Reading
through the notes teachers share at my workshops is like finding a prize in a
box of Cracker Jacks! Look through
this list and I guarantee you’ll find something to add a sparkle to your day!
Funtime
Center (Michele Montgomery)
Ask
parents to send in cereal boxes.
Cut off the back and laminate.
Place in a reading bin with dry erase markers and allow students to work
the puzzles if they finish their work early.
*You
can also collect kids’ menus from restaurants and laminate.
Pick
Up Sticks Sight Words (Lesley
Whitman)
Write
sight words on popsicle sticks.
The children use wooden skewers to try and pick up sticks without moving
any of the other sticks. Encourage
them to read the word on the stick.
*You
could make a similar game with letters, math facts, etc.
Magazine
Pictures (Lesley Whitman)
Cut
out odd magazine pictures and glue them on cardstock and laminate. For the pre-k children pass out a
pictures and let each child talk about their picture. It’s a great way for making inferences and encouraging
complete sentences.
*In
kindergarten put several pictures in a basket and let children draw a picture
and then write about it.
Baby
Fish Fingers (Deborah Morales)
Tell
the children that their thumb and index finger are their baby fish. When they need to open anything they
should use their baby fish. (Works
like a charm for ketchup packets.)
At
circle time tell them to put their baby fish in their fish bowl (hole created
by sitting cross legged).
Cutting
Shoebox (Chris Lance)
To
encourage children to practice cutting at home ask parents to fill a shoebox
with junk mail and safety scissors.
Keep the box on top of the refrigerator and bring it down when parents
are busy cooking dinner.
Bankrupt
(Katie Kaylor)
Glue
plastic coins to the end of craft sticks.
Write “bankrupt” on one stick.
Place the sticks in a can with “Bank” or “ATM” written on it. Children sit in a circle and take turns
passing the can and drawing sticks.
Each time a student draws a stick they must name the coin and tell how
much it’s worth or it goes back in the can. The game ends when someone draws the “bankrupt” stick and
they have to give all their money back to the bank. Children add up the amounts on their sticks and compare who
is the richest, poorest, etc.
Stretching
Sounds (Maria Bristal)
Buy
little plastic slinkies at the dollar store and let the children use these to
stretch out words.
Write
Your Name on Your Paper
(Christy Jones)
Sing
this song to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It.”
Write
your name on your paper,
Write
your name.
Write
your name on your paper,
Write
your name.
If
you don’t write your name,
Then
they all look the same.
Write
your name on your paper,
Write
your name.
You
can also sing:
If
your eyes are on me clap your hands.
If
your eyes are on me clap your hands.
If
your eyes are on me then it’s me that you see.
If
your eyes are on me clap your hands.
Greetings (Jennifer M. Britt)
Greetings
are so important and many people use an apron with different types of greetings
for kids to choose. An adaptation
to this would be to make a wheel (like Wheel of Fortune) and use picture
symbols to represent the different handshakes (biker, fisherman, butterfly,
thumb kiss, Spiderman, hand hug, farmer, etc.) so children could spin the
wheel. If you used Velcro you
could change the greetings throughout the year.
*You
could also use a wheel and spinner for cheers, songs, etc.
Bike
Safety (Jennifer Britt)
Make
a poster of what the children need before they ride their bike. For example:
- Driver’s
license
- Helmet
- When
backing up watch for friends
- Etc.
Children
could make a license with their picture, date of birth, address, eye color,
hair, address, etc.
Snowman
Counting (Debbie Stowe)
You
will need cups, cotton balls, and tweezers for this activity. Draw snowmen on cups and write the
numerals 1-10 on their tummies.
Children use tweezers to pick up snowballs (cotton balls) because they
are too cold. Can they place the
correct number of snowballs in each cup?
*You
can also use the snowmen to sequence numerals, seriate by size, etc.
*Make
a similar “Pot of Gold” game with salsa black bowls and gold coins.
Apples
up on Top Book (Debbie Stowe)
Place
a picture of the child’s head on the bottom of the last page. Cut 10 pages and staple on top of the
child’s head. Children draw apples
to illustrate “One apple up on top” on the first page. “Two apples up on top” on the second
page…
Children
can draw red, green, or yellow apples and can make different patterns with the
apples.
Where
Is Pumpkin? (Debbie Stowe)
You
can use a pumpkin, snowball, shamrock, or any seasonal shape to help children
learn positional words.
Attach
a foam circle pumpkin with yarn to the front of a book and store in a
pocket. On different pages have a
seasonal picture and write “under the haystack,” “beside the moon,” “between
the trees,” “above the fence,” “on the house,” “behind the cat,” etc.
Have
You Filled a Bucket Today? (Jessica
Summer)
After
reading HAVE YOU FILLED A BUCKET TODAY several times brainstorm ways to “fill
buckets.” Purchase mini Chinese
food boxes at a dollar store.
Print each child’s name under a bucket that you’ve stapled to a bulletin
board. Each time the teacher
or a classmate catches a student being a “bucket filler” they get a pompom added
to their bucket. This encourages
positive behavior in everyone.
Paint
Paddles and Clothespins (Mary Jane Long)
Write
numerals vertically down a paint paddle.
When the teacher says, “Show me 4,” the children attach the clothespin
to the numeral and hold up their answer.
You can use paddles for addition, subtraction, and other math skills.
*Make
paddles with letters, shapes, etc.
Rotten
Apple (Mary Jane Long)
Use
die cut apples for this game. On
the apples write letters, numbers, words, or whatever skill you are working
on. On a few apples write “rotten
apple.” Children take turns
choosing apples and identifying the information. They must put all their apples back if they pick the “rotten
apple.”
*Adapt
throughout the year with a broken heart in February, cracked egg in April,
melting snowman in January, etc.
Buddy
Sticks for Differentiated Instruction (Cindy Boyer)
Put
like stickers on the bottom of jumbo craft sticks. You will need as many sticks as there are students in your
classroom. Take two cans and
separate the sticks into the cans.
Have higher level students (or English speakers) pull from one can and
lower level students pull from the other can. Children will be randomly matched, but also in pairs where
they can help each other.
Environmental
Print ABC Book (Ruth Ann Tensi)
Over
Christmas or spring break ask students to make an ABC book with advertisements,
napkins, photos of products, restaurant logos, etc. Can they find something for each letter?
Hey
There Neighbor! (Ruth Ann Tensi)
Hey,
there, neighbor! (shake
hands)
What
do you say? (switch
hands)
It’s
going to be a great day. (reach up
diagonally)
Greet
your friends. (high
10’s)
And
boogie on down. (shake
bottom while bending knees)
Give
‘em a bump (bump hips gently)
And
turn around. (turn
around in place)
*Count
to ten while they find a new partner.
Hang
Those Letters Down (Kate
Barnes)
Boys
and girls, some letters stand tall. (arms
up)
Some
sit on the wall (arms
straight out)
And
some fall.
I’ll
show you what to do with those letters in a minute.
Let’s
go through the alphabet.
a,
b, c, d, e, f
g
g?!
Hang
those bottoms down down (Sing
to the tune of “100 Bottles
Hang
those bottoms down. of
Pop on the Wall” as you
Some
letters stand tall, boogie
down.)
Some
sit on the wall,
Some
hang those bottoms down.
h,
i,
j
j?! (Repeat
above chant.)
Pencil
Grip (Ann Blackard)
Break
crayons in half and children will use three fingers. Golf pencils also encourage children to use three fingers.
Author/Illustrator
Party (Denise Catoe)
At
the end of the year have an author and illustrator party using children’s
individual books they’ve made in the classroom. It’s a way to celebrate writing throughout the year. Parents are invited to attend and
cookies and drinks are served.