I love to read. It’s one of my favorite things to do—that and spending time with family, like my grandparents. What could be better than an afternoon spent with a book or a beloved grandparent? Because both of those are important to me, I was excited to see that September celebrates them. In addition to being Read-A-New-Book Month, September is also the time to celebrate National Grandparents’ Day! Need a little inspiration to celebrate these holidays? Keep reading for some ideas.
As an educator, you can use books for just about anything. If it’s a rainy day, let a few students choose a favorite book to read aloud to the class. Or when your class seems to need some quiet time, have the students read silently at their own desks or in a specially designated spot in the classroom. One of my favorite things when I was in school was the teacher reading to us. It was usually a book I hadn’t read, so with my teacher’s help I was reading a new book. And discovering new favorite stories!
But how you can you and your students celebrate grandparents? Since grandmothers and grandfathers treasure just about anything their grandchildren give them (aside from empty candy wrappers), it’s great to make something that they can keep in a scrapbook or photo album. You could have your students write about a favorite thing that they’ve done with a grandparent—like picking apples. They can also write down stories that their grandparents have told or draw pictures to illustrate them. Give your students some nice paper (construction paper or cardstock) and maybe even stickers or stamps to dress up their work. Then invite them deliver their masterpieces to their grandparents. (You might want to send along some tissues in case their grandparents tear up.)
Are you excited about September? I sure am! I hope that you have a happy month and enjoy the beginning of autumn.
Loving the vivid fall colors,
Carolynn
What are you looking forward to this month?