Great video: SESAME STREET: ELMO AND THE BOOKANEERS, PIRATES WHO LOVE TO READ

Watch it on Pivotal Kids the blog => http://bit.ly/c0FCZ0

Create spooky (but fun) cards for your friends, this Halloween

Julie A. Cunningham writes

Online threats related to student blogging, as long as students are not disclosing personal information like “I’m home alone after school and here’s my address” or utilizing chat rooms/messaging where they engage in cyberbullying, are really not a threat.

and more ...

I think we need to realize that we put our children ‘at risk’ regularly. Take a look at the following risky scenarios:
Scenario 1: Johnny has a recreational soccer game on Saturday morning for the 7 & 8 year old league, which was published in the newspaper. His last name is on his jersey. His parents and uncle cheer loudly from the sidelines “Go Johnny!”. He holds a water bottle with his elementary school name and logo printed on it. Oh, and by the way, his face is visible. (Personal Information Disclosed: child’s full name, school name, age, and image)

From Pivotal Kids the Blog => http://bit.ly/d7YR9B

Reading methods are divided into four. The first is the phonics wherein children are being taught about the alphabet first. From there, kids will learn how to blend letters together.
The second reading method is called the “look and say” method. This is one method wherein children are taught how to recognize the whole word instead of relying on the sounds of the letters that form them. This is also that method where teachers pronounce the word and their pupils repeat after them.
As for the third method which is known as the language experience approach, the student actually learns how to read on his own. Your kids may start drawing some things then you will write the description of the drawing. You can continue to collect all the drawings the child makes then keep on writing descriptions of that drawing.
Lastly, the fourth method is called the context support method. In here, you should encourage the child to choose books or topics they are interested about. Know what your child likes and then start from simple books with pictures of these items.
With all these four reading methods, you will be able to find an available tool online. Examples of free tools are as follows:

Activities for Stone Soup

    Make Your Own Stone Soup

    Stone Soup: A Puppet Show
    Simple props and script for Stone Soup.

    Stone Soup Activities

    Making Stone Soup
    A lesson plan for grade 2 mathematics, English language arts, and computer technology skills.

    Stone Soup

    Ideas for teaching Stone Soup.

    Students will create a recipe and a shopping list.

Jim David and Sandra Farlow are completely different teachers, both thrust into the classroom of the future. A relatively young teacher, David said he lives for technology. Farlow, on the other hand, calls herself a “digital immigrant,” not having taught on computers since the late 1970s. Nevertheless, this fall the two are spearheading Cleveland Middle School’s Virtual Learning Academy, a technology-driven effort to achieve a “paperless classroom,” principal Jeff Elliott said. The school is beta-testing two Virtual Learning Academy classrooms with 20 students each, 15 fewer pupils than normal, David said. Students selected for the project use the same classroom and keep the same teacher all day long, he said.
http://bit.ly/cemvpS

Mockingjay (Hunger Games Trilogy) (Paperback)

By Suzanne Collins

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge...This thrilling final instalment of this ground-breaking trilogy promises to be one of the most talked-about books of the year.

Watch the trailer ...

You can buy the book here=> http://bit.ly/cOC2Na

This is a brilliant trailer, and concept!

If you would like to pre-order this book for someone special (yourself maybe?), you can do it at http://bit.ly/9dTfNq

Rascal and the Bad Smell
Author: Paul Jennings
Illustrator: Bob Lea
Real books for beginners

Someone made a bad smell. But who?

Like a bloodhound on a case, Rascal puts his nose to the task of finding the culprit.

Read a Rascal story to your children and before long they'll read it to you.

You can buy the book here => http://bit.ly/dd083c

Rascal and the Bad Smell
Author: Paul Jennings
Illustrator: Bob Lea
Real books for beginners
Someone made a bad smell. But who?
Like a bloodhound on a case, Rascal puts his nose to the task of finding the culprit.
Read a Rascal story to your children and before long they'll read it to you.
You can buy the book here => http://bit.ly/dd083c