The Great Graph Contest!

We are using this book in class this week and I thought I would share it with you. As I was looking around for something different, I came across these free resources. They call them graphs but to me they look more like surveys. To each his own. All in all, we could just settle on some good old data collection fun! 

Top Book Picks!

I have been asked a time or two about the books that I refer to as the books that never make it to the bookshelf. These are my most treasured books that either remind me of a personal goal or a special memory or maybe used for a special reason. I love children's literature and have tons of favorites but very few actually make it to the "never shelved" list and the primary reason is that it has to be just so special in my mind. 

Given to me by a teacher friend, this book has been the "go to" book when you need a little jump start to your Writer's Workshop! When I start seeing the same old, same old stories over and over again this is the book I run and grab. After reading this book, you quickly realize the best stories are written from the heart. I totally love that part. This book is also one of those books you can read again and again and nobody ever gets sick of it! You can't pull it out week after week or it will lose the magic so you save it for those desperate moments in your Writer's Workshop life. Now you see why this never ever gets put on the shelf. 

If you have read this blog or you know me personally, you knew this was coming. This book is about bad moods and you know we all have them...enough said there. I think the illustrations are perfect and support the text which creates a mood when you read this. There is not a person in the room that cannot identify with feeling grumpy. I bought this book because of the illustrations and how they remind me of young children. I was inspired by the artwork here. I wanted to recreate this artwork with children and learn to move away from the "crafty" art and focus on the process of art. Through this book I have learned so much about art with children. I am crafty by nature but not a bit artistic. I have never really been able to get an "artistic" vision to work until I worked with this book. I swear I studied every single thick black line and every watercolor mark. I planned and planned every single step of the lesson that I would present to my class. For me, this was not easy and I learned I had to sometimes just let go... And I learned that vivid communication is essential. 

To me, this book just reminds me of stepping out of my comfort zone and learning something new and pushing me towards a new direction instead of putting an idea on the shelf for next year. I never, never, never want to be the "next year" girl. Life is happening NOW!

Next up on the list is Giraffes Can't Dance. What in the world is not to love here? This book has rhythm and rhyme. This book sends a great message. And the characters are giraffes... 

Source: thecol0rsofmyrainb0w.tumblr.com via Little Miss Kindergarten on Pinterest

This feel good book makes me think all things are possible if you just believe. I think this is my rally book. I hated it as a child when I was told I couldn't do something because it wasn't possible and I still hate that as an adult. The word can't makes me crazy... Can't never could, enough said. 

And here is my new favorite. I love the illustrations. The text is super simple. I love this book for so many reasons but primarily it speaks to me about diversity and the uniqueness within all of us. 

"No two the same, no two alike, almost, almost but not quite." 

What else can I say... it just tugs at my heart.  

Valentine Word Search FREE!

I just stumbled upon this neat little free resource on Lakeshore Learning. You can make and save your own Word Searches! I tried it out and this was what I came up with on my first try! You can click on the image and grab it for free! 

Even better, you can also make a key to go along with your search! 

Just think of all the possibilities! 

My Letters Are Lost!

Oh me, oh my we were just about to cry! 

We lost some letters and didn't know why. 

So wrangle those letters and don't let em run.

Because we need all those letters for word work fun! 

Because I LOVE letters as much as I do.

I have made something special to share with you! 

Letters, letters so much fun.

Get them in letter bags before they run! 

Letter bags are actually laundry clothespin bags that can be found at Dollar General. 

Don't forget to grab your FREEBIE using the link above! 

Shake This Kinder Style!

Source: mrsosterman.blogspot.com via Jenni on Pinterest

The special student of the day gets to shake the bucket when they arrive at school to see if he/she can make a CVC word.  If the student makes a CVC word we will share it with class, and he/she gets a packet of Smarties.   Because you know...if they eat Smarties they are going to be smarter!
I have no idea how I missed this and I am just now seeing this now but I think I might just be in LOVE with this idea. I LOVE you guys at Kindergarten Rocks! 
What are some other "Shake of the Day" ideas:

• Shake all vowels
• Shake 2 words that rhyme
• Shake a picture and the letter of the beginning sound of that picture
• Addition or Subtraction
• 3 numbers in a row / example 4, 5, 6
• 3 dots / 3 / three

Do I even need to say that I LOVE the bow? You guys make learning so darn much fun! 

All I Really Need To Know...

Source: google.ca via Little Miss Kindergarten on Pinterest

Does anybody know where this poster can actually be purchased? 

Pets in the Classroom!

I love having pets in the classroom! We have had a lot of fun with our crabs, frogs, fish and snails this year. Yes, we have had some tragedies along the way and we have learned a lot from them. Our pets in our classroom provide us with a peaceful place to gather and observe. We ask each other a lot of questions in this little corner of our world. In the beginning of the year we posted a lot of our discoveries with our pets in the  Science Lab but so much snow business is going on in the lab that it seemed a better fit here! We cleaned up the crab shack and gave our crab habitat a new look. You can't see them because they are playing hide and seek behind the shack. I think they got excited about the new look in the habitat. Today was the first time we cleaned the entire habitat which is one reason that little crabby patties are the perfect critters in the classroom. The clean up was pretty simple, easy and fast. As we were working, I realized this would be a great way to talk to the kids about How To writing. I am really exited to see if this experience and the discussions we had during our crab transformation will help me generate some good How To writing. 

How Much is a Hundred?

Grab your copy right here and slap it right in your Binder Easel! Free and fun, doesn't get much better than that! 

If you need more information on Binder Easels, use the search feature on my blog! 

Just Spotted...Fuzzy Fingers!

In my neck of the woods Fuzzy Fingers has been a hot topic. Before I knew I needed them, I had seen them as several Dollar Tree stores around town. In fact, there are several different types and sizes available at Dollar Tree. I have used the mittens and the ones with handles in my classroom this year and I love them. My favorites are the ones that you can throw in the wash and use over and over. If you can't find Fuzzy Fingers you might stop in Dollar Tree for these other types. But if you are really looking for the Fuzzy Finger look at your local Wal Mart in the cleaning section. I spotted these today for .98 cents. 

The products at both stores are made by the same material and I believe the same company. Oh, and they come in lots of cute colors just in case you just had to know that! These are just perfect for cleaning your classroom electronics! 

I Just Love Snow!

Hey Kinder Friends, 

You have got to see what we are cooking up in the Science Lab this week. We have made snow right inside the classroom. You just can't believe how much fun we have had. This is the perfect addition to any snow unit and you are not going to want to miss out on this! Join me in the Science Lab this week as we investigate the wonders of snow with SnoWonder! 

Perfectly Free!

I found some really cute stuff at Target Dollar Spot and had to get it! The pink and purple hearts Target calls table scatter but I had other things in mind, like counting mats. I made these mats to go with those new manipulatives and I wanted to share them with you. You can click on the image above and it will take you to my store where you can download for FREE and have some counting fun of your own!

Behind The Scenes!

 I was checking my email and I came across an email from Anonymous. Anonymous wants to know why my blog posts only consist of the perfect outcomes of the things we do in Kindergarten. So I dedicate this next post to my dear friend... Anonymous.

We have been working on a Pinterest inspired project where you take paper snowballs and use one snowball for each letter of your name and you build a snowman. In Math we have been working on measurement. I thought it would be a great way to Order Length with our snowmen and here we are ordering them smallest to largest. You will notice the picture here is not perfect. In fact, the light above us in flickering on and off all through the lesson, I am walking around with my phone snapping pictures and teaching math while one child is having a bloody nose. This lesson was planned and planned well in advance. I even purchased a book to go along with my objectives. I guess that free 3 day shipping was a heck of a deal because the book never arrived so I guess that is not...perfect.

I planned to have a cool math related bulletin board with our snowmen measurement activity once we were finished but for goodness sake, halfway through the lesson, I was starting to doubt if our snowmen would actually all fit. Once again... not perfect. We had to do some problem solving to figure this out. I could have just given them a solution to the problem and moved on. I didn't. I knew if I did my Math Friends would never forgive me. I would not have forgiven myself either. I guided them through the process while my inner voice was reminding me of The Zone of Proximal Development.  

We were able to finish our lesson and it was time to staple up our project to create that perfect bulletin board. As the children were independently working, I was on the floor, on my stomach, making sure that all of the snowmen were going to hang...perfect. As I am rolling around on the floor stapling, Diego comes to help me. Diego is never far, ever. He is supposed to be working independently but he notices that I am on the floor, rolling around and my stapler is jammed. All I am thinking about is that I really need to get this job done and off the floor in case I have an informal walk through which would be... not so perfect. Diego notices that I am in some yoga position he learned about on Sid the

Science Kid. He laughs so hard that he starts to create a stir in the room. The other kids start shouting, "look, the swan pose!" I laughed so hard I was paralyzed and I could not get up or move...not so perfect.

I gave up on perfect a long time ago. I have never been able to pull that one off. I teach my class to respect the uniqueness in each of us. We talked about this just yesterday. I am fortunate that the children in my class care about me even knowing my flaws. Even when I am on the floor rolling around or in my now famous swan pose, they tell me I am the best...and that is just perfect with me!

Almost, Almost But Not Quite!

Our message here is simple... working together we can make a masterpiece and we learned that it took us all. And the message we will take with us is simple...
"no two the same, no two alike, almost, almost-but not quite." Keith Baker

CELEBRATE DIVERSITY!