A Home for Hermit Crab

One of our recent craftivities was based upon a favorite Eric Carle book ~ A House for Hermit Crab.

We read the book while we were doing our ocean themed week & the kiddos had a great time decorating their crabs' shells with all sorts of colorful sea creatures.  Check out their work.  I really love the expression on the little guy on the right ~ he was so exited to show off his picture! 

My set includes retelling cards, vocabulary activities and writing page, and hermit crab facts in addition to the templates for the craftivity. Click HERE to purchase. 

Swimming with Number Sense

I do lots and lots of activities designed to help my Kinders to develop a strong sense of numbers.  One of the basic principles of Singapore math is to work with manipulatives, practicing skills until mastery.  My kiddos really love math!  In order to keep their interest and enthusiasm up, I like to create fun themed activities.  Here are some pics of one of my newest TpT offerings.

Under the Sea Number Sense Activities available on TpT

 After making five in different ways using counters (darn - I wish I had taken a picture...) the Kinders colored their fish and arranged them onto light blue paper to create a fish tank craft. 

I read Memoirs of a Goldfish earlier, inspiring many of the fish tank designs! 
                                            

 Seven seahorses swimming in the ocean.  Two are hiding behind seaweed, five are not hiding.  We had fun acting out number stories with paper seahorses & seaweed.

 Students worked in pairs to create seven in different ways using two sided foam counters on a work mat, and then recorded their combinations onto this number bond page.

  Octopus Eights.  An octopus is the perfect sea animal to use when making eight!  The cute sea creature clip art is from Teacherlisasclass.blogspot.com   http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Lisa-Parnello

Skill Spots and a Math Game

Happy Monday!  We just finished day number 169!  Tomorrow we will "bundle,"  leaving only ten days to go!  I still cannot believe how fast this year has flown by.  One of my teaching partners and I were talking after school about the amazing growth our Kinders have made.  Really, it's sobering when you think that some of them had only been potty trained for a couple of years when we first met them, and now they are on their way to becoming independent readers, can tell you which number is in the hundreds column, and spell words!  Amazing!

Because we are finished with our reading series (thanks to NO snow days!), we have time for other pursuits.  Today the kids got to go to their "Skill Spots."  These are areas around the room that house various activities not regularly included in our daily work.  The kiddos really enjoy visiting these spots with their Learning Partners.

This is our Skills Partners Chart.  The combos change daily, with the left side moving down, and the right side moving up.  This way, the kids have a different partner each day.  (I can also control who works with whom - the kids who cannot successfully work together are in the same column, so they don't ever get each other.  I do sometimes swap out some students from left to right if they work well with others .)

Teddy Bear Numbers game in the "Cart Spot."

Spelling sight words with letter beads and pipe cleaners in the "Red Tub Spot."

Listening to a story in the "CD Spot."

Retelling a story (or two...) in the "Learning Boards Spot."

Catching fish and spelling words in the "Magnet Spot."

Computer Spot

Retelling a story with picture cards in the "Popcorn Table Spot."

Reading sentences in the "Pocket Chart Spot."

Here's a freebie for a game that we will be playing tomorrow.

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B-Zg8ty5Slq9bWZYNHJjRi1mWlU

Under the Sea!

Last week we learned all about the ocean and its amazing animals.  Our reading series, Treasures, does a nice job of incorporating science themes into its weekly lessons.  I like to expand on those themes whenever possible - Kinders love science!  We looked at and read books (many students checked out "ocean" books on library day!), and explored the Internet to find photos of critters that live under the sea.

Under the Sea.  I made this using the "Life's a Beach" Cricut cartridge.

I LOVE this bulletin board!  The SCUBA divers are so cute - each has his/her own personality.  And, the jellies hanging in front of the bulletin board make it more dimensional.

Don't you love the hair?

The kids used water colors to paint the paper that was used for the fish and jellies.

The shiny tinsel tentacles and fish "scales" are remnants of a past prom.  (I am a prom co-sponsor so I have access to some pretty cool leftover materials!) 

After researching lots of different animals, my little divers wrote about what they saw under the sea.  We brain-stormed a list of animals, which I wrote on the board, but the kids did the rest!

This one needs a little bit of translating, but I was so impressed with the drawing - it wasn't traced, he drew the dolphin freehand!  (I see a dolphin.  It can jump high and swim fast.)