SHAPE PIZZA

Shape pizza,
Shape pizza,
Shape pizza pie.
How many shapes
Do you spy?

Mention the word “pizza” and you’ll have my attention and that of most children. This is a simple prop that you can make to help children recognize shapes, sort shapes, make sets, or add and subtract.

Cut a 10” circle from brown cardboard to make the pizza crust. Cut sauce from red felt and glue it to the middle of the crust. Cut shapes (triangles, rectangles, squares, ovals, etc.) from felt.

Challenge children to make a “circle” pizza or a “triangle” pizza.

Place shapes on the pizza and ask children how many. Or, give children a number and ask them to make that set.

Start a pattern and see if they can extend it.

Make word problems (I had 2 rectangles and 3 squares) for children to demonstrate on the pizza.

Let children use the felt shapes to create simple objects.

Here's the link so you can download the pattern:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljNWJqUThpbjFZY2M/view?usp=sharing

TEDDY'S LETTER SWEATER

Here’s a simple file folder story that can be used for focusing on letters. Trace around the bear pattern on the front of a file folder. Cut out the section where the sweater is. Insert 9 sheets of paper in the folder and write the letters as indicated so they show up in the sweater. Glue the story to the back of the file folder and remove one page at a time as you read the story.

Here’s the link where you can download the pattern and the bear.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljTTAxcXBUZzU1dHc/view?usp=sharing

Note! You can write uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numerals, words, etc. on the bear’s sweater. 

OFF TO THE NORTHWEST!

You're going to love these ideas teachers from Seattle and Portland shared last week!

Space Aliens (Jessica Nasset)

Turn an eye pointer into a space alien who looks for spaces between words when they are writing.
*Glue the googly eye to a craft stick and glue pieces of pipe cleaner to the back.

First Thing on Your Paper (Christine Williamson)
The first thing I do is always the same.
Pick up a pencil and write my name!

Sky Writing (Tiffaney Fultz)
Use your finger like a plane for air writing. First warm up your plane (blow on your finger). Remember your plane has to go up and fly high in the sky.
(This will encourage them to make big movements.)

Teacher's Name (Karen Foley)
This song to the tune of "Bingo" will help students learn your name ten times faster at the beginning of the school year.
There was a teacher at Lincoln School
Ms. Foley was her name-o.
F - O - L - E - Y (Spell in sign language.)
F - O - L - E - Y
F - O - L - E - Y
And Ms. Foley was her name-o.

I Sing...(Karen Foley) 

Adapt "Ten Little Indians" for every topic in the year. 

"1 little, 2 little” for pumpkins, spiders, etc. Also include sign language. 

1 little, 2 little, 3 little pumpkins,
4 little, 5 little, 6 little pumpkins,
7 little, 8 little, 9 little pumpkins in the pumpkin patch (or at the store, or on the farm, etc.)

Macarena Months
Do the 12 months in the year to the macarena ending with "There are 12 months, 52 weeks, and 365 days in a year, WHOO!" (Point to the sky on Whoo!)

My Favorite Authors
Introduce your favorite authors with a picture of the author on a cabinet or shelf. When you read a book by that author put a picture of the cover under the author.

Emotions Song (Tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It")
Sing different emotions in the song and act them out.
For example: If you're sad and you know it make a frown...
If you're mad and you know it cross your arms...
Tired, shy, scared, etc.

Emotional Shapes
Teach shapes with emotions and you'll get two birds with one stone. It sticks better and it's more engaging!
For example: If you're a triangle and you know it, stick out your tongue.
If you're a square and you know it, stomp your feet, etc.

Puffy Paint Words (Elizabeth)
Make sight words out of puffy paint for students who are having a hard time. Then make sentence strips where they can put their puffy paint words in the correct spot. (Even the boys like the glittery paints and the words are interesting to feel.)

Color Farm (Nikki & Lisa - Brick Zone Kids)
Write color words on cards in the appropriate color and add an animal sticker. Pass these out and as the song is sung the child with that color card stands up.
*For alphabet songs pass out large cut-outs for the children to hold and stand up.
(Check out preschoolgause@blogspot.com for photos.)

Sounding Out Words
Put a rubber band around your hands in a praying position. Demonstrate that if you pull your hands apart quickly they will slap together and hurt. If you pull your hands apart slowly it won't hurt. Sounding out words is similar. You can hear more sounds in a word if you say the world slowly. Then you can write down the sounds. (Children mimic the "rubber band" as they try to sound out and spell words.)

B and D (Maria Chesney)
Fold in knuckles and bump them together. Stick up the left thumb to make a "b" and the right thumb to make a "d." "b" is for the baby and "d" is for the diaper. Make a poster with a picture of a baby on the left and a picture of a diaper on the right.

Name Song (Crystal Frazier & Tammy Kaufman)
My name is T - A - M - M - Y (Clap on each letter.)
But you can call me Tammy.

Class Names (Tune: "Ten Little Indians")
Aiden, Grayson, Hugh, Jack
Jacob, Jayden, Mac, Maddie
Nicholas, Oliver, Samuel Willa
These are the kids in our class.
*Sing this song all year to learn each other's names, alphabetical order, etc. With different class sizes, just adjust the names to fit by either singing quickly in a row or drawing out one name a little longer.

Computer Passwords (Clarissa Schmidt)
Use important words for technology passwords. For example:
first name
last name
phone number
sight words
patterns, etc.

IPad Pencil (Molly Norris)
Use pencil grip instead of a loose finger on the iPad.

Birdies (Molly Norris)
At the beginning of the year sing the song about the birdies as all the kids lay quietly on the floor. When the song says, "Good morning! Good morning" a student flips on the lights and all the children sit up and sing. This helps them learn to follow directions and wait quietly.  

                                    
Pencil Bracelet (Marlana Graham)
A pony tail band, rubber band, string, and bead make this bracelet that will help children get the correct pencil grip.
    

MANY, MANY IDEAS FROM MINNIE

Happy Star Wars Day!

May the fourth be with you!  (May 4th!)

Picture Game Pieces (Katie from Little Falls) 

Use pictures of the kids that you have taken and turn them into game pieces. When they play any game they can use their own game piece and they'll actually be moving themselves.
*If you have the bases from Candyland or Chutes & Ladders the pictures fit nicely into those.

Make a Circle (Maren Wacholz)
(Tune: "Where Is Thumbkin?")
Make a circle,
make a circle,
1, 2, 3,
1, 2, 3.
All my friends are here.
All my friends are with me.

Singing Directions (Sandra Knap)
Sing directions rather than repeating yourself.
Example: Grab a milk and sit down for a snack.
Grab a milk and sit down for a snack.
Grab a milk and sit down for a snack.
Grab a milk and sit down for a snack.
*Add, "Just like Alisa. Just like Jonathan..."

Password (Megan Engelsgjerd)
Practice sight words or CVC words by placing a sign on your door that says, "What's the password?" Write a new word each day and the students have to whisper it when they enter and leave the classroom.

Word of the Day (Mairin Born)
Put a sight word each week (or day) in a clear nametag pocket. All week the kids must name the word or turn it into a sentence as a "ticket" to talk to the teacher. 

Minnesota Spider (Barb Larkin)
(Tune: "Itsy Bitsy Spider)
The Minnesota spider when up the water spout.
Down came the snow and froze the spider out.
Out came the sun, but it didn't do a thing
and the Minnesota spider was frozen until spring! 

Spiderman (Jessica Schmidt)
That's when the children need to "glue" themselves against the wall. 

Friend Book (Barb Larkin)
Make a friend book at the beginning for the year where each child has a page with their favorite book, names of family members, favorite food, color, etc. Towards the end of the year play a guessing game where you give three clues about one of the classmates and the children have to guess who it is.

Mystery Person (Amy Keith)
Parents fill out a sheet of paper with five clues about their child. (Begin with generals and end with specifics.) The teacher puts the clues on sentences strips and covers them up. One clue is revealed each day until they figure out who the mystery person is.

Pretzel Legs (Tracy Hagen)
Children sit down with legs spread out straight. The teacher says 3 "p" words and when she says "pretzel" the kids sit criss cross.

Silence (Karen Reindl)
Tell the kids you're going to play "silence."
"Let's shake it out!"
Stand tall and still and hold up one hand. Slowly put up one finger at a time. However, if they make noise before that stop until they are silent again. When you get to 5 or 10 everyone can clap.

Behavior Management (Denise Clusian)
Place a Chutes and Ladders board on your wall. When the children deserve it they "earn a spin." As they make their way to 100 they may have a slide just like in real life. “Oh, well! We'll have to work a little harder.” When they reach 100 the class votes on what they want for a reward/party.

Rainbow Clap (Kammi O'Hara)
Start on one side of your body and clap in an arch over to the other side.

In Our State/Forest/Garden (Jessica Schmidt)
In our Minnesota forest, ole! (Students repeat.)
We have roots like these.
We have roots like these.
*Add trunks, branches, leaves (high voice), trees...
*In the garden use seeds, roots, stems, leaves, flowers...

Race the Teacher (Harriet Alido)
The teacher does three activities and then shows a letter.
The students have to do the three movements and then say the letter to win.
If they say the letter without the action, the teacher gets a tally mark. If they do everything correctly and say the letter they get a tally mark.
Keep changing actions to keep them engaged.

Self-Regulation (Sarah Mumaw-Flury)
Put your idea in your hand and hold it up.
Whisper your idea or the answer to the question in your hand and then hold it up. Release!

Mystery Bag (Janie Lundstrom)
Hide an object in a myster bag. Students have to ask questions to get clues about what is inside.
*Give clues, such as it starts with (sound). 

LAST MINUTE IDEAS FOR MOTHER'S DAY

Oh, yeah! It just dawned on you that Mother’s Day is this Sunday and you are running out of time. It’s the little things that count, and mothers will be just as happy with one of these little cards. 

Love Flower
Trace around the child’s hand and let them cut it out. To make the card fold a sheet of paper in half, glue down the palm, and add a stem and leaves as shown. Bend down the fingers to make the sign for “I love you.” Children can decorate the inside with their own drawings and message.

Handprints to Save
Children can put their hands in paint and then press on a sheet of paper. Add this poem:
            Here are my handprints
            Made for you
            This happy Mother’s Day.
            These are ones
            You can always keep
            And not have to wash away!
Hint! I made mud paint (dirt and water) and let my children dip their hands in the mud instead of paint. They loved it!

The Best Gift of All
Fold a sheet of paper into eighths as shown. Open and cut down halfway on the three creased lines. Fold in half and write the following on the flaps:
            Some gifts are round.
            Some gifts are tall.
            Some gifts are large.
            Some gifts are small.
Open and write:
            But a gift from the heart is the best gift of all.
Let children draw appropriate gifts on the flaps and then draw their picture or glue their photo to the inside.

SUPER DUPER STARS

Most of you are on the home stretch now, and you're going to need a few new tricks to keep your students focused until the end of the year.  Here's an idea called Super Duper Stars.  Cut out the activities on the download and place them in a box or gift bag.  (There are 3 pages so you can pick the ones that are most appropriate for your grade level.)  Whenever children finish their work early or need something to do "invite" them to be a "super duper star" and choose an activity from the bag.  Don't forget to act like they are "winning" something!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljbHZuSmtxd1BCRXc/view?usp=sharing

MAY DAY GIFT

Happy May! My friend Sam Williams and I have a gift for you this month. You'll have to go to my website (drjean.org) to retrieve the free song packet for "Five Little Hotdogs." There's the download for the song as well as a colorful sing and read book, a reproducible independent reading book, lyric sheet, extension activities, and reproducibles to use in centers. We hope this adds some smiles to the end of your school year!