Shadow Writing (Cat in the Hat) Freebie

I can't wait for next week when we celebrate the birthday of none other than Dr. Seuss!
Thanks to many blogger friends, my kiddos will be doing some great learning activities and of course listening to books in his honor.  I created a shadow writing freebie for you to use.  Who couldn't use an easy, independent activity next week?  I will be assessing my students all week, so I know I need some easy, but meaningful activities for my students and they can always use handwriting/copying practice!

Please leave a comment if you will use this next week. It's fun for me to read them!

                                                                        Click Here

Abe Lincoln Writing (so cute!)



Abe Lincoln Writing

The Wildest Valentine I have ever been given!

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!  I had a super day of Valentine centers, stories, treats and songs.  My class behaved beautifully and I was very thankful for the group of parent helpers I had. Way too much chocolate was eaten by yours truly and I must say I was pretty hyper by the afternoon!

Each year I give my students a mylar red heart balloon with a little Valentine note attached.  I bring them into the classroom the day before and tape them to the tables for a decoration and then we tie them to their treat bags  before they go home.  They look so fun and make the room really look like a party!  The students are always so excited to take them home and I get lots of hugs for giving them such a special Valentine!  We LOVE them!

The kids had a great time doing some really fun and yes, academic Valentine activities.  Many of them I got from my wonderful blogging friends (Thank you! I'm just too tired to post them!)  Of all days, our Superintendent chose today to come by for a visit!  I was so proud that she saw the students having fun, but also working on math and language arts standards.  She especially loved seeing my students opening their valentines and then going to personally thank each classmate.  It is by far my favorite part of the day!  They are just so sweet,polite and genuine!

Okay....Here is the craziest Valentine I have ever been given by a Kindergartner:

WHAT????

Yes, he is an adorable little boy who was very proud to give me this doggy Valentine.  Do you think his parents looked at the card he chose?  Did they not understand it?  They are learning english as a second language, but come on the pictures are pretty universally inappropriate for a child to give a teacher.  I never laughed so hard!  Of course I had to show my kindergarten team and everyone in the front Office.  I will be saving this one for sure!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone and I hope you are filled with love from your students, family and friends! I know I am!

This Week In pictures and Links 2-6/2-10

Wow!  What a week I have been having!  So busy at school and at home, plus a computer virus and now I think I have a cold virus!  Anyway, I am finally posting this week's activities in my classroom. 
I am going to just let the pictures do the talking and I will add links to the people who have created some of the wonderful activities I am using.

By the way...thank goodness there is only one 100th Day of School!  It was fun, but everything took longer than I thought it would and I was rushing my poor kids to get through everything I had planned.

I love these numbers, but can't figure out where I got them (so sorry!)

                                             

 

                                                           From Julie Lee

                                                              Julie Lee

From Target (too small for some kids and very thin paper!)

                                                          

                                                               Julie Lee

From Katie Mense

Next year...less is more and definitely more fun!

On to this week...

    Golden Gang Kindergarten
                                  This is a new blog that I have found and you will LOVE it!

This came from her TpT store, but it is her blog I want you to see!

Sorry I can't seem to find where this one came from  Help???

                                        

Our Classroom Post Office

Our Family Valentines
We will be walking to a nearby mailbox to mail them.
I take a picture of each child mailing their Valentine.

                                                
                                     
                                            Doing these cuties next week...

                                                          Klassy Kinders  

New Shadow Writing Freebie for Valentine's Day

                                                                     Click Here
My students have enjoyed doing these "Shadow Writing" worksheets for handwriting and reading basic sight word sentences.  I thought one about the holiday of love would be cute!

Enjoy and please let me know if you use it!

This Week in Pictures and Links 1/30-2/3

Here are some of the Center activities my students are doing this week:

Stamping Short e words,  tracing them and reading them.
Stamps are from Lakeshore

Listening Center and a follow-up book from Mailbox a couple of years ago.  They glue the missing parts of the picture.  The book is about how a shadow is made.

Fluency Chart fromFran Kramer's Packet and review of vowel sounds (fluency) and sight words.  They love to beat the timer!

 

Building the short e puzzle from Starfall in a small group and labeling the picture with a word bank.

Our Heart Word book reading and then reading books with the Heart Word we.  I go over reading strategies with the group and then listen to individual students read.  I encourage using the strategies and ask comprehension questions.

A quick worksheet on building a sentence with the Heart word we
From MoffattGirls

Beginning Sounds review with objects and Bingo Marker worksheet
Mrs. Ricca's Kindergarten ( lots of great freebies!)

Building a sentence and recording it on a paper (not shown)
Katie Mense's 100th Day packet

iPad work:  the students took a turn at taking a "quiz" on the iPad on the sight words we have learned so far.  They loved it!

A great sight word review
Fran Kramer's Sight Word #1 packet

Heart Word People Art
Really Cute!

A great 3D shapes poem from
Lil Country Kindergarten

Sorting shapes from Mrs. Ricca

Lots of 3D shapes work and free exploration/building as well!

Phew!  That still takes me a long time to post!

I will add more to this post about our Groundhog work on Wednesday and adding a few more things that we will do, so check back later!

Please let me know if anything was helpful with a comment or a question!

Have a Super Week!

                                                               

Day 1 of "Partner For the Day" was sooo Fun!

My kids came in and took a sight word from my bucket.  They listened to me explain the rules and when I said "Partner It Up" they walked around on the rainblow rug and showed their card.  They took about 1 minute to find their partner and sit down "knee to knee and eye to eye".  They read and spelled the word to each other after saying good morning and sharing a bit about their weekend.  Then each partner team came up and put the words in the pocket chart.  They spelled and read the word and then the class echoed them. Lots of enthusiasm and participation!  Much more than when I ask them to spell!

Next, the students high-fived their partner and went back to their regular spot on the rug.  After centers, I asked the students to find their partner and line up at the recess door together.  I was so busy helping a student finish up and then putting the centers away, that I am not sure how they walked out the door.  I did see lots of smiles and friendly behavior.

After recess they came in and sat with their partner to share something fun they did at recess.  More talking and smiles!

At the end of the day they gave their partner a hug or a high-five! 

I hope tomorrow is as fun!  I wonder what they will do if they have the same partner...