Independence Day Celebration

We are getting ready for our annual Independence Day Celebration by making fun red, white and blue hats, sound makers and flags. It has become such a hit in our area that other schools will join us for our fun filled day of children’s parades and caravel games.

Butcher Paper Hats

Water Bottle Shakers

Found A Toad

The children found a toad in the school garden which brought us to a class discussion on the differences between a toad and frog.

Some of the children took the opportunity to draw a picture of the found friend.

And some turned it into a art activity of frogs on logs.

Car Wash

The weather is warm and we have been spending time outside and enjoying the nice weather. Today we needed to clean out our bike shed so we set out all the bikes and wagons and the children had a car wash. The collaboration and team work that went into their care wash was fun to watch. I think we will be doing it again.

Trash Art

We do a lot of art activities with the children using found material from home or school. A lot of it is really what most people would call trash, but we find a way of recycling these items into the classroom for art activities. Giving the children the opportunity to create and enjoy the process of creating.

Beautiful Stuff!: Learning with Found Materials

Organization Tips and Tricks

Organization Tips and Tricks


It is never too late to try and get organized. Over the years I have tried many different ways to do that and I think I finally found a way over the past few years that has finally gotten me organized. Ok so it took me some years of moving from classroom to classroom before I figured it out, they say it’s never too late to learn.
Link to other sites for organizing your classroom.
Pre-kpages

 
Flannel Board Stories


I use a Clear-View three ring binder (three inch) to hold all my flannel board stories that I use on a regular bases. I cut down a gallon zip lock bag from the bottom end so that it will fit in the binder, next I cut a sheet of card stock so that it will slide into the zip lock bag leaving a little hanging out the end that you cut. Once that is done I use clear packing tape and tape the cut end closed. After the bag has been reinforced with the packing tape I punch holes in the zip bag with a three hole punch. Each flannel board story is placed in its own pouch and labeled with the name of the story. I also print out the story or finger play song on a sheet of paper and place it in a page protector and place that in front of the story or finger play song. This is helpful for subs, if you have a story in your lesson plan that they are not familiar with they can read the story as they use the pieces to the flannel board story.

Lesson Plans


I use a Clear-View three ring binder to keep all of my lesson plan themes in. When you open up the binder you find in the front my lesson plan for the week, followed by a book list with all of the books that could be used with this lesson plan theme. Also in the binder you will find all the lesson plan support material and ideas.

Here is what I keep in the binder…

Lesson
Book list
Idea Resources
Letter Cards
Word Wall Cards
Path games
Grid games
Finger Play songs with props
Flannel Board Stories
Master Copies
Sample Art
Pictures

When I come across ideas in my resource books that will go with a theme that I am working on I will make a copy of that idea to place in my binder. This helps me save time for the next time I use that theme. This way I do not have to go through all of my resource books again it is all right there. Also when I find a song or idea from the internet I will print that ideas and place it in the binder. This keeps everything together and saves valuable time.

Teachers Pay Teachers Theme Lesson Plans
Teachers Notebook Theme Lesson Plans

Lesson Theme Boxes

Each Theme Box has a lesson plan binder. I try to use the same size clear plastic box for each theme, this allows me to stack them easily in a storage area.

Here is what I put in the box

Puppets
Props for Dramatic Play
Props for the Block Area
Rhyming Dice
Big Books
Theme related books
Pocket Chart Activities
Theme related counters
Word Card Rings
Sound Cups for letter that goes with theme

Puppets

Glove Puppets

Portfolios
I collect a lot of the children’s work through out the year so that I can see where each child is at. I place all of this sample work into their portfolios for future assessment and individual lesson planning. My portfolios are made out of 12” x 16” tag board. I staple two sheet of the tag board together to form a large pocket. I then staple a tap of paper with the child’s name, DOB and Enrollment date. I file the children’s portfolios in alphabetical order to make it easer to file their work. At the end of the year I take all of the sample work and make a book for the parents.

Portfolio

Book Making

When you do a writing activity daily or even weekly you wind up with a whole lot of papers that need to be filed. Not always my strong suit. I now have three plastic hanging file boxes for each group. The children find their name and file their own writing work. When the child feels that their book is done we help them turn it into a book that can then be taken home or placed in our book nook in the classroom to share with other friends.

How to Make a Zip Pocket Holder for Binder

I cut down a gallon zip lock bag from the bottom end so that it will fit in the binder, next I cut a sheet of card stock so that it will slide into the zip lock bag leaving a little hanging out the end that you cut. Once that is done I use clear packing tape and tape the cut end closed. After the bag has been reinforced with the packing tape I punch holes in the zip bag with a three hole punch.