Back to School Blog Hunt... it is Coming!!!

In March, I organized and hosted a St. Patrick's Day Blog Hunt.

Here is the original post and Pinterest account.

It was a HUGE hit and I *think* teachers enjoyed seeing themed ideas and freebies while discovering new blogs and bloggers. Well... we are doing it AGAIN for back to school! Each day in August a different blogger will be hosting a date and giving you a GREAT back to school idea or freebie. 

And it all starts... with Debbie Clement from Rainbows Within Reach.

{She ironically finished up the blog hunt last time!}

We will be providing you with a Pinterest page and Linky party to help you along the hunt.
*This Linky is only for those IN the blog hunt. All other links will be deleted. I am so sorry!

I can't wait to get this started! What a great school year it is going to be!!!

Freebie Frenzy

Head over to Kindergarten Lifestyle {here} to check out here freebie frenzy for 1,000 followers.

(I have an item in there too!)

I am heading to my classroom today to unload my summer purchases, laminate, and start to prep more for the beginning of the school year. I am not going to be able to work too hard, as my 3 year old is coming with me. (Can you say trash my classroom!?!)

I will be sure to post pictures of my classroom soon. 

It has to get worse before it gets better!

Are you personal children allowed to come to school on planning days with you?

(Tomorrow isn't a planning day, so I am letting mine come. 

She DOES NOT come with me on actual work day.)

My Snack Pack Games!

I got an idea for a FUN and yummy way to learn. I created 4 sets of games using these CUTE little Go-Pac! Snack Containers. Here is what you do.

 1. Go to the store and buy at least ONE of each of these snacks. (It is up to you whether you eat the snacks, but I am never one to let an Oreo go to waste!)

2. Go to TpT or TN to get these game packs. You can get them all separate or together. (I took off $2.00 for the whole set.)

3. Prep them and store parts in the containers.

4. Play the many games and versions with your class based on their skills and needs. They are super easy to differientiate with them and your kids will LOVE them. 

5. Use the the provided sorting mats (in black and white and color!) for an extra way to learn and have fun. I use it in centers. 

Now... here are the games!

TN or TpT

TN or TpT

TN or TpT

TN or TpT

Here are the Whole Pack links! On TN or TpT.

Okay, I *may* be over the food ideas for now... but never fear... I will be food obsessed again soon.

Which game set do you like the best?

This will most likely be my last addition for the summer. I go back to teaching this week and I have to prep all my summer creations. Are you a fan of cutting out lamination or not?

Dollar Days on Lesson Cloud

Check out these GREAT dollar items ($1 or $2 per item!) to get you ready for back to school.

I listed several items of mine listed! These items and so many more are $2 or less in my store!
ALL these prices are set today in case you wanted to buy early.

here

here

here

here

here

here

here

Here is the link to see EVERYTHING on sale and register to win a $75 dollar gift card to Really Good Stuff! (umm... WOO HOO! I need that myself.)

I hope this little sale helps you grab some great items for back to school! 

I can't wait to get a few items from others myself! 

What types of items are you looking for to help prepare you for back to school?

Library Labels

I have another food related game ideas for you guys, but after chatting with Caitlin from Kindergarten Smiles, I am going to work a little more on one of the games to make it outstanding for you. I know you won't mind holding tight until it is ready. I promise it will be yummy and fun! ( I always appreciate great feedback!)

While on vacation, someone asked me to create something for them. Jen said she LOVED my library labels for the Really Good Stuff bins. (Most of you got those for free from me this summer!)
BUT... she wanted me to create specific genre labels for units, subjects, authors, etc that also fit the same bins. (It was kinds on my to do list, but I was just going to create it as I went this year.) I loved the idea and since hubs insists on driving home from vacation himself, I had plenty of time to work in them.

Grab them here on TN or here on TpT.

I created 70 (ish) labels for tons of genre and topics. I also made matching sticker labels for the inside of the books. This way your students can match the exact picture to the label. I also included broad subjects like Math, Science, Unit, and a book ambulance for books in need of repair. 

My plan is to increase the labels in this pack as you guys request and I am inspired. I plan to make them priced at 10 cents a theme. (I thought that was fair.)

So far I have included...

back to school, apples, all about me, insects, colors, numbers, Eric Carle, Jan Brett, Laura Numeroff, David Shannon, Dr. Seuss, Lucille Colandro, Memorial Day, New Years, Veteran's Day, Father's Day, Mother's Day, Grandparents' Day, Labor Day, Graduation, Easter, St. Patrick's Day. Valentine's Day. Groundhog's Day, Presidents; Day, Christmas, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, Trick or Treat, Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer, Monsters, Nursery Rhymes, Farm, Plants, Zoo, Snowmen, Ocean, Food, Pets, maps, Lights and Shadows, Landforms, Space, Arctic Animals, Teddy Bears, Froggy, Native Americans, Scarecrows, Pirates, Transportation, Pumpkins, Christmas Around the World, Leaves, 5 senses, Nocturnal Animals, Reptiles and Amphibians, Fire Safety, ABC books, Community Helpers, gingerbread, Nuts and Squirrels, Rocks, 100 days, AND a Book Ambulance, Science, Unit, and Lost book main label sets

What specific labels should I add to this pack?

Guest Post, Ideas, and a FREEBIE!

 Hey ya'll~ I am guest blogging with Marsha on A Differentiated Kindergarten today!

(I am in a food mood... hungry for learning...and 

I have several more food related ideas for this week to come!)

Head over to Marsha's blog to read my post and come back here for the freebie!

Yesterday I showed you A Tisket A Tasket to make sets of numbers using Twizzlers Bites.
 but I have another licorice idea! (This one is a HUGE class favorite every year!)

You can use you paper or plates for your creations like I have in years past.
But, I also made a simple, versatile pack of letters and numbers on lined paper to use.
(These can be used with licorice, wiki sticks, play dough, etc.)

Grab it here on TN or here on TpT.

Here is a preview picture to show you what the cards look like.

As promised on Marsha's blog, here is your freebie file for making shapes using this idea!
This is a color version of the one my kids are using in the picture above. I also put it at a writing center and let my kids practice drawing shapes. It is hard for kinders to draw them too!

Grab it here.

These shapes and colors were made to match another freebie of mine here! 

(This one is NOT food related.)

I am not done with food yet! Come back tomorrow for a few more learning with food ideas!

Have you ever used pull and peel licorice in your classroom?

A Tisket A Tasket

(I am in a food mood... hungry for learning...and 

I have several more food related ideas for this week to come!)

My class usually starts off with the letter Ll the first week of school, so I LOVE to use licorice to learn. But... I kinda got carried away getting ready for my school year.

Here is my first food idea...

I made this activity... A Tisket A Tasket!

Grab it here on TN or here on TpT

I use Twizzlers Bites as my "apples" in my ten frame "baskets."

Since some students are ready to create numbers, I made one blank set.

But since some students are not ready to create numbers, I made a ten frame set with markers in them to model.

You can use these for about a million different things! Counters, math manipulatives, dry erase markers, calendar activities, or to display them on the wall. I will use them for food!

I am going to be using ten frames a lot this year with the Common Core rolling out. How about you?

Welcome Home and Techy LOVE!

My sweet little family is back from our Disney trip. Daddy had to work, but Mommy and S got to play! Here we are on S's favorite ride... "It's a Small World."

 

 (Yes, my child looks exactly like my hubs and nothing like me!)

 When I got home, I got a sweet package from Dr. Jean! WOW! AND a hand written card. Who does that BUT Dr. Jean! This gift made my day.

I am going to use this Make and Take Books to go with Dr. Jean's Juke Box Nursery Rhyme activity. Plus, with D5 I need all the books I can get. 

Lastly, today is my big day. I am presenting to my county "iPads and iPods in Education."

I am not a pro, but a technology lover. I am sharing what I know, what I have learned, and what I can tell you about iPads and iPods in my classroom. I get to do this presentation twice! Here is the link to my power point presentation. I refuse to type and read out a PPT to anyone. These are points I am going to hit and discuss along the way.

You can grab the google doc PPT here!

What do I need to explain more to you guys online who were not at the presentation to hear?

Making Maps

I love teaching my kinders all about maps and globes.
We have so much fun and learn a lot.
I made a digital and printable copy of my lesson plans!

 I teach this unit the 3rd (ish) week of school. The unit covers...

5 days of lesson plans for a Kindergarten class on Maps and Globes. (AND a lot of FUN!)
What is a Map?
What is on a Map?
What are Directions?
What is Bird’s Eye View?
How Can I Use Maps?

Here on TN.

Here on TpT.

This was one unit I have been trying and trying to get done all summer long! Now, I can check it off my list and hopefully you can too!

What is one week of lesson plans you HATE to plan for?

Target Dollar Spot FInds

Bring on the school supplies!  I found these items this week at my local Target in the Dollar section.

The fly swatters can in a 2 pack for $1. I got two sets to we can play some "slap jack" style games. I think we will do this during our daily 5 time when the students are working with my TA. For example, I could lay out some sight words and have them swap the word I say, or a word that begins with a /m/ sound, or a word that rhymes with bat, the idea is really endless!

I also think we can use the swatter part to trace for fly wings when we do insects. Maybe we can "swat paint" the wings? Hmmm.....

And my HUGE shock of the week was the color bins $2.50 each! WHAT! (I usually may about $7 a piece.) And they had all 6 colors. I can never find an orange and purple. Since I color code my tables and have one of each of these colors, I need these bins. (I almost stocked up and got 2 of each to make sure I was set.) I love the size of these these containers.

Thank you Target... I will gladly pay you $15 for all 6!

Alright... your turn! How else can I use the fly swatters?

FREEBIE ALERT

My goal this summer was to create a FREEBIE each week for you guys.
(Honestly, I have been creating more than just one freebie a week.)

This pack contains 30 compound word puzzles. This can be tough for Kinder kids, but I made the picture split with the word to really help kids out. 

You can also use this as a matching game or compound word wall.

I will also use this as a mini lesson in D5 for segmenting and looking for smaller words in bigger words.

This giveaway ended. You can purchase the pack here TN or here on TpT.

When do you teach or review compound words with your class?

Number Your Devices

I saw this picture on Pinterest 

(click here for my "i"ddiction to iPads Pinterest board)

Here is the link with lots of ideas and help with management.

  and loved the idea to number my devices for management.
But.. I needed to make it a little cuter! I can't use some for the awesome graphics because of copyright policies. So I made a file of colorful and BIG numbers with black backgrounds to match my covers. I added the PDF and individual pictures of each number 1-30 here along with directions on how to add the number to the background of each device. You may not have 30 devices, but I thought too many was better than too few.

 Grab it here for free on Google Docs.

These files will "appear" to have a white background, but they do not. Should I make a set with a white background as well? I hope you enjoy these! Download, unzip the file and all the pictures are in PDF and picture (png) format!



(Don't worry- I included downloading instructions!)

 Any other help you need for managing your iPads and iPods?

A New Toy!

I am preparing to give a teacher's perspective on using iPads and iPods in the classroom in a few weeks. (Don't worry- I will share all my ideas and handouts with you guys as well.) I discovered a new toy that I think is pretty awesome. In fact, it is on my "must have" list.  This little, portable device is called Apple TV. I will be using this for the first time during my presentation so I will let you know how it goes.

head here to see what apple says about this device

It allows your iPad 2, iPhone 4S, and such into the remotes so you can project your image onto your Promethean boards or TVs in school. Best yet, it is wireless!

I know many teachers are asking how to users their iPads with their boards and there are many ways. This is just one way... but this way allows the users and views more bang for their buck. (I would hate to spend $30 on an adapter when this is more, but wireless and has so many more options.)

I would love to use this to demonstrate apps to my class. I hope that one day I get one and I can list a whole bunch of other reasons to use it.

How could you or would you use this device in your school?
How do you project your Apple device if you do not have one of these Apple TVs?

Kindergarten Daily 5- Chapter 6

I think Word Work is ONE thing we ALL teach ALL the time. I feel like this is the easiest, most prepared of all the D5 to teach. I know some K teachers do not teach this as a section of D5, but completely separate. I think it must be taught and practiced separately (as you are building stamina) at least.

Although I use a ton of methods, I am too visual to type a bunch of stuff. I will post the pictures I can show you with here.

.Word Work allows time for:

1. Examples of experimenting with words for learning and practicing a spelling pattern

(Here is Pinterest Board on Word Familes here)

I teach a word family a week. I use this time to practice that pattern.

Here is an example of some projects I created and used during the -ig family week.

2. Memorize high frequency words 

(How often do you introduce new words? Do your students have their own lists of words that they can work on? How will you keep track of words that they already know)

(Here is Pinterest Board for Sight Words)

Here are some of my ideas...

 

This is the colorful and seasonal one we did for Valentine's Day.

 

 I took two packs of sight word magnet packs and mixed them up on a magnetic board.

I list sight words I want the class to find on the sheet (top corner) along with a class list. The students get to hunt for the sight words and match them to the list.

 

I also create a fun and easy sight word sort using a pocket chart and popsicle sticks.  This is great for words which students get words mixed up.

  

 

I posted this summer about how I keep track of sight words.

Here is that link.

3. Generalize spelling patterns

Once my team has our letter order, we make a word family list based on the letters they know. 

In the past we did Saxon- L, O, G- and our first family was the -og family.

I always start with Letters and phonics patterns.

Here is that Pinterest Board for Letters and Phonics.

Other things to think about:

 How will I store them?

 I store all my files by letter, pattern (word family), and phonics lessons.

I use them on weekly basis Monday- Friday.

Where will students work?

I will assign them to a seat or table for word work, but they can practice at their seat for seat work to build stamina. I also plan to use locations for work with pocket chart work or such activities. 

I also work hard to modify everything based on what they "get" and "don't get." I also create new games based on each groups likes, needs, and learning ways. Sometimes it is more games other times it is more writing- it is just for them.

Crystal is holding the linky party for this week on her site. Click here to head over.