Sight Words

There has been debate over spelling test and whether they are effective or not. Whatever I may believe on the subject, I believe that above all, students really need to see the words in action, make words fun, have them jump off the page so the kiddo can say, "Hey! I've seen that word before and I know it!"

In order to make sight words fun in our classroom I decided to go with the high five method. Allow me to explain....


There are words, that are very common when reading and we come across them often, these are sight words. Sight words do not always follow phonetic rules and can confuse the kindergartner when trying to teach. In order to have the kiddos I teach still focus on the phonetic rules and yet learn every day sight words, I made it a game.

Before we leave the classroom to go to music, lunch, home, etc., the kiddos are required to high five the sight words by the door before we head out and they love it!

 

As an alternative, I call out a sight word and they have to high five it as fast as they are able. Sometimes we also have two players with fly swatters to work on the quickness of our word recognition.

 

I also made  Reading Center "Sight Word Slap" folders that are easy for the kiddos to play together.

 

 

It is the same principle as "Slap Time" however using sight words.

 

The kiddos enjoy the challenge and the healthy competition. I adore when they get so excited when they connect a sight word in a book they are reading and the same sight word on the wall. They are incredibly proud for reading all by themselves and I feel that I have done my job!

 

Number Detective

OH NO!! Mrs. Hall needs to count from 1 to 20, but she seems to have lost some numbers! Can the students help her find them and put them in the correct order?

In Kindergarten we work a lot with missing numbers all year. In the beginning it's 1-10, then 1-20, then towards the end we go 1-120! It's a lot, but this is a way to get the kids more hands on and visually see where numbers should or should not be placed.

Total project cost:$8 (I also did one with the ABC's, so that's where the other $8 went, so $16 for two projects with extra left over)

Materials: Project board
                 scrap paper to spruce it up
                 cut out numbers/letters
                 velcro

First thing I did was cut my project board in half so I could have two "Detective" boards - numbers and letters.

Then I added a little paper for the background so it wasn't boring.

 



Next, I measured out spaces for 20 numbers so it could look sharper. Then I started laying out my numbers without gluing yet.

 

After my numbers where laid out, I picked up eight random numbers to go onto the "lost" side and glued them on a cardstock paper. After, I glued the rest of the numbers down.

 

 

 

All glued down, then added velcro to missing numbers side and velcro pieces to the main 1-20 area and we are set for play!

 

 

Can not wait to use in the classroom!

 

 

Open House - Welcome to Kindergarten!

I don't know about you, but I feel that Open House at a school is incredibly exciting and nerve wracking, all at the same time. We want families to get the information they need, we want certain things to be talked about and discussed, and we want to make sure little hands are not idle.

My first two years of teaching, Open House was a mess. I was trying to put my best face forward, let the parents know I am here for them, I want their child to feel safe and secure in our classroom. But every time, students would be pulling out things they maybe should not be getting in and parents had to chase after kiddos who decided school was too much for them. At the end of the night, I would almost feel defeated. I was not clear in what I was saying and there were too many distractions. These events had me thinking, how am I supposed to keep EVERYONE engaged? I needed to get certain information to parents as well as keep the students occupied. I have been asked to host a "What to Expect in Kindergarten" night, where kiddos from all around the immediate area will be in my classroom and they don't know the rules I have set forth - hence this post and my thoughts on open house.

This is what I came up with, a scavenger hunt for our kindergarten classroom.

By giving everyone who comes through my classroom door this paper, I am saying to the kiddos that they have responsibilities and can stay busy by looking at things, but can not take out all the toys and play with them. Parents can help their children go around the room and learn about our classroom with their kiddos. This also frees me up to speak with parents if they have any questions or concerns so it's not just chaos in the room. People are free to come in, take a look around, get to know the room, and get to know me.

 

 If you noticed, I made sure to put myself on the scavenger hunt so I can make sure I meet everybody personally!

 

I would like to say that this is not my original idea, it is only my adaptation/ compellation of things I have seen.

 

My heart, mind, and sanity are at rest now for Open House!

 



Teacher on a Budget - Take 2!

Whether you are a teacher who has mastered their craft or a relatively new teacher, out of school within the past five years, we all love to find a great deal for our classrooms!

I am all about making things for my classroom and getting the most bang for my buck. Essentially, as teachers, we are taking care of anywhere from 15-30 kiddos who are not our own, 30+ hours a week. Sometimes we have expenses that don't make it into our school budget, so guess where the funds for that week's activity comes from? Yep, out of our own pockets - my husband just loves this fact! ;)

Well I want to share what I have learned as a teacher (and a wife) on a budget with others because I am always looking to maximize quality while minimizing my bank account shrinking! Here are some more ideas - take 2!

Ten Frames and Playdough Shapes pages

These frames are great for counting objects, adding, and subtracting for that visual learner. My kiddos often use playdough on the sheets because I laminated them, but they are great with expo makers or beans for that tactile learner who refuses to touch the playdough.

Ten Frames
- word sheet
- insert table 5x2
-print and laminate
- hole punch and use shower rings from Dollar store to keep on a ring or regular key chain ring

Shape pages
- you can draw your own, but I was lazy and just found images I wanted off the internet
- make all about the same size
- print and laminate

Who has the time? Time Telling Game!

Are you a teacher? do you have the internet? Pintrest is your best friend. I found this amazing game on pintrest and love these two teacher's idea! They are selling pre-made cards here, http://teachinglittlemiracles.blogspot.com/search/label/telling%20time , if you don't have the time to make them. Hands down, their cards are much cuter than mine, but I knew I could make them really fast with Word - also a teacher's best friend.


Time Telling Card Game
- Word document
- text box, write "I have" at top of box, write "who has" at bottom of box, copy image of clock without hands in middle of box
- cut and paste so you have 4 boxes the same size on your page
- fill in boxes with different times after "who has" example - Who has 3:00?
- I decided to make my text boxes different colors to make the game even more fun looking!
- print
- fill in clocks accordingly with black pen
- laminate :D (makes everything last just that much longer and Lord knows teachers need things that last)