Five for Friday August 28th

I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday. Thank you for hosting, Kacey! It's been a busy couple of weeks. We've been moving/settling in.  My daughter got a job teaching 6th grade ELA- and it is SO EXCITING!  We've been doing quite a bit of shopping- in the real world and on TPT.  Fun, fun, fun!  

Here are some of my favorites from the week.

When we were moving,  I discovered that we had LOTS of shells.  They are beautiful, and apparently I kept thinking I needed to collect more and more. I kept a lot- but I decided the others would make a great sorting center for the beginning of the year- keeping a little summer in the air!

I found this fabulous sandpaper- 10 sheets for $1 at Valu Home Center!  I also got 40 smaller sheets for $1- because I KNOW I'll think of something... and they were a DOLLAR! (I am the classic sucker shopper who says, "It was only a dollar."  But come on- it really was a dollar! Paper without the sand would be that much.  Right?!)

This...  happens...

OR they have to go to the bathroom SOOOOOO BAD!

Herding Cats in Kindergarten shared some favorite clean up songs at her blog last week.  I LOVED seeing the variety! You can check out all the different songs at her blog.  The kids always work better/faster when they sing or try to finish before the song ends.  SO- I decided to put these songs together on my Character Education Prezi so I can have them handy whenever we need to clean up- AKA always.   

I, of course, got carried away and found lots of songs I loved so I added all of them for variety-so we can choose a different one each day.

And then, I decided to add a "Be Kind Friends" section to the Prezi- because we always in case we need reminders. 

 THEN- I found some relaxing guitar music that I liked- and thought there may be days I would need that playing peacefully in the background as the children worked, so I added that.  Basically, what I'm saying is that I redid the Prezi.  It's free at my TPT store if you would like a copy of it.  I leave it up all the time- and we visit and revisit videos all the time for reminders.  

I had fun working on that Prezi, so I went back over all my other Prezis at my TPT Store to check the links and videos.  I use Prezis all the time on my Smartboard.  It's such a great way to use technology in the classroom, because the links are all right there together- AND it's also a great way to show some anchor charts and tips through videos right at your fingertips.  I don't have a lot of extra wall space - any extra wall space- so during Writer's Workshop or Reading Centers, and even Free Choice time, I leave up an anchor chart or reminder for the children.  It's just another way to reinforce any and everything.  

You need to be able to access Youtube videos at your school to use these.  (And click the "allow pop-ups" at the bottom so you can access the links for the educational games.)  Many times if something is blocked at your school (like Youtube) and you bake cookies or get donuts explain why you need it - for teaching- the IT person will unblock it for you. 

I have lots of free Prezis:

Earth Day

 Frog and Toad

My Favorite Things

 Kindergarten Websites (This is a good link to send home for parents who are looking for some good sites for home!)

and lots of other Prezis that I use all the time!  I always have two or three up so I can switch back and forth between them. 

Learning is Fun!

Letters and Sounds

Common Core Math Prezi Bundle (4 Prezis)  This one took FOR. EVER.  to make, because I searched for all the best links and videos to go with each standard. But, now that it's done, everything is right there for me!

 

 

Primary Writing

Beginning Reading

Eric Carle

Fun in the Fall United States

Fun in the Fall- Canada

The Five Senses

Discovering Great Artists

Bird Nests

Perspective and Optical Illusions

Authors Prezi

I kind of like Prezis.  :)

I also spent a lot of time with Eric Carle this week.  Jeff may have been a little jealous.  I put everything together in my Eric Carle Packet- my Prezi, QR Codes, and writing prompts.  

I scanned each video through Viewpure to take out ads and anything extra you don't want on there.  

In this packet, I also scanned the videos through SafeShare because a sweet girl bought the set and realized she couldn't access Viewpure and needed SafeShare- SO - since I did it, I just added it to the packet in case you need that version.  

You can check the sample codes to be sure you can access the videos.  Again, sometimes your school will unblock a site if you beg or bake need it. Our school LOVES technology and nothing is blocked, so we're lucky.  

I am just a tiny bit over the top about Eric Carle because his books can be used for SO MANY things and are such a wonderful springboard for so much science, art, and discussion.  

We have our Kindergarten Picnic next Wednesday- a week before the children come back.  This year I made these Super Year super balls for their little surprise.  It was so simple and went along with our Superhero theme.  

If you would like a copy of these tags, you can get them HERE .

This song will be a definite part of our first day!  

Thank you so much for stopping by!

  

Have a ...weekend!

Five for Friday September 19th

I am linking up with Kacey at Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday. Happy, Happy Friday!

Here are some of my favorite moments of the week.

A teacher at school shared this site of  Math Tips for Parents  for all grade levels, and I wanted to pass it on! These are great to send home so parents know what types of activities you are working on in the classroom. They go along with the modules, but are good even if you aren't following the modules, and just want to share the CCSS information.

                                                                    
We worked on sorting and classifying this week.  We made our anchor chart, and sorted all "sorts" of things.

The kids loved the tangrams.  We made puzzles and sorted them by shapes. 

I'm doing some assessments this week, and noticed that naming shapes isn't a  very strong skill for lots of my little guys.  (Well, neither are numbers, letters, sounds, fill-in-the-blank-with-any-other-skills...)  But everything will come in time! I know it will.  

I found this idea from Fran at Kindergarten Crayons.  It was a perfect quick assessment to show who knew (and didn't know) shapes.  The only thing I changed from Fran's Pete the Cat, was that I made a hexagon nose, because I wanted to get a hexagon on there somewhere.  I love how different they all came out when they all started with the same bag of shapes!  I had the bags pre-made, with all the shapes they needed.  They had to follow my directions and put Pete together like a puzzle.  We did this in a small group.  At the end, they added the black dot in the middle of the eye, whiskers, and their name.  It was also a great activity for practice using glue sticks.

I also decided we would make a Shape Town to share different objects that are different shapes. I had the children bring in different shaped items to live in our town.  I have this out at our exploration table, underneath the "I Can Sort" anchor chart, so the kids can talk about shapes, touch them, sort them, and "get to know" them.  

If you would like a copy of my Shape Town picture and the parent note that I sent home, just click the picture below.  I printed my Shape Town picture on cardstock.

I  have several children who need LOTS of help with letter recognition this year.  I am working with a small group of children on a small group of letters.  I started with four letters.  I got all sorts of magnetic letters, rubber letters, and letter squares for the four letters we worked on this week. Any chance I get, I call up my little group to sort the little letters onto the big sheets as quickly as they can.  They have to say the letter each time they put a letter on the big paper.  

They do this right before recess, too- and surprise, surprise that is the fastest sort ever because they want to get outside fast!  We have so much fun with this. As they sort and say the letter name, I say the sound each time, so now they are saying that, too.  I hope it sticks.  It's fun- and seems to be working- until one of them throws out a "P" or "W" when we have been only saying "A,B,E,G" all week.  I try to end when one of them says a correct letter- so I feel good about myself.  Because, the next letter they say, may be "seven."  They are trying SO hard and doing so well.  

Does anyone else ever feel behind already this time of year?  I sort of felt behind on Day 2.  OK- Day 1, when I of course didn't get to all I wanted to get done.  I feel like there are so many demands on these little sweethearts to pass a Level D in reading, write four different genres of books, have a voice, form those letters correctly, add more details, add, subtract, compose numbers, decompose numbers, etc. etc.  that taking time to slowly enjoy a story or song doesn't feel "schooly" enough.  I have to constantly remind myself that my children are four and five years old.  They should not rush through these wonderful experiences and moments.

 I need to let them feel calm, relaxed, unrushed, loved, and happy.  I tell them EVERY DAY, many times, that all I want is for them to do their best. I really mean it.

                                       

But inside I feel like I should always be doing more- teaching them one more thing. If I feel good about a writing lesson (well, drawing and labeling with a letter at this point) then I haven't gotten to reading yet...  

I do know children are amazing.  They grow and flourish not only with the lessons we teach- that's only a part of it, but with love, patience, and time.  Oh- and laughter and fun.  Those are the best part. 

Here was one of my FAVORITE moments this week...

Our monarch hatched RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES!  Oh, what a miracle we got to experience.  The children were absolutely in awe.  We let his wings dry all day long, and then took him out to fly away.  You cannot put any price on the sweetness of the children spontaneously clapping as he flew away.  THAT is what they'll remember. 

The children were fascinated to learn how to tell the girl monarch from the boy monarch.  We watched all of our videos about monarchs on the Fun in Fall Prezi.

Our monarch had very distinct dots and thin lines on the back part, so we knew it was a boy.  We named him Milky, just in case you wondered...

                                           

We made some of our own monarchs to fly above the lockers.

                           

                                                                    

Finally, here are a few more fun things we did with colors this week.  Of course Pete the Cat was Blue Day, and our monarchs were Orange Day.  (The chrysalis even turned BLACK on black day- right on cue!)

Ten Apples Up on Top for Red Day was a perfect introduction to 10 frames.  We had lots of fun counting and making different amounts on our magnetic ten frame.  We even did some adding and subtracting.

Look what wonderful Mrs. Leeby shared at her blog this week!  A perfect freebie to go with 10 Apples Up On Top.  I'm going to make this when we work on Aa and do some more activities with apples.  Thank you, Irene!  You can get your freebie HERE!

For Yellow Day, I had the children draw what they would like to be if they had a magic new yellow shirt after we read this story.  This was a great way to see where the kids were with drawing and writing.  Lots of the children know what they want to write, and some know the letter they want to write, but they just don't know how.  That's exactly what I wanted to see.  This one wasn't the norm... Honestly.  

Green Day is always my favorite.  I love reading Go Away Big Green Monster, and having he children draw their monster as I read, without seeing the pictures.  Then, I read the story (usually over and over and over) on the rug so they can see the pictures.   Finally, the children do their first sharing time, showing the monster they drew.  The great thing about this share is that there is always at least one fabulous part of each drawing- the big yellow eyes or the long bluish, greenish nose...  It's a great way to have the children start noticing good things about each other's work- (and not saying, "HE SCRIBBLED!")

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Little Blue and Little Yellow. 

We always start with mixing water after I read the story.

I love this idea from my sweet friend  Sandy at Kinder-Gardening.  I think I actually gasped when I saw this idea on her blog!  

 (I found it worked better for the mixing to make Little Blue a little smaller-otherwise the blue sort of dominated.)

This is what happened when they hugged



I put these right in Ziplock baggies and into the mailboxes so they made it home!

And of course, you can do  color mixing with paint!  Suzi has this  FREEBIE at her TPT store ready to go for mixing colors! I use cotton swabs and the kids have a ball.  We didn't do the paint mixing this year. 

I always make these great necklaces for the kids, because they love them. 

Finally, what would Purple Day be without Harold?  After we read some Harold stories, I have the children draw their own Purple Adventure.  I had them try to label some of the things they drew, or write about it - just to get them thinking about using letters.

Each day, I take a picture of us all dressed in our color.  I put these up beside our door in the hall.  I also make a Colorful Class Book- and a CRAZY Colorful Class Book with our silly face pictures. These are always favorites.

I hope you all had a colorful week of your own! Have a wonderful weekend!