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May Days

The month of May is filled with special days and events: It's a time to get physically fit and compete in the National Spelling Bee. May is also when we honor special people: mothers, teachers, and the men and women who have fought for our country! Education World editors have culled the archives for relevant lesson plans, resources, and articles. Click on a category, or browse the resources to find lessons and articles to help you celebrate May Days!

Physical Fitness Month Teacher Appreciation Week Mother's Day

Reading Spelling Memorial Day

PHYSICAL FITNESS

Resources, Lessons, and Activities for Physical Education
May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, but kids need physical education all year! Education World's Physical Fitness page offers a full roster of stories, lessons, resources, and activities focused on PE!

TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK

Sixty-Five Ways to Recognize Teachers During Teacher Appreciation Week -- and All Year Long
Education World's "Principal Files" principals share some things they have done to show their appreciation. Included: Some of these 65 ways are sure to work for you.

Principals Reflect on Teachers Who Made a Difference in Their Lives
Who was the teacher who had the most significant impact on your life? That’s the question we posed to our “Principal Files” principals. Their responses confirm that the most respected teachers are those who take time to build relationships with their students.

Write a Teacher-Appreciation Letter
Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week by having students write a letter to one of their former teachers. (Grades 3-12)

A "Teacher Appreciation Week" Card for the Teacher
A nice project for art class; every student creates a different card for the teacher. (Grades K-8)

Just for You -- Lessons to Leave Behind When You Get Away!
This Teacher Appreciation Week, in recognition of all that you do, Education World provides five lessons to leave behind for your class and your substitute to enjoy.

Ways to Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week
Are you looking for the very best ways to show your teachers just how important they are? Education World asked teachers around the country about their favorite Teacher Appreciation Week celebrations.

MOTHER'S DAY

Mother's Day Magic: Today's Gift, Tomorrow's Treasure
Do you want some terrific ideas for student-created Mother's Day gifts? Education World offers ideas -- plus online resources to help educators find dozens more on the Web.

Celebrate Mother's Day in a New Way
Tired of doing the same Mother's Day projects year after year? Take a look at five new lesson plans we've created to celebrate mothers on their special day.

Mother's Day History Scavenger Hunt
What do your students know about Mother's Day?

See more fun ideas in our special Mother's Day Archive.

READING

Reading Activities for Read In Day
Teachers who've joined The Read In! share their favorite reading activity ideas. Included: Theme ideas for reading fun.

Get to Know Your Favorite Authors -- On the Internet!
uthors' Web pages teem with biographical information, bibliographies, information about specific books, and even, in many cases, activities geared to fun and learning.

Make It Happen: Awesome Author Visits
Learn how to transform a school author or illustrator visit from an hour of entertainment into a life-long connection to reading and writing.

Author! Author!
Education World offers ten lessons to spark students' curiosity about the wonderful world of books.

25 Ideas to Motivate Young Readers
The folks at the BOOK-IT!® Program have given Education World permission to reprint 25 great ideas from teachers -- ideas that are sure to get kids across the grades excited about reading.

Sustained Silent Reading Helps Develop Independent Readers (and Writers)
Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) -- or DEAR (Drop Everything And Read), as some people call it -- can be one more tool for developing lifelong readers.

Reading and Writing at Home Improves Skills!
Students who read and write more at home do better on tests of reading and writing ability. Included: Activities to get students reading and writing at home.

"Simple Things You Can Do to Help All Children Read Well ..."
Simple Things You Can Do to Help All Children Read Well and Independently by the End of Third Grade is a booklet from the U.S. Department of Education.

See more reading lesson ideas in our Reading Archive.

SPELLING

Spell It Out!
Five original lessons help you incorporate spelling into your entire curriculum. Plus more than a dozen additional spelling resources.

Spelling Kickball
This easy way to review spelling words in a kickball game format is perfect for those days when students need to get up and MOVE.

Be the Editor!
Part of a writing lesson, this Ed World lesson includes a work sheet on which students correct spelling and grammar errors.

See more spelling lesson ideas in our Spelling Archive.

MEMORIAL DAY

The Memory Shall Be Ours: Celebrating Memorial Day
Introduce students to the true meaning of the holiday, and provide them with a glimpse into the lives of the men and women it honors. Included: An Internet Treasure Hunt plus Web-based activities for learning about and celebrating Memorial Day.

Memorial Day
Education World's holiday page provides crafts, recipes, games, and other resources about Memorial Day.

See more ideas for celebrating this special day in our Memorial Day Archive.