Monday, October 29, 2012

T- time... and a little book!

These came out so ADORABLE!  The kids were cracking up when they were making them too!  Thanks again to From the Hive for this great idea.  You can do the same with white pop-cubes or mini-marshmallows.

I'm also attaching a super simple little book that will help the children learn to read and write the sight word "see".  Enjoy!



Sunday, October 28, 2012

Time for T!

We are starting a new unit in our reading series-  which means new letters and new words.

Thanks Mrs. B for already finding a super cute letter video to share with our little learners...  take a look at what she found on Pinterest...


Another one... a bit strange, but will be memorable for the kids!


Cookie Monster is so stinkin' cute! I love him!


T is for teeth...  meet Tebo the Tooth!



To extend the connection of the letter T to our real teeth, here are some activities to include during your centers... Thanks From the Hive for sharing.

Drop by tomorrow to see the other activities we did to learn the letter T!


Monday, October 8, 2012

Monday's Must Have... introducing a new letter!

Oh my goodness, we have been working on the letters A and M for soooooo long.  I'm so glad we are ready to move on to the letter S!

Today I did a lot of tactile activities to introduce the letter S.  My goal is to have the children remember the name and shape of the letter and connect it to something meaningful and memorable.

One of my boys showed everyone in his group how to transfer a stamp on your hand to your forehead...  I had 6 children with forehead stamps.   I hope the ink washes out!

It's important to connect these activities to real reading and writing.  I like to follow each tactile/physical activity with either a read-aloud that supports the letter we are working on or a written response.  Take the time to make these fun and cutesy activities meaningful for reading and writing and not just random tasks!

Of course every new letter should be introduced with a fun video or song...  here are some superb suggestions for the letter S!


This one is Mrs. Plummer's favorite...  hehehe, she always hears the best videos during her lunch break!




The video pod-casts created by Hooked on Phonics are great!  They are available on YouTube and on iTunes...  totally free!



I love Sesame Street!  I am so glad we have access to them now.  What did we ever do before YouTube?






Sunday, October 7, 2012

And the winner is...


I was a bit nervous about drawing a name for my first giveaway, so I had the beautiful Bijou help me.


She got a bit carried away after awhile...






She's so silly!  

Check back soon for my next giveaway!  I have more Jack Hartmann goodies to share!







Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Tuesday's Teacher Talk... Mrs. Dapcic!



What is your teaching background?
I taught second grade and pre-k in Chicago, Illinois. I have been teaching kindergarten inclusion at Richey Elementary for seven years.



              Where do you get your best ideas for teaching and learning?
I get my best ideas from my wonderful colleagues and friends, research based books, and Pinterest of course! I learn from my students everyday and they motivate me to think outside of the box. Everything I do and plan is for them, and I want it all to be meaningful.

What are some of your favorite organization strategies?
I love binders! I have an organizational binder for every subject, assessments, and just general “teacher stuff”. Even my students have their own organizational binders. I also like to keep my classroom organized by using lots of bins. Everything has it’s place and the students know how to help maintain our organized environment.



What do you do in your time away from school?
In my time away from school, I love to spend time with my family and friends. I enjoy making bows and crafts from Pinterest. I also love to bake cupcakes with my best friend Miss Cabral! I love to read books about teaching reading and of course some gossip magazines too!  I am always on the Internet looking up centers and lessons ideas for my classroom. I also like to update my classroom blog to keep my students’ families informed of the wonderful things their children are doing.


What are the must-haves in your classroom?
*Binders
*LOTS of books in my classroom library
*Labels on EVERYTHING
*Glitter
*Chocolate

Time for bragging!  Monika and I had the pleasure of attending the IRA conference a few years ago...  look who we got to meet!  



YES, that is Regie Routman's business card!!!  I think our excitement was making her a "bit" uncomfortable....  but she was so gracious to talk with us!  What an amazing speaker and writing teacher she is!  


Monday, October 1, 2012

Monday Must Have... Jack Hartmann Giveaway!

Time for my very first giveaway!  

Kindergarten teachers, how much do you love Jack Hartmann's music?!  Show your love by checking out his music and DVDs on the Hop 2 It Music website or Facebook page.  Your task-  leave me a comment letting me know that you paid a visit to either his website or Facebook page.    Please include your email with your comment!  

I will be drawing a name on Sunday, October 7.  

The giveaway is one of my favorite CDs...  Shake, Rattle and Read along with a poster sized ABC chart.


Good luck!  

Here are some extra goodies from Mr. Hartmann's YouTube channel!