Farm Time!

There is one word to describe this time of the year:  busy!  It feels like the sprint to the finish and there is still soooo much I want to do and teach your little ones!  I would love to share with you some things we did when learning about farms!

In the dramatic play center I had a bunch of farm animals and farm accessories and they had to make their own farm.  They loved this and could have probably played happily for hours!

We made a chart about what we knew about farms and what we wanted to learn.  At the end of the week we sat down and talked about all that we had learned.  I have such a smart group of kids.  <3

We practiced our counting and writing numbers to 20 by the game below.  They had to count how many dots were on the horse and then write the number.  They are really doing great with this!

We listened to farm stories!  Listening to stories has so much value for these children.  It is fun now, because most of them can follow along and they notice sight words and other things within the text!  I started a new activity after listening centers to focus on their comprehension of the story as well.  They have to rate how much they liked the story, and then write and draw about their favorite part.  I love, love, love this and feel like it is so worthwhile to the listening activity. :)

Of course, we  READ, READ, READ!!!!!!! :)

We have started learning about time, so I made this game where they had to read the digital clock and then draw the correct hands on the analog clock.  I was pleasantly surprised at how well they did this activity.  :)  We have started time to the nearest hour and we will learn time to the nearest half hour.

The students made a Farm Fact Book this week as well.  Every day we did a different page.  They had to find the correct words in their word bank and write it in the sentence.... making sure their sentence made sense.  Loved this!

Working hard on the sheep page. :) 

Cutting out eggs for the chicks!

Hmmmm.... where is that word?

Painting mud!

Cutting grass for the cow to eat.

 

"This is the way we churn our cream, churn our cream, churn our cream..... this is the way we churn our cream, when we make BUTTER!"  Oh yeah!  We made butter after learning about cows.... and the kids loved, loved, loved it! 

Shake, shake, shake!!!

Our fabulous finished BUTTER!

Time to eat! 

As usual.... we did SOOO much more than what is pictured.  We had a wonderful interactive writing about pigs.  I sent it home today so check it out!  They were BEAUTIFUL!!!  We read a ton of farm stories.  We learned three new sight words:  could, but, who.  We did a math activity about counting sheep.... and so much more!  Farms are fun!  :)

Before I bid this post adieu, I must tell you about something tragic (at the time) that happened last week.  So, I sit down to get ready to make an awesome slideshow and post about our Putnam Museum field trip.  I was excited to share all of my pictures! I take out my memory card, pop it into my card reader, wait.... wait.....wait for the pictures to pop up in iphoto.... and then, nothing.  Not a one.  I try again.  Still nothing.  I brought my nice camera too!  I was pretty devastated.  It has once again reaffirmed in my mind that technology can be your greatest friend, or biggest enemy.  I still have no idea where those pictures went.  **sigh**  So, I am vowing to bring TWO cameras to the zoo!  This cannot happen again! :)

Oh, and despite what one of my sweeties thinks, yes, I would still like you to practice money with your child even though we don't do it every day in class anymore. ;)

Have a great week! 

Plants a Plenty!

Happy Spring!

I would like to start out this post talking about an emotional experience I had today.  It would be easy to blame my emotion on the pregnancy--- but truly I cannot, because anyone that knows me know that I tend to be a tad bit too emotional sometimes!  So, anyway, here it goes.....  For the next two weeks we have fourth grade reading buddies.  My students will be read to, and will get the chance to read to their buddies in return.  So today it began.  Marching down the hallway came these big fourth graders.  These just weren't any fourth graders.  These big ole' fourth graders just happened to be my first kindergarten class.  So, these precious children sat down with my little kinders now and read beautifully, fluently, with so much expression that I have to admit, I was just so darn proud!  I looked at how big they are, how smart, how amazing.... remembering them just at the same point that your children are at now.... their reading just budding, innocent, excited, oh-so-little....... and wowzers, the concept of time really hit me.  I can't believe it is April.  This year is almost over..... and I feel like I still have so much I want to instill in my little sweethearts.  I can just imagine the pride I'll feel when, someday, they come down to read to my new kindergartners.

Okay, emotional time over..... now onto some plants! :)

We learned soooo much about plants this past week!  We had a ton of great literacy and math activities that corresponded with our unit as well.  I want to thank Mrs. Lee for some awesome ideas for a unit on plants.  I try to build on units every year, and I always love expanding them, making new things, and getting new ideas.  We started this unit out in a fun way.  We read Peter Rabbit to get to the kids acquainted with the story and meet Mr. McGregor.  Then, I surprised the kids because Mr. McGregor wrote us a letter!!!

        

In the letter Mr. McGregor said that he heard we were learning about plants and he had some questions for us (you can click on the photo to see a larger version of the letter.)  Of course, at the end of the week we wrote Mr. McGregor back and answered his questions.  Due to time I had to do the writing, but the kids told me exactly what to write.  I had the kids circle sight words and some vowel patterns and digraphs that they have become familiar with when we were done.

     

We learned about the parts of a flower by doing a cute craft....

 

We practiced identifying money with this math center.  There were a bunch of vegetables and fruits and on the back of each was a coin.  They had to look at the coin, find the fruit or vegetable on the paper, and write the amount of money the plant cost.  Please, please, please continue to practice money at home.  I don't have any special advice or tricks.... it just takes practice and the children becoming familiar with them.  Even though we are moving on to measurement and numbers through 30, I am still planning on frequently revisiting coin identification, their value, and simple addition with them.  Learning about money is hard for these little guys so please help all you can at home as well. :)

I couldn't talk about Peter Rabbit and not make him!  However, when we were done making him the kiddos had to do a writing about what they would do if they were Peter Rabbit.  They did a great job on this and I am really starting to see their writing improve! 

We planted a garden in the hallway.  We painted fruits and vegetables.  We learned about what type of plant they were, how they grew, and what part of it we ate. 

 

 

Of course, we had to plant some real things too!  :)  We planted "something" for later this year.  Then, we learned that plants need sun, water, and air to grow so we put a seed in the window with a wet paper towel to see if it would sprout.  We check on them every day.  So far two have sprouted! :)  

Our seeds! 

Don't forget to be practicing sight words.  Here, as, that, should, of, his, up, with, said, are some new ones I've introduced.  Enjoy this beautiful weather!

Until next time,