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Letter Work Activities for Kindergarten

July 21, 2023 teachersbrain Back to School, kindergarten survival, Teaching Tips

We all know that teaching letters to our little ones can be an exciting and crucial milestone. If you’re looking for a delightful collection of interactive and engaging letter work activities for kindergarten learners, you’re in the right place! From letter hunts to multi-sensory creations, you’ll love these ways to make letter learning a joyous experience for our little learners.

Here are some letter work activities your students will love:

Letter of the Week

Introduce one letter each week, and make it super exciting! Decorate the classroom with pictures of things that start with that letter, read books featuring the letter, and encourage kids to bring in items from home that begin with the letter of the week.

Multi-Sensory Activities

Engage your kiddos in hands-on activities involving different senses. Use materials like sand or shaving cream for letter writing, have them mold letters out of playdough, or use finger paint to create letter art (more exciting alphabet activities here!)

Letter Hunts

Turn letter recognition into an adventure! Organize letter hunts around the classroom or school. Give them a list of letters to find, and when they spot one, they can call it out with excitement.

Letter Sounds Practice

Once they get a good grasp of individual letter names, introduce letter sounds. You can do this through playful activities like “What Sound Does it Make?” where you show them pictures of objects and ask which letter sound they hear at the beginning.

Letter Writing Practice

Provide them with plenty of opportunities to practice writing the letters. Start with large-sized letters on paper or whiteboards, and as they improve, gradually move to smaller ones.

If you’re looking for a resource that has everything you need to make letter work fun and easy and more, I have you covered!

This Kindergarten Everything Mega Bundle will have you set for the year!

I have you covered with this huge endless curriculum bundle of bundles with a MASSIVE AMOUNT of materials made with kindergarten in mind! Even assessments are included.

YEAR-LONG SUBJECTS

Guided Reading
Monthly Writing Themed Journals
Morning Work Journals
Kindergarten Math Centers
Science
Social Studies

Check out the YouTube Tutorial!

Reading Curriculum includes activities, lesson plans and assessments for:

Phonics
Phonemic awareness
Comprehension
Vocabulary
Fluency

Kindergarten Math Centers includes activities, lesson plans and assessments for:

SCIENCE includes activities, lesson plans and assessments for:

Social Studies includes activities, lesson plans and assessments for:

BONUS – Butterfly Life Cycle Flip Book

Writing Journals Included: (with word banks and rubrics)

BONUS: Silly Story Starters

Kindergarten Morning Work Included:

• August and September Morning Work

• October and November Morning Work

• December and January Morning Work

• February and March Morning Work

• April and May Morning Work

When I say this has everything, I mean it! Check it out here!

I hope you found these tips and resources helpful! Remember to celebrate progress! Be generous with praise and encouragement. Positive reinforcement goes a long way in building kindergarten students confidence and love for learning!

Open House That Is Sure To Open Eyes

July 29, 2022 teachersbrain Back to School

Summer is quickly coming to an end which means it’s time to start preparing for back-to-school night or back-to-school open house. This night is a great time to get to know your new students and their parents and kick off an amazing year.

This is likely going to be your first time meeting your new students and their parents and it’s natural to want to make a good impression. If you are looking for some school open house tips, you’re in the right place!

How do you prepare for a school open house?

Open house or back-to-school night is going to be different for each teacher depending on the school you’re at. So first things first, you’ll want to see what the school expects of you. Generally, parents and students will filter in and out of your classroom to meet you and get acquainted with the new classroom.

Think about things you want to make sure parents and students know before the first day of school. You can create a short presentation on Google Slides or put together a short “About me” document that covers all of the basics.

Some things to include in your presentation:

Fun facts about you
What they can expect from you and your classroom
Any fun plans for the school year
Daily Schedule
Class rules and behavior management basics
Contact information

You can make the most of this time by setting out important forms that parents need to fill out, volunteer forms, and other important hand-outs. While parents are occupied, students can take this time to do a quick little “about me” activity themselves so that you can learn a little about them as well.

What should teachers do at an open house?

Open houses are generally very busy and you will have a lot of people wanting to chat with you. This means that you likely won’t have a lot of time to talk to each parent. Having everything important set out ahead of time along with your preferred method of contact information will give families everything they need regardless of how much face-to-face time they are able to get.

Remember, the best thing you can do is be yourself! Parents and students will love seeing your personality shine and they will feel more comfortable when they feel like they know a little about you.

Looking for some back-to-school open house activities for your students?

I have you covered! This cute, personalized people Mini-Me Craft is the perfect activity to keep students occupied! These printables will help personalize a little mini-me for your students just in time for school.

You can also use them for measurement or All About Me Projects. Students can design their own shirt, use their own colors, cut, paste together, and add yarn or doll hair to help make their Mini Me special.

What is this download?

Heads

Boy Shirt

Pants

Girl Shirt

Skirt

Girl legs (pants) and arms

Boy legs shoes and arms

Accessories (hat, glasses, bows)

Shirt Choices

Girl legs with shoes (for the skirt and dress)

I hope you love these back-to-school open house ideas! What are your favorite open house tips? Let me know in the comments!

For more open house tips, check out my post here!

Why You Need A Visual Schedule In Elementary

December 10, 2021 teachersbrain Back to School, Classroom Behavior Management, Classroom Decor, Teaching Tips

We all know how important it is to get our students in a good routine for a smooth running classroom. Students thrive when they know what to expect for their day.

Studies show that a good routine helps with behavior management issues in the classroom. It also helps your students feel more safe with the consistency that it brings.

When I was in the classroom at the start of the year, I tried to ensure that I go over the schedule and break down the entire day for my students. This included what we do when we come in for the day, what subjects we work on when, when we transition to lunch and specials, how we transition to lunch and specials, and the pickup/ going home procedures.

I found it to be beneficial to have a visual for younger students who may need extra help remembering the daily schedule and procedures.

I created this Classroom Visual Daily Schedule to help smooth out the transitions and give students the peace of mind that comes with knowing what comes next every day.

You can use these cards on a pocket chart, wall, or magnetic board to easily edit and move your schedule around. You can even allow students to take a card to the next task if they have trouble transitioning.

This resource is a digital, editable PowerPoint so you can edit it to fit your needs. You can also personalize it if desired!

Here’s everything I included

42 editable PowerPoint slides (*Make sure you have PowerPoint)
Black and White with Clocks (moveable hands and text boxes provided)
Cursive and print for intermediate or primary classrooms
Blank cards
Directions with suggested fonts
Pictures cards include ( A+, apple, backpack, chalkboard, books, bell, lunch, milk, glue, globe, clock, crayons, owl, grad hat, paint pallet, paintbrush, bookworm, bus, pencil, pen, check, bell, stars, scissors, beaker, music, paper airplane, protractor, data journal, music, magnets, locker, glasses, light bulb, ruler, flask, heart, sun, tent, music notes, tie, flashlight, plant, tie, test tube)

I would put these at the front of the classroom on the board or in our Calendar Time area. I noticed how much of a difference it made in my students when we had a clear, easy-to-understand schedule.

What do you do to teach students your daily schedule? Let me know in the comments!

Desk Pets for the Classroom: a Behavior Management Tool

August 24, 2021 teachersbrain Back to School, Classroom Behavior Management, Distance Learning, Teacher's Pay Teachers

I’m obsessed with how Desk Pets improve classroom behavior!

All over the internet, in the teacher’s lounge, on TikTok, and on educational blogs, the latest buzz is about Desk Pets! The original idea came from Marissa Begay. Buying cute erasers is nothing new for teachers regarding classroom rewards, but Desk Pets take it to a new level! I can’t stop creating new ideas for these mini erasers! Just like students, teachers love to be part of the fun! This is why I suggest teachers have their own Desk Pet Pal! Also, students see that even adults have rules to follow. Clearly, the principal would give you your Desk Pet Dollars. lol

What are Desk Pets?

Desk pets are adorable small erasers students can adopt in the classroom. Undoubtedly, I found mine on Amazon. Students keep their pets at their desks. If you don’t want them at their desks all day, you can have a designated time for them to be at their desk. Not only can they write with them, but they can also read to their Desk Pet. Students fill out classroom adoption papers. It reminds me of Build-a-Bear workshops. To turn these amazing pets into a reward system, students earn Desk Pet Dollars to purchase accessories or habitats for their pets. They can even adopt pet friends if they earn enough points. You decide on the points students have to earn to get a Desk Pet Dollar. Teachers track points with Class Dojo or a simple, portable tally chart.

How do Desk Pets work?

First, the rules need to be made clear. To make sure these Desk Pets don’t drive you crazy, set the ground rules, or better yet, have the students create the rules to help them take ownership. Honestly, I don’t think it’s a great idea to begin the year by introducing this classroom management system. I would wait until the classroom rules are being followed, and students have developed a respect for your classroom. Additionally, I begin with using them as math manipulatives rarely, so students get a little familiar with the erasers before teaching the expectations. Before the holidays is a perfect time to introduce this system.

After students fill out the adoption application and adopt their pet, send home information to families to get them to reinforce the excitement and responsibility of having a Desk Pet Pal. Definitely, encourage parents to ask about the pets, earning points, and dollars.

There’s more…

Set up a way that students can achieve a Permanent Home Adoption Certificate later in the year if they acquire a large number of points. Every time students earn maybe 10 points, they get a dollar. Furthermore, create a pet store where they can buy food, treats, toys, beds, bowls, or habitats. These can be felt pieces, simple construction paper, cotton balls for a bed, and bottle caps as bowls. Additionally, allow students each week to buy their pet something.

Every day you should set time aside, even if it’s 5 minutes of quiet reading time with their pet. This is “free time” that they don’t have to earn with points. Furthermore, have an Adoption Center where you display the pets in a safe area.

Desk Pets make great writing prompts! Students enjoy writing about their pets. If having them all day at their desk is a problem, decide on a place to store them until the appropriate designated Pet Playtime. Teachers have pet daycares, hotels, or simple plastic bins for this purpose. Another idea is to use the hotel to store the animals daily. It prevents lost pets. Even more, teachers create a class goal to have a pet party.

What are students most excited about?

Students get excited by spending dollars at the pet store and building new habitats for their pets. Furthermore, students are learning about science, math skills with counting dollars, responsibility, writing, and rules. My own kids who are past elementary age loved these little erasers, so use them at any age. Without a doubt, students will remember you for the fun, engaging way you helped them to stay on task. I know as a parent, I love the idea of Desk Pet Pals!

I teach virtual school. Can Desk Pets work for me?

YES! Google slides make it easy to use digital desk pets. Also, digital clipart can be sent to the students. And, have students use writing prompts with their pets. It should be noted that you can offer clipart of accessories, food, or toys in exchange for Virtual Pet Points.

What happens if they get lost or stolen?

Great question! Without a doubt, you will experience cute erasers going missing. I have a Pet Detective form students can fill out and reward posters for students to create for missing pets. Then, I tell the student their adoption contract is voided and they can adopt a new pet until the other one is found. Certainly, if someone gets caught stealing, remove points from their data log. I like to track behavior points for difficult behaviors and use the data charts in meetings.

I love that the mini erasers can be used for other educational purposes too! Here are some ideas:

Math Manipulatives
Creative Writing Prompts
Opinion Writing
Design Posters or Write a Book About the Pet
Hide them in the room to play I Spy or Write the Room
Sort by Colors
Create a Report on the Animal
Learn How to Care for a Pet
Design a Pet Habitat

Check out these pre-made PowerPoints and Digital Google Slides that will save you time coming up with Desk Pet ideas and activities.

Try this FREE Sample to get started on your Desk Pet Journey!