Two Points: This is MY method, and not necessarily right for you, your teaching or care philosophy, your set-up, or your students. Curriculum participation by my students is VOLUNTARY. I invite them to participate, but if they choose not to, then that is fine. I usually offer them a choice of a few of the activities and let them decide where we start and where we go. An engaged child learns, a dis-engaged child rebels. The 3-year rotating curriculum is theme based. Some times we stick to the plan, but usually I observe what they are interested in learning about, what they are asking questions about, and suggest up to three different themes they can choose from for us to study. I make my own 3-year rotating curriculum for many reasons: Packaged curriculum is often only one year. Since I teach for 3 years, this would be redundant. Most packaged curriculum focuses on skills my students master early. My 2s count to 20, know 11 colors, know most of their phonics, uppercase and lowercase letters, 10 shapes and some of their numbers and I still have 3 years of curriculum to teach them. They often are worksheet intensive. My students usually are cognitively advanced from their fine motor skills. I have 4 year olds that still can't write well. If I had relied on worksheets for the last 2 years, there is no way they would have the skill sets they have. Worksheets are also not considered Developmentally Appropriate Practice [DAP] for children under the age of 8. We use them here for writing practice starting at age 4. [Yes, worksheet-intensive public schools are not using DAP for kindy through 3rd grade!] They can be expensive. If you are purchasing worksheets, why would you spend even $1 a week/$52 a year when you can purchase a 400 page Scholastic preschool workbook from Sam's Club for $8 that covers probably more material, is most likely aligned with the public school expectations, and is colorful. Colored copies are NOT affordable to make from packaged curriculum. Most [ALL!] preschool learning should be interactive. Pinterest is a better source for ideas. My students change every time I do a theme. I have to be able to tweak it to the interests and capabilities of those currently in my care. Plus, I'll find more interesting activities on Pinterest, have an idea for a new game, etc. It's a constant evolution to keep my curriculum relevant to our current group, situation and resources. However, curriculum planning and creation is very time consuming. Even with older curriculum I spend several hours going over it prior to teaching - updating, creating new materials, purchasing and setting new classroom decorations. While I have had my 3 year curriculum, this year I found myself wanting a more specific schedule to focus on specific skill sets for this particular group of children. Most of these skills can be incorporated into our themed curriculum, or they take 5 minute sessions to pop into our day. I have two groups, the younger preschoolers are 2-3 years old and the older ones are 4-5 years old, all at the same developmental and skill set level within their group. This makes it easier, as I can tailor everything to just 2 groups. If I were to have additional levels of children, then it would be tailored to each level. Children here are taught at their developmental level, not age. Asychronastic development is normal, so I may be teaching a child at various levels depending upon the subject matter. For the younger preschoolers, I came up with this structure. For the older pre-k students, I came up with this one. For instance, both of them have Measurement & Comparison on Friday for Reasoning. However, for the younger students, this would be a more/less, longer/shorter, big/little, etc. activity, while the older students would be measuring with rulers, yardsticks, tape measures, measuring cups, unit blocks, foot steps or themed units, and graphing the measurements to compare. Same skill set, differentiated at vastly different levels. Even this needs conditional tweaking. All the pre-k's know how to spell their last names now, so that is no longer a relevant skill activity for music and will be changed out. In another post I'll get into the curriculum components and the importance of each. For instance, how counting on Friday teaches 1-to-1 correspondence and creating method processes for counting groups of objects. CLICK PICTURES TO VIEW LARGER I use this MS Word template, available for FREE on TPT, for curriculum planning. Often, the daily skill sets above are either already incorporated, or can easily be incorporated, into the theme planning. For an example of a completed curriculum unit, check out our Owls Theme. Each monthly theme is broken down into 4 sub-themes. For instance: SPACE Astronauts & Rockets The Universe Our Solar System Aliens & Robots We also have a musical component, often classical, and an art component, often a master, and Spanish vocabulary component that we incorporate. This planning form may not include all games, file folder games, manipulatives, room-set up, etc. that I utilize. For those of you trained in curriculum creation, I do NOT do a full curriculum development for each activity. With having these children usually from infant to school-age, I keep an internal evaluation of progression and plan out only weekly learning objectives. Since I am creating the activities for my personal use, I do not need to create written procedures and evaluations. My curriculum is stored currently in file folders in a large office bookcase unit. I would like to get it into boxes so that I could have EVERY theme-related item, including dress-up, room set-up, manipulatives, etc. together for an easy pull. File boxes will most likely be the easiest, but they do take up a lot of space. In each file some of the things I probably have: Completed planning sheets All the books I own for that theme Flannel board Sentence and word walls File folder games Samples of previous crafts DVDs CDs Coloring pages Mini-book(s) Build-a-[theme item] game Curriculum creation is one of my great joys. I love the research and compilation, the creativity and excitement of bringing something fun and educational to my students. Learning is rarely linear. Children take developmental leaps, sometimes in odd directions. As a teacher, it is important that I keep each one challenged without pushing or inhibiting their growth, and that takes constant evaluation and a good eye for when those leaps happen so that we can move on to a higher level of instruction. When we do an activity, I constantly question if they WANT to do another round, another activity, and I usually cut them off while they are still engaged. I want them wanting more, and they will usually ask if they can continue. One of the most important desires and abilities I can instill in them is that of self-directed learning. So as they choose to go off with their rulers after we've spent several minutes doing a measuring activity, conferring between themselves as to procedures and what to measure next, I step back and let them. They know I am here as a resource, rather than an intrusive director. It is my job to ensure that when I invite my students to learn, they glow with excitement and anticipation of a fun, interactive, playful time. The results, so far, have been astounding. A few of my complete curriculum units are available through my TPT store. Apples Dental Ice Cream Penguins Rainbows St. Patrick's Day Valentine's Follow Connie -'s board Classroom on Pinterest. Tags: preschool, child care, pre-k, curriculum, development, teaching, education, homeschooling, homeschool, home, school, preschool curriculum development, planning

One thing often associated with Fall is all the leaves! These free printable worksheets for preschool and kindergarten students incorporate Autumn leaves into a number of great educational lessons! L

What am I doing for Apple themed week in my preschool classroom? Oh, I am so happy you asked because I would love to tell you! I'm about to spill the beans on all the super-easy, super-fun activities that will light up your preschool classroom during Apple Week! Why Apple Week is Perfect for Preschool: Apple Week is a

Fun ideas for teaching adjectives and descriptive writing that are just right for October and Halloween week in the primary classroom.

John and I had a fun day in the studio recently. We both wanted to do a bit of experimental mark-making, to explore new ideas. John is looking for inspiration for his printmaking and I thought it would be interesting to play with marks and compositions which could be the starting points of new drawings or which might possible translate into textiles. We gathered lots of tools and then made a few new ones, looking for anything which would make an unusual mark if dipped in paint: We decided to stick to black and white, so we could concentrate on marks and tone. I mixed up a tub of black acrylic and got out some Platignum Calligraphers Black Ink too (a good non-waterproof ink, as it separates into pretty colours when wet, rather than just going grey). I found an oil bar and some liquin too, which is great for smearing not just oil bars but also oil pastels. Plus a Derwent Inktense block and grater (tiny gratings can be scattered onto wet paper or sprayed with water for speckled effects). We both put on latex gloves and set-to on a big piece of cartridge paper each. It was such fun - no pressure to make something which 'works', just pure experimentation. This was my first sheet: I am particularly interested in randomness, so many of the new tools we made were designed to make the marks more hard to control. To add to the random element, we both cut up our sheets into equal pieces, using pre-decided measurements, not aesthetic judgement to create the sections: I like the way it changes things when you isolate a section. The emphasis on the various elements changes, because of the enforced edges, and you start to get interesting things happening with composition. On my 2nd sheet, I started with some large marks in a grey emulsion, to create a new element of contrast. I made a new tool too - a piece of corrugated card to print with. You can see the marks top right: I cut this one into squares. As the paper's dimensions didn't divide exactly into squares, this allowed me a slight element of judgement, as I could move the composition of any square a centimetre or two to the left or right. I then selected the best 6 squares from the 9 created. These are my favourites. It's surprising how well they work just as they are, but you can also see how they could be taken into print or textiles. It would be fun trying to find ways to reinterpret the marks and tones in the different medium. I can highly recommend this as a very enjoyable way of exploring new techniques and getting new inspiration. The randomness is important though, as a way of forcing you not to be too controlling and letting unexpected things happen. John did some experiments using blotting paper, which he tore into strips. Even the offcuts were interesting, which I saved as we were clearing up. The beautiful blue is the Platignum ink: Even my offcuts were quite interesting: Have a go. Even before we got drawing, it was good fun making the tools from odds and ends we found around the studio, taping them to bits of stick and then finding out what marks they made.

A perfect BACK TO SCHOOL activity! Encourage your students to share about their summer vacations by having them fill in this free resource! You may choose to have students draw or write in the spaces, providing differentiated opportunities to those who need it. Makes a sweet bulletin board! #backtoschool #freebie #kwriting #1stgradewriting #writing #literacy #education #kindergarten #1stgrade

Click on the numbers to download ! 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Part 2 here Excuse my toddlers we're going through the face melting situation, but they came out ok with no pr…

What I Can Make: Maxis match clothing retextures, makeup for all skintones, Maxis Match hair, object retextures, non-Face 1/Face 2 Sims, tiny lots My General Style: Maxis Match, I love the style of these dolls. Amount of Participants I Want: 3 All spots taken. What I'd Like to Receive: Long formals…

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Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!! I know - it's a scary thought reality!!!! I'm sorry to even say the words......Back to School. But let's be honest. It's not that far away now, and closer for some than for others. So let's start thinking about how we can prepare. I don't know about you, but I have been stalking Target, Hobby Lobby and a few other places all summer long looking for the best deals and the cutest little bins, buckets, and supplies. Why, oh why, do we teachers spend so much dang money on our classrooms (and have so much fun doing it!?!). I know, I know!!! (I say as I wave my hand in the air like my new students will likely be doing soon enough.) We buy cutesy new things for our classrooms and spend our money on supplies because we love to see the looks on the faces of our little ones when they walk through the door and see their new HOME! It's one of the many reasons why we love teaching so much. As much as we all dread the end of another summer and the freedom we get with it, we also secretly love the excitement of the first day of school. Come on - admit it - you feel the same way too. If there ever comes a time when I don't feel that way, then that should be when I retire. I say retire because I am positive it will not be happening for a LONG time, if ever. I feel like I'm going to be one of those lovely, older, experienced teachers who doesn't want to retire and has to be kicked out. I'll have to dragged out kicking and screaming - dragging my chevron and polka dotted decorations behind me! So back to how we can prepare for going back to school. I don't actually go back until after Labor Day (I'm sorry if that makes you hate me right now, but you get out earlier I'm sure =) I will definitely be posting pictures of my classroom when I actually get around to organizing and decorating it. I also have to find room for all of this stuff... (remember I mentioned I had been shopping just a teeny bit). Even though my room is nowhere near ready I have been thinking A LOT about what I plan on doing those first few weeks of school. This will only be my 2nd year teaching 1st grade. It is my 12th year teaching, but I taught 3rd and 4th grades for 10 years. Last year I was in survival mode with the implementation of Common Core, all the changes with teacher evaluation, and being my first year in a new grade level. It was fun, but I have so many ideas for what I want to do differently this year. But before I talk about all of the things I plan to change (that will have to be another post), I have to get through the first week of school. Yikes!! So here are a few ideas I've been throwing around for that first week. I will start with some things from my Welcome Back Pack. I've always loved reading First Day Jitters by Julie Dannenburg on the first day of school and I also found First Grade Jitters by Robert Quackenbush - how perfect is that? I will start with this First Day Feelings survey and class graph after reading one or both of those books. The picture of the graph is just an example to show what it might look like. We will also make Jitter Juice from Babbling Abby's Fun with Firsties to ease the nerves and have a little snack break =) We will compare our summer with school like this example from First Grade Honeybunch. We will reminisce about our summers *tear* with a little summer writing (which is really my teacher way of getting a quick writing sample to see where they are at). We will HAVE to finish on a high note and not get totally depressed that our summers are over, so we will then come back together and talk about all the amazing things we will be doing this year in first grade - like learning to READ!!!!!! That's a big one! I will give some beautiful, could hear a pin drop, speech about how reading opens the doors to anything you will ever do in life like driving, traveling the world, and of course social media like texting, Facebook, etc. (I'm not totally serious, but I know they will think this is the best part =( Next, we're going to need to break up the sitting, because I don't know if you know this or not, but kids (and adults too) who are just coming back to school after a summer vacation are not so good at sitting for long periods of time and their attention spans are mere minutes at best. So it is extremely necessary to plan for multiple breaks in the day. My Find a Friend activities will give us that opportunity to get up and walk around. These are perfect for any student because there is no reading involved - just pictures. I would introduce this by going through the pictures and pointing out what they are and what they might think of when they see them (a little inferencing on the first day of school - take that Common Core!) Then they walk around and get other kids to sign their names next to a picture they like. When we come back together to share I have students share what they picked and why. For example, I might pick the dog and say that I have a black lab named Molly and tell a little about her. There are 4 different versions of this so I can do 1 each day to get up and moving. The next thing that I think we probably all do is some getting to know you activities or All About Me. I created an All About Me banner that will be perfect to hang up in the hallway or on a bulletin board. So excited to do these this year! There are a couple variations to choose from. I will probably choose this one I also have this super cute Math About Me craftivity that I like to do with the kids. We discuss how math and numbers are everywhere and how we can even describe ourselves using numbers. The craftivity above is a freebie in my TpT Store, but I also just wrote a poem to go with it. You can download the poem HERE if you'd like it. To finish off my pack, I also have included a Back to School interactive mini-book and some printables/coloring pages to fill time or use as morning work. In addition to all this FUN, I also need to take care of some business. That business will be ROUTINES, ROUTINES, ROUTINES!!!! I will be modeling like a crazy woman and pointing out when students are following rules. I will be positive and upbeat, but when needed we will stop what we are doing and go back to the carpet to review a routine or a rule. Here are a bunch of books I plan on reading those first few days as we discuss rules and routines and make anchor charts. I don't have any formal plans for these yet, but I am working on a few things to go along with some of these books, and others will be just discussions and connections. We will work through our class rules that first week (more to come in a later post on that) and more routines. So I hope you got some good ideas from my First Week of First Grade plans. I'd love to hear what you are doing in your own classrooms (or are planning on doing), so leave me a little note =) Click HERE to go to part 2 of this post - I Survived the First Week - Now What? Some more freebies and a chance to win!!!

Sharing activity inspired by Should I Share My Ice Cream by Mo Willems! Perfect for homeschool, classrooms, or family fun. Includes a free printable!

Roy Lichtenstein name art, featuring Ben-Day dots

Inspired by a famous pasta in Capri, Italy, Giada's easy lemon spaghetti has become a fan favorite in both her restaurants and online!

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A budget-friendly DIY slat accent wall can be created using materials that are affordable and easily available. Here are some steps to consider: Use wood scraps or plywood to create the slats. Cut the slats to size using a circular saw & rip cut Sand the edges and surfaces of the slats to

These name worksheets are perfect for your all about me theme because they give kids a chance to share all about their name.

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This printable matching socks game is the perfect activity to keep your toddler entertained and learning through play. Download it for FREE!

A Delicious Lesson All Students Can Sink Their Teeth Into Curriculum Design % %

We are on our 4th week of measurement in my class! PTL the rulers are put away this week because we've moved onto learning about area! After 3

Make practicing counting, shapes, alphabet letters, what comes next, and more fun with these super cute, FREE Apple Worksheets for Preschoolers!

LYNN HAIR (free on my simsfinds account) 50 swatches; No mesh needed; HQ mod compatible; Smooth weighting; Mesh credits go to LeahLillith; EVANGELINE HAIR 50 swatches; No mesh needed; HQ mod…

Finally, it's time for a homemade Korean Kimchi Recipe. My grandma makes the best kimchi and I can vouch for that. This kimchi is the real deal. It is authentic, delicious, and classic. Kimchi is a great side dish for any meal. It also makes some of the most delicious Kimchi creamy dip, Kimchi Fried Rice, Spicy Kimchi Tofu Stew, and Kimchi Pancakes. This recipe is a treasured one that I will always keep. This Grandma's Classic Kimchi recipe is one of my most treasured. It was an honor to learn from her and, best of all, it tastes damn good. It is my pleasure to share this traditional Korean Kimchi recipe with all of you! What is Kimchi/Kimchee? Kimchi, also known as kimchee, is a traditional Korean dish that's made with fermented and salted Napa cabbage. Marinated and fermented vegetables are used to preserve them during winter. Although Napa cabbage is the most popular vegetable used to make kimchi carrots, radishes and cucumbers are also used. There are many kimchi recipes, which vary according to the season and region they were made in. It is easy to make vegan kimchi, you just need to keep plant-based ingredients. Kimchi is readily available and affordable, but I would always advise you to make your own homemade kimchi. Although it can take some time to prepare the vegetables, unlike other fermented foods like bread, beer and kombucha, it is mostly an easy process. Kimchi can be kept in the refrigerator for quite some time, making it a versatile, economical and simple-to-prepare dish. How does Kimchi taste? Kimchi has a very unique taste which makes people love it or hate it, this is mostly due to some people don't like sourness. Kimchi's taste is complex and can vary depending on the recipe. Kimchi will have three main flavors: umami, spicy, and sour. The vegetables you use, the fermentation time, and the amount of sugar or salt used will all affect the taste. Kimchi is a fermented food, so its predominant flavor is usually sour. The bacteria that produces lactic acid during fermentation gives kimchi a spicy, spicy flavor similar to sauerkraut. If garlic is used in kimchi, the flavor intensifies during fermentation. Kimchi can be spicy depending on the amount of pepper used and the type of pepper. What do I love about kimchi/kimchee? Besides being one of the healthier food, kimchi has definitely got something addictive regarding its flavor. There are many wonderful flavors. It has three distinctive flavors: garlic, sour, and spicy. Also, kimchi has a certain level of crispiness which adds to the fullness of experience while eating. Is homemade Kimchi really spicy? It all depends on what type of kimchee is made and/or bought. You can make your own kimchI, which is less spicy than some. Why is homemade kimchi more delicious than store-bought? As I've said before, this kimchi recipe will amaze your taste buds. And as you know, most homemade recipes are better than store-bought, in some cases even better than in restaurants. Some other reasons why is homemade kimchi version better: Homemade kimchi is much cheaper With some tweaks, you can make it your own recipe Share with family and friends It's fun! Can American cabbage be used as a substitute? I wouldn't advise, it won't be the exact same. Napa cabbage has different properties, it is more crunchy and overall makes way better kimchi. Can I substitute red pepper powder with gochujang? No, don't do that! Although gochujang is a red chili paste, you shouldn't substitute it with red pepper, because the texture is totally different. For how long should kimchi be fermented? Kimchi is fermented for at least one day. Usually, Kimchi is fermented from 1-3 days at room temperature or 21 days in the fridge, depending on how sour you want your Kimchi to be. After opening your kimchi jar, it can stay fresh for up to a week at room temperature, and for up to 6 months refrigerated. While refrigerated your kimchi keeps the fermentation process, but if you don't like your Kimchi to sour, you can use it for up to 3 months. If Kimchi becomes too sour, but you don't want to throw it away, try mixing it into some dishes with a milder flavor, like rice. Can regular salt be used for Kimchi? My grandma explained to me that thick sea salt is better than salts like Morton and Diamond kosher salt. It makes cabbage soft and withers and also removes too much moisture. Look out for coarse sea salt grains. What if I don't have red pepper powder for Kimchi? Okay, I have a small discomfort because everyone wants authentic cultural dishes, but not everyone is willing to pay for the authentic ingredients. :) This red pepper powder cannot be replaced with any other. This powder is the only powder if you want to make kimchi authentic. It is not the same as cayenne pepper. It is not the same as chili powder. It is not the same as red bell pepper flakes. It is not the same as powdered pepper flakes. It is not the same as Sriracha. How to make Kimchi Taste better? It should be left out for a longer time before it is put in the refrigerator. Is there a way to make homemade kimchi less sour? Place it in the refrigerator within 12-24 hours. After this, let it rest for at least one night and then place it back in the refrigerator the next morning. What type of jar should I use for Kimchi? I purchased half-gallon wide-mouthed jars. It is very simple to place kimchi into jars with wide mouths. Homemade Kimchi Recipe Ok, now that we know everything we need to know on how to make authentic Kimchi recipe it is time. Kimchi/kimchee is a favorite of mine, so I recommend making homemade kimchi. It's cheaper to make at home than to buy it in the grocery store. If you like this Authentic Korean Kimchi Recipe, share it with your friends and to your Pinterest board! Ingredients For the cabbage: 16 Oz Napa cabbage (cut into 1 inch size) ½ cup of sea salt 1 cup of water Seasonings for kimchi: ½ medium sweet onion ½ tsp of sugar 1 bulb garlic, peeled 4 TBSP cup of water ½ cup red pepper powder 1 bundle of julienned green onions Directions Cut the cabbage into 1-inch size pieces. Mix and Stir the Napa cabbage with the already prepared mixture of sea salt and water using a large bowl, until the sea salt has completely dissolved. Mix the cabbage using your hands. Allow it to stand for around 2 hours. Using a blender, mix the garlic and onion with 1/4 cup of water until you have a smooth paste. Combine the mixture in a large bowl. Add the red pepper powder, green onions, salt and sugar. To make a separate radish-kimchi separate the portion for radish kimchi. When the cabbage is ready, rinse nicely it to get rid of most excess salt. Toss it with the red pepper seasoning mix until the cabbage is well coated. The seasoned kimchi should be placed in a large jar (large-mouthed jar). With your fist, press the cabbage to compress the contents nicely. Continue filling the jar with the seasoned kimchi. If necessary, you can use another jar. Cover the pallet jars with a tight fitting lid and let them rest outside overnight at room temperature. The next day, taste the kimchi. If you like it more sour leave it out for another day or two. When the kimchi is according to your liking, you can place it in the fridge. Kimchi is a fermented food that can be kept in the refrigerator for a very long time. But I wouldn't say it lasts more than 6 months.

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Which Back to School Activities Elementary can I use for Building Community in my Classroom? Which All About Me Activities are most engaging for my students?

FREE shape book printable for teaching basic shapes in preschool and kindergarten. 17 activity pages about basic 2d shapes.

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Are you teaching the alphabet to your toddler? Check out these fun letter A activities for 2-year-olds! Shortly after she turned two, I began a Letter of the Week series with my younger daughter. After

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Start your student's new school year off with some self-reflection. Each page is geared towards getting your students to look at themselves, their families, and their friends!

with the whole stanley cup craze, i thought we could use some extra swatches on the amazing @lilaccreative's simley cup. a big thank you to my friend @lilaccreative for allowing me to use their mesh…