THIRD WEEK MILES OF MATH KIDS' CLUB Sponsored by CNC Software, Inc. and Nerac.com Our Bulletin Board: To track 500 miles. Mid-week we were at 123 miles. A Group Goal Our original group goal was 500 miles, but now at the end of the third week, we've already traveled 163 miles. With 7 more weeks to go, we'll meet our goal easily and then need a new group goal. It will probably not be a distance goal. Eventually, it will be the children who develop our final group goal for the club.                                                                 -Carol Goodrow April 9 , 2004 GETTING ORGANIZED It's the third week of our club with 45 kids or so packed into one classsroom. It's too snug, but now, the kids line their backpacks up in the hall, making the space just right in our classroom. GROUP EXERCISE We had one rainy day (gym running) and one fair-weather day (outdoor running). ---The Rainy Day The small gym is tough. It has a 66 meter track circling the gym. Now, in this third week, the kids are not inhibited and they want to run fast. Teaching them to pace and watch out for each other is tough, even when we break them into groups. They still seem to be on each other's heels. But safety is of essence, so we give the runners the conceptual image of keeping a "bicycle length" between themselves and the runners in front and that works. They just need a hands-on definition. Their careless behavior was more misunderstanding than misbehaving. And thanks to the parent volunteers in the gym, we all exit safely and head back to the room for journals and math. ---The Sunny Day The children who attend on the sunny day are lucky. We first take a "hike" down a trail. I have the visually impaired child on my arm and it is fun for me to narrate about rocks, ruts, and wood-shaving hills. But there is a surprise in store. We head toward the pond and the children are asked to make "coyote ears", by cupping their ears with their hands. The sound of the "peepers" gets louder and louder as we approach the pond, but the children don't know what they are hearing. This is a new adventure for the children. Then it's back up the hill and to the baseball field for a quick run around the diamond. The children now follow my lead automatically, weaving in and out. Finally it's onto the field for one slow 1/4 mile lap. The kids are getting antsy. They want to run fast, but they need to be patient. Our "slap hands" relay comes last. The relay is simple it's once across the field and back for each runner. There is no team competition, but this is when the kids get to run their fastest. They go across and slap the hand of a parent volunteer, then back and "high five" the hand of the next runner. On the way back to the classroom, we find a steep mound of land and the kids are excited to run up and down it. IN THE CLASSROOM I always ask the children to come right into the class, fold their hands and be ready to listen. The time is tight and we have a lot to do. It's time to settle down, get a drink of water (that a parent has pre-poured when we were outside), and be ready to read a new page in our books. This week's page is a hiking page. A child tries to read the "Fun Feet" section in front of the class but falters. I promise to help him during the week so that he can read aloud next week and he accepts my promise. Another child takes over. Then we read the Pack-a-Snack section. We talk about trail mix and the nutritional benefits. Then it's journal writing time. The children don't need to just "copy" anymore. They now have their own ideas. One writes, "Fast, slow, fast, slow." This child had been introduced to intervals in the gym. Another writes about the slap-hand relay, and another has brought notes from home, written by mom, so that she could get caught up in her book. We do our Time Tracker. Many children have achieved an hour of exercise on this day. But now the best part is the Healthy-food 9 Square. The kids are asked to draw, spell, or write the first letter of a healthy food they have eaten today. And if they can't think, their friends are ready to help them..."Did you buy lunch at school today? Did you choose the salad and carrots? That's healthy food!" The kids are becoming aware and they are prepared for this part of our club day. FOOTPRINT CHARTS The children finish up their artwork today and then we add 40 miles to the 123 on the bulletin board, for now we have traveled 163 miles. Then using the concept of tens and ones, they color in their own footprint charts to match the charts on our bulletin board. I refer to the footprint folder activity as "structured creativity", a principle which I think is basic to helping children become engaged in their learning: Set limits, give rules, but then let children have a lot of creativity within that structure. It works and as a result the instructor obtains new and fresh ideas by learning from the children. GOING HOME The day ends too quickly. The parents arrive. More and more children are opting to take their books home and journal throughout the week. This way, they start thinking about healthy habits every day and in every way. I take a deep breath and feel so satisfied with my three weeks at club. We've had a lot of healthy fun and there's a lot more to come. A long weekend is coming up and I make my own plans for my healthy eating and physical activity. Then before I know it, I'm looking forward to the next week at school. LINKS First Week at Miles of Math Second Week at Miles of Math Third Week at Miles of Math Fourth Week at Miles of Math Fifth Week at Miles of Math Sixth Week at Miles of Math Seventh Week at Miles of Math Eighth Week at Miles of Math Ninth Week at Miles of Math Tenth Week at Miles of Math