Counting Collections

The collection countdown has begun!  We are in the process of collecting items to make our class counting collections.  We began by brainstorming ideas of tiny trinkets that students can find around their house and inspecting my collection.
 

First, we brainstormed a list of possibilities.

Armed with a parent note and baggie, the kids are super excited to head home to start their quest.  I can't wait to see what treasures they dig up.  Items brought to school will then be grouped together to form counting collections.  Eventually, these family generated conglomerations will become an integral part of our math curriculum.  Let the fun begin!    

Sight Word Books

Click here to find Color Word Mini Booklets



I use these mini booklets at the beginning of the year as a literacy center.  Extend learning by having students highlight sight words and color words, label pictures, or add sentences to blank pages.  Each book introduces a new sight word and text pattern.  They are a great addition to book boxes, but are also a great resource for independent reading practice at home. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet Dreams?

Yes, I officially have two weeks left of vacation, but my mind has already begun to drift back to the endless mental "To Do Lists" that I neatly tucked away in my school brain back in June.  At the end of each summer, I never realize that I am thinking about school, but my dreams tell a different story.  My sweet dreams become teacher nightmares.  In the past, I have had dreams about chaos in my classroom -- especially children not coming out from under tables or someone running across the tops of tables.  Countless dreams have involved waking up at 9:37 on a school morning, forgetting to go to school, or losing track of 22 kids.  I have already had the dream where I take the day off, forget to call in a sub, and then spend the rest of the dream convincing myself that nobody will ever notice that I'm not there.  All of the dreams have the same effect.  I wake up with a jolt and immediately ask myself, "Did this really happen?...COULD this really happen?"  In my sleepy state, I usually decide that I need to stay awake making a plan of action, just in case.  I then decide to add the intricate details to my mental "To Do List."  The same list that includes an entry that reminds me to ENJOY EVERY MINUTE OF THE SUMMER.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

A Very Happy Mother’s Day to Moms, especially my Mom…

At these special times, I can’t help but to reflect.  I owe a great big thanks to my mom who has taught me so much about being a wife, mother, and kindergarten teacher.  She and my sister started kindergarten together many, many years ago.  I grew up helping her set up her classroom, watching her work her magic with children, and learning through her stories.  During her career she found time to raise 5 children, work full time, write, speak and lead conferences nationally.  I often swore to myself that I would never become a teacher (my dad taught, too), but in my heart of hearts I knew that I would. 

Like so many moms, she believed in me when no one else did.  Many of you know that I am terrified to speak in front of groups.  After I gave a rather disastrous health presentation to a crowd of about 50 in college, the professor advised me to consider another profession.  I was devastated, but did consider the possibility that he was right.  My mom was the first person I called.  I still remember that conversation almost 25 years later, and the confidence that she had in me, when I had none in myself.  I have to admit this story goes through my head every year when I stand before a room full of parents on Parent Night.  After 20 years of teaching, I still have those two voices in my head on that night, but I still listen to hers.  Thanks, Mom and Happy Mother’s Day!

Mother's Day Gift

My Mother's Day Vase
I use it as a candy jar.

Have you ever had your children make you a gift, because it turned out so cute in class, and you wanted one from your little ones?  When my boys were little, there were many times that I put them to work making my gifts, and I am so glad that I did.  I love the homemade memories of seasons past.  This is a vase that my boys made me for Mother's Day five years ago when they were in 2nd and 4th grade.

I still have my students make this vase for their mom.  They love painting the vase, but they love filling it with flowers even more.  The sweet messages on the flowers are just the best!

I use paint from the classroom, but I warn moms that the paint will wash off.  You could also use acrylic paint.

Rhyme Time

My kids love making word family charts.  It is fun to see their excitement at being able to read and write more words than they thought possible.  For so long, we would make the charts, I would hang them up in the room, and that would be about it.  Yes, they would use the charts in the literacy centers, Read (and Write) Around the Room, but I knew that we could use them for more.  I wanted something to supplement the charts that would provide segmenting and blending practice, have space available for picture clues, and give ongoing skills practice.  The Rhyme Time booklet was just the answer. 

  

 

CVC Rhyme Time Booklet Cover Click here to find out more.

Rhyme Time for Common Word Families.
Click here to find out more.

I begin in the late fall by introducing one CVC word family per week.  In the beginning, we complete the class anchor chart together (bought at a teacher supply store) and then record those words in Rhyme Time together.  Within a couple of weeks, we still do the class anchor chart together, but the kids are ready to work independently in the booklet.  It then becomes a weekly literacy center and class favorite. 

I love hearing kids segment the onset/rime.  I love seeing their excitement at reading so many words.   I love hearing them sing the list to Dr Jean's song "Rime Time."  (Tune of "Addams Family")  I love the 15 weeks of ongoing practice.  I love that the kids know exactly what to do for 15 weeks.  I love that it is a center with materials ready to go for 15 weeks.  I love that when we finish the CVC Rhyme Time, I have another Rhyme Time booklet for common word families for the end of the year.   I Love, Love, Love these booklets! 

Parts of a Plant

Materials:

picture shown

6X9 -- light blue construction

2X6 -- green construction

2X6 -- brown construction

Class set of flower die cut in various colors or construction paper for students to make their own flower

Larger size

9X12 -- light blue construction

3X9 -- brown construction

3X9 -- green construction

Class set of flower die cut in various colors or construction paper for students to make their own flower

Directions:

1. Cut stem, leaves from green.  Glue to flower

2. Glue entire flower to light blue.  Leave a small space at the bottom.

3. Fold a tiny bit at the top of the brown.

4. Place glue along the folded lip.

5. Match the brown to the bottom of the light blue.

6. Lift the flap and draw roots.

7. Draw rain and sun

8. Label flower, stem, leaves, roots, sun, water, soil

Challenge students to either write about the parts or needs of a plant on the back.

Spring is in the Air

Pastel paper and flower die cut add a springy touch to this seasonal web.  Place in a literacy writing center, or use in a whole group lesson.  Challenge students to write sentences about spring on the back.

Landforms

This is a great visual to show how much water covers the earth compared to land.  Students label bodies of water.  On the land portion students can also add landforms, resources, people, and animals.  I prep the paper plates by folding them into fourths, so the kids have a guide to draw the lines. 

Earth Day

In celebration of Earth Day, we brainstormed ideas of how to take care of our earth on a class web.  Then, the kids made one of their own.  I love their ideas!

Rainbow Writing

Just the mention of a rainbow brings a smile to a child. Incorporate a rainbow into the mundane task of teaching sight words, and you've made the teacher smile, too! 

Writing with a crayon and tracing over the word in different colors to make a rainbow, adds a bright spot that students love to this skill practice. This booklet not only allows for repeated spelling practice, but space is provided for the student to write the word in a sentence, which also makes it a great tool to reinforce capitalization, spacing, and punctuation.  Rainbow writing provides repeated spelling practice in a format that kids love. 

Rainbow Writing Booklets
Pre-Primer Dolch List, Color Words, Number Words 0-10, Common Core Words
Primer Dolch List, Common Core Words
Click here to check out more information on these booklets.

Don't want to buy the product?  Reformat the idea to fit the needs of your students.  It is a simple idea that gets big results.  I place the booklet in a literacy center, and the students complete 2 pages each week.  I absolutely love the fact that all of our sight words are in here, so once I get the booklet copied and introduced, this center is ready to go for 12 weeks.

100 Fingers

As a busy mom and teacher I often wish for more hands.  In frustration, I've said many times to my family, "Look at me...how many hands do I have?"  I never knew just how much I used that phrase until our then three year old held up his hands and said to my husband, "Look at me...how many fingers do I have?"  Years later, when things get hectic, we hold up our hands and say with a smile, "How many fingers do I have?"  Each year when I make this 100 Fingers chart, I think about that story, and how much I could get done if I had 100 fingers!

100 Fingers

The 100 Fingers chart is a great visual for counting by 1's, 5's, and 10's.  I paint 1 hand of each student.  Once the paint is dry, we go back and label each finger as we count together.  We then add the labels for counting by 10's, and finally the labels for counting by 5's.  (Your chart can always have a different number of fingers, depending on the size of your class.  If I have an odd number of students, I also paint my hand.)

President's Day

I plan to use this printable to review what we have learned about George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Barack Obama.  Students will identify and label the names of the presidents, as well as write a sentence about each.

Click here to download for free.

Valentine's Day Art

Aluminum Foil Painting

Who can resist shiny paper and hearts, especially for Valentine's Day?  Exchange a piece of white paper with aluminum foil, and you have added instant pizzazz to any painting project.

The prep is easy.  

1.  Tear off a piece of foil and glue it to a 12 x 18 piece of construction paper.

2.  Trim the end off of the construction paper.  

3.  Provide tempera paint and small brushes.

4.  Let the oohs and aahs begin!  

This is one of those projects that we do just for fun during free centers.  However, you could easily put this in a literacy center to reinforce spelling or sight words.  I can already see their eyes light up, because they can't wait to paint those words!