Names, names, names '"

Names everywhere.
There are dozens of ways students can begin learning to recognize and how to write their names.  Here are the first 12+ activities I try.

It's the first week of kindergarten and besides procedures, we do name activities, games, songs to help us learn the students' names. 

1.  "The more we get together" song is my favorite to do as our first lesson.  The children don't realize it is a lesson but it is.  I always sing each child's name as I touch their shoulders.  This draws attention to the child so others can connect who the name belongs to.  It helps stretch my memory too.  AND it acknowledges that each student is important in our class.
The more we get together, together, together,
The more we get together, the happier we'll be.
There's Kathy, and Sam, and Lola and Nathan,
The more we get together, the happier we'll be.
continue singing until each child's name has been sung.
 
2.  "Whose name is this?"  chant/song.  
Whose name is this?  Who can it be?
Whose name is this?  Please look and see.
I hold up a name card and first see if the child can recognize the name before LOOKING at them and if they cannot read it, I will say "This says Micah."  Each day I do this, I expect the students to quickly recognize their name (or the names of their classmates) and say the name and "Here I am."  or "That's me!"
I also have the student come get their name card and place it on our large pocketchart.  This is how I take attendance the first two days.  

3.  Daily Attendance -  Once we've practiced with our name cards for two days, I have the name cards on the floor where they must find their name each day and put it on the pocketchart.  Each day this is our daily procedure kind of like checking in, old time cards. 

 4.  Name Hats -  We glue preprinted names on sentence strips (learning how to glue practice) or on sentence strip   with name written, students can decorate the rest of the strip.  Sometimes they draw pictures of their favorite things, sometimes they can draw shapes and make a repeating pattern.  These strips are then measured  around their heads for a Name Hat.  I keep these in a large gift bag so the students can wear them when a substitute guest teacher is in the class.

5.  Write names again and again. 
Use markers, pencils, paint, colored pencils, chalk, dryerase markers, crayons to write to learn form, shape and sequence. 


Rainbow write.  Names are written in a light marker or gray color font.  Student uses one color at a time to trace each letter (ideally, saying the name of the letter as they trace it), second color is traced the same way and a third color.

Bleeding/Fuzzy letters - Names written with a dark color watercolor  marker.  Students use a water wet brush and trace over letters. The color will bleed out.

6.  Play name games.  Here are two of my favorites.

• Who stole the cookies? 
  
  Students sit criss
  cross in a circle.  Slap knees and hands in rhythm while saying:  

          Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar?
  Teacher calls out a student's name to begin game continuing the chant:
        Mason stole the cookies from the cookie jar.
Student says  "Who me?"
Class replies  "Yes you!"
Student responds  "It couldn't be."
Class says  "Then who?"  hands can face up in question.
Student chooses another student for next verse.  Next student could be child next to him.  If he doesn't know their name, this is a great way to practice asking "What is your name?" (opportunity for learning and practicing manners)

Names written on a paper cookie, could also be pulled from a cookie jar or turned over to select next player.

• Doggie, Doggie, Where's your bone?

 Students sit in a circle.  One child sits on a chair in the center as the 'Doggie.'  An eraser or 'bone' is placed under the chair.  The Doggie closes his eyes AND covers them with their hands while the class says,
Doggie, Doggie, Where's your bone?  Somebody took it from your home.  Guess who?
While class is reciting, the teacher selects a student to quietly crawl over to get the bone and hide it behind him or in their lap.  
Doggie opens his eyes and gets 3 guesses asking "Nancy, Do you have my bone?"  This challenges the students to learn each others' names or learn by asking 'what is your name?'  It also is teaching the children game procedures and taking turns.
If Doggie guesses, he can get another turn or selects next dog.  If Doggie does not guess, the child with the bone is the new Doggie.

7.  Playdoh names.  Students learn how to roll playdoh into snakes and form letters of their name.


8.  Shaving Cream writing.  Just squirt the cream right on the table or on a tray.  This helps make the room smell fresh.  Students practice spreading out the foam to make a writing surface or to erase and start again.

9.  Building names with plastic letters/alphabet blocks/cut letters from cereal boxes.

10.  Matching classmates names.  Write the names of friends.

• Take photos of students and put names on cards.  Students can match the picture to the name like a puzzle

• Students can write classmates' names next to photocopied page of pictures. 

11.  Class helpers.  Students names are written on charts or displayed as class line leader, table helper, etc.
Mailboxes with names and photos help with name recognition.

12.  Cheer Names -This helps with all alphabet recognition. You can use pompoms if you want.
Teacher says:  Give me a "b"    Respond:  "b"
                        Give me a "r"                     "r" 
                         Give me an "a"                  "a"
                         Give me a  "d"                   "d"
     What does that spell?                           Brad
     What does that spell?                           Brad
     What does that spell?                            Brad !!!
The child whose name is being cheered can stand up or come to front of class.

13.  Throughout the year my class enjoys making lists of names using clipboards and dry erase boards.  They see the names everywhere.  
And 'the more they practice right, the better they get!'

 Hand-in-hand we grow!

 Janet

 

Tuesday August 15 Book Idea

Thank you Kathleen from Kidpeople Classroom for the opportunity to link and share.

Last week, I mentioned that I was reading for personal fun and escape:
The Horse Dancer a novel by Jojo Moyes.

Well, I finished it and need to say YOU SHOULD read this!  It is a fictional story about yes a 'dancing horse' and owner, Sarah. 
But it was so much more about the human spirit of determination.  There was a speech made by a teacher who was called to testify in a divorce.  If I may..

"...when a child goes quiet they are suffering...they don't trust us enough to tell us.  They don't tell teachers, and they don't tell parents because they can't trust them not to get cross when they say something they don't want to hear...they don't tell us because half the time nobody listens to them anyway....It's a betrayal... .... it's just life..." 

wow and she went on.  This was a side story apart from the main character but it touched me.  Many of our little kids act out in aggressive ways when under stress.  Some talk a lot and tell us more than we think we should know.

I hope this new year, we can take a little time and allow our children the chance to talk and work as little kids. Sadly, I know I have lost part of that these past few years in an effort to get through our curriculum requirements. 

My goal is to give a little more time to listen to our kids.  I have maintained weekly Show and Tell but I know I need to allow more time to listen and expose them to positive experiences. 

Heartprints by P.K. Hallinan is about telling others kind things and doing good deeds which leave 'heartprints'.  For students' birthdays, we fill in a simple story of what the birthday child's favorite color, food and what they like to do in kindergarten.  Some years I just have the students write their name next to a heart on the back, other years I ask for a word to describe the birthday child.  At first they use simple words, such as kind, nice, good and throughout the year they begin to use other describing words and good character descriptors, honest, friendly, uses good effort, etc.

I have enjoyed ideas from many other bloggers, Kathleen from Kidpeople Classroom, Carolyn Kisolski from Holding Hands and Sticking Together and Dr Jean Feldman.  The newest is Happies for Teachers by Carolyn and Dr Jean. Comment and share because...

Hand-in-hand we grow.

Janet

 

A great idea

TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD..

A great idea

So I had this great idea to freshen up my privacy dividers.  Many years ago I purchased Science boards and cut them in half to make privacy boards to use for our 'test taking' times.  The children have drawn and poked them so I needed to clean them up.
I brought them home with me this summer to paint.  Last week, I finally took them outside to begin spray painting them a fresh calming blue.  I had one side of three boards completed and ran out of one can of spary paint.  So I trotted off to Walmart and bought another can, I thought I had the same color...well, it was close...then I added up how much it would cost me to do my 15 boards on both sides.  $$  and the spray paint was going to need a second coat to cover...

I went back to Walmart and bought a gallon of flat wall paint at around $10.  I laid my painters tarp on my garage floor and started again.  The paint covered nicely, even filled in many of the holes the kids poked.  (Notice the band-aid on the corner?  My assistant took to using a band-aid to cover larger holes, hoping that it would discourage the kids from hurting our boards. Haha) Well, I squeezed 12 boards on the tarp and painted one side while I listened to my music.  I was feeling happy!
The next day I decided to do the other side AND then it rained.  Water seeped under the garage door and the tarp soaked it up..... yes, my cardboards were wet too.  NOW they are ruined (well, the big kids at my house are going to use them for target practice!!)  
I have 3 boards I can still do and then when I go back to school, I will shell out more money again and buy new science boards....I'll paint these but will watch the weather!!

Yes, it was and is a good idea...at least these new ones will not have holes that I will need to fill.

Do you have a good idea to share?  Let me know.
One day a week, I want to send out a 'Tell me something good' quick post.  It will be my attempt to get back into blogging again but not be toooooo wordy....my challenge.
It won't be long...just something good to share.

Janet

Let's Listen

Let's Listen.
Kathleen from Kidpeopleclassroom has a Teacher book talk on Tuesdays this summer.  Check it out!  
 http://www.kidpeopleclassroom.com/2017/08/giveaway-week-one.html
Besides the book talk, Kathleen has many great ideas to share.  
Thank you, Kathleen for this link.

So Let's Listen:

 One of my favorite stories to read at the beginning of the year is, The Listening Walk by Paul Showers.

This is a story about a girl who takes walks with her father without talking so she can listen to the sounds around her.  As they walk through the city to their park they hear various levels of sounds loud to soft.
After reading the story, it is a wonderful experience to just take a walk with your class.  If you can go outside, listen to the crickets, the jets overhead and car sounds.  If you need to stay inside then walk the halls, listen for the hum of the lights, the sounds of footsteps and doors opening and closing.  Sometimes I stop during our walk and put my hand to my ear so the kids could focus on a sound....'We do not talk.'
When returning to the class, make a chart of all the sounds.  Then as a writing opportunity, the students can write/draw "I heard..."
 
Our children (and us) are exposed to too much noise most days.  It takes concentration to filter out sounds.  Many times because of technology (phones, tvs and toys), they have already learned to 'tune-out' but what we want them to be able to do it to 'sort out' and pay attention--peripheral hearing. 
This also could help when identifying the loud and soft sounds to connect it to their voice levels.  
We practice making our voices louder and softer.  I use my hand to demonstrate a loud voice with my horizontal hand over the top of my head and gradually bring it down to below my chin.  As we make our voices loud (my hand high), I point out the strain in our throats.  As I bring my hand at my chin level, I point out how much calmer and easier it is to talk and hear.  I tell them that this level is an inside voice level.  
Sometimes when the noise level is getting too much in the classroom, I have the children FREEZE and we change our volume control.  Give your ears and throats a rest, I say.

For my personal reading recommendation, escape reading, Have you read any Jojo Moyes books?
Before school begins, this Thursday I am finishing The Horse Dancer.

I get started on an author and read all that my public library has.  Thank you to my mentor kindergarten teacher and friend, Shey Kravas for getting me started this summer on this author.  I have sat on my front porch and escaped......

So until next time..

Janet

 
 

Being curious on the first day

Hello again.  
Check out Kathleen's blog Kidpeople Classroom.  She is doing a summer book talk on Tuesdays.  She has WONDERFUL books and IDEAS.  

I have a cute book for the first day of school.  It is short and the kids attention.  The Curious Little Kitten by Linda Hayward.

It's a story about the curiosity of a kitten (and us).  She lives in a 'nice cozy yard that is surrounded by 3 fences."  Each day she explores a new place but always goes back home.  In the end......it makes for a great predicting story.
Find this at your local library or purchase a used copy because it is out of print.

I have been teaching summer school for the first time in 42 years.  I really enjoyed it.  

Now it's back to a new school year next week.  
Enjoy your new school year.  We will talk again.

Janet

five for friday may 5, 2017

I can't believe how time flies.  Well, I'm back, as they say...
 .
 Mother's Day flowers
I ask the students what does their moms do.  
Well, "your moms do a lot for you." so wouldn't the best gift would be that YOU help mom.  
They love it. (Of course they want to please.)  
This is my all time favorite.

Pick a flower

And you will see

The job you will pick

This week for me.

Love,

 I make a preprinted flowerpot that needs to be cut, folded and glued ONLY on the sides.  Explain that the flowers need to be able to slide in.  I used to have the students make their own flowers such as tulips, daisy always showing an example.  But their flowers were usually too small.  Then I thought,  USE your hands.. I like these much better.
You can write any kind of kid 'job' they are willing to do.

I think I need to make the poem a little smaller so they can decorate around it so it doesn't cover up the flower pot as much.

I believe in student process (experience) over product.  They can do this themselves and it looks pretty nice.

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Another easy project for mom:   Print a poem and paint the student's hand, print and color details for a stem and leaves.
I'm all in for easy.

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We ordered our butterfly larvae and we are so excited to watch the caterpillars grow every day.  It is a great incentive to use softer voices so we won't scare them from growing!
We have a journal that we record our observations.  Great science project and meaningful learning new vocabulary.


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Love Denise Fleming's IN THE TALL, TALL GRASS for a writing project and cutting fringed grass we can draw picture of what we saw.  It is a fun way to example the Life Skill of curiosity.
I still find magazine pictures useful.

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To show a purpose for writing and reading, I decided one day to not talk ---REALLY!  I hung a dry erase board around my neck and wrote my words.  Their work was continued from the day before.  I used a lot of hand gestures appropriate for my five year olds.  (I did talk with adults in school but not in front of the class.)  As far as the students understood, I couldn't talk.   I have had a few sore throats and hoarse voice but made it through the day and many children thought I had a bad sore throat.
Finally at the end of the day, I wrote on the message board:

The following day I explained the difference between that I DID NOT verses I can and will not talk.  Some children really thought about it.
It was a fun challenge for all of us.

17 more student days for me!  Where did this school year go?
 

Five for Friday, January 27, 2017

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Sorry I will try this again.   Somehow I messed up and lost this post.  Frustration.....
Thank you Doodle Bugs, Kasey, for this link time.

1. It's in the air......and on their hands.....everywhere.....

I am stocking up on my sick supplies.  My kids at school are coughing and sneezing.  Not many are absent so they are really spreading it around.  
After it is through the classroom and my home, I'm sure to get it.
Wash, wash, wash,...oh yeah, and my washing machine just died...It is over 30 years old, I guess it gave its best....

2.  Cover your sneeze!

When I first started teaching kindergarten, we used a program called Letter People.  Since I save everything, I pulled out the Little Miss A story, picture card and coloring page.  We also made faces with hair and eyes.  Glued a tissue where the nose and mouth would be.  Traced our hands and cut them out and glued them over the tissue.  Little Miss A would remind us her sound by saying, "A - a - a -choo!"
I also like the Crawford the Cat videos.  He has a video called "Sneezer pleaser."

3.  Learning More Sight Words

Here are some ideas I'm using to help the children practice their sight words.  The High Five cards are placed by the door so whenever we enter or exit our room, the children can 'tap' and say the word.

During my morning opening, I have written a word with a white crayon and asked them to read our sight word.  Of course they said, "there's nothing there!".  So with a watercolor marker they chanted as I drew a line "from left to right" starting at the top to bottom.  Each marker line would reveal part of the word.  It's those little things that can get them so excited.  So then they had a chance to write and undercover their hidden sight words.

I am lucky to have a girls' and a boys' bathroom in my classroom.  Since some seem to spend so much time in there, (avoidance or out of necessity that it just takes a while..) I decided to put the words of the day on the wall to give them something to look at.

After doing a sight word check, students receive a visor with a word they don't know and they become that word-'visor' for the day.  Their responsibility is to use a clipboard and read the word (also written on the top of the page) to at least 10 others. They say and point to the word on the top, "This is the word ____."  The listener then signs their sheet.  It is a very official job!

4.  Parent Visit Day
Each year we invite our parents to come the last hour of one day.  The children become the teacher.  A task card is given to each child to complete the activities WITH their parent.  Tasks vary year to year but include "Your turn, my turn" writing letter pairs on dry erase boards, writing numbers to 100, writing an entry in their journal, a sight word job (this year it was a hidden mystery word that they just learned), a math job (green bean story of 6), read a story, etc.  
This is an active participation opportunity so the parents do the work with their child.  It is a great PR event and quality time spent is the bonus!
If a child does not have a parent who can attend, then the others are encouraged to share their parent.  We conclude with singing a few of our daily songs.  The last song is my favorite, "Four Hugs a Day."  The last line says "don't forget you've got to GIVE four hugs a day."  At that line, the children go give their parent a hug!  Awwww...  

The parents take the completion of the work very seriously. They can do the jobs in any order.

The first task on the list is always to sit down and practice tying.  Sometimes a captive audience gets the job done!

An extra treat for me, is when former students return as the parent!  Especially when it is the fathers, that warms my heart.

 5.  White Trash

So after a stressful, busy and exhausting week, I treat myself to ......snacking!  Oh well,....but isn't pretzels, rice chex cereal and peanuts kind of healthy?

Janet