Excellence in Reading - An Enrichment Opportunity!

The Mensa Foundation recognizes and encourages education, gifted youth, and lifelong learning. 

To encourage the joy of reading, the Mensa Foundation has developed the Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Program. Students of all ages can participate and it's FREE!  Membership in Mensa is not required.

To participate, students select a book list on the Mensa for Kids website. Students are encouraged to read at the level of their ability and interest, regardless of age or grade level.

Students track the books they read on a recording sheet. (No reading response required!!)  Once finished, students send the completed form to Mensa. Students can earn a commemorative certificate in recognition of their outstanding achievement and get a free Excellence in Reading T-shirt, too!


The books may be read aloud. Readers can also listen to audio books or read the books online. Teachers may also read to their classes.


To learn more about this free program and see the book lists, visit the Mensa for Kids website here.

If your child decides to participate, please let me know! I would love to encourage his/her efforts!

Science Fair!

There's still time to enter the Bradley Creek Science Fair! 

Don't miss out on all the fun!  

Contact me with questions. :-) christen.howe@nhcs.net

Animal Soup

Students in 1st grade are working with Isabel the Inventor.  When we think like Isabel, we are using our imagination to see ordinary things in new ways.  One of our whole group activities includes making "Animal Soup," a fun, lift-the-flap book written by Paul Doodler.

Let's check out how it works!  Below are two sample pages from the book.  After considering the question, students can lift the flap to see the 3rd page.  Give it a try:

What would you be if you had wings to fly like a bird . . .

and walked slowly like a turtle?

A BiRdLe! 

Seriously, this book cracks me up every year!  My favorite combination is the flamingo and monkey. (A flamonkey :-)  

Once we read the story as a class, students use their imagination to create their own animal.  Each student selects two animal cards.  

Students then glue the cards to the activity sheet below.

From here, students combine elements of each animal's name to create a new animal species.  Some examples might include:

alligator + gorilla = gorillagator

lion + dinosaur = linosaur

monkey + kangaroo = monkaroo

puppy + hippopotamus = puppyotamus

Because the goal is to develop divergent thinking skills, I frequently remind students that there is more than one correct answer. For example, if you were part alligator and part octopus, you could be an allipus, an octigator, or a gatorpus.  The possibilities are endless.

Then they draw a picture to illustrate their animal soup creation.  Here are a few examples from one of my first grade nurturing lessons:

Oftentimes, I compile the student pictures and make it into a class book.  Most times, the kids are too eager to take them home right away to share :-)

If you have a specific topic or grade level that you would like me to address on the blog, please leave a comment and let me know.  I'd love to hear from you :-)
Christy