Going Back to School is an exciting time, for teachers, students, and parents. I want to share with you one section of my classroom, that was a huge success, no matter what age of the student.
I always included a Growth Chart in my room. Each year I would put up a growth chart near the door, or out in the hall. Each September, January, and May every student would stand by the chart to be measured. They were always excited to see how much they had grown in the last several months. Every child had a recording sheet, in inches and centimeters, to write down their growth. These were posted near the chart for all to see.
Depending on the growth chart, I have used sunflowers🌻, frogs 🐸for a pond growth chart, leaves 🍂on a tree, and a stick figure👧 of themselves holding their information.
When I purchased a growth chart I would laminate it, so it would hold up for many years. I then either put magnets on the back, Velcro, or was able to staple it to the wall.
Next, I would create the recording picture. I would always laminate them, so they would last for the whole year. On the picture would be their name, and three sections labeled for September, January, and May. Plus, each section was labeled for inches and centimeters.
The first time I measured them in September, I would write their name next to the inch or centimeter line using a dry erase marker. On the next two occasions of measurement, I would erase their first measurement, and write their name next to the newest growth.
After recording their information, we would pull out our rulers 📏 and see their growth for that time period. They were always excited to see even the smallest increment of growth.
At the beginning of the year, I asked parents to send in the length of their child when they were born. (If they didn't know, I always chose a similar size of another classmate.) When they brought in this information, we would measure out a string or piece of yarn that was their birth size. Each student could then take their string over to the growth chart and see how much they had grown. It was fun for them to use the growth chart and see the many inches and centimeters they already had grown.
I would keep this string for them during the year. In May, after we made our final measurement, they used the string/yarn to make one for their size on that day. I then gave them back their birth size string, to make comparisons.
I then sent home a mini booklet with their measurements, strings, and recording picture. This was a keepsake parents enjoyed. If I had an extra picture of them from the beginning of school, and one from May, I included that in the book, too.
Here is a free activity to help you on the way!
Have a great school year!
Mickey