Tech for Kinders

Emi's research and use of Common Curriculum looks very organized (love that!) and comprehensive. It looks like  Common Curriculum can be used to do long-range planning and to adjust those plans as needed while incorporating Common Core Standards. It looks like there is a lot that it can do to help teachers stay on top of their planning and teaching. I will need to take a closer and longer look to fully understand all of it.

 

Magic Circle

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel"
             -Maya Angelou

I've seen various versions of this saying through the years and I am not sure who said it first but I truly believe it- with adults as well as with children.

Kinder Phonics

A few weeks ago Emi asked about my approach to Literacy and teaching Phonics and Reading.  This is a topic dear to me as I clearly remember learning to read in First Grade. It was magic!!   We all sat on the floor in front of my teacher as she would read to us from a big Dick and Jane book. There was one with a red cover and one with a blue cover.   She would read each page to us and discuss the pictures and have us repeat the words. The pictures were adorable and sweet. My brother and sister would have been Dick and Jane (I still love the name Jane) and I would have been the pesky little sister. 

Polar Express Pajama Parade

We had a Polar Express Pajama Parade this week at school. Scholastic Reading Club /Classrooms Care has an amazing Pajama Program- more information on that can be found here and I encourage you all to look at it, it really was such a great experience both for us and for the kids.  We had our Kindergarten and First Graders bring new pajamas to donate (if they wanted to) and Scholastic will match each pair of pajamas with new book for a child in need- how wonderful, right? We had so many cute nightgowns and pajamas donated in our class, just look at this adorable Hello Kitty Christmas nightgown.

Giving Thanks in Kindergarten

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday - it's all about family, friends, fun and food. I  love the traditions and I have so much to be thankful for. It has become more meaningful since Emi and I visited Plymoth Plantation about 10 years ago and found out more about the true history of Thanksgiving. What a great place! I love history.