Kindergarten Kindergarten

Zero the Hero Interactive Slideshows and Math Activities for the 100th Day of School

I am so excited to share my newest TPT product with you: Zero the Hero Interactive Slides and Activities for the 100th Day of School! Listen--I love Fruit Loop necklaces and dressing up like an old woman as much as anyone--but after so long, I needed something fresh. Zero is a MATH HERO. He loves to count and to save the world from things like mutant spiders and giant Venus fly traps. And he has a lot of Math Hero friends with their own unique powers--like Suzie the Subitizer and Shadow, the Shape Shifter. Together, with the help of YOUR STUDENTS, the Math Heroes work tirelessly to defeat their enemies!

Each slideshow includes a funny and action-packed story to be read just like you would any read-aloud, with silly voices, dramatic pauses and any other flair you want to add. But they also include 4-5 interactive math activities and a little SEL mini-lesson woven throughout. And, finally, I have included 1-2 paper and pencil extension activities, as well. 

Every 10th Day, Zero will reappear with new friends and a NEW problem. The action, suspense and math build as you get closer to the 100th Day of School. I don't want to spoil it for you, but eventually, Zero gets kidnapped by his arch-nemesis, Professor Glitch, and Professor Glitch is going to destroy all the fun things in the world and turn all of the teachers into statues (I guess that includes YOU). It gets crazy! And guess who has to save everyone? Your Kindergartners! Don't worry...I have a feeling it will all work out. 

My kindergartners were OBSESSED with Zero the Hero. They would figure out when he was showing up (I never told them). They would blame everything on Professor Glitch. Electricity went out? Must be Professor Glitch. No WIFI? Must be Professor Glitch. Back in 2020, I had to reassure them that Professor Glitch did not create Covid! (True story!) 

Everything leads up to the GRAND FINALE on the 100th Day of School. I have included slideshows to wrap up the story and fun ways to celebrate on that special day. You can choose one activity or do them all. You can include your own, traditional 100 Day activities or go full on Math Hero. It's up to you!

 

But I promise, your kids will LOVE Zero and his friends and will continue to ask about him long after kindergarten has ended! If this sounds like something you would like to try, head over to my TPT Store and pick up Zero the Hero Interactive Slideshows and Activities BEFORE the tenth day of school!

 

Kindergarten Distance Learning Science Videos and Discussions

Like many of you, I am about to start teaching kindergarten--VIRTUALLY. And it's hard! How do I engage these little learners, many of whom have never been in school? How do I provide them with rigorous, inquiry-based, hands-on and FUN activities through a computer screen? How do I help them become independent learners? How do I make them love school? These are the questions I've been struggling with. 

I am determined to make this happen!

So I have created these Kindergarten Distance-Learning Science Videos and Discussions. These lessons are designed for distance learning--whether you are completely virtual (synchronous or asynchronous), or using a hybrid model where children come to school on some days and learn from home on others. 

Each unit comes with 8 short, but highly engaging video mini-lessons (most are 3-5 minutes long). The videos start with a guiding question and end by prompting children to complete a simple but meaningful activity (either a science notebook entry or a hands-on investigation). The activities are meant to get kids off the computer and exploring science in the real world. 

The videos are followed up by teacher-led discussions to deepen your students' learning, help clear up any misconceptions and even informally assess your students' understanding of the topic. Each discussion comes with a Google Slides presentation and detailed teacher instructions. I've also included Parent Guides for each lesson, with questions parents or other caregivers can ask their children, needed supplies and extension activities. And best of all--these lessons are very easy for both teachers and families! 

The first unit, What is Science? introduces kids to the amazing world of science and how it helps us, the different kinds of scientists there are, science tools, science notebooks and science safety. It is available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. The second unit, Our Five Senses, will be available soon!

I am really excited about using these science videos with my kids! If you would like to see what they're all about, here is a preview of the first video!

NOTE: This is a Google Drive product. You must have a Google Drive account (free) to access it, but your students do not! These videos can be assigned in Google Classroom, SeeSaw, Schoology or any other learning platform that supports Google Drive. They can also be emailed. The videos are hosted on YouTube and embedded in Google Slides, so your students must be able to access YouTube from their devices (although they never actually have to visit YouTube, and there are no ads or suggested videos at the end). 

Please let me know if you have any questions about these videos, or about how I am tackling distance learning, in general. It's  not going to be easy--but I know we can do it!

What I’ve Learned about Flexible Seating

I made a little video about FLEXIBLE SEATING in my classroom! I actually filmed most of this two years ago, but did not edit it. Because I am a slacker. But better late than never, right?

I have been doing flexible seating for two years now. At first, it was terrifying. Especially the first few weeks. There were little bodies everywhere in my classroom, and it just seemed chaotic. But it really WASN’T. When I looked around, kids were actually engaged and happy and learning!  I was just used to them sitting up nice and straight in chairs at tables.  But that was good for ME—not necessarily for THEM. And guess what—Year 2 was a BREEZE! It was second nature to me, so I did not even realize the “chaos”.

Flexible seating is not about the furniture. You do not have to have expensive wobble stools or fancy exercise balls. It’s about letting kids choose where and how they work.  And that means having lots of choices for them. I think it is important to have at least some tables and chairs where they can sit if they want to. 

Unfortunately, I have found that many of the things I purchased or no longer available. But I did try to link up as many things as I could in the video description. If you have any questions leave a comment below, and I will do my best to answer them! 

 

Kindergarten Writing Goals

Here is a quick idea for helping your students take ownership of their writing Goals. It's a sheet of basic kindergarten goals that can be cut out and glued (one at a time) to a sheet kids keep in their writing folders and refer to every day. 

Here's how it works...

• I keep the masters (see below). I can only imagine the chaos that would ensue if I put kids in charge of cutting and gluing their own goals.
• I set the goals with the kids during a writing conference. We decide, together, what they need to work on to make their writing better. We cut out that goal and glue it down to the chart they keep in their folder.
• The kids generally only get one new goal at a time.
• I remind the kids every day when we begin Writing Workshop to check their writing goal.
• When I conference with kids, I ask them how they're doing on their goal. We look through their writing to see if they are consistently meeting that goal, or if they still need to work on it. 
• If they have met it (for example, if their goal was to leave spaces between their words and they consistently do that), I let them color in that goal on their chart and we choose new goal. 
• The goals work across writing genres. So whether we're working on writing personal narratives or all-about books, they can still work on each goal.
• We work on other writing skills at the same time. For example--the whole class might be working on writing facts, or adding details to a personal narrative. But at the same time, individual kids will be working on the differentiated goals on their chart.
• Not every writing conference focuses on these goals, but I almost always mention them. For example, I may conference with a student about our whole class objective--writing facts. But at the end of the conference, I might add a quick "Let's see how you're doing with your writing goal..."
• The goals are not necessarily sequential. Some kids skip goals completely because they've already mastered them. Some kids go back and work on a goal that they had once mastered but now need more practice. 

We keep a chart in the room so we always know what goals we're working on.

If you think this might be helpful in your classroom, you can click the link below to get it for yourself. Please note, this is a view only file (Google Doc), so you just have to click and print. There is no need to request access (and unfortunately, I cannot give it). 

Kindergarten Writing Goals

I'm Throwing a Sale!

Follow me on Periscope!

Do you Periscope? If not, you should! If you don't know, Periscope is an app that allows for live video streaming. It's a fantastic way to connect with people all over the world!

So I am going to be brave and do my very first Periscope Broadcast on Wednesday, July 6 at 4:00 pm CST. It's going to be on one of my FAVORITE THINGS...Kindergarten Math Problem Solving! I will tell you what it is, how I do it, why I love it and will, of course, answer your questions. So if you haven't already, download the app to your phone or tablet and get ready for some fun. I hope to see you then!

Freebie Animal Slideshows

Here are a couple of slideshows that I use with my Physical Characteristics of Animals unit. They are super simple--meant to show kids the variety of animals in the world. I show these slideshows to the kids AFTER they have explored and come up with a list of characteristics on their own--kind of a wrap up.

The slideshows are Google Presentations--you just have to click on the links to view.

Enjoy!

ANIMAL BODY COVERINGS

Pictures of animals with fur, feathers, scales, shells and skin.

 

ANIMAL RAINBOW

Pictures of animals in all different colors.

 

Kindergarten Math Problem Solving Prompts

I'm so excited! I have FINALLY finished my Kindergarten Math Problem Solving prompts for the whole year!

 

I believe so strongly in teaching math through problem solving. I've been doing it for 8 years now, and I am amazed every day by the things my kids accomplish.

 

Here's why I love Math Problem Solving:

It’s inquiry-based.

Instead of standing at the front of the room and teaching my kids how to do math---step by boring step—I pose a problem.  The kids work together and use their own strategies to solve that problem. It allows students to make sense of math and to build upon what they already know.

It’s student-centered.  

The students do the work. I only help them when they need help—and even then,  I help “just enough”.

It’s engaging.

Kids love a challenge! And they learn best when they are challenged to do tasks that are just a little bit hard.

It empowers students.

It teaches them how to persevere when faced with difficult tasks and it builds their confidence when they succeed.

It teaches kids how to work together and communicate their ideas.

Kids learn much better from each other than they do from us.

It’s fun!

Math time in my classroom is hands-down one of the favorite parts of our day.

 

Here's a sneak peak at each of my Problem-Solving Prompts packages:

KINDERGARTEN MATH PROBLEM SOLVING FOR THE FIRST NINE WEEKS-- $6

In this package, students learn HOW to problem-solve--how to use their notebooks and math tools; how to share their thinking; and how to record their solutions. They also practice counting, explore 2-D shapes and do some beginning addition and subtraction.

 

KINDERGARTEN MATH PROBLEM SOLVING FOR THE SECOND NINE WEEKS-- $6

In this package, students explore addition and subtraction some more, classify and count, compare numbers, explore numbers to 20, and do a lot of measuring (length and weight).

 

 KINDERGARTEN MATH PROBLEM SOLVING FOR THE THIRD NINE WEEKS-- $6

In this package, students learn what the +, - and = signs mean and how to use them correctly. They also explore both 2-D and 3-D shapes.

 

KINDERGARTEN MATH PROBLEM SOLVING FOR THE FOURTH NINE WEEKS-- $6

In this package, students practice composing and decomposing numbers (including teen numbers), making 10, and using all the skills they've learned to solve a variety of challenging problems.

You can purchase each package of prompts individually or buy them in a bundle and save $4. 

Kindergarten Math Problem Solving for the Entire Year-- $20

I hope this post has encouraged you to try a little Math Problem Solving in your kindergarten classroom this year! Comment below if you have any questions!

There's a Zoo in our Room!

I've always struggled with my Animals unit in Science. I pride myself in creating hands-on, engaging lessons--but it's kind of hard to make animals "hands-on." I mean I have a few feathers, a turtle shell and a snake-skin. But my unit was still just a lot of reading books and watching videos. This year, I decided to shake things up a little--by creating a Kindergarten Zoo!

Whenever I plan a unit, I start by looking at the standards for that unit and planning my learning objectives. The standards for "Animals" in Texas are fairly simple:

(A)  sort animals into groups based on physical characteristics such as color, size, or body covering.

(B)  identify parts of animals such as head, eyes, and limbs.

That's it! I don't have to teach about adaptations or habitats or food chains. I don't have to teach kids the difference between reptiles and amphibians. My job is simple. And rather than spinning my wheels trying to teach my kids material that is (possibly) developmentally inappropriate and (possibly) causing them to develop misconceptions, I make darn sure they develop a thorough and sound understanding of the concepts I am responsible for. And I make sure we have lots of fun doing it!

I started by reading one of my favorite books.

I asked the kids if they wanted to make a (pretend) zoo in our room and the answer was a very enthusiastic YES! After I calmed them down and explained that--no--they could not bring their dog to school--we hatched a plan. We decided that we wanted to bring stuffed animals (and other animal toys) to school. We would make sure they were as realistic as possible (so no pink leopards or red teddy bears). We would make signs to tell visitors all about the animals. To do that, we would have to learn all about the animals.

(Translation: I knew exactly what I wanted to do. But I made the kids think it was ALL their idea. I'm good.)

We started by sorting animals and listing/defining their physical characteristics. This is how I made it inquiry-based: I did not tell the kids how to sort the animals. I did not even tell the kids what the different physical characteristics are. I let the kids tell me!

I used these animal cards, which you can download for free in my TPT store. 

First, I gave the kids a few minutes to explore and talk about the animals. Then, I let them work together in table groups to sort the cards any way they wanted to! They sorted them in some unexpected ways--like cute and gross (true story). I just let them do it and then eventually guided them to sort by the characteristics I wanted them to learn (again--making them think it was all their idea).

For example, I saw that one group sorted by color (YES!). So I had all the groups sort the animals by color. Then the kids listed all the colors they saw while I recorded them on an anchor chart. I pushed them to come up with any colors they missed through questioning: What animal is this? What color is it?

We took the vocabulary the kids came up with and worked together to create an Interactive Science Word Wall that the kids continued to use throughout the unit.

We used the word wall to write about our animals in our science notebooks.

On the next day, we repeated this process. Again--I had the kids choose a way to sort the animals. This time, they sorted by number of legs. I had to guide them to include all of the characteristics I wanted them to learn. For example, they pulled out the spider and all the animals that had 4 legs, then put all the other animals together in one big group. So I had to prompt them. Me: What about the bee? Kids: It doesn't have any legs! Me: Are you sure? If we're not sure, we look it up. We added "limbs" to our word wall and the kids wrote in their science notebooks.

We continued this for several days until we had covered all of the characteristics I wanted the kids to learn.

And we kept adding to our Interactive Science Word Walls and writing in our science notebooks.
  

All the while, we read lots of animal books...

And visited lots of zoo websites...

And, finally, we were ready for the animals...

We did a lot of comparing animals.

How are they the same? How are they different?

Here are a few examples of kid notebooks:

And then the kids made signs to tell visitors about their animals.

They wrote simple sentences describing their animal's physical characteristics using sight words, words from our word walls and phonetic spelling. Because most of the animals were plush, we had a few misconceptions about body coverings--some kids thought penguins have fur. So we had to double check a few things in books...

 

Finally, on the last day of the unit, we made our zoo!

We decided how to group our animals. Because we were not learning about habitats, I wasn't super concerned about where the kids put the animals. They decided on farm, arctic, savanna, forest, jungle, desert and ocean. I snatched a bunch of fake ficus trees from the library. We used butcher paper, leftover bulletin board fabric and whatever else the kids could find around the room. They had so much fun arranging the animals (they even hung monkeys from the trees). 

We made tickets and invited our families...

And we had popcorn, but had to remind the visitors:

DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS!

The kids were the zoologists and taught our visitors all about the animals. 

The kids LOVED this unit. They were engaged every day throughout the 2 week unit and when it was all done, they knew so much about the physical characteristics of animals. Now, if only I can figure out a way to get some real pandas. They look so cute on YouTube...

Tooth Fairy Envelopes

Hi Teacher Friends!

I hope you're enjoying your summer! Today I'm linking up with 4th Grade Frolics Monday Made it to make these cute Tooth Fairy Envelopes.

If you teach kinder...or first...or second...you probably deal with bloody little baby teeth all the time. I have found a nifty little way to make a big deal out of them without ever actually having to touch the tooth! I have the kid drop the tooth into a tissue. I fold the tissue up and shove it inside one of these little envelopes, close it with a little piece of washi (in case the parent wants to actually see the tooth) and DONE!

To make them, simply print the label sheet available for free from my TPT store! Cut the labels out and glue them onto 3.125 x 3.125" square envelopes. I get mine at Hobby Lobby. They come in kraft brown and white. They are $4.99 for 25--BUT--they go on sale for 50% off ALL THE TIME. Do NOT pay full price! So that makes them $2.49, or about 10 cents a piece. I can afford that! 

As kinder teachers we have to deal with poopy pants, snotty noses, skinned knees and bloody teeth. One of my goals is to make it a little less gross. (But no--I do not have a cute way to send home poopy pants). 

Have a great Monday!