My centers for the week

Lots of free center ideas for the upcoming week!  Check them out!

Writing Center: I've been working a ton on teaching my kindergartners how to write lowercase letters.  We use the Handwriting Without Tears program and we are nearing the end of letter formation instruction so I've been having them review and practice how to write the letters.  I've found that using the letter boxes helps them with tall, short and descending lowercase letters.  SO this week I'm having them practice handwriting by labeling a snowman to go with our winter theme.  Click on the picture to download a free copy!

Phonics Center: this week I'm using a fun freebie from The Weekly Hive to help my students with blending sounds and reading words.  Click on the image get it.

My Math Center is from Kelly Kindergarten - Symmetrical Snowflake sorting.  Click on the picture to grab your copy.

Art Center: We have been studying bears and in combination with winter so I wanted to create a cute bulletin board.  I saw the idea one time in a Mailbox magazine.  The title of it is called Bearing the Cold.  I've scanned in the bear template that I use along with a copy of the clothing pieces that can be used.  I printed the clothing on heavy cardstock and cut them out as tracers.  Then I set out a ton of colored paper and let the kids create a winter outfit for their bear.  The bear is printed on brown construction paper.  Click on the bear to get a copy.

The week before Christmas Centers

After today just one more week of school before the Holiday break!  Next weeks centers follow a fun Christmas theme.

Math Center:  Roll and Color with two dice.  We just did an Everyday Math lesson this week on graphing dice rolls with a pair of dice to practice joining numbers together.  This will be a fun way for my students to get more practice with it.

Writing Center: Making a List Write the Room by Deedee Wills.

Phonics Center: Christmas Tree vowel sorting.  

 

Art Center: Santa Color 100 Hundred Chart by Lil' Country Kindergarten.

I hope some of these activities will help you with your planning.

Centers For the Week-Holiday Theme

Art Center:  Window Ornament activity.  While browsing on Pinterest I found this fun activity from 1-2-3 Learn Curriculum

 You can get an ornament template HERE.  I used contact paper for the color paper pieces to stick to.  When they finish making them I plan to laminate them.

Math Center: Number ordering with Christmas Lights.  I printed off four houses and the Christmas lights and laminated them.  Students will place the lights along the roof to put numbers 10-20 in order.

Writing Center: Writing CVC Words.  Each reindeer card has been laminated and using wipe off crayons or markers my students will be practicing sounding out cvc words and writing them down on the cards.  Once I check them they will take a paper towel and wipe them clean for the next group to use.

 Phonics Center: Ho-Ho Ending  Sounds by Deanna Jump.  This will be great for my kids to use.  We have been practicing listening for ending sounds in our K Phonics program.

Learning to blog and a freebie

I finally have found the time to get back to my beginning blog and post an update.  I'm hoping as I get into a routine that I will be able to share my teaching with others regularly.  I so enjoy seeing what other  teachers are doing and seeing all the wonderful teaching going on.  I take a lot of what I see and adapt it to my own teachings.

This year I've been taking what I have done in the past and updating the way I present it.  My first update was with our kindergarten high frequency word rings.  I wanted to add a little bit more to give them a fun twist.  So I thought that making their words  like a train would be fun and adding a writing part to it (they trace the word that gets added to their ring).  In our district K has up to 25 words to learn, but we always find that most can keep going.  So I created 200 high frequency train cards.

The way it works: I meet with with each of my students and start with list one.  I cut apart the cards.  Hole punch a hole in the corner and add it to a ring.  They then trace over the words and practice reading them.  Once they can read all the words on their ring, I mark the date on a check sheet and give them the next list.  These word rings are kept in a reading bag for them to bring back and forth to school.  I hoping to post pictures soon.

You can grab it for free right here:

High Frequency Train Cards

High Frequency Word Checklist