Peek at our Week: MATH

Here's a peek at our lessons for next week in math. We'll be using several activities from the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards. If you are interested in any of the reproducibles, just click the unit below. It will take you to the Georgia Department of Education. You'll have to join a wiki, but then you'll be able to see all of the math units available to Georgia kindergarten teachers.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions! Or just leave me a note on the Smart Kids facebook page! Click the chart to download.

Want to see more lesson plans? Visit the linky sponsored Mrs. Wills!

Stages of Beginning Writers and "L" FREEBIE

At my school, the first few weeks are filled with state and local assessments. Whew! I'm glad those are done. While they are super time consuming, I admit they are valuable. I've learned that my kids are low on phonemic awareness and may need more work with letter names and sounds than last year's group. My school uses Saxon Phonics and the first letter is Ll. This week we worked on the first page in our Animals A to Z books. Take a look at the different levels of my writers:

Writer who hears initial sounds...

My song is about my teachers.

Writer who hears initial and ending sounds...

My song is about giraffes.

Writer who hears the vowels and is starting to use some sight words and conventional spelling.

My song is about the jungle. (What is in the jungle?) He likes the trees and the sky.

I love the challenge of coaching kids with their writing every day!

By the way, if you are interested in these prompts, you can get them in page or booklet form.

Here is the L page to get you started.

Mice Squeak, We Speak FREEBIE for Literacy Center

Doves coo. Pigs squeal. Horses neigh. But I SAY! 

My smart kids enjoyed this book this week—we have the big book version—and here's what I have to say about it! Get it and try out some of these simple ideas...

*Read the book and let the kids make the animal sounds.

*Compare the animals by size.

*Take a closer look at the pictures. What would each animal be saying if it was speaking in a human language?

*Which animal would you be? Write your name on a sticky note and put it on that page in the book.

*Make a class bridge map display.

* Explain that sentences having naming parts and action parts. Once the students are familiar with the text, let the boys and girls take turns reading each part. Mice (boys) squeak (girls). 

*Use this freebie to make puzzle cards. Match the sentence parts as a group or with partners. Later place the pieces in a center so that students can write and illustrate their own sentences. Click the picture to get it free!

Pete's Shoe-Tying Certificates

I'm just so glad I have a new friend to help me start off the year in Kindergarten. Pete the Cat! Did Pete help you and your kids get started rockin' in your school shoes? If so, you might like these free shoe-tying certificates. Just click to go get them!

TPT SALE and Chicka Gift

Happy Saturday, Friends! I've been back in school for two weeks now...and as my grandmother would say, "I am too pooped to pop!" So I'm going to sit right here on my sofa with a cup of coffee and work on my wish list. Tomorrow morning I'll be at the TPT Sale. Cha ching! I'd be delighted if you would add some items to your wish list.

Be sure to check out my facebook page for a gift from ME! Click the pic to go there!