Community Heroes: Learning About Community Helpers in Kindergarten!

May 4, 2024May 5, 2024 NicoleLeave a comment

In our bustling kindergarten classroom, every week is an adventure, but this week was particularly special as we dove into the fascinating world of community helpers. It was a week filled with exploration, discovery, and plenty of hands-on activities that brought our learning to life.

Monday: Setting the Stage for Exploration We kicked off the week by immersing ourselves in books about community helpers, sparking our curiosity about the different roles people play in our community. Our classroom was transformed into a hub of exploration, with various stations set up to engage our young minds. One of the highlights was our sensory table, filled with baby farm animals like pigs and chicks, setting the stage for the special guests we were expecting later in the week.

Monday brought our usual weekly directed drawing. This week, we have been learning about the digraph ch, so we drew some baby chicks.

We had our usual letter bump game set up with some wooden letter to match with, but this week, we switched it out for a community helpers theme.

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Tuesday: A Surprise Discovery Tuesday brought an unexpected surprise when a bird’s nest fell from a tree on school grounds. We brought the nest into our classroom, and it became a focal point at our science center, sparking discussions about the wonders of nature and the importance of caring for our environment.

Wednesday: A Visit from Science World Mid-week, we were thrilled to welcome a special guest from Science World, who shared with us the wonders of science through engaging experiments. From the excitement of bubbling potions to the awe of watching colors mix and change, our classroom was abuzz with the joy of discovery.

Thursday: Baby Chicks and Crafting Fun Thursday brought another exciting visit, this time from a friend’s mom who brought along some adorable baby chicks. It was a hands-on experience that not only delighted us but also taught us about the care and responsibility involved in looking after animals.

We also honed our fine motor skills with a fun community helpers craft project, where we explored different professions and what they entail. Students were encouraged to pick from the different community helpers projects and there was so much conversation centered around the different professions and what students wanted to be when they grew up.

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Friday: Fostering Friendships and Fitness As the week drew to a close, we continued our regular Friday routines, including Fitness Friday with our big buddies and Forest Friday with the other kindergarten classroom. These activities not only kept us active and healthy but also allowed us to build friendships and connections across classrooms.

Throughout the week, we also focused on developing our writing skills, with one friend inspiring us with a special show-and-tell item called “Rainbow Friends.” This led to some beautiful personal writing pieces that showcased our creativity and growing literacy skills.

As we bid farewell to our week of exploring community helpers, we’re filled with gratitude for the experiences shared and the lessons learned. Each activity was not just a lesson but a doorway to a deeper understanding of the world around us and the people who make our community a better place. Here’s to many more weeks of discovery and learning ahead!

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Kindergarten Green Thumbs: Exploring Growing Things!

April 27, 2024April 28, 2024 NicoleLeave a comment

Over the past two weeks, our classroom has been abuzz with excitement as we delved into the fascinating world of Growing Things and celebrated Earth Day. It’s been a joy to see the children’s curiosity and creativity flourish during this time.

Sensory Bin Fun:
We kicked off the first week with our sensory bins. Last week, we had colored popcorn for a science experiment, and this week, we repurposed the colored popcorn as a base for our flower-themed sensory bin. The children loved digging through the popcorn and pretending to plant flowers.

We had a beautiful growing things alphabet bump to play and explore with, matching the corresponding letters to the letters on the page. I love this activity as so many students gravitate towards it in spare moments during the day giving them some extra letter practice without them even knowing it.

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Color Mixing:
Due to a freezer mishap last week, we had some leftover colored ice cubes. Instead of letting them go to waste, we used them for a fun color mixing activity on Monday morning. The children were fascinated by how the colors blended together to create new ones.

Letter Z:
This week, we’re exploring the letter Z. We read the story “Hello Zebra” and talked about all the different ways we could color our zebras for our weekly drawing project. Some students chose to stick with traditional colors, while others got creative with wild and wacky color schemes.

Friday was a day filled with fun and learning as we celebrated Earth Day with a variety of engaging stations organized by our fantastic PAC parents. The children had a blast exploring and participating in the different activities, all centered around the theme of environmental awareness and conservation.

One of the highlights of the day was the obstacle course, where the children had the opportunity to navigate through various challenges that taught them about the importance of overcoming obstacles in our efforts to protect the Earth.

Another exciting station was the salmon talks, where the children learned about the life cycle of salmon and the importance of protecting their habitat. This hands-on experience helped deepen their understanding of the interconnectedness of all living things.

The bridge painting station allowed the children to express their creativity while also learning about the significance of bridges in connecting communities and preserving natural habitats.

The recycling games were not only fun but also educational, teaching the children about the importance of recycling and how it can help reduce waste and protect the environment.

Overall, the Earth Day stations were a huge success, thanks to the dedication and hard work of our PAC parents. It was a day filled with learning, laughter, and appreciation for the planet we call home.

Our second week was dedicated to all things related to growth and plants. We set up a sensory tub filled with various materials related to plants and growth, sparking the children’s interest and imagination. To reinforce our learning, we introduced the alphabet growing things bump game, which added an element of fun and learning to our activities.

“Foxy and Friends” continued to be a favorite among the children, providing them with opportunities for play and exploration.

The seeds provocation table was a hit, with plenty of books about plants and growing cycles to inspire our young minds.

On Monday, we kicked off the week by reading “My Friend Earth.” This beautiful story led to a meaningful discussion about how we can all contribute to taking care of our planet. To demonstrate their understanding, the children created scenes out of playdough, illustrating one way they could help the Earth.

One of the highlights of the week was our directed drawing of the Earth. The children followed a video tutorial, and the results were truly impressive. You can watch the video we followed [here](insert link). We also took a break from our usual routine and enjoyed a change of pace with a fun video.

The day ended on a heartwarming note as each student took a tree home to take home. It was a beautiful way to symbolize our commitment to caring for the Earth and watching it grow, much like the seeds we were learning about.

Despite some interruptions due to our class photo day on Tuesday, we continued our exploration of seeds. We read “The Tiny Seed,” a classic tale that captivated the children’s imagination and taught them about the life cycle of a plant. We finished this off with planting our very own seeds to see what we can grow.

The highlight of the week was creating greenhouses with bean seeds. The children were actively involved in brainstorming all the things their tiny seeds would need to grow, fostering a sense of responsibility and care.

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In our writing lessons with “Froggy,” we continued to emphasize the importance of adding a problem and solution to our imaginative stories. It’s been wonderful to see the children’s storytelling skills develop and evolve over the weeks.

We can’t learn about growing things without opening up the flower shop dramatic center. A fun way to explore plants and their uses and to expand our imaginations.

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We finished the week with a beautiful Earth Day craft. We used Q Tips to carefully dot paint the land areas in green and the oceans in blue. We then cut them out and glued them onto black paper, and added star sequins to finish them off!

As we wrap up our two weeks of Growing Things and Earth Day festivities, we’re filled with gratitude for the opportunity to learn and grow together. We look forward to seeing the seeds of knowledge we’ve planted continue to grow in the hearts and minds of our young learners.

Colorful Creations: Exploring Rainbows Activities in Kindergarten!

April 12, 2024April 14, 2024 NicoleLeave a comment

This week in Kindergarten was a colorful and vibrant celebration of rainbows! Our classroom was transformed into a rainbow wonderland, with rainbow activities and materials that sparkled with all the colors of the rainbow.

At the science table, we died popcorn to use in our sensory table next week. We had a great time watching the popcorn over the day to see if it changed color. The students had great time shaking it and exploring it, a great little way to incorporate some science learning into your day. Helpful hint: use lids that seal properly if you are giving students the freedom to look and explore with it.

The literacy table featured Rainbow Bump, a game that combined literacy skills with a rainbow theme. The math table also had Rainbow Bump, providing a fun and engaging way for the children to practice their alphabet skills while exploring the colors of the rainbow.

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One of the highlights of the week was planting the fairy garden with flowers. We are so excited to watch it grow over the coming weeks!

The sensory table was a big hit, filled with rainbow orb beads that shimmered and sparkled as the children played and explored. It was a wonderful sensory experience that engaged their senses and sparked their imagination.

We started the week with our usual introduction to the letter Q, brainstorming words that start with Q. This led to a fun and creative directed drawing of a quail for the letter q. The children showed great enthusiasm and creativity as they brought their quails to life on paper.

The week started with a “The world Made a Rainbow” read aloud. A great way to introduce the colors of the rainbow and to reinforce that rainstorms eventually come to an end.

Our rainbow week in Kindergarten continued to be a colorful and exciting adventure, filled with creativity and learning. We delved deeper into our Froggy books, exploring the elements of a story and learning about problems and resolutions.

We started to talk about how every story has a problem and a resolution, and we practiced putting a problem and resolution into our own stories. It was amazing to see the children’s creativity shine as they came up with their own storylines and solutions through story workshop.

On Wednesday, we had a blast making beautiful water color rainbows. This art activity was a fun exploration into different art mediums, and the children were thrilled to see the vibrant colors come to life on their paper. It was a great way to incorporate our rainbow theme into our art lesson and allow the children to express their creativity.

Throughout the week, the children continued to explore and play with all the rainbow-themed activities in our classroom. The color mixing station at the science table was a popular spot, as was the sensory table with its rainbow orb beads. The literacy and math tables with Rainbow Bump remained favorite activities, providing a fun and educational way for the children to practice their skills.

We also kicked off our Jump Rope for Heart this week with our first assembly and we are so excited to practice our skipping skills before our big event in May!

Overall, it was a week filled with creativity, learning, and fun. The children were fully engaged in all the activities and showed great enthusiasm for exploring the colors of the rainbow. I’m so proud of all their hard work and creativity, and I can’t wait to see what other adventures await us as we continue to explore and learn in Kindergarten!

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Easter Egg-stravaganza: A Week of Fun and Learning in Kindergarten

April 7, 2024April 7, 2024 NicoleLeave a comment

After a relaxing Easter Monday and a two-week break, we jumped right back into learning and fun in kindergarten! Tuesday was our first day back, and the room was set up for exploration and play, welcoming the children with Easter-themed activities with an emphasis on Easter math activities.

Our sensory table was a hit, filled straw and little bunnies and eggs. It was a sensory delight for the children, sparking their curiosity and imagination.

For added excitement, we added another sensory table filled with wheat and little mini carrots and bunnies.

We also introduced some new Easter games at the various tables. The Easter bunny alphabet bump was a hit, helping the children reinforce their alphabet recognition skills in a fun and engaging way.

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At the math table, we had the Easter Bunny Tower & Tumble game, which was a fantastic way to incorporate math skills into our Easter theme. The children had a blast playing and learning at the same time.

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Our day started with our usual routines, including our letter introduction and sharing time. I’ve recently added daily sharing time to our schedule to emphasize oral language development. It’s been wonderful to see the children sharing stories and connecting with each other through their shared experiences.

Our Easter week in Kindergarten continued with our weekly directed drawing, and this time, it was all about drawing Easter bunnies! The children showed their creativity and artistic skills as they brought these adorable bunnies to life on paper.

Tuesday brought a bit of a change to our routine, as we have gym in the middle of the block between recess and lunch. Despite the disruption, our art lesson was still enjoyable and creative. The children embraced the opportunity to get active and burn off some energy in gym class, and they returned to the classroom ready to dive back into their artistic creations.

Our Easter week in Kindergarten was filled with creativity and learning as we dove into our imaginary writing unit. On Tuesday, we began exploring the concept of made-up stories using the beloved Froggy books. We read “Froggy Goes to Hawaii” and discussed the elements of a story, including the setting. The children were excited to start creating their own imaginary stories, and their imaginations ran wild as they began to craft their tales.

Wednesday brought more writing adventures as we practiced printing the letter Y and made Easter baskets to take our Easter eggs home in. We also revisited our friends of 10 skills with an Easter Bunny-themed game, adding a fun twist to our math practice. The highlight of the day was dyeing Easter eggs, which not only brought joy but also provided a hands-on exploration into color mixing and color play.

In addition to our writing and math activities, Wednesday is always big buddy day, and we had a blast learning a new game with our big buddies. The Easter Tower & Tumble game was a hit, challenging the children to practice their subitizing skills and continue to work on number recognition. It was a great way to differentiate instruction easily as it has game boards for the number 0-2 and 0-6 and everything in between as well as numbers in every format to practice number recognition skills though math games!

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Thursday was all about our letter craft for the week, and we created a yak for the letter Y. The children showed off their creativity and fine motor skills as they cut and glued to create their yaks.

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Our Easter week in Kindergarten ended on a high note with a fun and creative exploration into math problem solving through the use of real world problems. We started on Wednesday with learning the song “5 Little Ducks” and then we each got 5 little ducks and practiced figuring out the different combinations of 5. Thursday we moved onto “5 Green and Speckled Frogs” and worked on combinations of frogs on the log and frogs in the water. Finally we ended the week with “5 Little Dinosaurs” and worked on combinations of Dinosaurs and Dinosaur eggs (pom poms).

After all our math adventures in Kindergarten, we ended the week with our usual Forest Friday time, but our lovely PAC parents organized an Easter Egg hunt for the entire school. It was a beautiful day, perfect for exploring the outdoors and looking for Easter eggs.

Overall, it was a week filled with creativity, learning, and Easter math fun. I’m so proud of all the hard work and creativity the children displayed, and I can’t wait to see what other adventures await us in Kindergarten!

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Diving into Wonder: Kindergarten’s Water Inquiry Week Aquatic Adventure!

March 20, 2024March 20, 2024 NicoleLeave a comment

Water Cycle Week in our kindergarten classroom was an exciting and educational experience, filled with hands-on activities and engaging lessons.

On Monday, we kicked off the week by setting up our classroom with a Water Cycle alphabet bump game, where students had fun matching letters while learning about the water cycle. The math table featured a water cycle math bump game with 10-sided dice, adding a new twist to our math practice.

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Our sensory table was transformed into an aquatic adventure, complete with rocks, water, and fish, promising to be the highlight and messiest part of the week!

To tie in with our theme, we started the day by reading “Drop an Adventure through the Water,” which set the stage for our learning. We then brainstormed all the things we could think of that start with the letter “W,” incorporating literacy into our day. No letter introduction is complete without a kinesthetic learning component, so we made “W’s” out of playdough, reinforcing letter recognition and formation.

Our day continued with a directed drawing of a watermelon, a fun and creative activity that also tied into our theme.

We finished off the day with an investigation into volume using water, exploring different-sized containers and beakers to see what we could learn about capacity.

On Tuesday, we delved deeper into the water cycle by learning about clouds and how they form. After reading a book about clouds, we got creative and made cloud art with shaving cream and glue, adding an artistic element to our science lesson.

Unfortunately, I had to be off for the remainder of the week, but the learning continued with a focus on fairy tales. Students enjoyed fun read-alouds and even created their own fairy tale books at their reading level, participating in the learning with the TOC.

Overall, Water Cycle Week was a fantastic learning experience that combined science, literacy, math, and creativity in a fun and engaging way. The students had a blast while learning about the water cycle and other related topics, making memories that will last a lifetime.

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Burrowing into Knowledge: Kindergarten’s Groundhog Inquiry Week Excitement!

February 4, 2024February 4, 2024 NicoleLeave a comment

Introduction: Welcome to Groundhog Week in our kindergarten classroom! This week is all about engaging our little learners in exciting activities centered around the theme of groundhogs. With a combination of Reggio-inspired practices and teacher-friendly setups, I’ve created a stimulating environment to foster exploration and learning.

Setting the Scene: To kick off the week, our classroom was transformed into a haven for exploration. Each table was thoughtfully designed around a specific theme, blending Reggio practices with quick and easy setups perfect for our busy teachers.

Literacy Table: Our week commenced with an exciting setup – Groundhog Bump with a twist! We replaced the regular dice with our triangular alphabet letters, adding an extra layer of excitement and focusing on letter recognition. The little ones reveled in the challenge of matching letters while playing this familiar game..

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Sensory Exploration: Our sensory bin became a hub of excitement with a bed of grain and adorable printable groundhogs. When materials were scarce, laminated graphics were a quick fix, instantly transforming the bin into a captivating sensory experience. The tactile exploration of grain and the adorable groundhog cutouts engaged our students in sensory-rich learning.

Math Adventures: The math table became a hub for Groundhog Bump games, featuring a switch from regular dice to 10-sided dice for added mathematical fun. Alongside traditional math spinners, we introduced an innovative “Escape the Shadow” Groundhog Bump game. These activities not only strengthened math skills but also encouraged strategic thinking and problem-solving.

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Provocation of Prediction: Shadows and Reflections: The heartbeat of our week was the provocation center, where our students made predictions about whether the groundhog would see its shadow. Equipped with mirrors and glass rocks, they explored reflections and engaged in thoughtful discussions about the whims of weather and shadows.

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Creative Alphabet Explorations: Monday marked our usual exploration into the letter of the week – G! Brainstorming sessions led to the creation of uppercase and lowercase G’s, alongside delightful playdough sculptures representing items that start with the letter G. Our directed drawing session brought Groundhogs to life on paper, a collaborative venture where each artist brought their unique touch to their creations.

Counting On in Math Adventures: Tuesday’s math exploration revolved around counting on. The little mathematicians engaged in building towers with 5 blocks, using a spinner to determine whether to add 1 or 2 blocks to their towers. This playful approach to counting not only reinforced numerical skills but also introduced a strategy for counting on without starting from scratch. Spinner and idea taken from Carole Fullerton’s new “Good Questions Lessons and Tasks for Building Number Sense in Kindergarten and Grade One.”

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Halfway to Grade 1 Celebration: Midweek Joy! On Wednesday, we took a brief pause from our groundhog adventures to revel in a special moment – our “Halfway to Grade 1” celebration! The classroom buzzed with excitement as we reflected on our favorite memories and experiences in Kindergarten so far.

Math Marvels: Exploring the Concept of Half: Our math lesson became an interactive journey into the concept of “half.” Fraction circles made their debut, and the air was filled with joy as we played and explored with these colorful tools. The pizza shop activity captured our imagination as we worked with table mates to figure out how many pieces it took to create a whole pizza using different-sized fraction pieces.

The hands-on exploration not only enhanced our understanding of fractions but also turned learning into a delightful, collaborative adventure. It was heartening to witness the budding mathematicians in action!

Celebrating Together: Outdoor Delights and Treats: To cap off our special day, we ventured outdoors with our fellow Kindergarten friends for a celebration filled with treats and snacks. Laughter echoed through the air as we enjoyed the simple pleasures of being together, fostering a sense of community and shared joy.

The midpoint to Grade 1 was marked not only by academic growth but by the bonds and friendships that have blossomed in our kindergarten community.

Crafty Thursday: G is for Goose! 🦢 Thursday unfolded with our customary letter craft session, and this time, we delved into the letter ‘G’ by crafting adorable geese. The room was buzzing with creativity as little hands eagerly molded playdough into uppercase and lowercase G’s, along with imaginative representations of items starting with this letter.

The artistic expressions were as varied as the personalities in our classroom, showcasing the unique flair each child brings to their creations.

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Friday’s Prediction Excitement: Early Spring or More Winter? 🤔🌷 Friday brought a sense of anticipation as we gathered to make our predictions about whether the groundhog would see his shadow, foretelling an early spring, or if we were in for more winter days. The votes were split down the middle, creating an air of suspense.

After casting our predictions, we decided to investigate the groundhog’s official proclamation. Drumroll, please… The groundhog did not see his shadow! Cheers erupted in our classroom as we celebrated the prospect of an early spring.

Crafting Groundhog Puppets: Pop-up Fun and Shadow Play! 🌈🐾 To cap off our week, we engaged in a hands-on craft activity, creating charming groundhog puppets that playfully popped out of burrows. These puppets became our companions as we explored the magic of shadows using a projector.

The giggles and gasps of amazement filled the room as the children manipulated their puppets to create different shadows on the screen. This activity not only fostered creativity but also provided a tangible way for them to understand the concept of shadows.

Reflecting on a Week of Wonder: As we wrap up Groundhog Week, we reflect on the laughter, learning, and shared moments that have made this week truly special. Each day brought new discoveries and opportunities for our young minds to grow.

Stay tuned for more adventures in the coming weeks, as we continue our journey of exploration and learning together.