Number Boot Camp

We are currently reviewing ours numbers 1-10.

Yesterday we reviewed the number 2.  I start off by reading the Number Tales book from scholastic. They are a cute fun little story but the best part is the last page where they have to find two of each item.  It's a great chance for the kids to interact with the book.

I then talk about the number 2 and create a anchor chart that hangs up in the front of the room.

Then finally we practice writing the number of the day.  I get my worksheets from starfall.com from the teacher part of the site.  The best part is you can customize the sheet.  You can put a dice, tally marks or ten frame to show the number at the top.  You can even pick what pictures you want for the middle boxes.  (I really love this site, see my previous post.)

An old familiar website becomes a new favorite

Back when I started teaching 12 years ago I found out about this website Starfall.   If you haven't discovered this website yet you need to head there now.  There are so many great treasures on it.  A decade ago I used it as a computer center.  They have activities for the alphabet, for beginning readers, for word families and so much more.  Seriously it's great.

But I have rediscovered a second great aspect of Starfall.  There is a teacher side with pre made and customizable worksheets that even align with Common Core.  At the very top of the page there is a Starfall Teacher-Parent Center button.  Click on it and you'll have to answer a math question to get to the teacher section of the site.  (It's an easy math question.)  Then scroll down to you see the Supplemental Resource section.

 Once there you will find worksheets you can create for ELA, math, ABC review and some that are pre-made and ready for download.

For ELA they have editable alphabet, blending and high frequency worksheets.

For math they have Counting, Measuring, and addition and subtraction worksheets

They also have picture cards.

So seriously go check it out.  I love it!

Easter Freebie

So I'm giving away a freebie in my TPT store. This Easter Egg Find and Graph comes in color or blackline and is a great activity for practicing making a bar graph.

Mini Eraser Addict

Hello my name is April and I have a problem.  I am a mini eraser addict.  I already can't leave Target without buying 7 more things than were on my list and now I can't leave Target without checking out their Dollar Spot and searching for the mini erasers.  I even have my mom who lives in Wisconsin checking her Target for different erasers and I had my dad who went down to Florida go to Target to pick up the Pineapple mini erasers I saw people posting on Instagram.
   This last time I went to 4 different Targets before I found the adorable bunny and egg erasers.  So I created this How many more to 10 Math Center which is aligned to the common core standard:  CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.OA.A.4
For any number from 1 to 9, find the number that makes 10 when added to the given number, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record the answer with a drawing or equation.

So check out this activity in my TPT store.

Snowball Sight Words

I've been trying to find new ways to get my kids to practice reading their sight words.  I've also been wanting to add a sensory table into my room but don't have the money to buy one or the energy to keep up with it this year.  So in an effort to check off both things, I've combined the two.

In December I filled a small bin with tinsel and hid sight words written on ornament clip art.  My kids loved it.  So this month I did the same thing with cotton balls and sight words written on snowball clip art that my husband designed for me.

The kids took turns hunting for the snowball sight words and writing them down on the organizer.  They were having so much fun I don't think they even realized they were learning which is my favorite kind of activity.

I wish I had another idea of a combined sensory table for February but at the moment I don't.  So if you have an idea leave a comment below and maybe you'll see a sight word creation for February in my TpT store in the near future.

You can download my Snowball Sight Word creation from my TpT store.

New Math Centers

So one of the struggles I have as a first year kindergarten teacher is finding materials.  My big struggle is in math.  I wish I had math stations for my kids to rotate through so that I could work in small groups with my kids but that is just not a reality this year.  Instead I have fast finisher activities for my kids that quickly get concepts to do so that I can work with my kiddos who need a little more attention.  However, the plan is that next year I'll have enough centers that I can do small group math instruction.

So over winter break I came up with 12 winter center activities and I am pretty excited about them.

You can find them here at my Teachers Pay Teachers Store.

Winter Math Centers

I'm so excited to get back to my classroom, print and laminate them and get my kids using them.  Now to come up with spring ones. 💭