Sylvan Dell New Blog Feature

Sylvan Dell Publishing has begun a new feature on their company blog, called "Teachable Moments." They intend to share tips and suggestions for teachable moments with teachers, media specialists, parents, book store personnel…anyone who could utilize their books and free educational materials (what teacher couldn't utilize free educational materials??). They'll be featuring this once a week. Today they're kicking it off with the new moon.

Humor for Teachers

I promised some ideas for teachers (and parents) on how to incorporate humor into a learning situation. Here's one that's fun to try:

Spelling Words: Incorporate spelling words into a joke, riddle or funny paragraph. Have each student get in front of the class and use one spelling word in a joke or riddle (their choice of which word). For example, suppose you’re a 2nd grade student and the word “teacher” is on your spelling list. Read through a joke book (or use the index) and find a joke that uses your work, such as:

What did the fish teacher say to her school?
"Attention, gills and buoys!"
(from Greatest Goofiest Jokes, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.)

What a FUN way to learn spelling words! You'll have kids begging to get their new spelling list!