The great Summer Workbook throw  down is coming!  We will be featuring two new summer workbooks, and phasing out the original Summer Bridge this year.  Having an academic daily activity is important in the summer, but how do you choose an appropriate workbook?  We're going to do the work for you - we'll be comparing the three books that we have in stock (or have stocked) - Evan Moor's Daily Summer Activities, Teacher Created Resources' Summertime Learning and Rainbow Bridges' Summer Bridge.  Each book is different and each sells for a different price.  We'll provide a detailed matrix to help you choose.  Get ready, we're going to be honest!

A Wealth of Golden Apples!

I was just searching for our blog on Google when I came across another blog called "The Golden Apple Blog".  Not surprisingly, it's for educators, and I thought it was pretty interesting!  Check it out if it's not too confusing to have two Golden Apple Blogs bookmarked!

We're running a contest this month - write a short piece about why your school should win a visit from our Cat in the Hat costume and you could the visit for Read Across America Day!  Today we got an entry in the form of a poem!

Dr. Seuss really rocks!
He should visit us around the block
at Donlon where we love to read,
read, read, read to succeed! 
Betsy Finney


We can't say she won already, but she has set a standard!
Here's a link to the contest on our FB page!

Our web store has been rebuilt - we're making room for e-books, special bundles and our classes starting next month.  If you would like to check out our new site, along with some of our new Bundles - we've added two bundles for kids practicing their thinking skills - GATE testing is just one reason to learn to think!  We've included some fun activities in the bundles to make them different.  Thinking is a rewarding activity on its own, but we like to make it fun too!  Check out our bundles here

Tommie's Tools is a great teacher resource that we'll be sharing with you from time to time - Tommie works with Creative Teaching Press, and her blog is full of ready to use ideas to incorporate in to your classroom - you can find her blog here:

Tommie's Tools

Blocks for Learning!

Some schools are rediscovering block play.  This story from the NY Times give some details about how a school in Manhattan is using blocks in their curriculum.  When I was in 5th and 6th grade, I was part of a grand educational experiment - all grades were in pods surrounding the kindergarten area, no walls.  In the center of the pod was a play area filled with Unit Blocks.  As 6th graders we loved spending part of our day building elaborate structures.  This was in a public school.  They never tested us on that subject!

Games for Makers

Continuing with the theme of building skills for kids through play, I have a trio of family games to recommend. These games fall under this rubric:

17. Storytelling. We survive socially by telling each other stories. Encourage children to tell stories and release their imagination through whatever toy they have in their hands.

The first two are Rory's Story Cubes and Tell Tale from Blue Orange. Give the story elements and let your imagination run. Rory's Story Cubes are wildly popular, with many mentions around the internet. Tell Tale is new, but already a Best Toys for Kids award winner. Our staff favorite is Telestrations. This game is pictionary meets telephone in a family game that is both a riot to play and an insight in to how best to communicate with others. All these games build skills in the most entertaining way.