Fall Collections

     We asked families to help our students find some "signs of fall" as part of their homework last weekend.  Along with a note requesting the activity, we sent a baggie for the collection.  Almost all students brought in seed pods, tree nuts, leaves, grass seed heads, dried flower heads, etc.  Because some did not participate from home, we combined all the collections into one.  My class looked at the collection together at our circle area.  Children shared ideas about what types of things we saw.  We drew circles on the large paper and I wrote a label for the type of items that could go in that circle.  For example, I wrote flower seed heads in one circle and reddish orange leaves in another.  Laura's class observed and sorted their collection materials in a sensory table with a small group during centers.

"Everyone say - fall!"

Then, we read the book "Leaf Man" by Lois Ehlert.  The children loved finding various animals and leaf men on the pages.  We were motivated to make leaf men of our own!

 

     Later, I put together baggies of various more durable parts of the fall collection in sorted by type and in quantities of 6 to 12 (the number set my kiddos are currently working on) items.  For math, children chose a baggie and explored, counted & recorded the contents on a work sheet.  They did this twice and compared the quantities.  

     Those beautiful fall colors motivated us to sing about the color words and introduce red, yellow, orange, brown, and green.  We used this read and color sheet to practice some with the new words.  You can download it for free below.  These activities and many more are available in our "Fall Fun Kindergarten Math & Literacy Lesson Bundle" at tpt.  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fall-Math-Literacy-Lessons-for-Kindergarten-1487487

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Fall-Coloring-Sheet-1518051
Click link for free download.

     Hope your fall is coming along well!!!

     Yours truly,

               Molly C

Alphabet Writing with Partners

What a PERFECT writing activity!  Today we paired kindergartners up with first graders and had them write the alphabet on a long strip of paper - kindergartner writes the uppercase letters and first grader writes the lowercase, alternating colors. An alphabet strip on the desk helps them keep track of where they are.  It's great to see them helping each other!

Apples

     Last week our school district had parent/teacher conferences.  We had class on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday with some days off for conferences.  We put up our Alphabet Museum Display for parents to view - next week we'll use it for some kindergarten learning and reflection too.
     I decided to use some of the Apple Science ideas from Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits during our three teaching days last week.  Each child had an apple booklet to collect facts in (I only used one piece of construction paper and observations, facts, 5 senses observations, and one apple pocket to collect seeds).  My students were very successful using the booklet and loved taking their completed booklet home.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Apple-Science-Interactive-Activities-1444752

     The observations we accomplished and the descriptions children came up with were fantastic!

kindergarten scientists!

     We also used one of the thinking prompt pictures from our Fall Fun Math & Literacy Lessons packet to write with.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fall-Fun-Lessons-for-Kindergarten-Math-Literacy-1487487

This was a fun poem to read during the week

     As a closing activity for our apple study last week, I invited children to work as artists to make apple art.  I did a quick google image search of apples in art and checked to see if the screen was all appropriate for my kindergarten students.  Then, I projected the pictures and we talked about the various ways artists made pictures of apples.  Children then were able to choose crayons, colored pencils, markers or watercolors to make a piece of apple art.  I had some frame stickers to help the work become a sort of apple museum. Our museum turned out beautifully!

Apple Art

     Yours truly,
                                               Molly

Environmental Print

     We use Environmental Print during the beginning of the school year in kindergarten to help our kiddos see that they are already on their way to reading!  They are so excited to be able to read, "Exit" or "Closed" signs!  We use the book, I Read Signs, by Tana Hoban to start us off.

     Then, we enlist a parent volunteer to help our students act as a photographer and take pictures of signs around the school and school grounds.  Each child takes a picture of a sign and then the parent takes a picture of the child by their sign.  I compile the book into a power point presentation and make a copy for the reading center.

 Of course, they LOVE seeing themselves as an artist and an author.  
     Next, we send home some shapes on a paper for children to make signs at home and return them to school.  Along with the sign homework, we send an explanation of Environmental Print to help inform them about beginning reading strategies.  We use something like this from the Reading Rockets website:

 http://www.readingrockets.org/article/environmental-print

Check out the website for an easier to read print out!

          When most children have returned their signs to school, we allow them to make a sign book.  This year my students worked for 45 minutes on their books!  I provided some extra shapes, a few copies of typical signs, and markers/crayons/scissors/glue.  As they worked we talked about letters, letter sounds, arrows, pictures & words for meaning, the no symbol, and so many more reading ideas!  

     You can find this complete lesson in our lesson book, 

Kindergarten Foundational Reading Skills - An Entire Year of Lessons 

at http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Kindergarten-Foundational-Reading-Skills-An-Entire-Year-of-Lessons-495742

Yours Truly,

Molly C