Daily Helper

Our daily helper board is an important part of our day.  It is a way to get children to recognize each other's names and to get children activity involved in the day.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you choose children for the daily helper?

The first week of school each child made a face plate.  These face plates were then turned into a face and name book.

Each day we turn the page to see who's face is next.  We talk about that child's name, what letter does it start with, what letter sound does it make, and  how many letters are in the name.  We then put that child's name at the top of the helper board and the other names move down.

Where do you keep your face book?  

It hangs in our group time area.  Right above the daily helper pocket chart.

Do you have a name strip for each student?

No, the sentence strips are laminated and I write the children's names on with a erasable marker.

What are your daily helpers?

I have a calendar helper - This helper comes up and finds the next number that needs to go up on the calendar.

Days of the week helper - This helper tells us what today, yesterday and tomorrow will be.  Go to Days of the Week Freebie to see what that looks like. 

Lunch Count Helper - This helper bring the lunch count to the office to be called in.  When they go in they have to tell the office lady how many lunches we need. 

Line Leader

Lilly Letter Lady Helper-  This helper gets to come up during our alphabet time and use the Lilly Letter Lady puppet.  They have to find the letter of study in an alliteration that is written on the board.  So if we are looking at the letter A they have to place Lilly Letter Lady's mouth over the letters A's in the sentence. 

Days of the Week Freebie

Google Docs

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Teachers Notebook

Display the days of the week under your calendar in the group time area. Using the days of the week will build on their concept of yesterday, today and tomorrow. 

Get the Whole Calendar Time Packet on 

Teachers Pay Teachers

or

Teachers Notebook

Daily Sign In Make Over

 Before

It worked but it was not very inviting for the children

After

 First I changed the name of the area to Name Station.  This area now serves two purposes.  One for the children to sign in daily for practice writing their name and Two it is an area that they can write their name as well of names of their friends with different types of writing instruments and paper. 

I also created three books this year so that the children could move faster through the process of the daily signing in.

Name rings, these rings have the children's first and last names on them for extra practice.  The rings are also dived up into three ring sets that match the sign in books so children are able to find their names as well as their friends.

 Don't forget the alphabet when it comes to writing children always need something to reference.

 The name station also includes a variety of writing instruments, lined paper and plain paper.

Remember this is just a station for them to write names.  I also a full writing center for them the explore making books and drawing pictures.  

What does the inside of your book look like?

Each book has ABC tabs so that the children can go to their first letter in their name and find their name in that section.  Depending on the level of the child their name might have practice writing text on it.  We are using the lettering from Lettering Delights

Building Alphabetic Knowledge and Sound

Knowledge of letter names and letter sounds facilitates children's ability to decode text.  These skills will allow children to apply the alphabetic principle to word recognition which is a reading precursor. 

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Teachers Notebook

Knowing the letters and letter sounds of the alphabet is related to both short and long term reading proficiency.  This 90 page packet will help you build alphabetic knowledge and sound in a fun interactive way for children. 

This packet comes with:

ABC Wall Cards (to create a word wall)

Letter Sound Cards

Letter Alliteration Cards

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Teachers Notebook

Group Meeting Area Makeover

Before Picture

Not to interesting 

After Picture

I broke my group time area into two different learning times. Each time is divided by the tree.  Math Time and Alphabet Time.     

Math Time

Math time is made up of our calendar, Numbers, Math Vocabulary, Math learning interest of study.

Alphabet Time

Alphabet Time is made up of letter of interest, letter alliteration,  wonderful words (vocabulary) and letter formation. 

Name Tag Station

Our name tag station is by the children's  cubbies.  As children come in parents and child find name tag.  We have the parents talk with their child about their names.  Here are things that they talk about...

What color is your name tag?

What is your first and last name?

What letter does your name start with?

How many letters are in your name?

Are there any other children in your calls with the same first letter in their name?

What letters are in your name?

Why do you use name tags?

*   They help me manage my small groups.  Children are able to identify their group by the color of their name tag.

*   It is also a great way to see which children still need to come in for the day at a glance.  It also lets you see who is absent for the day at a glance.

*   When you have a parent volunteer they are able to call children by their names.

 Down load for Free

Google Docs

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Teachers Notebook

 Name tags come in four colors

I used the Thermal Laminating Pouch name bags

I used the GBC New Heat Seal Creative Laminator to laminate all of my name tags.  These name tags are much more durable then in you laminate them with a traditional laminating machine. 

It's A Sale on TPT

Back to School Sale.  Everything in my store will be 20% off but if you include the Promo Code BTS12 you will get an additional 8%.  This will give you saving of up to 28%.

My Top 5 Must have Books

There are 5 book that I must have for the beginning of the school year to help build our school community. 

My number one book is

 Meet Scary Mary. In the barnyard, she rules the roost. If the other animals come near, she chases them away! She keeps all the sunflower seeds to herself and builds a fort to keep the others out. Mary even practices making scary faces! Until one day she is alone. She clucks by herself, plays games by herself, and eats dinner by herself. Soon, Mary realizes that being scary can be lonely!

Number Two

This joyful Sesame Street song embraces the notion that no matter where children live, what they look like, or what they do, they're all the same where it counts -- at heart. It can also be purchased with a CD so that the children can sing along.

Number Three

It's okay to need some help.

It's okay to be a different color.

It's okay to talk about your feeling.

It's okay to make a wish...

I love starting the year out with this book, it shows the children that it is okay to just be who they are.

Number Four

 It has been a bad day for Horace. A very bad day. He’s come home feeling mean. But his mother knows just what to do to put a smile on his face!

As you read the book have the children do what is happening in the book, they will want to hear it over and over again.

Number Five

 Roxaboxen celebrates the imagination of children who, no matter the time or place, can create whole worlds out of what they find around them.

This book will help to show children that they can create a whole world around them and it teaches the teacher that we need to provide what children need for their imagination.

Back to School Sale on Teachers Notebook

Back to School Sale going on right now in my Teachers Notebook Store

Aug 11th to Aug 15th 

Kaplan Classroom Makeover Contest