Socks Rock! – Teachers Telling Tales

Any suggestions for songs by The Odd Socks?! Illustration Fiona Childs.

What are your favourite themes for projects?
I love project based learning with a theme that feeds into cross curricular exploration and ‘socks’ is one of my faves!
Socks are familiar to every student, everyone has their opinions about them and they lend themselves perfectly to creative and mathematical investigations and challenges.

An illustration demonstrating how a socks topic can help with teacher number concepts to young children. — illustration Fiona Childs, Teachers Telling Tales

An illustration of how a socks topic can be used to teach aspects of patterns. — *illustration Fiona Childs, Teachers Telling Tales*

Rhyme and word play examples related to socks (itsy bitsy spider socks, fox in socks, sock-topus) — *illustration Fiona Childs, Teachers Telling Tales*

Pairs

As socks come in pairs they lend themselves to paired activities which, in turn, are great for deepening communication and collaboration skills. For example, designing a matching pair of socks using stickers and drawings to create a pattern. Students add elements to the design for their partner to match. To make it more challenging, students can describe what they are doing without their partner being able to see. It’s lots of fun!

Paired activity to create matching socks.
Great for communication, collaboration, symmetry, shape, colour, position.

Awareness and Wellbeing Days

There are two main international awareness days that use socks as a focus:
1. #oddsocksday on November 16th as part of Anti-Bullying Week. Learn more and download resources here:

https://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/anti-bullying-week/odd-socks-day/odd-socks-day-2020

2. #LotsOfSocksDay on Down Syndrome Day, 21st March. Learn more here:

https://www.worlddownsyndromeday2.org/

Holding a Crazy Socks or Silly Socks Day has become popular for spirit days and for awareness and fund raising events as it’s a simple but fun way to get everyone involved.

Teaching Resources

I have had a lot of fun creating a range of resources inspired by socks using the themes listed above: patterns, counting, matching, design etc. As usual they are available from the tes online shop and Teachers Pay Teachers online store (see buttons on home page).
There’s a free pack and options to get all the packs in a bundle at a discounted price.

If you try them please remember to add a quick review and any pictures of the resources in action or finished work would be much appreciated!
For more patterns ideas follow this Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/teacherstellingtales/patterns/