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Learning Together Joyfully: March – Spring Awakening

Welcome back educators, parents and grandparents! March brings forth the first awakening signs of Spring. It is a time of rebirth, renewal, and new beginnings. With daylight savings beginning on March 13 and the arrival of the spring solstice on March 20, it’s a month bursting with change as Mother Nature begins to bloom and show off her colors after an usually chilling season.  As we begin March and slowly enter into a new season, it’s the perfect time to celebrate many occasions. You will find a multitude of Spring activities to engage with children as you celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday on March 2 or World Oral Health Month on March 20th or St. Patrick’s Day on March 17. As always we are attempting to awaken and maximize every child’s potential so information about developing critical thinking skills and cognitive development is a focus. Finally, we wish you a relaxing time to spend with your family over Spring Break from March 21st – April 4! 

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1.  Read and Sing together 📚 

 

A highly beneficial activity you can do every day while reading to children, is to question them meaningfully in order to develop their critical thinking skills. When reading, encourage children to practice critical thinking at the analyzing, evaluating and creating stages such as the questions above. For example: ask them hypothetical questions; allow them reflective think-time and; have them provide evidence to support their answer. Engage children in the story by asking them to analyze different characters’ thoughts and attitudes. Through the use of open-ended questions, children are encouraged to think, analyze, predict, compare, and give opinions. 

1.  Read and Sing together 📚 

WELCOME TO SPRING BOOKS:

After such a cold and grey winter, it is exciting to welcome the first sightings of Spring. Share these spring books with children to celebrate new growth and all the fun that the beginning of longer and warmer days that seasonal changes can bring. Remember, you can take this list to find these books at your school or public library or to your favorite book store to purchase.

  • In like a Lion, Out like a Lamb by Marion Bauer. In this rhythmic spring book March enters a boy’s cozy home like a lion, but soon the lamb brings forth all the glories of spring. This is a wonderful spring tale for children!
  • Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms by Julia Rawlinson. Fletcher enjoys the sunny weather and the warmth of spring, but when he stumbles across snowy flakes gently floating to the ground, he spreads the news of winter’s return to all his friends. But spring is full of wonderful surprises for Fletcher and his friends.

  • A New Beginning; Celebrating the Spring Equinox by Linda Bleck. What is the spring equinox?. Have you ever thought about how other cultures welcome Spring? Do you know about the Spring/Vernal Equinox? This book explores Spring traditions from all over the world and how the length of daylight changes the seasons. 
  • Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring by Kenard Pak. As days stretch longer, animals creep out from their warm dens, and green begins to grow again, everyone knows—spring is on its way! Share this book before a class walk in early spring to notice nature’s signs of the changing seasons.

Book cover for Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring

  • Spring Stinks: A Little Bruce Book by Ryan Higgins. When Ruth the Rabbit finds out that Bruce hates the smell of spring, she sets out to prove to him that spring is actually full of wonderful scents. Once children have enjoyed laughing at the sticky situation in which Bruce ends up, they could write about spring smells they enjoy.
Book cover for Spring Stinks
  • Worm Weather by Jean Taft. Join in the rainy-day fun, as kids splash through the puddles, affecting another weather enthusiast, a nearby worm. An imaginative and playful story, readers will love seeing the worm delight in the weather just as much as the kids. Children could write from the worm’s perspective about the joys of a wet and muddy Spring day.

Book Cover for Worm Weather

  • When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes. This story contrasts the bleakness of winter’s end with Spring’s promising arrival. The astute observations (“Spring can come quickly or slowly. It changes its mind a lot.”) and lively alliteration (“There will be buds and bees and boots and bubbles.”) are great – especially with a follow-up where children try out alliteration writing words that begin with the same letter.

Book Cover for When Spring Comes example of Spring Books for Kids

  • Spectacular Spring: All Kinds of Spring Facts and Fun by Bruce Goldstone. This collection of bright, close-up photographs and cheerful, informational blurbs covers a broad cross-section of topics related to Spring. It is a season of beginnings, from blooming flowers to active animals. People spend more time outdoors, days grow longer, and umbrellas pop open as the weather shifts from snow to rain. This book is Spectacular, indeed!

Book cover for Spectacular Spring

  • Let’s Look at Spring by Sarah Schuette. If you’re looking for a non-fiction spring book, this is a great option. Simple text and full-page photographs invite students to talk about their own impressions of Spring. Re-released alongside the new Capstone 4D app, certain pages link to online resources that feature things such as spring craft directions.

Book Cover for Let's Look at Spring; example of nonfiction spring books for kids

  • Spring in Saik’uz by by Cecilia John is part of the Strong Stories: Dakelh series. Strong Stories focus on different First Nation territories from across Canada. These stories reflect the belief that our stories are the roots of our people, our lands and our cultures. It is from our stories that we grow and become strong and proud. Written in Carrier, English and French.
  • Just a Walk by Jordan Wheeler.  A young Cree boy named Chuck goes for a simple walk that turns into a day of crazy adventure. Chuck encounters animals, fish and birds that lead him on a wild journey through their various habitats.
  • Morning on the Lake by Jan Waboose. A young Ojibway boy and his grandfather set out in a birchbark canoe early one spring morning. Under the patient and gentle guidance of his grandfather, the boy gradually comes to respect the ways of nature and to understand his own place in the world.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY BOOKS

Share some St. Patrick’s Day’s books with children as it is a great opportunity for them to learn about Irish customs, history AND Irish humour!

  • Leprechaun under the bed by Teresa Bateman. “A leprechaun can be alone without being lonely,” says Brian O”Shea. And that’s how Brian likes it– so when a big human man tries to build a cottage on top of Brian”s underground home, the leprechaun does his best to scare the fellow away with his magical tricks. But Sean McDonald refuses to be frightened off. 
  • Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie dePaola. This classic folktale is a favorite for a reason! The hilarious story of Jamie O’Rourke, the laziest man in Ireland, and the giant potato is bound to be a favorite of your students. Jamie grows a giant potato and has to enlist the help of anyone he can find to get it out of the ground. But what do you do with a giant potato? This story is excellent for a sequencing activity. 

This original folktale tells the story of an Irish girl named Fiona –  a strong female role model!. She devises a cunning plan to get back all of the good fortune that a greedy Leprechaun King has taken. Fiona is clever and uses her brain to bring luck back to the Irish people. Through clever charades, Fiona uses her wit to outsmart the powerful Leprechaun King and restore luck to the Emerald Isle.

  • The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day by Natasha Wing. In this story, two siblings spend the night before St. Patrick’s Day creating a plan to trap a leprechaun. Not only do the siblings work together to create a plan but the author also does a great job of adding in St. Patrick’s Day traditions. The most exciting part is trying to figure out if their plan will work and if they will end the story with the leprechaun’s pot of gold!
St Patricks Day Read Alouds | The Night Before St. Patrick's Day
  • How to Catch a Leprechaun by Adam Wallace. This fun, rhyming story is written from the point of view of a leprechaun! Children enjoy trying to find the leprechaun on each page and trying to figure out what the leprechaun will be up to next. This story can be used to discuss, brainstorm and write how they would create a leprechaun trap. Start a St. Patrick’s Day tradition and inspire your children to build leprechaun traps of their own at home or in the classroom! Laugh along in this zany story for kids that blends STEAM concepts with hilarious rhymes and vibrant illustrations!

How to Catch a Leprechaun

  • The Luckiest St. Patrick’s Day Ever by Teddy Slater. This story highlights St. Patrick’s Day traditions, using rhyme to describe a charming St. Patrick’s Day parade and all of the events leading up to it. This book is especially great for sequencing . Have fun with your children as you go through a traditional St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland. 

The Luckiest St. Patrick's Day Ever | st. patrick's day books

  • My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza.  If you are looking for an engaging book to further explore the idea of luck around St. Patrick’s Day, this is the one. Fox thinks it is his lucky day when an absolutely scrumptious piglet knocks on his door by accident … or is it? Through amusing, lively illustrations, this laugh-out-loud tale is about a very gullible fox and a sly piglet that students will love! A story perfect for read-aloud time or personal reading time.

  • That’s what Leprechauns Do by Eve Bunting. Set in Ireland, this story captures the legend of the leprechaun. What do leprechauns do? They bury a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, of course. But as Mrs. Bally Bunion’s ox, Miss Maude Murphy’s hen, and Old Jamie soon find out, they can’t resist having a little fun along the way. For, besides burying pots of gold, mischief is what leprechauns do! It is a longer book and may have to be read multiple times in order to practice skills such as: identifying character traits, comparing and contrasting with other St. Patrick’s Day books, or discussing cause and effect.

That's What Leprechauns Do | st. patrick's day childrens books

  • A Book of Nonsense by Edward Lear. Share some of these zany limericks with children around St. Patrick’s Day These limerick’s were written in the 1800s and have been compiled into one book full of nonsense. Create a few limericks together!

  • Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? by Dr. Seuss.  The wise old man in the Desert of Drize tells Duckie what he has to do in order to realize how lucky he is. The story goes through many individuals and circumstances that Duckie can think of whenever he is feeling unlucky or blue. This is a great read around St. Patrick’s day. Children can brainstorm and make connections that remind them of how lucky they are.

Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? | st. patrick's day childrens books

DR. SEUSS BOOKS – Celebrate his birthday on March 2 to kick-off a Dr. Seuss Week! You can’t go wrong with a Dr. Seuss book as they are funny, enjoyable and kids love the rhyming words. Dr. Seuss wrote and illustrated more than 60 children’s books over his lifetime. There are several related Dr. Seuss activities in the following sections which you may wish to place at a Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss classroom centre or just to enjoy doing at home with your children.

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  • Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss. This rhyming romp includes chicks with bricks, chewy blue glue, a noodle eating poodle, and so much more! Just try to keep your tongue out of trouble! Rhyming has never been this fun! These fun books, using simple words with supporting illustrations, are easy to read and should encourage children to read on their own.
  • Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. “Do you like green eggs and ham?” asks Sam-I-am. In a house or with a mouse? In a boat or with a goat? On a train or in a tree?” Sam keeps asking persistently. With unmistakable characters and signature rhymes, this beloved favorite has cemented its place as a children’s classic. In this most famous of cumulative tales, the list of places to enjoy green eggs and ham, and friends to enjoy them with, gets longer and longer. Follow up this read with a sequencing activity.

  • Wacky Wednesday by Dr. Seuss. From a shoe stuck on the ceiling to tigers at school to flying cars, this is no normal Wednesday! Kids will love counting up the crazy things they see on every page in this search-and-find activity book featuring the madcap magic of Dr. Seuss’s rhyme, and  hilarious illustrations.
  • The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. Poor Dick and Sally. It’s cold and wet and they’re stuck in the house with nothing to do . . . until a giant cat in a hat shows up, transforming the dull day into a madcap adventure and almost wrecking the place in the process! Written by Dr. Seuss in 1957 in response to the concern that “pallid primers” with abnormally courteous and unnaturally clean boys and girls were leading to growing illiteracy among children. This book changed the way children learned how to read.
  • Sleep Book by Dr. Seuss. Celebrate sleep with Dr. Seuss’s classic rhyming bedtime story picture book. Van Vleck, a very small bug, is getting sleepy, and his yawn—contagious as yawns are—sets off a chain reaction, making all those around him feel sleepy, too! With typically Seussian nods to alarm clocks, sleepwalking, and snoring, this charming ode to bedtime will lull listeners and readers toward dreamland. Zzzzzzzzzz.

ORAL HEALTH MONTH – March 20 & NATIONAL DENTIST DAY  – MARCH 6

Use this month as an opportunity to engage children in discussions about the importance of dental health. Through books and songs, introduce children to oral health subjects such as visiting the dentist, brushing and flossing, and losing baby teeth. The better children are prepared for what they’ll see, hear, and feel, the more likely their trip to the dentist will be a comfortable and positive experience. Some of the following recommended oral health books offer detailed information about the dentist office, various tools and some of the procedures in dental offices. Of course, a few humorous books are also included to engage and lighten the experience for children. 

  • How to Catch the Tooth Fairy by Adam Wallace. From losing your first tooth to waiting for the arrival of the mysterious tooth fairy, this book celebrates this special event in your child’s life with a lively story of the tooth fairy’s escape from some very determined kids! Get ready to laugh along with this zany story as the tooth fairy dodges traps, drool, dental floss webs, and more in this fun book for kids that combines silly rhymes and bright illustrations with STEAM concepts! Can you catch her?
  • Brush your Teeth Please by Leslie McGuire. This fun and interactive pop-up book helps to illustrate the proper brushing technique. Grandparents might consider purchasing this for younger grandchildren. Whether a reminder to brush your teeth up and down like a bear, don’t forget the back teeth like the hippo or to floss like a shark, this delightful book will help encourage and teach your child proper dental hygiene.
brush your teeth please dentist book
  • Going to the Dentist by Anne Civardi. This book illustrates the visit of siblings, Jake and Jessie Judd. It walks the reader through the entire visit, from the dentist checking and cleaning their teeth to filling Jake’s first cavity. It also highlights the importance of taking care of their teeth by eating healthy foods and proper brushing technique.

going to the dentist book

  • Just Going to the Dentist by Mercer Mayer. This book, funny and written in a heartwarming style, walks children through every step of the dentist’s visit, from X-rays to having a cavity filled and even down to the treat at the end. This book does mention a shot before the treatment as well as the drilling of the tooth, and although realistic, your child’s age and anxiety should be considered before reading this one.

just going to the dentist

  • All About Teeth by Mari Schuh. This author has a variety of non-fiction books about oral health and general teeth information. All About Teeth illustrates the different types of teeth, what they look like, what they do, and most importantly how to take care of them.

all about teeth

  • Andrew’s Loose Tooth by Robert Munsch. Andrew bites into an apple and his loose tooth hurts. So his dad tries to take it out with a big pair of pliers, but no luck. They call the dentist, who tries to pull it out with his car, but no luck. So Andrew’s friend Louis calls the Tooth Fairy. She comes on her motorcycle and tries to pull out the tooth, but still no luck. So it’s up to Louis —he uses pepper to make Andrew sneeze the tooth all the way across town.
  • Throw Your Tooth on the Roof; Tooth Traditions from  Around the World by Selby Beeler.What do you do when you lose a tooth? Do you put it under your pillow and wait for the tooth fairy? Not if you live in Botswana, there children throw their teeth onto the roof. In Afghanistan they drop their teeth down mouse holes, and in Egypt they fling their teeth at the sun! Travel around the world and discover the surprising things children do when they lose a tooth. The book perfectly captures the excitement and pride that children experience when a tooth falls out.

SONGS

Singing a song provides a perfect brain break. Brain breaks give students the opportunity to take a short break, sing or listen to music, refocus and recharge.

MARCH – SPRINGTIME & EQUINOX

ST. PATRICK’S DAY

DR. SEUSS

DENTAL HEALTH

2. Create together: Puzzles, Crafts, Drawing and Constructing 🧩 

Critical thinking is the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking. As children are continuously bombarded with information and images, it is more important than ever for them to be taught the importance of using logic, reasoning and creativity, to analyze questions, ideas and assumptions, and to validate the “why” in order to understand things and draw conclusions. This happens best when learners are actively involved in their learning rather than being a passive recipient of information. Need more information? Listen to this short video on Critical Thinking or read more about How to Teach Children to be Critical Thinkers.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY FUN

  • After reading the book, How to Catch a Leprechaun by Adam Wallace, set out resources for children so they can create and build their own leprechaun traps. You may wish to have them bring a shoe box from home.
St. Patrick's Day Fun in the Classroom has great St. Patrick's Day ideas and resources that you can use in your second grade or third grade classroom. Includes crafts, reading, math and science St. Patrick's Day activities. Most of the resources are free!
  • Enjoy this interactive online game as you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and find a Four Leaf Clover. 
  • This leprechaun Number Playdough Mat familiarizes children with numbers 1 – 10. 
  • After reading My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza, follow up with a discussion and completion of a chart detailing what attributes each child’s has to make them lucky as well as things they’re thankful to have. 
St. Patty’s Day is the perfect time for teachers to use this four leaf clover kids craft, I am Lucky St Patricks Day Craftivity. You don’t have to be Irish for your elementary students to enjoy this spring craft activity. It makes a great growth mindset project. #stpatricksday #stpattysday #craftivity #stpatricksdaycraft #kidsspringcrafts #craftsforkids #activity #springcraft #classroomactivities #teachgratefulness

CELEBRATE DR. SEUSS’  BIRTHDAY – MARCH 2 

After months of snow, rain and cold the icy grip of winter is beginning to lose its hold. Spring is the season of new beginnings. Seeds and bulbs are sprouting up from the cool damp earth adding bits of colour to our day. The Spring equinox marks the moment when the sun shines directly on the equator and we experience an approximately equal amount of daylight to darkness. This year in the Northern Hemisphere the spring equinox happens on March 20th and it marks the first official day of spring. After three months of winter weather, the first day of spring is welcomed with open arms and definitely worth celebrating. 

3. Explore, Engage and Interact 🌍

SPRING EQUINOX

  • Read Spectacular Spring: All Kinds of Spring Facts and Fun  and then go on a Spring Walk to explore and find all the new signs of Spring around your neighborhood, park or along a nature trail. Walk around your and look for:
    • Signs of spring – budding of trees
    • Spring flowers – sprouting bulbs, snowdrops, daffodils 
    • Dig in the wet dirt to find some worms.
    • Jump in puddles or spot your shadows
    • Go on a Spring Scavenger Hunt.
  • Read Muddy, Mud Mud and then Set Up a Mud Kitchen.- During Spring, children enjoy playing in the mud as it is a great sensory activity that encourages open-ended play and communication. Mud Kitchens don’t need to be fancy, all kids need is mud, a few pots and pans and their imagination.
  • Read Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms by Julia Rawlinson and bring Spring inside – especially when the days are wet and cold. 
  • Enjoy a Spring Picnic Outside. Pack up your lunch and head to the park, public garden or trail for a lovely picnic together.
    • Create an easy to prepare lunch with children and pack a salad in a jar.
    • They can also assist in preparing cut up fruit, veggies and cheese.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY ACTIVITIES:

  • Interested in a Writing Activity? Create and print off “I’m Lucky” cards that teach children to appreciate their family and community as well as emphasizing the importance of sharing kindness. 
  • Do you believe in leprechauns? Have fun and survey the class to create a graph. Complete a  fun math survey to supplement your graphing unit.
MARCH:  WORLD ORAL HEALTH MONTH & March 6 National Dentist Day

4. Healthy Living: Movement and Nutrition: 👭

Keeping a child’s teeth healthy and strong is important to their oral and overall health and development. With proper care people can keep their teeth for a lifetime. Without proper care, children can suffer from dental disease, such as cavities and gum disease, and may have trouble sleeping, difficulty concentrating and suffer emotional distress. Teeth are an important part of a children’s speech development, self-confidence and their baby teeth play a significant role in the placement of permanent adult teeth. Read more about Oral Health for Children – A Parent’s Guide.  Enjoy fun gross motor skills movement and food recipes below. 

DR. SEUSS

  • This fun and silly Cat in the Hat workout for kids is a great workout for all ages! It’s only 3 minutes long, which is great for improving focus in a short period of time. It can be repeated for a longer workout as it is divided into 4 sections for easier learning. 
  • After reading Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, enjoy creating this Healthy Green Eggs and Ham Recipe with your children.

SPRING

ST. PATRICK’S DAY

  • Organize a St. Patrick’s Day Green Tasting Party. Read about involving parents and menu suggestions for a variety of tasty green food. Add some graphing activities or writing adjective descriptions as extended learning opportunities.

WORLD ORAL HEALTH – March 20 & NATIONAL DENTIST DAY – March 6 

  • After reading How to Catch the Tooth Fairy by Adam Wallace, download the Tooth Fairy Pack, from 3dinosaurs.com which includes 65 pages in Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 with writing, sequencing, pocket chart cards, missing pattern activities, tooth care booklet, letter to the tooth fairy and so much more!. 
  • Engage children in a Dental Health Science Teeth Experiment to emphasize the effects of different drink choices on our teeth and the importance of brushing.
  • Check out the downloadable package of Dental Health Literacy and Math Activities. 
  • Play the Roll & Cover Playdough Game with templates including instructions. This activity will help children with number recognition and counting and uses playdough or plasticine.
  • Encourage children to eat the right foods with the following Tooth Activity. 
    • Print off 2 tooth patterns (happy and sad) and ask children to cut them out and label one Happy and one Sad. Have them draw a happy or sad face on each.
IMG_7777
  • After copying the food images, ask children to cut them out and glue them onto the appropriate tooth to create a collage.. Ask them to think about what foods make a tooth happy and what foods make a tooth sad.

5. Reflect: Thoughts of the Day about Learning 💭

                                        BLOOM’S TAXONOMY – REVISED

DR. SEUSS

ORAL HEALTH