Sight Word Game
On large craft sticks write
sight words on one end. Write
letters on clothespins. Children
attach the letters on the craft stick to spell the word.
Grouping Game (Jean Broad)
The children wander about
the class and the teacher calls out a number. They need to form groups with that amount and then sit down
together. If there are children
left over that’s O.K. They remain
standing. The teacher reviews the
groups and might say, “I see 1,2,3,4,5 groups of four. That makes 20. We have 2 extras so we know that 20 + 2
= 22.” Then call out another
number.
Establish these rules before
playing:
*Respect everyone.
*Never exclude anyone from
joining your group.
*Be polite.
*Help others who need to
find people for their group.
This helps children with
problem solving, collaboration, number sense, oral language, etc.
Math Concept Maps (Louise Gavarkovs)
While children are waiting
for the day to begin, let create math concept maps on individual white boards
with dry erase markers.
Photograph their completed boards, or select a few to present them to
the class.
*Each child chooses what
they are able to include. For
example, older children could write number stories and younger children could
draw sets.
Share Chair
(Caroline, Tina, Megan)
Any special chair will
do. Children sit in the chair and
share writing, art, discoveries, Legos, etc. Their work or a photo of their work gets displayed on the
“Wall of Fame.”
Note Tote (Caroline, Tina, Megan)
Use zippered bags from the
dollar store to hold daily work and communicate back and forth with the home.
Top Banana (Caroline, Tina, Megan)
The special helper of the
day is the “top banana.”
Coffee, Tea, and Me (Donna Petrocco)
Each child invites a guest
to school. Set up coffee, tea,
juice, fruit, and desserts. Eat
and then share some classroom poems and songs. (Students take turns standing up in front of the room to
share.) The teacher then passes
out memory books for each child with the following:
Picture drawn by the student
Handprint poem
Santa letter
Writing samples
Poems from the teacher
Photographs of child
throughout the year
The children look at their
memory books with their adult.
*The teacher can stand back,
observe, and smile!
Buddy Sticks for Clever
Kids (Terrie Voldimer)
Have as many sticks as kids
in a variety of colors. On the end
of sticks put something for the students to match, such as letters, numbers,
shapes, stickers, etc. Each child
selects and stick and then the teacher can choose what they should match
up. For example, “Find someone
with the same shape and color as you.” “Find someone with the same sticker as you.”
Four Seasons (Susan Aide)
Everyone holds up four
fingers.
Point to the index finger
and say “autumn” – this is a medium length season. Not too long and not too short.
Point to the middle finger
and say “winter” – winter is sooo long.
Point to the ring finger and
say “spring.”
Point to the pinkie finger
and say “summer” – it’s too short.
Now everyone touches a
finger as they say, “autumn, winter, spring, and summer, autumn, winter,
spring, and summer…” Keep
repeating faster and faster until everyone says “POP” and makes an explosion
with their hands.
*Remember, this is Canada
where winter is LONG!
Class Alphabet Book
Prepare a book with a letter
on each page. Children can write
(or paste a copy of their name) on each page that has a letter in their name.
Wooden Kleenex Box Alien (Terri Anne Gilpin)
Purchase a wooden tissue box
at the dollar store. Decorate it
to look like an alien. Children
can put rhyming words in its mouth, upper/lowercase letters, numerals, words,
etc.
*The back slides out so you
can collect your things again.
Wash Mitt Monster (Terri Anne Gilpin)
Put two Styrofoam eyes on
the wash mitt so it can eat letters, numbers, compound words, etc.
Hello Song (Laura Quinton)
Hello (clap, clap),
And how are you? (clap, clap)
Hello (clap, clap)
And how are you? (clap, clap)
Well, I’m feeling child
names a feeling word and makes an action.
I’m doing action word,
Doing action word
today.
Pinwheel (Laura Quinton)
To make a square, fold a
sheet of paper diagonally and cut off the end. Fold in half diagonally again. Cut in on diagonal lines stopping 1” from the center. Hole punch every other corner and in
the middle. Insert holes on a
pencil or straw and put a little play dough on the end.
*Use for a review by writing
vocabulary words, spelling words, math facts, etc. on the pinwheel.
Mrs. G’s Magic Spray (Misty Martin Gigliotti)
Spray “magic dust” around
the room daily as needed to bring happiness, brain power, etc.
*To make magic dust decorate
the front of an empty spray bottle.
Justin Beiber Cheer
(Misty Martin Gigliotti)
Make a heart with your hands
and then pump and move in a circle as you sing, “Baby, baby, ooooo.”
Parent Observation (Misty Martin Gigliotti)
Prepare an observation sheet
for parents who visit the classroom with the following:
-Is your child engaged in
singing? Dancing? Listening? Hand movements?
-Does your child participate
in activities? Centers? Are they playing alone, with a friend,
friends? Are they watching other
children play?
-Are they rushing through
their work? Are they taking their
time?
-What center did they visit
first?
-Do you have questions about
centers, the classroom, etc.?
Lego Table (Misty
Martin Gigliotti)
Get a lack table from Ikea
and glue several large Lego sheets to it to make a permanent Lego table. Build a wall with Lego/base on one end
for building.
I Love to Read
Provide for the different
reading levels in your classroom with individualized take home book bags and
activities.
Alphabet Shake
Put letters in the bottom of
an egg carton. Insert a pompom and
shake. The child opens and names
the letter, sound, and a word that starts with that sound.
*You can make a similar game
with numerals, shapes, words, etc.
WHEW! Writing up all these ideas is a lot of
work! I’m off for a bike ride!
Now, I know some people are
opposed to positive reinforcement, but it has certainly worked at our house
this week. Our 8 year old grandson
is visiting and I found an old “treasure” box and a bag of fake jewels. I let K.J. make up his own task card with
jobs that he thinks he should be his responsibility. He makes his own check marks and puts a jewel for each mark
in the box at the end of the day.
He’s LOVING this! I don’t
have to remind him to brush his teeth, pick up toys, or put on sunscreen. He eagerly does it and then rewards
himself with a check. (We haven’t
actually decided what the jewels are worth. He doesn’t seem to care about the reward as much as he does
with his accomplishment.)
Here’s a cool craft that
K.J. made at a pirate exhibit in Charleston last weekend. (How they get adults to dress up in hot
pirate clothes and walk around with parrots on the shoulders in 95 degrees is
amazing to me!) Anyway, I know
most of you could NOT do this at school because it would be considered a
weapon. However, if you have kids
of your own, grandchildren, or need an idea for a birthday party, it’s really
fun. All it takes is a sheet of
newspaper, tape, and an oval with a hole cut out of heavy paper. Start rolling the newspaper
diagonally. It has to be rolled
tightly. Meanwhile, let the child
decorate the oval. Tape the
newspaper and insert one end in the oval.
Bend up the newspaper roll to create a handle as shown. Touche’! 
