kagmypts Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 I am looking to teach my 3rd and 1st graders all of the states. They have both shown interest in learning them, and I figured that I would capitalize on it. What is the best way to approach teaching them? Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missouri Okie Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 I love, love, love the game State Sequence for teaching the states and capitals. I love it because it is a fun game for that age and for mom, and it really teaches them the names of the states and capitals in a fun, painless way. I require them to say the state and capital as we play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 If you've got an apple device, Stack the States is a good app. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirstenhill Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 We really liked the book "little man in the map" -- DD used that to memorize the states last year as a 2nd grader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 GeoPuzzle - US and Canada http://www.amazon.com/GeoPuzzle-U-S-A-Canada-Educational-Geography/dp/B000LFUKV8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1348366912&sr=8-3&keywords=geopuzzle Scrambled States of America products http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=scrambled+states Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esse Quam Videri Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 My 3rd and 1st graders are learning states and capitals this year as well. Our Co-Op is doing a state study this year with lots of activities, but at home it's just a supplement so all we're doing is CC Cycle 3 memory work (basically just audio of states and capitals by region) and flashcards. They've got 20 down so far and we're only 6 weeks in. It's not the most thrilling for me, but they honestly are loving memorizing them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomandlorih Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Great free games here.. http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games.htm and the States and Capitals cd from Audio Memory http://www.audiomemory.com/geography.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TengoFive Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Stack the States is easy and painless. 10 Days in the USA is fun, even for Mom and Dad. We like the Twin Sisters cd as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2pandc Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 I have a 1st and 3rd grader too. I use this lapbook (free!) http://marinecorpsnomads.com/2009/02/united-states-lapbook.html I also found a state workbook in the target dollar spot back in August. We just recently started using this online software for review (great to be able to select a region instead off all 50 at once) http://sheppardsoftware.com/web_games.htm Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoo_keeper Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 The girls learned the names of the states by memorizing the Fifty Nifty states song and the capitals by memorizing Wakko's States and Capitals song. Location is reinforced with Scrambled States (books and game), puzzles (Scrambled States puzzle and GeoPuzzles, my eldest is working one right now for fun), and online games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Recent post on the topic with some links: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=421925&highlight=map%3B+states&page=2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyndiLJ Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Stack the States AND Stack the Countries! My kids are addicted and I like how the full version of the app also teaches flags and capitols as well as national parks! And seriously, I am not joking when I say the kids are addicted and learning a ton. We also don't have a firm curriculum for it, but we do current events and every time we do it they have to look the state up on a map. Just by doing that, they know most of them. It can be relatively painless to teach that way. Cindy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Fourthing (?) stack the states. Mine have been playing, and I haven't been paying much attention; I was surprised the other day when my 6 yr old knew where Montana was Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivka Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 My son learned to identify all the states before he was 3 because we have the game Scrambled States of America. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kagmypts Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 Thank you for all of the options! I am intrigued by Stack the States, but we don't have any Apple product (or Smartphones for that matter) so apps don't work for us. For those who worked with 1st graders, did you also do capitals at the same time? I am leaning toward just teaching him the state names for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 This is what we used; I know there's a better listing for it on Amazon, but this is all I could find. Both girls know all their states and capitals from this! http://www.amazon.com/States-and-Capitals-Songs-DVD/dp/1883028213/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1348417716&sr=8-2&keywords=states+and+capitals+dvd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipitous journey Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 (edited) ... we're just using the Stack the States app at the moment; and I may add States and Capitols Wrap-Ups. This is a timely and useful thread -- I'm glad to know of these resources, thanks to all! ETA: regarding first graders: the Wrap-Ups are very age appropriate for learning capitols, if you want to do that. Edited September 23, 2012 by serendipitous journey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SevenDaisies Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 The girls learned the names of the states by memorizing the Fifty Nifty states song ... I learned this song in elementary school and can still list the states alphabetically :) I bought my kids the Melissa and Doug License Plate Game, and my dd8, learned all the capitals in 3 days by quizzing anyone she could get to play along. It is intended to be a travel game, but it is also a fun way to learn to identify the states and their capitals. http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-License-Plate-Game/dp/B001QVI9CI/ We are also using the book Smart About the Fifty States. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 My kids learned the states pretty early by reading Scrambled States of America over and over again. I also had a wooden state puzzle (the kind for preschoolers with knobs on the pieces) and then we moved into a 100 piece state puzzle. Playing with various flash cards and coloring Dover state coloring pages. Looking at wall maps over and over again. Writing a list of the states with abbreviations to practice spelling and then quizzing for fun. We're working on capitals and some brief histories of each state now. We're using a state quarter collection and Sea To Shining sea for that. Great States Jr is a fun game as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeindeed Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 If you've got an apple device, Stack the States is a good app. :iagree: My kiddos love this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SevenDaisies Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 If you've got an apple device, Stack the States is a good app. :iagree: My kids also love Shake the States. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caroljenn Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 I had a wooden USA States puzzle that I would play with all the time. I loved it, and I still know all 50 of them! I have seen it magnetized for the fridge too, which is always fun when you're a kid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forgiven Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 We're using A Helping Hand's State study and love it. You can do it at any pace you want. We've chosen to do all 50 states in two years, so we do a state a week, and when we come to our state, we'll do a 6-week study on it. So far, we've only covered three states -- start our fourth state tomorrow -- but we review the dates the states entered the union (they teach the states in the order they joined the union) and the state capitals. We also make a meal or dish that is characteristic of each state each week. If you don't want to take two years to go through the curriculum, they have schedules for finishing in a year, etc. You pick which speed is good for you. Oh, and we're doing the state study in conjunction with the state geography study, also by A Helping Hand. It's very interesting to see why the states are shaped the way they are, etc. Very interesting stuff. We also do have Stack the States, which they love, but they also look forward to our state study each week too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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