The Cleveland Indians are going to the World Series! Clevelanders everywhere have been waiting for this achievement. Congrats to my hometown team! 

Years ago,  when the Indians were in the playoffs,  I made sure there was a classroom of students in San Antonio who were enthusiastic Indian fans. I would refrain from giving them homework the day after a Cleveland playoff win. I remember parents telling me they all became Indians fans watching the games. They enjoyed watching championship baseball and the bonus of a homework free afternoon was like watching a homerun ball sail out of the park. 

It was always a treat to use baseball fever to enhance my teaching.  I used to begin my unit on rounding numbers to the nearest ten or hundred by teaching my made-up version of  "rounding baseball."  First I had to give my students a class on stealing bases. Then I used that idea to help my fans, (I mean students), decide if a number should be rounded up or down to the nearest ten or hundred.

Here's how rounding baseball works. Imagine that there are 10 steps from one base to the other.  In rounding to the nearest ten, begin by counting the bases by tens. Let's use 40 and 50 as your bases. Now look at the digit in the ones place. That number represents the number of steps you take from one base to another. If you're on base 40 and you take enough hops to get you to 44 or less before the pitcher sees you're trying to steal a base, that means you  have taken 4 or less steps to your next base. That's less than half way to the next base so it's more logical to return to 40 rather than go on to 50. Therefore, 44 rounds back to 40. 

If you've gone 5 steps,  you're half way,  but you have the momentum on your side, so it makes more sense to keep on running to the next base.  Of course if you've gone 6 or more,  then you're more than half way to the next base, so keep those legs moving in the same direction. You can make it to the next base before the pitcher throws the ball to the base you're trying to steal!  Therefore,  45, 46, 47, 48, and 49 round up to 50.

I'm not sure who had more fun playing rounding baseball.  This was back in the "old days" when I had to use an overhead projector and draw the baseball diamond on an overhead sheet, using those markers that stained my fingers.  As I drew the hops from one base to the other waiting for the imaginary pitcher to turn around and see me running,  I would cheer in delight if the fans directed me in the right direction to make it safely to the correct base. 

I'm thankful to have memories and souvenirs of my classroom adventures.  I hope some of my former students will take a walk down memory lane as they see the Indians go on to the World Series. They're now old enough to teach their own kids the excitement of rounding baseball. That's how long it's been since the Indians have even been in sight of the World Series.  It's about time!

The World Series is real in Cleveland this year. No imaginary pitchers or steps drawn on an overhead projector for my Cleveland team. You got this, Indians! Round those bases and hit those homeruns! Let's win the whole series!!!

​I'll be cheering from San Antonio.

Are you planning some road trips this summer?  You can add some road-side riddles to your collection of car games to pry those eyes away from the devices for a while.  I like to use riddle-sticks in the car at random times to add a little giggle diversion.  Popsicle sticks work fine.  Write a riddle on one side of the stick and its answer on the back and let your kids (or grand kids)  pick a riddle out of the bag to share.  Remember,  it's always more fun to give clues before giving out the answer!  If you have a copy of "Hooked on Riddles," pack it with your car essentials and you'll have plenty  to share!  

These riddles will help you rev up your engines.  Then let the youngsters come up with their own.  Those will be the best ones!

"Pack up the car, we're going on a road trip" riddles!

1. What goes from one town to another but doesn’t move an inch?
2. Why couldn’t the peanut butter cross the road?
3. Where does a witch park when she lands?
4. What kind of pig blocks traffic?
5. What do you call an insect’s car?
6. Why did the traffic signal turn red?
7. What do you call a song you sing in a car?
8. What do baby cars wear in the rain?
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ANSWERS
1. A road.
2. There was a traffic jam.
3. In a broom closet.
4. A road hog.
5. A buggy.
6. It had to change in front of everybody.
7. A car tune.
8. Windshield diapers.

These will come in handy if you happen to be outside enjoying the night sky on a clear night.  The planets and stars are even more exciting if you have the chance to visit an observatory.  Last summer we spent the day at the McDonald Observatory near Ft. Davis, Texas. The Observatory offers different programs during the day and night to delight all age groups.  The Star Party after dark was my favorite.  It was nothing short of out of this world! Here are some riddles to take along with you as you marvel at the night sky. 

1. What planet is like a circus?
2. Which planet tells the temperature?
3. Which planet sings a song?
4. Which planet can we see best without a telescope?
5. Why did the moon stop eating?
​
Answers:
1. Saturn- it has rings.
2. Mercury
3. Nep-tune
4. Earth
5. Because it was full.  

I'm back on the blog!  Sorry it's been so long.  I have retired from regular classroom teaching and for the past couple of years have been substitute teaching.  A copy of Hooked on Riddles resides in my sub bag of supplies and I still have a true respect for the power of the riddle!  Now that I teach all grades from Kinder to 5th grade,  I get to see how young minds of a wide range of ages react to riddles.  Kids of all ages love riddles.  It's as simple as that.  

I've had parents who have a copy of Hooked on Riddles tell me that they like to share a daily riddle with their kids, in lunch boxes,  through emails when they have to travel, in the car on the way to soccer practice, etc.  I must admit,  it gives me a sense of pride and satisfaction to know that my book has been a resource for parents who enjoy sharing riddles with their youngsters. The underlying bonus in all this is the fact that these parents have also helped their youngsters become better thinkers while giggling through their riddle sessions.  

Interestingly enough,  there have been some older folks who have told me that they enjoy sharing riddles at get-togethers with their friends.  One friend told me that she takes a couple of riddles from the book to her weekly session of "Bridge" with her friends.  Her friends all love to be the first one to come up with the answer! 

Therefore,  I plan on sharing some summertime riddles in this blog so that you may pack some riddles in your bags  as you set out on your summer adventures,  whether that includes some road trips to the beach  or just some fun time around the pool.  It doesn't matter how old you are. Riddles are good fun for all!

Let's make it a riddlicious summer! 

I remember, a long time ago, thinking that a question about snow on a reading test was unfair because the answer required an inference based on the  prior knowledge that you can both hear and feel the "crunch" of the snow under your shoes or boots when walking in it.  The majority of my students could not successfully answer that question because they had never lived where it snows enough for you to  experience the "crunch" of snow underfoot.  

We recently went to Colorado for a magnificent reunion of Peace Corps Volunteers from Honduras.  As we drove up to an altitude of  about 9,000 feet  in the mountains,  we were surrounded by snow.  I remembered my students who couldn't connect with the snow question and made sure we walked off the beaten path so that my husband could experience the "crunch" of the snow.  I felt better knowing that at least one person who had never been in the snow could now add a real snow experience to his schema. 

Many times, as teachers,  we aren't aware that our students lack a pertinent experience that's necessary for them to make connections in their reading and their learning.  I found that riddle questions are helpful in identifying our children's gaps in their schema or vocabulary.  In all riddle sessions, I always give clues rather than answers. Sometimes,  when even the best clues don't help,  I know I have a teaching moment. That's happened many times.  One example was a riddle about a blackboard.  Most of my students had no idea what a blackboard was,  so I had to find old classroom stories with pictures and we had a great discussion about the similarities and differences between blackboards and whiteboards.  

That was a few years ago.  Today, that same discussion would have to include smart boards!  

Since riddles are timeless, you will inevitably find some that ask about something that simply doesn't exist anymore or is difficult to understand because of old unfamiliar vocabulary.   That, I found is another advantage of adding a daily dose of riddles in my classroom.  I prefer to think of the process as one of enriching my students' schema rather than that of  pointing out  how old and out of date I really am! 

It's September and a new school year is in force!   Some of us would rather be home playing or swimming or sleeping. It's tough for students and teachers alike!  Riddles help ease the fear and calm the nerves,while sharing a chuckle.  Try these riddles out and feel the relief...  regardless of  which side of the teacher's desk you find yourself. 
1.Why did the boy walk backwards to school?
2. Who belongs to the Monster School PTA?
3.How do bees get to school?