Using Jenga in the Classroom A few years ago, I saw another teacher use colored Jenga blocks in a whole-group activity. The students were doing a math activity and each color represented a step in the process. This class was an higher grade level, so it got me to thinking about how I could adapt this for my kindergarten class!… Read More
The Keepsake Gift Your Student’s Parents Will Love
I distinctly remember making a gift for my parents in Kindergarten. It was a macaroni and paper plate picture frame ornament. It’s not a horrible idea, I’m sure my mom sheds a tear every time she pulls it out of the ornament storage box. That being said, there is something better. There is a better keepsake gift that students can… Read More
Spider & Bat Themed Activities For Kindergarteners
I will admit, spiders and bats, along with other creepy crawlers and fliers, creep me out just a bit. Maybe a lot a bit! Funny thing, though, I still enjoy using these creatures as a theme in my classroom before Halloween. Students seem to LOVE spider and bat activities in Kindergarten. Spider & Bat Activities Spider and Bat activities are… Read More
Fun Rhyming Activities For Your Kindergarten Classroom
Rhyming is an essential skill for students to learn but it can still be super purposeful and fun to teach! There are great songs, books and of course activities and games that can help you teach the idea of rhyming to your students! What is Rhyming? Rhyming is defined as “(a word/syllable/ or line) having or ending with an identical… Read More
Boom Cards: Everything You Need To Know
It goes without saying, we’re all in this new boat together. It takes a trip out to sea and then back to shore. Back out again, then closer to the shore. You know what I mean. Our next school year is up in the air. (Did you read day 3 of #31daysofkindergarten?) One thing I do know is that the… Read More
Best Assessments for Kindergarten
Hello and welcome to day 2 of #31daysofkindergarten ! Today is all about the best assessments for Kindergarten. If you missed yesterday’s post on creating an academic schedule, you can read it here. You can also go here to watch our IG Live conversation on my IGTV. Why do we assess kindergartners? Haha! As an early/emergent learner advocate, I completely… Read More
Using Zoom For E-Learning
It’s all a bad dream, right? An email, text, or direct message was given to many teachers, instructing us to gather what we could, pack up what we wanted and stay quarantined at home. Many teachers were never even given the opportunity to hug their students and say a proper goodbye. This is our new reality for the next few… Read More
Winter STEM Ideas For Your Classroom
STEM is such a vital and exciting part of any kindergarten classroom. They teach a variety of different skills including those that come when teaching science, technology, engineering or math! My favorite part about STEM, though, is that my students always think we’re just playing. I try very hard to make sure that my students have as much fun while… Read More
Teaching Alphabet Letters and Sounds in Kindergarten
Teaching alphabet letters and sounds is one of the foundations of literacy and early education. Students need to have a solid understanding of what a letter is, the sound(s) it makes and how each letter operates to make a readable word. As a current kindergarten teacher, I have had lots of teachers message me and ask whether I teach letters… Read More
Free Printable Ordering Pumpkins For 1-12
Counting with Kindergarteners every day is important but can easily become monotonous! I try really hard to make sure that activities are engaging but functional as well. Just as with this Pumpkin Number Order activity is! I really enjoy including seasonal and holiday themes for our activities. I feel like my students respond very well when the activities are relevant… Read More