This free gingerbread positional words reader (here) is perfect for working on positional words with your class! We use this during our gingerbread unit, which you can read about here.Depending on the level of your students, you can work on receptive language and following directions to place the gingerbread on each page, or you can have students read each page themselves.My friend Abby had a great idea to laminate the book and make it reusable for her small group:She made it a little more ...
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Gingerbread Activities for Kindergarten
Our past two weeks have been full of fun, hands-on gingerbread activities! The December chaos has hit my room hard, and these were this was the perfect way to let us have fun while still learning a lot.The History of GingerbreadWe started the first day by activating our schema about gingerbread and reading about their history. If we were going to be spending weeks doing gingerbread activities, I thought knowing what gingerbread actually is would help!We read this nonfiction book to find out all ...
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The Easiest Winter Trees Craft for Kids
This is a winter craft that I love pulling out year after year! It's so easy to prep and it always turns out cute. So when I had literally half of my class out this week, it was easy for me to switch up my plans for the afternoon to make this winter trees craft!See how cute they turned out (even if kindergarteners do not yet understand the concept of 'less is more' when it comes to paint.)?Materials needed:* White triangles (not pictured. I just made a full-page triangle in powerpoint using the ...
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Germs and Hand Washing Activities for Kindergarten
You know you're a teacher when these are your best friends:It feels like the germs and sickness are never-ending! That's why, when it gets really bad, I pull out this tried and true activity.We start by reading about what a germ is. I love the book "Germs Make Me Sick." Students need some background knowledge on why they should avoid these unseen things.I have all of my students sit in a circle. Then, I tell them I am going to pretend to sneeze and the green glitter is going to be the germs on ...
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Reindeer Activities
If you've taught kindergarten in December, then you know it can get a little crazy. I learned a long time ago that the best way to survive is to embrace the chaos!That's why I love learning about reindeer every December! My students are amazed to find out the reindeer are real and - big shock here - they don't fly. Mind. Blown.As we read about reindeer (which we learn are also called caribou), we add information to our anchor chart on sticky notes. I love this because I can laminate the anchor ...
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Building Writing Stamina in Kindergarten
I hear you. Trying to build up writing stamina in kindergarten can seem impossible. Especially at the beginning of the year when most of our students are not "writing" yet.But it's possible! Especially with these tried and true tips for building up your students' writing stamina. Building Writing Stamina in KindergartenAt the beginning of the year, you want your students to want to write for longer periods of time. Start off writing for short periods of time and slowly build up. The first few ...
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