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Sandy/K/Mo - welcome everyone to the discussion of take home bags...
Sandy/K/Mo - I have been doing take home bags for about 5 years now
Mel - Where do you get your ideas from??
Sandy/K/Mo - I find a book... that goes with my unit and then think of an activity that goes with it that can be put in a bag
Sandy/K/Mo - There are also books put out by Scholastic that give ideas.. I will take ideas from window sill science and then find a book that goes with it
nat/k/ma - Sandy, I did backpacks last year through a grant but some of the children stole the things right out of the bags. How do you control this?
Kathleen - Here is the url link to the collection in the Teachers.Net Lesson Collection about take home bags: http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/489.html
Sandy/K/Mo - I am lucky where I teach.. things did get lost but the parents usually found it a month later. I would suggest that you don't put anything in it that you really care about.
Sandy/K/Mo - I also told the kids if it all didn't come back that I would send a note home with the missing items. The parents knew about this because they signed a permission slip
Sandy/K/Mo - and then the parents had to replace it. The child wasn't able to take another bag until replaced
Peachy/K/NC - What are some good, inexpensive ways to acquire bags?
Kathleen - Do you have multiples of each bag, or do you circulate only one per theme?
Sandy/K/Mo - I have 3 of each bag..
Sandy/K/Mo - Once again I am very lucky... alot of my parents work at scholastic
Sandy/K/Mo - Sometimes we just decorate zip lock baggies with stickers
Leslie - Do you ever have kids who don't want to take bags home?
BarbNY! - How many activities and books do put into each bag?
Karen - How many books/activities/materials do you usually include in one bag?
Sandy/K/Mo - yes Leslie and I don't make them.. I also tell the parents that if it isn't a good time to send them just let me know. I stop sending the middle of Nov. and don't start until mddle of Jan
Sandy/K/Mo - The number of activities depends on the book. Jake baked a cake has a jiffy cake mix and rhyming cards
Sandy/K/Mo - the Dalmation bag has the book and dalmation concentration
JT/1/VA - Where do you get the money for materials in the bags?
Sandy/K/Mo - the first bags were bought from a grant but the ones after I have.. with donations of work and materials from parents
Maureen - Where do you store all of these bags? Do you have a system to keep track of them?
Sandy/K/Mo - I bought several milk crates and put them in those by math, reading or science
Sandy/K/Mo - I have all the bags listed and when a child takes it home we put the date by their name
Sandy/K/Mo - I only have one book.. and depending on the length of the activity I usually have one with extensions they can do with things around the house
BarbNY! - You seem to have 1 book per bag. I have a bacpack that I did with 6 books and 8 activities. Is this too much?
Mel - How long can they keep the bags.
Sandy/K/Mo - It depends on your parents.. It might be overwhelming... how much time do you give
Sandy/K/Mo - Barb.. my parents don't like alot at one time.. Mel
BarbNY! - I give a week but allow them to choose what activities they will do. I suggest to try to do 5.
Leslie - Do you find it is always the same children who lose or forget to return the bags? I do!
Sandy/K/Mo - I always remind them before they are due
Christina/k - I'm new to this. Do you get reproducible books to make up activities?
JT/1/VA - What type of grant did you write?
Sandy/K/Mo - the local college wrote a grant and invited all of the primary teachers to take part.. Eisenhower
Kathleen - Sandy, do you include activities that have to be returned completed for your review?
Melissa/nj - I just wanted to add that Home and Back With Books is an excellent resource.
Sandy/K/Mo - Some of the bags have things that need to be turned it..but they are for our "star" board not for a grade
Sandy/K/Mo - Sometimes the parents don't have time, sometimes they just don't want to be bothered so I don't have it for a grade
Karen - Do you theme the bags to go along with what you're studying or do you keep the same bag topics all year long?
Sandy/K/Mo - Yes I do theme with some and then I have some bags that go all year. I have an apple bag for example.. and then the dalmation goes all year
BarbNY! - So you suggest doing 1 book and 1 activity with a possible at home extension activity?
Leslie - What's your most successful bag? - I think I got missed.
Sandy/K/Mo - That has worked well with my parents. if you put in more..it gives them choices but I know with some of my parents it wouldn't work
Sandy/K/Mo - The kids love Jake Baked the Cake... they even bring me a bite :-)
Sandy/K/Mo - They also like the one I have with pattern block puzzles.. the parents can't dothem
Mel - Can you give some examples of what would be in the apple bag..and what grade do youteach..trying to figure out how difficult these bags should be?
Sandy/K/Mo - I teach kdg. In the apple bag I have a small version of Johnny Appleseed. I send a note home at the beginning of Sept. so the parents will have an apple
Christina/k - Do you mainly use books with activities or do you use literature or do you buy the commercial take home activity books and use them?
Sandy/K/Mo - I also send home the story of the bear and the star. The parents cut the apple and save the seeds
Mel - Do you try to reinforce skills in your bags??
Sandy/K/Mo - on this one the parents are asked to fill out a form.. what type of apple, how many seeds, what taste (a pucker power or sweet)
Kathleen - For Mel and Christina: Do you buy activity books or make your own activities and do the activites reinforce skills?
Sandy/K/Mo - I don't want the bags to be hard work or difficult. My main objective is to have fun with Mom and dad and learn a little too
BarbNY! - How many bags do you have circulating at one time?
Sandy/K/Mo - I make most of the things I put in my bags.. I find books at garage sales..
Karen - Do all your bags center around a book? What about an experiment or project? Have you done any of these?
Sandy/K/Mo - I have enough bags for the entire class not all on the same topic
Sandy/K/Mo - Most of my bags have books of some kind
Sandy/K/Mo - The color bag has experiments a ice cube tray an eye dropper and food coloring
Sandy/K/Mo - the seed bag has navy beans a zip lock bag and a paper towel
Leslie - A comment - just "forcing" parents to spend a little special time with their child is worth all the effort
Sandy/K/Mo - the extension on the seed bag is for them to walk outside in an old sock and then put in a pie pan and see what happens
Teach2 - How long have you been doing this and in what grade?
BarbNY! - How long do you give the children to have the bags
Sandy/K/Mo - I send the bags home on a Tues and get them back on Fri
Mel - Sandy I find that if I sent a book home with a grade one the parents become so upset that they can't read it (even if I explain the concept to them) that they loose sight of the idea!Any suggestions????
Kathleen - Sandy, for Teach, how long have you been doing this and in what grade?
Sandy/K/Mo - I have been doing this about 5 years in Kdg. The first grade teacher does this too.
Sandy/K/Mo - I have a parent meeting before school starts and this is one of the topics I discuss I guess I would just put a note in to remind them with each bag.. that their child won't be able to read them
BarbNY! - Is this in place of homework or in addition to
Barb - I just logged on...what exactly are these bags and what all do you put in? Do you have all the complete suplies for the children?
Sandy/K/Mo - this is in place of homework.. I don't know what first grade would do.
Kathleen - purple Barb, go ahead, then Teach2
Leslie - I have done bags for years and put in a book, stuffed animal and easy game to play with a sibling or a parent - I make alot of games myself
Sandy/K/Mo - these are books and activities that cover objectives that I teach. I try to have a book for each one. I replace the consumables
Sandy/K/Mo - Leslie what is your favorite bag?
BarbNY! - So you have new bags going out all year
Sandy/K/Mo - Barb I have some that go out all year long and others that match my themes
Kathleen - Sandy, about how much time do you put into maintaining and circulating the bags..sound like a lot of work and time
Leslie - I send so many out a year it is hard to say. I only have one bag per class of each - example: Clifford, book, File folder game with bones
Kathleen - Barb NY, go ahead
Sandy/K/Mo - making them took a lot of time had parent help but after the second year have the system down pretty good now..
Sandy/K/Mo - I even have "old" parents bring me in things that they think will work
Liz - Do you do any bags on math?
BarbNY! - I am really concerned now. I took a workshop and spent alot of time putting this backpack together. It is a birthday bckpack and has 8 activities. Advise... Shoud I down size or continue with this bag and the other 3 in progress and add the individual bags from here on?
Sandy/K/Mo - Yes have about 35 different bags on math
Mel - Do you think there is any way we could have a place where everyone could post their ideas? I know I have some ideas but I would like to hear others.
Liz - I need suggestions on getting started
Sandy/K/Mo - Barb.. I think that you have given them choices and that is good. Do you want this for a grade or for fun?
Kathleen - [Mel, the lesson exchange is the best place] http://teachers.net/lessons
Kathleen - http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/489.html has many ideas ready for you to get started
Sandy/K/Mo - Mel.. we have some ideas posted in the lesson exchange and if you post to the primary board then we can get all kinds of ideas
Mel - Should I just post my ideas and then encourage others to keep posting onto my post?
Sandy/K/Mo - Barb have you sent that birthday bag out yet?
Barb - Give us an example of a bag and some of the activites, please. It sounds like a neat idea.
Kathleen - Mel, you can do that, post and others attach, then someone move the whole thread to lesson collection
Teach2 - I'm starting this soon w/ my 2nd graders....
Teach2 - ....any words of advice?
Leslie - A good idea is to attach a tag to your bags with your name on it - I have a lot end up on the bus or day care
BarbNY! - I am expecting this to be fun. There are 2 activities for them to return to me but only for a sticker. Other activities include a puzzle match that is self checking and others. We don't start school until the 9th so the bag is still hanging in my closet
Sandy/K/Mo - Some people in my class made bags that matched the books.. Magic School bus Ants.. they found material with ants
Sandy/K/Mo - Barb I think what you have sounds great.. I would use it and send home all 8
Kathleen - I have to leave, continue if you would like to. This will be archived. I'm inspired!
BarbNY! - This is such a relief. I am so excitedto do this and will definitly do individual bags. Sounds like a little less work. The big bags take forever with so many books
Sandy/K/Mo - Teach have fun.. I took it personally when they lost something and I had to get over that.. took work to make
Sandy/K/Mo - I think you will have an easier time with less won't cost as much
Teach2 - going to have a parent work night....
Sandy/K/Mo - Teach That is great :-)
Teach2 - ...parents will help decorate bags.....
Sandy/K/Mo - there are lots of file folder games you can put in these too Scholastic has a lot of idea books with manipulatives that you can adapt
Sandy/K/Mo - Night everyone.. have fun with this :-) Morning comes quickly here
Leslie - Many thanks - Good night
