Words in the Great Outdoors!

Outdoor word work is so much more than side walk chalk! Here are some supply ideas:

• Chalk (most common) - there is an endless supply of ideas out there for chalk. Your child probably has endless ideas of what they could do with chalk! Swing on over to The Home Teacher to see some great sidewalk chalk activities!

• Sticks- use sticks and build the words/ letters.

• Leaves- use leaves to build the words/ letters.

• Silly string- 1) use silly string to write words 2) write words with chalk and then tag the word said with silly string.

• Fly swatters- swat words that are written with fly swatter.

 (now just imagine this outside!)

• Pebbles/rocks- use pebbles/ rocks to spell words and letters.

• Sand/ dirt- use a stick or finger to spell words in the sand/ dirt.

• Water/squirt guns- write with the guns, tag the words that are already written, for rhyming words (or any other spelling rule)- spray the beginning sound to erase it and change out the word to another word in that family.

• Hopscotch pad- chalk out a hopscotch pad or if you want to make it more permanent paint it, hopscotch spell the word or recite the alphabet as you hopscotch.

• Cardboard letter tiles (think of this like giant Scrabble pieces) - cut cardboard squares (about 1ft x 1ft) and write letters on them like Scrabble. Then use to recite ABCs or spell out words.

• Jump ropes- use the ropes to spell or jump rope and spell the words.

• Paints- paint the word on a stone then you can hide the stones around the yard and have a scavenger hunt.

Leader in Me: Upper Level Book List

Upper Elementary Book List

Habit 1 - Be Proactive:

·         “Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher” by Bruce Coville

·         “On My Honor” by Marion Bauer

·         “Someday a Tree” by Eve Bunting

·         “Salt in His Shoes, Michael Jordan: In Pursuit of a Dream” by Deloris Jordan

·         “The Real McCoy: The Life of an African-American Inventor” by Wendy Towle

Habit 2 - Begin with the End in Mind:

·         “Where Do You Think You’re Going, Christopher Columbus?” by Jean Fritz

·         “Lucy Mastermind” by Alan Feldman

·         “Eddie, the Incorporated” by Phyllis Naylor

·         “Bobby Baseball” by Robert Kimmel Smith

·         “The School Story” by Andrew Clements

Habit 3 - Put First Things First:

·         “The Week Mom Unplugged the TV’s” by Terry Wolfe Phelan

·         “Irving Black’s Strange Snack” by Roz Rosenbluth

·         “Esperanza Rising” by Pam Munoz Ryan

·         “The TV Kid” by Betsy Byars

·         “Justin & the Best Biscuits in the World” by Mildred Pitts Walter

Habit 4 - Think Win-Win:

·         “The Butter Battle Book” by Dr. Seuss

·         “Dragon Stew” by Tom McGowen

·         “Law of the Great Peace” by John Bierhart

·         “The Checker Players” by Alan Venable

·         “Hiawatha, Messenger of Peace” by Dennis Brindell Fradin

Habit 5 - Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood:

·         “Marrying Malcolm Murgatroyd” by Mame Farrell

·         “Witch of Blackbird Pond” by Elizabeth George Speare

·         “Rules” by Cynthia Lord

·         “Veronica Knows Best” by Nancy Robinson

·         “The Bully of Barkham Street” by Leonard Shortall

Habit 6 - Synergize:

·         “The View from Saturday” by E.L. Konigsburg

·         “A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeline L’Engle

·         “Ruby Holler” by Sharon Creech

·         “The Chalk box Kid” by Clyde Robert Bulla

·         “Chicken Sunday” by Patricia Polacco

Habit 7 - Sharpen the Saw:

·         “The Mysteries of Harris Burdick” by Chris Van Allsburg

·         “Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen” by DyAnne DiSalvo Ryan

·         “The New Kid on the block” by Jack Prelutsky

·         “A Light in the Attic” by Shel Silverstein

·         “Wind in the Long Grass: A Collection of Haiku” edited by William Higginson

Leader in Me: Elementary Level Book List

Check out these books to read that are all about the habits! Should you ever buy me or another teacher a book these are all great ones to give.

Elementary Book List

Foundational Principles

·         The Empty Pot—Demi

·         Ruby the Copycat—Peggy Rathman

·         Character Education—McGraw-Hill Children Publishing

·         Hi New Baby—Robie H. Harris

·         How Leo Learned to Be King—Marcus Pfister

·         Somebody Loves you, Mr. Hatch—Eileen Spinelli

·         Oops, Sorry—Richard Morgan

·         The Falling Leaves and the Scarecrow—Steve Metzger

·         The Cap—Frank Shaffer

·         Building Moral Intelligence—Michelle Borba

·         Eggbert, The Slightly Cracked Egg—Tom Ross &Rex Baron

·         One Smile—Cindy McKinley

·         Chicken Soup for Little Souls--The Goodness Gorillas—Lisa McCourt

Emotional Bank Account:

·         Chrysanthemum—Kevin Henkes

·         Have you Filled a Bucket Today?

Habits:

·         The Berenstain Bears and the Bad Habit by Stan and Jan Berenstain Bread and Jam for France by Russell Hoban D. W., Picky Eater by Marc Brown

·         Berenstain Bears and Too Much Teasing by Stan and Jan Berenstain

·         Sam Who Never Forgets by Eve Rice

Paradigms:

·         Frederick by Leo Lionni

·         Smoky Night by Eve Bunting

·         Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber

·         Stone Soup (any version)

·         Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

·         Miss Toggle’s Beautiful Blue Shoe by Robin Pulver

Circle of Influence:

·         Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni

·         Mirette and the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully

·         Alexander & the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

·         Mean Soup by Betsy Everitt

·         The Empty Pot by Demi

·         Pinduli by Janell Cannon

Habit 1 - Be Proactive:

·         Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman

·         The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper

·         King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood

·         The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle

·         The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss

·         Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon – mission statement ideas?

·         My Many Colored Days—Dr. Seuss

·         Oh, the Places You’ll Go—Dr. Seuss – mission statement ideas?

·         Willy the Wimp—Anthony Browne

·         Hatchett—Gary Paulsen

·         When I Feel Angry—Cornelia Maude Spelman

·         Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day”-Judith Viorst

·         Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell

·         Enemy Pie (Reading Rainbow book) by Derek Munson

·         The Recess Queen-- Alexis O'Neill

·         Don’t Laugh At Me -- Steven Seskin

·         I Like Myself! By Karen Beaumont – mission statement ideas?

·         The Pout-Pout Fish-- Deborah Diesen

·         Inch by Inch—Leo Lionni

Habit 2 - Begin with the End in Mind:

·         The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle

·         Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats

·         Click, Clack, Cows that Moo by Doreen Cronin

·         Pancakes, Pancakes by Eric Carle

·         Galimoto by Karen Lynn Williams

·         Simple Pictures are Best by Nancy Willard

·         Chicken Little

·         Wake Up Henry Rooster

·         The Great Serum Race—Debbie S. Miller

·         Song: Listen Before You Leave—Fred Penner on Happy Feet CD

·         The Hundred Penny Box—Sharon Bill Mathis

·         How We Are Smart—W. Nikola-Lia

·         Miss Rumphius—Barbara Cooney

·         How Full is Your Bucket?

·         The Carrot Seed—Ruth Krauss

·         Mirette on the High Wire—Emily Arnold McCully

·         Suoerdog: The Heart of a Hero by Caralyn and Mark Buehner

Habit 3 - First Things First:

·         Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London

·         The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone

·         The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

·         Alejandro’s Gift by Richard E. Albert

·         Jamaica’s Find by Juanita Havill

·         Dear Children of the Earth—Schim Schimmel

·         The Slapshot Star—Gloria Miller

·         Hurry up, Franklin

·         Pancakes For Breakfast—Eric Carle

Habit 4 – Think Win-Win:

·         Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse by Leo Lionni

·         The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

·         The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins

·         The Very Clumsy Click Beetle by Eric Carle

·         Let’s Be Enemies by Janice May Udry

·         Dinofours: It’s Snowing by Steve Metzger

·         Amos Steig—Amos & Boris

·         Something From Nothing—Phoebe Gilman

·         The Black Book of Colors—Menema Cottin-Rosana Faria

·         Chrysanthemum—Kevin Henkes

·         Horrible Harry’s Secret—Suzy Kline

·         The Moccasin Goalie—Roy Brownridge

·         Lillie’s Big Day—Kevin Henkes

·         Nine Gold Medals—David Roth (Poem)

·         A Box of Crayons—Shane DeRolf (Poem)

·         The Legend of the Bluebonnet—Tomie DePaola

·         Smoky Night—Eve Bunting

Habit 5 - Seek First to Understand then to Be Understood:

·         Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

·         The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka

·         The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

·         Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman

·         Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino

·         Arthur’s Christmas by Marc Brown

·         Miss Toggle’s Zipper by Robin Pulver

·         The Island of the Skog—Steven Kellogg

·         Grandfather Counts—Andrea Cheng

·         It Looked Like Spilled Milk—Charles Shaw

·         The True Story of the Three Little Pigs—Jon Scieszka

·         Alejandro’s Gift—R.E. Albert

Habit 6 - Synergy:

·         Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall

·         Swimmy by Leo Lionni

·         A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams

·         Clifford’s Spring Clean-Up by Norman Bridwell

·         How the 2nd Grade Got $8205.50 to Visit the Statue of Liberty by Nathan Zimelman

·         Chicken Sunday—Patricia Polacco

·         The Biggest Snowman Ever—Steven Kroll

·         The Gigantic Turnip—Aleksei Tolsoy & Niamh Sharkey

·         Ox-Cart Man—Donald Hall

·         Frederick—Leo Lionni

Habit 7 – Sharpen the Saw:

·         Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

·         The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

·         Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! by Mo Willems

·         Henry Hikes to Fitchburg by D. B. Johnson

·         Me I Am! by Jack Prelutsky

·         An Ant’s Day Off—Bonny Becker

·         Incredible You—Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

·         The Three Questions—Leo Tolstoy

·         Owl Moon—Jane Yolen

·         Henry Hikes to Fitchburg—D.B. Johnson