tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68208104874119835102024-02-22T07:50:15.260-08:00Teach Pre Kteach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-17547580994325497402019-01-14T03:57:00.001-08:002019-01-14T04:11:24.033-08:00My Winter ClassroomLast week we all came back to school after a long and much needed break. The first week we got used to being a class again, reviewed our procedures and rules, and did a ton of fun winter crafts and activities. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh02-B3mH-Qc086rx7kDBwWiVeHnXm9fjqIx7TBmnnwaFkXaGZzdvrPGgdTveez_ym8__FLyk13_8yF4EbSVdpE5ipVuI2MiBudXsINwZVkbRfEa1grgPOJKU1hCRDz64QIhnUH-Y569Py9/s1600/IMG_3210.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh02-B3mH-Qc086rx7kDBwWiVeHnXm9fjqIx7TBmnnwaFkXaGZzdvrPGgdTveez_ym8__FLyk13_8yF4EbSVdpE5ipVuI2MiBudXsINwZVkbRfEa1grgPOJKU1hCRDz64QIhnUH-Y569Py9/s200/IMG_3210.HEIC" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwlD-w1fznRWZzmFXnTirnKYD7u5mZChiTrSV3VCH5mZy34-0tcoO0KMUipHv0iXu1YhYTPOWSBIdDuRu2hxoI8cIecUGA29jl7lXcBCokdRnmVZWZyzgUrnh24RelDMrBdpS0yU4epIe/s1600/IMG_3212.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwlD-w1fznRWZzmFXnTirnKYD7u5mZChiTrSV3VCH5mZy34-0tcoO0KMUipHv0iXu1YhYTPOWSBIdDuRu2hxoI8cIecUGA29jl7lXcBCokdRnmVZWZyzgUrnh24RelDMrBdpS0yU4epIe/s200/IMG_3212.HEIC" width="200" /></a>This week we will continue our Winter theme, but with a twist...we will be studying polar animals! I always love this week...mostly because the kids love learning about all kinds of animals, and hey love sharing what they already know, which is usually a lot! I began putting up the theme posters while the kids ate snack on Friday. They were so excited and full of questions!<br />
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After the kids left, we set up our Arctic Exploration Station in our Dramatic Play Center. I just created this set, so I was a little unsure of what I had on hand to add to the sign set, but we managed to cobble together a pretty cool little Arctic lab for our little scientists, researchers and explorers...it will be fun to watch their imaginations take off this week.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRSMpxFK59HxnsEMfnQ7Bbw8prAFzN2iCiu0h-vYWwccP0_y1rvUTwbVKqBR9YbkCjPooXEu_iLEJfYCME2HCx_Iu2dtwLszRRwFzzfE-d2iAdc9xj1T7dSvE3hvWEjiCFyr3m8lITqXTm/s1600/IMG_4212.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRSMpxFK59HxnsEMfnQ7Bbw8prAFzN2iCiu0h-vYWwccP0_y1rvUTwbVKqBR9YbkCjPooXEu_iLEJfYCME2HCx_Iu2dtwLszRRwFzzfE-d2iAdc9xj1T7dSvE3hvWEjiCFyr3m8lITqXTm/s200/IMG_4212.HEIC" width="150" /></a>I have set a bookshelf with the extra Winter and Polar Animals books that I had on hand, saving my favorites to read to the class this week. There is so much out there in nonfiction that I can't wait to see what grabs their attention! I love to find really cool videos on youtube that show what the arctic animals look like in the summer and early fall...then watch the amazement as the kids see how the animal's fur will change to white as winter approaches! We have some great conversations about camouflage and how animals keep away from their predators. I just love to listen to all that they know, and what they can guess on their own based on prior knowledge and common sense. It really is higher level thinking in action.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfaQb_a16JJJjfWiNk1rcWMKBIhIVFe7u-Nrm_ygWCyx301LHEq0ldhXx39h0YwthgVMVcpyQ1IR8mbJRzvS-4MM16qO2oU8p__eZd4tBUBB0rv0ApajtQzFAQA5MhWSfhfZX-1zM9sGN1/s1600/IMG_1915.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfaQb_a16JJJjfWiNk1rcWMKBIhIVFe7u-Nrm_ygWCyx301LHEq0ldhXx39h0YwthgVMVcpyQ1IR8mbJRzvS-4MM16qO2oU8p__eZd4tBUBB0rv0ApajtQzFAQA5MhWSfhfZX-1zM9sGN1/s200/IMG_1915.HEIC" width="150" /></a><br />
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If you need any help readying your room for Polar animal week...go to my TPT store and you will find everything you need for a great week of learning and fun!<br />
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Just follow the links below and enjoy exploring and learning with your little ones!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Polar-Animals-Complete-Classroom-Bundle-for-Preschool-PreK-K-Homeschool-4277952">Polar Animals Complete Classroom Bundle for Preschool, PreK, K & Homeschool</a><br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Polar-Animals-5-day-UnitLesson-Plans-for-Preschool-PreK-K-Homeschool-2277696">All About Polar Animals 5-day Unit/Lesson Plans for Preschool PreK, K Homeschool</a><br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Arctic-Exploration-Station-Dramatic-Play-Signs-Props-MORE-4277767">Arctic Exploration Station Dramatic Play: Signs, Props, & MORE!</a><br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Polar-Animals-5-day-Lesson-Plan-Arctic-Exploration-Dramatic-Play-Bundle-4277895">Polar Animals 5-day Lesson Plan & Arctic Exploration Dramatic Play Bundle!</a><br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mama-Baby-Polar-Bear-Letter-Match-4285958">Mama & Baby Polar Bear Letter Match!</a><br />
<br />teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-51841111451698599292019-01-06T06:19:00.001-08:002019-01-06T06:20:46.398-08:00Happy New Year, Happy Winter...and a FREEBIE!I am beginning my last day of a 16-day Christmas break. I feel pretty prepared to go back tomorrow. I just emailed my parents the weekly newsletter for both classes, emailed the principal and advisor my lesson plan for the week, next week's lesson plan is almost ready, and my book bag is full to bursting and waiting by the back door. (it is HEAVY)<br />
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The first week back we focus on Winter. We will make borax snowflakes, there is snow dough in the sensory bin, snowflakes abound on the bulletin boards, calendar and throughout the halls of the preschool. It is cold outside and we are expecting snow today. It is the perfect set up for the new year.<br />
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One of my favorite Wintery areas is my Dramatic Play Center...it is a Hot Cocoa send complete with water hats and scarves. It is cozy and looks like winter fun!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNgaDPKPLCENaLSm9FLt3lZH1xCyDttKuNV0VgXXjpmItOIX3TkDyyu3sumxodIEir9VwTFJ9p2Q1NdV-YoqCruP3qgtIvIZKAf6iovgPrqgIpmBmOAwUYGfdHmxpvTSPbE2eJGDNOADH/s1600/IMG_5190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNgaDPKPLCENaLSm9FLt3lZH1xCyDttKuNV0VgXXjpmItOIX3TkDyyu3sumxodIEir9VwTFJ9p2Q1NdV-YoqCruP3qgtIvIZKAf6iovgPrqgIpmBmOAwUYGfdHmxpvTSPbE2eJGDNOADH/s200/IMG_5190.JPG" width="150" /></a>We will also be doing some fun winter-related literacy centers such as making our letter mittens match! This combines a great fine motor exercise by including math links to put the mittens together...The kids LOVE this activity, and it boosts phonemic awareness and fine motor skills at the same time!<br />
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And Winter Would not be Winter without Ezra Jack Keat's "The Snowy Day"! There is so much to explore with this book! If there is snow on the ground, we will bring some in at recess just like Peter does in the book, although we will not put it in a pocket, but rather we will see how long it takes to melt. My favorite activity after reading the book is to ask the kids what they would do on a snowy day. I record their answers as they create a Snowy Day picture from the book with white paint on blue paper and a rolling patch of snow at the bottom. It takes some prep, but it is well worth it. I display their artwork with their answers out on the bulletin board int he hallway for their parents to enjoy at drop off and pick up. It is magical!<br />
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I love exploring Winter with my class each year...and they bring so much fun into the season! What do you like to do with your class? </div>
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If you are looking for some amazing ideas for your Winter unit, check out my store for the resources listed here and more! I have so many Math, Literacy, Art, Dramatic Play and Science Ideas to share! Links are at the end of my post.<br />
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Get my newest Freebie! <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mama-Baby-Polar-Bear-Letter-Match-4285958" style="text-align: center;">Mama & Baby Polar Bear Letter Match!</a></div>
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Follow the links below for Winter FUN!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Winter-Complete-Classroom-Bundle-for-Preschool-PreK-K-Homeschool-3508188">Winter Complete Classroom Bundle for Preschool, PreK, K & Homeschool</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Winter-Math-Literacy-Mega-Bundle-for-Preschool-PreK-K-3544066">Winter Math & Literacy Mega-Bundle for Preschool, PreK & K!</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hot-Cocoa-Stand-Dramatic-Play-2273622">Hot Cocoa Stand Dramatic Play</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Winter-UnitLesson-Plans-for-Preschool-PreK-K-Homeschool-2280227">All About Winter Unit/Lesson Plans for Preschool, PreK, K, & Homeschool!</a></div>
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<br />teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-44809846967609527112018-09-16T14:37:00.005-07:002018-09-16T14:37:40.187-07:00Differentiated Centers for Preschool, PreK and Kindergarten (plus a BIG freebie)Differentiated teaching is so important for all grade levels, but especially for Early Ed where abilities and base knowledge range from zero knowledge and experience to very advanced. Differentiating your teaching on the fly is extremely difficult if not impossible, so I have created sets of <b>Differentiated Centers for Preschool, PreK and Kindergarten</b> in 6 different ELA areas as well as 5-6 different math areas of study as well. <br />
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The Differentiated Literacy Centers cover 5-6 literacy subject areas/standards-<b>emergent writing, letters, beginning sounds, rhyming, vocabulary, and antonyms. </b>Each literacy subject area includes 3 centers, a beginning/introductory level center, a middle/on-level center, and a challenge level center.<br />
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Examples of what's included</h3>
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<b>Emergent Writing/Fine Motor:</b></h3>
In my Emergent Writing/Fine Motor sets I like to include tracing, following lines that are vertical and horizontal, filling in lines either with manipulatives or markers, tracing shapes of different sizes, and ultimately tracing letters that can be large or smaller as skills develop. See example pictures below.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH97cIz0lLjvJD9qHTGGlXEwd9lBPPZgtTeWhQtqdIcdLvQ_dIu6jpa2kpWV4QMUm6LwgKTAEDyDbQ5fVpDJLVrhVPcnABocUm4iN7f7s8GbSqXoudbtQNbqF7yzvUNGuD4Z-NKtR5AdNx/s1600/IMG_0945.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1268" data-original-width="1600" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH97cIz0lLjvJD9qHTGGlXEwd9lBPPZgtTeWhQtqdIcdLvQ_dIu6jpa2kpWV4QMUm6LwgKTAEDyDbQ5fVpDJLVrhVPcnABocUm4iN7f7s8GbSqXoudbtQNbqF7yzvUNGuD4Z-NKtR5AdNx/s200/IMG_0945.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tracing horizontal & vertical lines-introductory level</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQiSLqKFFTVDkiu_G2Zp0uTfNY9C8KwuUuPGW7W66DrDt5Ah1j1DW2K-E7-0FLzhQHwT8Y8bVqyGEC9fIpbq7dNcSpwlvmzPE5pO11ESLXznnP7PTDkGxyLCfoVTqghGe-anL1nezo2DX/s1600/IMG_0944.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1146" data-original-width="1600" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQiSLqKFFTVDkiu_G2Zp0uTfNY9C8KwuUuPGW7W66DrDt5Ah1j1DW2K-E7-0FLzhQHwT8Y8bVqyGEC9fIpbq7dNcSpwlvmzPE5pO11ESLXznnP7PTDkGxyLCfoVTqghGe-anL1nezo2DX/s200/IMG_0944.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tracing differently sized shapes-on level</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGjuU4uqFZ-5AXc0D4XkN_EhH27pkJ9fJW43a_f9MsNGeZByuLMuQh2shfgWcBS5QGWjwlC2zJ1AKVsWe5lCOMtUhaDs8b3AacI4SYrKCEFY4zuYTcak5NY7YGFcybCDlm5FPAwTCspXB/s1600/IMG_0947.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1582" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGjuU4uqFZ-5AXc0D4XkN_EhH27pkJ9fJW43a_f9MsNGeZByuLMuQh2shfgWcBS5QGWjwlC2zJ1AKVsWe5lCOMtUhaDs8b3AacI4SYrKCEFY4zuYTcak5NY7YGFcybCDlm5FPAwTCspXB/s200/IMG_0947.jpeg" width="197" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Letter formation-advanced level<br />
(Can be middle depending on letter size)</td></tr>
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<b>Rhyming:</b></h3>
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With Rhyming I will always being with books that have a lot of rhyming words that are either real or nonsense words. "The Hungry Thing", "Nanette's Baguette" or "Rhyming Dust Bunnies". We talk about rhyming words in whole group before I ever introduce a rhyming center. The first rhyming center activity I start with is a simple "Does it Rhyme" word sorting activity. I show picture cards with words that are either a rhyming pair or not a rhyming pair and we sort them accordingly. A mid-level center would take it up a notch. The next level would be a rhyming match type game where there is only <b>one </b>word that would rhyme with another given word. Matching, rhyme and clip where there are 2-3 choices, or something similar would be an 'on level' center. The advanced rhyme centers will focus on finding more than one word that rhymes with a given word...making a rhyming 'Family'. this concept requires strong base knowledge and critical thinking.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi18DIHdasLFLEkCkRQ_P9lSap1iFE4FjtgUME6xZM8tM78xZpp9r_kjulC69UiCxDwJDCcDEs2UvujXmf_6do1lNkSDL0axwM6HCccczrSlXLxa4DulEKlsg6iozxiHut3FgokHfWHqq_K/s1600/IMG_0862.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1568" data-original-width="1600" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi18DIHdasLFLEkCkRQ_P9lSap1iFE4FjtgUME6xZM8tM78xZpp9r_kjulC69UiCxDwJDCcDEs2UvujXmf_6do1lNkSDL0axwM6HCccczrSlXLxa4DulEKlsg6iozxiHut3FgokHfWHqq_K/s200/IMG_0862.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rhyme/Not a Rhyme Sort-beginning or introductory level</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49So9GsnDo9lFzJ2HHZersTs8FqsJgcDhfJfkilED6zQY5HhouFrHbpMLm8D5NGH1rxZj9XYKGW7KVpswQi4E2UfF6e5D7_Z0GF9JRnB2Rlj2GP1RI8KDSGhJ_-BESjIKfd6yXcO-naJ4/s1600/IMG_0875.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1294" data-original-width="1600" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49So9GsnDo9lFzJ2HHZersTs8FqsJgcDhfJfkilED6zQY5HhouFrHbpMLm8D5NGH1rxZj9XYKGW7KVpswQi4E2UfF6e5D7_Z0GF9JRnB2Rlj2GP1RI8KDSGhJ_-BESjIKfd6yXcO-naJ4/s200/IMG_0875.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matching one rhyming word-Medium/on level</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZinkhDmWMtAMnDDnJZj5Tj4jhH8k4LDqS_C5JZ0gZeQ5V5wYA0JjaIrnBxdBn7Nx7bzqj_PSoDeY4EHaEeJK3bIE6eaexbEYSutx0zOVN4O9_PKNXE1jR5fZ1-sCHbBL8lNYmIBsZOq_/s1600/IMG_0871.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1592" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZinkhDmWMtAMnDDnJZj5Tj4jhH8k4LDqS_C5JZ0gZeQ5V5wYA0JjaIrnBxdBn7Nx7bzqj_PSoDeY4EHaEeJK3bIE6eaexbEYSutx0zOVN4O9_PKNXE1jR5fZ1-sCHbBL8lNYmIBsZOq_/s200/IMG_0871.jpeg" width="198" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making a rhyming 'Family'-Advanced </td></tr>
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<h3>
<b>Beginning Sounds:</b></h3>
<div>
I teach beginning sounds as I teach letters, so I usually wait until we have a few letters under our belt before I bring out a beginning sounds center. In the Freebie that I will link to at the end of this post, I start with beginning sounds 2-part puzzles. The puzzles are all self-correcting so there is only one solution-therefore, the picture side will only fit with the correct letter. This is a great introductory center, or one to stay on with kids that are struggling, so they can begin to make some associations. The mid level centers are usually a center with a choice of letters to match a beginning sound picture or vice versa-again, there is only one option, so prior knowledge can be accessed to make the best choice. The advanced level calls upon prior knowledge again as with this center there are pictures with the same beginning sound, and the student has to find the correct letter out of all the letters in the alphabet...this one can be a REAL challenge! </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFikA5QH0Wm4FX_YPoZHDtHYhFlBcHvS0filpQ_HOyNHSszLBJib8mbErfxTMnIL2-P9SwUpI2qbANjeAbgNrdL-KHGzCz8ITx1geJUBb9FQ1-hAfROIQ3_1tHdx-sNiyFVwXIDYao23H_/s1600/IMG_0890.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFikA5QH0Wm4FX_YPoZHDtHYhFlBcHvS0filpQ_HOyNHSszLBJib8mbErfxTMnIL2-P9SwUpI2qbANjeAbgNrdL-KHGzCz8ITx1geJUBb9FQ1-hAfROIQ3_1tHdx-sNiyFVwXIDYao23H_/s200/IMG_0890.jpeg" width="185" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beginning Sounds Puzzles-introductory <br />
level or review</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTLjWGhJnGxOSVk3_Kw6dkTFF-c6KR5-uRJh8bODbQ2JXB66x5bogmBGg8A4980cYrEKw8Jr_gZf0Teml8BGh3f3_cLczEzFkUSUTxNrgdT2i4YD_O0V1utCSm7cZnt2NZ3-eW1-fHG8s/s1600/IMG_0903.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1554" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTLjWGhJnGxOSVk3_Kw6dkTFF-c6KR5-uRJh8bODbQ2JXB66x5bogmBGg8A4980cYrEKw8Jr_gZf0Teml8BGh3f3_cLczEzFkUSUTxNrgdT2i4YD_O0V1utCSm7cZnt2NZ3-eW1-fHG8s/s200/IMG_0903.jpeg" width="193" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clip the Beginning Sound-On level<br />
for late PreK or early K </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq03Lqu6Zg4-zh85RYJlOKaZRIF0_1jnCrrQi1L3mkfntB8I9v-cmHpzUEnvXeAsIupQYM5w8bFu_7eGFJ3Jo7E1U0hc1WSq_iR_OdAOYjNFjGTw90NaQY89jZ2q5-7RzGAxQyZOueTX6E/s1600/IMG_0881.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1410" data-original-width="1571" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq03Lqu6Zg4-zh85RYJlOKaZRIF0_1jnCrrQi1L3mkfntB8I9v-cmHpzUEnvXeAsIupQYM5w8bFu_7eGFJ3Jo7E1U0hc1WSq_iR_OdAOYjNFjGTw90NaQY89jZ2q5-7RzGAxQyZOueTX6E/s200/IMG_0881.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Find the Letter Match the Sound-<br />
Advanced</td></tr>
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<h3>
<b>Letters:</b></h3>
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Teaching letters in both upper and lowercase can be a challenge. Some kids will just 'get' that two completely different looking symbols mean the same thing, and others need a LOT of repetition to make the connection. I begin with letter centers that first help differentiate between uppercase and lowercase. This set will include as an introductory center, an upper and lowercase letter sort. The next level again offers a choice of letters relying on prior knowledge to find the correct matching uppercase or lowercase letter-depending on the activity. The next step up would be to find the letter that matches the uppercase letter in lowercase form and vice-versa with all the letters of the alphabet represented-here I have a 'Draw & Cover' or 'Mark the Letter'. If your group needs a review with this center you can differentiate by matching the uppercase letter to the uppercase letter or vice versa for a straight matching game. This is a great option for review or to build confidence and to solidify prior knowledge.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8ht4UzKszObaOJL4WEN4Fqc6yhK6LIlCXMLvWfEnfhjex4nD-CYJQlYg4CIo9pXHu80nqG0nlKJI91-QcnwTwc5gEm79dyP038oUraJwST-1XAgYc3xU19VK4YsJ4DBiqHXzM4rjI25D/s1600/IMG_0913.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1377" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8ht4UzKszObaOJL4WEN4Fqc6yhK6LIlCXMLvWfEnfhjex4nD-CYJQlYg4CIo9pXHu80nqG0nlKJI91-QcnwTwc5gEm79dyP038oUraJwST-1XAgYc3xU19VK4YsJ4DBiqHXzM4rjI25D/s200/IMG_0913.jpeg" width="171" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picnic Basket Letter Sort-a<br />
fantastic introductory or review center!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQWP2iDBVrTbRt8vBBuSCIO7zgyHUol_ThB0RIDr17KAo7uSt2MnRgAcQfm5om9UI-5WFAu38E71LlkZyMZ4Yl4ZNj1a6Nk1HQ9q9J0FDqYJ9Quev1v4DJx_6oOi40zzRp2Fu6Zg_IEVx/s1600/IMG_0914.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQWP2iDBVrTbRt8vBBuSCIO7zgyHUol_ThB0RIDr17KAo7uSt2MnRgAcQfm5om9UI-5WFAu38E71LlkZyMZ4Yl4ZNj1a6Nk1HQ9q9J0FDqYJ9Quev1v4DJx_6oOi40zzRp2Fu6Zg_IEVx/s200/IMG_0914.jpeg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uppercase Letter Clip-On level<br />
or practice</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrRg3vjKNNZ-LT2D3rzp5YCm2c7W9wLZEEJJeRZcoapThw9j_cbvHtW3geqbEScgm6a3QJDH8D9wh9vlChnpSrZ_g3msM5GKkpwMK6zXwwp6di3AqcLHIc2t4IvDTMpxF_KreEKpbCqUDj/s1600/IMG_0920.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1240" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrRg3vjKNNZ-LT2D3rzp5YCm2c7W9wLZEEJJeRZcoapThw9j_cbvHtW3geqbEScgm6a3QJDH8D9wh9vlChnpSrZ_g3msM5GKkpwMK6zXwwp6di3AqcLHIc2t4IvDTMpxF_KreEKpbCqUDj/s200/IMG_0920.jpeg" width="154" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Straight match Mark the Letter</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1Bp757Qmv9HdgQFc7gQ4Sw1dG9kwmPKwP4zZD4lGlYoqg29GSWpPMvvgzb5B6CARe431JkPXLcQgJ4wD074UpyEZcr4OlJRputVMl9PTrri6KtBwo4wWUiyOQRtRJnvObEJ62XWQH9jk/s1600/IMG_0917.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1Bp757Qmv9HdgQFc7gQ4Sw1dG9kwmPKwP4zZD4lGlYoqg29GSWpPMvvgzb5B6CARe431JkPXLcQgJ4wD074UpyEZcr4OlJRputVMl9PTrri6KtBwo4wWUiyOQRtRJnvObEJ62XWQH9jk/s200/IMG_0917.jpeg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark the Letter</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-sx6xqSJ52aiee_tuTn-7rkKe_Fl2Gg927Lk9f_2w2O9yUJqhV0QT3TZaRvRt1qGzaqRF-2Ygxty483_r3hg8fRY8CSOFvVsv_yOpmZaQOSeoptasgv9RNZQ_kEMJ3t7Z9FMxzYuUIjN/s1600/IMG_0924.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1298" data-original-width="1600" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-sx6xqSJ52aiee_tuTn-7rkKe_Fl2Gg927Lk9f_2w2O9yUJqhV0QT3TZaRvRt1qGzaqRF-2Ygxty483_r3hg8fRY8CSOFvVsv_yOpmZaQOSeoptasgv9RNZQ_kEMJ3t7Z9FMxzYuUIjN/s320/IMG_0924.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Draw & Cover-make it easy or a challenge!</td></tr>
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<h3>
<b>Vocabulary:</b></h3>
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I do a lot of repetitive vocabulary centers, mostly because the real work is in learning theme vocabulary. In the Free resource, I use simple vocabulary words and try to repeat the same words in all three activities. I like to start with a matching game, then move on to 'Things that Go Together', or a 'What Belongs to Me?' activity. A challenge vocabulary activity is introducing nouns and verbs. I teach Preschool 3-4's and Pre-K, so I keep it very simple. I will make mats that are for People, Places or Things, and one that is for 'Action/Doing'. This can be a real challenge for some, but it would be a fantastic introductory center for Kindergarten as they begin to learn parts of speech! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCxhz_HAa53VHGRmLGzuB4o_qCLYdYFvCxphJe4dK0X5jO6JTsUOAYWy22FDcy8WQ4-gUo8GuhbL09iE39p0IqL48wmXFc2WZrUHihG3XENZQnoJ4JAcsOJnww6JDwoTUbQhmAaN6GcQc/s1600/IMG_0932.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="1600" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCxhz_HAa53VHGRmLGzuB4o_qCLYdYFvCxphJe4dK0X5jO6JTsUOAYWy22FDcy8WQ4-gUo8GuhbL09iE39p0IqL48wmXFc2WZrUHihG3XENZQnoJ4JAcsOJnww6JDwoTUbQhmAaN6GcQc/s320/IMG_0932.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vocabulary Matching-Introductory level</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSX1zgr1a2Zi2SK7hp2pFZbSc1_LHF7FWoonbEHMjau34_0vq6fFFgsBw2IL9sCOfTDbHkTZLWpgtG3yz0FQiNqfrFwV-UA-2M2rzDW_0PmqIL8dSv2H1SLxLtfFzsaja4tV4LIyk4pIHZ/s1600/IMG_0925.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1514" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSX1zgr1a2Zi2SK7hp2pFZbSc1_LHF7FWoonbEHMjau34_0vq6fFFgsBw2IL9sCOfTDbHkTZLWpgtG3yz0FQiNqfrFwV-UA-2M2rzDW_0PmqIL8dSv2H1SLxLtfFzsaja4tV4LIyk4pIHZ/s200/IMG_0925.jpeg" width="188" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noun & Verb Sort-Challenge!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjx2dmXeciAusBBmA_qVjeG58WhU8rWJys3Za669zX7i7yczXIXmJh-53IujnJsKP82-kn808NGkcYakuNAzK6k8CDO7obuI7rAneoQWqkkrInquqZcI-t2yz_e-df27Zz45bf8IEVkJc9/s1600/IMG_0929.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1181" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjx2dmXeciAusBBmA_qVjeG58WhU8rWJys3Za669zX7i7yczXIXmJh-53IujnJsKP82-kn808NGkcYakuNAzK6k8CDO7obuI7rAneoQWqkkrInquqZcI-t2yz_e-df27Zz45bf8IEVkJc9/s200/IMG_0929.jpeg" width="147" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Things That Go Together-<br />
On level</td></tr>
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<h3>
<b>Antonyms:</b></h3>
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While I would never introduce antonyms to my 3-4 year old class, the Pre-K loves them! This section is mostly for Pre-K and Kindergarten. I have 3 tried and true activities that I use for antonyms. The introductory center is always self-correcting 2-part puzzles. There is only one solution, so it is a fantastic way to introduce the concept of antonyms in a way that is fun and can't go wrong! The next level up is a matching game...this can be tricky, because the pictures are different, not just a match of the same thing. This center relies on prior knowledge and reinforces the concept. The challenge level is actually a challenge within a challenge! I have 2 different Bingo mats-one with 12 antonyms to find...and one with 16 antonyms to find. This is a center where you can differentiate with the same activity, just leaving the smaller Bingo mat for a group that might need more time to learn the concept and use the bigger Bingo mat for those who are close to mastery! All 3 of these centers are a lot of fun! In all of my Differentiated products they stay the same, only the theme changes...so you can use this set for assessment as wells differentiation. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antonym 2-part Puzzles-Introductory level</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0y88LMt_5F0lGx0XmNWDTrolkDwJ_wTCFS5zqEJiOPeeQ3_ceDZoz8Ph8hwKYIpAwUi05oE9-YZyJXErJD8kDZqnAYqNWFLx-ekL7qABtHmbNM_AHH8w1XteK8ZvskThsnZvr5xMcK77/s1600/IMG_0937.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1567" data-original-width="1600" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0y88LMt_5F0lGx0XmNWDTrolkDwJ_wTCFS5zqEJiOPeeQ3_ceDZoz8Ph8hwKYIpAwUi05oE9-YZyJXErJD8kDZqnAYqNWFLx-ekL7qABtHmbNM_AHH8w1XteK8ZvskThsnZvr5xMcK77/s200/IMG_0937.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antonym Matching-on level</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two sets of Bingo Mats for differentiation within differentiation!<br />
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Differentiation does not have to be difficult!</h3>
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I created these centers along with others in different themes in my store to solve a problem that I was having in my teaching. I wanted to be able to reach all of my students within the same standards. With the variation of abilities my students, it was such a challenge that there were days I felt like a failure. Now I have options within the concepts I am teaching which helps my students learn and gain confidence, and it helps me as a teacher feel like I can give each student the help and attention they deserve. I have discovered that with the right amount of planning I can quickly asses my students, modify my lessons, and see amazing results! There is a lot of repetition, so I know that charting progress will be easier and I won't let anyone fall through the cracks. If intervention is needed...I have the documentation and assessments to back up what I'm seeing in my classroom. <br />
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Follow the link below for a <b>FREE</b> resource featuring everything you see int his post, <b>PLUS </b>assessment sheets for each concept soy can track student progress. </div>
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Differentiated-Literacy-Centers-for-Preschool-PreK-K-Homeschool-4041736" title="Differentiated Literacy Centers for Preschool, PreK, K & Homeschool">Differentiated Literacy Centers for Preschool, PreK, K & Homeschool</a>
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There are more resources in my store of the same format. I will link some below as well...I am in the middle of changing titles and adding assessment sheets, so look for "Leveled Centers" as well as "Differentiated Centers". Updates on assessment sheets are forthcoming and you will be alerted if you purchase a resource without an assessment sheet. I also have Differentiated Math Centers...be on the lookout for the BIG math FREEBIE coming soon!<br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Thanksgiving-Literacy-Bundle-Differentiated-Centers-for-Preschool-PreK-K-3457446" title="Thanksgiving Literacy Bundle: Differentiated Centers for Preschool, PreK, & K">Thanksgiving Literacy Bundle: Differentiated Centers for Preschool, PreK, & K</a>
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Thanksgiving-Differentiated-Math-Literacy-Center-Bundle-for-Preschool-PreK-K-3475105" title="Thanksgiving Differentiated Math & Literacy Center Bundle for Preschool PreK & K">Thanksgiving Differentiated Math & Literacy Center Bundle for Preschool PreK & K</a>
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Apples-Differentiated-Literacy-Centers-Letters-for-Preschool-PreK-K-4027215" title="Apples! Differentiated Literacy Centers: Letters for Preschool, PreK & K">Apples! Differentiated Literacy Centers: Letters for Preschool, PreK & K</a>
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Happy Teaching!<br />
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teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-55662738815684640752018-09-01T06:42:00.001-07:002018-09-01T08:06:05.313-07:00Using Pre-K Journals to Promote Literacy and Foster Emergent WritingAfter years of watching my fellow preschool/pre-k teacher use writing journals in her classroom, I finally added <b>journal time</b> to my curriculum last year. The results were more than I could have hoped for...so this year I have added more theme pages and I plan on making sure writing journals are included in every weekly lesson plan from this point forward. <br />
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The NAEYC states:<br />
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Teachers play an important role in promoting emergent writing development by scaffolding writing activities that engage young children in building their conceptual, procedural, and generative knowledge. Writing can easily be embedded in daily routines as children write their names, engage in learning centers, practice writing for a purpose based on teacher and peer models, and contribute to group writing activities. Be intentional during interactions with children and incorporate best practices. Promote the development of emergent writing—and emergent literacy—by implementing purposeful strategies that encourage writing in the classroom and at home. Teachers who provide young children with a diverse array of early writing experiences lay the foundation for kindergarten readiness. </div>
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As a preschool and Pre-K teacher I infuse my day with emergent writing activities. My writing center is fully stocked with paper, coloring sheets, markers, and photo name strips for name independent name writing practice. It is one of the busiest 'free choice' centers in my classroom.<br />
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Each day during circle time we have a favorite activity called 'Name of the Day' where a magnetic whiteboard is used for daily name practice for one lucky student. I rotate the names keeping careful track of which students have had a turn, and I increase the level of difficulty as the year and student's skill progresses!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2O490wuI3jcmnhkb8aQkQ7qhW-y-S7A8tWXtsbj_4RWHQ0teWk_UkP9Kf4EEyCRBO8BqbTugdJ5MAI68FpaM8FcP5RBvRddx_Nmczvbn43p58Vi7wzz97ZtBJIq_VvsvjeKFT3D75wZH/s1600/fullsizeoutput_132.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2O490wuI3jcmnhkb8aQkQ7qhW-y-S7A8tWXtsbj_4RWHQ0teWk_UkP9Kf4EEyCRBO8BqbTugdJ5MAI68FpaM8FcP5RBvRddx_Nmczvbn43p58Vi7wzz97ZtBJIq_VvsvjeKFT3D75wZH/s320/fullsizeoutput_132.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Every week as we introduce a new letter to study, we spend time practicing writing the letter through 'sky writing' with our 'magic finger pens', tracing the letter, coloring, painting, stamping, or using play dough to form the letter, and we always try some independent letter writing as well...sometimes with a special journal page for that week's letter. <br />
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I include name writing practice and name recognition activities as we work towards independent name writing. The kids names are EVERYWHERE from coat hooks to placemats!<br />
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All of the activities I have mentioned promote emergent writing on a daily and weekly basis, but I have found that our journal activities serve as the best example of tracking and assessing the stages of emergent writing in my classroom and serve as an example of a true and organic progress throughout our school year. The kids LOVE journal time, and they show a sense of pride in their work and in the physical journal itself. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbg-VpK_gTH_5bTeUwTjFIEk1Yf6It29DhCjthdPzGdaWXrFC-2nYXXLkb1rqMO9HA9DGXnnPpj4OAv_wMrrBhzCMQckSsluX71aFQJVvd1UaQfCp0qnn-rus54ftulece4WXu7oGAbW_/s1600/IMG_0756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbg-VpK_gTH_5bTeUwTjFIEk1Yf6It29DhCjthdPzGdaWXrFC-2nYXXLkb1rqMO9HA9DGXnnPpj4OAv_wMrrBhzCMQckSsluX71aFQJVvd1UaQfCp0qnn-rus54ftulece4WXu7oGAbW_/s200/IMG_0756.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rlhE0J9pGkJwqS6FXEK2_YnA-agOaV3-931jQcY2pmQQygkhLSwjfYtCZsRayJPAPnh1DQXMrnqUjhwuBrenht653BIjL-2kF3PN0_agLpKeVtLs5SPL69iR-txiUm9uDCoRZ3OOsxmd/s1600/IMG_0751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rlhE0J9pGkJwqS6FXEK2_YnA-agOaV3-931jQcY2pmQQygkhLSwjfYtCZsRayJPAPnh1DQXMrnqUjhwuBrenht653BIjL-2kF3PN0_agLpKeVtLs5SPL69iR-txiUm9uDCoRZ3OOsxmd/s200/IMG_0751.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover example</td></tr>
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We begin the year by decorating a plain 3-prong pocket folder with a name strip-the first attempt at name writing of the year, and tickers and drawings on the cover. Each week we will add a page or two to emphasize a letter we are learning, or a theme we are discussing that week. The journals start out with mostly drawings and teachers writing what the students dictate. Over time we will see an evolution in the details of their drawings, attempts at writing words, independent name writing, and copying words the teachers write on a separate paper or white board. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOIkqm-73-XxkoOqhYQUSveS1ckPP60tdioJPQjD4t26BVf1fVTIrex1iTa9KN-PECPfbAtis1E0XXKHEtIMDlV5sZ6CFHwOM9bjUyc-Tws73iFAKAUA92ETNulYPp__8mYAo7PQO86sM/s1600/IMG_0747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOIkqm-73-XxkoOqhYQUSveS1ckPP60tdioJPQjD4t26BVf1fVTIrex1iTa9KN-PECPfbAtis1E0XXKHEtIMDlV5sZ6CFHwOM9bjUyc-Tws73iFAKAUA92ETNulYPp__8mYAo7PQO86sM/s200/IMG_0747.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids love putting their own <br />
work in the pockets each week!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshBvF7zrrCYLpRtKW8py2pQm8v9gKtwBIdeiN0GA55zG2OYS8Wn5bBqJ50W7Xk1OeeOYlUZrhlVZVE-Jf5QG4pGNmZHfZHU4fW75AtMqGyv7d6NfHLZog12NtnjH9fN9j-LWWZXqQNUaS/s1600/IMG_0749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshBvF7zrrCYLpRtKW8py2pQm8v9gKtwBIdeiN0GA55zG2OYS8Wn5bBqJ50W7Xk1OeeOYlUZrhlVZVE-Jf5QG4pGNmZHfZHU4fW75AtMqGyv7d6NfHLZog12NtnjH9fN9j-LWWZXqQNUaS/s200/IMG_0749.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can assess pencil grip & other <br />
developmental standards during <br />
journal time too!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Pg1sI8n-2clgfSIbmOIb98jN1fzpixLR3pyiGAYQ-fJO7LF2cY9zVh4Cit73s1ffNAk3969Z3k_8qjnJUpQ6r7BhAAb0JKx2tr-IJA_ZzG3IHTc75hcbU6fGl1HS9x1KrCPWbQjRbC9n/s1600/IMG_0744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Pg1sI8n-2clgfSIbmOIb98jN1fzpixLR3pyiGAYQ-fJO7LF2cY9zVh4Cit73s1ffNAk3969Z3k_8qjnJUpQ6r7BhAAb0JKx2tr-IJA_ZzG3IHTc75hcbU6fGl1HS9x1KrCPWbQjRbC9n/s200/IMG_0744.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This week we worked on our family theme!</td></tr>
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Talk about an amazing transformation! <br />
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I hope to take you all on this wonderful journey into emergent writing with me by showing lots of photos of my students progressing through the year on my blog! Hopefully it will inspire you to include journal time in your early childhood classroom. You can start anytime...you will NOT regret it! When it comes to kindergarten readiness, emergent writing is just as important as every other standard we need to cover! Make it a priority and your students will thrive!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEFXbElcSIxtzOY5SMlZO4yaF-eBwjpM1eMloDtjBv6GnL6MlYWQMa4yTSm6rUFKgc7QCNfyXy8zJvL02ntPMDXWu_fYPaUnY6psxYqCsb8h00RKcpVU9X9iSmtNDjcibg5dEi4zRmDtr4/s1600/IMG_0753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEFXbElcSIxtzOY5SMlZO4yaF-eBwjpM1eMloDtjBv6GnL6MlYWQMa4yTSm6rUFKgc7QCNfyXy8zJvL02ntPMDXWu_fYPaUnY6psxYqCsb8h00RKcpVU9X9iSmtNDjcibg5dEi4zRmDtr4/s320/IMG_0753.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I store our journals in a folder holder so they are<br />
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I have created both an Alphabet Letter of the Week Journal set and a Themes and Holidays set in my TPT store to make the process easier for teachers. You can also purchase both as a bundle for endless journal writing options. I will include links at the end of this post.</div>
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I cannot stress enough how much of a positive impact journal writing has had with my Pre-K students! A other <b>bonus</b> I neglected to mention is that our journals become the <b>perfect end of the year portfolio of progress </b>for the kids to share with their parents. The end of the year is so busy and crammed with activities and special events. Busy teachers need something that is already done during that crazy time...writing journals will have your end of the year presentation DONE and ready to go!</div>
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Here's the links to my time-saving Journal Writing resources!</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Pre-K-Journal-Writing-Practice-Pages-Prompts-Alphabet-3187705" title="Pre-K Journal & Writing Practice Pages & Prompts-Alphabet">Pre-K Journal & Writing Practice Pages & Prompts-Alphabet</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/PreK-Writing-Journal-Themes-Holidays-3848736" title="PreK Writing Journal: Themes & Holidays!">PreK Writing Journal: Themes & Holidays!</a> </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/PreK-Writing-Journal-Alphabet-Themes-Holidays-Bundle-3848745" title="PreK Writing Journal; Alphabet & Themes & Holidays Bundle!">PreK Writing Journal; Alphabet & Themes & Holidays Bundle!</a>
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I sincerely hope you try journals or something like it with your students this year...you will love it as much as your kiddos!</div>
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teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-79019390397044155782018-08-22T16:07:00.002-07:002018-08-22T16:07:58.007-07:00Welcome Friends!One of the mainstays and most popular themes in any preschool classroom is the "About Me" unit. I always start my year with a week of 'Welcome to School' making sure my Welcome bulletin board is ready for the weeks ahead. I've made a board with Balloons then Flowers with a "Watch us Grow" theme. This year I went a little crazy! I decided to use the words "Welcome Friends" and make a series of "kids" with simple smiley faces and stick-figurelike outfits and bodies. Y'all...it was A LOT OF WORK! I think if I added all the time I spent creating this board together...it would amount to an entire 12 hour day!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsQ8SNqJ2s2WvJcA-CFcAWuK7W1kKMYqpQScFFfRcOgZn8_YP8RBHpNY-_GiHOBuqNkhBvdWAcKYIVKTOhSqPAqNjmHjyM_XIDKXQZcdb7rutDfC7uvN6rI_F4rFJvrxIZQqAEIWTsZhm/s1600/IMG_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsQ8SNqJ2s2WvJcA-CFcAWuK7W1kKMYqpQScFFfRcOgZn8_YP8RBHpNY-_GiHOBuqNkhBvdWAcKYIVKTOhSqPAqNjmHjyM_XIDKXQZcdb7rutDfC7uvN6rI_F4rFJvrxIZQqAEIWTsZhm/s320/IMG_0002.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsQ8SNqJ2s2WvJcA-CFcAWuK7W1kKMYqpQScFFfRcOgZn8_YP8RBHpNY-_GiHOBuqNkhBvdWAcKYIVKTOhSqPAqNjmHjyM_XIDKXQZcdb7rutDfC7uvN6rI_F4rFJvrxIZQqAEIWTsZhm/s1600/IMG_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFio0X-JalikCu8CfV7FzHZRTJjPCOjzLNOEwam0gU-68XgCSeuD7XoQ0bFHcev5PmlAI_RbH696S2571d6PWZmU4kCbQ3tpa6cGu78bvKvikMvooxNgjmWNfRTj9rLVGmNIllVqsoIN2/s320/IMG_0001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I have to admit...it was worth it! It turned out so cute! A lot of the faculty came down to see the preschool boards and absolutely loved it...and of course my co-workers were so supportive and full of encouragement...which meant the world to me...because frankly...I was over it by the time I finished! <br />
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It is my tradition to always have an oval or a circle for each child on my Welcome board. I always have a plan for my Welcome board to evolve into something both parents and students will delight in! <br />
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Bring on the first self portrait!<br />
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To me, as both a mother and a teacher, nothing is cuter than a preschoolers first self portraits! The crooked smiles and the funny little markings as they try to manipulate crayons or markers to make eyes, nose and mouth. There is such a big developmental leap in detail from my 3-4's and my 4-5's pre-k kids! It is both fun and fascinating to see the evolution! I love to take a photo of each face and save it for the end of the year portfolios of progress. They grow so much I so many ways...in such a short time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6LAePr4K5GoGhjveSHGGOnbecbBwizxMyRm26rowZnfE2ceZolhpWPK6yUzFtKPoSSqoWxiCGU31jcV_wg5EHzeP8gR0oZuyjDQoy9Z-qZ-GCzKmawr8hmiA7E8lrEN_BPQQQHQVSpBDO/s1600/IMG_0432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6LAePr4K5GoGhjveSHGGOnbecbBwizxMyRm26rowZnfE2ceZolhpWPK6yUzFtKPoSSqoWxiCGU31jcV_wg5EHzeP8gR0oZuyjDQoy9Z-qZ-GCzKmawr8hmiA7E8lrEN_BPQQQHQVSpBDO/s320/IMG_0432.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pcOqCHr7Og8duhDSeWs5A3anKJ66Y90P9HYij-yF4yidLcMyTAZeMioxp3B9xb6u8ui8a2VXHLsBgu0cSnEIJMU0_Nv1vqKKZqdrSN0u0ugZROTdoL54aIy4XHmDIXQLcFsM7LUxsQqC/s1600/IMG_0439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pcOqCHr7Og8duhDSeWs5A3anKJ66Y90P9HYij-yF4yidLcMyTAZeMioxp3B9xb6u8ui8a2VXHLsBgu0cSnEIJMU0_Nv1vqKKZqdrSN0u0ugZROTdoL54aIy4XHmDIXQLcFsM7LUxsQqC/s320/IMG_0439.jpg" width="240" /></a> In small group centers I let the kids pick from different flesh toned circles to make their own face. I provided mirrors, markers and differing lengths of yarn in lots of colors to use as hair. I demonstrated how I look in the mirror and see 2 blue eyes with eyebrows and lashes. I have 1 nose and one happy smiling mouth! I always have an example ready to go!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNSnslIsBHz5PVXiG5vccdYb1RADQOCWTUhT1E8Az2etvyXCgBN-mIGQ7yoF_onDMVxLLotSg9c7HRcZcrcFIbCAgFkZHJ6Be4mg6sxDEUi0xB60fQF9lpfP1Aas90I8FVPyvxorEnu8G/s1600/IMG_0532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNSnslIsBHz5PVXiG5vccdYb1RADQOCWTUhT1E8Az2etvyXCgBN-mIGQ7yoF_onDMVxLLotSg9c7HRcZcrcFIbCAgFkZHJ6Be4mg6sxDEUi0xB60fQF9lpfP1Aas90I8FVPyvxorEnu8G/s320/IMG_0532.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg07J_WgE74g1sUWa0imatdBqqnsoKWp0z65icDVaz474866M3lpdl0QQjpD-Cu8PmhvUdEts3h9dWAMolz-v4CFPb-VlX4MamSpa9oI5TizeXffg1KDdCcG2iLfMkgEZl1qE06Ui852r__/s1600/IMG_0527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg07J_WgE74g1sUWa0imatdBqqnsoKWp0z65icDVaz474866M3lpdl0QQjpD-Cu8PmhvUdEts3h9dWAMolz-v4CFPb-VlX4MamSpa9oI5TizeXffg1KDdCcG2iLfMkgEZl1qE06Ui852r__/s320/IMG_0527.jpg" width="240" /></a>I love sitting back and watching the kids examine heir own faces and sketch out the features they see. I always help with the hair...but even that is so much fun to watch them choose what colors they would like and how they want it 'styled' on their little round heads! The end result is a bulletin board that represents both my classes as they see themselves. It represents where each child is developmentally and will serve as a landmark to see how far they go by the end of the year! I love it...it makes me so happy each day!<br />
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You can find this idea in my "All About Me!" Lesson Plan for preschool Prek and Homeschool in my TpT store! Just follow the link below! More from this unit will be coming to my blog in the coming days! You will love it!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Me-5-Day-UnitLesson-Plans-for-Preschool-Pre-K-K-Homeschool-2657780" title="All About Me! 5-Day Unit/Lesson Plans for Preschool, Pre-K, K, & Homeschool">All About Me! 5-Day Unit/Lesson Plans for Preschool, Pre-K, K, & Homeschool</a>
teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-53144873367933645052018-07-30T16:50:00.000-07:002018-07-30T18:33:44.682-07:00Free Lesson Planning Templates & Planning Calendar!With school fast approaching...I'm getting excited for 2 new classes full of bright happy faces of 3-4 year-old, and my pre-k 4-5 year-olds! They are so special and sweet! I am looking forward to another year full of fun, laughs, hugs and amazing discoveries!<br />
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Throughout my years of teaching I have lesson planned the same way. I always have in my mind the idea of <b>backward design. </b>I know what I want my students to know at the end of each week...and It is up to me to find the best, most engaging way to get them there. I teach in a centers based preschool. In my classroom there are 4 free choice centers plus a library full of themes and non-theme books for the kids to enjoy if hey want some quiet. We also have teachers or volunteers running literacy, math, science, art, or fine motor centers. We don't run all of those teacher centers each day, usually just 2 or 3.<br />
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As with most quality preschool programs, we have state core standards we have to meet, but we still keep it play-based and developmentally appropriate. That said, I have to make sure my centers for the week cover all of my subject areas, meet core standards, are developmentally appropriate and engaging. <br />
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It can feel like a lot sometimes. <br />
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My second year of teaching I would sit down and draw out some boxes-one for the letter of the week, my volunteers, books-both fiction and non, Concepts that I wanted or needed to cover in each subject area, how I wanted to change my free choice centers, and any special events such as a fire drill, picture day, parties etc.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_przfhn0H5FS2h4HQ1kAnh1KbSrHHxWQ-24Pb2KtNVVgG68LhWaX51pAXcgEeNudxypIv3K6J5Y-U3NClB2Jak9icHW4LcOziobn26n-tk8Ebw-d3o44K01_ieXVAFOrf8J5xzNkkRL0i/s1600/Slide2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_przfhn0H5FS2h4HQ1kAnh1KbSrHHxWQ-24Pb2KtNVVgG68LhWaX51pAXcgEeNudxypIv3K6J5Y-U3NClB2Jak9icHW4LcOziobn26n-tk8Ebw-d3o44K01_ieXVAFOrf8J5xzNkkRL0i/s320/Slide2.jpeg" width="247" /></a></div>
Once that was filled in, I would take another piece of paper and make a grid for the week. I'd have a column for each day of the week, and a row for each subject. <br />
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From there, I made a template for my newsletter-which I also send to my principal as my lesson plan. I'd look at my planning grids and fill in the days centers, dates to remember, snack assignment, a brief note to parents, theme, date, books and student learning expectations. <br />
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I am a very visual person, and I found that having the 2 pieces of paper with everything in plain sight helped make lesson planning and newsletter writing so much easier and faster for me to do. What used to take hours is now finished in a few minutes and my principal, parents, and aides can clearly see what we are doing each day. The sheet with the boxes for free centers is great for my aides to refer to as we change the classroom centers to fit the following week's theme.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDkS773OFbEtFcHByZpLuqyIOChB8lELkCX3dj1RQRJB_TbPuq12Ok6-uVFtPtwwMmgwwgQCWbUpWh15JgszgRl6ic0NZC4TK9zEtnYTwh4R-5I2a0g8f5nlYlZD91jWiDh_1t3Zy3ATi/s1600/Slide3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDkS773OFbEtFcHByZpLuqyIOChB8lELkCX3dj1RQRJB_TbPuq12Ok6-uVFtPtwwMmgwwgQCWbUpWh15JgszgRl6ic0NZC4TK9zEtnYTwh4R-5I2a0g8f5nlYlZD91jWiDh_1t3Zy3ATi/s320/Slide3.jpeg" width="247" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmDw_jpWmG2P264-b9MbcEbdFFUDoV7PmavbpGGTgRbAmsY7jbF87B4FvWI5xFkVKkwA3eoWh8KBEJZFL0klGCHVfSkqDLLsDbsFaZjvA8ETPrfH99cMJPXaTZf_W_OaB_2VQcU0F8rJq/s1600/Slide5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmDw_jpWmG2P264-b9MbcEbdFFUDoV7PmavbpGGTgRbAmsY7jbF87B4FvWI5xFkVKkwA3eoWh8KBEJZFL0klGCHVfSkqDLLsDbsFaZjvA8ETPrfH99cMJPXaTZf_W_OaB_2VQcU0F8rJq/s320/Slide5.jpeg" width="247" /></a><br />
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I have a blank newsletter template that I keep handy in my computer files so I can keep a record of all my lesson plans-makes it a breeze to plan in coming years. I always save the new files as pdf's to send via email, but I also print a copy for each class and post it each week on my information board outside the classroom. I changed it up this year-went from frogs to hippos...mostly because I had frogs for two years, and the hippos were so darned cute...I kind of had to. <br />
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I have a 3-day preschool 3-4 class and a 5 day prek 4-5 class to plan for, so I just use 2, however there are 2 different 2-day editable templates, a 3-day, 4-day & 5-day editable templates as well! I will include links at the end of my post.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5KCYqH68bCDrId5bq7sVjIMn5ZC82rnF95WMUtOF1mnfVHee6NW-tE5_PSty0ljJRvq4pQaWlwH59Qtpbgnl6Lk8JfXx02m9Lo0vAsMDKtwuJh36czZ6r0s8fciEe213CV1vmu_3cFhz/s1600/Slide7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5KCYqH68bCDrId5bq7sVjIMn5ZC82rnF95WMUtOF1mnfVHee6NW-tE5_PSty0ljJRvq4pQaWlwH59Qtpbgnl6Lk8JfXx02m9Lo0vAsMDKtwuJh36czZ6r0s8fciEe213CV1vmu_3cFhz/s320/Slide7.jpeg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sample 4-day template<br />
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I also have a planning calendar to follow that makes it much easier to plan for the entire year! The other preschool/prek teacher at my school and I get together at the beginning of the year and we plot out our themes and party dates for our room reps, and to keep us on track in case we need to plan ahead for absences or subs. It really does make our year go by smoothly and It helps us plan together and collaborate. (Which is HEAVEN if you have ever taught preschool!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbKVmryu1ePXLAGs0ev5HycDIpdUlLQEPD8UDOLCEpnDCPs3klEV5A6duNLcjuRD_GFqA4xglRn3UpxIF9E1rMuOey7dZsXIaU6__pJ8kWLxEp80Wci_g_oL0qdQOQTLMBHhTJh24fiEz/s1600/Slide6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbKVmryu1ePXLAGs0ev5HycDIpdUlLQEPD8UDOLCEpnDCPs3klEV5A6duNLcjuRD_GFqA4xglRn3UpxIF9E1rMuOey7dZsXIaU6__pJ8kWLxEp80Wci_g_oL0qdQOQTLMBHhTJh24fiEz/s320/Slide6.jpeg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sample 5-day blank template</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDAMNgQYPmKtXnb6wUt3ytlnRpWDxEnvaY2mCuyYCCHC60hESVJ9wY_uG0z7eBCAkEbHNpZtziH8bENcWCuxJwUutSs6iCuG2L6hGqdEg2gfpLfR3DUdUdH8ua7UWfXwE4KuPUhc-imhm/s1600/Slide8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDAMNgQYPmKtXnb6wUt3ytlnRpWDxEnvaY2mCuyYCCHC60hESVJ9wY_uG0z7eBCAkEbHNpZtziH8bENcWCuxJwUutSs6iCuG2L6hGqdEg2gfpLfR3DUdUdH8ua7UWfXwE4KuPUhc-imhm/s320/Slide8.jpeg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is an example of my 5-day newsletter template filled in.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2nwwX4Oziy-u3BRdkbntX7bs3ZyLqroq-LFkS2-NTS6AFrRoO45GuLNtM1whrt3HSunZ6rNbSdsVzrqI1TLvTA0mAm-MXgCjLUcyZC4qLhUxom6Ypq8L0Dbw1YzQQ-C9RLbPc734R9k1W/s1600/Slide04.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="720" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2nwwX4Oziy-u3BRdkbntX7bs3ZyLqroq-LFkS2-NTS6AFrRoO45GuLNtM1whrt3HSunZ6rNbSdsVzrqI1TLvTA0mAm-MXgCjLUcyZC4qLhUxom6Ypq8L0Dbw1YzQQ-C9RLbPc734R9k1W/s320/Slide04.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sample of planning calendar</td></tr>
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<br a="" href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/PreschoolPre-K-Lesson-Planning-Templates-Editable-Newsletter-Templates-3958343" title="Preschool/Pre-K Lesson Planning Templates & Editable Newsletter Templates" />
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Preschool/Pre-K Lesson Planning Templates & Editable Newsletter Templates. Follow the links below for a <b>FREE </b>planning calendar and lesson planning templates! I know you will use them and love them!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/PreschoolPre-K-Lesson-Planning-Templates-Editable-Newsletter-Templates-3958343" title="Preschool/Pre-K Lesson Planning Templates & Editable Newsletter Templates">Preschool/Pre-K Lesson Planning Templates & Editable Newsletter Templates</a>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/PreschoolPre-K-12-Month-Planning-Calendar-August-July-3958372" title="Preschool/Pre-K 12 Month Planning Calendar: August-July">Preschool/Pre-K 12 Month Planning Calendar: August-July</a>
teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-4027897840971027712018-07-24T04:58:00.000-07:002018-07-24T10:10:51.165-07:00Teaching Colors to Preschoolers Through Process ArtEveryone loves rainbows...especially young children! While most kids come to me knowing 'their colors', (usually with very strong opinions about one or two) a review and assessment is always an important part to the beginning of the year activities. I love teaching a unit about colors. We sort objects by color, talk about our favorite color, paint with colors, and thanks to my co-teacher's wonderful idea-we make an amazing rainbow with a variety of materials and LOTS of glue!<br />
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This hands-on activity is so much fun for the kids. They love choosing buttons, feathers, sequins, and other objects to become part of our rainbow. They literally gasp as our rainbow takes shape and becomes a true work of art!</div>
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We start out with a tabletop size of light blue bulletin board paper. Then we take rainbow colors of markers to sketch out the borders of our rainbow. Our first line is red, then we add pink...because...you know...pink is important! Then orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. We use white crayons to make a couple of white clouds in the sky and our template is complete. </div>
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Next, we fill pie tins with anything and everything we can find to make our rainbow! I love to use buttons, sequins, tissue squares, pom-poms, feathers and paper scraps. We make sure we have full bottles of liquid glue-enough for each student that will come to our 'Rainbow Center'. I also add glue sticks for the materials such as tissue squares that will stick without liquid glue. Then we tape down the paper and get ready for fun!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIGzBZnXLBwK68xO6B6vjQ-iv1QXCuw9wmwro8WLyUpJ-twOGFgWMl2Iy116uXCR5Oj3Ka3SzxF6bjNCipRkiUFMAH8WXr27f6tEcgQuQlUG6YWMiIrFXkbzHH7EfsigNH5qDRQGyaN3P/s1600/IMG_5321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIGzBZnXLBwK68xO6B6vjQ-iv1QXCuw9wmwro8WLyUpJ-twOGFgWMl2Iy116uXCR5Oj3Ka3SzxF6bjNCipRkiUFMAH8WXr27f6tEcgQuQlUG6YWMiIrFXkbzHH7EfsigNH5qDRQGyaN3P/s320/IMG_5321.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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Some students will stay at this center for all of center time, but some will come and go...and come back again as the rainbow takes shape. With my 3-4's, I have to really guide them to match the color of the objects to the color in the rainbow. We do a lot of talking about colors at this center, I usually have a notecard handy to make notes as I assess color knowledge and awareness. This activity will give me a good idea of which kids need help correctly identifying colors. My pre-k kids are old pros at this activity and we get a chance to work together and chat about everything from our favorite colors to our favorite super heroes. Another thing I love about running this center is that I get a chance to participate with the kids. I love to ask if the green button goes on the purple stripe...they always love teaching the teacher how to do it right!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPB-XcNmjh5mDWXUwlBhsSdXp-dAtwptwAonGc1Qe3WY_Kjak8kR8HtLUdFJV8O1TGZX5Y0-vd5FTm9StWes4jKZjwxSSyegErsN7gnIASDLGX_ZsyReGikaxFl4hexTmQ4tcDKRU1XDGO/s1600/IMG_5339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPB-XcNmjh5mDWXUwlBhsSdXp-dAtwptwAonGc1Qe3WY_Kjak8kR8HtLUdFJV8O1TGZX5Y0-vd5FTm9StWes4jKZjwxSSyegErsN7gnIASDLGX_ZsyReGikaxFl4hexTmQ4tcDKRU1XDGO/s200/IMG_5339.JPG" width="200" /></a>When our rainbow is complete, we find a safe place for it to dry. it usually takes a day or two. Then we display the rainbow in our classroom for a couple of weeks. The kids absolutely love it! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0m-suzwn8nMsWCnKM4BHSLDba0bovfb-IC0CImriji4qcybyAM-1Nv3moVvr35qcDMThQ-WWWv2n11vX9rDv8GL4SwN0pysgDz7mQESePvERILdjGzIZy1v3QAsGGcdthLesBXYB1c5g/s1600/IMG_5340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0m-suzwn8nMsWCnKM4BHSLDba0bovfb-IC0CImriji4qcybyAM-1Nv3moVvr35qcDMThQ-WWWv2n11vX9rDv8GL4SwN0pysgDz7mQESePvERILdjGzIZy1v3QAsGGcdthLesBXYB1c5g/s200/IMG_5340.JPG" width="200" /></a>I save our rainbows in my storage room and they come out at the end of the year as part of our end of the year art show. They really are quite beautiful, and a fantastic example of preschool process art!</div>
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teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-34933465585095064222018-07-18T12:52:00.002-07:002018-07-18T13:20:23.229-07:00All About Me! Names, Names, Names!<br />
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During our 'About Me' unit we spend a lot of time on learning our names. My PreK group usually has a pretty good handle on this...at least the first letter, but my 3-4's need a LOT of practice. I have their names printed clearly on their cubbies, their coat hooks, our alphabet line, and I even have name strips for a pocket chart with their picture on it-so it is easy to find-as a way of 'taking roll'. </div>
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One of my all-time favorite and most effective name activities is one I have mentioned in a previous post about circle time, but it bears repeating! I now have 4 different levels of this activity to make it progress throughout the year and remain challenging for those amazing PreK'ers! I will touch on level one in this post. (I have it in my plans to do a post on all four levels very soon...be on the look out!). You will need a magnetic dry erase board, magnetic letters, and a dry erase marker for this circle time activity. Each day, I will choose a name from my class list. I print the name on the magnetic dry erase board-clearly and neatly. Then I find the magnetic letters the same name and mix them up underneath the printed name. I hold the magnetic dry erase board on my lap with the name facing me as I face the kids...no peeking...it is NOT allowed! I say "1-2-3!" and turn the board around to face the kids. If the person whose name it is cannot figure it out...I drop hints until they do. I always instruct the class not to shout it out because then t won't be as much fun...and they might not get a turn for a while if they do. The child whose name it is will arrange the magnetic letters either on top of or underneath their printed names. Then we spell the name and count the letters as a group. The kids get so excited for this activity that we just can't begin our day without it. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEheESp3ZygJ1-YTFR6T5jRe6L91aeEh_lrFtC1QG6cJmToLPK2jFW7yENtaIx9nZxJqw_pyP6DL1g-r_gqgKCbQ3Ie8sEJk8nfvnkRBXJMWvKgnVquvXMbey7_7EfR-2Dz8f5drj33u71/s1600/IMG_2637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEheESp3ZygJ1-YTFR6T5jRe6L91aeEh_lrFtC1QG6cJmToLPK2jFW7yENtaIx9nZxJqw_pyP6DL1g-r_gqgKCbQ3Ie8sEJk8nfvnkRBXJMWvKgnVquvXMbey7_7EfR-2Dz8f5drj33u71/s320/IMG_2637.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Another fantastic name activity for out 'About Me' unit is our name puzzles. For this activity you will need some sentence strips-I get mine at the dollar store in the school supply section. You will also need markers, construction paper cut about an inch wider and longer than the sentence strip-this will be the base on which you will glue your name puzzle. You will need markers, glue sticks, and scissors. I like to do this activity in small group centers with 3-4 kids at a table. I print each child's name on a sentence strip spelling out loud as I write each letter. I do this until I have printed each child's name. I give each child a piece of cut construction paper and a glue stick. I then cut their printed name strip into a few pieces and show them how to glue it onto their construction paper and put it back together. For my 3-4's I cut very few to keep it at their level. For my PreK kids, I will cut more pieces...depending on the child. They love to complete the puzzles and see their names again!</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUgeXLba701GpI0_vPvtdR4kTVnQnFg31um0er6AGl-XfC9Wo7e6jFob-DZB1RVPqzp8kUzU2YJqVATX4XPBc4c5fjLIbSvpx-DJCaOYfJ57AiiTScM5c_ogIvvUf4KpONJltu7I3cLa3/s1600/IMG_7451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxNMouc3yGeFXL6Lb5Xk5GqFjAVwUXMt4OdmleFM8nACIaLJyz_oW7YmSpuZGv72zzJj5W_FiSYS-bI9KgJvmUrGeuTjkkQKJVu5aSrQbwrkkLYPlBT14Q_l0oBLZVDMfEhnD2QEgGZvCa/s1600/IMG_7450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="779" data-original-width="973" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxNMouc3yGeFXL6Lb5Xk5GqFjAVwUXMt4OdmleFM8nACIaLJyz_oW7YmSpuZGv72zzJj5W_FiSYS-bI9KgJvmUrGeuTjkkQKJVu5aSrQbwrkkLYPlBT14Q_l0oBLZVDMfEhnD2QEgGZvCa/s200/IMG_7450.jpg" width="200" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="627" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUgeXLba701GpI0_vPvtdR4kTVnQnFg31um0er6AGl-XfC9Wo7e6jFob-DZB1RVPqzp8kUzU2YJqVATX4XPBc4c5fjLIbSvpx-DJCaOYfJ57AiiTScM5c_ogIvvUf4KpONJltu7I3cLa3/s320/IMG_7451.jpg" width="320" /><br />
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We will continue our name work in Prek by using a bingo dauber to mark all the letters in our name. I have made a little printable that has worked well for me. It seems to have all of the letters I have needed in the quantity needed as well...each year I cross my fingers and hope it will work for everyone again. I'm going on my 4th year with this...so I think I found the formula! (This printable is included in my "All About Me" lesson plan in my TPT store-I'll leave a link at the end of my post for you if you are interested). This activity tends to need a bit more guidance early in the year, so I usually try to have only 2 kids at my center at a time...a long name and a short name. If it ends taking more than one day's center time to finish...I'm ok with that. I really want the kids to be able to find their letters one at a time. I know this looks simple, but developmentally...this can be quite a challenge! However as we all know, along with completing a challenge comes so much pride and confidence, it is well worth it!<br />
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For a fun whole group activity I love to graph the letters in our names. Believe it or not, my classes always seem to remember who has the longest, and who has the shortest names in the class for the entire year! Plus, this activity mixes math with our literacy activity which is always fantastic for reinforcing numeral recognition, counting and cardinality! It is a great activity to help everyone remember each other's names as well...win, win win! I have a photo of an example, but in my lesson plan the printed materials will go up to 15 letters! I don't have a ton of wall space, so I usually have to use my smart board as my display, so I cannot leave it up for long! It would be fun if you have the space, to leave it up until you need the space for something new. The kids love to go find their names on the board!<br />
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As I said earlier, you can find these activities plus more math, literacy and art centers in my "All About Me" lesson plan available in my TPT store. It is one of my best sellers with lots of great reviews and comments. Check it out...it can be a big help during those first few weeks. Just follow the link below!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Me-5-Day-UnitLesson-Plans-for-Preschool-Pre-K-K-Homeschool-2657780" title="All About Me! 5-Day Unit/Lesson Plans for Preschool, Pre-K, K, & Homeschool">All About Me! 5-Day Unit/Lesson Plans for Preschool, Pre-K, K, & Homeschool</a>
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Enjoy these last days of Summer...you deserve it!teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-36493363037914588692018-07-16T06:19:00.000-07:002018-07-16T06:19:11.708-07:00All About Me! Getting to Know Ourselves & Our ClassThe start of the school year is so exciting! New teachers, new friends and sometimes a new school. <br />
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For preschoolers, their parents and teachers, the start of the school year can bring anxiety, apprehension, and fear of the unknown. As a teacher I do my best to make sure the parents feel confident that their child will be loved and nurtured when they are in my care. For the students I offer security and do my best to calm their nerves with fun activities, clear easy to understand boundaries, consistency, and of course a lot of hugs anytime they need one!<br />
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I have a lot of 'About Me' activities that make those first weeks fun, easy, and really bring our class together as we learn how much we have in common and the ways we are different. <br />
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One activity the kids really love is an 'About Me" bag. (I cannot take credit for this amazing idea...I found it on Pinterest and added it to my curriculum) At the beginning of the week I send home a brown bag with a note on the front with an explanation. The idea is to put 3 things in the bag that tells a little bit about who they are. (I used to do 5...but it was too much. You can decide). Make sure names are on the bags, or you will be in a world of hurt...I know this from experience! (LOL). Usually the kids bring a family photo, a small toy they love, and something that is special to them. Each day during circle time I choose 3 kids to show and tell us what is in their bag. Some kids are pretty shy at first and need a lot of questions...and there is always one who just won't talk in whole group at first, so you may have to do the talking for them. The kids are so excited to show what they have brought and we all learn so much about each other. This activity meets most states speaking and listening core standards, so there is a lot of learning happening as we go!<br />
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I will also use this week to talk about our bodies! We trace our hands and see how many buttons will fit in the middle, we mark our height on the closet door-which is so much fun to do again near the end of the year...the kids LOVE to see how much they have grown! I also have made mats and cards for marking the parts of our bodies as we find them on ourselves. The kids love how silly the person on their mats look once they are covered with bright buttons! As part of introducing counting and sorting, I have made mats that say either "I Have 1" or I Have 2", we use a different set of cards to sort parts of our bodies such as...eyes...do we have 1 or 2? Most kids in my 3 year old class cannot count much higher than 2 at the beginning of the year, so this is my launching pad for one-to-one correspondence and counting and cardinality-more core standards being met!<br />
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All of these activities are simple, developmentally appropriate, meet state core standards, and begin to put the kids at ease while we learn about ourselves, our classmates, and our daily routine. These centers are short enough to make those first center times go smoothly. <br />
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All of these centers, along with a daily plan, book suggestions and so much more are included in my "All About Me" lesson plan in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Follow the link below for a detailed preview of what is included. <br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Me-5-Day-UnitLesson-Plans-for-Preschool-Pre-K-K-Homeschool-2657780" title="All About Me! 5-Day Unit/Lesson Plans for Preschool, Pre-K, K, & Homeschool">All About Me! 5-Day Unit/Lesson Plans for Preschool, Pre-K, K, & Homeschool</a>
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I will continue with "All About Me" in my next post with some awesome name activities <b>plus </b>I'll show some examples of my class book pages...an all-time favorite of the kids...and me too!<br />
<span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: #bd081c; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: #bd081c; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span>teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-27758204286639835622018-07-12T18:01:00.001-07:002018-07-12T18:01:44.132-07:00Preschool Shapes Activities...Making the First Weeks a Little Easier<br />
The beginning of a new school year is getting closer and closer. It is time to begin getting your room ready and planning for those first weeks. This will be my 9th year of teaching and I know how unpredictable those first few weeks can be. <br />
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I always introduce the concept of center time slowly with tried and true centers that I KNOW the kids will enjoy and keep them fully engaged. I introduce of fine motor work within both of my literacy and math centers to get a general assessment of where the kids are and how we need to proceed. <br />
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For Math Centers I always begin with shapes. <br />
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We sort shapes with our "Shape Monsters" sorting activity, we match shapes with "Shadow Shapes" matching mats, and we practice using our 'pinchy' fingers with a "Match and Clip" activity. We Look for shapes on our playground and around the school and we even eat a different shape each day at snack time! (Ritz cracker circles, tortilla chip triangles, Town House cracker ovals, graham cracker rectangles and squares...so many options!)<br />
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<b>Feed the Shape Monster</b> shape sorting is one of the best activities that I add to my plan for the first week of school. I made my own cute shape monsters with powerpoint shapes and some fun google eye clip art. A trip to the Dollar Store for plain brown gift bags (3 for $1) provide the base. I cut a mouth in the shape monster-the same shape as the monster, ie; circle-circle shaped mouth, triangle-triangle shaped mouth etc. I made a hole in each bag and stapled the shape monster to the front and matched the holes so we could 'feed' the monsters! I gather up as many of each shape I have in my classroom-I use buttons, foam shapes, wood shapes, etc. I set the monsters out on the rug and explain to the kids how we feed the circle monster circles, the triangle monster triangles...etc. The kids then pull shapes out of a large tub and feed them to the correct monster! We name the shapes as we play, and more often than not the kids stayed to play the Shape Monster game over and over again!<br />
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<b>Shadow Shape Matching Mats</b> are another fun and engaging shapes center for those first weeks when we are getting to know each other and we haven't built up our stamina for sitting at our tables. With this center students are given mats with black 'shadows' of shapes printed on them. There is a group of colorful cut shapes for each mat placed in easy reach of the kids. They find the shape that matches the shadow and match them up! I made 4 mats in all, so the kids can do one or all three! Most end up doing all three of the mats because it is a fun activity, and one they can feel a sense of pride in completing!<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">We all know how important it is to work on those fine motor skills. I use a <b>Shape Match and Clip</b> activity that is fantastic for learning shapes, and when you throw in a bunch of clothespins...you've got a center that does double duty! Shapes and fine motor skill development! The kids love learning how to use the clothespins...such a novelty at the beginning of the year. We use them throughout the year...it is great to watch the kiddos gain confidence and strength in their little hands! </span><br />
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You will find these great centers plus 7 more in this great product in my TPT store! It will make those first few days a little easier and a LOT more fun!</div>
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Shapes-10-Shape-Centers-for-Preschool-PreK-K-Homeschool-3358230" title="Shapes! 10 Shape Centers for Preschool, PreK, K, & Homeschool">Shapes! 10 Shape Centers for Preschool, PreK, K, & Homeschool</a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvo38op2rfzTQ2VTP8ie7evdbOLRdgaX2-Zs-fmP3kYwT22IXg87hexeONMS1id1Id8N6ngmTcZQBDso5FzpAWJ7jBOAaTv8yyZqoXJ2dtiBvF8jlalHOSvIQtx1YI7-UeE2MNoV6gKTij/s1600/IMG_2125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvo38op2rfzTQ2VTP8ie7evdbOLRdgaX2-Zs-fmP3kYwT22IXg87hexeONMS1id1Id8N6ngmTcZQBDso5FzpAWJ7jBOAaTv8yyZqoXJ2dtiBvF8jlalHOSvIQtx1YI7-UeE2MNoV6gKTij/s320/IMG_2125.JPG" width="240" /></a>teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-51608158654523395972017-10-26T17:09:00.001-07:002017-10-26T17:10:48.305-07:00Thanksgiving Literacy centers with 3 Developmental Learning Levels!I love teaching Preschool and PreK...but it is so difficult to find developmentally appropriate activities that my class will enjoy and really learn from. On top of that, early childhood students have a broad range of abilities...so very often I have to find ways to scale activities up for kids who need a challenge, and make an activity easier for my 3-4 year olds who are just beginning to learn letters and how to grip a marker or crayon. It can be a real challenge.<br />
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I have put a lot of my lesson plans on my TPT store...and they have awesome activities...some for more advanced learners, and some really basic skills. They are great, and I am very proud of my work. However, I have wanted to create a curriculum for literacy and math within each theme that has 3 levels of center activities for writing, letter identification, beginning sounds, rhyming, and vocabulary. I finished the first in what I hope becomes a 30-34 week curriculum of leveled Literacy activities!!! I will also be completing the same kind of resources for Math this week.<br />
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I am so excited about it! I will be repeating some centers throughout the year, but no product will ever be exactly the same. I will also vary activities between themes, so the kids never get bored, but can build confidence and so that teachers will always have something fresh and be able to track progress easily. Also...the joy of watching kids return to a task with more confidence is priceless!<br />
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I am happy to present a sample of what you will find in <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Thanksgiving-Literacy-Centers-3-Levels-of-Learning-for-Preschool-PreK-K-3457446">Thanksgiving Literacy Centers: 3 Levels of Learning for Preschool, PreK & K</a>!<br />
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Writing...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJaAC09FFuva8iMmQq0dlzvZGagRlRpRL2CrU3XWqpS99kFLI-hA_LVUoZ-8cf1BE0gC8jicQP8LZB1IehxWjsFcPHjxR1PySEmmQe2myGxtbHmi89eddckoOMbX_2MBPVuBSZ34JOzfV/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2d49.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1557" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJaAC09FFuva8iMmQq0dlzvZGagRlRpRL2CrU3XWqpS99kFLI-hA_LVUoZ-8cf1BE0gC8jicQP8LZB1IehxWjsFcPHjxR1PySEmmQe2myGxtbHmi89eddckoOMbX_2MBPVuBSZ34JOzfV/s200/fullsizeoutput_2d49.jpeg" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tracing Lines</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlF-5N9e-rObBA4MLj75u5tGKLNeeIHPFQCZS5pLQGAzBcKC9ZbGj9iEnKLSRXcKCw4n5DqYpjnz-QggEtjuwp0Z1_UxT_8g7RqerTtczmdL_J_S7a8C1iXPqHbiZEWbTkQJ_DxChFxXo/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2d4f.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1324" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlF-5N9e-rObBA4MLj75u5tGKLNeeIHPFQCZS5pLQGAzBcKC9ZbGj9iEnKLSRXcKCw4n5DqYpjnz-QggEtjuwp0Z1_UxT_8g7RqerTtczmdL_J_S7a8C1iXPqHbiZEWbTkQJ_DxChFxXo/s200/fullsizeoutput_2d4f.jpeg" width="166" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Correct Formation<br />
Trace and Erase</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRgDX7n1JFOKqEzDr9A5gqrQLg50spykxb1ANOSPqn6kGfx0VIuH0u75AlK4ToRY_f9UjPT5IUQNNweoofkmpIRVna4MJ0z9x7PqkYf_vdQEPACS963Y0jtBTrrZVkeQpZBK_S59_mtpT9/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2d50.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRgDX7n1JFOKqEzDr9A5gqrQLg50spykxb1ANOSPqn6kGfx0VIuH0u75AlK4ToRY_f9UjPT5IUQNNweoofkmpIRVna4MJ0z9x7PqkYf_vdQEPACS963Y0jtBTrrZVkeQpZBK_S59_mtpT9/s200/fullsizeoutput_2d50.jpeg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trace and Write</td></tr>
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Letter Identification...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_dZO_-_8QZ_QJ4R04TTdy8OhQeWqAuQa_IH7SF-WO2Jzz7OM7X7L4C20leEMmhl-GiJ7Xz42V8_mUs2O7BJYPn6l-ysgYzZtjqExNkc9OodgeeSKvxNEWsufDkXSE57FAELXQtvThJC3/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2d4b.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1006" data-original-width="1600" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_dZO_-_8QZ_QJ4R04TTdy8OhQeWqAuQa_IH7SF-WO2Jzz7OM7X7L4C20leEMmhl-GiJ7Xz42V8_mUs2O7BJYPn6l-ysgYzZtjqExNkc9OodgeeSKvxNEWsufDkXSE57FAELXQtvThJC3/s200/fullsizeoutput_2d4b.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upper & Lowercase Letter Sort</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPXMDEY3zsS6tr8JWHV5Jcu-F0so2jWu4H9otUstCA9axDFEoQ0E_JGQ0FAC0z1y9Hy-UtqQrdLe9EfCA1KljdqOdWpU8N5PqVH8TZW5to1gUCIwjmcysZJ04wjsUumwsg3mtUDVJAsaj/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2d4a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1234" data-original-width="1600" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPXMDEY3zsS6tr8JWHV5Jcu-F0so2jWu4H9otUstCA9axDFEoQ0E_JGQ0FAC0z1y9Hy-UtqQrdLe9EfCA1KljdqOdWpU8N5PqVH8TZW5to1gUCIwjmcysZJ04wjsUumwsg3mtUDVJAsaj/s200/fullsizeoutput_2d4a.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upper to Lowercase Letter Match</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4f_RHQgfSGGgPI1CS_q8O6n8S-JQdPrbBSeKzwSU-I0TMAOp6KTAl2c5WXKtAGa8BTypJ6xqxvIVCtWMV4cy8IAtdL-EuAbjvBVWjdlJLvh3V7iwuwUhd859CMZ-OAnNyqdO1wbpcH-Z/s1600/IMG_3122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4f_RHQgfSGGgPI1CS_q8O6n8S-JQdPrbBSeKzwSU-I0TMAOp6KTAl2c5WXKtAGa8BTypJ6xqxvIVCtWMV4cy8IAtdL-EuAbjvBVWjdlJLvh3V7iwuwUhd859CMZ-OAnNyqdO1wbpcH-Z/s200/IMG_3122.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lowercase Letter Clip</td></tr>
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Rhyming...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3wKBSpZX2OSffptNf1Khde5fKCwB1kznZfzvu_HjEyh4d03oGfi62mgxFREeiAE51jaEGjZgKB0mp70mLd5nWXkTAfcOD_3mLKOGc_tB5tQSfBYREMkwYoM_HgFYLMJFsHEDZ5UWv6Px/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2d4d.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3wKBSpZX2OSffptNf1Khde5fKCwB1kznZfzvu_HjEyh4d03oGfi62mgxFREeiAE51jaEGjZgKB0mp70mLd5nWXkTAfcOD_3mLKOGc_tB5tQSfBYREMkwYoM_HgFYLMJFsHEDZ5UWv6Px/s200/fullsizeoutput_2d4d.jpeg" width="167" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Find the Rhyme & Match It!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGuxpCBH3wpg8xQMbMh_bvQEraE4L7dLLkbh5-rhSM0pABvOfnCc7KDqT_VG_9gduiAIHel90AA6895eS7dVj6VXePhlEl1tlEHC3nvHh2z9geI1vLCHUHRZ1pF_RStZCTSKkUlyn2cHy/s1600/IMG_3124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGuxpCBH3wpg8xQMbMh_bvQEraE4L7dLLkbh5-rhSM0pABvOfnCc7KDqT_VG_9gduiAIHel90AA6895eS7dVj6VXePhlEl1tlEHC3nvHh2z9geI1vLCHUHRZ1pF_RStZCTSKkUlyn2cHy/s200/IMG_3124.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is it a Rhyme?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixP2pocxReRbuqo4cZMuqapnS0h8G_ze0oiK-QeD06-jkighy2K8NTsvHNsR9PyHaHyhaY3ftBkpk8BP1wOJMvzDsi_aNhoKLyKq59z6IgTU7c0K3Km17Sls878CWrrrBk_qhXl-0xt5YW/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2d48.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="946" data-original-width="1600" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixP2pocxReRbuqo4cZMuqapnS0h8G_ze0oiK-QeD06-jkighy2K8NTsvHNsR9PyHaHyhaY3ftBkpk8BP1wOJMvzDsi_aNhoKLyKq59z6IgTU7c0K3Km17Sls878CWrrrBk_qhXl-0xt5YW/s200/fullsizeoutput_2d48.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What Rhymes With...?</td></tr>
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Beginning Sounds...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRGu5DRmEmqvDy0SyTjoRCSoST4wW6u8Vmfi8TcRLya-cmHDcYNnMCYBRyjrPkglPxB884DmS4BjEiUuvLJbq3d0yEOxM9BXbmc-D8ECfBZZbxUTfhT-uguXaQTMLvHjr2C5UlQy0yTDq/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2d4c.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1344" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRGu5DRmEmqvDy0SyTjoRCSoST4wW6u8Vmfi8TcRLya-cmHDcYNnMCYBRyjrPkglPxB884DmS4BjEiUuvLJbq3d0yEOxM9BXbmc-D8ECfBZZbxUTfhT-uguXaQTMLvHjr2C5UlQy0yTDq/s200/fullsizeoutput_2d4c.jpeg" width="168" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Letter Sound & Match</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHwRyk3yacaK2y1WEeaiLkqCnaIaPW2K8LZ6o28UBHJYoHmLv31t6Jm5o2_EnE7FqsK7GLpuFMUlNo9s9ui7zzPvHoJIUAc3ndyMIcTI2MmqOvB8rvFMuZ_jlSgEt-0kDk0a8qTpaH3ft/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2d56.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1414" data-original-width="1600" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHwRyk3yacaK2y1WEeaiLkqCnaIaPW2K8LZ6o28UBHJYoHmLv31t6Jm5o2_EnE7FqsK7GLpuFMUlNo9s9ui7zzPvHoJIUAc3ndyMIcTI2MmqOvB8rvFMuZ_jlSgEt-0kDk0a8qTpaH3ft/s200/fullsizeoutput_2d56.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beginning Sounds 2-Part Puzzles</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDohDUeVEeh4L4ajQHvO-JiSoqcVS10fabXHCRPf7jgy7EufhpZ0oHmUud7eR_CqGl10pUl6JQgwhvET4uBcQFJsCORcemiZaeEfX16uah_9uO2OobaHCHSgksHdmKwV7Vz9BFjafLNn59/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2d53.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1435" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDohDUeVEeh4L4ajQHvO-JiSoqcVS10fabXHCRPf7jgy7EufhpZ0oHmUud7eR_CqGl10pUl6JQgwhvET4uBcQFJsCORcemiZaeEfX16uah_9uO2OobaHCHSgksHdmKwV7Vz9BFjafLNn59/s200/fullsizeoutput_2d53.jpeg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beginning Sounds 5-Part Puzzles</td></tr>
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Vocabulary...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanksgiving Vocabulary Match</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1475" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiClv79AILb0JLgMCYEBtqJOEBG8PHBDp4mMdHtveflgyOoiQH7aib3JEnlHbg1PCNp6faJfT-9BfgrhLIzRTGNaV996jwkvjoBz9jcsw_7fVydae5kDLr6EFnAz2Oh253Mqm81LFb_A_k9/s200/fullsizeoutput_2d47.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="184" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What Belongs to Me?<br />
Vocabulary Sort</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noun & Verb Sort</td></tr>
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Games...
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzm1FkOp_teDd29PEwrTZFGEixhWOfMeQOYU4OyxSl3Gbzcz7cYhDYYRIkPEto4vSzxwJrySXo0NSstMoKO6bcoCvxJ0a5qC2viQXceSSPQGGaTgP0U1W4KUr3vvyAD06DsA4rg-pFZIx/s1600/IMG_3127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzm1FkOp_teDd29PEwrTZFGEixhWOfMeQOYU4OyxSl3Gbzcz7cYhDYYRIkPEto4vSzxwJrySXo0NSstMoKO6bcoCvxJ0a5qC2viQXceSSPQGGaTgP0U1W4KUr3vvyAD06DsA4rg-pFZIx/s200/IMG_3127.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Help the Friends get to the Feast<br />
Alphabet Board Game</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJk-v1VgrBNAx9Epd8Kbex31QN3AzQ54SpPpcV6BZQOLP8mT7vjvRBQ83v-q7lYlVmRWJLbRuVf_70UGyc1l46UPD92lX9HrdO_E42wVMC305biorSDa7Mk66s9mMvyBh_3H5qBOzEqUWH/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2d51.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJk-v1VgrBNAx9Epd8Kbex31QN3AzQ54SpPpcV6BZQOLP8mT7vjvRBQ83v-q7lYlVmRWJLbRuVf_70UGyc1l46UPD92lX9HrdO_E42wVMC305biorSDa7Mk66s9mMvyBh_3H5qBOzEqUWH/s200/fullsizeoutput_2d51.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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Your class will LOVE these centers! There is so much to do and so much to learn! Each Center cluster has the 3 levels explained in detail so you can choose what is right for your students!
teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-78858492178881724452017-10-24T04:45:00.001-07:002017-10-24T04:45:11.187-07:00Halloween is coming!Halloween is coming! You can feel it in the air...the energy of the classroom is always HIGH! Things are getting spooky in Mrs. Lee's classroom and the fun doesn't stop! I want to share some of my favorite bits of Halloween in my classroom. Hopefully it will inspire you to celebrate in a big way!<br />
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My Alphabet wall is constantly changing. My kiddos know to watch for changes and they LOVE the new pictures for our themes. I put up my Halloween Alphabet the first week of October and then I just wait to see how long it takes the kids to notice. It never takes long! The kids will refer to the pictures as they color, they will find 'their letter' and talk about the pictures. It is a marvelous learning tool...and I don't have to do a thing!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDghh6WWNcMX5ByT4NWSb6Kr7-qMLq99FnigJNexDAawUe80oDR1Vgd4717fw7aZL3HT-ZekNq4EJH3HdYPpaNqeeI1Woq0rUCzNqAI5tKZ1QkcVNEzMlocIsyVu9AYHQTCw3RZ59I1RN7/s1600/IMG_6485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDghh6WWNcMX5ByT4NWSb6Kr7-qMLq99FnigJNexDAawUe80oDR1Vgd4717fw7aZL3HT-ZekNq4EJH3HdYPpaNqeeI1Woq0rUCzNqAI5tKZ1QkcVNEzMlocIsyVu9AYHQTCw3RZ59I1RN7/s320/IMG_6485.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halloween Alphabet!</td></tr>
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I add more decorations as the month goes on. I made a darling set of posters and pocket chart words to increase our Halloween vocabulary. Again...the pictures do the work. The kids absolutely love them. They spark conversation and questions everyday!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZEeZsybiIrGGUnpU1AGlbTWTUo659oe2lXFjk655o8cvvbXuz7mORqvN-2lIW-I751-8KkvPdrZ-Un6HpeBE597g_Cu8E2fxpoPTtJVBFK_n8QX9b9DxpNLN3INIPX7b2jfhlzCg7L5r/s1600/IMG_6482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZEeZsybiIrGGUnpU1AGlbTWTUo659oe2lXFjk655o8cvvbXuz7mORqvN-2lIW-I751-8KkvPdrZ-Un6HpeBE597g_Cu8E2fxpoPTtJVBFK_n8QX9b9DxpNLN3INIPX7b2jfhlzCg7L5r/s200/IMG_6482.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpN04IRvP1LDgijf0eW9bsws5nz_BNGTECi3Ahr8b3UkcRXTPHyKFYmuZwMiu2ThHr0B-cb9NUVPPgHWoqpqgn3DKsC9FL2VFHghg4FFIh4KgaRymc59_-IiMaEhEWmAjRKKlos5IvubXR/s1600/IMG_6333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpN04IRvP1LDgijf0eW9bsws5nz_BNGTECi3Ahr8b3UkcRXTPHyKFYmuZwMiu2ThHr0B-cb9NUVPPgHWoqpqgn3DKsC9FL2VFHghg4FFIh4KgaRymc59_-IiMaEhEWmAjRKKlos5IvubXR/s200/IMG_6333.JPG" width="200" /></a>One of our favorite math games during the season is called "Ghosts and Goblins". It is a fantastic way to teach so many concepts...counting, more, less, equal or the same, and fact families. It is so simple you won't believe it! All you need are some white beans, a green marker and a black sharpie. color one side of the bean green and add a grouchy face with the sharpie, and make a ghost face on the other white side of the bean and draw a ghost face. I make several sets of 10 and put each set of ten in a Halloween cup. The kids work with a partner and toss the beans out of the cup. We then count how many ghosts we see and how many Goblins we see. from there you can ask...which is more? Which is less? etc. The kids have so much fun, they have no idea they are doing math!</div>
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The Dramatic Play area in my classroom transforms from a fall forest and Harvest Festival into a Costume shop. I leave up the trees we painted for our forest...I'll blog about THAT in a day or two...AMAZING...I add witches, bats, and ghosts, then our Costume shop signs and props. The kids can't stop trying on costumes and pretending to Trick-or-Treat in the forest and around the classroom. I love it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlo4l-vbWtU9uJAB7YRRmxexneIQjkcAcfLbKu08afcFKPTOSUjkT3WHYhakOq7OY-RFDmtzULEyi1Td2CdyMnlyLOW5koC6KW4A02WITRVOwwvLhANEVnGLxzvkoBWg_wgZGkABheYVL/s1600/IMG_6477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlo4l-vbWtU9uJAB7YRRmxexneIQjkcAcfLbKu08afcFKPTOSUjkT3WHYhakOq7OY-RFDmtzULEyi1Td2CdyMnlyLOW5koC6KW4A02WITRVOwwvLhANEVnGLxzvkoBWg_wgZGkABheYVL/s200/IMG_6477.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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What would Halloween be without the art projects and the crafts? I'll sign off with some of my past favorites, but I'm always trying new things! There are so many ways to bring Math and Literacy into the Art Center during Halloween...Not to mention Science too!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGfApzl9IIHwRwqmN5lg1iqluG1f47f6FGE-SqY5nTT4D7i-V2UFdiDwY2aSynjyj-Zu6kIFuqPLsaN4tijgKXIivFVVXAyzlRW0oTbfP-uZ2_n1R98BSZ-2-_Po3FdzuaKl0R5Jsg_TJ/s1600/IMG_3271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGfApzl9IIHwRwqmN5lg1iqluG1f47f6FGE-SqY5nTT4D7i-V2UFdiDwY2aSynjyj-Zu6kIFuqPLsaN4tijgKXIivFVVXAyzlRW0oTbfP-uZ2_n1R98BSZ-2-_Po3FdzuaKl0R5Jsg_TJ/s320/IMG_3271.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">W is for Witch!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlBynWfX4NkIkgU1va6jpB6QlHvIlE9pClSYwU8VzkuUiLeKC2xUZ-KgcNyAGRUEEKOaTdoH-QMeDeO0gyrnj2P6ZQ7xxEE_juMfPtZ4750hEJPWvdDLQww99hcaOEcoFKSJl5M1Lb7ZH5/s1600/IMG_3326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlBynWfX4NkIkgU1va6jpB6QlHvIlE9pClSYwU8VzkuUiLeKC2xUZ-KgcNyAGRUEEKOaTdoH-QMeDeO0gyrnj2P6ZQ7xxEE_juMfPtZ4750hEJPWvdDLQww99hcaOEcoFKSJl5M1Lb7ZH5/s200/IMG_3326.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go Away Big Green Monster!<br />Literacy Craft to go<br />with book of the same name by<br />Ed Emberly</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3uPcZzQENOY5zZDWVSeORVs5OhbWzAEkyyGqXg_6HxGB3s_dN8F9WDbYBNT4VL6mRZaTacMzMrr02Rfr6hLNK-l5qfqMMTN0dInT65GjsQ0UybPLlPZRb4JMEpk0kW-7rgyn38KqIHsHg/s1600/IMG_3438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3uPcZzQENOY5zZDWVSeORVs5OhbWzAEkyyGqXg_6HxGB3s_dN8F9WDbYBNT4VL6mRZaTacMzMrr02Rfr6hLNK-l5qfqMMTN0dInT65GjsQ0UybPLlPZRb4JMEpk0kW-7rgyn38KqIHsHg/s200/IMG_3438.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handprint Ghosts with tracing "BOO!"</td></tr>
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All of these projects, Dramatic Play sets, Alphabet, Word Wall Cards and Centers can be found in my TPT Store in the products listed below.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Halloween-Complete-Classroom-Bundle-for-Preschool-PreK-K-Homeschool-3392443">Halloween Complete Classroom Pack!</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Halloween-Alphabet-2143657">Halloween Alphabet</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Halloween-5-Day-Lesson-plans-for-Preschool-Pre-K-K-Homeschool-2812420">All About Halloween 5-Day Lesson Plan for Preschool, PreK, K & Homeschool</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Halloween-costume-shop-dramatic-play-2152272">halloween Costume Shop Dramatic Play Set</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Halloween-Word-Wall-Picture-Word-Cards-3392142">All About Halloween Word Wall Cards</a></div>
<span id="goog_955572398"></span><span id="goog_955572399"></span></div>
teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-41042202876278775742017-10-15T05:42:00.000-07:002017-10-15T05:42:39.214-07:00Fall, Fall, Beautiful Fall!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It all starts with the Fall bookshelf! There are so many great Fall-centric books for young children. I love to mix some nonfiction with fiction each day as we explore our changing Fall world. We can see the trees changing daily, but what do the animals do to get ready for Winter's arrival? Fall is a very busy time in the natural world! Here's a peek into my Fall bookshelf...maybe you will find one you don't already have!<br />
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It's time for Fall Festival Fun in our dramatic play area! I have a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fall-Harvest-Festival-Dramatic-Play-3268459">Fall Harvest Festival Dramatic Play Set</a> available in my TPT store to help create just the right Fall feeling and inspiration!</div>
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The kids had a blast taking leaves off trees and pretending to be at the pumpkin patch! It is a fantastic way to celebrate Fall and lead into the Halloween Season! Just wait until you see what we did to make it even better! (Coming this week)</div>
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One of my favorite Fall art Project is what I like to call "Squishy Paint Leaves". It really is a wonderful way to bring Fall and all of it's colors into your classroom! We start with a large leaf cut from white or manilla construction paper. Then, with dollar some squeeze bottles, we squirt red, orange, yellow, and purple (I use mostly fluorescents except for red) I tell my kiddos that we need house at least 2 colors...but they always opt for all 4! Next, we cover your paint-squirted leaves with plastic wrap and then manipulate to cover the paper leaf and been the colors. The reveal is the best part...The kids peel the plastic and are awestruck by the results...it's magical! When the leaves are dry, I display them out in our hallway mimicking leaves blowing in the wind...it is BEAUTIFUL!</div>
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Fall means leaves, but it also means learning. I love to begin some 'seek and find' letter activities around this time of year with my PreK kids. They know quite a few of their letters by now, but I like to assess and find out where they really in letter identification. I have a center that I call 'Mark the Letter' just for this purpose. I have a printable with alphabet letters in either uppercase, lowercase, or a mix...I choose which level I think the kids are capable of doing. I also have some nice Fall alphabet flash cards in both upper and lowercase that we use for a 'draw' pile. The kids use daubers to mark the letters as the cards are drawn and placed face up on the table. We talk about words that have the beginning sound of the letters as they come up. It is fun, engaging, and all the kids cancel successful. Flashcards and printable are available in my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Fall-Literacy-Centers-for-Preschool-Pre-K-K-Homeschool-2801687">All bout Fall Literacy Centers</a> and <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Fall-5-Day-UnitLesson-Plans-for-Preschool-Pre-K-K-Homeschool-2801309">All About Fall 5-Day Complete Lesson Plans</a> Available in my TPT store.</div>
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More Fall yet to come! Have a great week, and HappyFall!</div>
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<br />teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-41350079783866793272017-10-14T18:19:00.000-07:002017-10-14T18:19:24.166-07:00Apples Week!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last week was our Apples week! We did a lot of fun activities and learned so much about how apples grow and are harvested. We began the week making glitter apples to put on out bulletin board in the hall. The kids loved this simple activity which required nothing but die-cut apples, glitter and glue sticks. They made as many as they wanted and enjoyed every minute of it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5yLIGAU2R0PCFe0qSz0sIesvQpgYZ4k8RMJu3Xat6BJ0se2J5lLo5QLWqNimQpuMP0HTgr9GhCdlPlDP477tL6a5qvAFzU764rh909Dimb52dVyTsia4LsRE66OUhPRyHI-9ypLubmsOi/s1600/IMG_2542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5yLIGAU2R0PCFe0qSz0sIesvQpgYZ4k8RMJu3Xat6BJ0se2J5lLo5QLWqNimQpuMP0HTgr9GhCdlPlDP477tL6a5qvAFzU764rh909Dimb52dVyTsia4LsRE66OUhPRyHI-9ypLubmsOi/s200/IMG_2542.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
Next came our "apple basket" name activity. Every student had a 'basket' (a paper sack with a handle and their name printed clearly on the front) Uppercase apples were in one 'orchard', and the lowercase apples were spread face-up on our rug. A visit to the uppercase orchard started the hunt for their names. After they 'picked' their uppercase apple and put it in their basket, we moved to the rest of their name! They were so excited that they could find their letters, and that they got to keep the apples with the letters of their name. My hope is that some of them will take it home and work on spelling and recognizing their own names as well as learning the letters in their names...it is a fantastic activity!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZghoZP5p3N7hqO_6udc_FF1zgQ6pMcPv2oh43qqVsO-7TtDWrqL2pyg3erTN1wRleVpabP3MYFpvhlSzjC0fgqQcY7kiJdmx55-ZbYCKDuEP2bwBpbmIKj_9JQdU-QAyUdYCrYPzOyhhi/s1600/IMG_2563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZghoZP5p3N7hqO_6udc_FF1zgQ6pMcPv2oh43qqVsO-7TtDWrqL2pyg3erTN1wRleVpabP3MYFpvhlSzjC0fgqQcY7kiJdmx55-ZbYCKDuEP2bwBpbmIKj_9JQdU-QAyUdYCrYPzOyhhi/s200/IMG_2563.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg466jiFxMkaSIfOGraaEZE1TTIebLE9bQV63KQY0VUIjQK7H9qqwpYrXTwhI1IsgMxztWgG270HBl0CDCfgZtlvM7WtYZs4hySlVSRZNdJGzmHaGwDaVvmDRpCS0NI8Pj4hcYEsL4olRdZ/s1600/IMG_6343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg466jiFxMkaSIfOGraaEZE1TTIebLE9bQV63KQY0VUIjQK7H9qqwpYrXTwhI1IsgMxztWgG270HBl0CDCfgZtlvM7WtYZs4hySlVSRZNdJGzmHaGwDaVvmDRpCS0NI8Pj4hcYEsL4olRdZ/s200/IMG_6343.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;">With our sensory bin, filled with tiny apples, and apple pie smell, our dramatic play apple orchard, apple tasting station, and all of our apple math and literacy connections...we never ran out of engaging activities, and we never stopped learning!<br />
<img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Hjs2tTMUo6ZRQABLcuqEnf5_87w8E0EQWFxqhwBwguV9HAfpsIXpZW2-mNqXOzo5fBAvZDmsojkbTvoGZEm0uytCyRzxHfklHUL81ctv_ofg1GNcGstZTHnSFj63_9x6PNl1QYHFFyLj/s200/IMG_2574.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="150" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our apple sensory bin made with oatmeal, <br />
cinnamon sticks, tiny apples, tweezers and <br />
magnifying glasses for a fun exploration!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsPE7Yiz-ulfbXOiDemAfi1zjyzHOFWZZXBC0iwqCbSV_QGhJyrJZYIP8tTL8zwtksvRY2dT2ljZX2dnCGu_JpKeDWA9zXYMvbTnNhfkYrWVI83pMebUICN1OxO1WER_eYAoosfHLuKZaF/s1600/IMG_6231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsPE7Yiz-ulfbXOiDemAfi1zjyzHOFWZZXBC0iwqCbSV_QGhJyrJZYIP8tTL8zwtksvRY2dT2ljZX2dnCGu_JpKeDWA9zXYMvbTnNhfkYrWVI83pMebUICN1OxO1WER_eYAoosfHLuKZaF/s200/IMG_6231.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We used apples cut 2 ways to make our apple stamping pictures!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju66BV7EJgdVJ-FOAjJ7Y4o7V-1abBCWzOAf7ppKDp_xSkmhIxTmuyohhLwMHZqUf2_SVX7-5AsFBMJj9Vu0s36rB27swZwcVRFQuiB0QU_6QDCc76xDp7TuPMOHYHu9NelVEmaoke67CG/s1600/IMG_2585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju66BV7EJgdVJ-FOAjJ7Y4o7V-1abBCWzOAf7ppKDp_xSkmhIxTmuyohhLwMHZqUf2_SVX7-5AsFBMJj9Vu0s36rB27swZwcVRFQuiB0QU_6QDCc76xDp7TuPMOHYHu9NelVEmaoke67CG/s200/IMG_2585.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puffy paint apples! Learning about the parts an apple!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisOsg-jtBZlPv0U8z5cJ5SaNNc8eq44B7E3YlHwa0Q1sI2nvow8gvrm_qbZsi_cNm164tbtuJwUfLFXBJjBuLW_g_3Fic5vvjLT14oxFGR6U9T7Opg8-ySDujq42JpNQKe3ZDP5vqPxph/s1600/IMG_6272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisOsg-jtBZlPv0U8z5cJ5SaNNc8eq44B7E3YlHwa0Q1sI2nvow8gvrm_qbZsi_cNm164tbtuJwUfLFXBJjBuLW_g_3Fic5vvjLT14oxFGR6U9T7Opg8-ySDujq42JpNQKe3ZDP5vqPxph/s200/IMG_6272.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paper plate apple cores! Just add paint, <br />
stems and leaves!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cJ7hz_zTxFOL87yG_TKDt8lJgJTsIJhxg133uD4fSnVHVWoBiFJahWHCWdDMdDAKFTyEwe4ExPtyuH6rf0I4OrCxtMlu1uWwoFJo2WL6ZuqIoTfBxQ3EyDLtikdu2kmlFnB1eqHq-i1P/s1600/IMG_6234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cJ7hz_zTxFOL87yG_TKDt8lJgJTsIJhxg133uD4fSnVHVWoBiFJahWHCWdDMdDAKFTyEwe4ExPtyuH6rf0I4OrCxtMlu1uWwoFJo2WL6ZuqIoTfBxQ3EyDLtikdu2kmlFnB1eqHq-i1P/s200/IMG_6234.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making our names in apples!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLEaKmdy2V7uoltaFfDUyRsP-QSVLIMWqQGoZngsnZizILoOnMgcJbdsUKlFfD21MYNckJpYOcBX2k3OVJn50cLMsSF3RX_LDhr9EJqiPbnBKPvQ4nLFt9HMb95D1lzWmmSCW-FTtKW-xn/s1600/IMG_6273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLEaKmdy2V7uoltaFfDUyRsP-QSVLIMWqQGoZngsnZizILoOnMgcJbdsUKlFfD21MYNckJpYOcBX2k3OVJn50cLMsSF3RX_LDhr9EJqiPbnBKPvQ4nLFt9HMb95D1lzWmmSCW-FTtKW-xn/s200/IMG_6273.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The seasons of an apple tree</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhRRLp2vYQiQYbIHbHJEk53OMy5ozNSo5kFxlLll2fsLtjgBAVnYCGQjPOFaF5K31XutjnD4cdWd6LKcWM73Bky05EewjaymmYYgtNl-Z3bmnF0DSkb32_upa_U8jSeyDGv8MA703-nlj/s1600/IMG_6396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhRRLp2vYQiQYbIHbHJEk53OMy5ozNSo5kFxlLll2fsLtjgBAVnYCGQjPOFaF5K31XutjnD4cdWd6LKcWM73Bky05EewjaymmYYgtNl-Z3bmnF0DSkb32_upa_U8jSeyDGv8MA703-nlj/s200/IMG_6396.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ten Apples Up on Top comes to life! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgXbJV5Tb3pHK5N3064bkaR6G_fU-oP6YWdJ79OT3sVJSDEwrcTYyhfTfcyK7wVI3GIGXXmjmFqnXrWQNlgkni_YkrLRqmkzTTiKOnNU_thgxb7M20M5bI8lmjCwYLqi0iiDutbiMXE9e/s1600/IMG_6366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgXbJV5Tb3pHK5N3064bkaR6G_fU-oP6YWdJ79OT3sVJSDEwrcTYyhfTfcyK7wVI3GIGXXmjmFqnXrWQNlgkni_YkrLRqmkzTTiKOnNU_thgxb7M20M5bI8lmjCwYLqi0iiDutbiMXE9e/s200/IMG_6366.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ten Red Apples activity to go with<br />
Pat Hutchins AWESOME book!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vDemF-D0tWmCUTbhp_c_P008lU8S9NKOf845Np8sm9wxqCpIxetwQFnhgUDiCK502vOYZtUSTit2HttGZgFOCF5vR62F3iLcp9KxXoEkgV1Nd4PoJtrfCEoUI4YTNRzxLxE6cDBMIIAE/s1600/IMG_6392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vDemF-D0tWmCUTbhp_c_P008lU8S9NKOf845Np8sm9wxqCpIxetwQFnhgUDiCK502vOYZtUSTit2HttGZgFOCF5vR62F3iLcp9KxXoEkgV1Nd4PoJtrfCEoUI4YTNRzxLxE6cDBMIIAE/s200/IMG_6392.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feed Johnny his apples! Counting game</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5v1oGIPp5RuQAsFY1226nT9X3v786B_R5l_eUrug_61ftqo3toKVHo0DbAnPApv69gsWkOYH0vS38TZldRQzPobGDS9-uI5bQupBc5k7If0aiGLUWQtOkbkoqge7RMU9MevxiYuoP-PFd/s1600/IMG_6349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5v1oGIPp5RuQAsFY1226nT9X3v786B_R5l_eUrug_61ftqo3toKVHo0DbAnPApv69gsWkOYH0vS38TZldRQzPobGDS9-uI5bQupBc5k7If0aiGLUWQtOkbkoqge7RMU9MevxiYuoP-PFd/s200/IMG_6349.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Play-doh apple tree counting mats</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimXGPGE98ccKUgTNLHHGOBHyUWX-f_Gahrm9v7aXNoCF2pEibBJb8xL_4TUJoprZCp4uXSE7ph4QVm5p7l3DYJm0Z2jDask5Obm1R3RqB9IQEPaTb6_pQtvoHdd-E4sQYa-9oMVSSdDUU/s1600/IMG_6335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimXGPGE98ccKUgTNLHHGOBHyUWX-f_Gahrm9v7aXNoCF2pEibBJb8xL_4TUJoprZCp4uXSE7ph4QVm5p7l3DYJm0Z2jDask5Obm1R3RqB9IQEPaTb6_pQtvoHdd-E4sQYa-9oMVSSdDUU/s200/IMG_6335.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ollie's Orchard dramatic play...a HUGE hit!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwrQt3CH9nRhu3DD7rkoCvxQKuLKHr-mPlXwG0pop9t56maV76bjCpS12PJCcncNmKfij3h9uBC_VHblLWwL0l4D7dP9FS1a1DnZ5bxPzpcUMjFY_vEXILudGE_yH1Po8imLZuDNhBhSOd/s1600/IMG_2633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwrQt3CH9nRhu3DD7rkoCvxQKuLKHr-mPlXwG0pop9t56maV76bjCpS12PJCcncNmKfij3h9uBC_VHblLWwL0l4D7dP9FS1a1DnZ5bxPzpcUMjFY_vEXILudGE_yH1Po8imLZuDNhBhSOd/s320/IMG_2633.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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Our Bulletin board in all its glory with the glitter apples from the beginning of the week and the puffy paint apples from later that week when we learned about the parts an apple. </div>
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What a fun week of learning! We used all of our senses and had a wonderful time!<br />
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I have so many awesome Apples products in my TPT store! You will find all the activities pictured here and so much more!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Apples-Complete-Classroom-Bundle-3282624">Apples! Complete Classroom Bundle</a><br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Apples-Word-Wall-Cards-3281988">Apples Word Wall Cards</a><br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/APPLES-Alphabet-3243825">Apples Alphabet</a><br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Apple-Orchard-Dramatic-Play-Set-2789895">Apple Orchard Dramatic Play Set</a><br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Apples-5-Day-Unit-Lesson-Plans-for-Preschool-PreK-K-Homeschool-2788555">All About Apples 5-Day Lesson Plan for Preschool, PreK, K & Homeschool</a><br />
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The kids loved being out in the sunshine, discovering the reds, golds, and purples of the season. There was a moment when the biggest, most magical gust of wind came and sent leaves sailing all around us. It was delightful to watch the reaction!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qDCl8H8cycorz8ulFEEO5CHojyS3W0P2AW2IOwTbeer8dsRTfeZ0FVM9qWoOEwM4_GrXDIDltOsI0ScNCSVBqOxl0zDU7HQhDpB0-jeGXwcQRNR-Y3W0vDRFbwmIhCt-uQ0Xwh90h_qS/s1600/IMG_2720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qDCl8H8cycorz8ulFEEO5CHojyS3W0P2AW2IOwTbeer8dsRTfeZ0FVM9qWoOEwM4_GrXDIDltOsI0ScNCSVBqOxl0zDU7HQhDpB0-jeGXwcQRNR-Y3W0vDRFbwmIhCt-uQ0Xwh90h_qS/s200/IMG_2720.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJu9NDt_Bt8IBOKGrCa3bKvsAYs-mgdAIeGIenVFtOdp83MnuYweaScPGKF6v2150LmpPPuSq1OpoKf9A66owu31UJzdoSi-BIO4or4J9Jh-mNwrSgGKLJwdDN8_PyYR47-dEZIdpJXiQB/s1600/IMG_2721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJu9NDt_Bt8IBOKGrCa3bKvsAYs-mgdAIeGIenVFtOdp83MnuYweaScPGKF6v2150LmpPPuSq1OpoKf9A66owu31UJzdoSi-BIO4or4J9Jh-mNwrSgGKLJwdDN8_PyYR47-dEZIdpJXiQB/s200/IMG_2721.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjBbD9kg__gd9SZdOg3smFMgQ_XsiFD9OPdjMJjxgfIRsPJsjgMT-jt8u6tMOt9_PNIj9LwNLJYLosmtqJDUgdaDaPf5Z40riZRlGBbMKBDWmbsrv9sVh_1o7JgG7ElEOCozFvhb4uK0N/s1600/IMG_2711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjBbD9kg__gd9SZdOg3smFMgQ_XsiFD9OPdjMJjxgfIRsPJsjgMT-jt8u6tMOt9_PNIj9LwNLJYLosmtqJDUgdaDaPf5Z40riZRlGBbMKBDWmbsrv9sVh_1o7JgG7ElEOCozFvhb4uK0N/s200/IMG_2711.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZT7L5Xz6kRe_yaItrNJ3SkgxGpVzUCVXyvK3GbmHXmNwNLgY-YGP5222kQ4k42LbYRJzPd0Pl-kfJEbsB3t4U28k4KvVR5UeVF6Di_ptib8V_9ekB9H2k4h0T-RccPXl6gy3xcH6aKLc/s1600/IMG_2722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZT7L5Xz6kRe_yaItrNJ3SkgxGpVzUCVXyvK3GbmHXmNwNLgY-YGP5222kQ4k42LbYRJzPd0Pl-kfJEbsB3t4U28k4KvVR5UeVF6Di_ptib8V_9ekB9H2k4h0T-RccPXl6gy3xcH6aKLc/s320/IMG_2722.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00LyFeIdJbsbsPoKZXnYvmCxO1uQJ4rddxsKEBdfMyt7S9XUtl7Q5iY9IDjld2J7xfWjjHcrOnnhoo8i7hIShonCpXSnEip1y9CbRrJlkoACiSm1hwcJ0tCbVOw8heTmYNn7e_1WIwaTs/s1600/IMG_2726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00LyFeIdJbsbsPoKZXnYvmCxO1uQJ4rddxsKEBdfMyt7S9XUtl7Q5iY9IDjld2J7xfWjjHcrOnnhoo8i7hIShonCpXSnEip1y9CbRrJlkoACiSm1hwcJ0tCbVOw8heTmYNn7e_1WIwaTs/s200/IMG_2726.JPG" width="150" /></a>When we came back to the classroom (after our leaf hunt AND music class) we made some amazing Fall "triangle trees'. It was a nice tie-in to our leaf hunt and a quick center for a busy day!<br />
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Happy Fall!<br />
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If you have the time, check out my TPT Store...I have so many fun, engaging and developmentally appropriate center ideas, and complete lesson plans to make your job easier and a lot more fun!<br />
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Here's a few links to some Fall favorites...<br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Pumpkins-Math-centers-for-Preschool-PreK-K-Homeschool-3433923">All About Pumpkins Math Centers for Preschool, PreK, K & Homeschool</a><br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Fall-5-Day-UnitLesson-Plans-for-Preschool-Pre-K-K-Homeschool-2801309">All About Fall Complete Lesson Plans for Preschool, PreK, K & Homeschool</a><br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fall-Fun-Lesson-Plan-Bundle-for-Preschool-PreK-K-Homeschool-3415945">Fall Fun Lesson Plan Bundle</a><br />
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teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-79240514899201505222017-07-27T06:34:00.000-07:002017-07-27T06:34:26.311-07:00My Two Favorite Circle Time Activities...and Most Effective!Circle time is the time of day when the class comes together. We practice how to sit, how to listen...we sing songs, and read books. We talk about, sing about, and learn about whatever our theme for the week might be. Circle time is a VERY important part of any preschool or pre-k day. Much like "morning message, or morning meeting" in the primary grades, circle time is the way we start our day in order to ensure that we are 'on the same page' and ready to learn. <br />
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I have added 2 activities to my circle time that have been transformational! One is a literacy/name activity, and one is a math/number sense activity. They are simple, quick, and have a HUGE impact on student learning through the year. Each one can be leveled up as the year progresses, and the kids absolutely LOVE these activities. If I ever forget, or run out of time...I hear about it!<br />
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<b>Name of the Day</b><br />
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I have a magnet board and an organized set of magnetic letters that I will load into a little box that I keep in my circle time cart. I always pick the names for the week all at once and make sure I have all the letters I need in my little box. When I first begin this activity, I write the child's name on the board as shown and 'scramble' the letters below. Sometimes the child needs help. We may start by saying "Whose name begins with the letter M?" Usually someone will pipe up and we will narrow it down, but sometimes we need to just tell the child. "Michael...YOUR name begins with M!" Then Michael will come up and match the letters either on top or below what is written. I cycle through all the kids in the class this way until I know they are ready to move on to the next level. "Level 2" begins when we have worked on level 1, talking each day about the one uppercase letter at the beginning of each name and the subsequent lowercase letters. At this point the kids will be ready for ONLY the scrambled letters on the board with no writing. We always mention the Uppercase letter as a clue until the kids just know what the clue is. Watch for the kids to just automatically know whose name it is each day. We have a strict rule of NO CALLING the name out! "Level 3" comes at the very end of our Pre-K year...letters scrambled, and the name of the day child will write their own name on the board. It is amazing how much they progress in name recognition, spelling, reading, and writing with this one activity!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgfO3RwxdCgNtiwcoQjm-bk2baxDn2rQLQc__EXHxwdZRrBIM8XKgEpwGQfoIvv2CgwsthGsir1sPtzVDO4E8bCHx1apY-k6uE1PMLZEkKrMKLS72qlbdrsKYdRtEiI24ZreiZUyyrqar/s1600/IMG_2638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgfO3RwxdCgNtiwcoQjm-bk2baxDn2rQLQc__EXHxwdZRrBIM8XKgEpwGQfoIvv2CgwsthGsir1sPtzVDO4E8bCHx1apY-k6uE1PMLZEkKrMKLS72qlbdrsKYdRtEiI24ZreiZUyyrqar/s320/IMG_2638.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Supplies needed for this activity are pretty simple. You will need a dry erase board and markers. small manipulatives, (I like to change my manipulative to fit our theme as much as possible) and a small clear jar. I will choose a number for our 'Number of the Day'. I start small at the beginning of the year and I will repeat numbers that the kids are having struggles with to do over and over-6 and 9 are biggies for the preschool set! I will hold the board towards the kids and write the number. The kids usually call it out while I am writing, or we practice being quiet and waiting and we practice choral response when I am done. I then say, "That is one way to say 6, here is another!" and I write the word s-i-x. We say the letters together and I say "Thats another way to say 6!" Then I draw dots...I ask the kids to count with me as I draw the dots. I purposely draw the dots like dice faces. When I am done I say "I have to draw box (or boxes) around them so they don't roll away!" Then we count the dots in the boxes. If I have two boxes as above, we would count the dots in one box, and normally I would write that number under each box...in this case '3'. Then we ounce the dots in the other box and write the number underneath-then I ask, "Are there still 6 dots?" Then we count all the dots. This is a great way to begin the idea of 'fact families'. So here we have covered counting, one to one correspondence, subtilizing, and an intro to fact families! Then I choose a student to come and count 6 items and put them in the jar. I make sure that the entire class can watch and count with the chosen student. We then display the board with all of our ways to say '6', and the jar directly in front of it in a highly visible place the entire day. </div>
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These two activities are so simple, but they cover such a wide range of our core standards and encourage critical thinking, problem solving, working together, and most of all...they are fun! </div>
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I LOVE teaching little ones and challenging them to learn and explore new things each day! I have so many fun lesson plans and center ideas in my TPT store...follow the link to explore! (I have plenty of free items to try as well )</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Teach-Prek">My store!</a></div>
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Best,</div>
<b><br /></b>teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-27354305926239755252017-06-28T05:43:00.002-07:002017-06-28T05:47:13.450-07:00Back to School Bulletin Board-With a PurposeI know it is Summer and Back to School time is so far away for many of us...but if you are a teacher, you know that you are already thinking about how to improve everything in your classroom and all of your lesson plans. I'd place bets that a lot of you teachers have already been hard at work, at least mentally, getting ready for the new school year!<br />
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In ECE we like everything we do to be intentional. Every part of our day includes some kind of learning. Even at snack time we will talk about what shape our cracker is, which of our five sense are we using? How can we remember our good manners...it goes on and on. <br />
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I begin my year with a bulletin board that not only welcomes the kids, helps the parents learn the names of all the kids, but also adds an element that I use to show progress through the year. In other words...it is VERY intentional.<br />
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The board is outside my classroom door. It is big-in fact I have 2 classes, morning Preschool and afternoon Pre K, so I break it into 2 separate boards. It starts out with these flowers with empty centers and names placed boldly on each flower. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIHMYOgVK3n2P2Ju0eYyDg7Gr0nvyoYm5dVcHkr4n3qqwmIHpCXB-CP0DqkUKqfrxTgv39cFEgJGJrntqeefPsmPXDrrBFJD3A4oLVgOLjohiR35IgFSeNlNb9UzWF7_xdl46pvvbhAL8/s1600/fullsizeoutput_11d.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIHMYOgVK3n2P2Ju0eYyDg7Gr0nvyoYm5dVcHkr4n3qqwmIHpCXB-CP0DqkUKqfrxTgv39cFEgJGJrntqeefPsmPXDrrBFJD3A4oLVgOLjohiR35IgFSeNlNb9UzWF7_xdl46pvvbhAL8/s200/fullsizeoutput_11d.jpeg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRVEhsqI_82uDn6PW10ocbdrCx-ETD3KWNITux1OHbePj0KbpMs26mbJbZDSYsJcOnTi62NVWr7gWleSeWKiVZ3emsXICK9cbBDGnEDNlE8aRfeonERkkCGnvm5jQqJU_nlTsP1qNocvG/s1600/fullsizeoutput_114.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRVEhsqI_82uDn6PW10ocbdrCx-ETD3KWNITux1OHbePj0KbpMs26mbJbZDSYsJcOnTi62NVWr7gWleSeWKiVZ3emsXICK9cbBDGnEDNlE8aRfeonERkkCGnvm5jQqJU_nlTsP1qNocvG/s200/fullsizeoutput_114.jpeg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnKITyIde0B8ckSap_JcoYd9FsJo-ElqoakY4owHHzU6UTen6qFlGIDqhpvJAl1PJTLTEUhaN8yv9C19P9sS1uea4f-ItcrjROHA7cjphdTjl3T4M55yHfYZ9uy-5ssSvtPf3ShphA3CvN/s1600/fullsizeoutput_120.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnKITyIde0B8ckSap_JcoYd9FsJo-ElqoakY4owHHzU6UTen6qFlGIDqhpvJAl1PJTLTEUhaN8yv9C19P9sS1uea4f-ItcrjROHA7cjphdTjl3T4M55yHfYZ9uy-5ssSvtPf3ShphA3CvN/s200/fullsizeoutput_120.jpeg" width="150" /></a></div>
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I have the words "Watch", "Us", "Grow" placed across the board above the flowers. I have laminated the flowers, stems, and leaves so I don't have to make them each year. I added the grass last year and I kind of like it. </div>
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During the first week or two we do a center activity where we look into mirrors and notice our faces, usually during our "About Me" unit. I ask the kids to notice their eyes color, hair color, if they have nose...where does it go on their face? Do they have eyelashes? Eyebrows? Then I offer large circles in several flesh tones for the kids to re-create their face...we even add yarn hair!</div>
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The faces then go into the center of the flower with their own name on it! I usually take a photo of each flower-including the name so I remember who it is! The photo then becomes part of their end of the year progress book for their parents-which will show a current self-portrait...it's amazing to see the change!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzcqHw1jTZG_3AIVLzJ3B0EZHrD5sbNH-3zQshBUk2QNjB9Y7DNdeKkmAaUBklvWSjc4IY3cpMzYbT5yRGeNUeQZZ0dAAg2isu1ygAGO3-YyC6m6dpS98LIQM-e_DVUNrTCGMN0kW1WP3/s1600/IMG_6189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzcqHw1jTZG_3AIVLzJ3B0EZHrD5sbNH-3zQshBUk2QNjB9Y7DNdeKkmAaUBklvWSjc4IY3cpMzYbT5yRGeNUeQZZ0dAAg2isu1ygAGO3-YyC6m6dpS98LIQM-e_DVUNrTCGMN0kW1WP3/s200/IMG_6189.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBpk8QQiZtveMF_6daws0dOVQ18fTAzITa7_7rgO1roYbEk-br7GRf4igimrJugwd0Sq94rzKuygMX1UvOpJlqU8Uj5eGuv4xHcLyXBOM4AOHTerP7Ucz9oNMZXs14urURUVBJTz6OczW/s1600/IMG_6187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBpk8QQiZtveMF_6daws0dOVQ18fTAzITa7_7rgO1roYbEk-br7GRf4igimrJugwd0Sq94rzKuygMX1UvOpJlqU8Uj5eGuv4xHcLyXBOM4AOHTerP7Ucz9oNMZXs14urURUVBJTz6OczW/s200/IMG_6187.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpPqoIrsgR4rp9danWxhyphenhyphen1zsKPArySM9BTcHLXmJ6eOUPewY4SUdD1HjTuC275dVhcN3p4yENxWPDawYEFmj_PCUdwzLItL-mlABC9KEL4V2TH8lSZqzLzcHXvX7hUm4lDvuF5cgzno_h/s1600/IMG_6206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpPqoIrsgR4rp9danWxhyphenhyphen1zsKPArySM9BTcHLXmJ6eOUPewY4SUdD1HjTuC275dVhcN3p4yENxWPDawYEFmj_PCUdwzLItL-mlABC9KEL4V2TH8lSZqzLzcHXvX7hUm4lDvuF5cgzno_h/s200/IMG_6206.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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Here are a few examples. The face with red hair is one of my Preschoolers ages 3-4, the other 2 are my Pre K kids, ages 4-5. This way, the parents can also see the progress from the Preschool (3-4) to the Pre K (4-5). It showcases developmental progress from one year to the next. </div>
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I love this project, and so do the parents. I think this is one of my favorite bulletin boards of the year!<br />
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This is just one of the activities in my "About ME" 5-day lesson plan available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Just follow the link below for this on a other 'done for you' lesson plans.<br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Me-5-Day-UnitLesson-Plans-for-Preschool-Pre-K-K-Homeschool-2657780">All About ME 5-day Lesson Plan for Preschool, PreK, K, and Homeschool</a></div>
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<br />teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-34860421351909513402017-06-26T05:47:00.001-07:002017-06-26T05:47:16.686-07:00Storm Clouds in a Jar!I LOVE doing science experiments with my preschoolers. But as much as I love it...they love it even more!<br />
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One of my all-time favorite experiments to do with both my preschool 3-4's and my PreK is what I like to call "Storm Clouds in a Jar". We do this experiment during our weather and seasons unit. I read a few books about rain and briefly describe the water cycle and how clouds get so full of water that they need to let it go as rain. The darker the cloud, the more saturated it is with water.<br />
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The kids get so excited when I tell them that they will be making their own storm cloud and rain in a jar...they are a little bit confused as well. So...I show them what we will be doing! I have everything I need set up to do a whole group demonstration.<br />
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A mason jar<br />
shaving cream<br />
water<br />
blue food color or blue liquid water color<br />
pipettes or other droppers.<br />
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I fill the jar about 2/3 full with water. Then I make a 'cloud'<br />
of shaving cream that will float on top of the water.<br />
Then I take the blue water and pipette and start to squeeze<br />
droppers of blue water onto the cloud. Soon the cloud becomes saturated enough for the blue water to drip down<br />
like rain. The "OOOH''s and "AAAh"'s are so great!<br />
At that point the kids cannot wait to get started and they<br />
all want to come to my center first!<br />
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It is so much fun to watch the kids at this center. The level of engagement and interest is off the charts! One of the best parts is watching the kids get excited not only about their own little 'storm', but they are just as excited watching their friends little 'storms' develop as well. They cheer each other on and encourage each other as they watch the experiment unfold before their eyes. </div>
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This experiment and so many other fun and engaging centers are included in my 'All About Weather and Seasons' Complete 5-Day Lesson Plan available on teachers Pay Teachers. You can follow the link below or the tab at the top of my blog. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Weather-Seasons-Lesson-Plans-for-Preschool-PreK-K-Homeschool-2863887">All About Weather and Seasons 5-Day Lesson Plan</a></div>
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<br />teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-53758636002729405952017-06-25T13:19:00.001-07:002017-06-25T13:19:07.459-07:00I LOVE My Alphabet Wall!I love my classroom...it is my happy place. I spend so much time there, I have to make it special and it has to be a place that I love and that my students find fun, exciting, and inspires them to learn. <br />
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One of my favorite things to do is to change my alphabet wall to go with my theme. I can hear the groans already..."Isn't that a lot of work?"...."One more thing to do?"...No, it's not a lot of work, and yes, it is one more thing to do, but in my experience it is one more thing with a HUGE impact. <br />
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In ECE we strive to teach, but to keep things developmentally appropriate and experiential. By changing my alphabet wall to go with my theme, I touch on things my students are excited about, increase theme vocabulary and usage, AND it's a fun and sneaky way of working in letter recognition and beginning sounds.<br />
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I have a few photos of my ever-changing alphabet wall I'd love to share.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiww4z8sz6-5suniP0EngilwYPQ2_xnqX4rQEdnNanDf3pbQqAJ5Q_Ye933OBEhkLS9GHVzW5Aa8N7-eFLhhFsFCO2M03rCXBd5nGMQFdJVqT0cmqsTgILd6LKRSXuQLjuHSX3z4bISas7-/s1600/IMG_8253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiww4z8sz6-5suniP0EngilwYPQ2_xnqX4rQEdnNanDf3pbQqAJ5Q_Ye933OBEhkLS9GHVzW5Aa8N7-eFLhhFsFCO2M03rCXBd5nGMQFdJVqT0cmqsTgILd6LKRSXuQLjuHSX3z4bISas7-/s320/IMG_8253.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
This is my Spring Alphabet wall. The kids love seeing changes, and each letter brings up questions and discussions related to our theme. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2n-EkRKui5juQ1WOQZHIql2d5QyO4rhk4IqOyHT9plYeno2aOo298ui0yhBIogc2Rq2hm3EFUnQH4hmOGMdrTVO_Qv2pGqXXtZ4xAJOF0G7EuDjLbU4l5G2aKLh0PwpePUQLA_3l378n/s1600/IMG_8257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2n-EkRKui5juQ1WOQZHIql2d5QyO4rhk4IqOyHT9plYeno2aOo298ui0yhBIogc2Rq2hm3EFUnQH4hmOGMdrTVO_Qv2pGqXXtZ4xAJOF0G7EuDjLbU4l5G2aKLh0PwpePUQLA_3l378n/s320/IMG_8257.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZ5UIfs6PWJ41QTb9-4WdbLKo9FgASh2NZxp7fugEiQT4RobAQTXUAaXj0Hp1yVQ1y9z4wLIHXQRMClqR-D0-Fx_a6Hs-xE6I1tRnYMsAkQOrB-BgfJCErmPgyb4ePj2JRqn9taI0xRpx/s1600/IMG_8254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZ5UIfs6PWJ41QTb9-4WdbLKo9FgASh2NZxp7fugEiQT4RobAQTXUAaXj0Hp1yVQ1y9z4wLIHXQRMClqR-D0-Fx_a6Hs-xE6I1tRnYMsAkQOrB-BgfJCErmPgyb4ePj2JRqn9taI0xRpx/s320/IMG_8254.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
Below is Fall...It can be tough to find pictures for letters like "I, Q, and X", but I take liberties. My aides love to see what I come up with...sometimes it's quite funny!<br />
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Halloween is one of my favorites. I found a great Halloween font on Teachers Pay Teachers that made it just perfect!<br />
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Thanksgiving is next...I loved coming up with just the right words and pictures for this one!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GhvJwK2LVGSmzUFzIiALyih6pc-voqRNz0_Xn1OtfOYnU5nI1Ei_89aKAL4lvmaQkMcdND-Av9D4u0eczHzbtOob5Xz5LbXJsghvTw0ErlGcxhqcQhUpIVf5FmcbpWdl6aPShHYxApoV/s1600/IMG_6816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GhvJwK2LVGSmzUFzIiALyih6pc-voqRNz0_Xn1OtfOYnU5nI1Ei_89aKAL4lvmaQkMcdND-Av9D4u0eczHzbtOob5Xz5LbXJsghvTw0ErlGcxhqcQhUpIVf5FmcbpWdl6aPShHYxApoV/s320/IMG_6816.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Every one of these alphabets and more can be found under "Themed Alphabets" in my TPT store. Below is a full listing with links.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Summer-ABC-Summer-Alphabet-2864110">Summer Alphabet</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Alphabet-2370501">Spring Alphabet</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fall-Alphabet-2622278">Fall Alphabet</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Winter-Alphabet-2258167">Winter Alphabet</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/4-Seasons-Alphabet-Bundle-2864141">4 Seasons Alphabet Bundle</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Thanksgiving-Alphabet-2166820">Thanksgiving Alphabet</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Halloween-Alphabet-2143657">Halloween Alphabet</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Christmas-Alphabet-2194688">Christmas Alphabet</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fairytale-Alphabet-2465324">Fairy Tale Alphabet</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Construction-Alphabet-2949161">Construction Alphabet</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Space-Alphabet-2431133">Space Alphabet</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Community-Helper-Alphabet-2624405">Community Helper Alphabet</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Animal-Alphabet-2388943">Animal Alphabet</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-Alphabet-2465352">Back to School Alphabet</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Family-Alphabet-Family-words-from-A-Z-2623019">Family Alphabet</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ocean-Creature-ABC-3219602">Ocean Creature Alphabet</a></div>
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Change it up, have some fun, learn a ton!</div>
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<br />teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-2320360834799458722017-06-19T14:43:00.002-07:002017-06-19T14:43:51.443-07:005 Ways to Bring More FUN into Your ClassroomI thought it would never happen to me...until it did...<br />
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I lost my FUN!<br />
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I've always been a fun pre k teacher...silly, rambunctious, funny, and playful. This year though, after a particularly difficult morning preschool 3-4's class, I was exhausted and burnt out. I felt like I had nothing left for my afternoon pre k class!<br />
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So I asked myself..."What did I do to make class fun before the difficult mornings?" I needed a refresher, so I gave it some serious thought. It was tough at first, but I think it all came back to me in the relaxation of summer break...<br />
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<b>1. Sing Silly and/or Fun Songs</b><br />
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Be armed and ready with 4-5 funny crowd-pleasing songs that you can ham up or be really dramatic with the kids! There's nothing like a shared song or experience to bring a class together, lessen tensions, and turn a bad mood to good! Some of my favorites are "Little Bunny Foo-Foo", "5 Little Monkeys Swing'n in the Trees", "There's a Spider on the Floor", or "Patalina Matalina". There are so many more...just pick your favorites, add some actions, expression, or your own dance moves and belt it out during circle time or any time you want!<br />
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<b>2. Have an Impromptu Dance Party</b><br />
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I have a little bluetooth speaker and an iPad with the Pandora Radio app installed in my classroom. Whenever we need a little controlled fun, we crank up Disney radio, or the Kids Bop station and just DANCE! This can get a little out of control, so I usually preface each dance party with instructions such as, "keep your hands to yourself", no "feet over heads", and "watch where you are dancing"! I get out there and dance right along with them! It makes me feel good, the kids feel good, and once again...it's a shared fun experience that brings us closer and actually helps with discipline issues...try it!<br />
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<b>3. Read with LOTS of Expression!</b><br />
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My class LOVES Elephant and Piggie books...I think they love them so much because when I read them...it's no-holds-barred performance art! I get so into the voices and inflection...Mo Willems pictures are perfect for giving the reader clear cues on exactly how the character are feeling. I decided on one particularly rough day with my morning class to read a different story the same way I would read an Elephant and Piggie book, just to see if the performance was key...wow! The Three Little Pigs drew them in and captured their attention like nothing I had ever read before. The book ended with shouts of "Again! Again!"...which told me I was on to something. Funny thing is...my mood changed and I couldn't wait to read another story. Of course I don't read ALL stories with that much inflection and drama...you have to keep it special!<br />
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<b>4. Depart From Your Plan</b><br />
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I make very detailed lesson plans, create most of my own curriculum, and have a very involved principal, so my lesson plans are thorough and I am expected to teach to my plan. But...there are days when I look at what I have planned for the day and I just know I'm going to be phoning it in if I follow it...so I use my imagination and find something active or interesting to do for part or all of our day instead! I keep a lot of supplies on hand for science projects and experiments, I have a lot of free art ideas rolling around in my head that I try, or I make something else up on the fly...some of my best ideas come from 'winging' it! I usually come away feeling inspired, and the kids usually have a fun time with the activities I come up with...they didn't know what I had planned, so they don't have a clue!<br />
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<b>5. Stop trying so hard to be the best teacher in the world and just have FUN playing with the kids!</b><br />
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I saved the most important for last. There are some days I let myself off the hook and turn center time into more of a 'play' time. Play is the way young children learn, and they are so thrilled to have me as a customer in the restaurant in the dramatic play area, or if I help build the tower at the block center, or if I find unusual things to count or measure, or even if I just sit and chat while we color at the writing table. We build bonds and get to know each other better...which is the cornerstone to good preschool and pre k teaching! Besides...it is FUN! After all, if you are like me...you aren't in it for the money...you're in this profession because you throughly enjoy spending your days with children.<b> </b><br />
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So, put some FUN back into your classroom! I'd love to hear the ways you put FUN into your classroom too...we're all in this to make school great for little kids...we are each other's greatest resource! Please leave a comment with your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions!<br />
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Best,teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-2079551575073406992017-03-27T16:17:00.002-07:002017-03-27T16:17:58.748-07:00Signs of Spring!This week we begin our 'Signs of Spring' unit. Here in Utah we are seeing blossoming trees, daffodils, green grass and leaves beginning to show their spring green on the tips of tree branches. <br />
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I began our day reading the BEST book I have ever found to illustrate the changing season and the fickle nature of springtime here in the west...'When Spring Comes' by Kevin Henkes. It so perfectly describes the transition from Winter to Spring. There is even a picture of snow-beaten daffodils...we had those last week! It was so relatable, the kids were mesmerized!<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=teachprek101-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=0062331396&asins=0062331396&linkId=902a50f10909b933db029c422c53d154&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
</iframe>I can't believe I have taught PreK for so long and missed this little gem! It is perfect!<br />
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We also tried out a few activities from my 'All About Spring" 5 day unit/lesson plan. They were really fantastic centers! One was in conjunction with the book by Lois Ehlert 'Planting a Rainbow'. I have the template in my lesson plan, (link will be at the end of this post) I use Avery dots to make the 'rainbow' center of the flowers and the kids add the rest!<br />
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</iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=teachprek101-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B06XB1JKWC&asins=B06XB1JKWC&linkId=b628fd1053fe12be00d2f045f3abd619&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
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We also Counted flowers into flowerpots...such a cute activity! I did this one to numeral 15 for a challenge for the kids that were ready for it. I had lower numerals for the kids that weren't quite there yet-this activity would be a great assessment tool for one-to-one correspondence, counting, numeral recognition and fine motor skills.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcoVDDCjkDirYTYzocBo7F0wwwAFk4o_M7X5jXV0DLN1b_MGywJkW-ER-fPIWbUlFvWQF6p2mK8OwwIekAuNs52z_aFBcCg-RDhJ5UDw087SdHPfeHPfXMAehyeQpSU_SPDZIPStgp0Yc/s1600/IMG_8207.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcoVDDCjkDirYTYzocBo7F0wwwAFk4o_M7X5jXV0DLN1b_MGywJkW-ER-fPIWbUlFvWQF6p2mK8OwwIekAuNs52z_aFBcCg-RDhJ5UDw087SdHPfeHPfXMAehyeQpSU_SPDZIPStgp0Yc/s320/IMG_8207.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiee53sHhtn5aX-4MbY0CvO_9_cqvdhals7RlSIpCRvBzHys7Nt5xGUkg7aK-WX837P1JW6BrElF3AgKCGlMWFr5egEnMUxoNCCFOY9v-PEmpspoGbWMnmI1pUbAcoX6EOJS4p_gC4i1P-T/s1600/IMG_8211.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiee53sHhtn5aX-4MbY0CvO_9_cqvdhals7RlSIpCRvBzHys7Nt5xGUkg7aK-WX837P1JW6BrElF3AgKCGlMWFr5egEnMUxoNCCFOY9v-PEmpspoGbWMnmI1pUbAcoX6EOJS4p_gC4i1P-T/s320/IMG_8211.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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Our letter literacy center was a fun upper to lowercase letter match with a beginning sound picture in the center of a flower. The kids loved finding the matching parts to the pictures...and it was a great way to double check if they had the right letter match!<br />
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It was a wonderful and FUN day! for the complete 5-day plan complete with book list, art, science, math and literacy centers (and so much more) follow the link below!</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Spring-5-Day-Unit-Plan-for-Preschool-PreK-K-Homeschool-3068051">https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Spring-5-Day-Unit-Plan-for-Preschool-PreK-K-Homeschool-3068051</a></div>
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Happy Spring! More to come!</div>
teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-13025533654947961812017-03-14T09:47:00.000-07:002017-03-14T09:47:48.210-07:00My Top 5 Building Toys for Preschool, PreK, and up!My class has always loved building toys. Our construction week gives us an opportunity to use our favorites...and more.<br />
Over the years I'v noticed that my kiddos seem to gravitate to certain building sets more than others. I know if I put any of these 5 toys out at our block center...the learning, creativity and problem solving skills will be tested and improved!<br />
#1...Melissa and Doug Jumbo Extra Thick Cardboard Blocks in 3 Sizes! I have a small classroom, so I move the block table out of the room and set out 2 big bins of these blocks. The kids absolutely love the space and freedom of using the floor and the adjacent shelves and wall in their building. This year they created an amazing castle! They were so excited to show me their structure and tell me how they worked together to make an amazing structure.<br />
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#2...Magnatiles! My kiddos love Magnatiles! They can build up and down, and they can make really wonderful flat designs on the table or floor as well. Magnatiles are sturdy, durable, come in beautiful jewel tones, and they are so versatile! When I put magnates out for free play or centers, there are always lots of kids waiting for a turn. The only drawback to Magnatiles is the expense. I know there are some knock offs out there but I have yet to try them out. If you have...I'd love a review!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8qZ0SQauE6M08pdczTaWlFyXoPj8ZMUc-LDamI6EmXVkt4g6dnyCSiAGlHhK6rYAEfSl4nT3YuKnbnRXtY5b9-Bm-7ZOIGZi7_R88TWolERAzRM8cvSXi2dzqL27w4AoxheBsp8H9ajLA/s1600/fullsizeoutput_26eb.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8qZ0SQauE6M08pdczTaWlFyXoPj8ZMUc-LDamI6EmXVkt4g6dnyCSiAGlHhK6rYAEfSl4nT3YuKnbnRXtY5b9-Bm-7ZOIGZi7_R88TWolERAzRM8cvSXi2dzqL27w4AoxheBsp8H9ajLA/s200/fullsizeoutput_26eb.jpeg" width="155" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFdTfuLWLVS0QQfiTzWsu-gPtENi16vofCAIiWkhdlzcQ-P7nua_Rg5M2n6KjCtrmIFKOALfJ7xVRbDJ2n-S5Zb43IzFkbcJS2QL8oAqo91fF_lps2_0T-qYx9tv6OVAdmp89vO4jWjhY/s1600/IMG_4799.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFdTfuLWLVS0QQfiTzWsu-gPtENi16vofCAIiWkhdlzcQ-P7nua_Rg5M2n6KjCtrmIFKOALfJ7xVRbDJ2n-S5Zb43IzFkbcJS2QL8oAqo91fF_lps2_0T-qYx9tv6OVAdmp89vO4jWjhY/s200/IMG_4799.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
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# 3 Foam Unit Blocks. Unit blocks are awesome! We have a wood set, but the foam set...though not as sturdy, are quiet. For a small classroom that can be a lifesaver! They are considerably less expensive than traditional wood unit blocks, and the potential for creating amazing structures is still there! My kiddos love them!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGbeyl5ZIiYXx3KOlM72_BIiD4KIZW2EFMmucoqn0b5QN9XIHD-Vu6h0p6vyoND9Wh1Gl1Ox-KfWEVy6L88JtgV6h3q_NNZwjgDxZzz7rBFDm2qkPJMHmrBHvUNypIxDqL13oeJSpBHV6n/s1600/IMG_5529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGbeyl5ZIiYXx3KOlM72_BIiD4KIZW2EFMmucoqn0b5QN9XIHD-Vu6h0p6vyoND9Wh1Gl1Ox-KfWEVy6L88JtgV6h3q_NNZwjgDxZzz7rBFDm2qkPJMHmrBHvUNypIxDqL13oeJSpBHV6n/s200/IMG_5529.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4LpwhVT348YS_A9DcXM3IMXphhGQRkX63xkFYeNXfIodxBgNS7bINE5F14wi6uEVFR-2JXl0XAQ0a4d7mGJT80wKHD9qV_apzN2HFVbiDPbWFSDf-RUXsrMCezR02GM1HTVPSFHWlGGC/s1600/IMG_5533.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4LpwhVT348YS_A9DcXM3IMXphhGQRkX63xkFYeNXfIodxBgNS7bINE5F14wi6uEVFR-2JXl0XAQ0a4d7mGJT80wKHD9qV_apzN2HFVbiDPbWFSDf-RUXsrMCezR02GM1HTVPSFHWlGGC/s200/IMG_5533.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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# 4 Lego Duplo Blocks. Kids LOVE Legos...I use Duplo in my classroom to eliminate choking hazards. The hand strength and fine motor skills needed to build with Legos is fantastic for development. The creativity unleashed by legos is second to none. Legos are my absolute favorite block center toy...and I think the kids would agree!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlApB4CQiTUELFK03mAlP0qM5f4fwOKXC5MzarTqSAXAR-1KM9sr8b6yLm8sfmHgtbbTtXhj1CUcPQWfLJCIYCu9ztyIFJBiIMSOLb2LeNIrtwMBMZbaSNikEWuIXTC_6M_Jc9nd2GUp8/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2709.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlApB4CQiTUELFK03mAlP0qM5f4fwOKXC5MzarTqSAXAR-1KM9sr8b6yLm8sfmHgtbbTtXhj1CUcPQWfLJCIYCu9ztyIFJBiIMSOLb2LeNIrtwMBMZbaSNikEWuIXTC_6M_Jc9nd2GUp8/s200/fullsizeoutput_2709.jpeg" width="121" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYfpDS1bccy0Vj6WAoohxLg9XLSzSYobRMRmRa25YNaDEwrp7g-MME7UDiqbvaOPdhhXWLty2FpvvmGcOcS7Ci6DuFMtaqyLtHZOHGuzUHCdSc6oSzP54T429GEwl7ThWAgRQAZHf5Ny7/s1600/IMG_4452.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYfpDS1bccy0Vj6WAoohxLg9XLSzSYobRMRmRa25YNaDEwrp7g-MME7UDiqbvaOPdhhXWLty2FpvvmGcOcS7Ci6DuFMtaqyLtHZOHGuzUHCdSc6oSzP54T429GEwl7ThWAgRQAZHf5Ny7/s200/IMG_4452.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
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# 5 Nuts and Bolts Builder. It never fails...each year I put out my Nuts and Bolts building set and I'm asked if it can be brought out the next day. There are so many different configurations and things to do with this simple set, the kids NEVER run out of interesting and unique things to build. I think this set is a MUST for any Preschool or PreK classroom. It sparks creativity and imagination as it builds fine motor strength and problem solving skills. We love this toy so much that is is almost time to buy a new one...but it has been going strong for over 8 years! Well worth the initial investment!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_ZtGXL-KrMxAeIviPLZr2ffTY6zj7Cxyxh1SYQbJt8t-KeXbRTBvFGv6D_F8r1Dkh1ZiXlkEagLt0GqwfkNrcm2dlky3NBQ1KYzzr-QTCcQ0yGLvHB-mnHg0ZGd4GimKDLlECfjGrmn_/s1600/IMG_3223.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_ZtGXL-KrMxAeIviPLZr2ffTY6zj7Cxyxh1SYQbJt8t-KeXbRTBvFGv6D_F8r1Dkh1ZiXlkEagLt0GqwfkNrcm2dlky3NBQ1KYzzr-QTCcQ0yGLvHB-mnHg0ZGd4GimKDLlECfjGrmn_/s200/IMG_3223.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMgnVl4vJGkAINOWUYKLdqujR3YOVFTg2fbPqTbQ9O0HNPCMe3ODjVpg0r4pvNV2f9j8cYAiYSs46O8JrgcB9b00TG-IKHFGsMrttc4hkHupCiZe63QR2f06PZ-5RSaNwqNyJVrHauiJy/s1600/IMG_3225.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMgnVl4vJGkAINOWUYKLdqujR3YOVFTg2fbPqTbQ9O0HNPCMe3ODjVpg0r4pvNV2f9j8cYAiYSs46O8JrgcB9b00TG-IKHFGsMrttc4hkHupCiZe63QR2f06PZ-5RSaNwqNyJVrHauiJy/s200/IMG_3225.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
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</iframe>teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-26834374180292093292017-03-08T16:22:00.002-08:002017-03-08T16:22:23.611-08:00The Three Little PigsDuring our Construction theme I love to explore the story of The Three Little Pigs. We read as many different versions of the story that we can during the week. I am always surprised by how much the kids love the story and how they can't wait to hear each one again and again. <br />
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I have put together a list of the books I read during the week with links for purchase on Amazon.<br />
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The kid's favorite by FAR was 'The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf'. When we re-enacted the story, that was the version they most closely followed. You can't go wrong with any of these stories...they are all entertaining, engaging, and sure to please your class!teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-13809375039251214232017-03-08T04:16:00.003-08:002017-03-08T04:16:57.178-08:00Construction Shape Review!As we continue our Construction theme, we hit so many core standards, I thought I'd share one of my favorites.<br />
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Shape Trucks! I give the kids 4 different truck templates to choose from. We have a cement truck, a dump truck, a crane truck, and an excavator! We use circles, triangles, squares, rectangles, and ovals to make our trucks. In the end we embellish by putting drivers in the truck windows, a load in the dump trucks, stops, a construction site...we just use our imaginations!<br />
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All templates for trucks and shapes are included in my "All About Construction" Lesson plan available on Teachers Pay Teachers. just follow the link below!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Construction-Unit-Plan-for-Preschool-PreK-K-Homeschool-3033813">https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Construction-Unit-Plan-for-Preschool-PreK-K-Homeschool-3033813</a><br />
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Here are some photos of my kiddos having fun making their trucks!<br />
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They had so much fun and really began to grasp how shapes make up their world! teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6820810487411983510.post-60098575869670169932017-03-06T16:29:00.000-08:002017-03-06T16:29:17.896-08:00Construction Week STEM activity!My class LOVES our Construction theme...so much, that we are into our third week. I love the construction week because it is a great way to hit dozens of our core standards while keeping the kids engaged and learning.<br />
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We usually begin talking about tools and their uses. The kids are so excited to learn that we use tools in our classroom each day...scissors, paintbrushes, markers, glue sticks...and our HANDS! This year, I created a great lesson plan for TPT with a fun toolbox craft included. The kids LOVED making their own toolbox with a handle and full of all the important tools they would need. <br />
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A simple and fun activity that fits perfectly into our Construction Theme is "Cups and Sticks" STEM activity. We use jumbo craft sticks and plastic drinking cups we have on hand from our snack supplies. I will do a short demonstration on how the kids can use the cups and sticks to stack and build or build long roads and bridges. I let them know they can build together or by themselves. I always add that no one can knock over a friends tower or step on the cups. I have procedures in place so that the kids know how to behave in these centers!</div>
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The results are amazing and so much fun to watch!</div>
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I have a week's worth of great Construction center ideas for math and literacy too! Check out these great construction products!<br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Construction-Unit-Plan-for-Preschool-PreK-K-Homeschool-3033813">https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Construction-Unit-Plan-for-Preschool-PreK-K-Homeschool-3033813</a><br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Construction-Math-Centers-for-Preschool-PreK-K-Homeschool-3033275">https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Construction-Math-Centers-for-Preschool-PreK-K-Homeschool-3033275</a><br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Construction-Alphabet-2949161">https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Construction-Alphabet-2949161</a><br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Construction-Literacy-Centers-for-Preschool-PreK-K-Homeschool-3033392">https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Construction-Literacy-Centers-for-Preschool-PreK-K-Homeschool-3033392</a><br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Construction-Word-Wall-Picture-Cards-3033834">https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Construction-Word-Wall-Picture-Cards-3033834</a><br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/ConstructionWorkshop-Dramatic-Play-Set-2391449">https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/ConstructionWorkshop-Dramatic-Play-Set-2391449</a><br />
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Happy Building!teach prekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053154793929899440noreply@blogger.com1