Check out this web page for a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Letter Hunt- could be loads of fun!
http://www.littlegiraffes.com/chickachickaboom.html
Friday, August 17, 2007
BEE Book Letter format
Dear Parents,
We missed you at Back to School Night! Here is your child’s B.E.E. (Bring Everything Everyday) book. This folder will be a communication tool between school and home. It should be sent to school every day with your child and emptied every evening. I will put all notes, newsletters, and information on the left side of the folder and all student work on the right side of the folder. The middle section will be used as a spot for us to write short notes back and forth. Whenever you need to send something back to school (money, something for the office, etc.), it should be put in the left hand pocket of the folder.Enclosed in your child’s B.E.E. book are the handouts from Back to School Night. Please read through everything thoroughly and contact me with any questions. Also, please be sure to read the label on the left pocket for further directions. Please be sure to empty the folder and send it to school with your child on Monday/Tuesday.
We missed you at Back to School Night! Here is your child’s B.E.E. (Bring Everything Everyday) book. This folder will be a communication tool between school and home. It should be sent to school every day with your child and emptied every evening. I will put all notes, newsletters, and information on the left side of the folder and all student work on the right side of the folder. The middle section will be used as a spot for us to write short notes back and forth. Whenever you need to send something back to school (money, something for the office, etc.), it should be put in the left hand pocket of the folder.Enclosed in your child’s B.E.E. book are the handouts from Back to School Night. Please read through everything thoroughly and contact me with any questions. Also, please be sure to read the label on the left pocket for further directions. Please be sure to empty the folder and send it to school with your child on Monday/Tuesday.
Brown Bear Scavenger Hunt
An easy one would be to enlarge the characters in the book -brown bear, redbird, yellow duck, etc. and then hide themaround the school. Lead the class on a "bear hunt." Alongthe way you will encounter the animals that you have placed,but no brown bear. As you go through each area, ask thepersonnel if they have seen the brown bear, but of course noone has. "Mrs. Principal, have you seen the brown bear? No,but I do see a redbird. Mrs. Secretary, have you seen thebrown bear? No, but the yellow duck came to use the phone. Mrs. Nurse, have you seen the brown bear? No, but I gavethe green frog a band-aid. etc. Finally when you get to thelast person, there is a WHOLE BOX of brown bears!! (TeddyGrahams!!)
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
K Humor
Just a note to remind us all of why we love our jobs...
A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was. The girl replied, "I'm drawing God." The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like." Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."
A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was. The girl replied, "I'm drawing God." The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like." Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Sharing
I call it Sharing Time. Each student is assigned a day. I send a schedule out each month with a theme for each week. (ie: bring two objects that rhyme).
I also send home a mystery bag from time to time (paper bag for every student with directions). They write three clues for their object.Then read them at share time.
Later on in the year I use a box labeled "What's in the Box?". It goes home with one student per night. They place one object in it and bring it the next day. The person with the box chooses five students to ask a question about the contents. Then five students to guess.It helps the students focus on asking questions ,gathering information and using that information to draw conclusions. They come up with some pretty amazing and relevant quesions after a bit of practice and modeling.
Sometimes our share is an individual or family project (ie: their posters for election of a class mascot). I vary it alot and use many more ideas to make it an educational experience.. Hope this helps.
I have done something similar to the previous post. I called mine the Sharing Bag, which was a canvas bag. One child a week got to take the sharing bag home, find something to share and then write, with thier parents help, three clues about their item. They would then read their questions, or I would help them read, to the other students during circle time and they would try to guess what it was.
Another idea I saw at a workshop was using a large metal coffee can, covered with contact paper, make sure the edge is covered up with tape so they can't get cut. The teacher would place a magnetic letter in the bottom of the can and put the lid back on top. The child had to take the can/letter home and find three small objects that began with that sound to put in the can. Then at school, they would take out the objects and the students would have to guess the letter. I love this idea and plan on doing it this year with my kiddos.
I also send home a mystery bag from time to time (paper bag for every student with directions). They write three clues for their object.Then read them at share time.
Later on in the year I use a box labeled "What's in the Box?". It goes home with one student per night. They place one object in it and bring it the next day. The person with the box chooses five students to ask a question about the contents. Then five students to guess.It helps the students focus on asking questions ,gathering information and using that information to draw conclusions. They come up with some pretty amazing and relevant quesions after a bit of practice and modeling.
Sometimes our share is an individual or family project (ie: their posters for election of a class mascot). I vary it alot and use many more ideas to make it an educational experience.. Hope this helps.
I have done something similar to the previous post. I called mine the Sharing Bag, which was a canvas bag. One child a week got to take the sharing bag home, find something to share and then write, with thier parents help, three clues about their item. They would then read their questions, or I would help them read, to the other students during circle time and they would try to guess what it was.
Another idea I saw at a workshop was using a large metal coffee can, covered with contact paper, make sure the edge is covered up with tape so they can't get cut. The teacher would place a magnetic letter in the bottom of the can and put the lid back on top. The child had to take the can/letter home and find three small objects that began with that sound to put in the can. Then at school, they would take out the objects and the students would have to guess the letter. I love this idea and plan on doing it this year with my kiddos.
Literacy Bags
I am so glad that someone thought to write here about literacy bags!! I have so much to say about them! I have been working on mine ever since I was in college, and became so overwhelemed with the project that I just started them in my classroom last year, my third year of teaching! I love using them. I wish I could share with you all the bags I have, but they are in my classroom and I can't get to them right now. First of all, I buy them at Michaels craft store. They're the plain, canvas bags. I type and attach to a plain, laminated index card, a list of contents, and on the other side of the card, a list of suggested activities to use with the bags. I send them home as "Friday Treats." Meaning, if the kids in my class "stay on green" all week long on the traffic light, then they get to sign up for a Friday Treat. I have a list of several choices, and the "Weekend Book Bags" is just one of the choices. I have a letter that I send home with the bag, explainning why it is coming home, and how important it is to bring it back. Again, letter is in my classroom, packed up right now... Kids take a bag home on Friday, and return it on Monday. They LOVE it!!!! Behavior was never so good in my class as it was last year! My intent was to rotate the bags that I sent home monthly, or bi-monthly, but I didn't get enough put together in time to be able to do that all year. So, I just rotated them out one time, in the spring. I will list the bags that I can remember having, but I know I have tons more packed away in my classroom. TIP: if planning on doing a bunch of bags, I think it's cheaper to buy them through Oriental Trading Company, as you can buy the canvas bags in bulk).
TIP:Also, I thought along time about how/where to store the bags because they take up so much space. I bought a clothing tree from someplace (I had to visit several stores, as they can be expensive). I hang the bags on the clothing tree. The clothing tree sits behind my desk. TIP: When a child signs out for one of the bags, I date stamp onto an index card with their name the date that it is due, and I put it in a library pocket card that hangs on the wall, next to the bags. The library pocket card has the name of the bag written on the front. It is attached with velcro to the wall, so that I can change out the cards when I rotate the bags (I only did this once, but plan to more this year)!TIP: I find that I run short on time to manage all the Friday Treats at the end of Friday afternoons, and am hustling to let children choose bags, sign up for them, sign their name on their parent letter, and get them in their cubbies. I had a wonderful parent volunteer who ended up "taking chage" of the Weekend Book Bags for me on Fridays. She came every Friday afternoon to help kids choose, sign out, and take them home. One could only be so lucky to get another parent like her!TIP: (last one!) I demonstrated the uses of the Weekend Book Bags at Back to School Night. This really, really helped because parents understood why they were coming home, how their kids earner/didn't earn them, and how important it was that everything come back just as it was. I made a big deal about how everything in the bags was bought with my money, and how excited I was to share them with their children, and the importance that everything come back to school in the same condition as when it went home, so that others could enjoy them too. I strongly suggest talking to parents about them before sending them home. During parent-teacher conferences, I followed up with parents, asking how they were working at home, which were favorities, etc. This helped b/c some parents had forgotten about the bags b/c their child had either not earned a Friday Treat, or b/c when they earned the treats, they had always chosen other things, and not the bags. This way, parents went home and talked with their kids and encouraged them to choose the bags, and they did!
Bags in my classroom:
The Gingerbread Man (a favorite b/c I sent home a store-bought, individually wrapped cookie). I also send home a stuffed GM, and also the class book that we make at the beginning of the year on our school tour. I also send home a worksheet as a follow up to the GM.
Clifford's ABC's
Included in the bag is the book, a clifford puppet, magnetic letters to practice on the fridge at home, and a dry erase booklet for handwriting practice.
The Mitten (Jan Brett)I send home the book, a listening center tape, a small, child's mitten, a Hedgie stuffed animal, felt puppets that I bought on e-bay, and a mitten coloring page.
The Hat (Jan Brett)I send home the book, a listening center tape, felt puppets I bought on ebay, and a coloring page from the story.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear...(Eric Carle)
I send home a board book, a brown bear stuffed animal, and a class book that we made earlier in the year.
Polar Bear, Polar Bear...
(Eric Carle)I send home a board book, a stuffed polar bear, and a coloring page.
Chicka Chicka Boom, Boom
I sent home the book, a listening center tape, and an interractive flip/magnectic book that I bought throuch scholastic with my bonus points.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
I send home a board book that when I bought it also came with a small, stuffed caterpillar from the story. I send home picture/word cards of the foods in the story that I had made in collage for a class project, and I also send home a follow-up worksheet.
If You Give a Moose a Muffin
I sent home the book, a stuffed moose, and a recipe for making muffins. I also send home a worksheet of a game that I found on the internet (maybe this site). It's a worksheet that the kids can cut out about 12 muffin flashcards, write their word wall words on the cards, and color them. They play a game called "feed the moose." In this game, they read their words to someone at home. If they read the word correct, then they "feed" it to the moose. If they do not read it correct, then the adult at home "keeps" the word.
If You Give a Pig a Pancake
I send home the book, a recipe for pancakes (I found it online at teh same site as above). I also send home an empty squirt bottle to use when making muffins. The activity I found online with this story is to use the squirt bottle to make a pancake, but to make it in the shape of a letter, like the first letter of your name, or "P" of pig, or for pancake. I also send home a stuffed pig, that I found at Kohls awhile back when they were selling the books and stuffed animals for $5.00 each.
If You Take a Mouse to SchoolI send home the book and mouse (from Kohls). I send home a small, metal lunchbox that I found at a garage sale (also can be found in dollar stores). The activity on the card encourages the child to fill the lunchbox with things that they could bring to school (the then to remember to un-fill it before returning the bag).
cheaptotes.com
they're $.99 each
I got mine here. bought 12 to start. my bags are called home connection bags and I'm using them this year instead of homework. Each one has a skill to work on (colors, shapes, patterns,numbers, counting, abc's, names, opposites etc.) there is also Ted E. Bear and he goes home with books and a journal and an all about me bag. In each bag I have books to go with the skill, file folder games, and a variety of other resources. I got a lot of ideas from Jessica Meacham's site and tweaked some things.
TIP:Also, I thought along time about how/where to store the bags because they take up so much space. I bought a clothing tree from someplace (I had to visit several stores, as they can be expensive). I hang the bags on the clothing tree. The clothing tree sits behind my desk. TIP: When a child signs out for one of the bags, I date stamp onto an index card with their name the date that it is due, and I put it in a library pocket card that hangs on the wall, next to the bags. The library pocket card has the name of the bag written on the front. It is attached with velcro to the wall, so that I can change out the cards when I rotate the bags (I only did this once, but plan to more this year)!TIP: I find that I run short on time to manage all the Friday Treats at the end of Friday afternoons, and am hustling to let children choose bags, sign up for them, sign their name on their parent letter, and get them in their cubbies. I had a wonderful parent volunteer who ended up "taking chage" of the Weekend Book Bags for me on Fridays. She came every Friday afternoon to help kids choose, sign out, and take them home. One could only be so lucky to get another parent like her!TIP: (last one!) I demonstrated the uses of the Weekend Book Bags at Back to School Night. This really, really helped because parents understood why they were coming home, how their kids earner/didn't earn them, and how important it was that everything come back just as it was. I made a big deal about how everything in the bags was bought with my money, and how excited I was to share them with their children, and the importance that everything come back to school in the same condition as when it went home, so that others could enjoy them too. I strongly suggest talking to parents about them before sending them home. During parent-teacher conferences, I followed up with parents, asking how they were working at home, which were favorities, etc. This helped b/c some parents had forgotten about the bags b/c their child had either not earned a Friday Treat, or b/c when they earned the treats, they had always chosen other things, and not the bags. This way, parents went home and talked with their kids and encouraged them to choose the bags, and they did!
Bags in my classroom:
The Gingerbread Man (a favorite b/c I sent home a store-bought, individually wrapped cookie). I also send home a stuffed GM, and also the class book that we make at the beginning of the year on our school tour. I also send home a worksheet as a follow up to the GM.
Clifford's ABC's
Included in the bag is the book, a clifford puppet, magnetic letters to practice on the fridge at home, and a dry erase booklet for handwriting practice.
The Mitten (Jan Brett)I send home the book, a listening center tape, a small, child's mitten, a Hedgie stuffed animal, felt puppets that I bought on e-bay, and a mitten coloring page.
The Hat (Jan Brett)I send home the book, a listening center tape, felt puppets I bought on ebay, and a coloring page from the story.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear...(Eric Carle)
I send home a board book, a brown bear stuffed animal, and a class book that we made earlier in the year.
Polar Bear, Polar Bear...
(Eric Carle)I send home a board book, a stuffed polar bear, and a coloring page.
Chicka Chicka Boom, Boom
I sent home the book, a listening center tape, and an interractive flip/magnectic book that I bought throuch scholastic with my bonus points.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
I send home a board book that when I bought it also came with a small, stuffed caterpillar from the story. I send home picture/word cards of the foods in the story that I had made in collage for a class project, and I also send home a follow-up worksheet.
If You Give a Moose a Muffin
I sent home the book, a stuffed moose, and a recipe for making muffins. I also send home a worksheet of a game that I found on the internet (maybe this site). It's a worksheet that the kids can cut out about 12 muffin flashcards, write their word wall words on the cards, and color them. They play a game called "feed the moose." In this game, they read their words to someone at home. If they read the word correct, then they "feed" it to the moose. If they do not read it correct, then the adult at home "keeps" the word.
If You Give a Pig a Pancake
I send home the book, a recipe for pancakes (I found it online at teh same site as above). I also send home an empty squirt bottle to use when making muffins. The activity I found online with this story is to use the squirt bottle to make a pancake, but to make it in the shape of a letter, like the first letter of your name, or "P" of pig, or for pancake. I also send home a stuffed pig, that I found at Kohls awhile back when they were selling the books and stuffed animals for $5.00 each.
If You Take a Mouse to SchoolI send home the book and mouse (from Kohls). I send home a small, metal lunchbox that I found at a garage sale (also can be found in dollar stores). The activity on the card encourages the child to fill the lunchbox with things that they could bring to school (the then to remember to un-fill it before returning the bag).
cheaptotes.com
they're $.99 each
I got mine here. bought 12 to start. my bags are called home connection bags and I'm using them this year instead of homework. Each one has a skill to work on (colors, shapes, patterns,numbers, counting, abc's, names, opposites etc.) there is also Ted E. Bear and he goes home with books and a journal and an all about me bag. In each bag I have books to go with the skill, file folder games, and a variety of other resources. I got a lot of ideas from Jessica Meacham's site and tweaked some things.
First Day Poem
Let's stand up and give a cheer,
Kindergarten's finally here.
(student drawing goes here)
1,2,3, hip, hip, hooray,
Here's my picture the first school day!
On the back side I want to copy something to print for the last day of school, so that they can compare their work.I have this so far:
Oh my, the time did fly.
Now it's time to say goodbye
(student drawing goes here)
First grade, we're on our way!
Here's my picture the last school day!
Kindergarten's finally here.
(student drawing goes here)
1,2,3, hip, hip, hooray,
Here's my picture the first school day!
On the back side I want to copy something to print for the last day of school, so that they can compare their work.I have this so far:
Oh my, the time did fly.
Now it's time to say goodbye
(student drawing goes here)
First grade, we're on our way!
Here's my picture the last school day!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
