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Sandy/K/MO - Welcome to flannel boards..
Djinn - I have a flannel board for the first time this year and I know I under utilized it.
Sandy/K/MO - I have a huge flannel board that I inherited :-) Need to use it more too, I use my smaller ones
k - i know i under utilize mine too. my problem is not enough fb materials. i really believe you can never have enough, esp with young children, but i never have enough time to make them and even the ones you buy, you have to cut out.
Sandy/K/MO - When or what do you use your's for
Djinn - Sandy - do you have individual boards?
Sandy/K/MO - yes.. about 10 small ones, used the cardboard from inside shirts
k - i try to share fb stories and then let the children use the fb to tell it themselves. it becomes part of a learning center.
Sandy/K/MO - 2 pieces per board.. then took that really heavy tape and taped them together
Djinn - I have been using mine in a math center for number sequencing, numeral recognition, making sets, basic addition.
Sandy/K/MO - I also use my flannel boards for shapes.. have them make pictures so they know everything is made up of a shape
k - my new center for next year will be a storytelling center. this year, it was part of the library center, but i want to add more props, so it really needs a space by itself. fb will be part of it
Sandy/K/MO - k that sounds great.. I am not sure where I read this.. but someone suggested using cigar boxes (covered of course) to store each story in.
k - cigar boxes are great if you can find them -- they're hard to come by
Djinn - What did you use to glue them?
Sandy/K/MO - maybe instead those cardboard pencil boxes
Deb/K/IL - Good idea Sandy, they go on clearence on the fall
Sandy/K/MO - just glue I think and then that heavy tape over them
Djinn - What about using those large shoe or boot boxes. I just grabbed one out of my hubbys hands as he tried to recycle his!
k - they're kind of narrow. i usually buy small plastic boxes a pic n save.
Djinn - K- how do you get the flannel to stick? Tacky glue?
Sandy/K/MO - LOL Djinn with my son's shoe size I could store a whole BUNCH of stories
k - i store my fb pieces in ziplocs and when i put them out for the kids, i put them in the plastic boxes. i usually only put 3 or 4 out at a time.
Deb/K/IL - It has to be a fabric glue or the material soaks up the glue
k - djinn -i don't understad, get the flannel to stick to what?
Sandy/K/MO - I went to amazon.com here at teachers.net and typed in flannel boards in the subject area and came up with 16 different books :-) be sure to use it through t.net so we get credit
k - for my story telling center, i'd like to have 2 large flannel boards and about 4 individual ones, so children can work together or individually
Djinn - K- to the box. sorry I meant felt - I would like to put felt on the cover and the story inside to make individual or partner boxes
k - anyone else have good fb resources? I passed one along through the mailring from CA dept of water. It's free. They have a fb story for k-2 and 2-4.
Sandy/K/MO - Children love stories told with flannelboard charaters as visual
Djinn - K - thanks for that - I ordered mine and put in an order for the two other k teachers.
k - you know djinn, i have used pizza boxes for that in the past . they're free and the kids love them
Peachy - I have the book FELT BOARD FINGERPLAYSby Liz and Dick Wilmes.
Djinn - K - great idea - I even have an in with the local pizza parlor! HMMMM
k - I have Felt Board Fun by Liz and Dick Wilmes
Peachy - I like the pizza box idea.
Djinn - Do you prefer felt, pellon, fun foam - other?
Peachy - I like pellon the best.
k - this year we made a flannel board (using the pizza box) to go along with "I Am a Pizza" by Charlotte Diamond. The kids just love it! We also put it in the listening center (tape and fb materials) so the kids can do it themselves
Sandy/K/MO - Guidelines for Telling StoriesDjinn - How fun! I love that song
- Choose a simple story with a logical plot sequence. Avoid stories with many changes in setting or too many characters to be handled effectively A chapter from a longer book may be adapted for use.
- Write a simple script, visualizing in your head the action which will be depicted on the flannel board. Practice your script by reading through it several times until you know it well.
- Develop a simple storyboard, if desired. On the storybard sketch the visuals and the accompanying text.
- Develop your visuals. Sometimes, figures can be copied directly from a picture book or from a simple coloring book. An opaque projector can also be used, if the figures in the book are not too large. Visuals can also be copied from a filmstrip, by projecting a small image and copying the figures directly. (Note: Copyright laws)
- Number each figure in chronological order as they appear on the board.
- Maintain eye contat with your audience at all times.
- Use an expressive voice when talking to the children.
- Assign a child "helper" to pick up figures whice may fall from the board during the story.
Peachy - Haven't tried fun foam. Does that work?
k - here's a sight if you want to learn more about fb storytelling -- http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/flannel.htm
Judy - A great book-"Literature Patterns"-by Edupress
Djinn - Peachy _ I haven't tried it - should probably have to add some thing to the back - velcro
k - speaking of storytelling props in general, who uses puppets? I have 2 old books that I LOVE! Puppetry in Early Childhood Education by Tamara Hunt and Nancy Renfro and Creative Teaching with Puppets by Rountree, Gordon, Shuptrin, and Taylor
sue - djinn- how to make the backdrops or the actual pieces?
Addie k/mo - if you trace the character from the book onto white tissue paper with a pencil, then you can place the tissue paper over the felt and trace over it with a black marker. the marker bleeds through the tissue paper onto the felt (or posterboard if you were making something for a bulletin board). these can be reused.
k - another great book that I have worn out (has fb patterns with songs) -- Sing a Song: All Year Long by Connie Walters and Diane Totten
Djinn - Great tip Addie- and one I will use!
Sandy/K/MO - I trace onto the felt and then cut it out... or have made a pattern and cut it out
Addie k/mo - i learned it at a workshop! it was one of those "oh, wow!" experiences! LOL!
sue - djinn, I don't use traditonal flannel on my flannelboards-- I draw or copy the pieces onto card stock, laminate using heavy lamination and add flannel tape to the back of them
Djinn - Anyone use the ellison? We don't have very many die cuts - but our media person says felt is ok -
Addie k/mo - sue, to go along with your idea, you can use those stick on velcro dots too.
k - you know, i'm so lazy, i just xerox the pattern, color it, laminate it and add velcro on the back. at least these pieces can't get ripped.
sue - djinn, I do especially for something like the color bear stories
Addie k/mo - we have an ellison at school, but i havent cut felt with it. i think you have to put a piece of paper in with the fabric to keep it straight while it cuts
k - at conferences, there are some real great vendors that sell fb stories. often, they'er not badly priced!
sue - here's a tip. my mom zig zagged around the edges of my flanneboard peicces to give them some stability
Sandy/K/MO - I think you would need to make sure the blades on the ellison were sharp.. otherwise tear felt
Djinn - I have heard that you can use freezer paper and iron cloth to it and run it through your printer. Could work for felt and the ellison
Addie k/mo - k, i saw some at the ece conf. in mo. they also had backgrounds you could purchase like a ground and sky....nice and generic, but colorful
sue - sandy-- you can only do 1 small piece at a time
Peachy/K/NC - I have cut out felt hearts on the Ellison. Worked fine...did one at a time.
sue - addie, they were very inexpensive
Djinn - Sandy - the steps you are outlining would also be great modeling if you wanted students to recreate the story in partners or on their own
sue - I made individual flannelboards and flannebloard for takehome programs using recylced foam backboards from social studies and science projects
Addie k/mo - speaking of the ellison...someone at school said that you could sharpen the blades by either cutting through aluminum foil or wax paper, but she couldnt remember which, so no one will try it. anyone know for sure?
Sandy/K/MO - I like for them to either use the pieces to retell or rewrite the stories we have read during center time
sue - addie, try the ellison site,they might have info
Addie k/mo - sandy, alot of the tips are good for any type of storytelling....ie. eye contact and expression
k - this week my kids are using the fb with some career people i found waaaaay back in the closet. they're about 15 years old, but still work great. package was never opend -- man and woman with 50 different career clothes. I also found an unopened fb community, but this was cardboard with flannel backing and some pieces have already ripped.
Djinn - Addie- they have trouble shooting info on their site.
sue - my problem is storage of the pieces, ziploc with the stories andd pieces aren't working. my kids can't get them into the right bags-- any idea?
Sandy/K/MO - We talked a bit earlier about using the flannel for numbers, shapes, patterns.. does anyone have any other ideas?
sue - sandy-- seriation, we do it with scraps of felt
Addie k/mo - you could do sorting and classifying
Sandy/K/MO - Sue can you put a picture of the story in the zip lock bag too? that way they know what goes in
sue - sandy, duh!! I never thought of that-- thanks!!!
k - i do mostly stories and songs. i have the children participate and then leave it out during cetners
sue - we do story starters with odd pieces ,too
Peachy/K/NC - I like it for fingerplays. One reads the rhyme and the other person follows along with the pieces on the flannelboard.
Sandy/K/MO - To make FBs, just take some cardboard and cover it with flannel or wood or anything else that will support it
Sandy/K/MO - Sue :-) That's why I love this place and all of you
sue - foam board works well, too
Sandy/PA/2 - I just started teaching Sunday School yesterday and our curriculum includes flannelboard pieces for the Bible stories, so I'm glad I know how to make one now!
k - you know, when i taught preschool, we had felt glued to the back of the small shelves so the children could get a fb box and use any of these falnnel baords. they were all over the room (you know how you use shelves as dividers?) so fb was incorporated into many different areas.
Judy - I like to use it for nursery rhymes and sequencing skills also
Peachy/K/NC - Sue, do you mean covering the board with foam board?
sue - peachy, no I use foam board and cover it with felt, lightweight good for kid sized boards
sue - k- we have that in my class in one area, too
Sandy/K/MO - my kids really seem to like using the different shapes to make pictures on the f.b. and then tell a story
Djinn - I purchased an easel with flannel board on one side and white board on the other. It came the last day of school. So glad to have this discussion now
k - where did you buy that easel?
Deb/K/IL - Djinn you'll love using it I got one last fall
Djinn - K- my principal ordered it for my after I bribed her with cookies LOL
k - do you know where she bought it? deb, where did you get yours from?
Djinn - So - you can put velcro or flannel tape on the back of almost anything? Where would you get flannel or is it felt tape?
Deb/K/IL - I ordered mine from a teacher supply catalog
sue - djinn, felt tape usually about $7.00 roll any ed store
Djinn - K- Try the Lakeshore catalog
sue - velcro-- cheap cheap from creative educational surplus
Sandy/K/MO - Last year at Christmas, my room mothers gave me HUGE amounts of different colors of felt... :-)
Sandy/K/MO - felt will just stick, lay it up against and it usually stays.. or can put some velcro.. the really sticky side
Sandy/PA/2 - Okay, so you can either cut things out of books and put felt tape on the back or just cut shapes, numbers, letters, etc. out of felt and use them. Right?
Deb/K/IL - My class just loved playing tic tac toe on the flannel board
sue - here's an idea i want to try on the flanneboard--- cut different shapes and texturees of wallpaper and add felt tape-- sort by color, texture-- what do you think?
k - Ohhhhh - I wanted the one from Lakeshore! I am so stupid! I used to work for them -- that's where I taught prekinder, and when I left to go teach kinder in the district, I bought tons of stuf so I could still get my discount. I wanted that easel and a friend of mine told me she saw one for cheaper. haven't seen another one yet! I used one (lakeshore property) in my prekinder class and absolutely loved it! used it everday. now i'm going to have to fork out $179 unless i can get my friend to buy it for me. she still works there.
Djinn - Sue- great idea? Hmmm I have lots of old wallpaper books
Addie k/mo - if you are going to let the kids handle the pieces, you will want to laminate paper or cutouts from old books before you add the velcro or flannel tape
Sandy/K/MO - I would think if you cut out letters and things you could do all kinds of math & LA
Bizzy - love the wallpaper idea-can be used to make patterns also
sue - I recommend buying the letters. they're cheap enough and have a slighltly different texture on the back that keeps the kid from reversing them
Sandy/PA/2 - You could make flannelboard puzzles! Like, take a map of the USA and cut the states apart and laminate them and let the kids put them together!
sue - sandy-- I did it the lazy way in K-- use bulletine board sets!
k - lazy way or not, at least you're using fb materials. many teachers really neglect this area.
Addie k/mo - if you did your letters/numbers from wallpaper they would be different on the back too and the kids wouldnt reverse them
Sandy/K/MO - I have found some story sets.. and use them with velcro on the back
Djinn - Sue - I'm all for easy - maybe those cute things from Carson Dellosa? I'll have to check out Apples and Acorns
Sandy/K/MO - ... remember for your first notes home.. ask for any scrapes of felt
Sandy/K/MO - and for helpers to make things :-) that's how I got all my flannel boards
sue - sandy--you can also xerox pages from those little ctp readers, laminite and have the kids sequence the story, that's my projec this summer
Sandy/K/MO - Sue that's a great idea... I have laminated the comics before
Sandy/K/MO - Any more ideas?
k - no one answered whether or not they use puppets
Sandy/K/MO - Got some more great ideas.. I use puppets, they love them
Carol from IA - leave it out during cetners
Djinn - K- I use a lot of stick puppets
Sandy/K/MO - When they do them, I usually have them retell the story.. in a different way
Carol from IA - Have any of you used the flannel board products from Learning Wonders?
k - i don't use nearly enough puppets -- another great manipualtive. I have books on them, love them, but don't utilize them. anyone know of some other great books or sites?
k - don't know Learning Wonders
Bizzy - I use stick puppets, and we make a lot of paper bag puppets to go with different stories
Sandy/K/MO - I didn't look up any puppet sites but I can find and post. :-) I usually just have them draw their own or I have patterns
Carol from IA - When I was at the National Head Start Convention in Minneapolis they had a booth. They are beautiful and the prices are real reasonable
Sandy/K/MO - k... I have the craft sticks out or paper sacks and they can make their own puppets during center time if they wish or with a partner
Carol from IA - If anyone is interested here is the address: Learning Wonders suzette Hirschi 195 May Road Macomb, IL 61455
k - we just made a rabbit puppet and stick puppets to go along with the story Old Mister Rabbit -- it's in the Harcoiurt Brace series
Carol from IA - Have any of you had problems with your flannel pieces sticking I was told to buy Spray Adhesive on the flannel board and pieces and let them dry. You can buy the stuff at most craft stores.
Sandy/K/MO - Thanks Carol.. I have been looking for something
Sandy/K/MO - Last year at Christmas I just asked for craft things.. it was great the stuff i got
Djinn - This has been great! thanks Sandy for all the information. Good night All
Sandy/K/MO - Well, it looks like we are out of time.. thanks everyone for the flannel board ideas :-)
