It's never an easy feat when starting out Daily 5 training in a kindergarten classroom. This year we were able to accomplish 15 minutes of 'read to self' and it only took us until the 5th week of school to get it done. Whew! If you're a Daily 5-er, you know that once you make that 'read to self' goal, it means that your kiddos are ready to do it for real during D5 rotations. They know the expectations, they understand the urgency . . . they just 'get it.' And so what do you do when you ... VIEW POST
Do You Have Stamina? We Do!
The KEY to making math stations fun!
Here is something I have learned about kindergarteners and kids in general . . . engaging them often means using real life objects in new and interesting ways. So when it was time to think about community helpers and math stations, I wanted something that was hands on and would hold my students' interest. (differentiate by readiness, learning profile or . . . INTEREST!) The key?. . . KEYS!!! Now I have a boat load of keys in my manipulative arsenal. Most are from my dad who was a ... VIEW POST
Mass Chaos . . .
It seems like a month since my last post, but I promise, I've been busy. There was the TpT sale. (Man, did I get some great stuff.) And with a great sale comes . . . printing, laminating and cutting. Man you don't know how much I hope there is some great parent amongst my kinder families this fall that is interested in helping out with some cutting.And I've finally, after several bouts of sick kids and repairmen, have gotten the chance to get into my room. It's not pretty ... VIEW POST
Fill Your Basket Blog Hop
My best blogging buddies from Freebielicious and I are having a little freebie blog hop just for our wonderful readers. I'm glad you've found your way through our little hop and hope you can use the little freebie I whipped up for all of you. I didn't want it to be something that you could ONLY use in the spring, so it's really not themed. I do thing, however, that your kiddos will find it FUN and you are going to love it because it's editable so you can easily tier and differentiate it ... VIEW POST
Differentiated Math Can Be SPOOKY FUN!
It's no secret I love to teach kinders math. Maybe it's because I feel like I can actually see kids loving math or maybe it's because it's just so darn fun. I love providing activities that can appeal to all the different intelligences in my classroom. It's a challenge and, admittably, I am not always successful . . . but when I am, I know it my the smiles, enthusiasm and laughter that is deafening (remember I have 26 kinders--it can get loud) during stations. While I ... VIEW POST
My week, balancing life as mom and teacher and a look ahead past Halloween
Unless you're been a teaching mom, you probably don't truly understand the 'balancing' act that we preform everyday. On one had we work tirelessly to create activities that instruct, educate and entertain the 26 little ones we are responsible for at school. I mean here is just a taste of what went on this week . . . You can click on this pic to find out more about these activities. and then at the end of the day, we go home to the little ones that depend on us there. ... VIEW POST
