Kindergarten Kindergarten

I Survived the First Day of Kindergarten...

It was CRAZY!

Why do I always forget that they don't know how to do anything? We have to teach them how to line up, walk in the hall, hold a pencil, use scissors, sit on the carpet and listen to a story, wash their hands...

I see the first graders walking through the hall, and I want to tell their teachers...

"You're welcome!"

I'm exhausted. But it will be worth it in the end. And they are pretty cute.

So Today...Rinse and Repeat.

But before I go, here are just a few pics from my first day... 

No David Puppets...a classic...

Our First Day of School Self-Portarits...

Lots of empty shelves...I don't put out anything until they've learned the expectations for using it...

Poor kiddos don't even get books, yet...

And they only have crayons and scissors in their buckets, because we had lessons on them...

A couple of anchor charts I have ready for today...

This is for the book Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen. I'm going to mark a tally everytime they interrupt or blurt out and we're going to see if we can get better as the week progresses...

If I make it through the day, I'll post some more pictures and incoherent ramblings tonight! I hope your first days of Kindergarten are going well!

Classroom Set-up 2013: Sneak Peeks

And so it begins once again...

The smell of fresh wax. Freshly painted walls. All of my furniture stacked in the middle of the room.

I don't think most civilians understand that we have to pack everything up at the end of each year only to unpack it a few months later. Doesn't it feel like we JUST did this?

I do love having a fresh start, though. I mix things up just a little each year.

So armed with the necessities...

I've started in.

I'm not even close to being done...but I thought I'd share a few sneak peeks. I never posted pictures of my new classroom last year, so this will be all new to you!

Can you tell my favorite color is aqua blue? And lucky me--that's the color of my cabinets! So it was meant to be that I move to this school.

As soon as I'm done, I'll post the finished pics...I promise! But for now...sleep.

PS...I just saw this post (kind of) goes along with Blog Hoppin's Teacher week today...so I linked up!

Texas Problem-Solving Prompts are Here!

Yee-Haw!

The Texas Version of my Problem-Solving Prompts for the First Nine Weeks is finally uploaded to TPT. I wrote these prompts to align to the new TEKS. Although the new TEKS are not being officially implemented until 2014, I wanted to be pro-active. All of the prompts still work with the current TEKS.

Kindergarten Problem Solving Prompts First Nine Weeks: Texas Version

If you read the new TEKS closely, you'll see that the Mathematical process Standards are woven through every other strand! (As they are in the STAAR Test!)

Here are the Mathematical Process Standards:

(1)  Mathematical process standards. The student uses mathematical processes to acquire and demonstrate mathematical understanding. The student is expected to:

(A)  apply mathematics to problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace;

(B)  use a problem-solving model that incorporates analyzing given information, formulating a plan or strategy, determining a solution, justifying the solution, and evaluating the problem-solving process and the reasonableness of the solution;

(C)  select tools, including real objects, manipulatives, paper and pencil, and technology as appropriate, and techniques, including mental math, estimation, and number sense as appropriate, to solve problems;

(D)  communicate mathematical ideas, reasoning, and their implications using multiple representations, including symbols, diagrams, graphs, and language as appropriate;

(E)  create and use representations to organize, record, and communicate mathematical ideas;

(F)  analyze mathematical relationships to connect and communicate mathematical ideas; and

(G)  display, explain, and justify mathematical ideas and arguments using precise mathematical language in written or oral communication.

This is what Problem-Solving is all about!

Topics covered include: Learning How to Use Problem-Solving Notebooks, Learning How to Use Math Tools, Basic Counting and Comparing Skills, Composing/Decomposing Numbers, Basic Addition/Subtraction, and 2-D Shapes.

However, there are no sorting, patterning or position word prompts--things we normally teach the first nine weeks. If you need activities for those, look here:

Sorting Activities

Pattern Activities

Position Word Activities

I hope these prompts are helpful to you! Please feel free to ask me any questions and give me feedback. I strive to make my products better and better!

If you are in my district (RRISD), send me an e-mail from your school account and I will send you these prompts for free.

BINGO!

So I start staff development this week. I don't know about you, but I LOVE every minute! I really, REALLY do! But it's going to be even better this year, because I made this BINGO game for my team and I to play.

The rules are simple...when you hear one of the words, mark that spot. Whoever gets 5 in-a-row in any direction wins!

Here are some tips for playing...

DO listen closely and carefully to all of the presenters. They are telling you relevent and important information that I'm sure you've never heard before. And...you don't want to miss any words.

DON'T use an actual BINGO dobber. That might look a tad bit unprofessional.

DO be inconspicuous. Hide the BINGO card under your data binder. When you hear a word on your card, nod your head in agreement and thoughtfully highlight that word as if it's very important for you to remember later. Your principal will be very impressed.

DON'T bring a troll doll and rub it's belly for good luck.

DO make a plan for the winner. Perhaps a cold Sonic drink (or adult beverage) later.

DON'T, under any circumstances, jump up and scream BINGO!! while your principal is going over last year's test scores.

Download Bingo

If you would like your own copy of Staff Development BINGO...you may download it for free! I'm sure it will help you focus much better while you're making plans for lunch determing how to use the data and lastest research-based pedagogy to help all of your students reach their highest potential.

Math Problem-Solving Prompts

I finally finished my first Teachers Pay Teachers packet of Kindergarten Math Problem-Solving Prompts!

Click Here!

If you've been reading my blog for a while now, you know that I am just a little passionate about math problem-solving. OK, so I'm a big nerd! But since I started using a problem-solving model in my classroom several years ago, I have seen amazing growth in my students' math skills. Kindergartners can do so much more than I ever imagined!

Problem-Solving is here to stay!

If you follow the Common Core, the Mathematical Practices are all about Problem-Solving!

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

4. Model with mathematics.

5. Use appropriate tools strategically.

6. Attend to precision.

7. Look for and make use of structure.

8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

And if you're in Texas, like me, the new TEKS stress the "process standards" and explicitly state that children will use a problem-solving model:

Students will use a problem-solving model that incorporates analyzing given information, formulating a plan or strategy, determining a solution, justifying the solution, and evaluating the problem-solving process and the reasonableness of the solution. Students will select appropriate tools such as real objects, manipulatives, algorithms, paper and pencil, and technology and techniques such as mental math, estimation, number sense, and generalization and abstraction to solve problems. Students will effectively communicate mathematical ideas, reasoning, and their implications using multiple representations such as symbols, diagrams, graphs, computer programs, and language. Students will use mathematical relationships to generate solutions and make connections and predictions. Students will analyze mathematical relationships to connect and communicate mathematical ideas. Students will display, explain, or justify mathematical ideas and arguments using precise mathematical language in written or oral communication.

Problem-solving isn't just solving word problems...it's so much more!

It's inquiry-based math. It's letting kids tackle a challenging task using their own strategies. It's guiding kids--not showing them. It's teaching kids how to explain their thinking in meaningful ways. It's helping kids become independent and lifelong learners!

My Kindergarten Problem-Solving Prompts cover the First Nine Weeks of school. There are 45 prompts that focus on the following topics:

• Basic Counting Skills and Cardinalization
• More Than/Fewer Than
• Composing and Decomposing Numbers
• Simple Addition and Subtraction
• 2-D Shapes
• Learning How to Express Mathematical Ideas

A few of the prompts have already been on my blog (especially in 2-D shapes and Learning How to Share). But they're good! And there is PLENTY of new stuff--including almost all of the counting and addition/subtraction prompts.

I also include teacher notes for each topic and questions you can ask your kids during share time to deepen their understanding and work out misconceptions.

Each prompt is provided in 2 ways--6 to a page if your kids like to cut and paste...or on mailing labels if you prefer to peel and stick. (I do a little of both.)

For my Texas peeps, I'll be uploading a Texas version this weekend (with TEKS instead of the CCSS). And I'm working hard on the sequel (for the second nine weeks) and will post it sometime in September.

In the meantime, I'm going to blog a lot about problem-solving over the next few weeks--detailing what it looks and sounds like, what kids do, what teachers do, tips for assessing and keeping data, warm-up and computational fluency ideas...please...someone stop me!

And if you buy my Problem-Solving prompts, please let me know what you think! It's your feedback that helps me create better products!

Thank-you all so much for your amazing support and encouragement over the last few  years. You make blogging fun!

Have a great weekend!

Love,

Kathryn

Psst...Texas Teachers...

Did you hear?

We have new Math TEKS!

(If you don't live in Texas...I'm sorry! And also, you might not know that we do not follow the Common Core. But come on...we threaten to secede every few years. Why would we follow the common core?)

Anyhoo...there are BIG changes coming. The new TEKS do not oficially begin until the 2014-2015 school year. But many districts, including mine, started rolling them out last year. So are you ready for the big shockers?

No more sorting by attributes.

So that awesome sorting balls lesson I have? Gone! (Except you could do it in science).  Kids will still sort geometric shapes by their attributes (but not by color, size, pattern, etc).

No more patterns.

No more red, yellow, blue, blue. Gone!

No more fair shares.

So no more excuses to eat graham crackers and Hershey Bars in class. (Although I can still probably find a reason).

No more calendar.

(Not in math, anyways...social studies still has some).

No more ordinal numbers.

(Although my district is keeping this as a local TEK.)

No more surface area or duration of time in measuring.

So what are we going to be doing?

Lots and lots of number sense/computational fluency, real-world problem solving and making generalizations.

Although some changes may seem minor, there are subtle cognitive and content changes that increase the rigor significantly. And there is much greater emphasis on mathematical processes--(really look at K.1 A-G).

(Actually, our TEKS look a whole lot more like the Common Core now--at least in kinder!)

It's all good!

But not on my blog. Most of my lessons will be obsolete. But don't worry--I have lots more up my sleeve! I have a bunch of posts planned that will address the new TEKS in detail with lesson ideas included.

If you would like to see the new TEKS in their entirety, you can check them out here.

Don't panic. This is a great new adventure! And I really believe that these new TEKS will better prepare our children for the math skills they will need in the future. So bring it on...we'll all be just fine.