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.