Wednesday, May 15, 2013

IDEAS GALORE FROM IOWA, MINNESOTA, AND THE MARYLAND SHORE! Part 1


Class President (Maggie from Wayzata)
Every day select a new class president and vice president.  They both have special responsibilities, like leading the morning meeting, passing out snack, etc.
*Write a class constitution together during the first weeks of school and sign it.

Paper Doll Bears (Donna)
Let children use clothespins to match up shapes, colors, numbers, etc. on paper bears.

Attention Grabber  (Julie Navratil)
To quietly and quickly get the students’ attention whisper:
If you can hear me…touch your nose…pat your head…rub your tummy..

If you are going to have a Q (stick out right hand),
Then you have to have a U (left hand out).
Because a Q and a U stick together
Like glue (clap your hands together).

Picture Perfect (Beth Schmitt)
When you are getting your picture taken turn to the side and put one foot in front.  You’ll always look skinnier!!

When You Finish Early…(Rana Webster)
When you finish early, tell the children to “write your teacher a message.”  They can practice writing and it makes them feel special.
P.S.  Always write a note or reply back.
Example:  Can I be at the art center today?

Odd and Even Milk Count  (Mary Petron)
Use craft sticks with students’ names to do the milk count.  Count by 2’s as you hold the sticks in one hand.  If one is left over, the kids will know it’s odd.

Find a Partner (Jean Doroff)
You will need a deck of cards with aces through nines.  Select pairs that equal ten.  Each child gets a card and finds a partner whose card makes ten.
*You can also do by colors.  Red ace with red nine or black ace with black nine.

Mathematical Thinking Bag  (LaRae Dill)
Kids take home a bag with instructions to share their mathematical thinking with the class.
Number Story – Bring in items to model the story.
Number Collection – Show a number in different ways.
Number Estimation – Bring items for the class to estimate.

Journey Song  “Don’t Stop Believing”
B-R says /br/ in bride.
B-R says /br/ in bride.
C-H says /ch/ in church.
These are the special sounds – they go on and on and on and on.
Don’t stop reading. 
Hold on to those special sounds.


Countdown Chain (Julie Krebs)
At the end of the year make a countdown chain.  Each    student makes one link by decorating a strip of construction paper with their favorite memory of kindergarten.  Each day as they rip off a link, the child who wrote that memory reads it to the class.

Dime Store – Each child has a plastic egg for their bank.  Each day students earn one penny for a good day.  After 5 pennies, they exchange for a nickel.  After 5 more pennies, they exchange for a dime.  Now they can “shop” at the Dime Store (a box filled with garage sale and donated goodies)!

Locker Pockets (Kari Redding)
Put fancy library pockets on the kids’ lockers.  Make several sets of tongue depressor sticks with letters, numbers, popcorn words, etc.  Put a stick in each “locker pocket” before leaving at the end of the day.  (Differentiate for students who need more advanced skills.)  In the morning the children take their stick out of the locker pocket and tell the teacher what it says as they come in the room. 
*Have them write what’s on their locker stick on the message board.
*This is great for half-day kindergarten when you have to make every minute count.