Holidays: Books, Apps and Activities with Bluebee Pals
The Holidays are a great time to foster reading, comprehension, problem solving, social-emotional and language skills! It’s even more fun and engaging when you play with Bluebee Pal friends! Here are a few holiday books and activities to check out.https://www.bluebeepals.com/store/
Holidays-Thanksgiving Books/Apps
The Turkey Who Forgot How To Gobble-Joey the Turkey is sad. He has forgotten how to gobble and needs help from his friends. Kids will gobble up this funny story about Joey’s barnyard friends: Ruby the Rooster, Patrick the Dog, Minnie-moo the Cow, Wiskers the Cat and Gillie the Turkey and their hilarious ways they try to teach Joey how to gobble. This read along interactive storybook is a great way to teach children the value of friendship and how friends will be there when you need them. A fun and entertaining way to practice animal sounds with kids.
Turkey Trouble: Turkey is in trouble. Bad trouble. The kind of trouble where it’s almost Thanksgiving . . . and you’re the main course. But Turkey has an idea–what if he doesn’t look like a turkey? What if he looks like another animal instead? After many hilarious attempts, Turkey comes up with the perfect disguise to make this Thanksgiving the best ever! Great for problem-solving!
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving:Join Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang for a very unique Thanksgiving dinner. Kick the football with Charlie Brown, prepare the meal with Master Chef Snoopy, and set the table with Woodstock as the gang discovers the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
Just So Thankful Little Critter: Little Critter learns what to be thankful for in this delightful interactive book app. There’s a new kid in town who has everything Little Critter wants… but he soon realizes he has something money can’t buy-a family who loves and adores him. Personalize the story with your own narration.
Hidden Objects Thanksgiving Fall Harvest Puzzle: (An autumn-themed I Spy game). Fun for attention, problem-solving, vocabulary, thinking and reasoning skills.https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hidden-objects-thanksgiving-fall-harvest-puzzle/id1165529477
Hand Turkey Thanksgiving: Create and decorate your own hand turkey
Thanksgiving Craft Ideas: https://morningchores.com/thanksgiving-crafts/
Holidays-Christmas Apps/Books
A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Peanuts gang find the true meaning of Christmas. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/a-charlie-brown-christmas/id476508724
Reading Train Christmas Books, Songs & Games: Listen, read and record 10 fun Christmas books at 3 easy reading levels…30 books in all. Sing along with 5 Christmas songbooks and 18 more favorite children’s songs. Beautiful storybooks and games to support foundational reading.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas: This classic tale comes to life with playful interactivity, delightful animations, and fun activities. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas/id1016686482
The Night Before Christmas: A beautifully narrated story. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/night-before-christmas-narrated-classic-fairy-tales/id960192865
Sago Mini Snow Day: Prepare for lots of thinking, reasoning and creative play with fun mini-games while sledding, snowman making, tree decorating, and hot chocolate! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sago-mini-snow-day/id1303744204
Hidden Objects Fun: Christmas Edition: Find a series of objects in a scene (similar to “I Spy”). Fun for attention, problem-solving, vocabulary, thinking and reasoning skills. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hidden-objects-fun-christmas-edition/id1064886730
Melted Bead Ornaments Craft:
Christmas Tree Fingerprint Lights Craft:
Bluebee Pals Engages Children in Reading
One of the best features of Bluebee Pals is their ability to suspend reality and bring the written word alive in a book. We all know that reading is one of the best ways to engage children in interactive play and it also gives them an edge up on learning. Current research shows that babies benefit tremendously from listening to stories, and the earlier this routine is established, the better. By reading to Baby, he or she begins to pick up the nuances of language, its sequence, and structure.http://bluebeepals.com
Most important of all, however, are the bonds that deepen because of shared experiences through stories. Stories inspire, they make us laugh, and they also tell us what to do. Reading stories with diverse characters informs kids of not only the experience of others but also to appreciate the idea of how family traditions across cultures may, on the one hand, be different but are so very much the same. All teachers care about their students and want them to succeed.
Bluebee Pals and Joint Attention
Joint attention is the cornerstone of communication. Joint attention is the ability to share experiences and to acknowledge another person as a witness. It can be as simple as pointing to a plane with a quick glance to see if the other person notices or sharing a laugh at funny faces. And it is through joint attention that the ability to imitate emerges and is strengthened. Books for early learners that can be used with Bluebee include hardback books, audio books, a combination of the two, or a digital version via a phone or tablet.
One of the most overlooked features to using Bluebee is using a phone or a voice recording app. Parents with can phone into a classrrom to read a few sentences from a story…Teachers can utilize a voice recording app to record a book and ask a sequence of questions…Often when recording a familiar tale, try leaving off a keyword and see if the child throws it in at the correct time. This will help synchronize memory, comprehension, and communicative intent.https://www.bluebeepals.com/tutorials/
Another lesson from reading books is the ability to wait and listen. Once the sequence of a story is established, welcoming kids to interrupt, stop and ask questions, and ponder what if…allows for the imagination to take flight. I love when kids both anticipate and then try to come up with alternative twists within a familiar book. https://www.bluebeepals.com/apps-bluebee-pals/
Bluebee Pals and Recommendation Reading Options
Here are a few resources for great story finds. Remember to use the Bluebee app for any further questions on the use of its features. We would also love to hear from you, what stories do you like? What are kids responding to?… and until then sweet play in the land of make-believe and crossing that bridge of the possibilities of imagination.
Goodnight Moon – the classic book by Magaret Wise Brown is ripe for learning the labels of common household items. This classic book can be found on almost any digital format. I do love having the book in conjunction as many kids will “read” the book to themselves, and sharing that recitation is priceless. In my clinical practice, I use this book every week.
Podcasts are also invaluable to a reading experience. Nosy Crow’s Stories Aloud series have narrations to many of their published books. I love these podcasts in that they teach children to wait and listen for auditory cues to turn the page. Thus pairing the storyline with the written material.
Oceanhouse Media has a catalog of children’s favorites from Dr. Suess to nonfiction books by the Smithsonian Institute. They are one of my go-to developers when searching for books.
For Social-Emotional Lessons, you can’t fair better than Peppy Pals. These books for preschoolers are engaging and invite discussion. They are magically matched to a young child’s attention span.
Pairing a book with audio versions (audio versions of books can be purchased on Amazon, or a book can be read by yourself through the voice recorder on the Bluebee Pals App is sure to make cherished memories.
Epic is the world’s leading online children’s subscription book service offering immediate, on-demand access to over 35,000 high-quality illustrated books and chapter books for children ages 12 and under. … In a world of unlimited screen time, Epic! is a smart and safe alternative to generic games and videos.
The Bluebee Pal Program and Early Childhood
Bluebee Pals and the Bluebee Pal Program are excellent instructional tools for early learners!
The Bluebee Pal Pro 4.0 is an interactive plush learning tool that connects via Bluetooth to all iOS and Android devices and pairs with all apps with a narrative, which provides endless educational opportunities and entertainment for both mainstream and special needs children in early childhood classrooms. The patented technology allows Bluebee’s “mouth and head” to realistically move while teaching curriculum through educational games, activities, and apps.
- Bluebee is compatible with ALL apps with a narrative.
- Bluebee inspires learning with educational apps.
- Bluebee reads any storybook apps.
- Bluebee is compatible with text-to-speech apps.
- Bluebee comes with a FREE companion (life skills /educational) app. https://www.bluebeepals.com/bluebee-pals-app/
- Bluebee teaches language and AAC (alternative augmentative communication).
- Bluebee sings with your favorite music apps.
- Bluebee acts as an educational tool with voice recording apps.
- With Bluebee, children become immediately more engaged and attentive, and eagerly look forward to focused learning opportunities!
What is the Bluebee Pal Program?FREE
The Bluebee Pal Program is a free curriculum aligned with Common Core State Standards. The curriculum consists of lesson plans that have been created by a certified teacher who specializes in exceptional and early education. With these easy to use lesson plans, teachers are given step-by-step instructions on how to teach standards to their students while engaging with Bluebee Pals.
Bluebee Pals and this free curriculum use vetted applications and internet resources to teach:
- Reading
- Group Reading
- Reading Non-Fiction
- Science and Listening
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Phonics
- Social Emotional Skills
- Writing a Book Report
- Writing Poetry
- ESL (English as a Second Language)
- Language Development
The lessons focus on PreK and Elementary Education Common Core State Standards in Literature, Informational Text, Foundational Skills, Language and Geometry. The lesson plans clearly outline needed supplies, links to applications and internet resources, teacher and student expectations, extension activities and differentiation for exceptional education. You will find the curriculum here: https://www.bluebeepals.com/general-education/
The Bluebee Pals Techie Rangers E-book (also available in paperback from Amazon) takes readers on an adventure with Andy and his Bluebee Pal Techie Ranger friends. Andy, a student with complex communication needs, uses an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device or “talker” to speak to the Techie Rangers as they help him return to the Rainbow School. The accompanying free Activity Guide provides fun extension activities focused on literacy and math. Don’t forget to check out the Bluebee Pals Curriculum for a lesson plan made especially for the Bluebee Pals Techie Rangers E-Book and Activity Guide. You can find the E-book and activity guide here: https://www.bluebeepals.com/bluebee-pals-techie-rangers-book/#*The Bluebee Pals Curriculum, Bluebee Pals Techie Rangers E-Book and Activity Guide, app recommendations, numerous video tutorials, and extensive professional development resources are all available at www.bluebeepals.com.
*The paperback copy of the Bluebee Pals Techie Rangers Book can be found at Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Bluebee-Techie-Rangers-Rebecca-Eisenberg/dp/168852925X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=51575TTCFNT2&keywords=bluebee+pals+techie+rangers&qid=1570682502&sprefix=Bluebee+pals%2Caps%2C177&sr=8-1
* Learn more about how to implement Bluebee Pals in the classroom and increase engagement in learning by checking out the ideas for creative classroom implementation here:
Bluebee Pals can be used 1-on-1, in small group or entire classroom settings.
Due to their endearing, universal appeal, Bluebee Pals and The Bluebee Pal Program, Bluebee app, Techie Rangers E-book and free Activity Guide are uniquely suited for use with early intervention and elementary-aged students. They are easy to incorporate into early childhood curriculum standards, and they capture and maintain student interest while making learning fun and memorable.
Growth Mindset in Early Learners
“We all have beliefs about our own abilities and potential. These beliefs are part of our mindset which is so powerful it can fuel our behavior and predict our success. Mindset shapes our everyday lives, helping us interpret our experiences and future possibilities. In her research at Stanford University, Dr. Carol Dweck identified two different types of mindsets. Growth mindset occurs when we believe our intelligence and abilities can be improved upon with effort and the right strategies. In contrast, those with a fixed mindset believe their intelligence and abilities cannot be altered in a meaningful way.” https://biglifejournal.com/blogs/blog/teach-growth-mindset-kids-activities
“You see, many students enter our classrooms believing they’re either smart or not smart, good at reading or math, or not good in those areas. This belief that our basic qualities like intelligence and talents can’t be changed is called a fixed mindset.Often our students figure: Why bother trying at something that’s hard for me? I’m not naturally good at it and I can’t really do anything about that.
Our students may not realize that their brains have the ability to change and grow through their experiences (neuroplasticity). Students need us to teach them that the human brain is like a muscle that can be trained through repetition and practice. When students realize this, they develop a growth mindset: the belief that abilities can be developed through commitment and hard work. And once they have a growth mindset, they can learn anything.” https://thecornerstoneforteachers.com/truth-for-teachers-podcast/routines-growth-mindset/
“For at least the last decade, educators have understood the powerful connection between mindset and achievement — that when students believe they can learn a given subject, even a hard one, they stick with it longer, and do better, than if they believe they can’t learn or are “just bad at it.” https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/17/03/growth-mindset-and-childrens-health
Simple ways to infuse growth mindset on a daily basis. These are regular practices that help you ensure students will:
- Be willing to try new things
- Stick with hard tasks and not give up
- Push themselves to do their best work, not just what’s “good enough”
- Believe in themselves and their own ability to learn
Strategies for helping students develop a growth mindset
Introduce learning activities that are designed to benefit children’s brains.
- When kids make mistakes, respond in casual ways that help them rebound.
- Get student input on creating helpful classroom displays that reinforce learning.
- Use specific feedback and helpful vocabulary that guides students to identify how they achieved success.
- Model growth mindset so kids can see it in action on a daily basis.
- Start formally teaching kids about growth mindset / neuroplasticity through books, apps, and other resources.
- Provide attainable challenges and set achievable mini-goals to encourage students’ consistent, incremental progress.
- Give opportunities to face obstacles and solve problems.
- Teach and model good attitudes.
- Teach how to accept constructive criticism.
- VIew failure as learning.
- Design classroom activities that involve cooperative, group learning –rather than competitive or individualistic.
- Celebrate successes and minimize failures.
- Provide opportunities to celebrate the success of others.
- Teach perseverance and the power of “YET”. Encourage students to not give up when things get hard and tell them that if they can’t do something now, it doesn’t mean they never will. Say “You can’t do this YET, but keep going!”When students succeed, praise their efforts and strategies as opposed to their intelligence. Help students focus on, prioritize, and value the process of learning.
- Model resilience and problem solving strategies.
- Give children opportunities to solve problems on their own when appropriate.
- Encourage children to ask a friend to help before seeking an adult’s assistance.
- Do not always try to fix things for your students. Give them the time to try – and fail – to fix their own challenges.
- Give children the time and space to use materials in their own way. This helps build confidence, independence and creative problem solving, which are all big parts of fostering that growth mindset.
- Make space for frustration. Talk about that emotion and how to deal with it. Help your students be motivated by frustration, not shut down by it.
- Praise effort authentically and specifically.
- Use diverse teaching strategies.
- Encourage active observation and interaction with the environment (wonder).
- Encourage question asking.
- Utilize Investigation and experimentation.
- Encourage student development of conclusions
Resources to Get You Started!
Whooo’s Reading: (K -8) This web app allows you to help students improve their writing based on personalized feedback. After answering a standards-aligned, open-ended question, the response is sent to you for grading. You can then score the answer and give the student feedback on how he/she can improve to get a higher score—score is tied to Wisdom Coins, giving students even more motivation to take a second swing at it.
Daily Goals: This app is perfect for setting and tracking student goals. Though it wasn’t created for use in the school setting, it has all the features of a motivating student goal tracker. Once signed up, students simply create their goal(s)—read something new every day, write one blog post a week—and then keep track of it with the app. With built-in analytics, students are able to determine what might be holding them back, assessing the process rather than just the outcome.
Growth Mindset Videos by Class Dojo Awesome video library for mindsets, social, and emotional growth.
Typorama.Is an app that you can use to add words to a picture, which is perfect for creating encouragement posters to foster mind growth for your classroom.
Two of the best children’s books on growth mindsetare Your Fantastic Elastic Brain by Dr. JoAnn Deak and Making a Splash: A Growth Mindset Children’s Book by Carol E. Reiley.
Check out the free online brain songs provided by the University of Washington.
Growth mindset videos for teachers and students on YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/results?search_query=Growth+mindset
Bluebee Pals: Using Bluebee Pals during audible book and video learning activities helps to motivate and engage little learners! https://www.bluebeepals.com/
https://www.bluebeepals.com/tutorials/
For More Information, please visit:
*https://www.edsurge.com/news/2014-10-24-4-ways-to-encourage-a-growth-mindset-in-the-classroom
*https://proudtobeprimary.com/teaching-a-growth-mindset-in-the-classroom/
*https://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2018/11/growth-mindset-in-preschool.html
*http://whoswhoandnew.blogspot.com/2016/02/using-word-apps-to-make-encouragement.html?m=1
Bluebee Pals and English as a Second Language (ESL)
“English-language learners, or ELLs, are students who are unable to communicate fluently or learn effectively in English, who often come from non-English-speaking homes and backgrounds, and who typically require specialized or modified instruction in both the English language and in their academic courses. https://www.edglossary.org/english-language-learner/According to fluentu.com, the goal of teaching ESL is to get ELL students proficient in English as quickly as possible to allow ELL students to be integrated into classrooms and social settings, and to be able to communicate effectively. ELL students must develop critical thinking skills and test-taking skills along with their English language skills. Specific objectives include improving skills in the areas of grammar, vocabulary development, listening, speaking, pronunciation, reading andwriting. https://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator-english/what-is-ell/
Bluebee Pals can be excellent tools in teaching beginning ELL students!
Bluebee Pals easily connect to apps via Bluetooth to make learning come to life! Children become immediately more engaged and attentive! With engagingly charming mouth and head movements, students will eagerly look forward to focused learning opportunities!http://bluebeepals.com
- Bluebee is compatible with ALL apps with a narrative.
- Bluebee is compatible with text-to-speech apps
- Bluebee inspires learning with educational apps.
- Bluebee reads any storybook apps
- Bluebee sings with your favorite music apps.
- Bluebee acts as an educational tool with voice recording apps.
Let Bluebee Pals be the Teacher!
Usages with Bluebee Pals and ELL students:
1. One on One and/or Group Circle Time :
Use Bluebee connected to apps to teach students core curriculum concepts individually or in small groups. You can target comprehension, vocabulary, wh-questions, grammar, listening, speaking, sequencing, following directions, pronunciation, critical thinking, spelling and more! https://www.bluebeepals.com/apps-bluebee-pals/
Apps to get you started:
*Lingokids – English For Kids by Monkimun Inc. This wonderful app creates an individual English Learning Program for your student based on their language level and age. Their curriculum and graphics are beyond amazing. It focuses on language skills such as English pronunciation, vocabulary, ABCs, numbers, shapes, colors, animals, food, writing and more.https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lingokids-english-for-kids/id1002043426
*The Wanderful Collection by Wanderful, Inc. Interactive storybooks are great for teaching word pronunciation, word recognition, and meaning. Check out these books athttps://apps.apple.com/us/app-bundle/the-wanderful-collection/id922408673
*BrainPOP ELL by BrainPOP® is a comprehensive English language learning program that uses animated movies to model conversational English. It offers leveled learning for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners. It targets listening, speaking, reading, and writing. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/brainpop-ell/id813671555.
*Endless Alphabet by Originator Inc. Endless Alphabet shows students how each word is spelled and provides a fun illustration of it’s definition. Then it shuffles the letters and challenges your student to put the word back together. What makes it even more awesome is that when the students pick up each letter to put it back on the right place, the letter makes its sound! ELL students get to review the sound of each letter, the spelling of each word and its definition through super entertaining and interactive illustrations! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/endless-alphabet/id591626572
*Fun English | Learn English by Studycat Limited This app covers all 4 language domains through fun games, stories and songs! New vocabulary is introduced in creative contexts to help students remember each meaning and is used in sentences to maximize their understanding. Lessons are divided into different categories that will allow your student to review different concepts and ideas.https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fun-english-learn-english/id428920239
*Learn English US for Beginners by Hector Gonzalez Linan teaches 500 vocabulary words in the areas of alphabet letters, numbers, colors, food, verbs, days of the week, animals, clothes, body parts, sports, and more.https://apps.apple.com/us/app/learn-english-us-for-beginners/id1225242754
2. Connect Bluebee to a Voice Recording: 
Voice Memos by Apple. Quickly and easily record vocabulary words for Bluebee to say and for students to practice repeating. Let your students record their words, sentences, or stories, too! Matching game: Record nouns for Bluebee and give students picture or word flashcards to choose the correct match for the word that was said. Use the recorder to have Bluebee give instructions or ask questions. Use the recorder to have students sequence or retell a story.
*My Story School eBook Maker by MY STORY, LLC. Create and share ebooks and movies using your own voice, drawings, stickers, and photos!
*Book Creator for iPad by Red Jumper Limited. Easily create your own books! Add music, narration, video, text! Share with family and friends.
3. Text-to-Speech: Interact in real time with your Bluebee Pal by typing in text for your Bluebee to speak! Ask and answer questions or carry-on a real life conversation! Make up your own stories or type in the text of books for your Bluebee Pal to read. Book discussions: Have Bluebee Read a book out loud. Then, using this app, type in questions for Bluebee to ask the students. Have Bluebee help practice vocabulary by typing in words or definitions, questions, or even tests for him to say aloud.
Talk For Me – Text to Speech by Darrin Altman
Good practices for teaching ELL students include:
*Provide explicit instruction
*Use teacher questioning and prompts that are consistent within the student’s stage(s) of language acquisition (see charts)
*Develop key vocabulary
*Utilize peer-to-peer interactions
*Provide lots of repetition
*Use multimedia and multiple modes of concept representation
*Engage in meaningful activities that allow learners to practice the academic language in authentic contexts.
*Use instructional methodologies that are active and focus on learning by doing and higher-level thinking processes
*Give time to process
*Use body language
*Check for comprehension
*Encourage collaboration with all teachers
*Engage parents