With the beginning of Hurricane Season, the numerous tornadoes, and the devastating floods that areas in the US have been experiencing, this might be a good time to either learn about, or review, the causes and consequences of various types of weather.

1. Read books or articles on a specific type of weather and answer who, what, where, when, why, and how questions about the information.

2. Invite a meteorologist to your school or try to visit the weather center at your local TV station.

3. Have children write a story from the perspective of BEING the hurricane, tornado, flood, or other weather system. Answers to the 5 W's should be embedded in the story.

4. Play games by making cutouts of puddles, umbrellas, etc. and review the skill you would like to reinforce (ie: addition, same or different, cause and effect, matching, concentration...you get the idea).

5. Conduct simple experiments like the following from Macmillan Seasonal Activity Packs, May Days, 1985, Macmillan Educational Company.

In order to CREATE A CLOUD, you will need a metal tray of ice cubes, hot water, a sturdy, wide-mouthed, clear glass jar (preferably heat resistant), and a flashlight.

a. Take a metal tray of ice cubes from a freezer.
b. Pour an inch of very hot water into the clear glass jar and set the tray of ice cubes on top of it.
c. Make the room dark.
d. Shine a flashlight onto the jar and watch the steam from the hot water hit the ice tray and form a cloud inside the jar. Explain that when warm air and moisture rise up from the ground and meet the colder air high in the sky, the moisture forms clouds.

6. Discuss ways to prepare for the type of weather your area experiences most. Make sure to discuss, beforehand, what you will do in the classroom if the lights go out during a thunderstorm. I had my children hold their classmates' hands or had them follow the pattern of light I made with a flashlight. Sing songs or tell stories. They need to be comforted and realize they are not alone.
I hope you have found these ideas useful. 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!