Here is the September 2011 calendar. just click on the image above to download in powerpoint. As I mentioned in the August calendar post, if you would like the calendar in notebook for Smartboard, comment and I'll send it to you. The font I used is impress bt. Click on font name for a free download.
When I last visited Dollar Tree I found these erasers, I thought to myself boys will love them! I am going to use them on storyboards for the first few weeks, rolling a dice and placing the correct amount on the story boards. Later I will use them for a graphing activity (I will post this activity soon). Hope you will enjoy using the storyboards!
I have been busy this week getting ready to do workshops at our county's New Teacher Orientation, so I've only gotten 4 chart ideas done. But I promise to get busy and finish my post on Reader's Workshop Part 2 and post more anchor chart ideas. While I make anchor charts with the children I can't resist adding small touches that brighten the charts and also gives those non readers and emergent readers some visual clues. Hope you'll find these helpful. Click on the title under the charts to download. I made them with Powerpoint.
I've given this post a great deal of thought. I began the transition to Reader's Workshop in kindergarten several years ago. But, it's taken me that long to realize how important building a classroom community is and where it can take the children. Last year, I decided that I would take at least two weeks to complete the process. As the two weeks came to a close, I rushed through lessons, skipped making anchor charts with the children and began to implement activities they weren't ready for. Nevertheless, this class achieved much more than my class the year before. With that thought in mind, I've decided to take a month or more, if needed, to truly have procedures in place. Part 1 (The First 10 Lessons) is available for you to download along with book suggestions. I will post the next 10 lessons very soon. I hope these lesson suggestions will be of help.
I am always looking for independent engaging arrival activities that will keep my students active, engaged and learning. At the Target Dollar Spot I saw some individual white erase board strips. I decided to make strips with the children's names, numbers, letters, sight words, number words, color words, etc. I am going to make each child a set of strips, adding to their strips as needed. I also found some popcorn containers, I decided to make word cards and place a container at each table. The students will be challenged to help each other learn the words in the container each week. There is always a basket of books at each table, I will place word sheets in the baskets and challenge students to find words they know and words they want to learn. I am going to introduce activities one at a time until the students have several activities to choose from. If you have any ideas, please leave a comment and I'll put them in a later post. I am including the strips, popcorn words and a words list sheet; I create in powerpoint. It will be easy to change fonts, put your student's names on the strips. I used Print Bold Font from urbanfonts.com its a free download.
One of my favorite blogs Clutter Free Classroom is hosting a series of Linky Parties this week. When I saw this one I just had to participate. It is so hard to narrow down my favorite author. But, I have to say Kevin Henkes is one of my all time favorite authors and kindergarteners love his books. When we start talking about making text to self connections you can't find better characters to connect with than Chrysanthemum, Owen, Sheila Rae, Wimberly or Lily. Kevin Henkes is my first author study every year. The children just gravitate to his basket of books. Last year, after I had introduced Mr. Henkes and we had read and discussed his books, there was always a mad scramble to get to his basket. One day, one of my boys came over to me with a very serious look on his face. I asked him what was wrong. He told me that Owen had disappeared, I must have looked very puzzled. He then said, "Mrs. McCardle, Owen is a book by Kevin Henkes and it has disappeared. I looked in the baskets around him, but it's gone! You'll just have to get another one, I like to "read" it every day." We looked everywhere but couldn't find it. So, I bought another copy. A few weeks later I found the lost copy of Owen in the back of one of the book shelves in the classroom. I told the class that I had found the book and where I found it. The same little boy piped up and said, "That's where I hid it so I could read it every day!" Then he turned bright red. I told him it was okay, I was so glad that he loved Kevin Henkes books so much, because I did too.
P.S. I will be adding some text to self connections graphic organizers for Kevin Henkes books this week.
I am working on getting all my math materials labeled. I've created several pages of labels using an Avery Template 2X4" (8163) I downloaded from their website. When you download the pages they will be in a Microsoft Word file, but will print on labels. I can't wait to get back to school and get my shelves in place. I will be taking pictures soon.
I found the Let's Start Smart videos on You Tube last school year, my kindergarteners loved them! I ended up ordering their dvd, the songs teach word families, blends and digraphs, vowels, etc. I also use the Between the Lions video clips, they are a big hit as well. They love the Dixie Chimps. In a previous post about Harry Kindergarten I addressed the issue of getting around You Tube restrictions in most school districts. If you have any questions please leave a comment and I will email you.
I have enjoyed reading all the posts about music in our classrooms. When children are in a joyful music filled environment they are going to learn!
