Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Pumpkin Sink or Float Prediction Chart

My Kindergarten students love making predictions about anything and everything. So, we carried it over into making predictions about whether the pumpkin we picked at the pumpkin patch would sink or float. I had all of my students write their names in the column they were predicting. I had to use 3 pages stapled/taped together and mounted on construction paper. My students still write fairly large with markers. :)

Sink or Float

Pumpkin Sink or Float Graph

We had lots of fun today trying to decide whether or not our pumpkin would sink or float. Here's a graph I used with the kids. It is similar to the apple graph we used for our apple unit. I will add the prediction chart the kids added their names to later.

Sink or Float Pumpkin Graph

Monday, October 18, 2010

What are you learning about?

I would love to know what others are learning about right now. If you would like to see printables, links, ideas, pictures of certain themes, feel free to comment or email me to send ideas.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Play Doh Numbers

I was inspired by this post at Kindergarten...kindergarten to create these Play Doh Numbers printables. I also found the cutest font called Smiley Monster here. I let my three year-old work on these printables and she did well with the snakes and balls and working on one-to-one correspondence.

Play Doh Numbers

Pumpkin Number Line

I use this number line with my students to practice sequencing the numbers from 0-10. We color the pumpkins and the kids glue them in order on a sentence strip. It's great practice and the kids like taking them home. I have included a color copy, as well as, a black and white copy.

Pumpkin Counting Line_Color

Pumpkin Counting Line

The Pumpkin Patch Emergent Reader

Can you tell I can't live without DJ Inkers and Carson-Dellosa clip art? I have to say, I love their work!!! I know it's pretty obvious from all the printables that I create using clip art from one or both companies. I just purchased another set called Harvest Time, so I created this emergent reader to share.Our class is going to the pumpkin patch next week, so this will be a perfect fit for when we return. I hope you enjoy it, too!

Pumpkin Patch Emergent Reader

Monday, October 11, 2010

Toddlers and Technology

This weekend, I decided it was time to introduce my 3 year-old daughter to playing preschool computer games. She picked it up very quickly just like my son did when he was her age. I knew it probably wouldn't be too difficult for her because she navigates her way through my Droid finding 'her desktop' with all the memory and puzzle apps like she was born with the phone in her hand.  (Don't worry, I limit her exposure.)

Tonight, she begged me to let her type her name on the computer and she did it! I was so proud of her! She was pretty proud of herself, too! I know this doesn't seem like much to other moms & dads that are teaching their children how to do these things on a daily basis, but it's easy to lose perspective on how meaningful interactions can be between a parent and a child when you have Kindergarten students that come to school not knowing a single letter in their name, let alone how to spell, write or type their names.



Printable Reading Chart

I use a lot of emergent reader printable books in my Kindergarten classroom. Since most of the readers have text that is familiar to the students, I like to reward the kids for reading them to their parents and I like to keep the books at school for the kids to read to themselves or others.

Each time we read a book in the classroom, the kids take the book home and read it to their parents. Parents sign the book to indicate their child has read it to them. When the book is returned, I give the child a sticker for their reading sticker chart which stays in their binder until it is full. The book then goes in the child's book box with their whisper phone. When the chart is full, the child gets to visit the treasure box and gets to see the Principal for an extra treat.

I like to copy this on colored cardstock. I have copied it on construction paper, but the stickers don't stay stuck to the paper. I also like the durability of the cardstock.

Reading Sticker Chart