How Can May {Almost} Be here?

This year has flown by – but dragged at the same time! I can’t believe it’s almost the end of our school year.

We are at 22 days (uh, who’s counting right?!?)…

How many days do you have left? What do you do to make the end of the year fun but academic?

We are still going to plug away at our math journals. I really feel that these have helped my kiddos immensely this year – with so many skills. I’ve been able to introduce and review skills and build on the knowledge that they share during journal time. Next year these will definitely be in full effect – from day 1.



Have you used these? Are they helping? Any thoughts, suggestions or feedback you have I would love to hear!

Measuring…Measuring…

Does anyone have a Wii Fit? I cannot say “measuring” without hearing that little voice from the Wii. It’s like a little robotic voice while you are standing there waiting for your whole life to be analyzed through the Wii.

any.ways.

My kinders have been measuring for a few days now – mostly a lot of guided practice. We’ve used square tiles, small paper rulers and links. Today we busted out the linking cubes and {cue suspense music} Beanie Babies! Woot.

We had so much fun. The kids watched me measure my stuffed animal – a turtle. We talked about measuring the entire animal – and how some animals or insects can be tricky depending on tails, claws, antennae, etc.

After I measured, I drew a picture and wrote my sentence.

Please excuse my pitiful drawing…

The kids then got to decide which animal/insect they wanted to measure.
We drew name sticks to make it fair.

After they had picked their buddy, they got to measuring.
And were uber serious about it. Ha!

I totally forgot to take pictures of their recording sheets (duh) but you can see a tiny bit of the crocodile drawing from one student in this pic! Students drew their buddy and wrote the sentence.

All in all it was a fun and informative lesson. After we finished measuring and recording, we shared all of the sheets on the document camera. It’s amazing how KinderKiddos make their own connections and learning happens without the teacher saying a word (hard right? I know!!).

Things I heard:

“Mrs. Ketchen’s turtle was longer than my animal.”

“Wow – that is how long my animal was.”

“Whoa. It was that long? I thought it would be shorter than that.”

Up next, we are going to be measuring each other using butterfly cutouts.
Most everything this week is very hands-on.

Want to check out my plans and grab some measuring freebies? Click the picture below!

One of the activities I am using is from Kindergarten is a Hoot. Sara offered some great freebies on a Measurement post –and they fit perfectly with my insect theme! Check it out!

Kinder is a Hoot

Enjoy!

Math Stations–April Style

Warning - super long post. But pictures will make it go quick and freebies are part of your reward!!!

I could get used to this whole being off work thing. I’ve had so much time to relax – which makes it easier to complete stations, journals, centers, etc. I’m not coming home at night with a billion things on my mind that typically take over my brain and leads to me picking the super important tasks from my to-do lists and not the whole list. Like when I didn’t create/change out February Math Stations so we just repeated the rotation (whoopppss).

Next week will come quickly though, so I’m just enjoying it while I can! I finished my April math stations – they are a mix of bugs, rain and a tad bit of Easter. I always get a little fidgety about putting too much holiday emphasis in my centers/classroom in general (anyone else?!?).

Planning Guide: Click the picture to see a PDF of this document! My teammates don't know it yet, but I'm going to teach just math to all the Kinders next year (my Principal doesn't know this either - it's all just in my head hahaha). I love reading, but for some reason this year has really got me interested in Math! Who would've thought.



My Centers:


Number Writing: Race to Trace Garden Style: Students roll a dice and trace the number word.


Number Recognition – Roll and Cover with pattern blocks. My kiddos really like the roll and cover games – so I’m hoping this will change it up a little bit and keep them interested! Simply roll 3 dice and cover up the number with the correct pattern block!

p.s. This  is my first attempt at pattern block pictures - I don't know if my dimensions are right. I don't have any at home - but as soon as I go to school I will check the block size. I feel like these are super big - but can't really tell for sure?!?


Number Representation – Check out the fabulous Marlana @ Lil’ Country Kindergarten for this fun (and free) station! It’s an Easter themed ten frames count and match.

Source: lilcountrykindergarten.blogspot.com via Arianne on Pinterest

Number Order – A pocket chart station to practice number order with numbers 11-25. My students always put the long rectangle pieces into the pocket chart first and then lay out the numbers in front of them. This helps them to stay organized and focused. :)


Games – Just a roll and move your piece game! Something simple yet fun. This has the 10 frame dice as well if you want to change it up a little.


Patterns – This isn’t a new idea – I just added some Spring clipart to refresh it. Students create patterns with linking cubes and then color the page to match the pattern they created.


Free Explore - Don't worry. If you hear screaming next week, it's just little old me in my K classroom. We are free exploring geoboards next week. Wish us luck!

Tactile/Count & Create – This station will need some type of manipulative for students to create the number. I have an umbrella accu-cut at school – so I’m just going to cut a big pile and place them into the box. Students count the number on the ten frame and create it with the umbrellas. I include an example card so they remember what to do!


Graphing – Have you seen Tammy’s Live Laugh Love Everyday in Kindergarten blog? This girl is awe.some.! Lots of ideas, pics and freebies – just like this Easter Monster Spin and Graph.

Source: livelovelaughkindergarten.blogspot.com via Arianne on Pinterest

 








Geometry/Drawing – Remember how I stalk visit Marlana @ Lil’ Country Kindergarten often? She has these great 100’s charts that are color by number. I’m going to *attempt* to have my kiddos do these at a station! I think to start out, I’m going to only put the crayons that they need in the math tub…that way they don’t take creative liberties with their hidden object pictures!

Source: lilcountrykindergarten.blogspot.com via Arianne on Pinterest

That’s all folks! Truth be told, I’ve been working on this post all.day.long. I had a dentist visit this morning that required some numbing (uh, no, I don’t drink sweet tea by the gallon, why do you ask Dr. Mean Dentist?!? lol), had me shedding a tear (I swear to goodness white coat hypertension is for reals) and just chilling at home the rest of the day. (Happy Spring Break…not).

As always, I heart your comment love – it makes me smile. Even if my smile looked like Elvis today because half of my lip was numb.

April Math Journals

It’s Spring Break y’all – and I am living it up. Well, living it up as in watching as much trashy reality “don’t have to think about it television” as possible, eating crazy amounts of snack food and drinking coffee and sweet tea like crazy.

Hubby will be happy that the Tivo is finally not completely full. He’d probably be happy to come home and see me in something other than pj’s too, but we’ll save that for next Spring Break! Hope you are having, had or will have a great break. I definitely needed this time to recharge – my kinder kiddos require a lot of my energy this year!

April Math Journals are here! Yeahhh! Topics include Earth/Recycling, Insects, Baseball and Frogs.

I’m going to try to crank out May as well – and then we will be done for the year! :)  I added a new page to my blog – it’s titled “Monthly Math Journals” and will have all of the math journals in one spot.



Working on April Math Centers – but will probably take most of the week. In the meantime, back to being lazy relaxing!

p.s. Anyone use Windows Live Writer? Using it to write this post – and so far, me likey!
p.s.s. I swear it takes me longer to make the cutesy picture to attach the file to than it does to actually make the math journals.

Anchor Yourself

So, please bloggy friends tell me that you are in the throws of report cards, assessments, parent teacher conferences, and who knows what else at this point? And nevermind I am still teaching. You know, that side job that I do during the day? Ahhhhhhhhhhh.

Okay. Now that this is out of the way!!! I am currently in the process of thinking/planning/creating for 4th quarter and anchor charts are one of my favorite things to use and make. There are so many great ways to use them - what's important is that you actually use them. Last year, I had charts all over the place - but my kiddos couldn't really tell you about them...

This year, I've made a conscious effort to create ones that I will use and that will actually "anchor" their learning. We refer to our charts all of the time. Pinterest has some great ideas for charts. They don't have to be fancy-schmancy either - it's what you feel comfortable with. Again - the whole idea is that kids can actually use them and refer to them to help with their learning.

So today, when I should have been filling out conference forms I took pictures of some of my favorite ones from this quarter and began to think about 4th quarter (don't worry, the thought that 4th quarter almost equals summer did not cross my mind one.little.bit.)!


Remember when I said they don't need to be fancy-schmancy? This is my 3-D shapes chart that we used when learning about shapes. Simple but a nice visual for them to refer to.

If you haven't checked out Fran @ Kindergarten Crayons, please do. She has practical ideas, offers good teaching tips and just plain.knows.Kindergarten. (I don't even know her - but her blog is seriously awesome!)

When we did out Teen Numbers Unit, my kiddos did the teen number book that Fran gave as a freebie. I took her book and made it into a chart that we still use daily!

 Kindergarten Crayons Teen Numbers Book

3 Ways to Read to Self (um, please ignore the lovely view out my classroom window...). There are tons of these on Pinterest too - so you can make it to fit your needs.

Story Structure Chart: Another Pinterest find. We use this to tell all about the stories. What's nice is the visual reminder that it gives. It helps all of my students remember story elements (just in case their little brains are on overload!!)

We learned about Fairy Tales/Folk Tales this quarter. And don't be surprised - saw one like this on Pinterest and had to make one similar. 

We compared the Fairy Tales and summarized the characteristics of each one. Post-its are a great way to "write" on your charts and reuse your anchor charts year to year - without having to worry about wiping off marker. 

We've been learning about non-fiction and recording our learning about Space. I love the schema charts. One way I keep the kids interested is by asking if I can write their name on the post-it. I make a big deal that the Principals/Administration love reading who is learning and what they are learning. It (usually) helps keep them focused and interested!

Reading strategies - good readers visualize. Don't be jealous of my mad illustration skills. 

We use the Phonics Dance, so I made smaller sizes of the picture cards and made a chart of them. Easy-peasy. This is displayed close to their desks - and they can refer to it when they need to during Writer's Workshop. 

From the beginning of the year - still up and displayed by the classroom library. Parts of a Book chart. I used a book that was familiar to them so it would help them to remember the parts better.

Some stay up all year, some come down depending on what we are learning. Good rule of thumb - if you haven't referred to it in a month, take it down. I'm sure we can all find something else to put up on the wall right?!? What do you do for anchor charts?

Assessments will.get.done.

Even with all the planning that my team and I do, I still get wayyyyyyyyy behind on assessments. I can do some whole group testing, but the majority of it is one-on-one.

*Please use visualizing skills to imagine 21 Kinders entertaining themselves working hard on whatever Mrs. Ketchen throws together so there is at least some extra time in the day to assess* -end scene-. Haha.

I know there are several calendar time assessments floating around out there - so this is just an extra one to add to your files!

I break the skills up into quarters - and we focus on different skills (beyond counting) throughout the year. Each quarter I assess counting (page 1 of the document) and the skill(s) taught during calendar that particular quarter.

I added a recording sheet so that it's easy to see how a student has progressed throughout the year. The recording sheet has 2 sheets per quarter - in case you are a super teacher and have time to assess calendar skills twice in a quarter (kudos to you - I'm jealous!)

Side note: We haven't adopted the CCS at this point - so this assessment includes skills from my schools specific objectives for kindergarten (money, time, etc.)

Click the picture to grab your copy!

March Math Journals

I know I say this every month - but I seriously cannot believe it's almost March! Are you counting down to Spring Break?!? I might be...

In the meantime, here are March Math Journals - loaded with Dr. Seuss, St. Patrick's Day, and Spring questions! Click the picture to grab your copy!

February Math Stations

It was a dreary Saturday here - so I wrapped up with a blanket and kept the coffee going all day. I got a Keurig for my birthday - and thought about how lazy I was contemplated moving it to my computer table. Ha.

February Math Stations are ready to go!

I had lots of ideas this time around - probably why my poor brain doesn't shut off at night and I don't get much sleep - anyone else have that problem. Slight problem when I teach Kindergarten and the KinderKiddos need their teacher awake and ready at o-dark-thirty lol!

I tried not to get too lovey-dovey with the stations - so my boys wouldn't go "ewwwwwwww" every time they opened a math tub!

February Planning Document

Number Writing - Race to Trace Valentine Style

I keep this game fresh by changing out what the kids can trace with too (highlighters, crayons, colored pencils, etc.)

Number Recognition - Bee Mine Roll and Cover

My kiddos loved the Polar Pals game from Mrs Lirettes Learning Detectives Blog - especially the 3 dice. :) I made a February version.

**Updated - I added a version without the yellow background...thanks for the suggestion Hadar. Especially after printing it out this morning and my printer said...your tri-color cartridge is running low...ahhhh!

Number Representation

Source: applesandabcs.blogspot.com via Arianne on Pinterest

This cute felt hearts game is a Pinterest find! From Apples and ABCs Blog

Games - Math is a Hoot

I changed up the dice and am going to use a 10-frames dice. Should be pretty easy for them - but I just wanted something new to freshen up the station!

Be Mine Patterns

Just in case my sweethearts do everything but the expected activity get off task at this math tub, I added the Pattern Cards. They will pick one and create a pattern using the pictures. If you use this center, you'll want several copies of page 2 so they can make patterns.

Count and Create

Count using 10 frames and create the number with heart cutouts. I added the "17" card to remind them what they should be doing with the hearts. We have an accucut at school that has a heart - but you could use just about any heart cutout!

Graphing - Toss and Track

To continue practicing numbers in the 20's! Dice is included - but you could program anyone that you have - that's usually easier than cutting and folding! :)

Geometry/Drawing - Roll a Monster

I think this is my favorite for February. This is going to be the teacher station. My kids love the "roll a" games, but I wanted to make it a little more challenging. Hopefully I'm not pulling my hair out with this one. I added base 10 blocks and we are going to roll, count and draw....

We'll see how it goes!!!

Wheeewwww. That was a super long post! Enjoy if you use anything! 

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