Learn A Little More
Copyright Norman Labush 1999                      BACK       HOME                
The Program
"Learn A Little More" (LALM) is a group of assignments given on Monday and due on Friday. These assignments may be in conjunction with class curriculum topics and concepts or they may be separate concepts that will enrich the student’s learning. LALM should not be mere practice of a concept or skill taught in the classroom.
Implementation                                                                BACK
There will be a prepared assignment sheet, every week, with tips on how to solve the puzzles or how to complete the activities. The assignment need only be half a sheet of paper. The assignments and assignment sheet should be placed in the room all week so that students may take them at anytime. Students are encouraged to take the assignment sheet and complete one assignment at a time. Students should help each other understand and solve assignments. However, “help is not giving answers,” should be made clear to the students.
The teacher may help any students who request help. The teacher may even teach a class or a small group lesson to introduce or to explain a specific concept or activity.
Each student has an LALM folder with a book pocket on the inside to hold the coupons. Students personalize their own folder.
Folders along with the completed assignments should be collected on Friday and returned on Monday. Any completed assignment earns one coupon. Teachers may wish to record the number of coupons earned by students. Then give coupon bonuses when reaching a certain number of coupons or completing at least one assignment for 4 weeks in a row.
Awards
Coupons - Coupons may be earned and exchanged for prizes. Each completed assignment is worth one coupon.  Assignments that entail several tasks or extra work my be worth more coupons. Coupon exchanges should occur biweekly.
Prizes - The selection of prizes is very important. Prizes may include “toys”, candy, school supplies (designs that appeal to the students), and teacher created privileges (no homework pass, extra time on the computer, eat lunch in the room, etc.).  Teachers may wish to solicit local businesses for small prizes.
Assignments                                                             BACK                                  HOME
"Learn A Little More" assignments should be in a wide variety of academic and nonacademic areas. Academic assignments should include higher level thinking skills (application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation).  Art, music, writing, and problem solving assignments should foster
creativity.  The teacher must carefully write clear directions.
Assignments Are Everywhere!
Teachers’ Editions and Supplemental Materials
Most teacher editions present alternative and/or enrichment class lessons to coincide
with the topic under study.  Many have supplemental worksheets.
Textbooks and Workbooks, Past and Present
Many textbooks have several higher level activities as part of their curriculum.  Use these
tougher” activities that will challenge students.  Use an old text for the grade above your class.
Reference Books
Atlas, Almanac, Thesaurus, Dictionary, Encyclopedia, Telephone Books, Catalogs
Puzzle, Game, and Activity Books
Newspapers - Comics and Kids’ Pages
Teachers’ Publications
The Internet      Start at Dr. Labush’s Links To Learning   http://www.netrox.net/~labush
Parents and Teachers Page and Learn A Little More Activities
Create your own.
Tips on Writing Good LALM Activities                   BACK
Present activities that are interesting.
Present activities that may be totally new.
Present activities that spark their imagination.
Present activities that may be too hard for them.
Use both open-ended and closed-ended questions.
Present activities that go beyond what they have studied.
Present activities that require more than a short, simple answer.
Present activities that require working with other students or parents.
Assignment Ideas                                                      BACK                          HOME
Vocabulary - New Words: place a new Word-A-Day on the board and add one new
word a day as it comes up in daily class lessons.  Assignment: students use each word in a
meaningful sentence. Write meanings, synonyms, or antonyms.
Writing Alphabetical sentences - The first letter of each word in the sentence is in alphabetical order
Ex. A Dog Eats Food. Help - Use names and numbers. Variations: 1) assign a minimum
number of words per sentence. 2) Assign exactly how many words for each sentence.
3) Use only a range of letters. Ex. Use only the letters form A to L.
4) Use only one letter or a consonant blend.
5) Write only questions and/or commands.
Number Sentences - Every word in the sentence has the same number of letters.
Ex.: 4 letters - Take five cats home. Variations 1) Write sentences using ascending lengths of words.  Ex. My two dogs sleep.
2) Write sentences using descending lengths of words.
Syllable sentences - Write sentences of only one or two syllable words.
Variations 1) Alternate one and two syllable words.
BE CREATIVE
Turn a schedule (bus, school, movie, etc.) into an activity.
Turn a price list into an activity.
Turn a diagram into an activity.
Turn the yellow pages telephone book into an activity.
Use the newspaper, radio, and television.
Use the “TV Guide.”
Learn a game and play it with a friend.
Learn a skill such as tying a tie or using chopsticks.
Turn a travel brochure into an activity.
Turn a map into an activity.
Make a craft or art project.
Build a toy.
Conduct a science or math experiment and record the results.
Organize scavenger hunts at school, in the classroom, or at home.
Complete math activities with and without a calculator.
Improve mental math.
Design a park, school, mall, restaurant, computer game, Disney attraction, community, house,
sports stadium, business, mode of transportation, furniture, game, and ???.
Make puzzles or create word lists for a category.
DESIGN      INVENT     IMAGINE
Activities                                                              BACK                             HOME
  • Draw a picture using only circles and rectangles. using the letters of the alphabet. using only
    • numbers.
  • Draw a picture of your favorite place and describe it.
  • Draw a simple picture of a house. Now, describe it to a partner and have your partner draw it.
  • Write “If I could change one thing about school I would ...”
  • Be able to subtract multiples of 5 from 100, mentally. Practice one week. Quiz the next week.
  • Learn the 11 and 12 times tables. Practice one week. Quiz the next week.
  • Learn the basic fraction/percent equivalencies (1/2 = 50%, 3/10=30%, etc.). Practice one week.
    • Quiz the next week
  • Write a short story using your spelling words.
  • Record the low and high temperature daily for five days. Graph to show the information.
  • Create a new cereal. Write a 30 second television commercial to advertise your product.
  • Make a list of 30 words that fit in a category.
  • Grocery Shopping - Go on your family’s weekly grocery shopping trip. Use a calculator to keep
    • a running total of the purchases. Compare your answer with the cash register tape.
  • Write a short story about what happened when the first person discovered chewing gum.
  • Think About It  1) Describe an argument you had recently.  2) Now, tell about the ame
    •  argument, from the other person’s point of view.
  • Measurement Search - Find and list ten items in the house that have a measurement written on
    •  the product. Include both customary and metric measurements. Ex. can of corn 7 oz. &198 g.
  • Many pairs of words go together with the word “and” . For example day and night. Make a list of
    •   15 similar pairs.
  • Play the game “dots” with a classmate. Play at least five times and record a tally to keep track
    • of  the winner.
  • Write 15 palindromes.
  • It is the year 3000 AD Nothing is left of the 1990’s except for exhibits in the Smells Museum.
    • What odors do you think should be in the 1990’s exhibit? List at least 20 odors.
  • Create a comic strip of at least six panels.
  • Find as many words as you can in the word INDEPENDENCE.
  • Write one original joke or three original riddles.  All words must be spelled correctly.
  • Make a decoration for the classroom (holidays).
  • Make a 20-word word chain on the topic, “It can fit in my pocket.” Word chains connect by
    •  having the last letter of the word be the first letter of the next word. Ex.: key yo-yo olive e...
  • Complete analogies - Create analogies.
  • Make a newspaper advertisement to sell a game.
  • Learn to tie a tie or use chopsticks.
  • Make a paper airplane.  Fly it and measure the distance flown and time aloft.
  • Make a picture using your fingerprints.
  • List 7 animals. Now use 3 words to describe each animal. Do not repeat a word.
  • Draw a map of your room using a scale. Students may be given grid paper with the scale
    • 1 cm. =   1 foot.
  • Count 25 cars that go by.  Tally them by color.  Graph the data.
  • Count 25 vehicles that go by.  Tally them by type; 2 door, 4 door, van, truck, bus, etc.
    • Graph   the data.
  • Give the student a postage stamp (coin). Research then write a paragraph about what is on the
    •  stamp (coin).
  • Trademarks - List 20 copyrighted names or trademarks.
  • Create your own trademark - explain what company, item, or service it represents
  • Create a business - Describe your business. Does it sell goods or perform a service? Employees?
    • Nationwide?  Make a brochure filled with information about your company. Create a business
    card, company slogan, and billboard.
  • Do you believe in extraterrestrial beings, also known as aliens? Why might their existence be
    • considered positive? Why might it be considered negative?
  • List 15 professional sports teams.  Identify each team’s hometown on a U.S. map.
  • Bring in a stuffed animal. With a partner, make a Venn Diagram listing how the animals are
    • similar and different.
  • Plan a 3 day trip by car. Include: a budget listing expenses, mileage driven, and where you are
    • going (hotels, restaurants, attractions, ???) . Give a maximum amount they can spend daily.
  • Create new meanings for abbreviations. Ex. NYC means New York City, but what else?
    • No You Can’t or Nice Young Children
  • Creative storytelling - Write a short story, maximum 1 page, using all of the following words:
    • twins, bleachers, football, actor, plane, ink, triangle, toupee, telephone, and acrobat.
    For younger students
  • Make three columns on your paper.  Label the columns person, place, and thing.
  • List ten nouns in each column.
  • Write 15 nouns.  After each noun write three words to describe it.
  • Write sentences with pairs of homonyms.  Ex. Tom ate eight pieces.
  • List the numbers 0 to 20.  Next to each number list something in the classroom that is exactly
    • that number of items. Ex.: 1 TV 2 doors 3 tables ...
  • Write 20 compound words.
  • List the alphabet on your paper, find something in the classroom for each letter.
  • Look in the kitchen and find a word for each letter.
  • Using the newspaper, find and cut out two words for each letter of the alphabet.
  • Using the newspaper and magazines, create a person or animal using parts from different
    • pictures.
  • Count the number of furniture legs in your house. Count the number of animal legs, including
    • humans. Count the number of pockets in your closet.
  • Fill in a consonant puzzle. Vowel puzzle.
  • In the kitchen, find five items in each group. Do not repeat an item.
    • Groups - Canned, Refrigerated, Frozen, Boxed, Bagged
  • List 20 parts of the body.
  • Listen to 10 TV or radio commercials.  List the items they are selling under one of these
    • categories: I would buy, I might buy, I would not buy.
    Same activity - categorize the items they are selling as goods or services.
  • List 15 items in your room from the lightest to the heaviest. Ex.: sock, shoe, bed.
  • List and describe 12 minerals.
  • List 20 sets of antonyms. Ex. hot - cold; tall - short
  • List 20 sets of synonyms.
  • Using newspaper ads, spend $100.  List each item and its price.  List a minimum of six items.
  • Write 10 barcode numbers. Sum the digits in each number.
  • List 10 animals in each category - Reptiles, Mammals, Fish, Insects, Birds
    • How to Make Codes                                                  BACK                       HOME
    Decoding and coding are essential thinking skills. Puzzles with codes are challenging and fun. Start with easier codes and have the students work up to more difficult codes. Finally, students can create their own codes and later the teacher may use the best puzzles as Learn A Little More activities.

    Codes are easily created using the word processor.  Write the alphabet across the top of the page, spacing between the letters, and write the code under each letter.  The simplest code shifts the alphabet left or right.  Using a word processor this is easily accomplished by copying and pasting below the original alphabet.  It is easier to decipher when using a different font for the code.

    A  B C  D E F G H I J  K L M N O P Q  R S T U V W X Y Z  REAL

    W X Y Z A B C D E F G H  I  J  K L M N O P Q R S  T U V  CODE

    In the code above, the code letter A represents the real letter E. The code Z K C represents D O G.

    Most word processors have alphabet fonts made up of symbols (webdings).  Look on your font examples. Use these symbols as codes with or without shifting them.  When typing the code, first type real letters, then highlight and change the font.  Print the code symbols large enough so they may be identified easily.

    Make code activities using spelling lists, vocabulary words, lists from academic areas, or specific categories (students’ names, passages from a story, etc.).  My favorite is writing the riddle question and coding the answer.

    Students may decipher the code giving them blanks to use below the real alphabet.

     O    Y    D    K    K    H 

    ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___               Answer - SCHOOL

    You may help by giving the clue, “The code letter ‘C’ is the real letter ‘E’.”

    Teaching Tip: Have the students label the top alphabet “REAL” and the bottom “CODE”, and have them say, “The code letter C is the real letter E.

    Thinking is a skill ... it can be taught.                           BACK                   HOME
    Thirteen essential thinking skills:
  • Observing
  • Comparing
  • Classifying
  • Imagining
  • Hypothesizing
  • Criticizing
  • Looking for Assumptions
  • Collecting and Organizing Data
  • Summarizing
  • Coding
  • Interpreting
  • Problem Solving
  • Decision Making
    • References
    Burns, Marilyn. 1976. The Book of Think, or How to Solve a Problem Twice Your Size. Boston:Little, Brown.
    Fry, Edward B., Jacqueline K. Polk. and Dona Fountoukidis. 1984. The Reading Teacher’s Book of Lists. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.
    Grids and Charts, [1983]. Palo Alto: Dale Seymore Publications.
    Graph Paper Art. [1986]. Huntington Beach: Teacher Created Materials.
    Madsen, Sheila, and Bette Gould. 1994. The Teachers’ Book of LISTS  Glenview: GoodYearBooks, Scott Foresman.
    McDonnell, Ginny, and Sue Mogard. 1994. Bright Ideas Calendar - 365 Creative Thinking Activities. St. Louis: McDonald. [Calendars for subject areas and activities at grade levels.]
    Sample Letter                                                         BACK
    Dear Parents,
    On _________________________, I will initiate my "Learn A Little More" (LALM) program. "Learn A Little More" is a group of assignments given on Monday and due on Friday. These assignments may be in conjunction with class curriculum topics and concepts, or they may be completely separate concepts that will enrich your child's learning. Every week, there will be a prepared assignment sheet, usually with tips on how to solve some of the puzzles or complete the activities.
    Only students completing all daily assignments, classwork and homework, may participate in the "Learn A Little More" program.
    Students may have class time to work on the assignments and ask me for help, but most of the work should be completed at home. Sometimes, I may give a short lesson to help students with a new concept.
    Please encourage your child to participate in LALM. You may help your child with any assignment. Sometimes, your child will not be able to complete the work without you.
    The program will begin with only a few assignments each week, but will gradually increase. Students may complete just one assignment. Eventually, there will be more assignments each week, allowing each student to choose the ones that interest him/her the most.
    "Learn A Little More" is an enrichment program that will not affect a student's report card evaluation in any way.
    COUPONS: Students will earn coupons for completing LALM assignments. Periodically, coupons will be exchanged for prizes.
    I feel "Learn A Little More" will increase your child's desire for learning.
    Thank you for your anticipated cooperation.
                                              Sincerely,
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