First Week of Kindergarten

Our first week is over. True, it was short and sweet, and most of the hard stuff is out of the way. My class is amazing! They are kind, fun, and have already begin their learning. Here are a few things we did this week:

 We had our first try at the dice. Students worked in partners to roll and match their dice to the pictures.

 

Our shape this week was circle. In addition to making Mr. Circle, we colored circles based on size. Great job!

 

Our number this week was 0. We wrote zero, counted to zero (which isn't easy!) and learned about Zero the Hero. Our fun food this week was making Zero the Hero from a donut (he is often mistaken by the other numbers as a donut...), a fruit roll-up for the mask, and M&M eyes! Yum!

Back to School Night!

Welcome Back!

Our year has begun! In the past, I have ran this blog for teachers to seek resources and inspiration. I always ran a separate blog for parents and students. This year I would like to combine the two, and give inspiration to all. My class started today and we had a great first day. My students were enthusiastic and, after the first 20 minutes, very comfortable. 

I love learning about the new little ones in my class. Kylie loves music and can sing any song that Alvin and the Chipmunks sing. Avery knows his colors. Amari can count to 10. And Annabelle is a wonderful helper. I look forward to getting to know them more over the course of this year. 

Please stop by the webpage for information on school, teaching, kids, and more. We are all one big team. Teachers, students, and parents need each other to make learning happen. 

 

Welcome to Kindergarten!

Kindergarten Pre-Primer Centers

Just in time for Back to School and the Back to School TpT sale, I have finished my Pre-Primer Centers. These go along with my Kindergarten Sight Word units on TpT and are a fun way to have the kids use the sight words in ways that build visual discrimination skills, as well as reading and handwriting skills.

 The centers follow the same pattern, with the words and pictures being different for each list. This allows kids to know HOW to play, but change the content so they are practicing new words each week. If you have used my program already, you will see that the weeks are organized into lists.
Core Words are lists A-G
Pre-Primer are lists 1-8 
Primer are lists 9-18

My sight word program fits into one school year and lets you take much needed breaks so that you can review. Needless to say, we teachers never get everything we want done in a week, so what is nice is to be able to go back and reteach the words with different activities. Each list has 6 centers, which is not doable in a week, but does give you the option to pick and choose what you want to use so that the kids stay engaged. Here the 6 types of centers:



1. Picture Match: students will match the picture to the word, color the word that matches the card, and write the word on the line.

2. Read and Write: Students will read the sentence aloud to their group and write the sentence to match. The last sentence will be written by copying the sentence card.

 3. Spin and Write: Students will use a paperclip and pencil to spin to find a word. They will write the word on the chart. This can be done in pairs or alone.

 4. Color Match: Students will match the color to the word and color their sheet.

5. Hidden Picture: Students will use a magnifying glass to find the hidden words. Once the word is found, they trace it in the word box.

6. Tic-Tac-Toe: Students will partner up to play tic-tac-toe with words instead of X's and O's. They will pick two words for each game and play 4 rounds.

My center units are companions to my Sight Word units. Take a look at them on TpT. I know that once you start using them, your Kinders will be reading!

Number Monsters!

It's a classic! And very, very rare. The Number Monsters by Shirley Ross and Cindy McCord are so fun for Kinders. I have been lucky to inherit my number monsters from teachers who came before me, and I thought I would share my Number Monster Clapping Book that I use every year.

I use this the first week of school. It's simply: read the book, clap the correct amount of claps. Kinders and PreKs LOVE it! It is always a hit for the entire year.

You can make this book yourself, for free! Click here.

Core Word Readers

Yes, it is possible to get Kindergarteners to read the first month of school! Not only is it possible, but it sets them up for a very exciting year to come. Building the confidence that they need in the first few weeks of school, showing them that they are reading, is the best feeling in the world for a teacher. The faces of pride on a 5-year-old when they look at a book and UNDERSTAND the words on it, is what makes my job my passion. These are books I use the first 2 months of school, alongside my Core Sight Word Unit on TpT, that makes those moments possible. Take a look.

First Day Hats FREEBIE!

Here is a little FREEBIE from my TpT store!

Just print, color, cut, staple. First day of school hats are a fun way to get the kids excited about sharing their first day with mom and dad. (And grandma, grandpa, cousins, aunts, uncles, dogs, cats, anyone they come into contact with.....) Enjoy!