Educational creativity

Your trash can or recycling bin doesn't seem like the place to find art supplies, but it's cheap and can make great fun projects.   We made a bee using a toilet or paper towel tube.  You can look at other tube projects on  this previous post . Egg cartons make great art projects.  Just make sure you wash them out. You could make spring flowers and caterpillars How about musical instruments? Every year we would make shakers using paper plates and beans or beads inside.  It's not too loud, but just the right amount of fun.  Kids decorate the outside what ever way they want.   Here is the maraca we made using a plastic Easter egg and spoons.  We covered it with colorful duct tape and shake away. We made animals with paper tubes.  Here is a zebra colored bee. What kind of fun can you have with your trash?  Did you know there is a real orchestra that makes their instruments from the trash they ...

I love saving things around the house that others would throw away.  Am I a hoarder? No, I'm a teacher. Our theme for the next 6 weeks is Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Today we will focus on Reuse. There are lots of ways to use things that you would throw away that you can use in a different way. Check out some of these sites with great ideas. from  Frugal Fun 4 Boys magazine bead bracelets from  kids activity blog here is a collection of things that fly from  Buggy and Buddy I want to try making these race cars at  Kids Craft Room I am going to make a bee.  Let's see how creative we can be.  What will you make?  Send me a picture.  I will post a picture of my bee when I have finished it.

Recognizing numbers, counting, and more or less are all math skills we can learn through playing games.  I remember playing the game where you push the button and the dice jumps.  Then you move that many spaces.  I played card games like Crazy 8's and Go Fish with my grandma.  These games played a role in my math learning.. 1    2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9      10 So Let's Play  Play a board game that uses dice or play Uno. Play Memory- with the number cards only place face down about 10- 20 cards.  Take turns trying to make matches. Play War- Split the deck of cards up between players keeping them upside down.  Pick more or less as your goal.  Turn over one card at a time.  Whose card is bigger or smaller?  The winner gets to keep the cards. Use cards as numbers to match items with....

The internet has some great learning websites that let children play and learn at the same time.  Check out my favorites. ABC ya! Pick a grade level and start playing with letters, numbers, puzzles, and games.  There are so many games to choose from, so you may want to choose one first. STARFALL   The website is free, but you have to pay for the app.  Start with learning letters or songs.  If you child knows letters and sounds, try Learn to Read.  The books are easy and sound based. PBS Kids The characters from their favorite TV shows, teach skills like rhyming, feelings, shapes, and math.  There are even Spanish games. ABC Mouse This website is offering a free 30 day trial.  Take advantage of it.  This website has lots of fun learning opportunities. Have you found a different learning website you would like to share with us?  Which is your favorite?

Just because we are home doesn't mean we can't learn.  Parents are the child's first teachers.  At school we have extra resources.  Many companies and authors are reaching out or giving free resources to parents.  Check out the resources below. Reading:   Authors are having read alouds online, companies like EPIC are giving out free trials, and other sites that have always been free are going to be your best friends. -Get  EPIC -  If you are in my class, I have set up a class of my favorite books.  You will get directions on how to log in.  If you are a great parent that likes free books that will help your child read, sign up for 30 days free.  When my daughter first started reading, she would not read with me.  She just wasn't confident with her skills and did not want to get words wrong.  But her teacher showed her EPIC, where books are read aloud or a click of the mouse will help with difficult words.   ...

When kids learn at home, sometimes you find out that you can't find the supplies you know you have.   My personal example would be pencils. I have no idea where they go. I think the dog at them. My family will be making a learning tub with all the supplies they may need during our distance learning experience.   Since we wont start until Tuesday or Wednesday, we have time to find everything.   For those of you at home, gather some stuff and make one for preschool age children with me.  All of the supplies you can find at the Dollar Tree, my favorite store.  If you go out this weekend, be safe and take your hand sanitizer.   1. Container How do we keep all the supplies from running away?  Put them in their own space.  You could use a basket or tub.  Anything that holds stuff is good.  I prefer the ones with lids since we are clumbsy in this house. 2. Something to write with and something t...

I would have never thought this would happen.  Teachers working from home?  What about all the social aspects of education?  Well, since that is canceled, we are teaching parents that they really are their child's first teacher.  I teach Pre- K, so the daily activities will be related to that age.  I have taught many different grade levels and special education, so if you have questions, I am willing to help. The great thing about this stay at home situation is that there have been so many author read alouds and virtual field trips that have popped up and are ready to be used.  Technology has come so far since I started teaching, so lets use it. I hope you follow and have fun with us.

I have shared my love for interactive notebooks in poetry, so now I'll share how I have become attached to them in math. Math is and needs to be a very hands on subject for young children.  I would only use these notebooks after a hands on activity and as an added resource for children to look at. I started to make my own math notebook pages that matched the TEKS but still had a bit of fun in them.  I love all the great people on Teacher Pay Teacher that make clip art.  I have been able to take their art ability and use it to make notebook pages more fun.  I only use black and white clip art to save on ink and to make copies clear.  I have loved making these math notebook pages. Numbers 1-5 if free at TPT Since I am now teaching K,1, and 2 math, I have found as I learn a new TEK,  I can easily make a new notebook page to introduce it to my classes.  I hope as I get better at using the program the pages will become more creative and...

Children come to school with one important word in their mind.  Each child has a unique name and it brings ownership and self pride when you use there names.  It also helps children learn each other's name and builds a community.   This is why starting with their names as the first letters and words they learn is so important.  I always start everything with the child's name Word Work center-previous post with lots of fun ideas Art center- invisible name Label-label everything with their name, point out their names as you walk down the hallway Say it- Add their names to poems, fingerplays, and games.  Here in a previous post, I made Name Stick Puzzle s for all the children in my child's class. Letter work center- Rowdy in Room 300  has this free printable you can use with letter pasta, magnetic letters,letter beads, or any other manipulatives you can find. This could also be used with your sensory tub that i...

     Because we have been so focused on teaching our children to read at such a young age, I think we do not do enough math or science with our young children.  There are days, while subbing in a class, that I have seen no science and only a cut and paste worksheet for math.  Just as we teach pre-reading skills we also need to teach pre-math skills.  The skills necessary for adding and subtracting and figuring out word problems don't start in first grade.  Unlike letters, left to right, one to one corespondence, math skills come more natural to young children.  Also the math skills we teach, such as one to one correspondence, patterning, and trial and error, are some of the same skills needed in reading.      Therefore, I believe we need to offer more than just practice counting to our students.  I have chosen to split up my reading centers from my math centers to give the same amount of focus on pre-math as pre-rea...

Mrs. Miner 's kindergarten has a cute idea.  Using a digital frame to show site words.  It would work with letters, numbers, words, or anything you want your kids to recognize.  She has her kids read, spell or write the words they see.  I think I would like to try it as a bingo game.  Children could stamp or cover up the symbol as they see it. I love these math stations from Mrs. Miner's Kindergarten Monkey Business freebies Differentiated Instruction, guest post on prek and sharing  has printables for using nature in your centers. No Time for Flashcards  has a fun way to I spy letters  or anything maybe on a school walk or read around the room. I like this idea from Kindergarten Crayons  for a word work station, but I might have to adapt it a little for my kids. Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational (such a great name)  has a fun game that will get kids up and moving and keep them thinking with very little s...

To begin again. Each year teachers all over the country begin a new year in hopes of bringing the best education to a group of children.  We decorate rooms, move furniture, prepare lessons with a big smile.  As a teacher,  all I ever wanted to do is give children a positive belief in themselves and learning.  It has become difficult to do that.  All the pressure from standardized testing has been pushed completely through all levels of education.  Kindergarten included.  They need to be reading fluently or their is something wrong with you as a teacher or with the kid.  The 5 year old who just wants to please their teacher.  No matter how rediculous or inappropriate or boring the task is.  They aim to please. Well I refuse to push kids so hard, they want to cry.  I want to encourage not enforce learning.  I will begin again with the belief that every child I see, deserves what I want to give them.   I will push ...

Sight Word Darts          In first grade, sight words are not just important for reading, but a very long list of 238 words are a grade.  Learning these words will help students read more fluently and move up reading levels.        For readers who are on first grade level or higher, the words come easily through reading. But for the struggling readers I work with, these words are confusing and a chore to learn.  Because these readers do not catch on to these words through drill and practice, I had to come up with some fast, easy, fun ways to practice sight words without spending a lot of money.      You can purchase these at the Dollar Tree.  They have a sticky end that will stick to anything until they get too dirty.  I was able to get them to work longer by cleaning them with water.  I have gone through 2 packs in 6 months.  Which is still fairly che...