tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87482659122996376452024-03-05T14:11:26.028-08:00Miss Amy's SchoolhouseDaily life lessons from Miss Amy and her mini-teachers. Welcome to our classroom!!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100358127034189922noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748265912299637645.post-25948582925723836192014-07-24T17:54:00.000-07:002014-07-24T17:54:44.086-07:00Sight Words, Sight Words, Sight WordsHello friends!<br />
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Raise your hand if you like teaching and working on sight words? In my classroom, I use <a href="http://www.heidisongs.com/" target="_blank">HeidiSongs</a> to teach the words using music. What is also great about the resources on her sight, is that she has quite a few things to make games and centers for classroom use. However, for me, since I use the <a href="http://www.thedailycafe.com/" target="_blank">Daily 5</a> method for my literacy centers, I can go through her resources pretty quickly. One of the literacy stations is called "Word Work." For my classroom, I do a mixture of ABC letter work (games for identification, letter order, letter sounds) and sight word practice. I created a new packet for my team and I to use as it follows the words outlined in our reading basal (SRA). The activities are actually all ideas that came from my class last year, so I have to give them credit on helping this adult come up with some things a kindergartner and first grader would enjoy!<br />
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The words in the packet are: a, the, and, go, had, he, I, see, has, you, we, of, in, am, at, to, as, have, is, it.<br />
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The first set of activities comes from a group of boys in my class that loved to use color codes and find a mystery picture, whether it was symbols, numbers, or words. Here is a picture:<br />
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The second set of activities is a version of "I Have, Who Has." My students loved games and were always ready to play for a review, instead of just a traditional flash card review. The cards are clear and easy to read:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPte4dFOIxzsQhMN51wS8S531ko5AGOe_-PirEB7GLdU3vAwwQXH4NmLsvStKDKdapXicsCJ2sNBaZ2o5Ja_lZUo0cfrxJ2ppEH_m3NcUUAbKdHcaJYvhzjoOFm3IkXcbAturbtnZksYOB/s1600/SightWord5.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPte4dFOIxzsQhMN51wS8S531ko5AGOe_-PirEB7GLdU3vAwwQXH4NmLsvStKDKdapXicsCJ2sNBaZ2o5Ja_lZUo0cfrxJ2ppEH_m3NcUUAbKdHcaJYvhzjoOFm3IkXcbAturbtnZksYOB/s1600/SightWord5.PNG" height="227" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OFh6cmp2_qW_0VJdPja6pwPuVmGCRW4gCYJG-zsTv3m8pVdiLqvVsXB-aQbyx0LEP1nHNrwudXXubLaLkq0xXxhrvGoeHfUI5LStxx06AWXO3J7wiV_ciGr1QMd26UtWhctl2_bJomgQ/s1600/SightWord3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OFh6cmp2_qW_0VJdPja6pwPuVmGCRW4gCYJG-zsTv3m8pVdiLqvVsXB-aQbyx0LEP1nHNrwudXXubLaLkq0xXxhrvGoeHfUI5LStxx06AWXO3J7wiV_ciGr1QMd26UtWhctl2_bJomgQ/s1600/SightWord3.PNG" height="640" width="379" /></a>The next activities are perfect for a "Word Work" type of center, handwriting practice, or even spelling practice. (Yes, I said spelling in regards to a kindergarten class. I have heard of school districts assigning spelling lists for as young as kindergarten.) The first set is designed to work with a set of stamps and two ink pads in red and blue. You have the child read the sight word aloud and then stamp it out, using red for the vowels and blue for the consonants. Then they can use math skills (Look! integrating sorting and counting) and figure out how many vowels and consonants are in each word. I had a few kiddos last year that loved to do this all the time. The second set of activities is a nod to my girls who would rainbow write EVERYTHING last year! You can use any type of crayon or marker and let them write the sight words in a pretty fashion! :-) </div>
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The last group of activities in the packet are sight word mini books. There are 20 mini books, one for each word. The mini books are not designed to tell a story, but rather just give the ability to practice reading the sight words in phrases and sentences. There are some non sight words in the books, but hopefully with a little beginning decoding skills and using the picture clues, the students will be able to read the books. Again, the inspiration came from my class last year. Many of them did not like to read the stories that were forced to have a plot based only on certain words. In fact, many of them just enjoyed reading sentences to practice the sight words. I thought if the sentences had picture cues and was in the form of a book, it would practice proper book reading technique, yet the students wouldn't have to practice reading comprehension skills AND practice sight words at the same. Which proved to be stressful for many. I felt I could practice either comprehension or sight words but not both on the same day. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudErWM3bsfIfEnWOze6jLYnDh_j4-oABI3ioT-s-BpKPl4a_KHrxNRK5cwN0bbOYiZ9ubb4XDQNTmpd22WiQADhJmHN1zS70XfUgzi3edtfaQzKJMepKhPUO5JNtYQgug847aXLoD0vAB/s1600/SightWord4.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudErWM3bsfIfEnWOze6jLYnDh_j4-oABI3ioT-s-BpKPl4a_KHrxNRK5cwN0bbOYiZ9ubb4XDQNTmpd22WiQADhJmHN1zS70XfUgzi3edtfaQzKJMepKhPUO5JNtYQgug847aXLoD0vAB/s1600/SightWord4.PNG" height="236" width="640" /></a></div>
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I hope this proves to be helpful to many of my fellow early childhood teachers! Enjoy! (Click on the link below the picture to go to my TpT site.)</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3PvD31pbQ2Ka8erkHO3NI_z0ar-4IoM7PW8wK6vqbXiXPzVXba-1emi8oxQXNZTM8Tx3R-YkmQctyQK3QL76s4VgEaWqtF6N77QRLpV8KZfRcsnzhepFxSx-YpOZj7M2PfXyn4WvQhlv/s1600/SightWord1.PNG" height="482" width="640" /><a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sight-Words-for-K-and-1st-1345462" target="_blank">http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sight-Words-for-K-and-1st-1345462</a></div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100358127034189922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748265912299637645.post-26294050393523089202014-06-24T16:59:00.000-07:002014-06-24T16:59:12.241-07:00Noah and the ArkHere is a preview of a new unit I posted today on <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Noah-Bible-Unit-1291299" target="_blank">TeachersPayTeachers</a> today. I created a Noah unit to use with Kindergarten and First Grade classrooms! I made a reflection journal to help apply the story of Noah to a child's life. Also, to help build life application skills, there is a graphic organizer so a child can write about four ways they obeyed just like Noah. n Included are two games; a version of "I Have, Who Has" and an Animal Matching Game. I also added a Bible verse sheet and two activity pages practicing rhyming and counting by two. Finally, there are some fun art projects: making a tissue paper rainbow and a collage of Noah and the animals. Here are some screenshots below:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIh_qD5rNB7NPyth46KANG_laH4DJWqZTkHuh5mflzZUpR8bxdKK94DNxrFlnOjobnH6zRamtX2v2BNpIBf8YxaTDzenypRicBprpWZI7wG6GEOxte17KYAaZtDwaTplxwaMj40cuTqI5b/s1600/Noah1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIh_qD5rNB7NPyth46KANG_laH4DJWqZTkHuh5mflzZUpR8bxdKK94DNxrFlnOjobnH6zRamtX2v2BNpIBf8YxaTDzenypRicBprpWZI7wG6GEOxte17KYAaZtDwaTplxwaMj40cuTqI5b/s1600/Noah1.PNG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xFvs0eNxRtnX8JO_Us-4T-eyGdUitnmd9TCoYaX0dzmzgB6yEX6DTSAEo55gF0tubZFvPuax3yhAcuzprGknr1DJi8nMhSldYqSdDvqblA5VY9YKjhQoMqdn7Sj4gGe7YSfvGyQnBgFX/s1600/Noah3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xFvs0eNxRtnX8JO_Us-4T-eyGdUitnmd9TCoYaX0dzmzgB6yEX6DTSAEo55gF0tubZFvPuax3yhAcuzprGknr1DJi8nMhSldYqSdDvqblA5VY9YKjhQoMqdn7Sj4gGe7YSfvGyQnBgFX/s1600/Noah3.PNG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vwyTfkyRvts7OIYWsarJ6-R_ETNLjUsr6nFZJ_ExhR68qycQ7x2rKLRN97Dx6RSWtRabqVYKYYe_tlZAYyHfwnOcwmW1K1Iqu33m7nAYU3nY4pFs51fvgOveCyYVcpmLkOgtpQ2iSeSu/s1600/Noah4.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vwyTfkyRvts7OIYWsarJ6-R_ETNLjUsr6nFZJ_ExhR68qycQ7x2rKLRN97Dx6RSWtRabqVYKYYe_tlZAYyHfwnOcwmW1K1Iqu33m7nAYU3nY4pFs51fvgOveCyYVcpmLkOgtpQ2iSeSu/s1600/Noah4.PNG" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100358127034189922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748265912299637645.post-33644802540947367632014-02-09T14:50:00.001-08:002014-02-09T14:50:09.308-08:00Winter Olympics Math 2014Do you have Olympic fever? I do. I have always loved watching the Olympics since I can remember. When I was younger, my cousins and my sister and I would pretend we were figure skaters with our socks on linoleum flooring. I thought it would be fun to incorporate the Olympic fever into some math activities for my classroom this year. Below are some samples:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd67oFCkurb9_cjc1Z2Oqb76gNLoyxFARSlpascRk-3NYllxprLFEdtKX5kLecgaUA7iBlO1KHiWe9gh00g2dNAo5fAg6AjyTd_LiXMu3q6Y3mM2-RgbGBnJ4mIXs_ksQIhUMljhXqh53R/s1600/wintermath.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd67oFCkurb9_cjc1Z2Oqb76gNLoyxFARSlpascRk-3NYllxprLFEdtKX5kLecgaUA7iBlO1KHiWe9gh00g2dNAo5fAg6AjyTd_LiXMu3q6Y3mM2-RgbGBnJ4mIXs_ksQIhUMljhXqh53R/s1600/wintermath.PNG" height="245" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOOMxXs6fgV12dK6egPWRYAnxIRIW564SLMLAZVDOrleDYl6s-NcaBdVaQKqdu7oYOuKRyiu3Goztw7gQUfh4WufHmJeaP59URLQtuNp-6WlzJEI3vT6D4RzQ6gim3SPqYA6VM2YBhPCQO/s1600/wintermath1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOOMxXs6fgV12dK6egPWRYAnxIRIW564SLMLAZVDOrleDYl6s-NcaBdVaQKqdu7oYOuKRyiu3Goztw7gQUfh4WufHmJeaP59URLQtuNp-6WlzJEI3vT6D4RzQ6gim3SPqYA6VM2YBhPCQO/s1600/wintermath1.PNG" height="237" width="320" /></a></div>
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Currently in my classroom, we just finished celebrating 100 days of school and have started a unit on skip counting in our math curriculum. Also, I added in some common core skills with some algebraic operations in creating ten with addition. I know that these are skills in math for most kindergarten classrooms at this time of year. As much as I wanted to add some things in about Sochi, Russia or add some USA pride in it, I tried to make it as neutral as possible to provide usability again in four years and for other kindergarten teachers worldwide to use it. I think it is a fun way to incorporate the excitement children may have watching the Olympics and dreaming about it into the classroom, especially in math, which can be hard to make interesting for everyone. I also have included a graph activity so the class can find out their favorite winter sport! You can find it at Miss Amy's Schoolhouse on TeachersPayTeachers or at: <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Winter-Olympics-Kindergarten-Math-Activites-1105849">http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Winter-Olympics-Kindergarten-Math-Activites-1105849</a>. </div>
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Enjoy and be blessed!!</div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100358127034189922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748265912299637645.post-21917178951426135112013-10-30T01:30:00.000-07:002013-10-30T09:09:40.104-07:00Whew! That Was Busy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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Hello friends! I can't believe the first nine weeks is already over! It seems like I was trying to stay updated and suddenly it is now the end of October! I wanted to share with you some beginning of the year activities that might be helpful for intervention or supplement.<br />
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The beginning of the year can be difficult for teachers as we lesson plan. For me, I like to lesson plan with my students and their abilities in mind, but obviously that is hard when you don't know your students. This year we are starting off with a quick alphabet letter review. Wedid two letters a day, focusing on letter identification and some beginning sound work.<br />
My favorite thing to use to work on beginning letter skills are these two books I bought a few years ago from <a href="http://www.theeducationcenter.com/" target="_blank">The Mailbox Publishing Company</a>. I love the simple black and white pictures because they are clear and easy to figure out what the object is. They are also very up-to-date with the words they use, using items that the children of the 2000s know, i.e. no records or record players on the R booklet or activities. (Not that I am against record players. It just makes practicing letter sounds difficult by having to stop and explain what a record is. Better to save that for a music appreciation lesson! :-) ) Anyway, here are some samples from the books below:<br />
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<img height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzgYLwrApN_7x8skyPMUxH6iiFj2bvONi4Hs0bSa5GOrAZgSz6_YkWW_AWB64IwUbzj8S47H4A0XbY9ywErEUlACnybT7Ct1RsDq1rQ6rqgHcpjAKyuwEajVVtleUVzLeJ6pi8Gz4q0Fl/s320/blogger-image--56121405.jpg" width="239" /><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6xUk3KO_2kDlhOR6HsWglvzcKxXALt1OWtmIjJ8ciWMsQs_xHsJqhT5HB40QSL-EmZV2sLRGQ6eRrMv4Z3-hQEQhIpYgW7ZBLsOyQq0NxXAcbuAMB2-h8F0ct96smNYT11tEHid1Ikj8-/s320/blogger-image-170520278.jpg" width="320" /></div>
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As you can see the pictures are clear and the activities provide great practice with letters and following directions. The D page on the right shows me that this student can identify capital D, but may struggle with auditory directions since they were supposed to draw a line instead of circling the letter. This student wasn't the only one to do that, so we have worked on quite a few activities where we follow directions when they are given out loud. It is fun to make the ABC booklets because at the end, the kiddos will each have a whole alphabet set!<br />
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The D and F page are from the Big Book of Beginning Sounds. The activities provide great practice with identifying beginning sounds as well as increasing vocabulary of the students. The students not only love the accomplished feeling with the cut and paste, but they love coloring the pictures. As we build our word wall throughout the year, I am very impressed as they suggest words to add that come from these activities.<br />
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<img height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWV5WoozITfz9WaYNEiRuY9PBz_VSXDFrkMHqrfx96Y7DMOJMsTjZZ1SSG4q435XSv5ccy6gjJ3Mju3pYeJqivZlARE8XlOSyW5oI1HS0VSWw6BO3O9Q_MgZcxzKItD4_1zCbfEiwmpp_A/s200/blogger-image-168800454.jpg" width="146" /><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikom6Rgp9ux5yKd-HyHmY8fV-JB0S6w9L1Fiq0QdaMpPQRnOZ7rvml3ukPjqB2Hh6yzUujVxnxJCE7eQd243aIe4byp6wiFFOj1t0NBJO-pRF6ekG1Phm3dZyU5wTgNfiE2qal19uai08d/s200/blogger-image-2091209180.jpg" width="154" /></div>
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Both things provide such good practice with fine motor skills using coloring, cutting, and pasting, I can't imagine starting off the year any other way! It sets a great foundation as we move into reusable items such as puzzles, games, and flash cards.<br />
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100358127034189922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748265912299637645.post-88013407839514093172013-09-03T03:00:00.000-07:002013-09-03T03:00:05.395-07:00Sequencing CardsHappy Tuesday everyone! Today I wanted to share with you a brand-new activity for sequencing. For early readers, putting things in the right order of events can be difficult. I created eight sets of sequencing cards to use as a center in the classroom! My goal in creating these cards was to pick everyday life events in order so that students would be able to successfully put the cards in order. I based them off of some sequencing cards a reading specialist let me borrow. I don't know where she got them, but I have never been able to find any quite like them. I loved them because of that everyday life feature. For example, I have a set about doing laundry and washing hands. I find that if they can make the real life connections to what they are doing in the classroom, the students are more confident about their abilities to understand a skill. Once they have mastered the skill, it is then easier for them to transition to putting it in use when we read stories or even later in the year as they begin to write their own stories! Here is a sample below:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8f52dVvzk6aYdDPKyFRBzzit_TpwI2NVyaUPdkJQS4qtj6x_aySd9q2KjZwl6aBRoRL6aNYRZX3WOiIEmMmWnPnFB8tGWVCE-coovQ9Yy9GIiUx_1U1NiL3kXanYnIbaGabVdFlOhr9UC/s1600/Laundry.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8f52dVvzk6aYdDPKyFRBzzit_TpwI2NVyaUPdkJQS4qtj6x_aySd9q2KjZwl6aBRoRL6aNYRZX3WOiIEmMmWnPnFB8tGWVCE-coovQ9Yy9GIiUx_1U1NiL3kXanYnIbaGabVdFlOhr9UC/s320/Laundry.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Don't delay, go download these for your classroom today! you can find them at <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Kindergarten-Sequencing-Cards-857856" target="_blank">Miss Amy's Schoolhouse Store</a>. Happy Sequencing!! </div>
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<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100358127034189922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748265912299637645.post-33457909730831633032013-08-29T13:00:00.000-07:002013-08-29T13:00:01.995-07:00Daily 5: Read to Self<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
What literacy center method do you use in kindergarten? This is my 3rd year to use the <a href="http://www.thedailycafe.com/public/department104.cfm" target="_blank">Daily 5 method,</a> and I wouldn't have it any other way to do literacy centers. </div>
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The Daily 5 consists of five literacy centers that are considered the anchor centers. Each center is designed to function the same, but the activities change. The centers are: Read to Self, Read with a Buddy, Word Work, Writing, and Listening. The Sisters that created this method outline a day-by-day, week-by-week method of teaching the centers to the class to get started. These past two weeks we have worked on the basics of a Read-to-Self center.<br />
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When I first start teaching the students about how to do Read to Self, we talk about how we can read a book in three ways. You can imagine the responses from the kindergartners. They all look at me like I am crazy. Many of them will start to mutter that they cannot read. I then tell them that we can read a book in three ways: read the pictures, retell a story, or read the words. I stress that we don't need to worry about reading the words right now. A blessing of the reading series we use at my school is that they come with these really great decodable readers:<br />
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Did you notice something? Yup. There are no words! I will pull these books out and we will practice reading the pictures of the books. It helps the students then make that transition over to the books in the Read to Self area. <br />
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Just like every year, this class has its own personality, so we actually spent two weeks breaking down the Read to Self center and what it entails, including on how to pick a "just right" book. They are doing a fantastic job and I can't wait to see how next week goes when we learn how to Read with a Buddy next week! As the weeks progress, and I begin to really see who my readers are, I will fill the Read to Self center with books on their levels. Right now though, I encourage them to bring their readers to the center or look though the books I have place there. I have chosen books that go with our themes of going to school and all about me right now. I also make sure that any book I read aloud goes in the center so they can retell it. And of course, the class books we have made!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100358127034189922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748265912299637645.post-28089045156417242922013-08-15T18:15:00.000-07:002013-08-15T18:15:03.409-07:00First Day Fun!Today was our first day of kindergarten for the 2013-2014! It was so much fun! The children were all sweet and excited to be here. Today they were strangers, but I know by the end of the year we will be family. <br />
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For me, the first day of school is always unique every year. I try to follow the same plan every year, but I always find something new and different to do. Like a new management system for lunches or a new way to line up. Today it was a new way to start off the year writing.<br />
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The school that I teach at has very strong academic expectations, especially in writing, which fits well with the new Common Core emphasis on writing. This year in <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-Kindergarten-Common-Core-Activites-812081" target="_blank">my Back-To-School packet</a> I created, I added a writing activity, which now turned into our first class book! I love doing the class books and especially love at the end of the year when I raffle off the different ones to the students. What a precious keepsake to have for your lifetime! Anyway, back to the class book. I am sharing it with you all, because it was so easy to do and the results were fantastic!<br />
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We read the book, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Miss-Bindergarten-Ready-Kindergarten-Books/dp/0140562737" target="_blank">Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready For Kindergarten</a>.</i> It is a great first day of school book to read! I love it because the pictures are so detailed about all the different things people do to get ready for school! Plus, the author uses alphabet order for each character, which is really fun as well. After we read the story, I had the class go to free play centers which consisted of legos, books, puzzles, and a special color sheet on which they traced the lines using markers, practicing the fine motor skills. While the free play centers were happening, I called small groups over to work on the writing page. I had them draw the pictures describing step by step their own getting ready for kindergarten process. Then I wrote the caption underneath as they dictated to me what happened.<br />
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The results are below! They did a great job drawing pictures to describe how they got ready for kindergarten that morning. There were lots of teeth being brushed, lots of pancakes eaten, lots of new backpacks, and lots of car rides to school! They loved connecting their real-life experience with the book! Here are the pictures:<br />
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I hope you enjoyed seeing their work as much as I did! I am so excited for this year! Go try this activity with your students! Happy Writing!<br />
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<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100358127034189922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748265912299637645.post-81942203174158605082013-08-08T11:07:00.000-07:002013-08-08T11:07:36.465-07:00Am I worried about school starting? Goodness, No! I wear my school shoes, I wear my school shoes....Happy Thursday y'all! <br />
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Today's theme that I uploaded to <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Pete-the-Cat-Rocking-In-My-School-Shoes-Common-Core-Theme-816598">Miss Amy's Schoolhouse Store</a> is based upon one of my favorite series of books: Pete the Cat! I love Pete because he tackles fears and worries. He doesn't let the small stuff get to him because he knows in the end, it will all be good. It is a great series! Check out<a href="http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/feature/petethecat/"> the author's website</a>! Watch this video below:<br />
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Because of how awesome Pete is, I just had to create some math and language arts activities based on this book! Every year, I always have a few kids that love Pete. Last year, I had a little boy love Pete so much that was all he would listen to in the listening center. In fact, his friends stop going with him there because they couldn't listen to Pete one more time. :-) Here are a sample of the activities:<br />
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I created a math activity that orders Pete's guitars from biggest smallest, a mystery picture about the number 4, and in the bottom picture, you can see the parts to make a book report puppet. I saw the idea for the book report puppet many year ago when I did an author study on Kevin Henkes with my 2nd graders. I never thought the idea would work well with kindergarten until I started reading more about the Common Core skills. Here are the directions for assembling the puppet:</div>
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Directions:</div>
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1. Have the children complete the “My Favorite Place Pete Rocked His School Shoes Was…” They can draw the picture of the story and then have an adult write the caption.</div>
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2. (It helps if you can precut all the pieces before giving them to the children.) Hold the bag like a puppet. Have them glue the head to the flap created by the bottom of the sack. </div>
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3. Glue the arms and legs to the bag, followed by gluing on the hands and shoes.</div>
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4. Glue the tail on the back.</div>
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5. Now glue “My Favorite Place Pete Rocked His School Shoes…” paper to Pete’s Belly.</div>
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6. Have the children each stand up in the circle with their puppet on their hand and then tell the class what about their favorite part of the story</div>
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What makes this great for kindergarten is the element of allowing them to DRAW about the book. When reading the beginning expectations for writing according to Common Core, a light bulb went off. Of course they can do the book report puppet! Have them draw and then dictate to the teacher about the picture. Then they can use the puppet to build those speaking and listening skills by telling the class about their favorite part of the book. Perfect! Sometimes the simplest solutions are often complicated by over thinking!</div>
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Anyway, I hope that you will check out my theme! I would love your feedback! AND I hope that you take time to read to your class <i>Pete the Cat: Rocking In My School Shoes</i> this year as school starts!</div>
<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100358127034189922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748265912299637645.post-60165957452004561472013-08-06T03:00:00.000-07:002013-08-06T03:00:05.031-07:00It is Back to School with Common Core!I finally finished my whole TpT Back-to School theme using the Common Core Skills. What is a really neat feature just added to TpT is that you can now find items by the exact common core skill! Makes searching for that perfect lesson or activity that much quicker! Here are some previews from the theme:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx47P6DfcV5-FjHsM7qLIjvAJKH0diYqDyAR5NMEuhjXy0S75rUQf4AOt4E-irP_-i8Rj6c9Y8QREHiPN-hpc1y2U4_PoC53XssM1jD9GBzxCcVZn4yWs8CEJWi1V4YXtblJ2sIGzdjgu3/s1600/BacktoSchool2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx47P6DfcV5-FjHsM7qLIjvAJKH0diYqDyAR5NMEuhjXy0S75rUQf4AOt4E-irP_-i8Rj6c9Y8QREHiPN-hpc1y2U4_PoC53XssM1jD9GBzxCcVZn4yWs8CEJWi1V4YXtblJ2sIGzdjgu3/s320/BacktoSchool2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This theme was a lot of fun to make! I've included all the math activities that I posted about last week, and added several language art activities. My favorite things in the unit are a Back-To-School version of "I Have, Who Has" and a 4-Square writing activity sorting out school items. If you have never played "I Have, Who Has," it is a great way to build those speaking and listening skills that not only are required by Common Core, but are also important as a life skill. Plus, since this version relies heavily on pictures, it is great for emergent readers! Each child is given a card and they say, "I have a____," filling in with the 1st picture on the card. The child then says, "Who has a ______?" asking the class for the card with the 2nd picture. Play continues until the end of the cards. I love using the 4-Square writing method to teach my kindergarteners how to become awesome writers. The first step is sorting out pictures around a topic. Since this will be the first one they will do, I've kept it very simple to build confidence and also understanding of the task. You can visit my store here: <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Miss-Amys-Schoolhouse">http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Miss-Amys-Schoolhouse</a></div>
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Today we also find out what little friends we will have in our classrooms this year! I'm excited to get a brand new crop of eager boys and girls! School starts on August 14th with an information day, followed by the first full day of school on August 15th! It is coming soon! When does school start for you?</div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100358127034189922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748265912299637645.post-7229194321539026152013-07-30T15:57:00.000-07:002013-07-30T15:57:24.597-07:00Another FREE Download!!!!Hello Friends! I hope that this Tuesday is finding you well! I'm excited because tonight I'm getting together with some former team members. We all taught kindergarten together at a Title I school. I love these ladies so much! Although another member and I have moved to a different school, it is fun to get together and share not only our personal lives but stories from the classroom. I love how teaching is just a big network of ideas and in sharing those great ideas we all become better educators for our students!<br />
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Anyway, today I upload a free Back-To-School reader to my TpT store. It is very simple, only eight pages with simple black and white drawings. I like the openness of the graphics with no shaded spaces, only outlines for the students. There is nothing better to the average kindergarten kid than getting to color the pictures in a "book." They take so much pride in creating a unique book, even if that means rainbow colored hair on the people or a hot pink school bus. :-) Under each drawing, I simply put a vocabulary word related to school items. My goal was to create a fun, simple booklet that could be enjoyed by ALL learners in the first few days of school. Did I mention it was free? Oh yeah, it is FREE!! Go download it today at <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Miss-Amys-Schoolhouse">Miss Amy's Schoolhouse</a>!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRtDFC95XDIPT3pxUdTXG8IXouH93HS1mzSyBTJ03aIIFlF6eI9wMtSHFfiI3FPWAV14Ik3oSXb-afxSmQYqU2-cA93hVptJR0cocNgFsQfchF88ymSeK-Fm3z-00oQN_4ZHixAoQkJjsY/s1600/BacktoSchoolReader.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRtDFC95XDIPT3pxUdTXG8IXouH93HS1mzSyBTJ03aIIFlF6eI9wMtSHFfiI3FPWAV14Ik3oSXb-afxSmQYqU2-cA93hVptJR0cocNgFsQfchF88ymSeK-Fm3z-00oQN_4ZHixAoQkJjsY/s640/BacktoSchoolReader.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBjDDwqEQb4Bni4MCtwwMYnqJhexWulZS1wxxfva1noCYxucng5slKilq6rKMFHLMiXIBoIQQn9BPscP5VS2GzyMVkFjO9SBIQIVzREb-eRuuFQ38P7SnPzbC2xcsVgQvg0Dw2qbOWhyphenhyphenwf/s1600/BacktoSchoolReader2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBjDDwqEQb4Bni4MCtwwMYnqJhexWulZS1wxxfva1noCYxucng5slKilq6rKMFHLMiXIBoIQQn9BPscP5VS2GzyMVkFjO9SBIQIVzREb-eRuuFQ38P7SnPzbC2xcsVgQvg0Dw2qbOWhyphenhyphenwf/s640/BacktoSchoolReader2.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100358127034189922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748265912299637645.post-51291752225182543212013-07-29T13:10:00.001-07:002013-07-29T13:12:01.031-07:00Back to School Time: Kindergarten Math Common Core Practice Sheets Hello!!! It is that time of year again! The time I love to walk through Wal-Mart, and Target and see all the fresh new school supplies! I've always loved buying school supplies, so I guess it is only fitting I became a teacher! Yesterday I bought myself some <b>NEON</b> Ticonderoga pencils at Target! They are so fun and only $2.00 for ten! Miss Amy will have some very special teacher pencils this year! (By the way, Ticonderoga pencils are the<b> BEST</b> out there. They are more pricey, but I promise they are more durable than any other brand. And I should know, after all I teach kindergarten. They can be pretty destructive!)<br />
Anyway, also in exciting news, <i>I've finally opened my very own Teacher Pay Teacher store</i>. I'm starting off small. My first thing to offer this week is a series of Math activities that are perfect for individual work, whole group work, or even center activities, all around a Back-to-School theme! It is great to fill in those days before curriculum starts (which we all know can be a headache to try to plan), as a supplement to curriculum, and especially for new teachers to begin to create center activities! Here are some sample pictures of the activities:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7J7PM53h4DCVYD0at3Mmpz4Z5p1mKXVDYiWMvBgsSK_77PxJAEyxp62E01PgyTEOZ_eUxcW8QboTg15XoeaMUYcIa3VIJNqPU2DNx-UtT5JTlGQWPwKe7n8U9O0HQzuf1pBAh7uNnBZL/s1600/Pencils.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7J7PM53h4DCVYD0at3Mmpz4Z5p1mKXVDYiWMvBgsSK_77PxJAEyxp62E01PgyTEOZ_eUxcW8QboTg15XoeaMUYcIa3VIJNqPU2DNx-UtT5JTlGQWPwKe7n8U9O0HQzuf1pBAh7uNnBZL/s320/Pencils.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_cfoa4JpInDBhEPul74jYpZOjAZnf56ck5Bpxz8Z8mCmXPY-JnpfKJBJQ4TYID136zvsimfH6uzQy3RSEYTwEqoN1P0DwNoEYlvB-sznjc2IDT_N36wzKpopfQ_hgPNkNJ77WIKSxyOcc/s1600/tens.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_cfoa4JpInDBhEPul74jYpZOjAZnf56ck5Bpxz8Z8mCmXPY-JnpfKJBJQ4TYID136zvsimfH6uzQy3RSEYTwEqoN1P0DwNoEYlvB-sznjc2IDT_N36wzKpopfQ_hgPNkNJ77WIKSxyOcc/s400/tens.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here is a list of the activities and the corresponding common core skills:</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">1.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Time for
Class: Counting with numbers 1-4. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">K.CC.1a,
K.CC.3a, K.CC.4a)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">2.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">H</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">ow Many
Pencils: Counting and writing numbers 1-4. K.CC.1a, K.CC.3a, K.CC.4a, K.CC.4b)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">3.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Make a
Group of Four: Practice counting to four and adding missing items to create
four. K.CC.4a., K.CC.$4.b-1</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">4.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Count the
Kids: Counting and Sorting into a groups practicing numbers 1-4. K.CC.3.a.,
K.CC.4a, K.CC.4.c</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">5.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Write the
Word and Number: Writing the number and
the word for numbers 1-4.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">6.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Math
Vocabulary Anchor Chart cards over Ones and Tens. K.CC1.b</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">7.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">&Counting
Ones: Practice counting groups of Ones.
K.CC.1.b</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">8.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Making a
Ten: Using cut and paste to make a tens
rod. K.CC.1.b</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">9.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Math Vocabulary Anchor Chart over the Word
Above. K.G.1.c</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">10.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Above the
Bookcase: Circling the things “above” in
the classroom picture. K.G.1.c</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">11.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Biggest
to Smallest: Sorting and placing items
in order from biggest to smallest. K.MD.3.a</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">12.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">How Do
You Go To School?: Graphing activity with the whole group to find out how the
students go to school. K.MD.3.b. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">13.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">All About
Squares: Anchor Chart to show the basic attributes of a square. K.G.1.a,
K.G.4.a</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">14.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Find the
Squares: Students will circle the items that are square shapes. K.G.1.a,
K.G.1.b, K.G..2</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">15.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Draw a
Square: Students can draw their own object that is a square shape. K.G.1.a,
K.G.1.b, K.G.5.a</span><span style="font-size: 20pt;">
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Come and check out my TpT store at <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Miss-Amys-Schoolhouse">Miss Amy's Schoolhouse</a>! I'm currently offering the whole math theme at a discounted price for August, and if you aren't ready to commit, I have a free sample available as well! Happy Back-to School shopping!<br />
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<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100358127034189922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748265912299637645.post-40840734337015036682012-08-21T17:14:00.001-07:002012-08-21T17:15:37.078-07:00Interrupting GodRaise your hand if you like interruptions to your plans? As a reforming planner, I can definitely say I can tolerate interruptions a lot better. God has spent the year breaking me of my planner heart. It has been hard because I love that part of education- writing out lesson plans and schedules and then checking the activities and schedule off as needed. <br />
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Today God reminded me that is in control of it all, including my classroom. Our principal reminded us of that at morning devotion and then God decided to provide me with the opportunity to see if I would listen and obey. We were in the middle of Bible lesson when I noticed a student was getting upset. Tears had formed and slowly were going down the cheeks. We only had a little in the lesson left to finish, and I was faced with the decision: Do I finish my lesson or stop and minister to this child? I didn't want to stop but I yielded to God. I asked the child to come forward. I asked what was wrong, and the child told me,"I miss Mommy." Then I gave them a hug and asked the class if we could stop and pray that Jesus would comfort the child. Everyone prayed and that opened some little hearts to be compassionate and include that child to play. By the end of the day a new friendship was formed. Thank you Lord!! <br />
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Thank you Lord for breaking this planner apart into a person that embraces and now anticipates interruptions. Your ways are not only higher but better than mine!!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100358127034189922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748265912299637645.post-56170784886116768922012-08-18T09:44:00.001-07:002012-08-18T15:10:12.333-07:00It feels like springtime again, You are making all things new!Hello friends!!It's been awhile since I've updated. A big change has happened since I last posted. I'll try to be brief as I get up to date.<br />
•First, the daily 5 went amazing in my class! I saw an interest and a love for reading and writing instilled in my students. One boy jumped from reading at a preK level to reading at a first grade level by the end of the year. I pray that he continues to be a life long learner. Another boy went from hating to write in his journal to finally writing an entire sentence on his own. I cannot encourage teachers to look at this method more. It saved my sanity as we moved to common core while engaging my students in a way I've never seen before. I think a huge reason is because it allows the students to become independent and responsible for their own educational journey.<br />
•Second, within a week at the end of May, God opened another door for me to teach kindergarten at a Christian school. It was a hard decision to make because I still loved everyone that I worked with at my other school. We were a great team and I've found that is hard to come by in education. However, I really felt God calling me to this new place. <br />
•My new school is amazing! I LOVE my new team! They're wise, encouraging, joyful, and helpful. I have never had a transition to a new school go so well. On that note, everyone at my school is WONDERFUL! Last week, I was on emotional overload. My room wasn't coming together and I didn't know what to do. My principal noticed and organized some help along with my team leader to get things sorted out. The advice and suggestions were so helpful and made everything fall right into place. I am so blessed!!!<br />
•My good friend, Miss L, attended the WillowCreek Leadership Conference via the power of web conferencing. During that time, God laid on her heart a message for me from a Spanish speaking pastor. It was the passage in 1 Samuel where Samuel is mourning over the loss of Saul being king. God tells Samuel to stop the morning and get his horn of oil to go to Bethlehem to anoint the next king. Miss L shared this with me during our accountability time last week about another area God is growing me in. However, His words carried me through the week. You see, Monday I ran into my old team at a restaurant. After I left, I was mourning that chapter had closed. While I was excited to start what God had in front of me, it was still sad to not be starting school with comfortability of the old. This passage of scripturereally helped me through the week to move on to the place God wants me now.<br />
• I met my new class and their parents on Wednesday and we started school Thursday. I know that God has called me here for such a time as this. There are so many diverse needs of each student and their families and God has taken my "rolling-stone-patchwork-experiences" and is using it to His glory. He is taking the good times, like when I befriended an international student from China in college, and using it for His good. He is taking the hard times, like working with some challenging students for the past four years, and using it for His good. He is taking my sad times, like grieving over a loss and using it for His good. Don't ever doubt Romans 8:28! Even though life has blessings and dark times, God is in control and will take it and use it for His purpose.<br />
• I am so excited for this new school year and I can't wait to watch it unfold!!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100358127034189922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748265912299637645.post-17774134675747180932012-03-19T11:33:00.002-07:002012-03-19T11:39:48.526-07:00Spring Break WeekThis week is Spring Break for my school district. I know that all my friends that have non-teaching jobs are always super jealous...unless they are my friends who are still in college. :-) I've been trying to decide what would be the best use of time this week. So far, I've decided these things are a MUST DO:<br /><ol><li>Get some rest and relaxation. Enjoy quiet moments, like today with the rain outside, hot tea in my hand, and a little Italian Greyhound curled up next to me.</li><li>Finish my children's book and get it in submission state to start the long process of finding some one to publish it.</li><li>Get all my school paperwork in order instead of a stack of quickly written down notes tucked away here and there.</li><li>Get organized on how to present the next step in the Daily 5.</li></ol><p>Anyone have any other suggestions on Spring Break time for teachers?</p>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100358127034189922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748265912299637645.post-1551951266078680632012-03-16T14:04:00.005-07:002012-03-16T14:47:07.712-07:00Math Centers: Duh! Why didn't I think of that?<div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1TL7kFvIwlXkEFY5S1k0alxJWcc3AX0ZADESpOOl1FcQshIEWwNjrccLhaxpMyujGs0albMNDACshIvsbzBrC2F4txMw7tDYdAiJTjFRwZH7NNd1nrsF9YcJ2vCihgO2g2NE0UCbJgxvq/s1600/Kindergarten20112012+126.jpg"></a><br />A month ago, I was able to attend our state's annual Kindergarten conference. One of th presenters I went to spent some time on creating math centers. She had an easy and simple solution, which made me feel like, "Duh! Why didn't I think of that myself?!?" Here is my modified version: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUItFFL4UtvsTJT-7zEd_hHr9RjlDb6ni5CpQtIucWWnL38lTAjmmNrNrzzN5V_iVYTk_9jiVTm7qRuR-DywJu7dc3XplhCjOFDymdcUP4cioTrkWlBNNqrWtfdl4pZ5Xs9lojsMLPO8Vo/s1600/Kindergarten20112012+128.jpg"></a><br /><br />1 Empty small box ( I am a Birchbox member and the boxes that the little goodies in are perfect for this...)<br />1 Fun Notepad (My classroom is panda themed and I had some apple ones)<br />1 Set of Stickers<br /><br />Put it together and viola! A fun, cheap, and easy new math center box. Here are pictures:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzNEKKnNtdLtfW1E05LtFqqAEluJER8PLCzBJdros1TQSo4IIZfZTkBIiGx_sYE5ajiaOT5QmBJtdZ2-x7AK42T2vyFKB3-f6U2T1I0gikXQD2jaWMxGTsuANRHzjIrMxYuD8M-P9kdlNB/s1600/Kindergarten20112012+127.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 236px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 203px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720611143286531090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzNEKKnNtdLtfW1E05LtFqqAEluJER8PLCzBJdros1TQSo4IIZfZTkBIiGx_sYE5ajiaOT5QmBJtdZ2-x7AK42T2vyFKB3-f6U2T1I0gikXQD2jaWMxGTsuANRHzjIrMxYuD8M-P9kdlNB/s320/Kindergarten20112012+127.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77bnp-e1pefhnVRiQJWARgypZ4DZnCVIP2vgOx8TB1S-j0YUrWW6obsJtD6eITRwy_i3hePxQROQilbN5hsjlwtmcZEAqicy0lmuJ0T04uHBAyQRvGtG_2o0nf38aqHyJ4gE9_g2OSSmW/s1600/Kindergarten20112012+128.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 167px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 201px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720611148764301378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77bnp-e1pefhnVRiQJWARgypZ4DZnCVIP2vgOx8TB1S-j0YUrWW6obsJtD6eITRwy_i3hePxQROQilbN5hsjlwtmcZEAqicy0lmuJ0T04uHBAyQRvGtG_2o0nf38aqHyJ4gE9_g2OSSmW/s320/Kindergarten20112012+128.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50omckp2SGUlA0GqetYhCJz32dNyq8aJaZvBd43ApX7GRZNTx2eDCMa-YzKi2iICDdUgPVnMfeicW5jzh_WdMlyZvIkFXfeZ7f1HtOH4oWTLu1NpwhcRpfs5hSPBPlhW_H51FFI6hxia_/s1600/Kindergarten20112012+129.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 143px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 205px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720611160950222034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50omckp2SGUlA0GqetYhCJz32dNyq8aJaZvBd43ApX7GRZNTx2eDCMa-YzKi2iICDdUgPVnMfeicW5jzh_WdMlyZvIkFXfeZ7f1HtOH4oWTLu1NpwhcRpfs5hSPBPlhW_H51FFI6hxia_/s320/Kindergarten20112012+129.jpg" /></a> </div><br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KhS6MafwQs_TLLB1pX2A3tkhhU5aaCuh5n0Tn8Gm9uAJr8AguwVNiX852P-ACjbAuC_eg-gZekcZmT08FtxAcQ0_6bHWz1472lfr_02aA2Rs3GGNySIHJM9nvHuKvpGw6nZwYYxk6XQ_/s1600/Kindergarten20112012+131.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 193px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 313px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720614425117249474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KhS6MafwQs_TLLB1pX2A3tkhhU5aaCuh5n0Tn8Gm9uAJr8AguwVNiX852P-ACjbAuC_eg-gZekcZmT08FtxAcQ0_6bHWz1472lfr_02aA2Rs3GGNySIHJM9nvHuKvpGw6nZwYYxk6XQ_/s320/Kindergarten20112012+131.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbLjybHOBpoTwWoCNIey73G3IDF4SdO1OCcplFN18i7aYTholvhWFwNqhuPz9BhuP043MgJFRAtJvO-9k7nHZ280nSyEycIFZKudrsJHxfmKyYL025hRI0exe8FkLYLpfuoHdBR3wf9jn/s1600/Kindergarten20112012+130.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 239px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720614247124333970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbLjybHOBpoTwWoCNIey73G3IDF4SdO1OCcplFN18i7aYTholvhWFwNqhuPz9BhuP043MgJFRAtJvO-9k7nHZ280nSyEycIFZKudrsJHxfmKyYL025hRI0exe8FkLYLpfuoHdBR3wf9jn/s320/Kindergarten20112012+130.jpg" /></a></p>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100358127034189922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748265912299637645.post-29716229170876932952012-03-16T11:59:00.002-07:002012-03-16T14:02:23.574-07:00The Daily Five in Kindergarten<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This week in Kindergarten, I started the “Daily 5.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I first heard about it this summer through Amazon as a recommended book selection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks to pintrest I heard more about it and even found other blogs and teachers that were doing it with great success in the classroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For the past three weeks, center time went into a challenging area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While guided reading groups are functioning flawlessly, the actual centers have had moments of disaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could tell that some were ready to move on to more challenging things while it was clear others needed to be weaned off “teacher welfare” to be successful in first grade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After reading through the actual book by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser, I figured I would go ahead and try to start implementing the five methods and see what would happen.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first step is the “Read to Self” time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our school has a WONDERFUL book room and I went there to check out 6 readers per child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are currently collecting shoe boxes to house the books in, but I temporarily gave them a plastic quart sized baggie to hold the books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The levels are from A-I, which target all the levels in my classroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were so excited to have a bag of “real” books that were housed in their cubby.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Monday: Today we created our Read to Self anchor chart and discussed how to pick a “just right” book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We read Goldilocks and the Three Bears a few weeks ago, so I built the lesson off of how Goldilocks was on a search for things that were just right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was going to use the shoe example that was provided in the book, but instead two of my girls had on black boots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were exactly the same style but very different sizes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had them trade shoes to show the class that even though it may look the same, the shoes only work if they are just right for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The class loved the example and was thrilled when I told them that they could now go get their book bags and find a just right book to read to themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We only read for 3 minutes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tuesday: Today we made our I Pick anchor chart and went through the letters: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I choose, Purpose, Interest, Comprehend, and Know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I brought a book that I am reading from home to show them how we can pick out a book that is appropriate for them and for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quite a few of them loved the example.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were impressed that I read books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> The vocabulary was new to most of them, but by Friday, they could tell me the word and then with some prompting tell me the definition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wednesday:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today were up to five minutes of Read to Self time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before we broke off for our time, we went through the three ways to read a book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are struggling to remember that they can read the book only through the pictures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many, they still equate reading with only being able to read words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I demonstrated the three ways using Ten Apples on Top by Dr. Seuss.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thursday:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today was our best day of Read to Self time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They read quietly for 7 minutes!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the timer went off, I heard many groans that time was up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After we did our time, we met back on the rug and I had each one tell me one thing that they read today.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Friday:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today is the Friday before Spring Break, so Read to Self time was a tad more wiggy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did see several wanting to try to read with their friends, so I know that they are ready for the next step, Reading with a Partner!</span></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100358127034189922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8748265912299637645.post-81990954926121742192012-03-13T22:00:00.002-07:002012-03-13T22:00:03.830-07:00The task of the modern educator is not to cut down forests, but to irrigate the deserts.- C.S. LewisI figured I would begin my blog by telling you a little about myself and where I teach. My name is Amy and I teach at a high poverty school just outside of Oklahoma City. The school is located in a wealthy suburb, however the students that make up a majority of the school are not. The majority live with some kind of constant transition in their lives, from the amount of parents to the place to live. A large group live in section 8 housing and rely on free/reduced meal programs for breakfast and dinner. The neighborhood surrounding the school is filled with your average middle class families who are working hard to provide for their children. It is a diverse population that can often clash, but in the end works hard to get along.<br /><br />I find myself called to this desert. It surprises me how thirsty for knowledge, love, security, and acceptance all of the children are, no matter what their background. Some have bigger deserts in their lives, ones that would put the Sahara to shame. They are all the same though, and it is my job, even though it can be tiring and tear-filled, to water these deserts as much as I can. It wouldn't have been my first choice, but God has called me here. I know that I have only been able to survive these years, and especially this past one, by relying on His strength and grace. <br /><br />I hope that by serving God in this manner, Isaiah 35:6 (The Message) will be true for those student I teach. May they be like lame men and women leaping like deer, may their voiceless hearts break into song. May the springs of water burst out in the wilderness of their lives, and may streams of knowledge, love, security, and acceptance flow into their desert-filled lives.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04100358127034189922noreply@blogger.com0