OHHHHHHHH - This is FUN !!!!!

When I was in college ("in the dark ages" as I like to joke), I took classes on teaching phonics.  As the years went on, I took more training in phonics and there was a common theme - teach to the senses children will learn and retain more information.  It made great sense and was backed up with lots of data.  I still include those techniques while teaching reading to this day.  We do "air writing" to reinforce what we have learned through movement.  I use song and dance to reinforce learning through auditory and through movement.  We read letters on crackers and eat them to reinforce what we've learned through taste.  We "write" on the rug  as we reinforce what we've learned through touch.  All of this is better than only doing worksheets.  Today instead of using a paper and pencil we used shaving cream and our pointer fingers.  I put a dollup of shaving cream on each student's desk and they hesitantly  - at first - spread it over their desks.  We then practiced writing our names, letters, numbers and shapes.  It was messy - but Ohhhhhhhhh it was fun!!! Check out the pictures below.