To celebrate Presidents' Day, why not have a Presidents' Day Parade and News Conference?

1. How many students do you have? Write the name of that many presidents on a piece of paper and have children select a president. You can always choose one yourself, too!

2. Inform them and their parents that they will be dressing up to look like their president for a parade and news conference. They, of course, can wear wigs, masks, hair spray, makeup...whatever it takes. Girls should wear pants, shirts, ties, and a suit jacket, if possible.

3. Children must write a report about their president, including a bibliography, containing whatever you want them to find out (this will vary depending upon age group). Hang them up on a bulletin board for all to see and learn.

4. For the news conference, they must also prepare a brief summary of their report on an index card (younger children will need help with this). I stapled them to the back of the sentence strips which had their president's name.

5. During the parade, hold the sentence strips with their names and go along a pre-determined route. Outside? Through the hallways? Through the office? Through classrooms? Be expecting parents with their camcorders and cameras!

6. Once you return to the classroom for your news conference, have children stand in a semi-circle and one-by-one, either say or read their summaries. This will be a great way for the students and their parents, too, to learn about the accomplishments of our American presidents.

7. Afterwards, refreshments may be served.

I hope you have found these tips useful. Have fun and remember that Reading is FUNdamental!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Freda J. Glatt, MS, retired from teaching after a 34-year career in Early-Childhood and Elementary Education. Her focus, now, is to reach out and help others reinforce reading comprehension and develop a love for reading. Visit her site at http://www.sandralreading.com. Reading is FUNdamental!