Sweet, sweet
Carolina! Love my state and LOVE
my teachers! Here are some super
ideas they shared at the SDE Kindergarten Conference in Columbia on March 4th.
Have the leader of
the day become the “professor.”
The professor leads the reading of the word wall words.
Addition Game (Stephanie Fowler)
Two children play
this game with a deck of cards.
The first child pulls two cards and adds them. The second child then pulls two cards and adds them. The child with the greater sum wins.
My Fingers Are
Shaking (Judy Province)
Sing or say this
rhyme to release wiggles and help children gain self-control.
My fingers are
shaking. (Shake
hands.)
I can’t make them
stop.
My fingers are
shaking. (Shake
hands.)
I can’t make them
stop.
Oh, dear, Mama. (Hands
on cheeks.)
Help me! Help me!
My fingers are
shaking. (Shake
hands.)
I can’t make them
stop.
STOP! (Clap
hands and put them in your lap.)
*Continue using
other body parts. End with “my
whole body is shaking…”
Spelling
Transition (Jessica Lopez)
Call out a sight
word like “the.” Tap one child’s
head at a time and they must say the letter that comes next. Move around the room using other words
until everyone has lined up.
Sweep Me Up! (Sarah Neely)
Buy a mini broom/dust
pan set and use googly eyes and markers to add a smiley face to the room. Ask students to give you two words that
rhyme; name a word that starts or ends with a sound; answer an addition
problem, etc. If the student
answers correctly, “sweep” them up! (Brush their shoulder with the broom and
pretend to put them in the dust pan.)
Music Box
Challenge (Mecia Hartis)
You will need a
music box for this activity. Wind
it up at the beginning of the morning.
When the class gets too loud, open it until they get quiet. Do this every time you want their
attention during the day. If there
is still music left in the box at the end of the day they get a treat.
Hey, Hey Rap
for End of Day (Emily Johnson)
Hey, hey, what do
you say? (Clap
hands and slap thighs.)
What did you learn
at school today?
The helper of the
day calls on friends to share what they learned at school.
100% Students
Learning (Tabitha Brantly)
To get students’
attention when they are distracted tell them you need 100% students and eyes on
the task.
Ask the student
not focusing: Who do I need to
learn this task?
Student
responds: 100%