A Plus Educational Presents Allie's Alley: Answers to All Your Acadamic Needs

Help! I need a new bulletin board!

2009-08-28T09:34:00.006-05:00

TGIF! Your first week may be over, or your second week, or you may be getting ready to start on Monday. Wherever you are in Back to School, if you've got one more bulletin board to do, you may be seeing spots by now! And that's a good place to start.

If you need a new bulletin board now, you need it fast! Never mind themes -- let's go with something decorative.

CTP's new Dots on Chocolate series complements their other dots and Poppin' Patterns items while still having a new look.

Carson Dellosa has a new dots look, too.

Trend's dots show up on letters.

Pick out your favorite dots and spots and put up a simple board of student work or student photos, and you're set!

Go Green in Your Classroom!

2009-08-25T13:56:00.006-05:00

So many schools are working to go green and get the kids on board with the efforts! It's a great way to start off the school year.

EP has a series of Go Green decoratives for the classroom. We've got matching letters, borders, and more.

Great new stuff from CTP, too!

"Go Green in School" is a brand new mini bulletin board set making an important point about citzenship.

"Taking Care of the Earth"

This one gets the idea across graphically for pre-readers, too.

Check the A Plus Educational catalog, or come and see us if you're in Harrison! Remember -- we deliver to schools for free. Call (870) 741-1880 for details!

What's New for Back to School?

2009-08-18T15:55:00.004-05:00

The joint is jumping! People are loving the new All Aboard Bulletin Board Set.

These fancy pointers are also very popular.

But we can't begin to tell you all the fun stuff we have for back to school! Come in and see us at A Plus, or visit our online catalog. Don't forget, we deliver to schools in North Arkansas and Northwest Arkansas for FREE!

Is There Anything New in Planbooks and Gradebooks?

2009-08-04T11:56:00.003-05:00

Gradebooks and planbooks can be such a challenge. The differences are so subtle, but everyone has a clear preference.

Colors Some like shadow on alternate lines to help them keep their places. Some feel that green is easier on the eyes, while others like the brightness of blue. Some swear by the red stripe at the end of a week or some other special color variation.
Size Big squares, small squares, big book, small book, big space for notes... There are plenty of different factors to consider.
Extra material Do you need a seating chart? A place to record parents' email addresses? A calendar? Or do you tear all that stuff out?
Cover The most obvious difference from one set to another is in the cover. Some want a cute design, while others want a plain one. Some need a waterproof cover for grading at the coffeeshop.

The problem is, you can't get one from column A and two from column B. You might find small green squares in a large combo grade and planbook with a pocket, but not big green squares in a large combo grade and planbook with a pocket.

This is why every year people want to see the new stuff.

This year, Scholastic has brought out something really new, though: Differentiated Instruction.

Come see us and check it out.

When Is the Best Time to Shop for Back to School?

2009-07-31T08:59:00.002-05:00

Right now! Our store is fully stocked, all your friends are there, and things haven't gotten too stressful yet. This is the best time.

If you're not close enough, just shop our school supply catalog. We deliver for free to schools in North and Northwest Arkansas, and we'll ship everything right to you if you're further afield than that.

What Are the Big Classroom Themes for Back to School?

2009-07-30T09:44:00.002-05:00

The big hits in back to school classroom themes this year are monkeys, popcorn, and pirates. A Plus Educational has plenty of good stuff for all those themes.

Want to stand out from the pack? Consider a racing car theme.

Trend's Racing to Success series includes everything from incentive charts and stickers to desk plates and bookmarks. Go with this theme for one-stop shopping, or check out freshplans for more car theme ideas.

An Apple for the Teacher

2009-07-27T12:38:00.002-05:00

Teachers, we know it's hard to give up the summer fun (or the summer hard work, even) and get your mind back on school.

Come into A Plus Educational Supply today and see the new stuff, meet your friends, and get back in the mood.

Did You Miss the Sale?

2009-07-24T08:55:00.002-05:00

You missed the summer sale, but there's still time to take advantage of the best selection! Come in to the store NOW before your favorite planbook sells out.

Or shop online at the A Plus Educational Supply catalog, for maximum convenience.

Back to School Themes: Chickens

2009-07-22T14:05:00.004-05:00

Sometimes you just want something REALLY different, and this year there's a new Welcome bulletin board with a chicken theme. It's designed to use photos, and it's small enough to fit the door.

The slogan is "Welcome to Our Nest," but we can see continuing the theme on other bulletin boards with more sayings:

"Just Us Chickens"
"We're Not Chicken About Math"
"The Pecking Order"
"We're EGGcited about the New Year"
"EGGcellent Readers"
"Our Education is Our Nest Egg"
"Trying Our Wings"

Go on -- play the Chicken Dance Song and do the Chicken Dance to get the day off to a lively start.

Use "Chicken Little" lesson plans to go over disaster preparedness and safety issues -- a great way to start the school year.

Where are the Back to School Bargains?

2009-07-17T13:06:00.002-05:00

The headlines say this year's Back to School shoppers are hunting bargains.

Make it easy on yourself. Come to A Plus Educational's giant sale on July 21st.

Do your shopping, and when you check out, you'll draw a discount -- 20 to 30% off your entire order, whether you're using school funds or personal funds.

Don't miss this amazing opportunity to save some serious cash this Back to School season -- without having to prowl around for bargains!

What's a really different theme for my classroom this year?

2009-07-16T04:56:00.000-05:00

If you just don't want to do stars or frogs this year, you might want to do a movie theme!

Use Trend's Popcorn Box Classic Accents to write your students' names (or you could use any leftover stars you have from the last time you used that theme...) and make a bulletin board display. The open spaces on these are big enough for student photos as well. Just take your digital camera to class and print out those smiling faces.

There's also a Classic Accents Popcorn Variety Pack using photographs of popcorn kernels. Sprinkle these around your bulletin board, or use them for your word wall.

Use slogans like "Oscar Winning Students," "Mrs. X's Movie Stars," or "Popping Up a Great Year!" or take off on movie titles to have "Math Warriors" and "Write Hard."

The popcorn series includes a calendar and stickers, too.

Use Popcorn Trimmers and Desk Toppers to carry on the theme.

For another bulletin board, use film border. Beg old movie posters from your local theater, or use the movie schedule from the newspaper for the background.

Use this board to announce "A Reel-y Great Year!"

Start the year with Reader's Theater!

It's a jungle out there! What do you have for that?

2009-07-14T13:19:00.000-05:00

It's a jungle in here, too! Go with it.

CTP's "It's a Jungle" mini bulletin board set has cute animals, including some peekovers that are great to tuck behind student work. There are many more items in the ensemble -- name tags, stickers, borders, you name it.

The Jungle Print Ready Letters are one of the big sellers this year. No surprise there -- they are precious! I like the assortment, but there are loads of individual choices, too.

Get reptilian with snake, or choose zebra, giraffe, tiger, and more.

Jump'n'Jam Jungle from Learning Resources combines gross moter skills and critical thinking, with tabletop or floor play.

Add Jumbo Jungle Animals for dramatic play, sorting, or just for fun!

What's a fun theme for Back to School?

2009-07-10T07:40:00.000-05:00

First answer: how about pirates? North Star has done a "Welcome Aboard" bulletin board set to set the mood.

Carson Dellosa's Big Treasure Chest goes perfectly with it, and there are matching incentive charts, too.

These items are just a few of the cool piratical choices at A Plus Educational. Click on the pictures to see more details.

Free Lesson Plans on the Environment

2009-07-09T14:40:00.002-05:00

Go green this year! Here's a list of free lesson plans to start the year off right:

Taming the Paper Tiger: a Unit on Paper and the Environment from SmartPay
EElink's collection
Teacher Created's sample lesson plans on the environment
Air and Waste Management Association's environmental teaching guide
Environmental Ed list

The Big Sale!

2009-07-08T09:51:00.004-05:00

It's hard to leave our summer fun and get to thinking about Back to School, but an A Plus Educational Sale can help!

July 21st from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., come on in for savings from 20-30% on your enitre purchase! Pick out lots of cool goodies for your classroom, and when you check out, you'll draw your savings.

Purchase orders are fine, and chocolate will be served!

Need we say more?

Wow! I'm so excited!

2009-05-26T21:16:00.002-05:00

Our new website is up! A Plus Educational Supply now has a cool new page featuring me, and we'll soon have all our ebooks available for you to purchase. I'll be telling you all about them.

For now, let me just give you a hint with this picture of our cool monkey book!

Can I get butterflies for summer school?

2009-05-22T17:00:00.003-05:00

Yes, you can.

We have the Butterfly Pavilions in stock, and we also have the certificates. That means that if you already have a Butterfly House, you can restock it without having to buy a new one.

Come into the store, give us a call, or add the certificate as a comment for your online school supply order.

By the way, the butterflies are great for summer school, but they're also fantastic for homeschool, camp, youth groups, VBS, or just for fun around the house this summer.

And don't miss the new Praying Mantis Pavilion!

What's New?

2009-05-20T05:43:00.003-05:00

We're finishing up the school year, getting those orders in (do you have funds you need to spend? Let us help you!), and bringing in lots of new stuff for the summer and for next school year.

What's really exciting, though, is that we're updating our website. We'll have a new homepage where you can order Cindy's fun and exclusive e-books -- and I'll be telling you more about those pretty soon.

Just keep visiting us at APlusEducational.com!

Arkansas History Teacher Workshops

2009-05-01T10:38:00.001-05:00

Local news: Arkansas History Workshops

Arkansas teachers are required to have two hours per year of professional development in state history.

Join me for your two hours on May 9th at Pages of Parenting bookstore in Fayetteville. You'll get practical, hands-on, frameworks-based activities that you can use, as well as all the juiciest stories in Arkansas history.

I'm a certified Arkansas History Teacher Trainer, former Education Coordinator of the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, one of the authors of the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture, and a fun person to spend your two required hours with.

Saturday, May 9
9-11 am, grades 1-3
1-3 pm, grades 4-6

It's a mere $25, and school purchase orders are accepted. Pre-registration is required. Sponsored by Pages of Parenting and A Plus Educational Supply.

Call 582-3139 to register for either session.

Meanwhile, check out lots of great Arkansas History links and Lesson Plans.

I keep hearing that there's extra money for teachers in the stimulus package. What's up?

2009-04-22T15:21:00.003-05:00

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes more than $100 billion in direct education funding for the next two fiscal years. $44 million of this will be available in the next 30-40 days.

This money funds a lot of different things: Title I, Special Education, Technology Grants, Teacher Incentive Programs, and more.

Sometimes applications are required, and some have deadlines. Lots of supplemental materials are eligible for funding. Ask your local school leadership for details on local plans, but this is also a great time to get your ideas in!

Check amounts for each school district.

And here's some more detail:
Title I, Part A grants to school districts

IDEA, Part B grants to states and preschool grants

The State Fiscal Stabilization Fund

I need a pick me up! What's new?

2009-04-16T08:41:00.003-05:00

It's the end of the year, we're giving tests, the kids are fidgety, and we need something to perk up the classroom.

Copernicus has a wonderful new pointer, the Pick a Pointer, that will help. It includes a finger, a feather, a word swatter, and a word frame.

Use it with your Copernicus Rack, your smart board, pocket charts, Power Point presentations -- you name it! The kids will get a little help with paying attention, and you'll get a lift of spirits.

Write this into the comments section of your order at A Plus Educational's online catalog. It's $19.99 -- a small price to pay for an end of the year pick me up!

What's good for spring decorating?

2009-03-30T10:21:00.003-05:00

How about a new Weather bulletin board?

I love the Weather Frog, and Scholastic has done a new Weather Panda, too.

Teacher's Friend Weather Accent Punchouts are versatile enough to use for interactive bulletin boards, as manipulatives, or for big books.

I'm sick of winter, and my classroom! Isn't there something really new?

2009-02-25T12:15:00.004-06:00

Yes! Check out Carson-Dellosa's new Pop-It decoratives for something really different.

Click on the picture for more details or to order them from A Plus Educational Supply.

There are also flowers and pumpkins and snowmen -- oh, you didn't want to think about winter any more, right?

What can I do with the kids in this weather?

2009-02-13T14:03:00.004-06:00

The weather has been unpredictable, ranging from unsettled to horrible.

What can you do with the kids when they can't go outside?

Sand and water tables are a great choice. A Plus Educational has lots of choices, all of which can be shipped directly to your facility.

Let's start with the traditional table -- only better. This one has storage bins, deep trays to limit spilling and splashing, and wheels for easy movement. Pull the bins out to fill, dump, or clean them.

Delta Moon Sand is better yet. It vacuums easily from the floor, clumps easily for pickup, and doesn't stick to hands. Great for kids with sensory issues, and it's gluten and latex free for allergy concerns.

Click on the pictures for more details.

What's great for Valentine's Day?

2009-02-03T09:36:00.007-06:00

We're all ready to quit thinking about ice and snow and perk up our classrooms with some heartfelt treasures.

The Valentine Bears is a great book! A collection of lesson plans to go with it can be found at Freshplans, and Hotchalk's new Valentine's Day technology lesson plan uses this book.

Avoid sugar troubles by giving your students "Valentine from your teacher" pencils
or special Valentine's postcards.

These by Susan Winget are great for any age.

Valentine's Jingo is a great twist on classic bingo. Perfect for class parties.

And finish it off with a great Valentine's Day bulletin board set.

How can I make it easier to make centers?

2009-01-14T15:49:00.004-06:00

You know that having plenty of good center activities makes life easier in the long run, but how can you keep your centers fresh without giving up your weekends to do it? The key is to have all the ingredients on hand. Then, make a quick center activity when you prepare a lesson.

Make your centers cuter and easier with self-stick pockets like these from Top Notch Teacher . Have plenty of file folders, plain or fancy, and you have the basic ingredients for centers on practically any subject.

Find step-by-step instructions for file folder centers at that link.

Need something even easier? Check out the Take It To Your Seat series from Evan Moor.

What's a good theme for January?

2009-01-09T16:09:00.004-06:00

It's a tough time of year to decorate for. Holidays and special events abound, actually, but they go by so fast you don't want to decorate and undecorate that quickly.

Penguins to the rescue!

Penguins come in cute, realistic, and cool varieties.

Grab some penguin books and visit the Penguin Theme page, put some of these cool birds on your board, and you'll be chillin'. Click on the pictures here to learn more about these designs.

What's best for organizing my classroom?

2009-01-04T18:50:00.004-06:00

We love the Copernicus Rack! There are lots of choices, big and small, and lots of accessories so you can make your rack exactly the way you want it.

That's a personal favorite, but there are lots of great options. Check the featured products at A Plus Educational Supply for inspiration. Furniture, rolling racks, hanging containers, and stand-alone storage boxes are all great choices.

Here's some reading on the subject, too:
"The Organized Teacher"
"Get Organized!"

2008-12-23T06:54:00.001-06:00

Happy Holidays!

Sale at A Plus Educational!

2008-12-09T06:22:00.002-06:00

I love a bargain, and I know you do too!

Come on down to A plus Educational in Harrison next week for the big holiday sale! 25% off most in-stock items, including toys and games for your favorite kids and all the best goodies for your favorite teacher.

Tell 'em Allie sent you!

What's Fresh for Thanksgiving?

2008-11-17T11:18:00.002-06:00

If you haven't done a Thanksgiving bulletin board yet, then you need something quick and cute! Better yet, something quick, cute, and compatible with other stuff in your classroom.
I like this set from Creative Teaching Press. It's part of the wildly popular Stick Kids collection. You can use Stick Kids for all kinds of things in your classroom now, add a couple of important pieces for Thanksgiving, and then move right into winter with only a couple of minutes for a quick change.

Can I get Allie's outfits for my dog?

2008-11-06T15:01:00.002-06:00

You sure can. Allie is a real dog, belonging to Cindy Magness, owner of A Plus Educational Supply in Harrison, Arkansas. She loves to dress up in her fancy outfits and visit with the shoppers at the store.
Email Cindy -- just click on "A Plus Educational Supply" and you'll find a "contact us" form at the bottom of the page, as well as phone numbers. Cindy will be happy to get your dog duded up just like Allie!

Vote!

2008-11-04T06:35:00.002-06:00

Allie's rockin' the vote today! See you at the polls!

Free Shipping on Online Orders!

2008-10-15T11:47:00.001-05:00

Right now, A Plus Educational is offering free shipping on all online orders of $30 or more!

What's Good for Halloween in the Classroom?

2008-10-09T07:44:00.002-05:00

We have so much great stuff for making your classroom a little spooky and a lot of fun! Here are just a few of my favorties. Visit our online teacher store catalog and browse!

What's Coming Up for Halloween?

2008-09-26T08:26:00.003-05:00

True, it's still September. But I say that any holiday that involves treats is worth looking forward to!

Order your Halloween bulletin board now and you'll have it up in plenty of time to get in the mood.

How 'Bout Them Hogs?

2008-09-22T08:48:00.007-05:00

Even if they didn't win their last game, we still love 'em.

A Plus has Arkansas history materials from Gallopade, and this is a great time to learn about our state history. Gallopade makes these materials for all 50 states, and you can find them all in our online catalog.

One of my favorite items is the State Poster Map.

State timelines come in handy packs of ten for posting, distributing to students, and using to make games and centers.

State activity books are a lifesaver -- keep them on the shelf and you can pull them down whenever you have time for a quick reproducible activity.

Remember, all the states are available in these and the other Gallopade state study items. All you have to do is put your state's postal code in the comments section when you order.

What's popular right now?

2008-09-10T10:25:00.003-05:00

When things start flying off the shelves, we know that it's because they're working in your classrooms and you're telling your friends. So just in case your friends haven't told you yet, here's what's flying off the shelves right now:

The Prompt, Plan, and Write series from The Mailbox.

These books are available for first through fifth grade. Check out a sample page and you'll see why everyone loves it.

You can order these books through our catalog or come in and browse through them yourself. And you might not know that you can order online and pick them up at the store to save shipping, if you live in our neck of the woods. We love to see you!

What are some good themes for this time of year?

2008-09-08T10:54:00.005-05:00

This can be a hard time of year to choose a theme for. We're not really into fall here, but we're finished with "Welcome Back."

I like the County Fair at this time of year, and North Star has a new Ferris Wheel bulletin board set. This isn't in our catalog yet, but you can always call or email us and we'll pop it in the mail to you.

I also like farm themes for this time of year.

There are lots of farm theme materials, like this book from Evan-Moor. Another great farm theme choice is the Carson Delossa farm bulletin board. This is a classic, and it's not only good on the bulletin board. It also makes terrific big books, stick puppets, and literacy manipulatives.

These ideas ought to tide you over till fall!

Who are the people at A Plus?

2008-09-05T10:17:00.002-05:00

Here they are, the lovely ladies of A Plus in their jammies for the Midnight Madness sale!

Why should I shop at A Plus?

2008-08-20T11:03:00.003-05:00

Now this is another question nobody has asked me. Who would be that impolite? But the truth is, we know that you have lots of places you can shop. So I want to tell you why A Plus is my favorite store:

A Plus Educational Supply has the best selection, online and in the store.
The girls are the craziest AND the most helpful. Both at once.
Owner Cindy is a teacher herself, so she knows what you need. When you ask about Four Blocks, they're not going to show you wooden blocks.
When you send your purchase order to A Plus, A Plus will deliver it for free in Northern or Northwest Arkansas, and have it all divided and wrapped up, too. Leverett School loved that -- they had ordered from someone else before, and had to call in extra help to get their stuff sorted out.
If you're not in our neck of the woods, you can order at our online catalog and get the same great service and selection.

Try it -- you'll like it!

Are you guys going dotty from Back to School?

2008-08-18T13:40:00.004-05:00

Maybe we are going just a little bit dottie here at A Plus Educational, but that's a GOOD thing!

Look how cute the new Polka Dots from Teacher Created are! If you're still getting your classroom set up, you should think about going a little dottie yourself.

These goodies are so fresh that they're not in our online catalog yet. You can still get them from us -- call, email, fax, add it into the comments section of your online order, or just waltz on in (and maybe that should be polka on in) and pick 'em up.

From the catalog, we also have Lasting Lessons totally cute polka dots

(those go so well with my dress!) and lots of dots from CTP's Poppin Patterns collection, too:

These are perfect for that one last bulletin board that still has to go up!

Not that you asked...

2008-08-13T09:29:00.008-05:00

I admit that you didn't exactly ask for more more more on the elections, but this is a such a great opportunity to use a patriotic theme for Back to School that I have to share some more of the coolest stuff in the store.

Harcourt's Cast Your Vote! series is a bestseller at A Plus Educational, and no wonder! It's very complete -- open it up and you've got your lesson planned.

Check out a list of technology links on the subject, too.

Then pick out a patriotic border:

cut-outs:

and name plates:

to really set the mood.

What's new for teaching about the elections?

2008-08-11T08:38:00.008-05:00

It's less than 100 days till the elections! We'll all have the opportunity to vote, to be part of the democratic process, to express our opinions and help to lead our nation on to further greatness!
Okay; those of you with thumbs will have that opportunity.
It's also a great opportunity to teach geography, math, and citizenship. And it's an opportunity we have only once every four years, so we should take advantage of it.
Just look at all the keen stuff A Plus Educational has for teaching about elections!
The Classroom Elections Kit lets you simulate the whole election process in your classroom.

Teacher's Friend also has an Elections Activity Kit with a ballot box and an activity book.

The Election Time chart has lots of instructional potential. Fill in the dates and details for primaries, debates, conventions, and the election itself.
CTP's Election Bulletin Board Set explains the whole process. This mini set will work on a project board, too, to set up with the ballot box if you're going with a simulation.
There are books from a numbrer of different publishers with reproducibles. One of my favorites is Teacher Created's Elections.

As always with TCR, the book has lots of information and loads of hands-on ideas. It makes a great combo with the election simulation kits above. Bring on the bunting!

What can we do about testing?

2008-08-05T10:20:00.003-05:00

We had a little visitor last week: a child going into kindergarten this month. He was excited about it, of course. There's no feeling like that again till they start driving. We told him we hoped he'd have a good year and that we knew he'd be a great student.
"I will be," he said confidently. "I'll bring you my scores."
Does your heart sink just a little at that?
Doing well on the test has become so much the focus of our classrooms that it overshadows learning how to read, making friends, riding the school bus, and all the other new experiences kids used to look forward to.
As teachers, what can we do?

Keep it in perspective. Doing well on the test is important for the school, but it shouldn't be our students' measure of themselves. It shouldn't be our measure of our value as teachers, either. We may have to remind ourselves of that more often.
Maintain that sense of pride. Our little visitor wasn't scared of the test. He was confident and proud to be taking it. Instead of saying, "If you don't pay attention, you're not going to do well on the test!" we can say, "This is hard, but we can get it. Then we'll ace that test!"
Prepare. A Plus Educational has materials for the SAT 10 and the Iowa, as well as general testing skills books. Come visit us and let us help you find just the right book for your classroom, or for your own kids!

Are you ready for school to start?

2008-08-04T14:32:00.003-05:00

I'm sorry to see the fun of summer ending, but also looking forward to the beginnning of a new school year.

Do you have all your ducks in a row? Here's what A Plus can do for you:

Take care of all your back to school needs! We've got the best selection and our girls are the most helpful.
Make it fun! Visiting all your friends at A Plus makes it a party, not a chore. You can also go to our online catalog and do your shopping in your swimsuit if you feel like it. Or your jammies! We'll bring all the goodies to your school for free.
Answer your back-to-school questions. I'm here for you!

By the way, a special shout-out to our friends in Northwest Arkansas -- you know we deliver to you for free, too!

What do you use to keep bulletin board pieces up?

2008-07-29T09:18:00.003-05:00

I've been showing you all these great new bulletin board pieces -- and more to come! -- and now you need to put them up int he classroom. More and more schools are forbidding the use of hot glue and staples (those burns and stabs will be a thing of the past), so what's a teacher to do?

Switch to Mavalus Tape. Click on the name to see what this wonderful stuff is. You have probably heard about it, but you might have heard it called "miracle tape," "magic tape," or even just "that tape."

Here's what's great about Mavalus Tape: it holds things up, and then it comes off. Your stuff doesn't fall down or get damaged, and the paint stays on the walls. The manufacturers say that they can keep a fish attached to a tree in a rainstorm, and I believe it, though I confess I've never tried that. We've used it to keep things up for years on end, I use it all the time to put up things I want to move around (like calendar days or timeline pieces), and our customers use it on surfaces like theater curtains and burlap.

If you think it's expensive, you may be using too much. We calculate that you can put up 61 average posters with one roll. Can't beat that.

What's Good for Calendar Work?

2008-07-28T09:17:00.006-05:00

First let me give you a great web resource:

Everything About Calendars

Anything you want to know about calendars, you can find there. And I hope you are enjoying this month of Thermidor.

Calendar work in the classroom is a great opportunity to fit a lot of things into a small space. Using a pocket chart like this Calendar and Weather chart lets you introduce and review concepts about weather, numbers, time, calendars, holidays, verb tenses, and more -- while also gathering data for later use in analysis and graphing.

Bulletin board set calendars, like this cool "Confetti Calendar" from CTP, are great when you like to change things around a lot, or want to be able to have more control over the space and arrangement of elements than a pocket chart gives you.

Sets like these give you the most for your money, since they usually include calendar grids, calendar days, month labels, and extra pieces.

If there are bits that you don't want to use for daily calendar work, you'll find that they come in handy for making centers and big books.

If you like a minimalist approach, though, or just want to change some of the things from last year, you'll find that you have plenty of choices in individual pieces as well.

What's New for Back to School?

2008-07-25T03:50:00.007-05:00

There's so much new stuff on our shelves at A Plus, it's hard to know where to begin!

CTP's Stick Kids are still going strong, so you can add a new Welcome bulletin board set and continue using the pieces you already have. This way, you get a fresh look while recycling what you have on hand from previous years.

The Trend Mischievous Monkeys are still very popular, and there are some new safari letters and welcome banners to extend those pieces, too. Carson-Dellosa has a new monkey set, with their signature look, if you like monkeys but want something fresh.

With the Olympics coming up in September, a sports theme is a great choice for Back to School 2008.

"Welcome Back Team" from Teacher's Friend is a fun starting point for this theme.

The emphasis on teamwork gets the class off to the right start, and the pieces can be used later in the year to spotlight student work.

CTP's Back to School with denim, schoolhouses, or fall leaves are always quick and easy to put up. Each has a welcome piece and plenty of cutouts for student names, and they'll fit on your door. These are great when you want to get your classroom ready fast, and when you have limited bulletin board space.

A versatile option is the Big Treasure Chest from Carson.

Let your new students know how precious they are to you by adding their names to the jewels and doubloons, set up a bulletin board that shows how much you treasure learning, or go with a pirate theme.

There's lots more in the store! It's the time to come in and browse, see your friends, and get in the mood for school.

And don't forget that you can shop with APlus Educational online, too! We deliver to your school for free in North Arkansas, and now in Northwest Arkansas, too. Purchase orders are always welcome.

See you soon!

Does time fly when you're having fun?

2008-07-23T11:02:00.003-05:00

Yes! I can't believe it's the big sale day already! Sail on in. Right now. You're missing all the fun.

When's the next sale at A+ Educational Supply?

2008-07-08T09:01:00.002-05:00

We had such a good time at the Midnight Madness Sale, we're having another! July 22nd, sail right in for a summer sale -- we'll have drawings and door prizes and lots of fun, plus the chance to see all the newest goodies for Back to School!

Watch this space for details!

If I can only have one pocket chart, which one should I have?

2008-07-03T07:55:00.005-05:00

Tough question. Let me give you three possible answers.

First answer: get the Original Pocket Chart, which gives you pockets all across the front, but get it in red so you can tell it apart from your neighbor's blue one. The original will hold sentence strips, word cards, index cards, and most everything else you'll want to put into the pockets. Since the pockets are not divided, you are not limited to items of a particular size. There are ten pockets, which gives you enough room for poetry, charts, and even quizzes.

It'll fit on your pocket chart stand, too.

The original also comes in yellow now. If you have your heart set on blue, think about going with the Original Plus -- it has storage pockets on the back.

Second answer: go with a graphic organizer.

Which graphic organizer you choose depends on what you use most often. Likely options include the graphing pocket chart, the web organizer, the hamburger sequencing chart, and official graphic organizer pocket chart, which has both a Venn Diagram and a T chart.

With any of these, it is possible to use the spaces as you would the original pocket chart, but you also have your graphic organizers ready to hand whenever you need them -- what a time saver!

The third answer may sound a little frivolous: get a cute one.

The star shape, the big apple, the crayons pocket chart, or the new farm chart can all be used in lots of different ways, but they also add fun to your classroom. If you can only have one pocket chart, you might want to go with something bright and playful.

The best possible answer? Go ahead and get your one pocket chart, but then start working on rearranging the budget or the classroom so you can have more. There are hardly any other classroom resources that are as versatile and useful as pocket charts.

When is the best time to do Back to School shopping?

2008-07-01T07:54:00.004-05:00

In a word: right now.
Okay, that was two words.
Either way, this is the time. The store is fully stocked, and not as crowded as it will be even next week. If you wait till August, there will be lines to wait in and it is possible that your favorite planbook will be sold out.
If you want to see all your old friends and have the exhilarating experience of shopping in crowds, wait till August.
If you want to avoid the whole thing, shop from our online catalog and we'll deliver everything to your school.