The Little Engine That Could… (Jackie Daniel)
At the beginning of the year read the story of “The Little Engine That Could.” Talk about things that we can do like the engine. Repeat, “I think I can, I think I can…” Learn the sight word “can” and have students set goals that they want to accomplish. For example, “I can write my name. I can write my numbers.” Each student comes up with a goal and draws a picture of it. The students dictate their sentences and make a class book of “I Can.” In January, have children look at their goals from the beginning of the school year. If they accomplished that goal they make a new one. If they did not accomplish it then talk about the progress they made. Make a new book of goals in January. At the end of the year check the book again and make goals for first grade.
3 Goals (Melissa Lane)
Each parent creates 3 goals for their child at the beginning of the school year. The parents write them down and tell the teacher how they will help their child reach their goals. Review the goals at the mid-year conference and end-of-year conference. This lets the teacher know what is important to the parents and transfers some of the ownership for reaching the goals to the parent.
Guess Who? (Pam Ledwell)
Make a book for your class called “Guess Who?” Take a photo of the back of each child and place it on one page and write “Guess who?” Take a photo of the front of the child and place it on the next page. Write “It’s child’s name.”
Itsy Bitsy Spider (Sharon Howard)
After singing the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” let children change what kind of spider it is. It could be happy, mad, mean, angry, silly, pretty princess, etc. Then children decide how that spider would go up the waterspout.
THE (Kathleen Adair)
(Tune: “Shortnin’ Bread)
You can say the.
You can say the.
But you always spell it
T – H – E.
Bread and Butter (Sharon Howard)
When you walk down the hall and go around a post or pole say this chant to the tune of “Frere Jacques”:
Bread and butter
Bread and butter
Toast and jam
Toast and jam
Peanut butter jelly
Peanut butter jelly
Cheese and ham
Cheese and ham