Kid Quotes

We work the letters of the alphabet by doing many activities using our names.
This helps use learn to recognize the upper and lower case forms,
begin to hear those beginning sounds, and learn each others names along the way.
Here are some of the activities we have done recently ~

We graph lots of things in class, and then discover the information we have collected. 
Here are some of our recent graphs ~

Kids can say some interesting things in school! (You might be be amazed - or embarrassed!)
Here are some of your children's thoughts on a few topics ~

We also had some fun Family Homework for November. 

The first project was to make a feather for our classroom turkey. 
Each family sent in a decorated paper feather and he ended up looking like a beautiful peacock!
Here he is the day before Thanksgiving ~ and he was saved from being the main course!

The second project we called "Turkey Dressing" - the families were to make a disguise for a turkey shape
- one that would allow him to escape being the main course on Thanksgiving! 
The families did a GREAT job!

~ We Like Spring! ~
	likes Spring because
	likes Spring because
	likes Spring because
	likes Spring because
	likes Spring because
	likes Spring because
	likes Spring because
	likes Spring because
	likes Spring because
	likes Spring because
	likes Spring because
	likes Spring because
	likes Spring because
	likes Spring because
	likes Spring because
	likes Spring because
	likes Spring because
	likes Spring because
	likes Spring because
	likes Spring because
	likes Spring because
	likes Spring because

Being confident in our drawing abilities is a learning process.
We are practicing some basic drawing skills to help us out.
Here are some of the things we are doing, and some of our drawings ~

Our room is print-rich. That is, we have lots of words up on our walls.
Children learn to write by writing. With the choice of some fancy writing pens,
children can write the words they see ~ great practice and help with fine motor skills!

Children also learn to read by reading! We are working on reading the words we post in
our room, which includes our names on the tables, labels around the room, words on our charts,
and words on our Word Wall.
Children have choices of some fancy "reading" props to help them "read the room."

Books are everywhere in our classroom. There is always time throughout the day to
choose books to look at on a wide variety of topics. Quiet Book Time gives us
opportunity to spend some time with these books.
Sharing them quietly with friends is always special ~

We have a great time creating at the Art Center!
Here are some things we have made ~

(Remember - it's the process, NOT the product that counts here!)

We have so many wonderful things to build with ~
from trains to wooden blocks, to . . . you name it, it's probably in the room!
Here's some of the things we came up with ~

     * I ask if they can spell their name.  I write it in the boxes at the top of the "Getting to Know ME!" page (click here for PDF copies of the papers I made for this activity)
     * Together we count how many letters are in their name.  (As we go along we compare with each other - who has the same number, who has the most, etc.)  I try to encourage the children to write 
         as much as they can, but am there to quickly fill in as needed.
     * Next we focus on the FIRST letter of their names.
     * The class comes up with three things they can think of that begin with that letter and I quickly draw a simple picture and write the word underneath in each box.
     * I have sign language letter stamps that I use in the next section.  We learn the signs of all the letters throughout the year.
     * Then I let the Star draw a little picture of themselves in one of the boxes on the bottom.  The other box is for the photo I take of them with a Star Certificate.
These pages are put on our Bulletin Board for the day and then put into a notebook we keep in the classroom.  It gets looked at a lot during the year.  The Star does take home the note to their parents and the Star Certificate (I've used store bought ones in the past, but may make my own this year.)

This takes a little time the first few days, but it is worth it and very important to the children.  And they LOVE being my Special Helper.

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On Mondays I choose a name card out of a bag at random. I pull it out slowly, showing a letter at a time - but we start with the LAST letter in their name! They love trying to guess who it is!  That child comes up and sits in a special chair in the front while I ask some simple "interview" questions about their likes and their families.  We then start a special Web with their picture and name in the middle of a large piece of construction paper.  We suggest some qualities we like and appreciate about this friend and they are written around their picture, rereading and adding a few more each day.  (Our Special Friend takes this poster home on Friday.)

On Tuesdays our Special Friend brings baby pictures of themselves from home to post in the room on a special bulletin board just for them.

On Wednesdays they bring back our "Surprise Box." This is a plastic pencil box you can't see through. Their parents help write 3 clues about what is inside. I read them, one at a time, while our Friend chooses two people per question to guess what is inside according to the clues. If the item hasn't been guessed by the 6th question, the object is revealed. The children get very good about thinking about the clues after a few weeks before giving their guesses!

On Thursdays our Friend may bring a Show'N Tell from home - anything they'd like. We have had people come, pets, toys, special hobbies. It is fun to see what they come up with!  (Pets usually come at the end of the day and only stay a few minutes while our Friend tells us about them and a few questions are asked - special arrangements are made before the animals come - so I know what to expect!)

On Fridays, our Friend may bring a favorite book from home to be read in class, or they may choose a book from the classroom. Sometimes they may want to read it themselves! They are given a special certificate for being our Special Friend of the Week and they are given their Web poster we have worked on all week. We keep the interview sheets in a note book and review them often throughout the weeks. They are sent home at the end of the school year.

If you would like to see the papers I use for Special Friend of the Week, click HERE for the PDF file.  Oops! I forgot the Certificate we hand out on Fridays!  Click HERE for that.

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