Magic in Class with Secret Homes for Special Poems

Hi and welcome back to Attentionology for K – 5 Teachers! In some parts of the world today, people are wishing for a magic wand to make miserable weather disappear. “Poof! Be gone, wicked weather,” we’d say if we had magical

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Attention on Helping Children Cope in Troubled Times

Hi and welcome back to Attentionology for K – 5 Teachers! When you greet students in school on mornings after terrible news stories reach across the globe and bring sadness to so many hearts… …you have a big opportunity to help children cope

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Teach with Poems Set to Music = Songs!

Hi and welcome back to Attentionology for K – 5 Teachers! Pull Kids in with Poetry is the title of a popular post that I’ve published. Now, here in the fall heading into the holidays, poems come to mind again

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Become a Dream Catcher!

Hi and welcome back to Attentionology for K – 5 Teachers! Native American dreamcatchers are delightful circular weavings with feathers and beads dangling down. Many dreamcatchers are woven with a single bead at the center of the web. Others simply

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Crazy Color-Coded Games Catch Kids’ Attention

Hi and welcome back to Attentionology for K – 5 Teachers! When students seem sleepy or more distracted than usual, catch their attention with crazy color-coded games. Hot Wheels Color Game – Background: Art teachers and other educators often help children

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Three Cheers for Healthy Living!

Hi and welcome back to Attentionology for K – 5 Teachers! Most communities around the world draw cheering crowds to local sporting events. Elementary school students may or may not play in youth leagues, but most kids enjoy cheering for a

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School Breaks – a Time to Rejuvenate – Here’s How

Hi and welcome back to Attentionology for K – 5 Teachers! Most teachers love their work; we have a passion for helping children learn, but the job is exhausting. Kids think that vacation time is for them…ha! Teachers know better!

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Center Kids’ Attention with Vacation Stations

Hi and welcome back to Attentionology for K – 5 Teachers! Weekdays just ahead of the end of a school term can seem like they last forever, especially for K – 5 teachers and students who are counting the hours until vacation.

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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.
Quick tips for common classroom conundrums: K-5
Situation: Young students are getting noisy while you’re trying to teach.

Solution: Hold up "Listen Star," a toy magic wand that you’ve designated to be a cue for quiet. Tell the class, "When you see our friend, 'Listen Star' dance across the classroom sky, that’s your signal to HUSH for a moment."

Related Posts: Let "Listen Star" Work Magic for You