The Gingerbread Man

One of the special activities we did this week before winter break was a gingerbread day.  We read multiple versions of The Gingerbread Man and compared them.  Sometimes the wolf caught the gingerbread man, sometimes he did not and there were lots of different animals and people who chased the gingerbread man.  The kids really enjoyed joining in to read "Run, run as fast as you can.  You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man."  At the end of the last book I read was a clue left by a gingerbread man, it said "Walk, walk as best you can.  You can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man." and then it had a clue.  The kids were great about walking from place to place, when we got the last clue to go to the classroom my students were thrilled to find they had catch the gingerbread man in the classroom.  Then during centers we counted buttons on gingerbread men and matched them to the correct number and we wrote about what might be chasing the gingerbread man.  Below are some neat examples of what the students wrote about.

Pre-K Winter Holiday Activities

As we learn about the winter holidays in pre-k we have done some fun and valuable activities.  One of them is making a stocking.  Students had to copy the shape of a stocking and then cut it out the first day.  This helped them to practice fine motor skills.  Then that night I used a hole puncher to punch the edge of the stockings and students laced the stockings the next day.  We used them to decorate some doorways in our classrooms.

We are also making gifts for parents.  They will be ornaments when they are completed, or simply something cute to hang up at home.  They put a hand print on paper and then there is a poem below the hand print.  I pasted a picture of the student in the middle of the palm and then laminated them.  I cut the hand out to look like a mitten and put a hole punch in the top which I laced pipe cleaner through.  They look really nice finished, but because it has a picture of my students I can not show the finished product, but this will give you an idea of what it will look like.  

Seasons and Weather

Recently we have been learning about season and the weather.  We have read books on different weather types and the season and done several seasons related activities.  Below are some season activities we completed with a description of the activity.

These bulletin boards show the seasons display we created.  We took 4 days to explore each season.  We read about the season, did shared writing projects on the season, a journal writing and created a symbol for the season.  Students made squirrels for fall, snowmen for winter, flowers for spring, and popsicle for summer.  The fine arts activity helped them to practice their fine motor skills in the form of drawing shapes and cutting, as well as shape recognition, and we talked about colors as we worked as well.  The students are very proud of their work, as am I.

Below is an activity we did with the book It Looked Like Spilt Milk.  There is another post that goes into detail about this activity.

We also learned about weather.  After reading about the seasons we talked about all the types of weather that we have during the seasons and students created weather charts.  They picked 4 types of weather and then students pointed the pointer at the weather they liked the best.

Clouds

We are learning about weather.  We read about clouds today, both fiction and nonfiction.  The fiction book we read was It Looked Like Spilt Milk and the nonfiction book was Clouds!.  We talked about how we lay on the ground and look at the sky and sometimes the clouds look like something else.  Then during small group rotation time one of the groups made ink blots using white paint on blue paper.  Next students told me what it looked like and I wrote for them.  Then they communicated their ideas by drawing what it looked like.  Below is one of my favorites.  This activity is always interesting to me.  Some students shock and surprise me with their creativity. 

Squirrels in Fall (and other seasons too)

Today, as we learned about the seasons, we read the book Squirrels All Year Long.  The kids really enjoyed the photographs and information about the squirrels.  We also read a book simply titled Squirrels.  We compared the information in each book.  We focused in on fall today and revisited the parts of the book that talked about squirrels in the fall.  When we were done we talked about what squirrels looked like, what shapes their bodies were made up of.  Then students used this information and their creativity to create squirrels.  I think they did a great job, how about you?

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful thanksgiving celebration.  Students brought in treats to share.  My pre-k class dressed as the Pilgrims, and the other class dressed as the Native Americans.  We each performed a song for the other group and then sat down to our meals.  Each student had the place mat shown below.  A good time was had by all.  Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving.  I know the time with family has been priceless.

Letter Practice

To practice writing letters this week in Pre-K we used shaving cream.  The kids loved it and the task of writing, which can sometimes be met with groans and sighs, was met with smiles and laughs.  All you do is get the cheapest shaving cream you can find and have the kids smear it on the table and then use their pointer finger to write their letters.  It is a big hit with nearly all 4-5 year olds.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

This week we read Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  We read two different versions and compared them during story time.  Then during small group time students retold the story using pieces, and sorted and compared items by size.  To wrap up the day we sang a song about the 3 bears, below are the lyrics and you sing it to the tune of 3 blind mice.

3 brown bears, 3 brown bears
See all the beds
See all the chairs
The momma cooked porridge in a big black pot
The papa's porridge was way too hot
The baby bear cried an awful lot
3 brown bears

To help students sing the song I used the following visual....

 

This is an excellent pre-reading skill.  Using symbols to recall the song is a connection to reading.

Insects and Bugs

Today we read Bugs, Bugs, Bugs.  We talked about all the bugs, the colors they are, shapes we saw.  At the end of the book is a chart that goes over if each bug flies or not, how many legs it has, where it lives, and if it stings.  The students made predictions and we made comparisons.  Finally I explained that insects have 3 body parts and 6 legs.  Next in small groups students made insects with 3 body parts and 6 legs.  Meanwhile the other group worked together to make a graph about how we felt about insects.  They wrote their name (or first letter of their name) on the post-it note and then put it under the emotion they felt about bugs.  We talked about why they had those feelings, counted how many people felt each way, and then compared each category to one another and decided which had more, and which had less.  Attached is a photo of a display of the students' work.

Pumpkin Patch Displays

We went on a lovely field trip to a local pumpkin patch.  The kids and grown ups had a great time.  We learned about the life cycle of a pumpkin, fed goats, picked a pumpkin, had an apple snack, went threw a hay maze, and took a hay ride.  It was a first for many of my students.  Once we returned I printed pictures I took from our trip and let each students select one to write about in their journal.  Then I used the extra to make displays for the hallway.

One of the other activities we did to reinforce the color orange, as well as the shape circle, is to paint a pumpkin.  Below are the pumpkins my students painted on display.  I was really impressed with their painting skills.

The Letter T

We have been learning about the letter Tt.  We have sung songs about the letter T, we have made the letter T out of various things, we have named things that begin with T, and we have added names to our word wall that begin with T.  Here is a picture of a display of one the letter T making activities we did.

Color Practice

To help my students practice colors I have made the following item.

Then I sing to the kids show me yellow, show me yellow, like the sun, like the sun, hold it up high, hold it up high, good job, good job (sung to "Where is Thumbkin").  And they hold up the bear that is the color I am singing about.  That is just one way to use it.  You can show them a color and ask them to find the same color and name it.  You can simply call out colors and have students hold up that color.  They are a versatile tool I use all the time in my pre-k classroom.

Cookie Jar Book

Sorry it took me so long to post this, but we finished our cookie jar book a while back and I took photos with my phone and then never posted them.  This is our cookie jar book.  Under each cookie jar is a picture of that child taking a bite out of a cookie.  I of course double checked all allergies and other issues before this activity and have a fake cookie for anyone who has issues with gluten or other food items in cookies.

I send it home with a letter explaining how we made the book after reading and singing the Who Stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar book and song.  They get to keep it for a few days and then send it back for another child to have a turn.

Who Stole the Cookie From the Cookie Jar

This week we are going to read and sing, Who Stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar.  We are going to make a book with pictures of the kiddos to help them learn each others names that follow the pattern of the song.  Each child will get to take the book home for a night to read with their family.  And I made cookies in 3 colors for my pre-k students to sort.  Below is a picture of the cookies.  Once we make the book I will take pictures of it and post them.

Flexible

As teachers we must be flexible.  With the switch to CC being flexible is needed.  Now my friends, I consider myself flexible.  It has come in very handy in the last week as I moved from second grade to pre-k in two days.  It was difficult, but with the help of some family and friends we managed to take down and put together a room in one building and into another in 2 days.  I have had one day with my new students and a day of training this week.  I miss my second graders, but I am loving my new pre-k students.  We should have a great time learning this year.

First Day

I am not sure about anyone else out there, but I normally worry like crazy about the first day of school.  Will the students be a good mix, was my random seating okay, how many students will I need to move.  As much as I worry, it always seems to go well.  As a reminder of that, today I bumped into multiple students from the past few years as I was grocery shopping.  They all had lovely things to say and not a single one of them didn't squeal my name and come running across the store to hug me so I must be doing something right.  Well, come to think, of it the boys just got a big smile and said hello and asked how I was.  Tomorrow will be just fine, especially if I can get some sleep. 

My plan book is filled for the first week and my more detailed, typed plans are all ready to go.  The students have specials first thing in the morning so I can take a breather and move seats if I need to.  I met about half of my class at open house the other day and they all seemed lovely. 

One of the activities I am doing that I am particularly excited about is reading them one of my favorite books, Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes.  Poor Wemberly is so worried about his first day of school, but it all turns out alright in the end.  I am going to use it to discuss what they worry about in second grade, then we will place our worries in a box and put them away.  We will talk about the fact that this is a safe place, both physically and emotionally, that we will treat one another with respect and because of that they have no need to worry.  Part of my job as a teacher is to make sure they are safe and I will do everything I can to make that happen.

I hope everyone is ready for school!

Another Year, Another Grade

As I move into my 10th year of teaching I will be teaching yet another grade level.  I have now taught pre-k, k, 3,4,5  and will be teaching 2nd next year and I student taught 6th.  I am excited about the move.  I look forward to it actually.  Although I wonder sometimes what it might be like to teach a grade for more than 3 years, maybe this time.  With certifications in early childhood, elementary, and middle school math I seem to be the go to person for filling holes in grade levels.

I am currently researching the second grade common core and reading blogs of other second grade teachers.  My favorite thus far is Step into Second Grade.  If you have not checked it out I highly recommend it.  I am also filling my spare time making and collecting things for my classroom next year, which my husband seems to think is crazy.  Why, he asks, would I spend any of my free time prepping for next year?  Because I love my job and I love my students and as crazy as it sounds I sleep better at night knowing I have done something to get ready for the next school year.  My hope is to use this blog to share things I have done with others because I find so much inspiration out there in the form of teacher blogs.  Hope everyone is enjoying there summer.