My Week in photos and Links

These are the stations that my students will be going to this week.  They will do all of these activities in small groups of 4-5.  They do only 2 stations per day.  Thank you to all of the amazing teachers who have shared and created so many great activities!

I found this on Pinterest The words that have hearts are our "Heart Words" that we have already learned.

The Listening Center and then on to Our Gingerbread Glyph

(from my good friend Suzie)

I do mixed centers that students must go to during the week. They may focus on math or reading or art.  I do a variety of activies in one station. Here are the stations with a math focus:

Our adopted Math Program (Scott Foresman) The students will use counters to fill in the tens frame and then write the numbers.  The other side has counting and writing (I forgot to take a picture)

Next students will cut and glue the Gingerbread Friends onto a sentence strip to make a headband.

This is a freebie I gave in a previous post.

This is from Donna Glynn.  Click Here To Go To Her TpT Store

 A great tens frame game from Learning With Mrs. Parker 

An adorable and free tens frame activity

Livelovelaughkindergarten

Journal Writing in our Starfall Journals using our dictionaries

In my reading group the students practice letter and sounds fluency

Get these forms from Julie Lee

Students review our "Heart Words" with these blue cards from Lakeshore.

Then we read this book 3 times and the students circle the Heart Words on the 3rd reading and then put them in their book bags. 

These are from The Short Books

Next the students practice the new words with this great game from

Fran Kramer's TpT store

Then on to this page from The MoffattGirls 

A final station begins with phonemic awareness practice from

SuperDuperInc. The kids love this!

Then they practice beginning sounds with this great activity from Lakeshore and also do a simple worksheet about beginning sounds.

Then they will do "Talk Buttons" where I recorded 3 words into the button and they will draw the 2 that begin with the same sound.  This was a freebie from a great blogger, but I can't find where and there is no name on the form.  Here is the document.  Please let me know if it is from you!

Talk Buttons from Mrs. Will's Kindergarten

I hope you have enjoyed seeing my stations this week.  I will be reading several versions of The Gingerbread Man and he will begin his world tour (please see previous posts)

It is going to be a fun week in my class!  If you liked this post, please leave me a comment. That will help me to know if I should continue to post like this.  It is fun!

Have A Great Week!

More Gingerbread Man Fun!

I am getting ready for my Gingerbread Man's World Tour that begins this week!  I have written the first letter that he leaves telling about his trip and then the letter from Mexico.

Here is a new book I got at B&N books.  It is really fun!



I also love playing Pass The Hot Cookie! This game comes with an inflatable Gingerbread Man, but you could easily play with a plush GMan that you own.  The CD plays Christmas music and it stops and pauses on it's own.  You could also play your own music and pause it!  Last year I had the students go to their seats when they were out and then they got to eat a small Gingerbread Cookie.  That way, they weren't sad to be "out!" The final winner got a small Gingerbread Man prize.  This is a great party game!  I picked up mine at our local party store.


Last night at Target I scored this awesome book!  It was in a shopping cart full of items that needed to be returned to the shelves.  I couldn't believe my luck!  The first country that my Gingerbread Man will visit on his world tour is Mexico!  This book will be in the envelope for the kids to see.  I may even ask my dear friend who teaches first grade to come and read it since I do not read/speak spanish.
I am getting really excited about this unit!

All of these items are available from Amazon too!

Gingerbread Man World Tour Freebie

Where In The World Is The Gingerbread Man?

Next week I will introduce my class to The Gingerbread Man by reading the story and showing them an adorable plush Gingerbread Man.  The next day when they come to school he will be gone, but will leave a note saying that he is off on a world tour!  He will visit 7 countries before returning to America and joining in our "Welcome Back Gingerbread Man" party!  He will send a postcard and a project or something special from each place he visits. We chose most of the countries based on the families we have in my class and my PM partner's class. Most of the projects will be based on some type of holiday that is celebrated in the winter.

I have created a map of his travels so the kinders can keep track of where he has gone.  They will draw a line from the country's name to the Gingerbread Man's picture. If this sounds like fun and will fit into your lesson plans, click on the picture for a freebie!  If you will be visiting different countries, just let me know and I can send you a modified map.  Please leave me a comment if you download this!

An adorable new blog I found!

Yes, I was looking at blogs the night before Thanksgiving (I am not cooking tomorrow) and I found this very new blog.  I love the quality of her freebies (color words bookmarks and a money/coins book) and can tell she is a great teacher. I hope you will go and visit her and follow her blog. I have only been blogging myself for a couple of weeks and I have learned so much!  I am looking forward to learning from Jenna Bailey!Visit and follow a new blog!

You Are The Sunshine of My Life!

Thank you for my very first award as a blogger! Both Fran from Kindergarten Crayons  and  Chrissy from   Read Write Sing sent me some sunshine and I am very warmed by this honor!

• Favorite color?   Blue
• Favorite animal?  Dogs!!!!
• Favorite number?  3 (The Holy Trinity and my favorite people:My husband, My Son and My Daughter)
• Favorite drink?  Ice cold diet Pepsi
• Facebook or Twitter?  Facebook so I can check-in on my son and my HS friends
• Passion? Reading, Teaching, God,  Camping and Now Blogging! (no particular order!)
• Giving or getting presents? Giving For Sure!
• Favorite day?  Friday!  I never cook or clean and we always go out to eat!
• Favorite flower?  I love wild mustard growing o the hillsides and Sunflowers!

I am sending on the sunshine to the following blogs that I follow:

Rules for accepting this award:

1. Thank the person who gave this award and write a post!

2. Answer the questions.

3. Pass the award to 10-12 fabulous bloggers, link their blogs, and let them know!

Kim and Megan at KinderGals
Krissy at Kindergarten Monkey Business
Mrs. Conley at Love for Kindergarten
B. Roper at Really Roper
Pam at Can Do Kinders
Carisa at 1+1+1
Allison at Climbing the Monkey Bars

There are so many more that I could mention (who haven't already gotten this), but truthfully this takes me sooo long since I am still a bit techy /blogger challenged! I am going to stop here!

Ever Thankful!

Joining in on the "Thankful" fun!




1.What are you thankful for in your classroom?
I am thankful for so many things!  My 25 beautiful students and their families, my large and colorful classroom, student bathrooms in my room, my new K teaching partner (Kate), my new calendar wall, a window to the outside and doors that link into my K teammate's rooms, just to name a few!
2. What person are you most thankful for?
Again, so many, but right now I am very thankful to my 9 year old daughter, Delaney for being patient with my new blogging obsession and for her inviting me to dance battle her in Dance Central so I can get some excercise!
3. What 3 blogs are you most thankful for?

4. What guilty pleasure are you most thankful for?
Chocolate!!!! Need I say more?
5. What are you most thankful for?
My God, my family, teaching kindergarten and my health!

Gingerfriends 11-20 freebie

Here is a simple cut and paste numerals in order worksheet. I am planning on cutting strips for the students to glue them on or a headband would be fun! Enjoy!
grab it here Please leave a comment if you download it.  I am just learning how to make documents!
If you need  1-10  Here is 11-15

A Thankful Song Book

Just a couple of photos of the adorable Thanksgiving song book we made from Fran Kramer's Turkey Leftovers pack. Kindergarten Crayons It was a calm activity on a busy day!

My students and I sang the song in the pocket chart all week and then made the book yesterday.  They cut, pasted and colored (and hopefully read) this great book.  They really liked tracing the color words in the back!  Thank you Fran!

We had a great time making the Thanksgiving Bead bracelet from Dr. Jean  as well! Dr. Jean's Thansgiving Bead bracelet  Our Big Buddies came and made one too!  Then we took photos together under the Fall tree in our classroom. So  precious!

I made a  Smilebox slideshow and sent it out last night. ( I can't post it sorry!)  I know the families will love it!

Thank you to all of the Great Bloggers who have given me such wonderful activities and ideas!

So much to be thankful for!

Today I will celebrate Thanksgiving with my kindergarten class since tomorrow is a parent-teacher conference day.  In my class we read several versions of The Little Red Hen and we talk about how the children help thier families with chores.  They also have a great sense of what is fair and are just fine with the fact that the animals who say "Not I!" don't get to share the bread in the end of the story.  Of course there are a few who would share with them anyway and I truly believe they would.  So sweet and generous some little kiddos are! We sequenced the story with a worksheet that I have used for years.  They do a great job and I saw some of their best coloring!  Today we will bake pumpkin muffins as a class.  One of my wonderful parent volunteers will be in to help and of course all of the children will get a turn to mix and help with the cooking.  I move the tables into one long row and cover them with paper and a sprinkling of fall leaves and turkeys.  They each painted a turkey placemat too!  I will have the students sit at the table and take a turn around the table saying that they are thankful for the person sitting next to them.  We will then enjoy our muffins and juice.  It will be a fun day!

Earlier in the day we will be with our Big Buddies and we will do the bead bracelet from Dr. Jean that Fran Kramer mentioned.  I am really excited to do this with them and then I will take photos of the Buddies for an "I'm thankful for my Buddy" page in our memory book.

So... Here is a list of some of the things I am thankful for today:

*My 25 beautiful kindergarten children and their families
*My super school staff and kindergarten team
*My wonderful blogging friends and followers
*My Buddy class and their teacher who is a long time friend
*My health and energy so I can do this wonderful job!
*My family who supports me and is patient as I spend so much time on my passion.
*My God who gave me the gift and desire for working with children and their families

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with all of your students and families!

What do you do for Holiday gifts in your class?

It is time for me to make some decisions about what my students will be making their families for Christmas and I thought I could find out some new ideas here.  I have several past favorites, but I am open to try something new.  I am sure to see some fun things on Pinterest too.  If you have a fun project that your students have made please comment and share. 


In the past, my students have made Gingerbread Man potholders, small banners with snowman paintings, a holiday throw pillow, wreath ornaments with photos.  All of these require parent help, but are mostly done by the students.


Also, do you a fun gift to give your parent volunteers? Last year I gave them peppermint handsoap in a pump. I wrapped it in cellophane with candycanes and peppermints. I have also done baked goods and $5 gift cards for coffee or frozen yogurt. What do you do?

Fun Teen Numbers book and song

Great Number book and video on teens from Really Roper's blog:

Do You Know Backpack Bear from Starfall.com?

Starfall Kindergarten Curriculum link

This is BackPack Bear from Starfall.com. He is part of the Kindergarten Curriculum and he is adorable!  Each day Backpack Bear whispers a messsage to me and I write it for him.  Then it goes into his backpack for the Helper of the Day to remove.  I read the note to the class and the kids love it!  Sometimes he tells us something to do or he even leaves picture cards, games or books for us to use. The Helper sits in the Helper Bear chair and takes Backpack Bear wherever he/she goes.  It is a favorite part of the Morning Opening routines. You can purchase Backpack Bear on the Starfall site!

Leaf Freebie

Here is the "My Favorite Leaf" worksheet I made for my students.  They chose a favorite leaf and we stapled it to the form.  I used my doc camera to help the students complete the form.  Nothing too fancy, but I thought it encouraged good vocabulary as they described their leaf. Enjoy!
Leaf Freebie

You are all so Sweet!

I just wanted to say a heartfelt "thank you" to everyone who has looked at and joined my blog today!  I am overwhelmed by the wonderfully supportive comments and the encouragement being shared. You are all truly a great group of Blogging Buddies and I am excited to join in the fun!  Thank you again to Fran Kramer of Kindergarten Crayons for the wonderfully sweet introduction.  I have had so much fun checking on my site to see the numbers going up! (Ok and a little scared too!)

Here is a photo of our trees after I cut them out and hung them up. I also have a photo of a worksheet I created after I took my class on a Fall Walk.  They collected a bag of leaves and then chose a favorite to describe.  I am working on how to post it on Google Docs (yes I am that new!) and I will have my first "freebie".  For now, here is the photo!

Fall Sight Word Trees

These Fall Sight Word trees will soon be hanging up in my room! I will cut around them too which looks even better! 

Totally Fun Pattern Centers!

Great Leaf Pattern Mats
Leaf pattern mats

Bear Patterns

Water Bottle Lids With Dot Stickers and Bingo Markers

Awesome Pattern Book from Kindergarten Crayons



Fall Patterns by Donna Glynn
Fall pattern worksheet




Cube Patterns
Cube pattern cards

 Thanks to some great ideas from some of my favorite Bloggers, my students had a blast creating patterns in our Pattern Centers this week. They are really getting the idea of patterns and naming them "ABA, AAB, ABC etc..."  Most years this is very hard, but not this year! Here are some photos and I am going to do my best to give credit to the creator of the worksheet.  Please forgive me if I make a mistake and please let me know.
We also did this great Fall Pattern Book by Fran Kramer. It took a bit longer with all of the cutting and pasting, but it was worth it!  Pattern cut and paste book

Pattern Centers

This week is a short week for us. Just 3 days of school for my students, so we are skipping our regular center time and doing "Pattern Centers".  Yesterday the kids did a fantastic job creating patterns and recording them in a variety of ways. Today they will go to the centers again and make new patterns. I will take pics today and try posting them tonight!  I used some of the pattern ideas from my favorite Bloggers, so I will try hard to give them credit and link back to their site. 

We are also making a Fall Sight Word Tree and I will post them as well.  Time to get ready for school...