Fifth (final) post on Creative Writing Week

Descriptive Words
A friend of mine in high school used to write a lot and any chance she would get between doing her school work. Her genre of writing was more Medieval times. We are talking knights, kings, queens, the works. I think if you have that knowledge then why not make a good story? So imaginative! But the point I am trying to make about all of this is that she always told me the number one item she always has with her is a Thesaurus. I am yet to invest in one for my bookshelf but it is always a good item to have for any aspiring writer. Before using a Thesaurus, have a lesson on one and also teach the skill of how to use a dictionary. An important skill that many learners just don't use anymore. After your successful lesson, use the print out on the Creative Writing tab. Finding different words for something is thinking out the box with writing and inspiring your students to be more creative so why not? This is Creative Writing after all.

Hope you all have enjoyed the posts this week on Creative Writing. Perhaps sometime I will do something similar for Maths and English Language? Now that is an idea for another blog post for another day.

Happy writing! :)

Fourth post on Creative Writing Week

The sound of a person's voice
Have you ever thought about the way you sound when you talk? Now think about how you can add that dimension to your character when writing. Have the reader picture the character in their mind as if they were a real person. Thinking about the tone of a person's voice as a wonderful dimension to the character in the story but also an exiting element in the story. When thinking of character for your story, see them (you as the writer) as someone who really exists. Seek inspiration from your own life. Stuck on how to get started? Have a look at the Creative Writing tab for some fun ideas.

Happy writing! :)

Third post on Creative Writing Week

Character Traits
On the Creative Writing tab today, Character Traits. Giving the characters traits in your story helps the reader identify with the characters and also gives the characters more personality. Characters can have positive or negative traits. Shaping characters more in a story makes the reading that much enjoyable. On the list, there are lots of character trait ideas you could use. Print either for Student files or your growing wall on Creative Writing in the classroom.]

Happy writing! :)

Second post on Creative Writing Week

Writing strong leads
The start of the story is the most important aspect of any story. The first couple of sentences is when you want to hook your reader in to keep reading the story. Have a look on the Creative Writing tab for ideas for strong leads. Print this section to place into Student Files.

Happy writing! :)

First post on Creative Writing Week

Adjectives

On the blog today, the first post for the Creative Writing Week. It is all about Adjectives. Adjectives make writing more exciting and add more detail to sentences. Feel free to print the pictures on the Creative Writing tab for your classroom or for Student Files. Adjectives are fun to teach. It is a good idea to show why it is important to add Adjectives to the sentences.

Happy writing!

Sharpen that pencil!

Creative Writing
All on the blog next week I will be featuring something that has to do with Creative Writing. I will be writing a post on:

• Descriptive words to use in Creative Writing
• Poster on words that describes a person's voice
• Poster on different Character Traits to use in Creative Writing
• Writing ideas on how to write strong leads
• Poster on Personality Adjectives

All the blog posts will be under the Creative Writing tab: https://countingstarstutoringsupport.blogspot.co.za/p/creative-writing-development.htmls 

The blog posts can be placed in your students Creative Writing folders. 

Sharpen those pencils, get the paper out and get ready to write.

Happy learning!

Yummy delish

Ultimate Mac and Cheese
When I have all the ingredients, I have to make this. I love making Mac and Cheese. It is such a comfort and love meal. Many of my friends have had this and just love it. I love Mac and Cheese because it can be so versatile. You can add mushrooms, ham or bacon. Keep Mac and Cheese as an unhealthy as possible. I saw a recipe last week when someone added broccoli. Keep the veggies out of this dish. Mac and Cheese is indulgent for a reason. Below is my favorite go-to recipe:






WHAT YOU NEED:

• 500ml Full cream milk
• 125g soften butter
• 250g all-purpose flour
• 500g full-fat cheddar cheese
• Fresh tomato cut into circles
• 500g Macaroni Noodles

WHAT TO DO:

1. Cook the pasta according to instructions on the packet and put aside

2. Melt the butter and flour together over the stove until it forms a paste

3. Slowly add the milk and continue to mix with a whisk to prevent lumps

4. Add half the cheese and mix

5. Add the cooked Macaroni Noodles to the cheese sauce

6. Add the mixture into a glass dish and mix well, coat every noodle with the cheese sauce

7. Top the above with the remaining cheese and fresh tomato circles

8. Bake in a 180.c oven for 15 minutes until cheesy and bubbly. Serve hot!

Happy cooking! :)

Craft time again

Pipe cleaner fun
Any excuse to do a craft is a good one. Today on the craft is a little bit more tricky than the usual crafts. Time to get out the craft box along with some pencils. Have a look under the Fine Motor Development tab for all information on this adorable craft. The best part of the craft is that you can make as many or only one if needs be.

Happy crafting! :)

Something fun to learn

The Family Members
On the Elke Dag Afrikaans section, I thought I would do an easy vocabulary theme for today's post. This is something fun that your little one can learn. Why not learn what the members of the family are called in Afrikaans? This is a fun way to learn different members of the family by using family pictures. On the blog is a great picture to use. Don't forget to include the family pets.

Gelukkige leer! :)

Fun time word time

Sight words Game 4
On the blog today on the Phonics Development tab, a classic fun game with a difference. It is the next Sight Word game! This is an easy game to make with your set of Sight Word Flashcards. Please print an extra copy of the words for this game. This game can use either a total of 10 or more Sight Words Flashcards. This game will suit two players but if more players would like to join, print more flashcards.

Happy playing! :)

Check it in and check it out

Join the library today
I am lucky because where I stay I have access to two very good public libraries. I know that visiting one is not always everyone's idea of fun but it can be fun and beneficial for your little one. Today's post is all about this. There is nothing better than visiting the library on a rainy day then going home to enjoy it with a cup of tea. Here is some reason's why you need to visit the library with your little one:

1. Establish a reader day: Find a day in the week that will work for you and turn that into library day. That way your little one will look forward to that day in the week

2. Free to join: There is no joining fee



3. A wide selection: There is a wide selection of books so there is something for everyone. There are lots of books on science to mysteries.

4. Increase the creativity: Your little one will be inspired to create their own stories.

5. Quiet time: A library is a perfect place to just enjoy some peace and quiet.

Thinking of joining the library? You will need the following:
1. A form will be handed to you, place the name and details of two people who don't live with you
2. Proof of Address

Already a member of the library? Check the City of Cape Town lists of local libraries and times of the library near you.
Don't have time to renew your books? Ask the librarian on how you can renew online.

Happy reading! :)

What needs to be done

Writing their own name
I love teaching children how to write. It is such an important life skill that children need to learn. You can start teaching this at home and when your little one is around the age of 5. It is an important part of Grade R that a child knows how to write their own name and surname correctly. Today I am going to go over just one way you can start teaching this concept. Watch this space for more ideas to follow:

• Get out different coloured markers according to how many letters are in your little one's name. If there are the same letters, still stick to different colours. So for example, if the name is Susie, then get out 5 different coloured markers
• Be sure to use upper case for the first letter
• Start writing out the first letter
• Mention how some letters go over one line and some over two lines
• Next write the first letter again and then the second letter
• Be sure to use the same colours each time. If the first letter is in red first time, the second time it must remain written in red
• Continue until the whole name is written
• Be sure to write out the whole name 4 times

Your writing must be neat and help your little one understand that it is important that work be neat at all times. Little ones understand better if words are written in colour thus this activity will be a fun one. Once the first name is written neatly, move onto the surname.

Happy writing! :)

Fun Maths Games

Taking a classic
It is holiday time so why not play some fun board games with your little one? Everyone loves Snakes and Ladders so why not give it a bit of an Educational lift? I have done this many times with some of my students and they just love it. It is a big hit. Board games are great fun as it teaches counting and fair play. On the Numeracy Development tab, you will find a template you can use to draw your own Maths sums on.

Remember to keep it fun and relevant. If you don't want to have a template just look up some on the internet under Maths Snakes and Ladders.

Happy learning! :)

Something different

Different ways to write a story
On the blog today, I did some research. There comes a time in the term (when I was still teaching full time) when I would introduce Creative Writing to my students. We would spend three weeks on this. I would first go over the How To section and then the writing would begin. The first set of stories would be on a given topic, next to a blurb then finish the story and last write a story using a picture. Most of my students did really well with Creative Writing and I love reading their stories. But some of them battled with this. Knowing what I know now, I would have totally done things differently for the struggling students. But you live and you learn. On the blog today on the Creative Writing Development section, an idea on how you get the ball rolling with storytelling with your struggling student/students.

Happy writing! :)

Counting with pipe cleaners

Fun activity
On the blog today, I thought I would combined two important skills: Numeracy skills and Fine Motor Skills. This simple activity is great for little ones who are learning to count so the older little ones might want to sit this one out. This activity is a fun way to teach counting. This is not really a craft but it is something that you can add to your Fine Motor Development Box


Happy learning! :)