If you are looking for free craft projects, lesson plans and educational materials for children 3-7 years, spend some time in the “Can Do” Street Mall checking out the Crafts/Games and Teaching Resources.

Take advantage of the free materials that are there for your use. The materials are the work of parents, grandparents, educators, recreation and crafts personnel.

Each week we add more resources, shared by individuals, organizations and companies with the hope that you will visit their sites and make use of the 1,000s of free materials that they offer.

There is no catch, no hidden costs to using the free materials you find on the sites that list in the mall.

Prior to listing each of the free sites in the mall, the staff of “Can Do” Street check out the content to make sure it is suitable for out audience of parents, teachers and other adults involved in the care of young children .

To list your site in either Crafts and Games or Teaching Resources the content must meet the following criteria:

• Contain free resources suitable, in all or in part, for children 3-7 years

• Resources must be easy to download and use

If you wish to list, please send the following information about your free site to jeanc@candostreet.com:

• A brief description of your site
• A logo, if you have one
• Your URL address so that we may create an active link to your site

We look forward to having you visit the “Can Do” Mall where the resources are free and fun!

Chizuko Nishimata, a member of the “Can Do” Street production team, recently interviewed a second grade teacher in her native Japan. The purpose of the interview was to explore how Japanese teachers help their students to make good choices. Chizuko shares her findings in the following post.

In Elementary schools in Japan, there is a subject called “Dotoku”, which means “Moral” This class is usually held once a week. It teaches children very similar lessons to what “Can Do Street” offers. There are many educational TV shows and books for young children that are used as instructional materials.

During my interview with the teacher, she shared how she teaches this subject to her 2^nd grade class. She said, “I always ask the children questions after I present the lesson and get their answers before I share with them what are considered to be the right choices. Many times, children are very clever and often have the right answers. They come up with the right decisions by themselves.”

One time, when the teacher was using illustrations of two children fighting over snacks, there weren’t any words with the illustrations. So, she asked the students to make up a story about what was going on in the illustrations. She then asked each child to share what the message was in his or her story. She got lots of good feedback for continuing her lesson!

As I was ending the interview, I asked what she thought parents and teachers need always to remember about teaching life lessons. She answered, “The important life lessons need to be told repeatedly.  Even though children don’t seem to be paying attention, they are listening. Also, children watch us, their parents and teachers, very closely. We adults need to show them, by our actions, how to make good choices.”

Is an organization in Florida that is making a substantial difference for teachers and their students in need. They accomplish this by transferring their community’s surplus materials and resources free to teachers for their students who cannot afford to buy needed school supplies.

More than half the students in Central Florida can’t afford lunch let alone school supplies. In many cases, teachers spend between $500-$1,000 of their own money to buy supplies for students and classrooms each year.

A Gift For Teaching’s concept is simple, but so practical: local businesses take unwanted supplies or surplus merchandise that would otherwise get thrown away and donate it for distribution through the Free Stores for teachers. More than 8,673 teachers from Central Florida’s 324 public schools can then “shop” for free to make sure the more than 155,051 students in the community have what they need to learn. (more…)

Hi,

As creator of “Can Do” Street I want to tell you about some of the new features we are planning for this blog for parents and teachers.

In late October we will be adding the following sections to the blog:

• Teacher Stories – a place where teachers of children  3-7 years of age can share how they get positive results from using character/values curriculum or their own lesson plans to guide their students in making good choices about school behavior, manners, sharing, personal hygiene, personal safety, eating habits, playing fair, being a friend and disability sensitivity. This section is open to teachers from graded classes in public, private and parochial schools and teachers of special needs children in ungraded classes.

• Parent Exchange – An opportunity for parents to exchange information on what works for them in helping their young children make good choices about managing anger, doing chores, interacting with siblings, demonstrating caring behavior, getting up and going to bed on time, dressing, personal hygiene, telling the truth, pet care, speaking respectfully, and table manners

• Resource Center – links to programs, articles, camps and web sites for parents of children 3-7 years.

• Home School – Parents who home school can share what curriculum and activities they use to help their children practice making good choices

• After School – a forum for after school instructors, recreation staff, coaches, and camp counselors to share what is successful in helping young children make good choices when in their care.

• Grandparents Know – grandparents share how to help grands make good choices

Thanks for visiting!  Please become a regular on “Can Do” Street by writing and sharing. Just send your stories, comments and resources to jeanc@candostreet.com.

By for now,

Jean

Bring your child or your class to “Can Do” Street and let them play the interactive, animated programs and games for free!  Download  the Parent/Teacher guidelines (lesson plans) for use with the programs. Print out activity sheets that reinforce the lessons found in each program. They are great for kids to use in between  computer sessions.

There are membership certificates and completion certificates that can be downloaded. Don’t forget to print out the dozens of coloring sheets of the “Can Do” Kids and adults. Check out the parent/teacher blog and the kids blog each time you visit to see what’s new on “Can Do” Street.

Each month a new activity, program or game will be added to the site. Email us with questions and suggestions at info@candostreet.com.

Please tell your friends, fellow teachers and parents to come to “Can Do” Street where young children get to practice making good choices!