Lesson plans, Dental Health, and Sight Words

Working, working, working on getting my lesson plans finished.  

I have now made it to the end of April, however I do have some of the last few weeks finished, just not completely put together.  I now feel if I go into labor tonight (wishful thinking) I have enough planned and ready to go.

Top view of lesson plans.  I actually have one more crate on the right. This is everything for the rest of the year.

I tried to put everything together that my sub would need.  Copies of what the students are completing and any projects they are working on.  Also, sight word flash cards and sight word word wall words.  Phonogram posters and word family posters.  Basically everything my sub will need for the week is in the crate week by week.  On some weeks I even added what books she will need to get from our library.

This has taken me a while to do, however I think it is worth it.  I really only had to make 2 weeks of lesson plans for my sub for when I leave, however I wanted to make sure my students were covering everything they needed to by the end of the year.

I do like how I have put everything together in the crates.  I may do this every year to help make the year flow better.

This week I had to test my students on sight words, phonograms, and letters for mid-terms.  Once I was finished assessing all the students I wrote down what each child missed.  Then I had my assistant write out flash cards for the students so they could practice at home.

This week we also studied Dental Health.  Here are some of the writings we did.

The first writing we did together.

The Dentist is my friend.

The Dentist is my friend.

For the next writing, I gave the students a picture of a tooth and they had to write about it. 

I brush my teeth.

I wanted to concentrate on writing during this unit.  We have been working on starting with an uppercase and adding an end mark.

What a week!

Monday we started back to school after our Christmas break.  I was excited to go back to see my kiddos and because I have a lot to do before the end of February.  I will be taking 10 weeks off once I have my baby so I have been wanting to get things in order for that.  I guess you would call it school nesting. (hehehe)  I hate that I will be missing so much school.  My last baby I only took 6 weeks off, so this one will be even longer.  I thought since it will be my last child that I should take a couple more weeks off than I did with the first.  

At my school teachers are required to provide two weeks of lesson plans when they take off for their maternity leave.  Well, I just couldn't do two weeks lesson plans!  I want to know what my students are working on and feel like I am still apart of their school day.  I have decided to work on lesson plans for the rest of the year.  Yes, I did say the rest of the year.  I couldn't just start making lesson plans for when I am due.  I needed to go in order to make sure I am covering everything that needs to be covered.  I actually love this idea!  I may start doing it every year.  I am not quite finished yet with it, but I am hoping by the end of next week I will be pretty close.  I am using crates with file folders in them to sort the lesson plans week by week.  I have finished up to the week of Feb. 8th.  I tried to put everything a sub would need in the file so all anyone would have to do is pull out everything from the files.  I hope I have enough crates.  :)

Lessons and lesson plans in crates

I like planning my whole maternity leave.  I understand they may not get everything covered but at least I know it was supposed to be and that the materials were all there for it to be.  

Only 15 more weeks to complete.

This week my class began the double phonograms.  My school has used Spalding Phonics or at least the phonograms of Spalding.  Then the school also got Secret Stories (red posters).  On the back of the posters is a little story that has to do with the phonogram.  It helps the students learn and remember the phonogram.  

 This quarter my students have to be able to tell me today, yesterday, and tomorrow.  This is always very difficult for my kindergarteners.  We go over the calendar every single day and this year I even purchased It's Calendar Time to help my students understand calendar better.  I decided to print off the days of the week and put them by my Smartboard.  When we go over today, yesterday, and tomorrow I have a student come up and point to the day that is today.  Then I tell them to slide to the left to tell me yesterday and to slide to right to tell me what tomorrow will be.  The sliding has really given my students a visual for which way they should be going to figure it out.

Our calendar journals we do also include today, yesterday, and tomorrow but the more we go over it the better. 

I have been thinking about my blog.  I absolutely love blogging and love hearing from my followers.  One of my New Years resolutions is to write consistently on my blog.  My goal is going to be to update you on what my class it up to each week until the baby comes.  I hope you come and check it out each week.  Thanks for stopping by!

Daily Five and Improving My Centers

This year I am back doing the Daily Five in my classroom (Wahoo!).  I am super duper excited!  I love Daily Five and I think it really does work to help my students become lifelong readers and writers.  

This year has been kinda difficult to get my Daily Five centers to be completely like I want them to be because we had to start small groups so early.  My students have practiced and practiced and everyday they are doing better.  I think after people read the Daily Five book, people get their own interpretation about how to complete it in their classroom.  My interpretation is based on Daily Five, however I did change it to fit my class and to make it work for me.  It is a tad different than how the Sisters suggest doing it, but for right now it is working and I am already seeing improvement in the students. 

 
Click picture to see my lesson plan. 

My morning is broken up into chunks.  We do a whole group lesson and then we break up into centers/Daily 5.  (This is how the Sisters suggest to do the Daily Five)  I really think by breaking my day up into sections has helped the students retain more.  I used to do my reading, phonics, handwriting, and letters all during whole group time.  This year I have separated it and I am really liking it.

Here is a general idea of how my morning is.

8:15-8:45 My students are coming to the classroom, unpacking, doing their chores (Putting their snack where it goes, moving their lunch clip, etc.), and then completing their morning work. 

At 8:45 we start with learning the new letter for the week.  We go over how to write it and practice writing it.  We go over a poem with the letter and sing an ABC song.

Around 9:00 I have my first guided reading center and the students complete their first Daily Five center.  I have a group, the computers have a group, and then the rest of the class is participating in the same Daily Five center.  

Once I am finished with my guided reading center we come back together for a mini lesson.  After the mini lesson we switch centers.

My mini lessons consist of: Introducing a letter for the week using the Read Well program (parts of the program).  Writing lesson.  Read a story.  Go over phonograms and sight words.

Everyday I think about my Daily Five centers.  I want to make sure I am giving the students the best centers that I know how to do and help them become a successful reader and writer.  I have always wanted to do this, but this year I REALLY want to since I know I will be missing 2 months of school for my maternity leave. 

The students and I are constantly talking about what they should be doing during the center.  I always ask them what the principal would want to see if he walked in.

I have noticed that the Word Work center is usually the loudest of the Daily Five centers.  Here are some of the things we are completing during this rotation.

Letter Bingo!

Making letters with Wiki Sticks.

 Making letters with Play dough.

 Alphabet Puzzle

Right now we are really concentrating on learning our letters during Word Work.  I will add different items for the students to do throughout the year with sight words, words, and writing sentences.

I LOVE the Daily Five!  Again, I am so excited to be using it in my classroom.  By the end of the year, my class WILL be successful readers and writers! 

Does you use the Daily 5 in your classroom?  How is it going for you?

Lesson Plans, Mystery Reader, Student Info Card, ABC's of Kindergarten, Snoopy Book

Lesson Plan Template, Mystery Reader, Student Info Card, ABC's of Kindergarten, Snoopy Book

Last year I created my lesson plan format.  I like being able to have one whole day on one sheet of paper.  I also try to add as much information as I can for if I would have to call in a sub on a limb.  This way I don't have to scramble to get everything in order when I am sick or my son is sick.  Check it out and see what you think.   Feel free to use it if you like it.

Lesson Plan Format

 The year before last, I started having Skype Mystery Readers in my classroom.  I saw this idea on another teacher's website (sorry, I can't remember who) and thought I would try it.  Well, needless to say, I LOVE it!  I arrange ahead of time for someone to Skype me.  The person shows the book and after they read the book we guess who the person is that read to us.  After we decide the person reveals themselves.  The kiddos think this is so neat that their grandparent or anyone far away or close by can call our classroom on Skype and read to us.  

Skype Mystery Reader

Snoopy Book

At Open House I have the students Snoopy Book all prepared for them to take home so they can start from day one remembering to bring it back and forth from school.  

 

Front Cover Sticker

Special Schedule Sticker (inside pocket)

 Informational Sheet

Important Notes Sticker

Completed Work Sticker

At the beginning of the year when we have Open House, I have the students take home their Snoopy Book.  In their Snoopy Book, there is a form for their parents to fill out that they have to bring back the first day of school.  I have attached the form I use for student information.  What I love about this form is it has all the information on it I need about the student.

Student Information Card

Another item I have in each students Snoopy Book for Open House is my ABC's of Kindergarten paper.  This is a helpful tool for parents to look at to understand my classroom better. 

ABC's of Kindergarten

Please leave a comment if you are able to use any of the freebies.