Personally, I don't mind messy fingers. It's not something that bothers me at all as a teacher and it didn't bother me as a mom with my boys. As long as kids are engaged and learning, let them be messy. But I know I may not be the majority and when it comes to fingerprint activities, I may have an alternative that will make everyone happy. And so, let the great debate begin . . . messy fingerprints or tidy daubers . . . which teacher are you? Fingerprint Activities In The Classroom Of ... VIEW POST
Daubers or Fingerprints
Sight Word Fun With Bugs
I am still searching for engaging and meaningful ways to keep my students interested in practicing their sight words while at home. It's not easy, and I know their parents struggle. So I thought I would share and idea that is super inexpensive and so easy . . . At Home Sight Word Bugs. THE BEST IDEAS COME FROM PRESCHOOL At the beginning of my teaching career, I actually did a stint as a preschool teacher for about three years. The thing I love about preschool is that you can ... VIEW POST
Free Printable Spring Banner
Spring has finally sprung in Northern Michigan and to welcome it and bring some color to my hallway, I had my students create these bright, fun, and shapely bugs. While it was super simple, it also was a great way to reinforce shapes, practice scissor skills, and discuss symmetry. If you like this look, you can get the Free Printable Spring Banner to tie it all together. There's not much that you need to pull off a similar hallway of your own. Of course, Astrobrights papers are a must!!! ... VIEW POST
Let Your Kinder Garden Bloom With May Morning Work
Traditionally, April showers bring May flowers, right? Well, April snow showers this last weekend brought me an extra snow day and a day to finish up May Morning Work Stations. Yuck to the snow, but yeah for a day to prep morning work. I know that spring will come . . . eventually! And when it does, my 'Kinder Garden' will bloom with May Morning work. If you'd like a quick peek at the activities included in May's set of stations, just scroll down. I often get emails regarding the ... VIEW POST
May Fine Motor Morning Work Stations
While many of you may only have a few weeks of school left, my kinder friends will be with me until the second week of June so I am still toying with the idea of whether I will be adding another set of Fine Motor Morning Work Stations to my arsenal or whether I will maybe just let them pick their favorites and have them revisit them for the last 2 weeks of school. Until then though, it's May and time to change over stations for a new month of fine motor work. I'm working into the wee hours of ... VIEW POST
Going Buggy With Math Stations!
Things in Michigan are FINALLY starting to warm up. It reached a whopping 48 degrees today. Yeeehaww. My three sons (I know! Cheesy huh?) were so excited they had themselves out golfing in the yard this evening. There were only a few snow piles they had to avoid, but hey, every great golfer has to learn to avoid the hazard areas! As the weather outside starts to change, inside my class we've been talking about insects and working with some buggy word work and math stations. I ... VIEW POST