Summer Fun Part #2 - Learning with Water

These 3 simple activities will keep your kids cool and have fun while learning!

1.  Water Target - Use Splash Balls to target throw onto letters, numbers, or sight words written on the ground with sidewalk chalk (Splash Balls are soft and can be used again and again vs. water balloons)

2. Water Painting - Using paint brushes and a bucket of water to get creative and draw on the ground or a fence. Great way to practice writing names. 

3.  Spray Away - Write letters, numbers, or sight words on a wall with sidewalk chalk and use a spray bottle to squirt and aim.  We had fun making addition problems and racing to see who could hit the correct numbers/answers first. 

As always, all my activities shared are super easy. You can focus on skills you are working on and they will keep your kids happy and cool this Summer!  

Kindergarten Year End Goals...distance learning

This is not exactly the way we envisioned ending the school year, however, like all teachers, parents, and students, we are making the best of the situation.

I wanted to give parents something to work through with their kids that would be meaningful and simple.  All the activities on this tic-tac-toe board were taken from the end-of-year report card (standards-based).  I don't expect all students to have mastery of all these skills now but at least they know what they can continue to work on as they head into First Grade!

End-of-Year Goals for Kindergarten

Back to School with Pete the Cat

I am super excited about ROCKING the start of our Kindergarten year off with Pete the Cat!  It is always a favorite with my students and MUSIC is a topic we will be exploring as a school during the first semester.

Before school started I made a large Pete the Cat for my bulletin board and made colored high tops shoes to hang above my student work tables.

On the first day of school we read the book, Pete the Cat, Rocking in my School Shoes by Eric Litwin and danced around the room as we listened to the audio.

On the second day of school, we reread the book, this time there was a clue at the end of the book for us to search for Pete the Cat.  We toured the school in search of Pete as we met some very important people and places on our campus.  We sang as we walked from place to place.  We ended in the auditorium where we met our music teacher as we sang and danced in our school shoes.

All day they were looking for clues to find Pete.

We made our first class book where each student decorated their own school shoe and completed the sentence frame:  Here comes _(name)______rocking in his/her __________ shoes.

We ended the day with making musical shakers from old pill bottles and filled them with beans and lentils.
Next week we will continue to have fun with Pete the Cat singing, dancing, reading and decorating our wall with more unique shoes.

WE LOVE PETE THE CAT!  It was a fun, engaging and memorable way to start the school year!!!!

Link to the story: http://www.petethecatbooks.com/9780061910241/pete-the-cat-rocking-in-my-school-shoes/

Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-n6c6Ggs-Q

TShirts - I purchased on https://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-cm-licensed-pete-the-cat-tees

Classroom Theme and Community

I always love kicking off my school year with a theme that I can unite all my students.

Here are a few of my themes I have used in the past.

Each year my school chooses a semester theme that each grade level explores and investigates.  Last Fall is was COMMUNICATION.  I chose to start the year talking about how bees communicate and used this theme throughout the semester.  I kept the bee hive up all year and had a "cell"/hexagon for each student in my class with their name and hand print.  The bees were made in groups of 2-3 students.  They picked their own materials and created their own bees.

The previous year the Fall semester theme was WATER.  I started the year reading Rainbow Fish and talked about how we are all unique and special!  I kept up the large Rainbow Fish up all year with student names on each scale.

This year coming year our theme will be MUSIC.  I am thinking I will have to start the year with Pete the Cat and his groovy new shoes....stay tuned!

Silly Sentences

I purchased this game years ago and used it in my classroom as a center activity.  Recently I brought it out for my son and he cracked up making silly sentences.  It reminded me of another activity I used with my second graders as an independent center using a file folder and index cards.  So we recreated the game this week.  Great for writing and reading!

Using a large piece of construction paper glue down 4 pocket envelopes.  Write or print out the words: Who, Did What, Where and When and glue one on each envelope.  We decided on a color for each group and began brainstorming words for each category. Came up with lots of ideas for each category - one idea per index card.  Then you can switch up your cards and make new, silly sentences.  Color code the top of the index cards to make it easy to form the sentences. Examples:
WHO:  The beautiful mermaid or The scary pumpkin or The hairy spider
DID WHAT:  had a party or climbed a tree or flew
WHERE: in the hot lava or by the jungle
WHEN: at midnight or on Halloween or on my birthday.

Have fun mixing up the index cards to make silly sentences.  You can have your child write their favorite sentence and illustrate it.

100 Lego Pieces

The 100th day of school homework assignment:  Bring in 100 like items in a bag. Easy...time to count out some Lego pieces. The first step was creating a 10x10 grid from a folded piece of construction paper.  Use a ruler to draw in the lines.Count each line and write the 10's numbers. Then place one Lego in each square to show your collection of 100!
One of my favorite stories about the 100th day of school is 100th Day Worries by Margery Cuyler.  Happy counting!