MoWillems.com

Mo Willems, who used to be a writer and animator for Sesame Street, is one of our school's favorite authors. Writing primarily for primary children, Mo has won the Caldecott Honor for Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, and Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity. MoWillems.com contains information about his characters, new books, and computer games. Mo also has his own blog and the Pigeon character "Tweets."

Math Playground

If you are looking to practice math skills at home, www.mathplayground.com is an excellent site for elementary students in grades 1-6. The site includes math videos, word problems, logic games, and general skill practice. Activities are aligned with the Common Core Curriculum Standards. The site is so popular, that many students like to use it at home or during free time at school.

Dance Mat Typing

Now that cursive writing has been removed from the state standards, more emphasis is being placed on children learning keyboarding. There are many schools of thought on this practice. Some educators believe that students need direct instruction in keyboarding, while others believe that it should be embedded in classroom writing activities. As a technology teacher, I believe that students need a little bit of both methods, as long as practice activities are fun. I have included a link to a BBC website called Dance Mat Typing. Students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade seem to enjoy it!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/