Have you ever had anything to cheer about with your preschoolers? Each spring I like to have my Little People make Name Cheer books. These are accordian-type books that the kids make which have a page for each letter of their name. (I originally got this idea from a Mailbox magazine.) Once the kids make their book and practice a bit, they take turns standing up in front of the class with pompoms and leading the class in their Name Cheer, with the "audience" cheering the each letter back: "Give me a B!" (B!) "Give me an O" (O!) "Give me a B!" (B!) "What does that spell?" (Bob!). They love it, and it helps everyone involved with recognizing and naming letters, not to mention helping the cheer leaders learn how to spell their own names. However, what they love even more is using and getting to keep their own pom poms. Last year I just borrowed a coteacher's pom poms for Name Cheers, but this year I wanted to let everyone take a pom pom home so they could do their cheer for their family. So I decided to make some. After searching on Pinterest I found this Pom Pom tutorial: Source: marthastewart.com via Julie on Pinterest I basically followed the instructions from the link above, and found the directions very easy to follow. Therefore, I will just point you to that link for the basic pom pom steps instead of trying to replicate what is already well-explained. I will say that I seriously overestimated the amount of tissue paper that I needed for 25 pom poms. To keep you from doing the same, I will tell you that it worked out that it took approximately one standard sheet of tissue paper for each pompom. However, since I used more than one color on each pom pom, I cut several different-colored sheets of tissue paper at a time and mixed up the colors as I went to make multi-colored pom poms. Like this: One difference that I made from the original tutorial was that I did not wrap my cut tissue paper strips around a dowel. I made this switch largely for cost purposes, but also because the combination of Little People and dowels in my mind just makes me think of poking. And who needs poking with the Little People? Instead of a dowel I used toilet paper rolls. One roll was too short of a handle, so I put two rolls together. Fold one of the toilet paper rolls in in half lengthwise (like a hot dog). Place the folded tube inside the non-folded one a few inches. Then fold the unfolded one so that the folds line up with the already-folded inside tube: (I know, there are a lot of "folds" in that sentence - sorry.) Hold them together tightly and wrap well with masking tape. This will become your handle onto which you tape the tissue paper. Using this as a handle, follow the instructions in the link as Martha suggests. When I was done, I had a wonderful pile of pom poms for the Little People. As a side note, I also made one pom pom out of my favorite new material, plastic tablecloths. While it turned out cute, I still decided that tissue paper was the most cost-efficient choice for the large quantity I was making. When all of our Name Cheer books were made, I put them all on our bulletin board with the available pom poms. After the kids practiced saying the letters in their name, they got to choose the pom pom that they wanted and used it to lead their Name Cheer in front of the class. Then they got to take the book and pom pom home and (hopefully) do their Name Cheer for their family. Making the pom poms is definitely something that I would do again. It was easy, inexpensive, cute, and highly popular with the Little People. Definitely a keeper.
Handwriting has never been easy to teach to kindergartners, but it is in the Common Core Standards that they learn how to print letters correctly. Each year I have tried through the traditional ways of working on fine motor skills the first half and then formal handwriting sheets the second half of the year. It never worked so this year I tried something new... An inquiry about lines! I asked the kids what kind of lines they knew of. At first they drew straight lines, but then started to expand the types of lines they made! We read some books and watched some videos on YouTube that showed us different lines and also gave them names. I put out provocations for them to explore lines in many different ways and see what they noticed and what connections they made. I put out invitations for them to use lines to make letters, shapes, designs, pictures and numbers: They explored! They are doing activities to build strong finger muscles to help with handwriting and explore lines at the same time! Our clay is quite hard and they have to work it to soften it up. Plus, manipulating the pipe cleaners helps work those fine motor skills! Through this simple inquiry, the kids are much more aware of the different types of lines and how to make them. They are recognizing them in letters, shapes, numbers and pictures. So far, I am seeing an improvement compared to previous years in their names as they try to form the letters the correct way. More are pulling down vertical lines rather than pulling up when making letters but for some this is a hard habit to break! We will keep working on it in developmentally appropriate ways and we will see as the year goes on if this knowledge of lines will help them with the common core standard of writing letters correctly! Here are some other things the kids have been doing in our room during this inquiry! Dots! We celebrated International Dot Day and celebrated creativity! Ken Robinson said that creativity is as important as literacy and I cannot stress enough how true that is! Employers want creative and critical thinkers so these skills need to be emphasized! Here are some pictures of some invitations to be creative and our final display of creativity! In Literacy, we have been focusing on letters and letter sounds. They have been using their names and the names of their friends to help them to recognize letters and their sounds. The invitations at the beginning of the year focused mostly on exploring letters and names. Working lavender into this play-dough also made this a great sensory experience as they used it to explore letters and try to spell their name and friends names. They have been working on the concepts of print as they learn letters and sounds through letter books. They have been practicing starting in the right place, pointing to the words and going in the right direction when they read. When they partner read, one is the reader, the other is the helper so they have to listen and watch closely, then they switch roles. In math we have been exploring numbers counting objects and matching them to the number. We also have been exploring measurement. In math we are also exploring shapes and their properties. In science, they have been working on looking closer, wondering and documenting what they notice. I set out invitations for them to explore and practice these skills. It has been a very full first month! It is amazing how far the kids have come! Stay tuned to find out what the kids are creating for our math area!
Math. Measurement. Balance. Negotiation. Collaboration. And fun. You might call blocks the anti-app: These smooth maple pieces need no recharging, no downloading.
I had a request from a reader for an example of a circle time learning activity. This week my group were comparing sizes of objects. They found the ‘biggest’ object in the group and the ‘smallest’ object. They also described the size of an object compared to different items in the group. I gathered together…Continue Reading...
Learning how to write your name is such a big deal when you're little. Many of us still have Kindergarten students coming to school that st...
We love math picture books! I think it is so important to introduce children to math early on, in fun ways. Because of this, math picture books and games have been an integral part of our family ro…
Sweet, sweet summer. I have never been more ready for it! It was been quite a school year. Running nonstop has left little time for writing on this little blog. I'm finally getting a chance to lo
‘ … for the EYLF to be implemented properly, all early childhood educators need to know what play is, why it is important, how to implement and assess a play-based program and their role in it.’ Questioning practice The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) is built on the understanding that the principles of early childhood […]
The children used paint chips to help them sort nature items by colour. The chips led to an interesting discussion of how colours have many different shades. What a great job!
Handwriting has never been easy to teach to kindergartners, but it is in the Common Core Standards that they learn how to print letters correctly. Each year I have tried through the traditional ways of working on fine motor skills the first half and then formal handwriting sheets the second half of the year. It never worked so this year I tried something new... An inquiry about lines! I asked the kids what kind of lines they knew of. At first they drew straight lines, but then started to expand the types of lines they made! We read some books and watched some videos on YouTube that showed us different lines and also gave them names. I put out provocations for them to explore lines in many different ways and see what they noticed and what connections they made. I put out invitations for them to use lines to make letters, shapes, designs, pictures and numbers: They explored! They are doing activities to build strong finger muscles to help with handwriting and explore lines at the same time! Our clay is quite hard and they have to work it to soften it up. Plus, manipulating the pipe cleaners helps work those fine motor skills! Through this simple inquiry, the kids are much more aware of the different types of lines and how to make them. They are recognizing them in letters, shapes, numbers and pictures. So far, I am seeing an improvement compared to previous years in their names as they try to form the letters the correct way. More are pulling down vertical lines rather than pulling up when making letters but for some this is a hard habit to break! We will keep working on it in developmentally appropriate ways and we will see as the year goes on if this knowledge of lines will help them with the common core standard of writing letters correctly! Here are some other things the kids have been doing in our room during this inquiry! Dots! We celebrated International Dot Day and celebrated creativity! Ken Robinson said that creativity is as important as literacy and I cannot stress enough how true that is! Employers want creative and critical thinkers so these skills need to be emphasized! Here are some pictures of some invitations to be creative and our final display of creativity! In Literacy, we have been focusing on letters and letter sounds. They have been using their names and the names of their friends to help them to recognize letters and their sounds. The invitations at the beginning of the year focused mostly on exploring letters and names. Working lavender into this play-dough also made this a great sensory experience as they used it to explore letters and try to spell their name and friends names. They have been working on the concepts of print as they learn letters and sounds through letter books. They have been practicing starting in the right place, pointing to the words and going in the right direction when they read. When they partner read, one is the reader, the other is the helper so they have to listen and watch closely, then they switch roles. In math we have been exploring numbers counting objects and matching them to the number. We also have been exploring measurement. In math we are also exploring shapes and their properties. In science, they have been working on looking closer, wondering and documenting what they notice. I set out invitations for them to explore and practice these skills. It has been a very full first month! It is amazing how far the kids have come! Stay tuned to find out what the kids are creating for our math area!
Children from low- and middle-income families who watched TV that much showed decreases in certain academic skills, but children from more-affluent families didn’t, a new study says.
Work that is displayed around the room and on the walls reflect the value of children's interest and the process of their learning. It communicates that their work is valued, and that this is their space. The children have made many beautiful learning materials that are used by both the children and the teachers. Child Made Number Cards The children were inspired by number cards made by the previous year's students. "Who made that? Did we do that? I don't remember working on that?" After that I explained that the work was done by another class they decided it would be better to make their own. Wrote the numbers from 1 - 10 on small cards. Illustrated a number set that matched the number. After each illustration the children counted to check their own work. Illustrations finished - now time for color! Liquid Watercolors Finished Product! We have the sweetest kids. After all their work they decided it wouldn't be right to take down the other class' work. "They worked so hard on it for us. They might be sad if we take it down." After some discussion they decided to save their cards and give them as a gift to the next class. "You can put it up next year and when they ask who made it you can say we did!"
3 years & up. Explore new possibilities with our high-quality range of birch plywood dramatic play furniture. This handsome market stand features a colorful awning, and multiple levels of space for storing and displaying toy food. Three angled compartments under a sales counter plus a spacious open shelf below allows children lots of options for displaying market goods. Includes a dry erase panel for writing out daily specials and pricing! Flip the unit around for use as a puppet theater. This versatile play stand is ideal for encouraging creative play in the classroom. Furniture may be cleaned with mild soap and water. Do not use cleaners, bleach, etc. Awning is spot wash only. Features: Dramatic play market stand Includes awning, dry-erase board, broad counter space and two levels of storage for displaying toy groceries Built from premium 15mm-width birch plywood, joined with sturdy wood-screws and dowels Features rounded, smooth-sanded corners and edges Easy-to-clean, UV protective finish helps prevent scratches and stains Unit features maximum utility–turn it around and use it as a puppet theater Limited Lifetime Warranty Simple assembly required: all tools, hardware, and instructions included Measures 28"W x 49"H x 15"D Contents not included.
Rob Pennington with Tony Frontier and Paul Mielke Tune in as we rethink our approach to supervision, goal setting, and evaluation. Follow on Twitter: @robpennington9 @PaulMielke @tonyfrontier @ASCD @bamradionetwork Play Episode Subscribe on iTunes
Are you just starting your Interactive Student Notebook journey with your students? Have you implemented Interactive Students Notebooks, but you are frustrated with the results you are getting from your students? Try this activity with your students to improve not only the quality of your Interactive Student Notebooks, but the overall quality of assignments turned in! This is my Cookie Quality Lesson. It allows you to teach the concept of quality to your students in a way for them to really get it! You will see improvement in your student notebooks! This lesson will work with any grade and any subject! When you purchase this lesson you will receive: -a 29 page presentation guiding you through the Cookie Quality Lesson -a script to read for each slide, detailing information to get the most out of the lesson -concrete examples embedded into the presentation on unit pages, covers and table of contents Think Sprinkles! ***************************************************************************** Customer Tips: How to get TPT credit to use on future purchases: • Please go to your My Purchases page (you may need to login). Beside each purchase you'll see a Provide Feedback button. Simply click it and you will be taken to a page where you can give a quick rating and leave a short comment for the product. Each time you give feedback, TPT gives you feedback credits that you use to lower the cost of your future purchases. I value your feedback greatly as it helps me determine which products are most valuable for your classroom so I can create more for you. ☺ Be the first to know about my new discounts, freebies and product launches: • Do you like this style of teaching? Look for the green star next to my store logo and click it to become a follower. ©Social Studies Success. This purchase is for you and your classroom. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system, or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Please have other teachers purchase their own copy. If you are a school or district interested in purchasing several licenses, please contact me for a district-wide quote *****************************************************************************
Can intelligence be increased through upbringing? Commentator Tania Lombrozo discusses a new synthesis of research on how to raise young children's IQ. The findings suggest modest changes for most parents, but profound changes for access to early childhood education.
Several schools, including ones in high-poverty areas, are making art critical to the learning of more academic subjects. They're seeing remarkable student improvement as a result of arts integration.
Since the new Ontario Kindergarten Curriculum was released this summer our kindergarten team has spent some quality time reflecting and re-thinking how we document and organize this documentation w…
This title is in the Environment Rating Scale (R) Family of Products.Building on extensive feedback from the field as well as vigorous new research on how best to support infant and toddler development and learning, the authors have revised and updated the widely used Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale(R). ITERS-3 is the next-generation assessment tool for use in center-based child care programs for infants and toddlers up to 36 months of age.ITERS-3 focuses on the full range of needs of infants and toddlers and provides a framework for improving program quality. Further, the scale assesses both environmental provisions and teacher-child interactions that affect the broad developmental milestones of infants and toddlers, including: language, cognitive, social-emotional and physical development, as well as concern for health and safety. ITERS-3 is appropriate for state- and district-wide QRIS and continuous quality improvement, program evaluation by directors and supervisors, teacher self-evaluation, monitoring by agency staff, and teacher training programs. The established reliability and validity of the scale make it particularly useful for research and program evaluation.While the approach to assessing quality and the scoring process remain the same for the new ITERS-3, users will find the following improvements informed by extensive use of the ITERS in the field and by the most recent research: Enhanced focus on interactions and the role of the teacher. Six new language and literacy Items. A new Item on beginning math experiences. Expanded age range to include children from birth to 36 months. A new approach to scoring based solely on observation of ongoing classroom activity (3-hour time sample). The elimination of the parents/staff subscale and teacher interviews, freeing up time for observing more actual classroom practice. Improved indicator scaling, providing more precise and useful scores for use in professional development and self-improvement. Reduced emphasis on the number of materials, along with greater emphasis on how materials are used to encourage learning. Suitable for use in inclusive and culturally diverse programs, ITERS-3 subscales evaluate: Space and Furnishings Personal Care Routines Language and Books Activities Interaction Program Structure
UPDATE: September 2013 I have recently updated this set and improved the quality if the art. More color and style options are available! There are now over 160 graphics in this one rockin' set!! The set includes: Cubic blocks in sets of 1's, 10', 100's, 1000's as well as in groups of 2-9. The set includes all blocks in two styles and four color options; including black and white. Ten block flashcard templates Cute block characters Also included... Thermometers Protractor Drafting Compass Balance scale (both balanced and unbalanced) And a few extras!! Other products you might like: Wild Alphabet & Numbers Set All images are in PNG format (translucent background) 300 DPI (Perfect resolution for printing and re-sizing) Thank you for your support & stopping by my store!! I appreciate your feedback and hope you keep coming back for more!! Michelle The 3AM Teacher [email protected] The 3AM Teacher Visit The 3AM Teacher FB Page Terms of Use Terms (copyright) All of my graphics are for personal and/or commercial use. See my terms of use in the preview file for more information. Credit in the form of a link is required when using my graphics. Redistributing, editing , selling, or posting these graphics or any part there of (by themselves and not in a teaching resource or product) on the internet are strictly prohibited without first gaining permission from the author. Violations are subject to the penalties of the Digital millennium Copyright Act. Please contact me at [email protected] if you wish to be granted special permission. Email The 3AM Teacher
A year full of ideas to engage students with the use of sensory table filler material and activities.
? Hands-on printable counting mats for kids to count 1-10 with a cute, engaging Little Bo Peep activity for preschool! FREE Nursery rhyme printable!
Contemporary Native Americans in KidLit. Modern native americans in children's books, today's native americans in children's books,
Since the new Ontario Kindergarten Curriculum was released this summer our kindergarten team has spent some quality time reflecting and re-thinking how we document and organize this documentation w…
Get FIVE books at a discount with this emergent reader insect bundle that includes 4 factual books with full color pictures to teach your students all about butterflies, ladybugs, praying mantises, ants and honey bees. These printables are no prep and the perfect addition to your guided reading groups, your science lesson or your literacy block in Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade! These printable booklets can be used to help reinforce beginning reading strategies such as pointing under words, 1:1 matching when reading, identifying sight words and using beginning sounds to decode. Save yourself time (and money!) as you teach your students facts about insects with this high quality book bundle! All Non-Fiction Books Teaches basic facts about butterflies, ladybugs, praying mantises, ants and honey bees Contains full-color and high-quality pictures Can print in color (for best quality) or black and white Easy to read and understand facts for kids See previews for a complete view of what you will be purchasing! Looking for more? Check out these other products to compliment your reading groups and literacy instruction this year! Animal & Insect Fiction and Non-Fiction Books Earth Day Books Math Printable Books 100th Day of School Books Letter of the Week Resources CVC Resources Needs and Wants Emergent Reader Bundle Fact & Opinion Mini-Unit for K-2nd grade Please follow my store here! Your feedback and reviews are appreciated as I always strive to improve and make products that teachers find useful and purposeful. Remember that after downloading, you can leave feedback which earns credits to download more products free of charge. Thank you!
Affordable tips and tricks that make classroom learning easier and fun
