Snowmen Come to School
I sent home 3 sheets of construction paper with each student and a challenge to use creativity and things around the home to bring a snowman to school. You can see the results are great and the artists are proud!
Chinese New Year: Gung Hay Fat Choy
Get ready to celebrate the Chinese New Year with our
"Chinese New Year" thematic unit.
"Chinese New Year" thematic unit.
As with all of our units, the math and reading lessons are scripted
and linked to the
and linked to the
common core math and reading standards.
Enjoy
Gung Hay Fat Choy!
Let It Snow!
Who would think that I would be opening all of the classroom windows because it is so hot in January! Here in Idaho it has been very warm and dry. So, it is time to bring winter into the classroom and what better way to begin? Making Snowflakes!
It was so much fun to watch the kids open their very first snowflake! They smiled a wide (sometimes toothless) smile and quickly said, "Can I make another one?" So the next 15 minutes was spent with scissors furiously cutting.
At center time some of our activities included painting a snowman and constructing a snow kid!
So, let winter begin, snow or not!
Check back for some more winter fun!
Out of my 45 students, only 1 had ever before made a snowflake! So after careful modeling (even with snowflakes that end up as duds), we went to the tables with our scissors and began to cut.
It was so much fun to watch the kids open their very first snowflake! They smiled a wide (sometimes toothless) smile and quickly said, "Can I make another one?" So the next 15 minutes was spent with scissors furiously cutting.
At center time some of our activities included painting a snowman and constructing a snow kid!
So, let winter begin, snow or not!
Check back for some more winter fun!
Winter Unit: Pre-K, K, and 1
Reach common core standards the fun and active way by using this complete cross curricular thematic unit “White Wonderful Winter.”
Available at both of our on-line stores:
This 165 page unit contains scripted lessons with clearly stated objectives, common core standards, rationales, and materials. These activities are clearly written, easy to use, and need limited amounts of preparation. This professional style curriculum is just what you need to teach important concepts. The lessons can also be readily handed off to a parent volunteer or a classroom aide with complete confidence that objectives of the lesson will be reached.
Table of Contents:
Literacy
Scripted Literacy Lessons With Independent Options:
Abominable Snow Monster: Fluent Reading Alphabet Letters or Sight Words
Snowball Sounds: Naming Alphabet Letter Sounds Fluently
Sound Blizzard: Connecting Sounds to Letters
Snowflake ABC: Putting Letters in Alphabetical Order
Snowflake Hunt: Writing Alphabet Letters
Cocoa Words: Writing CVC Words
Independent Activities:
Letter Whirl: Matching and Writing Alphabet Letters
Hat Colors: Tracing Color Words
Math
Scripted Math Lessons With Independent Options:
Bundle Up: Using a 10 Frame to Make Number Combinations
Blizzard: Identifying before, after, and between using a number line
Skating Lessons: Counting Objects for Two Numbers in Succession
Snowball Fights at School: Counting by 10’s
Independent Activities:
Snowflake Numbers: Composing 10 + a Given Number.
Snowballs: Representing Quantity using a 10 Frame
Snowstorm 10-Frame Write the Room: Writing Numerals Representing a Set
Science
Scripted Science Lessons
Snow Dough:Combining Ingredients to Make a New Substance
Crystal Creations: Growing Crystals
Writing Prompts/Word Wall
Winter Word Wall
Prompts:
Winter Sports
What I like About Winter
Guided Reading Books
Winter (Level C)
Winter (Level E)
Kitchen Cafe
Make a Snowflake, Then Eat!
Art Projects
Snowflake: Following Directions to Make a Snowflake
Snowy Day Kid: Constructing a Snow Kid Using Geometric Shapes
Songs
Snowflakes Falling Down
Bundle Me Up
Winter Time
BURRR: A Game to Build Sight Word or Letter Naming (or sound) Automaticy
Download FREE at our TPT store!
Reach Common Core Early Reading Objectives (grades Pre-K through 2nd grade, special education, and/or ELL) the fun way by playing the game BURRRRR. As found in all of our available thematic units, this lesson is presented as a scripted lesson for easy delivery and confidence that objectives will be met. Ideas to use this game for independent practice are also included. Enjoy our new free product, we know your students will!
Crazy For Snowmen: Curriculum Essentials for Math, Literacy and More!
This 125 page Snowman unit is divided into areas of literature, music, art, literacy, math, science, independent practice, creative writing, word wall, and guided reading. The activities are clearly written, easy to use, and need limited amounts of preparation. The lessons (games or activities) included are scripted. They are written in a format that can be easily taught by the teacher or readily handed off to a parent volunteer or a classroom aide with complete confidence that common core teaching objectives will be reached. Also included are many independent activities and independent adaptions to the scripted activities to extend learning.
Table of Contents
Scripted Literacy Activities:
Snowman Spill: Automaticy of Lowercase Letter Sounds
Snowman Match-up: Matching Letters and Sounds
Build a Snowman: Blending and Segmenting Words
Snowman Melt: Reading High Frequency Words
Draw a Snowman: Reviewing Early Phonics and Phonological Skills
Independent Practice
My Favorite Things: Identifying Medial Sounds
Beginning Sounds: Identifying and Writing Beginning Sounds
A-Z: Fluently Connecting Dots From a-z.
Writing the Alphabet A-Z and a-z: Practicing Alphabet Letter Formation
Scripted Math Activities:
Snowball Fight: Comparing Numbers
The Snowman’s Buttons: Decomposing Numbers
Snowman Sets: Joining Sets Using a 10 Frame Strategy
Snowman Sums: Making a Sum of 10 Using an Unknown and a KnowN Addend With Visual Representation.
Independent Practice
Symmetry Snowman: Symmetry Activity
Snowman Puzzles: Using Geometric Shapes to Construct a Snowman
The Tallest Snowman: Measurement
Snowman Number Hunt: Matching Quantity and Numerals
Math Journal Prompt: Joining Sets
Guided Reading Books
The Snowmen (Level B)
The Snowmen (Level C)
Writing Prompts/Word Wall
My Snowman
How To Build a Snowman
Snowman Word Wall
Science
The Melting Snowman: Observing States of Matter
Science Journal Page: Why does the sun melt the snowman?
Art Projects
Snowman Gallery Art Show
Marshmallow Snowman
Shape Snowman
Painted Snowman Portfolio Sample
Songs
Five Little Snowmen
I’m a Little Snowman
Drawing a Snowman
20% off Happy New Year Sale
Visit our "Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012 Sale" available at both of our online stores.
New Year: Curriculum Essentials for Math, Literacy & More: Featuring Clocks Calendar and New Year's Fun
Celebrate the new year the academic way. Check out our new thematic unit today. All scripted lessons are linked to common core standards.
The Grinch Reader's Theatre
Are you looking for a great way to keep students learning as Christmas Vacation Approaches?
Check out this great reader's theater "The Grinch." Your students will love it! It is available for only $2.00.
Building Visual Cognition and Spatial Reasoning
Constructive Design at the Art Center is more than just a finished project. This important component of the early years is a powerful learning tool. What things can be accomplished there? Well here are but a few:
- Develops fine motor skills
- Builds oral language skills
- Allows practice with geometry and practice analyzing, comparing, creating and composing shapes
- Builds visual imaging and cognition
- Strengthens spatial reasoning skills
- Fosters creativity
- Builds concentration and focusing skills
- Fosters intrinsic rewards
- Allows for problem solving
- Builds ability to take risks
- Develops an imagination
- Allows for stories to extend and flow
- Empowers play and storytelling
- And on and on..
The following photos are our latest design projects. These are not glyphs. Although I am not totally opposed to glyphs, I feel that it truly limits the constructive design possibilities. These projects are created by the child’s own imagination, looking at illustrations, studying finished products, watching other student’s creations in development, and/or looking at real photographs.
Teaching Kindergartners to Write
For years I have taught young learners the joys of written expression. I have developed a technique that is a "magic bullet" of sorts when it comes to writing. With this technique, a simple line is used to materialize each word. This technique is based on the theories of Vygotsky and Elkoin. It helps children learn to plan their writing and visualize words and sentences. This approach has been field-tested in my classroom and that of colleagues, and has shown amazing results.
Visit my TPT store to check out “Writing to Read in the Early Years.” For only $3.00 you get a proven method for early writing success. Soon you will enjoy hearing the stories of students such as Mark. “I like sex. I love sex. I am so glad that I am sex! 5 was boring."
Kindergarten Christmas Program
The Bear's Great Adventure!
A Christmas Play in 4 Acts.
After a lot of hard work by eager 5 and 6 year olds, our program turned out to be a great success. My colleague and I have been doing this program for 15 years (30 productions), and yes, it has never been the same twice. We never know who is going to have a meltdown caused by severe stage fright (Santa Claus this year), who is going to scream the words at the top of his/her voice, who will find the world is his/her stage, or who will cry endlessly because they cannot see mama (even thought she is on the front row). But we do know that this is a play that delights and brings joy to the kids and parents alike. For the first time ever we are sharing the script to this play on our TPT store. We include with it many tips and hints for success.
One thing that we really like about the play is that 3 of the acts are non-Christmas. Consequently it is friendly for students of all religions. It is the story of 4 little Bears who take a winter walk and have an adventure along the way. Act 1: The Woods; Act 2: Mother Goose Land; Act 3: Winter Wonderland; Act 4: The North Pole.
Alphabet Letter Fluency Game
It is time for our December Freebie!
This game will have your "Little Elves" dancing as they quickly learn or review alphabet letters.
Click on the picture to be directed to the free download!
Also enjoy 15% off this weekend at our TPT store.
Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, and Dramatic Play
The Drama Center is a great way to build vocabulary and increase reading comprehension. This week we have finished our bear unit with the fable “The Three Bears!” (It is amazing how many students have never heard this story-- All the more reason to do it)
After reading two versions of the book and doing a compare and contrast activity, we made a story map. Using this map, we developed our story element wall using cooperative efforts! The children were very proud, especially the group that made Goldilocks. They made her so large because she was such a big problem in the story.
Next, we used the elements of the story to design the 3 Bear Cottage in our playhouse. It is finally put together. Tomorrow will be the first day of play in the center. I will add those pictures later.
The students will reconstruct the sequence of the story, retell the story, use the vocabulary in the story, and more as they learn in a child’s authentic way--play!
My playhouse changes into something new about every three weeks, the children love it! In fact, last year I received a great thank you from a student that had moved across the country following his kindergarten year. The letter was very touching as he listed the things he would never forget about kindergarten. Yes, you guessed it, the playhouse changing into new things was number 1 (He even listed them all).
There has been a trend to throw out the dramatic play in kindergarten. Please do not give in! The house is critical to a child’s development and a great place to practice academic, social, emotion, verbal, and cognitive skills.
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