In The Queen of Kindergarten, MJ is guided through her first day of Kindergarten. Soon, your classroom will also love this precious story. Here's how you can integrate this story into your classroom. Grab the Book First, let’s grab the book The Queen of Kindergarten. You can snag it here on Amazon. I like to integrate the book into our classroom learning after reading the book. We … [Read more...]
The King of Kindergarten
When you find an excellent children's book dedicated to Kindergarten, you jump for joy and desire to spread the word to all who will appreciate it. So hear me yelling out this book, The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes. It is a wonderfully written and brilliantly illustrated book all about a little boy who starts Kindergarten and quickly becomes The King of Kindergarten. Now, let's dive into … [Read more...]
Simple Center Idea for Kindergarten Classrooms
Let's talk about simple center ideas for Kindergarten classrooms. Center ideas in Kindergarten are all about what learning center activities we dived into during the second week at school. We will be moving our learners from play centers to work or skill center activities at the main tables, but still allowing some play. So let's dive into center ideas for Kindergarten. Simple Centers Idea for … [Read more...]
The Best Back-to-School Book List
Check out this list of excellent Back-to-School Books list that is perfect for Kindergarten and lower elementary classes. I want to strongly encourage teachers to grab some actual books and read them to their learners. Students need to see the parts of a book, see how to turn pages, and learn how to track text. But the reality is, even if you read aloud to students, you can use a video or two … [Read more...]
Easy to Use GKIDS Readiness Checklist
Georgia Kindergarten Teachers, I have something just for you. I want to share with you some support and assistance that only another Kindergarten teacher in the trenches could do. I created Individual Student GKIDS Readiness Checklists. GKIDS stands for Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills. What is GKIDS Readiness Check? Every fall, Kindergarten students in the State of … [Read more...]
9 Easy to Prep Back to School ELA Activities
Here is a great way to save time and sanity with these easy-to-prep back-to-school ELA activities. It is that time when we welcome new little learners into our classroom and our hearts. Time is precious as we have all the things to do and a growing to-do list, but not a lot of time to get things on the list checked off. Letters and Sound Matching Check out this letter and sound-matching … [Read more...]
Click & Plan With This Scope & Sequence
During the first year of teaching, I felt like all the learning activities were scattered in all the places and I spent more time FINDING what I needed than using what I needed. Even using a paper scope and sequence can be tedious if activities aren't linked to what you are teaching! Are you looking for help as you plan out your school year with a quick click-to-plan method? Now, you can check … [Read more...]
7 Simple Must Dos For Parent Communication
Let's talk about the Must Dos for Parent Communication. Any veteran teacher will tell you that one of the greatest challenges to teaching is the parents. Do you have a parent horror story you relive from time to time that you wish never happened? I know I do and I have never met a fellow teacher who hasn't! Parents can bring out the good, the bad, and even the ugly in many of us. Must Do #1- … [Read more...]
Treasured Year Long Scrapbook for Kindergarten
Each year, we collect work examples and art projects to create our year-long scrapbook for Kindergarten. It is something that takes time and effort BUT it is so worth it in the end. Many of you have asked to see the inside of our Kindergarten scrapbook. I got permission to show my one child. I hide her name and the class pictures, but I labeled what is behind the picture to keep the rest of my … [Read more...]
Examples of Engaging Moments in Math
A few years ago, I started a mission for engagement in my classroom. My mission was to create at one engaging moment each and every day and my mission still is to keep creating engaging moments. I want to help you with examples of how I made this happen in my classroom. You will not see anything over the top or invasive to a classroom. Instead, you will see tried and true FUN learning activities … [Read more...]
Must Dos for Meet the Teacher
What are the Must Dos for Meet the Teacher? Meet the teacher is the special time when your soon to be students get to come meet you and you get to meet them. Parents can ask questions. Students can get excited and calm their nerves. And teachers should use this time to put families at ease and to get important information from families. Let's break this down into two parts. The first part can … [Read more...]
Must Dos for the First Day of Kindergarten
We know the first day of school is coming soon and you want to make sure you are ready to rock and roll on day number one. A smart teacher once told me that the goals of a full day of Kindergarten are simple: feed them and get them home. So let's break down the must-dos for the first day! Let's dive into the must-dos for the first day of kindergarten. Must do 1- Give them something … [Read more...]