5 Colored Ghosts

We have been working on re-telling stories.  And one of my goals for the year is to add more puppetry in the classroom.  Each year in Kindergarten, I see children struggle more and more with the classroom puppets.  I stumbled upon a wonderful story about 5 colored ghosts.

Simply, they are white because they eat only white food, such as mashed potatoes, milk, white bread, sugar cookies, vanilla ice cream and more.  My boys added "marshmallows, cheese" and more.

  After mommy leaves, they of course adventure on their own and eat broccoli, blueberries, strawberries, orange juice (This ghost thought "drinking" was safer than eating.) and chocolate chip cookies.  Not sure if you can see, but the last one had "chocolate chips... all over.

Mom comes back and says, "I know what you have been doing!  So you will all have a glass of milk and go right to bed."  In the morning, when they woke up, they were all white again!  (Don't you love the ending.)  Check out the  Time for Play blog (click on the name) for the complete story.

I am crazy about this because each student made their own set of the puppets.  They are "reversible" and so simple.  I did the first show and made a big deal about setting up the stage by covering a table with a sheet.  This led to a wonderful discussion on how they could do it at home with chairs... and more.  We are taking turns each day to tell it again.  I love that you can change whatever they eat, just so long as the color matches.  The boys totally get it and we have had great success.  I sure hope you try it.  Let me know if you do!

"5 Days of Halloween"

It has been too long since my last post.

I have been very busy with my class.  They are wonderful group of energetic boys with a thrill for learning.  We have made collage fall leaves, glyph scarecrows, learned about apples and pumpkins, and so much more.

One of my favorite holidays is Halloween.  Each year we sing a Halloween song to the melody of "The 12 Days of Halloween."  

On the first day of Halloween, my true love gave to me, an owl in a spooky old tree.

On the 2nd day of Halloween, my true love gave to me, 2 jack-o-lanterns, and...

On the 3rd day of Halloween, my true love gave to me, 3 bats-a-flapping...

On the 4th day of Halloween, my true love gave to me, 4 witches flying...

On the 5th day of Halloween, my true love gave to me, 5 scary ghosts...

One year my class was sad that was all there was.  So we added more!

On the 6th day of Halloween, my true love gave to me, 6 goblins gobling...

On the 7th day of Halloween, my true love gave to me, 7 mummies marching...

On the 8th day of Halloween, my true love gave to me, 8 spiders spinning...

On the 9th day of Halloween, my true love gave to me, 9 monsters marching...

On the 10th day of Halloween, my true love gave to me, 10 vampires dripping...

On the 11th day of Halloween, my true love gave to me, 11 mice a munching...

On the 12th day of Halloween, my true love gave to me, 12 trick or treaters.

Today we got together with our 9th grade buddies and illustrated our own copies of the book.  They all had a blast.  We just did "5 days of Halloween."

Here are some photos.  Try it in your own classroom!  Happy Halloween.

Author's Chair

So last year I moved classrooms.   I found a little wooden student chair left in the classroom.  It had clearly been painted several coats of white paint.  There was a big crack in the middle of the seat and paint had chipped off in several places, but it seemed sturdy enough.  It was enough just to get the room set up, much less worry about this chair.  I did use it as part of our morning meeting routine, and the helper/show and tell friend got to sit on it.  It worked out just fine.

I did however, made a goal to have my husband fix the crack and to re-paint this chair this summer.  Turns out there is not a crack!  It is actually how the chair was made.  It is clearly 2 pieces of wood for the seat.  I spray painted the whole chair white (again) - my husband was concerned sanding it was risky; could be lead paint... A trip to Joann Fabrics and I got the rainbow colors.  Pinterest inspired me and I set to work.

I know my class will love it.  After following the book study "Talking, Drawing,Writing" 

I 

I have been very inspired to do more writing.  Special thanks to Cindy at Love Those Kinders for organizing it for the summer.  If you missed the book study, click here,  I definitley recommend the book. 

Here's to a great start for the year!  Let me know what you think.

Sara

Monthly Weather Graphs

Kindergarteners love giving the daily weather reports.  I have an amazing stuffed "wireless" microphone that my students use.  We sing the weather song while our "meteorologist" checks outside the windows and prepares to give us the weather report.  He must greet the class, give his name and then report the weather.  We save each day's weather card and at the end of the month we graph the results.  It is actually a highlight of the month.  I have been doing this for years and they never cease to cheer and yell for their winners.  "Yeah - Sunny!  I knew it!"

Here is the one I use for the first few month.  I include the graphics so each student can read it.  And of course we graph from the bottom up.  In January, we do not have the pictorial clues.

And I am proud to day, I have used this graph to make my first "Teachers Pay Teachers" freebie!

Yeah!

CLICK HERE  to grab your own set (Sept. - June).

I love comments - so please let me know if you download it!

Thank you!  Here's to days of Abundant Sunshine!

Sara

Back to School Blogger Exchange

I recently learned about a summer "secret blogger" exchange over at Covered in Glitter and Glue.  What fun!

I actually kind of forgot about it (the sign up was several weeks before the actual required ship date.)  The door bell rang and I see the delivery man.  I ask my husband if he was expecting a package...  What a genuine surprise to see it was for me! 

(My blogger friend was right on top of this project!)

I was so excited.  What could it be? Well, it was perfect!

Fun pens, pencils, a little stapler, googlie eyes, eraser caps, primary colored big erasers (perfect as my push pin keeper for "Pokey Pinning", lotions and more.

Check out this fun "Solar Dancing Bug!" 

My class is going to love it.

So glad I signed up to do this.

And do you want to know the best part?  I found a friend!  A fellow 

CT Blogger who lives very near me!  Yeah.

Check out her blog "Pinkadots Elementary" - great ideas.

Here's to a great start of the year to everyone!

I feel nicely pampered to begin. (Thanks, T!)

PS.  I love comments

The Book Whisperer Book Study

I have had this book, "The Book Whisperer" on my reading list for a long time.  I am so happy that I finally did it!  Finding the book study is what made it finally happen. Go to We Read, We Blog, We Teach. 

I absolutely love this book!

My last year in 2nd grade, I made it a mission to get all my students reading.  We did it.  I was so frustrated by those few students that just never could find a good book to start and finish.  I know we all have those students.  There are so many great books (way more and far more colorful and exciting than when I was their age!) and it just boggles my mind they can't find one.  It made me feel like I was failing if I could not connect them with a great book!

I had read somewhere about a way to describe books you may choose:  Too hard, just right, a "vacation" book, or way too easy.  I loved the idea of a "vacation" book.  So, I seized it!  There was a student in my class who was reading at 3 levels above grade.  His parents were desperate to have him read anything other than a book about baseball.  I agreed!  One of my read-aloud books was from the "Jigsaw Jones" series. This boy happened to really like it!  I got him hooked.  Once he started reading it, the whole class wanted to do so, as well.  I told him, "You know this book is a little easy for you, but consider it a vacation.  If you don't like it, you don't have to go there again.  But you may be surprised.  I love these books.  There is always some very funny parts and I feel like I can relate to the characters.  I'm eager to hear if you think this next one is one I can read to the whole class.  Let me know."  He went for it.  I teased my class that we had a reading fever going on.  Students were reading at home, and coming in each day eager to add to their growing lists.  The only thing they had to do to be accountable to me for what they read, was to add the title, author, date started/ended, and color happy, plain, or sad face to rate the book.  I added a section to list names of friends who might also like this book.  I started with cards that were hole punched and added to ring that was attached to their desk.  Honestly, I could not keep up with copying the cards.  I ran out way too fast.  I will say that big wads of paper on the back of chairs also got to be a hassle...  So, I moved on to the 3-ring binder.  I used number tabs (each student has a number) and it made it easy for them to get to their page(s.)  Life got so much better then. And my little friend who read only baseball was reading all sorts of great books, on-level, below and a little beyond.  I never was so happy!

So get this book, check out the blog above to see what other teachers think and are doing with the book in their own classrooms.

I cannot wait to start my own book journal.  Thanks for reading all of this!

Sara

Year End Poem

It has been way too long!  So sorry.  I plan to have an active blog over the summer.

Our daughter graduated from college in May.  So proud of her.  She immediately started an accelerated nursing program at a local university.  In 15 months she will have a second degree in nursing, and hopefully 2 months after that her license.

This was my first year in Kindergarten in this school.  (I taught 2nd for 5 yrs before.)  There was so much year end work to do... and we do narrative reports cards...  And I work summer camp which started directly after school got out.  Enough said,

Having previously taught Kindergarten, I had some favorite things I could share.  Many of you do the monthly or weekly poems.  It is such a meaningful way to address reading and make it fun, as well.

Here is the poem I always place in the end of the book.  I trace my hand first, then call a student over.  I read the poem to him/her and then we hold hands for a minute...  Lastly, I trace their hand over mine.

Love it!  Hope you do, too.  Click on the title below for a freebie.

This Hand I Hold

This hand I hold I touch it now

For all eternity.

And the knowledge that I share

I give from me to you.

In hope that all you do and say

Reflects your lessons learned.

And all the awards that you receive

Are ones that you have earned.

I am your present teacher

And your true friend,

But, though the year is over

My thoughts of you will never end!

Hope you have a wonderful summer.