I’m hunched over a grid, sweat furrows my brow, and my brain aches with the agony of indecision. What could possibly be causing this intense stress and concentration? Why, I’m trying to decide what themes to put in next year’s issues of The Mailbox® magazine preschool edition! I’m only making the process sound stressful to garner your sympathy. I actually enjoy it very much. It’s a bit like a puzzle—one that’s much more fun than crossword or Sudoku puzzles. (Those make me want to smack my head against a nice solid object.)

While I’m working on this theme plan, I inevitably spend my time trying to get inside your brain. I can spend an eternity wondering. Would you prefer a unit on flowers or butterflies? Or would you perhaps like a unit on ponds or oceans or eggs? The questions and themes are endless! So I’m going to take a minute to ask you: what themes would you enjoy seeing in the magazine?

Thanks for the help!
Kim

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27 Responses to “May I Borrow Your Thoughts?”

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  1. 01 Dec 2009 at 5:10 pm # 15.  Linda

    I would also like to see a unit on fairy tales to supplement what I already have. Nocturnal animals and booklets for Pilgrims/Native Americans would be nice as well. Thanks for all you do!

  2. 30 Nov 2009 at 11:36 pm # 14.  Catie

    Arctic Animals (book suggestion: Arctic Fives Arrive by Elinor Pinczes)

    New Books highlight issue (focus on books released in 2009-2010)

    Eric Carle in Science Curriculum (using books like A House for Hermit Crab, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Grouchy Ladybug, etc.)

  3. 29 Nov 2009 at 9:05 pm # 13.  Janet

    We did a mini-theme on Knights and Dragons around the book The Knight and The Dragon. The kids really got into it, even my kids that do not usually choose dramtic play. I would love to see more ideas on that theme.
    Love the forest animal theme idea suggested by Monica. I am doing Night Tree in December and want to tie in forest animals and avoid some of the Santa/presents hype for the first couple weeks. I then do pond and forest iagain in the spring. I find lots of frogs, fish and even turtle, but little on forest animals.

  4. 26 Nov 2009 at 8:39 am # 12.  Deb

    I would like to see more 2nd grade math pages. I love the magazine and it is such a great help, but I see more 3rd grade math pages. I would really like more double digit adding and subtracting with regrouping and more story problem pages. Thanks so much! Thanks for all you do!

  5. 26 Nov 2009 at 6:49 am # 11.  Allison Perecko

    I have many boys in my two JK/SK classrooms! I would like them to investigate a dinosaur theme and explore an outer space theme. I know the girls will enjoy these themes too.

  6. 25 Nov 2009 at 9:58 pm # 10.  debbie dhuyvetter

    WE are always hunting appropriate books on our country’s history (Pilgrams, Indians, Presidents, Betsy Ross, etc., Black history.) We’re using our school library and local libraries, but its time for some fresh books to cover these units for our young ones. That would certainly be wonderful!

  7. 25 Nov 2009 at 8:57 pm # 9.  Brenda

    I would like to see frogs, plants, bees. If you are going to do cooking is it possible to have recipes where you cook things in an electric skillet. We do not have access to an oven. I’ve done cakes in Dixie cups, but was hoping there were other things to cook.

  8. 25 Nov 2009 at 4:18 pm # 8.  Io Kendrick

    I would like to see something on eggs, we always do a unit on that in the spring and try and hatch chicken eggs. I also agree with the other comments on fairy tales, forest animals, thematic recipes etc. How about ocean animals also. I know I will use whatever you decide. Thanks again!

  9. 25 Nov 2009 at 4:12 pm # 7.  Pat

    Great question. I love your little booklets. If you would do them covering the themes of: nocturnal animals, general topic of the sun, moon, stars, and planets, wants and needs, trade and barter, 100 days, animals that hibernate, weather conditions, friendship, and night and day. Thanks. Love your magazine.

  10. 25 Nov 2009 at 1:11 pm # 6.  Elaine Pemberton

    I also would like some ideas for fairy tales - We have “Mother Goose” come to visit our pre-school in the spring. So we plan this year to have a week or two of fairy tales to go along with her visit.
    And I also think the idea for Forest Animals is great.
    Our children always enjoy making the little books you print up.
    Thank you for helping!!

  11. 24 Nov 2009 at 11:33 pm # 5.  Sandi

    Monica and Sharon
    I have a great ideas on the fairytale theme. I sort of took from here and there and compiled them together. Our first 6 weeks of kIndergarten is all based around fairytales.
    The 1998-1999 Yearbook has a great kingdom theme, Scholastic puts out a great Cooking book to go along with each letter of the alphabet.

  12. 24 Nov 2009 at 6:42 pm # 4.  Monica Sankey

    I would like to see a fairy tale theme. We are trying this for the first time this year, and we have found a few ideas interspersed throughout various Mailbox books. It would be wonderful to find many ideas in one article.
    Another unit I would like to see is Animals of the Forest (deer, skunk, moose, raccoon, etc…)
    Thanks for asking your readers!

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