First Few Days of Fun- and a FREEBIE!

I am always amazed how quickly learning happens in Kindergarten.  It is sort of like you can't even slow it down. The children are so ready to absorb what you say when the year is so new and fresh.  I have introduced 5 sight words- I, a, can, like, and look.  They can't get enough. Once I mistake them for possibly being second graders because they read so well already, they just want MORE!

I am using the same simple morning message format for these first couple weeks.  I am only changing the day and special, because I want us to get in the habit of reading it each day together, noticing the capital letters, spaces, and punctuation.  

Some days I will put in a sentence strip with something else to do, like this:

Here are our Rug Rules.  I have mentioned that they are a variation of WBT rules.  I love watching the children do #5. We do "safe" like someone is safe at home  plate, "kind" like giving ourselves a big hug, and "honest" with our hands over our heart.  So sweet.  The smile face is "secret rule six"- Make your dear teacher happy!  They love that it is our secret rule.  OK- I  love it, too!  ;)

 They are already in the habit of telling me, "An author writes the words." or "An illustrator draws the pictures."  After I introduce a book and say the author's name, I say, "Tell me in a complete sentence what an author does."   I started doing this because I like them to answer me in complete sentences.

I introduced Eagle Eyes- sort of by accident, when we were reading Llama, Llama Misses Mama.

At the end, when Llama is so happy to see Mama, and runs to her, my one little sweetie said, "UT OH- He threw those crayons!"  She zoomed right in on that! So of course, that opened up the praises for her "eagle eyes!" And so the reading strategies began... I love when teaching happens like that!

Today, one of our Literacy Centers was reading "I Spy" books to help us sharpen our eagle eyes!

I also want to show you how my golf pencil worked for my little guy's grip- ready?

Day 1- regular pencil:

Today- golf pencil:  Oh. my. gosh!  I love it!  He was just adamant that he had a pencil with an eraser- and I slapped one on so fast!  :)  (By the way, after we read In My New Yellow Shirt, he decided he would be a yellow 'rig.'  That is what that means written on there! :)

Am I the only one who can't just let snack be snack? I have to turn it into yet another "hands on" activity- like sorting.  

 (Poor thing is like just let me EAT my snack!!!)

Heaven forbid they have pretzel sticks- we make every shape and letter under the sun!  Snack takes for. ever.

I love my Common Core Math Standard I Can Statements from Erin Dowling!  I also got her Writer's Workshop Procedures.  We are working on shapes this week in our math centers. 

This was a little Hexagon City the kids made after they sorted.  

I also wanted to let you know that my Pre-K, K, 1st Grade Character Education Prezi is free at my TPT store. 

I posted a sad little post yesterday (that I took off)- because someone left bad feedback for this Prezi, and it just said, "to small."  It ruined my day  I thought about it all day a few times throughout the day. First of all, the feedback lady seems to teach 3rd-5th grade- so I don't know if "to small" meant that the Prezi was too small, it was too small for her grade (which it would be because it is for Pre-K to 1st) or if it wasn't zoomed out and was actually too small size-wise... oh dear. If she had EMAILED me, I would have made it all better for her and given her money back and been nice.  :(  It is a smaller size Prezi- but has some great Character Education videos on it  as well as some class rules posters and all of the WBT rules and explanations from Chris Biffle. I made it just to have my videos together when I wanted a quick Character Education fix in the class!  I hope you enjoy it and can use it.  PLEASE leave me some loving feedback because apparently I am a huge baby not very thick skinned and words of affirmation must be one of my love languages- or maybe I just am not really good at handling whatever the opposite of words of affirmation are. Either way, thank you, my sweet, sweet, blog buddies.  Thank you to my sweet friend Leslie from Color, Cut, and Glue actually caught my little  post yesterday for the short while it was up there... and made me feel so much better.  Have a great night!