Teachers are always contacting me and asking how to make activities more engaging and fun. Sensory tables are an easy way to accomplish differentiating by interest and learning profile. You can use all different kinds of colorful fillers with different textures and even smells. Throw an otherwise boring sorting activity into a sensory table or just a simple low-sided tote and you have a station that is instantly a classroom favorite. But thinking of new and interesting fillers ... VIEW POST
A Year Of Easy Sensory Table Fillers
17 Ways To Build Fine Motor Activities Into Your Curriculum
Some of our little ones come to our classes without ever having held a pencil, and suddenly, they are expected to show what they know and practice what we teach with grace and fluidity using a pencil. But those little muscles don't always have it in them to perform that way. It's why worksheets don't always belong in a kindergarten class. I know what you're thinking, 'But I have standards to meet and a curriculum to present. I don't have time to build fine motor ... VIEW POST
A New Spin On Morning Work and a Freebie to Get You Organized.
Morning Work! Yuck! Seriously . . . yuck! We feel like we need to have something for our kiddos to do while they file into our room haphazardly in the morning. Most of them are on time, but many are 5, 10 or 15 minutes or more late for class. I hate starting a new lesson without all of them there, so I have been forced to have SOMETHING for them to do for those first 20 minutes or so of the day. Morning Work! Blah! While I have no opposition to a daily activity sheet now and then ... VIEW POST
Sensory Tubs In Kindergarten
Sensory activities include any activity that stimulates a child’s senses: touch, smell, taste, movement, balance, sight and hearing. Sensory activities facilitate exploration and naturally encourage children to use scientific processes while they play, create, investigate and explore. But activities found in Sensory Tubs are also perfect for practicing essential skills. Let me show you what I mean. Where Have All The Sensory Tubs Gone? I recently conducted a poll on Facebook, specifically ... VIEW POST
The Editable, Incredible Sight Word Mastery System-Ball Words (and a Freebie)
It has been the number one, most asked request from my readers, and finally, I took the time to get it done for you! I present . . .The Editable . . . Incredible . . . Ball Word Sight Word Mastery System! That’s right folks! I said “EDITABLE.” Now not only can you get your students motivated and engaged mastering their sight words, but you can customize the balls to fit your needs, your word lists and your school's requirements. I'm so excited to share these with you, a little ... VIEW POST
Organizing Daily 5 Literacy Stations in Kindergarten and …a freebie for you.
Daily 5 Literacy Stations!!!! Holy email, you all have a ton of questions, and while I’d love to claim that I’m an expert, I can really only tell you how this works in my own classroom. As some of you know, I do a form of Daily 5 . . . We call it Daily 6 in my classroom. Even though six stations are going on in a given day, students only travel to three in a given day for 20 minutes each. So it looks like this on paper (no this isn’t my lesson plan but it is a good visual – I’ll ... VIEW POST