DIY Pocket Clipboard

Observations or child notes are a part of our teachers daily routine.  This DIY clipboard fits right in the pocket of our aprons so when that moment for an observation arises we have what we need right in our pocket.

Cut a sheet of cardboard from an empty box 4 1/2" X 5 3/4"

Wrap the sheet of cardboard with deco duck tape.

Run a empty Thermal laminating pouch through the laminator.

Trim the lamination to fit the sheet of cardboard.  Tape down edges with deco duck tape.  Fold the edge over to give it a good sealed edge.

Place a binding clip at the top and you have yourself a cut and light weight clipboard for your pocket.

Click on image above to download your child notes. 

Small Group Trays

When it comes to teaching young children you have to be prepared or mishaps and problems will occur.  One way to keep things running smoothly is having everything ready and at your fingertips.  Small group trays are one way you can be prepared for your little ones.

In my class each color group has a color tray.  Each tray has name plates, letter formation directions (Treasures) and a caddy with all the essentials.  (scissors, dry erasable markers, colored pencils and crayons)

Each group has a different activity that gets rotated throughout the week.  Everything that is need for that activity fits perfectly in each groups tray.  We just have to grab and go.

Parent Helper Totes

This year I have started a parent helper tote system.

 These totes are placed right under the sign in and out area.  Parents can pick a tote that contains different tasks that parents can do at home to help with their child's classroom.  This is very helpful to me since all of my parents are working parents.  (They have to be working in order to eligible for the program)

 One of the most busiest tote box is the Pencil Sharpen   box.  This box makes it home to one helpful parent every night.  In the box is an electric pencil sharpener and pencils that need to be sharpened from the writing center, small group baskets and other areas that we always have pencils for the children to use.

Another helpful parent tote is our monthly Book Order.  This tote goes home once a month to the same parent.  At the beginning of the year I had my families fill out a parent volunteer questioner, this gave me information on which parents were willing to take on different classroom jobs for me. 

 Here is a list of the tote boxes that we currently have up and running in our classroom.

Pencil Sharpen Helper

Check Marker Helper

Booklet Maker Helper

Book Order Helper

Glue Bottle Washer

Public Library Helper

To download Tote Box Labels for free go to...

Google Docs

Teachers Pay Teachers

Teachers Notebook

 You can find more classroom management ideas and forms in my Classroom Management Theme Packet on

Teachers Pay Teachers

Teachers Notebook

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. 

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

Teachers Pay Teachers

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. 

Communication Folders

Down Load Folder Making Kit

Communication folders are an important part of my parent communication and involvement.  These folders help to ensure that any notes and homework sent home are seen by parents.  They keep my parents well informed about what is happening in the day to day classroom as well as what is up and coming.  Parents are also able to send me notes so that I am aware of what is happening at home or of any needs or concerns that the parents might have.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How do you send out the folders?

I place a  bucket of folders by the Sign In/Out area.  Each child has a folder in the bucket, parents and children look through the bucket until they find their folder.  At the end of the week the parents or child place their folder back in the bucket.

What do you put in the folders for Homework that is age appropriate?

I have a mixed age group of children, each folder has the same information and homework in it.  I have a connect four activity sheet that is designed for all ages of children.  It has activities that will build on children's fine motor skills to activities that build  vocabulary, math and language skills.  All activities are fun and hands on learning experiences.  I also include activity sheets that will build on their school readiness skills in fun way.

Click to view Sample

What do your folders look like?

I use the two pocket paper folders.  On the outside of the folder is a cover page with child's name.

On the inside of the folder I tape numbers and color shapes

On the back cover I tape a picture ABC chart.  This information helps with the activities provided each week.

You can get monthly communication folder packets for $2.00 from Teachers Pay Teachers or Teachers Notebook. 

Teachers Pay Teachers

Teachers Notebook

Teachers Pay Teachers

Teachers Notebook

Teachers Pay Teachers

Teachers Notebook

Coming Soon November and December Communication Folders

Transitions In Preschool

Transitions are those periods of time when the children are moving from one activity to the next.

How well your day flows in your preschool classroom can depend on how well you handle your transitions.  Some of the most stressful parts of a preschool teachers day can begin with transitioning children from one activity to the next without it all ending up in a total stressful chaos moment!

Creating short, smooth transitions through out your day will provide you with more time to be spent in meaningful activities.

·         When it is time to change to the next activity, start with a warning before it’s time to end that activity.  If children know a transition is coming and has a chance to finish what they are doing, most children are likely to be agreeable to that change.

·         Preschool children are responsive to routines.  Each transition throughout the day should follow with the same pattern everyday.  Each transition should start the same way and have a few short activities, then end the same way every time.

·         Have different signals that can be used for different transitions.  Children will know what is next and what is expected of them when they hear or do the same transition for each part of their day.

Transitions types:

                                  Clean-up

                                  Coming to circle

                                  Leaving circle

                                  Washing hands/meals

                                  Going outside

                                  Coming inside

                                  Going from here to there

                                  Going to relaxing and resting

                                  Waking up from rest

Use careful planning and considerations when planning transitions.  Appropriate

transitions help children move through the day with ease.

When children have settled into the familiarity of the routine, children will be more

cooperative through each transition of the day.

Transition to Clean Up Time

      Before clean up time make sure that you give children a five minute warning before it is time to clean up.   I have a chime that is hanging in my room and the children know that when they hear the chime they have five more minutes to finish what they are working on.  When the five minutes is up I start to sing a clean up song.  Children that are still working on a project and would like to return to that project later; know that I have a table that they can place those unfinished projects on.  This gives children ownership and they are more willing to clean up lets say the lego’s if they know they can finish their lego car later.  Also if children are working in the block area and they are hesitant in cleaning up because they have worked so hard on their town, I will take a digital picture of the structure so they can still admire their handy work.

Clean up Songs

Do you know what time it is?  Author Unknown

Do you know what time it is

What time it is

What time it is

Do you know what time it is it’s time to clean-up.

Tami put away the blocks

Put away the block

Put away the block

Tami put away the blocks because it’s time to clean-up

Cody put away the puzzle

Put away the puzzle

Put away the puzzle

Cody put away the puzzle because it’s time to clean-up

Acknowledge a child that is cleaning something up and sing their name and what they

are cleaning up.  Children that are acknowledged are more willing to help and clean

up.  Children want to do the right thing.

Twinkle Twinkle clean up time
(:twinkle, twinkle little star)Use a star wand and sing the song.  Move around the classroom waving the wand.   Help children clean up.

Twinkle, twinkle little star
stop and clean up where you are 
Time to put the toys away
We'll bring them out another day
Twinkle, twinkle little star 
stop and clean up where you are.

Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho it’s clean up time     Author Unknown

Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho

It’s clean-up time you know.

Put the toys away for another day.

Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho

Keep repeating until the children are done.

Let’s board the clean-up train

Blow a train whistle so the children know that it is time to board the clean up train.  Start in an area that is hard to clean up like the block area or the dramatic play area.  Blow the whistle and start to sing.

Choo, Choo its time to board the clean up train

Chugga, Chugga, Choo, Choo

Have children form a line behind you and you go around and clean up the classroom together. This is a great one to start the year off with.  This way you can show the children where things go.

Clean-Up Inspector

When children are just about through cleaning up.  Put the inspector binoculars around your neck and carry the clean-up basket with you.  Go around the room and inspect different centers in the room.  Give positive feed back while going through the different areas.  "Inspector like the way all the blocks have been put on the shelves."  "Inspector see that we need to put some play food in the baskets."  Along the way when you find small items that did not get put away place them in your clean-up basket.  Bring your inspectors clean-up basket with you to group meeting and see if anyone wants to help the inspector find the proper home for the items in the basket.

Transition to Lining Up

Buzz Buzz Bumble Bee

Buzz, buzz bumblebees,

Flying all around.Stop stand still,

do not move around.

Shh, don’t make a sound. 

Buzz, buzz bumblebees

Catch them if you can.

Hurry up, in the jar

Before they sting your hand. 

Buzz, buzz bumblebees

Hold your jar real tight.

We will carry them outside

Then let them all take flight

Have children pretend to catch a buzzing bumble bee.

Drive, Drive, Drive 

Drive, drive, drive your car,

All around the town

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily

Up the hills and down. 

Click, click, click your seat belt

Buckle up before we go

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily

Off to town we’ll go 

Turn, turn, turn, the key

Make the engine roar.

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily

Let’s all go to the store. 

Press, press, press the pedal

Give the engine gas

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily

Now we’re going fast. 

Turn, turn, turn, the wheel

That is how we steer

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily

Make a turn right here. 

Push, push, push the brake

Make the car slow down

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily

Now we’re in town. 

Beep, beep, beep the horn

Now that we are here

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily

Let’s all give a cheer!

I have a pretend steering wheel with a bike horn attached to it.  I beep the horn and pretend to drive around the classroom picking up all the children for outside play.

Train on the Track 

Our line needs an Engine

And it needs a caboose

We keep our line straight

And we keep our line loose

No pushing, no shoving

Our hands by our sides

As we walk, walk, walk

In our train line.

Transition to Circle or Group Time

Wiggle Worms

Here are some worms who are, oh, so sad.

They’ve lost all the wiggles that they once had.

They wonder if you, just for today.

Would lend them your wiggles so they can play

Wiggle them up and wiggle them down (have the children wiggle arms up and down)

Wiggle your worms around and around (wiggle arms around in a circle)

Wiggle them high and wiggle them low (wiggle arms high and wiggle arms low)

Wiggle them fast and wiggle them slow (wiggle arms fast and wiggle arms slow)

Wiggle them over your shoes and your socks (wiggle finger over shoe, and wiggle finger onsock)

Then wiggle them back up to their box (then have children pretend to place their worm in abox on their lap)

Thank you for sharing your wiggles today.

You’ll get them back when it’s your time to play.

Now that your wiggles are all gone from you,

I’ll tell you just what we are going to do.

I’m Ready    tune:  I’m a Little Teapot

Use with a puppet as the children are getting ready to sit at circle. 

I’m a little helper, look at me,

I’m as busy as I can be.

I put away the toys as you can see,

I’m ready for the circle, look at me.

Puppets in Preschool

Little Mouse

Use with a finger puppet 

A little mouse (hold up right index finger and wiggle)

Lived quietly in his hole.

A little mouse (make a hole with left hand and stick the right finger in it)lived quietly in his hole.

When all was as quiet,

As quiet as could be-Sh! Sh! Sh!

Out popped he!  (pull out right finger and wiggle) 

You can make a bunny or a caterpillar.

Molly’s Mystery Bag?

Tune:  Mary Had a Little Lamb

Use with a puppet 

Molly has a mystery bag,

Mystery bag, mystery bag

.Molly  has a mystery bag,

I wonder what’s inside? 

She will give us all a clue,

All a clue, all a clue.

She will give us all a clue,

To help guess what’s inside. 

We will have to make a guess,

Make a guess, make a guess.

We will have to make a guess,

To find out what’s inside.