Kindergarten Service Project – Children’s Hospital Pillowcases

My kindergarten class embarked upon one of the most worthwhile, amazing Service Projects ever!  We had a conversation in my classroom about “going to the hospital.”  That led to children discussing their fears about staying overnight in the hospital.  I shared with my students that our Children’s Hospital accepts really cute, bright, cheery pillowcases for children to use (and keep) when they have to stay over night in the hospital to make them feel more comfortable and happy.  We decided to MAKE PILLOWCASES for the Children that have stay overnight at the hospital.

First we needed to know what was required for the pillowcases.  We got our guidelines from ConKerr Cancer, a nationwide organization that provides smiles to children with life changing illnesses to make them feel special.

I sent home a newsletter to all the parents telling them about our project and asking for their (optional) participation.  My kindergarten students were to choose the fabric for 2 pillowcases and help their parent with the measuring!  The parent was asked to do the sewing.  If they did not know how to sew, I offered to do the sewing for them!  Several parents took me up on this!!  (I LOVE sewing!!!) 

My student’s were absolutely delighted to show the fabric they picked out at school!!  And, this project took on a multi-generational turn!!  Some of the mom’s that didn’t know how to sew asked their moms or grandmothers to help or teach them how to sew!  Some of the moms even put together a sewing club when the pillowcases were completed. 

We ended up with well over 100 pillowcases to send to Children’s Hospital!   This is a service project that works well year round, not just around Christmas!

A few of our pillowcases and some VERY proud creators!!

Christmas and Winter Themed Reader's Theater!

If you are searching for a way to get your students to enjoy reading, become more expressive, read aloud with confidence, become more fluent…then let the magic begin!!

I have found using Reader’s Theater with large and small groups really helps my students strengthen their reading and language arts skills!  My class CHEERS every time I tell them we are going to do Reader’s Theater!!  This technique makes reading come alive for your students and can really develop classroom full of confident readers!  It is especially important that the stories are fun and engaging!

Reader’s Theater is a great way to reach the individual needs of a variety of students at one time!  Accelerated readers can continue to develop expressive reading, and develop or expand their vocabulary.  Struggling readers are real legitimate reason to read aloud and to re-read.  Collaborating with peers is one of the most appealing features of Readers Theatre; students did not feel alone as they read, they did not have to read the whole text, and they experienced breaks between their reading.

Below you will see the Christmas and Winter Themed Reader's Theater scripts I have available!

One Tough Turkey Inspired Native American Paper Bag Costumes!

After reading the story One Tough Turkey by Steven Kroll, we turned it into a Reader's Theater!  Oh, what fun we had!  My students wanted to make Native American costumes!  See the picture below to see what we can do with a mere paper grocery bag!!!

Costumes made from Paper Grocery Bags!

Bears, Bears Everywhere!!!!

For our Bear Thematic Study, all my students brought their favorite TEDDY along with their favorite BEAR BOOK!!!!  We ended our study with a Teddy Bear's Picnic in the school yard!  When the picnic was over we all played in the leaves!!  YES, THIS IS THE JOY OF TEACHING AND LEARNING!!!

You too can experience ALL this Joyful Teaching and Learning!

Click on the Bear Thematic Unit of Study below!!!

Drama Chronicles - Somebody and the Three Blairs

After reading Somebody and the Three Bears by Marilyn Tolhurst, I have a discussion about what the similarities and differences are with this story and the original version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.   After brainstorming a list, the students choose a part they would like to play from either story and find other’s interested in working together.  I assist with helping form the groups.   They meet in various areas of the room and create an original play with their own characters to do their own version of Somebody and the Three Blairs.

Please click the Somebody and the Three Blairs picture below for my Reader's Theater of this book!!!

Making a Life Size Stuffed Bear!!!

Such a BIG bear for a little guy!!!

How sweet is that!!??!!!  This little guy told me he wanted to make a "life size" stuffed bear!!  I asked him if he  had a plan of how he'd like to do it.

He said, "I sure do.  First I need to get a book from the library about bears.  Then I need a really big 'measuring stick.'  Then I need a really big piece of paper and all the paper from the trash can.  And I need ALL your staples."  (All the paper from the trash can was to be balled up and used as stuffing!!!)

I was awestruck by this little guy's plan!!  He know EXACTLY what he wanted to do and how to do it!!  He even labeled it!!

It is so very important that we listen to, and honor our students ideas!  He inspired several other students, who made giant bears, too!

Fall FREEBIE!!

Please click on the picture below to download my FREE Raking in the Syllables Literacy Center!!
This is a great independent center I use with my class.  It is also great to use with a small group of children and a parent volunteer!  

This literacy center consists of 4 Rake Sorting Mats.  Also included are 4 sheets containing 32 fall leaves with a word and matching picture.  The words are one, two, three, or four syllables. 

I recommend you laminate, or mount all of the mats and leaves on card stock.  There are extra blank leaves so that you may write in your own words.  I use my student’s names, too!!  They LOVE raking the leaves!!  If you download it, I'd really appreciate positive feedback!!

FREEBIE!!  Click on the picture to get this FUN Raking in the Syllables Literacy Center!!

Goldilocks and the Three Bears Puppets!

Another activity my students LOVED from our Thematic Bear Unit of Study was creating a puppet of one of the characters from Goldilocks and the Three Bears out of anything!!  As you can see in the picture below, many of these were family projects, which was encouraged.  Once all the puppets were at school, the children grouped themselves in various groups and acted out their own versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  Some of the stories had 2 or 3 Goldilocks characters, some had more than one baby, and a variety of other combinations!

If you like doing drama activities with your students, you might really like my Somebody and the Three Blairs Reader's Theater!!

Click this Reader's Theater!!

Shape Bears!

For our Bear Thematic Unit of Study, one of the weekly sharing themes is to create a bear completely out of one of the following shapes - circle, square, or triangle.  I was so proud of my students efforts!  They turned out GREAT!  When they were telling about their Shape Bear creations - they also told how many of that particular shape they used to make their bear.  What a great MATH activity - shapes and counting with a purpose!!!

Circle Bears

Square Bears

Triangle Bears

If you would like to see my Thematic Bear Unit click the picture below!

Drama Chronicles - Letter Sounds with Monsters!

Materials...

The Monster Book of ABC Sounds by Alan Snow    

Music -  Frankenstein by Edgar Winter

Mini clip of Frankenstein from the movie Young Frankenstein

Paper and Crayons

For movement show a clip from the movie Young Frankenstein.  The clip sets the mood for monsters.  Next, ask the students to pose their body as if they were Frankenstein.  Next play the music Frankenstein and ask them to move around the room as if they were Frankenstein. 

Side Coaching – Feel your heavy feet.  Would Frankenstein move fast or slow?  Are you limp of stiff?  How would Frankenstein hold his arms?

Read The Monster Book of ABC Sounds by Alan Snow.  Ask the children to make the sounds as you are reading the story.  Be sure to point out the letters of the alphabet that begin with each letter.

Move to the music again, this time calling out a letter of the alphabet.  As you call out a letter instruct the children to make a monster sound tat begins with that letter.

Brainstorm a list of monster sounds from the story.  Write the words on a chart.  Put a talking balloon around each one as you are writing them.  Each student will draw a monster of his/her choice.  Make a talking balloon coming out of the monster’s mouth and choose one of the sounds from the chart or any other sound they want their monster to make. 

Tips: Model a few monsters out of a variety of shapes so that the students don’t get hung up on not knowing how to make a monster.

This student loved the activity so much, that she made a monster mask at home
that evening and brought it school the next day and asked me to repeat it!
(Of course, I DID!!!)

A Special Visit From Smokey the Bear

During my Bears Thematic Literacy Unit we had a special visit from none other than Smokey the Bear!!  If you or your students love BEARS…you’ll love this unit!

It is filled with printable activities to help your students grow, grow, grow in their literacy skills and Incorporates Common Core Standards!  The unit has two weeks of literacy activities and a suggested book list for everyday of the unit.  I’ve included a CONTENTS page and all pages are numbered to help keep you organized.  

As a BONUS I have created a Bear Color Word Literacy Center!  Just print, cut, laminate, and they are ready to go!  There is even an instruction page and a Literacy Center Label to mount on the outside of a large envelope for your Literacy Center.

Activities include:

Bear Sentence Writing and Building Printables

Bear Opposites

The Rhyming Bear Activity

Color by Sight Word

Fill in the Proper Bear Punctuation with Periods or Question Marks

Brown Bear, Brown Bear Book Template

Beehive Word Families  

Bear Word Family Trash Cans

Attending to Correct Spelling that you just can’t BEAR!

Suggested Bear Fiction Book List to Compliment the Unit

Click to view Bears Thematic Literacy Unit

Famous Bear Portrait made with water colors and black marker outline.
This activity can be found in my Bears Thematic Literacy Unit

Bear Cave made by entire class.  Each student brought in something they might find in a bear cave.
This activity can also be found in my Bears Thematic Literacy Unit

If you would like to inquire about how Smokey the Bear can come to your classroom or would like Smokey the bear teaching resources click on Smokey below!

"Twas the Night Before Parent Conferences!

‘Twas the night before parent conferences and all through the house,

Not a teacher was sleeping, not even my spouse!

My grade cards were placed on my lesson plans with care,

In hope that *Mrs. Smith (*insert any parent name you wish!!) wouldn’t pull out my hair!

My students were nestled all snug in their wee little beds,

While visions of no homework danced in their wee little heads.

My husband in his earplugs and I in my “thinking cap”

Had just settled down for a well deserved nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flashcard,

I peered out and saw 10 parents standing in my yard!

The mini-van driver was loud and quite mad,

I knew right away that this would be bad.

More rapid than 5^th graders running down the hall,

They hollered and they shouted names that made my skin crawl.

You weasel, you creature, you bone-head, you worm,

You ameba, you phony, you pinhead, you germ!

To the top of their lungs, all the way to the mall.

Dash away, dash away dash away all.

I spoke not a word, ‘cause it was all a bad dream.

I went to the kitchen, ate a gallon of ice cream.

I went back to bed, knowing all would be swell.

Happy parent conferences to all, I hope they go well!

I created checklists that serve as an easy way to track the common core standards I am responsible for.  I love them because they help keep me focused on what I am teaching!!  They are also INVALUABLE to have handy during parent-teacher conferences for talking points and documentation of each student’s progress! Please click on the links below to check them out!!!