The Crazy Pre-K Classroom

Hello All, Here is a follow up to my most recent post about the importance of math in the pre-k classroom. Today we worked on Graphs and Patterns. My class has been exposed to both of these several times in group teaching and number centers but this is the first time the children filled in the patterns and graphs on their own. I knew which ones would do well and which ones might have some trouble folllowing along. I will show you what both look like. I walked them through the patterns by first having a group pattern lesson on the carpet and then brining them to the table for the worksheet. We assigned each letter a color for the entire sheet so that there was no confusion in the switching of colors and so that I could use the colors to help them understand the pattern. A=orange, B=yellow, C=green, D=white. All typical colors of pumpkins; I even showed them pictures of each color pumpkin that I took at the pumpkin patch over the weekend but that is a different story. Back to the pattern...

Today we had a surprise day with no chairs. Our tables and chairs were moved out of the way from our flower project the day before so I just left them there. I had floor toys out when the children first came to school and had taped bulletin board paper to the floor. After circle time we all gathered around the board paper and created a garden which I will hang on my bulletin board for the rest of the year with the addition of their picture and some embelishments. I will post pictures of that when I am finished with it. It happened to be a rain day so we spent our playtime completing our garden and completing a plant parts worksheet on the carpet. We used our clipboards and yes this involved glue and scissors. I am lucky enough to have a class that can handle those tools properly on the carpet. After lunch we had or Math groups so while I was working with one group the other children completed a read the room activity quietly and once they were finished worked on their seat work whil...

Hello All, I am so excited to offer you my newest read the room unit for 20% off through Sunday night (3/3). My first unit is a set of 26 different read the room sets with recording sheets, enough read the room for the entire school year and more read the room sets will be added for no extra charge as I grow my stash of read the room. My regular price for this set is $12.00 so get it while you can for $10.00: Read the Room Mega Pack My 2nd set is 50% off!!!! Read the Room A-Z, this offers a picture for each letter of the alphabet and can be differentiated by choosing either the letter recording sheets or the picture recording sheets. You can get this set for $2.50 right now, Monday it will be placed back to $5.00: Read the Room A_Z Please make sure to check out my past posts on read the room with suggestions and other ways to use these cards! Please follow me here on my blog, I have lots more to share! Till next time, Christine

I have to admit I love Read the Room! This activity is so popular in my classroom, my kiddos beg me for it every week! I love it because it allows children to move and experience writing in different positions. I especially love what my children are learning through this activity: (1)Visual Discrimination: Having to find each card and match the picture on the card to the picture on the recording sheet then write the word on the correct line. (2) Letter/Sound Recognition: Associating the letters and sounds in each word associated with a picture.(3)Handwriting Practice: Writing each letter on a line, practicing proper strokes and letter formation. (4)Self-Control: Being able to move around the room as instructed completing the activity without getting out of control.(5)Vocabulary: Identifying the common objects that go with your teaching. When I realized this week that I had 26 different sets of Read the Room I thought it was time to share! So, I have placed all 26 sets in one mega pack ...

Hello All, I just wanted to share with you some great activities our department did this past week for Nocturnal animals and hibernation. We had so much fun exploring how animals live at night. We spent an entire day with no lights on, the kids brought small flashlights and one Mom donated finger flashlights (which are totally awesome, this was the first time I had ever seen them!). My class spent time discovering new animals that are nocturnal that we didn't already know about, like scorpions! My favorite part of the week though was our letter and number hunts. I hung the #'s 1-20 in my classroom and gave each child a clipboard with a recording sheet on it. They were instructed to roam the room with their flashlights and find each number. Once they found a number they were to color in the box that had the same number. We did the same with letters in my collegues room. The class had so much fun with this! I was surprised at how it kept their attention. They found all 26 letter...

O.K. I hate to gloat and I am surely not the first to think of this idea but I did not see this on Pinterest! In the interest of space I have turned my classroom clipboards into both paper holders and chalkboards! That is right, I decopaged the front with my jungle themed scrapbooking paper and then painted the back with acrylic paint and 2 coats of clear chalkboard paint that I found at Hobby Lobby for $5.99. I am so excited about these! I have a very limited amount of storage space in my classroom so anything that can do double duty in my classroom is great. I think I will also use magnetic chalk paint (also at Hobby Lobby in spray paint form $7.99) on the back of my dry erase boards. Then we can manipulate magnetic letters, dry erase and use chalk, triple duty!!! Can you tell that I cannot wait to get back into my classroom, Monday, I am waiting for Monday! Till next time, Christine