Apple Centers for Kindergarten

Apple Centers for Kindergarten

By 9:49 AM
It is time to set up those September centers! One of my favorite units to teach during September is apples.  I like to set up apple themed math and literacy centers around the middle of September. Here is what I have so far!


Alphabet Find & Highlight- I hang up these apple letters around the classroom. The students go on an apple hunt to try to find them. Once they find each apple, they highlight the matching apple on their provided printable. They love to use clipboards for this activity!


                                

Apple Clothespin Clip It- Students clip the correct number of clothespins to apple cutouts. I have these apples to 20, but many of my students won't be ready for teen numbers. That is what I love about center time. You can differentiate for your different leveled learners.


Upper and Lowercase Matching-Students cut out the lowercase apples, and glue them next to the uppercase match. Simple as that!



Hole Punch Apple-Students cut out apples, color them, and then use a hole punch to punch the correct number of holes in each apple. This is a great activity for fine motor development at the beginning of school.




Pocket Chart Rhyming-I always keep a pocket chart center in the classroom. Students will match rhyming pictures in the pocket chart. They will then practice independently using the provided printable.


Play-Doh Apple Seeds-Students create the correct number of apple seeds using playdoh.


Apple Domino Match-Students count the dots on dominoes, and match them to numbered apples. We will practice number recognition, and one to one counting.



Alphabet Ordering-The students order the alphabet on a magnet board using these apples. I purchased magnetic 2 sided tape at Wal-Mart. It is very easy to use, and can easily create magnetic centers.

                                              

Apple Themed Roll & Cover- All of my kids love roll and cover! Students roll two dice, 
count the dots, and then color an apple with the matching number. The first student to have all apples colored is the winner. Simple!

If you would like my apple centers, you can grab them in my TPT store. They are just 2.00. Enjoy!









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Crystal McGinnis
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Apple Poems for Shared Reading Anchor Charts

Apple Poems for Shared Reading Anchor Charts

By 11:15 AM

September is here! When I make my plans for September, they always include apples. Apple science, apple math, AND apple reading and writing! I created some sight word poems that are apple themed to use during my shared reading block. You are welcome to use these in your own classroom! Sometimes we do our shared reading using a poem on chart paper, sometimes we use the projector, and sometimes we put the poems together in a pocket chart.



We used this poem to learn the word "are". You can let your students highlight a sight word of your choice in your poem. If you display the poems when you are done, your kids will look back at the poem to find words "they now know."



We then added an "apples are" anchor chart to go along with the poem. We wrote "apples are" sentences, and describing words. We highlighted the word "are" in our sentences.


This poem can be used to practice color words and describing words!



Sometimes we use pocket chart poems after we have learned a poem whole group. I mix up the cards and the kids help me put it together. Sometimes, I take only a few words out, and the kids help me fill in the blanks. These pocket chart poems are perfect for teaching your kids about directionality, punctuation, rhyming words, using context clues, and more! You can get my apple pocket chart poems in my TPT store by clicking HERE!


I create a poetry notebook for each of my kids, and they use them for them remainder of the year as a familiar read in their book boxes. The more reading material that I provide for them, the more fluent readers that they will become. You can get a copy of my apple poems in poetry notebook form by clicking HERE!


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Crystal McGinnis
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Alphabet Poems for Shared Reading

Alphabet Poems for Shared Reading

By 2:58 PM


Are you looking for a new way to introduce your letter of the week? One of my weekly routines, at the beginning of the school year,  includes introducing a new alphabet poem.  I will write the poem on chart paper, or use a pocket chart version that I created. On Monday of each week, I will introduce the poem, and we will use it throughout the entire week. We will chant the poem daily, and my kinders will echo me. Along with chanting the poem, I will let the kids help me highlight the poem's focus letter throughout the poem. They love to "share the pen" with me. In addition to chanting the poem, and highlighting the letter of the week, we will also focus on tracking print. I use a pointer, or my finger, to follow along each word as I read the poem to the kids. This is a perfect way to teach directionality, tracking print, and other pre-reading skills. Did I mention that these poems are also perfect for practicing rhyming!

After a few days of using the poem, we add other words that begin with the focus letter to the bottom of the anchor chart. The kids help me come up with the words, and I then draw and label them. We also go back and label the pictures throughout the anchor chart. 

After using the poem throughout the week, I hang the poem in our classroom to display for future use. The kids may use the poem anchor chart for finding known words, sight word identification, and for their writing.



I also give my kinders a copy of the poem. We place these poems in our poetry notebook. The kids use their own copy as a familiar read after we have learned the poem whole group.
If you would like a copy of my alphabet poems for shared reading, you can click HERE to get them! They are in my TPT shop.








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Crystal McGinnis
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Behavior Specific Clip Chart For Those Kids Who Can't Remember Why They Moved Their Clip

Behavior Specific Clip Chart For Those Kids Who Can't Remember Why They Moved Their Clip

By 6:28 AM



“I Don’t Know Why I Moved My Clip”

I created this clip chart to use as a tool to monitor classroom behavior. In the past, I used a traditional clip chart, but honestly I just couldn’t seem to remember why my kids moved their clips at the end of the day.  I was mentally exhausted, and when I asked them why they moved their clip, I kept getting the same answer- “I DON’T KNOW.” This was my solution to that problem. Now I can quickly glance at the chart to see what issues my kinders have throughout the day. If my students have several clips on the chart with their name on them, then I make parent contact through a written note at the end of the day.

You can also use this clip chart alongside a traditional color coded clip chart. Your students can place his or her clip on the traditional color chart, and then also place a clip on the behavior on this clip chart. You choose what works in your classroom.


Write students' names on clothespins. As your students have behavior issues throughout the day, they place their clip on the specific behavior. If they have multiple behavior issues, you may need to add extra clips for certain students. Use this chart as a visual reminder for your class, to document behavior at the end of the day, or as a way to monitor consequences. 


You can get my clip chart by clicking here!


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Crystal McGinnis
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Beginning of School Ideas for Kindergarten

Beginning of School Ideas for Kindergarten

By 8:31 AM

The beginning of kindergarten can be extremely exciting and stressful all at the same time. Having some stress free activities on hand can help ease some of the tension while developing routines and becoming used to the new classroom. Here are a few of the activities that I use at the beginning of the school year during the first few weeks. If you would like any of these activities for your own classroom, simply click on the title, and it will lead you to the set in my TPT store. Thanks for reading!



SCHOOL RULES POCKET CHART SORT


We will complete this school rules pocket chart sort. We will sort "good choices" and "sad choices" and discuss each one. We will review this chart daily at the beginning of school. It will then become a visual reminder displayed in our classroom.







GETTING TO KNOW YOU QUESTION OF THE DAY

Each morning, I will have a question of the day prepared in our pocket chart. Students will answer one question per day for the first two of weeks of school by placing their name below the correct answer in the pocket chart. We will then have a quick discussion about their answers. This is perfect for name recognition, and getting to know the class! Some of the questions include do you have a pet, do you ride the bus to school, and will you eat school lunch or lunch from home?


CUTTING PRACTICE
Many of those sweet little kinders have never held a pair of scissors. We will use these cutting practice printables to help them become acquainted with scissors. The kiddos try to stay on the dotted lines. It will take a lot of practice, but they will eventually get it.



BACK TO SCHOOL BASICS

We will also use my back to school basics set to practice some of the basic beginning of the year skills including cutting, coloring, alphabet, shapes, number formation, and more. You can sure learn a lot about your students by observing these basic skills. 




PLAY-DOH NAME BUILDING

We will strengthen our fine motor skills by building our name with play-doh. This will be done each morning for the first few days of school. Name recognition is so important at the beginning!





I will use these simple back to school poems to introduce my students to written print. They are full of sight words and very predictable for new readers.





BATHROOM RULES POCKET CHART SORT

We will use this BATHROOM RULES sort each time we go to the bathroom at the beginning of school. We will discuss good bathroom etiquette, and not so good behavior. It is amazing what you have to teach those kinders at the beginning! The stories I could tell......


CARPET RULES BOOK AND POSTERS

When we begin sitting on the classroom carpet, we will use these posters and classroom book to discuss the correct way to sit on the carpet. These posters will be on display and referred to until we all master carpet skills.


 








Grab this pin if you want to come back later to see these resources.





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Crystal McGinnis
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Morning Math Tubs or Centers

Morning Math Tubs or Centers

By 10:43 AM

What do you do for morning work in your classroom? I have decided to try morning math tubs. They are simple to implement, hands-on and engaging, and they require no grading while I am trying to complete attendance, lunch count, and those other morning tasks that must be done. I am creating an entire year of morning math tubs, which will include 10 sets of 10 tubs. This set is my 3-D shapes version. Each tub can be completed by one or more students. The tubs can then be rotated the next day.


Students sort the environmental shapes by name on the sorting mats. 

Students sort the shapes into 2-D (flat shapes) and 3-D shapes (solid shapes).


Students use linking chains to link a 3-D shape with a matching environmental shape.


Shape Puzzles-Students create 3-D shapes.


Students match 3-D shapes with environmental shapes.


Shape Roll and Cover-Students roll a dice, and cover a matching shape. They play against a partner if they choose.


Students build the shapes using toothpicks and/or play-dough.



Students place a clip on the correct 3-D shapes that matches the environmental shape.


Students look at the base or face of each shape, and place a clip beside each shape that has the correct base.


I will place each activity in a separate tub on student's tables in the morning.

Click here to get my 3-D shape morning tubs or math centers. You might also like the BUNDLE, which has numbers to 10, 2-D shapes, 3-D shapes, teen numbers, and addition so far! It will have a total of 10 morning tubs sets when complete.





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Crystal McGinnis
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