Feature Friday - Valentine's Edition with Lovely Literacy and More!

Hi guys! It's Cori over at Mrs. B's Beehive and today I would like to introduce you to Brittany who writes at Lovely Literacy and More!  She has some great Valentine's ideas for us, and after you are done reading this, head over to her blog and follow her for many more awesome Kindergarten ideas!



Hey y'all! It's Brittany from Lovely Literacy & More. Well we did it. We survived a week of Valentine's Day parties, heart crafts, a whole lot of glitter and a good amount of glue. Do you ever come home from a day of kinder to look in the mirror & feel like others may think you have just gotten back from a rave with the amounts of glitter and glue you have on you? Things can get pretty sticky, especially around the week of Valentine's Day. I wanted to share with y'all some of the things we did this week for Valentine's Day.

Before February even got here I started searching for those cute V-Day crafts to do with my littles. Okay so first there was Pinterest and then there was Instagram. Well I was all about finding some cute ideas on Instagram this year. I found this adorable noodle necklace idea from TopTeacher and just knew this would be something my littles would love, not to mention that I liked the idea of how easy it looked. The less work for me the better. Am I right?

My littles enjoyed painting with glitter paint.

Here are two of our finished products. I think they turned out pretty cute.

I wanted to download the original printable from TopTeacher but I couldn't find it so I just created my own. Since my littles were also using pin wheel noodles I created the "You make my wheels turn!" printable to give the kids an option. Grab the printables here. 

In math we played a variety of math games but one of the favourites was Race to 100! I purchased little heart jewels from Micheal's for the littles to use as counters. Some preferred to use the rocks as counters since that was a choice too. So the children rolled their die, read the number on the die, then moved their counter that many places. The first one to reach 100 won. Simple and easy. Did I mention that I like simple and easy?

We also worked on creating an addition sentence with puffy heart stickers. You can get a copy of the Valentine math art sentence here.

This year was my first time having my littles make goo in the classroom and it is definitely something that I will do every year. This Valentine goo idea was all thanks to Pinterest. You can get the full "how to make Valentine goo" here at Little Bins for Little Hands. It is definitely something you have to get down to a science to have the perfect goo I feel like. Thankfully my wonderful EA was in charge of the goo station. 

Even though blue goo isn't very Valentine-y, our making of the clear goo with heart sprinkles was a big fail so we let the littles choose what colour they wanted to make their goo. We just couldn't get the proper goo made with our clear glue for some reason. The kids loved making the goo and seeing their expressions were priceless.

The littles listened to The Kissing Hand at the listening centre. It's too sweet of a story not to have read again during Valentine's Day.

In the whole Valentine's Day spirit, of course we had to have a card making station.

In the month of February we really try to focus more on friendship and working together. I had a discussion with the class about team work and building things. We then talked about who builds things in our community, what they might build and how they might build them. This discussion brought up the topic of engineers and construction workers, so I asked them if they thought they could be engineers and work together to create models. Of course they all said YES!

 This led to our "engineering activities". My littles did a wonderful job at working together to create things. So many things. They were so proud of their creations that they asked to show their creations to the class and tell everyone about it and how it worked. This made my teacher heart very happy. They created things from a rocket, to a helicopter, to a clock, to a house, to a tow truck, to a tower. The list is never ending. I love it when they use their imagination!

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Do you ever see that saying "Keep calm and pretend it's on the lesson plan"? Sure you do. Well my recent visit to a Reggio Emilia based school has encouraged me to leave more unplanned time in my lessons each day. (You can read more about my visit to that school here.)That's where I let the children lead what we are going to do & learn. In our previous discussions about friendship, working together and the community it led my littles to want to create. They each wanted to create a community building within their group so of course I let them. They brainstormed different buildings we have in our community and why. Then each group decided what they wanted to create and how they would do that. I was so happy to see these kiddos problem solving, brainstorming ideas and working together. They all wanted to share their creations so I let them present their creation to the class afterwards. I am really enjoying this new "pretend it's on the lesson plan" motto I am going with. :)

I have to give a quick shout out to some other great Valentine-y ideas that I found via my instagram feed.

 Aren't these just the cutest valentines?! I mean oh-em-gee!

I'd have to say these were the top 4 valentines that I fancied via my Instagram. With all this ooewwwing and awwwing I have to make a confession. While I absolutely love these valentines, I was a bad teacher this year who didn't make my littles any valentines. Yikes! (insert monkey face covering eyes emoji here) I meant to. Really, I did. I bought cute little heart bags & popcorn to say "You make my heart pop!". Then while in Walmart I saw these v-day pencils which looked way less time consuming than bagging 46 bags of popcorn so I bought those. Well.... you see what had happened was.... I never got to handing out the pencils in the middle of chaos as I assisted 22 & 24 kinders in passing out valentines to everyone and helping them read each child's name. They say it's the thought that counts anyways.

Happy Valentine's Day y'all! I hope you have a great weekend with your loved ones.

Data Tracking in Kindergarten

Hi guys!  It's Cori from Mrs. B's Beehive discussing ways to create a growth mindset in your Kindergarten classroom through the use of shared data!

Data tracking can be an important tool to help your students push themselves further, while gaining insight into what standards they must master.  Data tracking has taken many forms in my classroom over the years.  Most years, I would post a chart with each students name on it, and award stickers as they passed levels, such as, letter recognition, sight words, 100% on the spelling test, etc. This system has always worked well for my students and I.  We all know how motivating a sticker can be! I would introduce the data tracking chart, and the number of students who received 100% on their spelling test increased dramatically.

While I was pleased with the results, I couldn't help feeling bad for the students who rarely got to add another sticker to their chart.  Reasons varied for the students who earned a lower sticker amount, no parent support at home, beginning ELL skills, or just a lack of motivation.  I saw great results and motivation from 95% of the students, but it was that other 5% that concerned me.  In my mind, there had to be a better way to motivate students to achieve a goal without harming the self esteem of others.

To alleviate a public display of students who did or did not achieve a certain goal I started to complete our shared data charts in a different way.

Now, instead of tracking which student has completed a task, I track how many total students in the class have reached a goal.  For example, in this chart from the beginning of the year letter sound inventory, 4 students knew the sound of D, 6 students knew the sounds of E, etc.  As a whole class, we make goals about where we want to go from here.  Your goals can be as small or as grandiose as you would like, as long as they are realistic and achievable by your students. 

For example, you could make the goal of everyone in class learning the letter sounds of A, B, and C by the end of the week.  The awesome thing about setting a goal as a class, is that the students work with (and sometimes for you) to help everyone in class achieve the goal.  When I give the students goals like this, I often find them quizzing each other during down time.  If we have a goal like this, I will give them flashcards with this particular letter and sorting cards with beginning sounds on them only containing those letters to practice with.  You have to give them the tools they need to succeed.

Motivation is key!  What are they working towards?  What will they get when they reach their goals?  A Friday afternoon Clifford showing on Netflix? 10 extra minutes of recess? A Star Wars sticker for everyone?  Prizes don't have to be large, they just have to be meaningful to your particular group of students.  After we complete our goal, we set a new, often times larger goal for the next week, and begin to work together to achieve it!

This type of goal setting can be done with so many different skills in Kindergarten.  Weekly spelling tests, high frequency words, guided reading levels, whole class reading levels, letter recognition, letter sounds, number recognition, and the list goes on and on!

This is not complicated to produce, and it takes little time to manage, but the benefits you get from working toward a common goal together are invaluable.

At the end of the week I will be doing a follow-up post on data tracking and goal setting with individual students over at my blog with some freebies included, I hope you can join me!

Penguin Fun!

Hi friends, it's Amanda here from Mrs. Pauley's Kindergarten with you today!  I wanted to share with you today some of my favorite penguin activities to do with primary students.

It seems like every time I talk about the unit we are working on I always say, "This is my favorite unit to teach!"  I love a lot of the thematic units I teach in my classroom, but I really love teaching about penguins.  

The first activity is something we do outside.  We talk about how the penguins in the rookery huddle together to stay warm.  Then we go outside and put it into practice.

First, we stand all by ourselves and then huddle together and see if we are any warmer than before.  I snapped this cute pic of all my kiddos huddling together.  Best part was then today at recess I heard a couple of the kids complaining they were cold and another student said, "Let's huddle together like the penguins then.  That will keep us warm."  And they did and it was adorable!

The second activity I like to do is with oil and water.  I put some water into a gallon baggie and then added some oil.  The students tried their hardest to mix them up together, but they realized that oil and water just don't mix.  We used this experiment to talk about preening and how the oil on the penguins' feathers helps them swim in the water.

It was so fun to see them working so hard on this and trying to figure it out.

I also had the students just dip a finger into the oil by itself to see how it felt.  That way they understand what the penguins feathers feel like.

The last activity I always do on the last day of our unit.  PENGUIN RACES!  It is so much fun.  The kiddos have a blast.

We pretend to be emperor penguins and the students try to get from one side of the carpet to the other with keeping their "egg" on their feet.  I used yarn balls for the "eggs."

Lastly, we had just a plain old penguin waddle relay race.  They thought this was hilarious.

I have some pretty good waddlers in my classroom!  ;)

If you would like to see more ideas like these, you can check out my blog, instagram, or Facebook page.  Have a great rest of your week!

Feature Friday- Kindergarten Down River

 

Howdy, Friends!

 

A special Texas welcome to all of those joining me from the Kinder Tribe! I'm Laura from Kindergarten Down River. In this new year, many teachers are looking for exciting ways to keep students engaged in learning as the next semester begins...and some teachers have set goals to move more...also known as, the E-Word: Exercise. This strategy, the Magnet Game, as I have dubbed it, will achieve both goals: engagement for students and movement for teachers and students alike...great for the heart and the brain!

 

 

Before you use this simple eight-step strategy, you must have a question you want the students to ponder. In a bit, they will move around the room as they think about their response and then share with a partner in a fun, exciting way!

 

 

 

You can discuss "good movement spots" such as, the rug or walking spaces behind desks and "bad movement spots" such as behind the teacher's desk, the classroom library, computer center, or any other unsafe spots for movement.

 

  

When I first teach the movements that corresponds with this cooperative strategy, I use a basic question: "What did you do during Winter Break?" Or, "what was your favorite Christmas gift?" Then, as I use this strategy throughout the year, I use academic questions, "How did Lizard feel at the end of the story?" Or, "explain how you would change the investigation?"

 

Teacher can turn on music to cue the movement or tell students "Think and Walk." Students should begin moving around the room staying in their own spots as they meander around the room. It is important that when teaching them what to do, you emphasize some basic rules which will save you some stress when implementing this strategy: Stay in your own space, stay quiet, and keep thinking about your answer while you move.

 

My favorite part: If you...touch somebody, follow your best friends around the room, or talk, the consequence is having to sit out of the game. Muah, muah, muah. No kid wants this to happen!

Teacher Tip: I use a track I have downloaded on my phone. It makes it fast and easy for me to cue the music and the students know that it is special when we have some music.

 

This allows students the opportunity to look around the classroom without the pressure of partnering up right away.

 

 

Students face back-to-back while teacher ensures all students have a partner. It also discourages talking!

 

Finding their closest partner encourages students to team up with students whom they may not normally chose to talk to which builds relationships in the classroom and promotes risk-taking.

 

 

This is a great time for formative assessment. Select students whom you are working closely with and monitor their responses. You may select students with special needs or English language learners. You can assist them in producing responses by giving the students a sentence stem. For example, "Lizard felt __ at the end of the story because ____." My students use their "question hands to repeat the question to their partners; this is just another way for them to engage in practicing the language...learning to speak in complete sentences and use inflection in their voices.

 

Students ask their partners the question again before composing their answer.

 

 

Probably one of the greatest pieces to this game is having the students turn back-to-back. It is great for the teacher to know when the majority of students have finished their conversations, but it also controls the students' urge to talk to one another during this time! Genius, I know!

 

 

You can use this step if you want students to practice multiple times with other partners. You could also change the question and start a second round of the game. If you are short on time, you can students return to the rug or their desks and continue learning.

 

I hope this cooperative learning strategy becomes a part of your teaching toolbox. I'd love to see it in action in your classroom. Take a picture and tag me @kinderdownriver.

 

Happy Teachin' Trails from Texas!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alternative Seating in Kindergarten

Wiggly bodies are just part of the day in Kindergarten.  A 5 year old is not built to sit still, or in a chair, or really anywhere for more than a couple of minutes.  To enhance our learning environment we have a variety of options available to keep our room humming!

Rugs

One of my favorite (cheap) ways to change things up and organize the chaos is by using rugs to create alternative seating in the classroom.  During our reading time, Writer's Workshop, and math centers students always have the option to grab a rug and find a spot in the classroom.  They work on their own or with a partner.  The rug helps contain their materials and gives them a comfy spot to sit. 

I get rugs for free from our local carpet store.  They give me the old samples and I've had pretty good luck finding them when I need them.  A set usually lasts about 2 years.  

Benches

I fell in love with crate seating a couple of years ago.  These benches create a perfect little nook in the classroom for a listening station or just a nice place to sit.  They double as extra storage too! 

 I replace the fabric on the chairs each year.  Yes, it has to be done. They are pretty dirty after a whole year of use.  I buy cheap sheets from Walmart to cover them with so the cost is pretty low! 

One Footed Stools

If you have a handy person in your life these are a super alternative to regular seating too!  My dad created these one footed stools for my extra wiggly friends.  I do not suggest using them on tile, but they work great on carpet!

Kore Stools

I really wanted some Kore Stools to add to our alternative seating options in the classroom.  The catch?  They are pricey!  I recently wrote a project for Donor's Choose and it funded in December!  We received our stools last week and my kiddos were really excited to use these at our small group table.  They are fantastic!

Of course we have our usual tables and for the most part about 50% of my students still choose to sit at a table during our independent or partner work time.  Having the option of alternative seating helps with management (they are not all crowded at one table trying to work...less chatter) and it gives my kiddos that would rather lay on their bellies to write the option! 

What are your favorite ways to add alternative seating arrangements in your room?  We would love to hear ideas.  Thank you for visiting Kinder Tribe today!