Fun learning is meaningful. To kids. It is a connection. Students can attach a purpose. It is something that holds their attention. Something that they want to know more about.
My definition of fun is capturing the attention of my students and holding on to it until they master the topic. Bringing a subject to life. Turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. Sharing my excitement. An experience that students will not soon forget. Something that tickles their curiosity.
I realize that all subjects have a required element that is not necessarily fun, but once you find something that kids can sink their teeth into, you've found the one thing that you need to capture their attention. I am not a fan of math (that's an understatement), but teaching multiplication is something that 3rd grade students (here in my state) are required to learn. Instead of rows of problems and a timer, I turned it into an activity. I started by putting students into groups so they could visualize what 12 looked like as two groups of six or three groups of four. Then I begin using objects. Not your ordinary counters, but things that we used in the classroom. Pencils, crayons, erasers, markers, and even rocks from the playground were put into groups. Students could connect with everyday objects so multiplying became part of everyday life. Talking about groups while teaching other subjects also tied things together. Yes, I used worksheets (or printables - whatever you want to call them). But by the time we were using them, students had seen and heard about multiplication in a real-world, applicable way. Every day was something different. They knew that we would have races or use flashcards or turn math problems into pictures. The end result, however, was the same. They learned to multiply.
Turning the mundane into a fun and engaging lesson is not easy. It requires imagination and creativity. You have to love what you teach. Your passion becomes contagious. Kids are very perceptive. They will know in a heartbeat if you are interested in the subject you are teaching or if you are faking your interest. Why teach from a textbook when you can teach from the heart. If you are having fun, chances are your students will also have fun.
Teaching informational text is not always a 'fun' task, but it can be if you use the right materials or approach. Box books have worked well for me for over 25 years. Why don't you take a look?
Box Books introduce your students to real-world informational text using the boxes from your pantry.
The instant connection of something familiar will help your students feel more at ease with learning how to read and comprehend informational text. You'll be surprised at the variety of topics that one box can provide.
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