It’s hard to believe FALL is on its way!  I always like to be sure that my young learners are noticing the changes that occur each season.  I used to do this with my own daughters (who are now both teachers), and to this day, when seasons change, they tell me they remember things we talked about.  They, in turn, engage their students in these same observations.  As we walk inside after recess, I always ask my students to stop a minute beside a fenced in pond at our school.  We take a few minutes to look for changes in trees, animals, plants, the water, etc.  At this time of year, students notice the color changes of the leaves, the grass turning brown, geese flying south, wooly bear caterpillars, acorns on the ground, squirrels gathering nuts, etc. Sometimes we are lucky enough to catch a frog sitting on a log!  These observations can be recorded in a science journal about the seasons.   I have a set of emergent readers for Fall. There are 4 versions of each reader.  There is also a version on which students can record their own observations about Fall and illustrate.  These observations can also be starting points for science lessons as well.

One of our annual Field Trips is to go Apple Picking!  The children love the hayride, hot cider, and donuts almost as much as they love picking apples.  Back in the classroom, I use this set of Apple Readers, 3 reading levels plus illustrated vocabulary cards for a word wall or pocket chart.