Spelling Word Baskets

A DEFINITE favorite, like last year.

We made baskets for our spelling words. The baskets are filled with Easter grass and the spelling words are printed on cardstock. My kiddies love these!

Our Garden

Here is our garden that we have been growing.

Another teacher brought over some ladybugs they had been observing and the kindergartners loved holding them and adding them to our garden.

Reading Week 2010

My students LOVE Reading Week. We participate in numerous literacy-centered school-wide activities. Here are some of the activities.

I read the book above and then right after I turn the pages as "What a Wonderful World," plays on my iPod. The children sat so still as they listened to the music. I got a little teary-eyed. :)

We designed shirts that were from our favorite books, like "The Great Fuzz Frenzy" and "Thomas the Train".

(My examples.)

We also listed our favorite books like last year, chalked our favorite story characters, had Clifford the Bug Red Dog read to us, another kinder and some first grade teachers read to us, guessed mystery readers, read with 4th graders, had an amazing storyteller, Antonio Sacre, come to our school, and we dropped everything and read (D.E.A.R.)...

More St. Patrick's Day

On St. Patrick's Day, we did the usual festivities from last year, but here are some new pictures.

In small groups, we put together shamrock puzzles, with our spelling words on them.

We ate "leprechaun food" for snack.

We made leprechaun masks!

We painted and stamped our hands to make leprechaun faces.
...and of course, the leprechaun came to our room, danced, and got into our paint!

Birthdays

We have been practicing birthdays for a few weeks. They are able to read their birthdays. Now, instead of moving their names as they enter the classroom to show they are present, they find their birthdays. For my use, their names are printed on the backs. Luckily, I have no two children born on the same day, but if I did, I would print two of the same card, without a name on the back. The AM class has red cards and the PM class has blue.

May I Take Your Order?

Our newest center is "Restaurant Center". The students pretend they are customers or waiters.

The children sound out their friends' orders and write them on the notepad. They LOVE this center. Pictures in lieu of words is acceptable.

It's simple to create. I only give them laminated menus, plates, bowls, notepads, and pencils. The rest is up to the imagination.

Plants!

This week, we planted our own classroom garden in our water table. We have covered the life cycle of a plant and the parts of a plant, as well.

Our "Morning Message" was altered. I had the children stand up, pretend their feet were a plant's roots, their torso was the stem, their arms were the leaves, and faces were the flowers.

We worked very hard on large projects, showing a plant's needs.

Here's my example.

Here are some projects, showing the life cycle of a tree.

I hung them outside of our classroom.

We watched two FABULOUS www.brainpopjr.com videos:

1. Parts of a Plant

2. Life Cycle of a Plant

During recess, I roll our garden table outside to get some sun. The children are allowed to give each plant three sprays, then pass the bottle.

Here are the steps to making our Art Center project.

Above is my example for Art Center.

Day 3

We lacked sunshine for a few days.

Here is my post from our garden last year (and here and here).