A guide for using our resources

Children will discuss school citizenship.

Vocabulary: citizens, cooperate

Social and Life Skills Focus: Social awareness

CCSS (and states that have similar standards): RL.1.1 key details; RF.1.2 phonemes; RF.1.3 digraphs; SL.1.2 ask and answer questions

Simple, spectacular ideas to boost your lessons.

• This delightful rhyming book helps build classroom community and reminds students that they are safe and welcome in your classroom.

• Tell students that sometimes two consonants can come together to make just one sound! This is called a digraph. Use magnet letters or index cards to display letters t and h. Show them coming close together. Make the sound the letters make when they are together. Have students choose a marker and find words that begin with the th- sound. Then have students choose a different color marker and find words that have the sh- sound and wh- sound at the beginning of words.

Skill: fine-motor, writing

Materials: construction paper, Thumbs Up for Me! sentence starters, pencils, scissors, tape or glue

• Have students show a thumbs-up with their hands. Then tell them they will make a thumbs-up with construction paper!
• Model tracing your hand onto a paper. Make sure your thumb is stretched far away from your other fingers. Guide students to try it themselves on their paper.
• Provide scissors for students to cut out their handprints. Then have students fold in and glue their four fingers into the palm, leaving the thumb sticking out.
• Give students a sentence starter from the Thumbs Up for Me! template. Students can write how they are good citizens and glue it to their thumbs-up craft!