suggestions

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suggestions
By Carolyn

Patti has some good ideas, and I agree with her: It is important to number books so that kids can be held responsible for them. My kids had their own number, the same number all year, so when I passed out a textbook or paperback
book, it had their number on it. This is so necessary, it seems, because the kids DO lose or misplace books all of the time, and they will try to write their own name in someone else's book. I had a kid this year who lost a paperback book that he needed for reading class. By the time we were finished with the novel in class, the child had still not found the book. I wrote a

note home to the parents that they book would have to be paid for or the child would not receive his report card. The child told his mother that he "returned" the book to me. As his mother sat in front of me, I pulled out the entire stack of novels. I showed her that #13 was missing! It was hard to argue that the book was returned with that evidence.

I don't have a line leader or ender, but I do ask my kids to line up by rows. When they line up, they should be standing in line in the same position they are at when they are sitting in their row. This eliminates the fuss about who belongs where in line. (Yes, even fifth graders fuss about their place in line!)