Wednesday, March 21, 2012

HEIGH~HO HEIGH~HO...A FARMING WE WILL GO!

We were happy as "pigs" in mud creating this farm unit for you.  We decided to try something new and separate the math and literacy units.   Ohhh...and the most fun we had creating these units...making our own farm clip art.  Kiss your brain KPM Doodles!  
       
Here are pictures of some of the activities you will find in our farm units:

Rhyme Until The Cows Come Home
The students will choose a cow, color in a cow on the recording sheet, and say the picture out loud.  Then the student will write three more words that rhyme with the picture on the cow.

Welcome to our Funny Farm
The students will read the sentence and find the farm animal given and write how to spell the farm animal word on the blank line.  Then the student will color the animal at the end of the sentence the same color.  

I'm in the MOO-d for Middle Sounds
The students will choose a cow and color the cow head on the recording sheet of matching color.  In the circle below write the middle sound heard in the picture. 

Hay There...Count by 2's
The students will put the hay stacks in order from 2 - 20 counting by 2's.  Then write the answers on the recording sheet.


Horsin' Around with ...Numbers
The students will write the numbers in correct order on the recording sheet.  You can use three numbers that are mixed up or a number in the middle and lines on each side.  Your choice!

Barnyard Boogie Addition
The students will roll the farm animal die.  Using the farm animal rolled the students will look at the key and write the number in the box.  The students will roll again and write the number in the second box.  Add the numbers together and write the answer in the barn. 

Look What's Sprouting Up!
The studnets will roll the cube or draw a card and color in the vegtable on the verticle and the horizontal graph.  If a student rolls a snail, he/she loses a turn.  Continue rolling until one of the vegtables reaches the top.  Then complete recording sheet questions.

Here is a fun farm freebie for you!
You will have to find four pictures for each vowel that the students will glue on the barn and write out the word.   Barn clip art by DJ Inkers

Please don't "hog" these fun centers and tell your friends where to find them. 

"Ewe" are loved if you leave a comment! Yes...We know some pictures are sideways.  We do not know why it does that...maybe you can tell us!

Thank you, Amber & LuAnn 

Monday, March 19, 2012

Blasting off my Rocket Reading Area

My kiddos were so excited to see this reading rocket today.  I feel bad that they have to wait 2 more days...until blast off (they can read/work in it). 



Our moon table the kiddos can sit at. 

Can you find the constellation in the sky?  Hint...it is a part of Big Bear.

Here is an ordering activity of the planets from the sun.  I have push pins in the wall under the stars labeled 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. and the students can take the planets off and on to place in order.  We talked about Pluto not being a planet anymore!


Here is a "far~out" space freebie at our Teachers Notebook shop.  ZAP {right here} to go to our shop!   I got the math concept from one of Julie Lee's centers and "with permission" I was able to make it into a space themed center to share with you.  Have you heard of Mrs. Lee's Blog yet?     Click {here} and you will be mesmerized for hours!


The first blogger to comment on what is wrong with our post will get our "Farm Unit" for free.  Watch for our fun farm post very soon.  Hogs ~N~ Kisses! 

Amber & LuAnn  

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Nanoo~Nanoo


I am on a top secret mission to have some fun with our space unit the next 2 weeks. I am in the process of putting up a spaceship in our reading corner.  I wonder how long it will take me to finish it tonight!?!  I have my Frappe Mocha from McDonalds to keep me going! 

This is my first time making my reading corner into a spaceship.  Here are some of my ideas:
  • I am going to put black on the walls with different colored stars all over.  One color of stars is going to make the Big Dipper and one color the Little Dipper surrounded by all the other colors to see if the students can find them. 
  • Closer to the floor I am going to make the moon, sun, and the planets so the students can place them in order...what planet comes first, second, third, etc.  I will have circles on the wall and the students will Velcro the planets in its place. 
  • I am going to have shoe boxes that the students can look in.  In fifth grade, they made  constellations on one side...but I am going to dot sight words for the students to read. 
If you are a visual person like me...pictures to come.  If you have any ideas to share to make it even more fun for the kiddos....Please Comment!

I saw this idea last school year and cannot wait to do it with my class.  This idea is from Mrs. Wills and it is ...OUT OF THIS WORLD! Check out her scaled model of our solor system in more detail at her kindergarten blog. Click here!
Check out Mrs. Lee's Blog for pictures of her Space Centers & Activities.  LOVE them all...of course! 

Click below the pictures for some far~out freebies from us!   Clip art is from KPM DOODLES & DJ Inkers.  I know you will be going to their sites soon!  


       Writing from 1 - 50...is out of this world! Click {here} for freebie!



         Sound Out Words...the alien way! Click {here} for freebie!


        Label an Alien...how fun! Click{here} for freebie!
        Label an Alien Words. Click {here} for freebie!

Thanks, Amber

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Who Let the Writing Out?

I bet you are singing in your head..."Who Let the Dogs Out?"...right now!  I wanted to share with you a little way we quickly review what good writers do in their journals before we start writing.  I will call on students to draw a card out of the bag and then he/she will say out loud to their friends what they need to remember to do in their sentence by looking at the clue on the card.




The bag I am using is from Katie & Co.  Have you ever seen them at a conference before?  I just LOVE using their products in my classroom.   Katie & Co. is a site devoted to fun learning activities and tools for your classroom.  She uses a lot of flannel board, puppets. and songs!   Click {here} to go to their website and check out their products!

Here is an example of one of the activities I bought last year. 
Have you been to Joyful Learning in KC: a blog for kindergarten teachers yet?  Thanks to Chalk Talk I have found another great blog with amazing ideas.  Joyful Learning recently posted about Writers Workshop in her classroom.  As a class they made a chart about what they "used to do" in writing and what "we do now" in writing. 
Picture from Joyful Learning in KC

I cannot wait to do this with my kiddos in the classroom.  This is another great way for me to show them how proud I am of their writing!   Click {right here} to go to her writers workshop post and more! 

Click {here} to download writing reminder pictures!

Thanks, Amber

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

A Lucky Find...Center

This has to be the COOLEST St. Patrick's Day center that I have seen yet.  Miss Neuenschwander made this center and has it for sale in our Teachers Notebook Shop.  (She is just so creative!)  My kiddos love it and I know yours will too!  

The students will look at the recording sheet and read the color word in the four leaf clover.  Then the student will find the clover of that color.  On the four leaf clover the students will find silly words (xxddhyy), the words "no luck", and one sight word.  While using a magnifying glass (forgot to add in picture...oops!), they will look for one of our sight words.  When the student finds the sight word hidden in the four leaf clover he/she will write the word on the recording sheet.  





  CLICK {HERE} to buy this super~duper center for your classroom! Thank you!!!

Friday, March 2, 2012

Here's the buzz....

I am so excited for spring to come!  I get to go 4-bying or mudd bogging down my muddy mile long driveway for the next month.  Just love it...and so does my white car!  No, really..."Bugs and Insects" is one of my favorite themes to teach, and I would like to share a couple of the centers with you. 


Don't Bug Me, I'm Busy...Counting Bugs!
The students will estimate/guess how many bugs in the jar and write it on the line.  Count the bugs in the jar and write the actual number on the line.  Count and write how many of each bugs in the jar.  In the booklet, there are 6 pages of "buggy" fun!

The Ants Go...ADDING...One-By-One
The students will draw a number between 10 and 20.  Hold that many ants in their hand over the ant hill and drop the ants.  Then the students will count and record how many ants fell on the ant hill and how many fell off the ant hill.  Finally, the students will add the numbers together to record how many all together. 

Butterfly Kisses
The students will play the game "Memory" with the real and nonsense words cards.  Then the students will complete the worksheet by drawing lines to match the rhyming words.  

Just "BEE" Boppin' Around...With Sounds!
The students will read the words on his/her worksheet.  Then the students will cut out the bees with letters on them and place them on the beehive to make new words.  The words should be real words.  I make sure to check over the words before the student can glue them down.  Finally, the students will read the new words to a friend or the teacher.


Love Bugs & Crazy Daisies
The students will match the "Love Bug" to the "Crazy Daisy" by writing the short vowel sound and the long vowel sound made by each vowel. 

Flutter By & Catch...Number Words
The students will use a clip board and roam the room looking for butterflies.  When the student finds a butterfly, he/she will write the number word written on the butterfly to match the number on the net. 

If you would like to use these centers in your classroom {Click here on Saturday Morning!}.  All of these activities are FREE!  Thanks for "BEEING" the best!


Don't forget to check out our St. Patrick's Day Unit for sale..."Shimmy Shimmy Shamrocks"...at Teachers Notebook.  {PLEASE CLICK HERE}!  If you have not had a chance to see our unit yet...look at our last blog post for special details and a giveaway.  Thank you!


Clip Art by: KPM Doodles, Goodnessandfun, and DJ Inkers. 
KPM Doodles Esty Shop...Check her out here!
Goodnessandfun Esty Shop...Love it right here!
DJ Inkers website just for you...click right here!
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