Hello Kindergarten Families! Today is the LAST DAY of April! May Flowers are just around the corner!

1.Word Work: Breath Boxes! Keep working on those trick words/ sight words/ popcorn words! Please let me know if you completed pages one and two, I would be happy to send along the next challenge sheet in the series! The Breath boxes are attached below for your convenience if you need to reprint them! 

2. PE: Thursday are usually a PE day, so don’t forget to check out Coach Sadies blog space for a PE activity for Kindergarten this week! 

3. Writing/ Handwriting: This week’s writing challenge is all about spring! Use the sheet attached at the bottom to print out, or make your own! See if you can think of a word related to spring for each of the letters in the word SPRING to create your own poem! If you’d like, send me along what you wrote! I love to see what you are working on! Remember to use your best handwriting, lower case letters, staying within the lines, and proper letter formation! 

4. Reading/ Science/ Fine Motor Scissor practice: Check out the recommended book list at the end of this post for some great reads about plants! You can also check out the plant selections on Epic or Storyline Online. After you have read a book (or two!) together, please take a peek at the poster I included on this post that shows you the parts of a plant. Today’s science activity asks, “What do plants need?” Think about what you learned in the books you explored to help you in thinking about what plants need to thrive. ALSO, keep practicing those very important fine motor skills!! Like cutting!! The greater control students develop with cutting and hand eye coordination directly links to greater (and neater!)  handwriting skills and proper letter formation! 

5. Don’t Forget about the Ms. Martha color wheel challenge and scavenger hunt! Can’t wait to see what you find! 

6. Symphony Math: (20 min) http://content.symphonylearning.com/assets/student/start.html?v=7.2

Attachments:

Converted (breath boxes)

FunSpringWritingPaper

What do plants need activity

Happy  Wednesday Kindergarten Families! Today is Wednesday, so we have another chat today scheduled 4:00-4:30. Hope to see you there! A project K kiddos look forward to in the spring every year is our science unit on plants and the many opportunities to be involved in planting and growing. This week we will be doing some planting just the same! Except from a distance at home! If you did not receive bean seeds in the mail (or need new beans for any reason) please shoot me an email and we will send out two more!

1. Dance Party/ Movement: I don’t know about you, but I badly miss our Wednesday Dance Parties!!! So I am bringing back a “classic favorite” in Kindergarten today “Alabama, Mississippi!” So turn up your speakers, give yourself plenty of room, and show your family how it’s DONE!!!  “Shake it on down” Kindergarten!    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJohZLFjz_k

2. Math: Today I have an addition challenge for you! Print out the attachment labeled “Plant addition.”  For this activity, you may also want to take out some mini erasers, beans, dried pasta, or other manipulatives to help you solve these addition problems.  Once you have solved, identify the flower at the bottom with the correct answer to cut out and plant (paste) in that pot. Remember to do careful cutting!!! Try to stay on the line. Practice with fine motor skills such as cutting can help strengthen hand-eye coordination, hand strength, patience, persistence, and pride in a  job well done! As well as translating to improved handwriting skills!    

3. Science: Bean planting! If you haven’t planted your pole beans yet, today would be a good day to get them started! You will need the beans that Ms. Martha sent you in the mail, a container for planting (I recommend a Clear SOLO cup or clear pot so you can see the roots, but any pot/container you have at home will work! Once our beans are taller, we will be transferring them outside anyways.  At the bottom of this post I have included a Plant Observation Journal for you that you can print to keep track of your scientific observations! (These are “Plant Journal pages ONE, Plant Journal pages TWO, and Plant Journal pages THREE) There is a place for a picture with labels, a spot for you to write your observations, and a spot to measure how tall your plant is getting! On Wednesday and Friday chats we can share how our bean plant “babies” are doing!    

4. Fine Motor/ Creativity/ Art/ Persistence:  Today’s challenge just requires a few old magazines from your house that you are done using and can repurpose. As Rocky in Paw Patrol is known to say “Why trash it, when you can stash it!” You will also need glue, a pair of scissors, and a pencil or straw to help you make your magazine beads! Pick out some pages that have colors you like and rip them out of the magazine. Next, cut the magazine pages into strips in a somewhat “skinny triangle shape.” Using your straw or pencil to help you, start rolling one strip around the straw starting at the wide end and ending with the point. Secure the point down with glue (and rub a little glue on the outside of the “bead” too to seal it. Once it has dried, just slide it off the straw! This is a fantastic fine motor, finger strength, hand-eye-coordination, and patience and persistence activity!  You can even do sorting and counting activities after you have made all of your beads. What will you make with your beads?? A bracelet? A necklace? I have also included a helpful video here to visually see how to make the beads:

https://youtu.be/jMG40809rws

5) Lexia: (20 min) https://www.lexiacore5.com/

Attachments:

Plant addition

Plant Journal page ONE

Plant Journal page TWO (2) (dragged) 2

Plant Journal Page THREE

Its Tuesday already! Today I have an I-Spy challenge for you to complete! Also, don’t forget to check out the specialist’s blog pages each week for Music, Art, and PE activities for each grade level! Today is an exciting day for me as I have new pictures of Baby Eloise to share with you today! I cant wait until she arrives and we all get to meet her! We STILL haven’t decided on a middle name!! If you have a good idea, feel free to comment on this post! Below you will find the new baby picture, as well as some of the fantastic color wheel pics that are coming in for the Ms. Martha Weekly challenge!

1. Word Work/Writing: (30 min) I Spy Challenge! Today’s I-spy has three letter words that you can tap out! When you find a word hiding in the picture, circle it. Then see if you can tap it out to see what the word says. On your recording sheet, match up the word to the correct corresponding picture! OR you can start by tapping out and writing all of the words, then seeing if you can find them in the picture!  The attachment is labeled “What’s the Word Bird”

2. Science:  Log on to “Let’s Find Out” Magazine’s page. During the school year, students usually take home one a week in their orange friday folder. You may now access these online, and virtually complete the activity at the end of the virtual magazine. Access the website here: https://letsfindout.scholastic.com/home-page-logged-in.html  The classroom code is Roadsize6105. Read and complete the activities for “A Caterpillar Grows Up”

3. Art: Tuesdays are usually art days at school! Log into the art teacher’s blog to complete her assignment for Kindergarten for the week! 

4. Get Outside! See what you can build using just the things you can find outside. Will you build a fairy house? A home for a bug to live in? A new game using pebbles and stones and sticks? A map of your backyard? A maze? An animal trap? Get creative! 

5. Reading: Find any good book or two (or three), a favorite sit spot, and set the timer for at least 20 minutes. You might even bring a stuffie or pet with you to share your stories! Look through all of the pages and see if you can tell the story using your own words. What do you notice about the pictures in the books you chose? What do you notice about the words? Do you spot any words you can read? Trick words or popcorn words? Count how many pages are in the book you just read.  Do you have a favorite place to cuddle up and read? 

6. Symphony Math: (20 min)  http://content.symphonylearning.com/assets/student/start.html?v=7.2

Attachments:

Whats the word bird

Happy Monday Kindergarten!  Saturday was a beautiful day, I hope you had a chance to go outside and enjoy it! Evora and I spent many hours playing with bubbles and dancing in the backyard. We were dancing to Kindergarten’s favorite Pandora station and a song came on that made me think of JOEY. I am adding it here as it made me smile, and I hope it makes you smile too!  Miss you all so much!! 

Grab a favorite stuffie and snug up for a good book to start your day! I think you will really enjoy today’s selection on Epic!

1. Reading: Log in to Epic and read the story “Wooly and Me” together with a grown up or older sibling. Before reading, make a prediction about what you think the book will be about. After reading questions: What are some things that the child and Wooly enjoy doing together? How can you tell? What was your favorite part of the story? Were you surprised by the ending? Why or why not? Do you have a favorite stuffie that you like to play with? What do you enjoy doing with your stuffie? 

2. Writing: Draw a picture of something you enjoy doing with one of your favorite stuffies. Write 2-3 sentences, you may use the sentence starters “We like to…..” or “It is fun because…” or “My favorite stuffie is…..” “I like to because…….”  I would love to see your completed work and share some on the blog space! Send it along to me via email if you’d like to share! 

 3. PATHS: This week the PATHS program has forwarded to me a “Feelings Dictionary” to share with families to print at home. This dictionary is part of the 3rd grade PATHS curriculum, but has been suggested for use with K families as a way to explore and expand upon feeling vocabulary while at home. Read through the emotions in this dictionary together, asking your child if they are familiar with the emotion word, and if they can recall a time they may have felt that way. Also included with the dictionary is an activity page that includes questions you may ask your K child. You may choose to focus on one or two emotions more closely, and as a follow up activity have your child draw a picture and write a sentence about a time they felt that emotion.

4. Science: Signs of Spring! Many plants are starting to pop up out of the soil now! Grab a magnifying glass, a bug cage, a camera, and/or your science journal to capture what you find! See if you can find five different signs of spring in your backyard. Add them to your science journal by drawing a picture or printing and pasting in a picture. Don’t forget to add labels, write down where you found them and today’s date on your journal page. By the time we are done with remote learning, you will have completed several science journal pages and have a record of how nature has changed over the last several weeks!  Parents, check out the inaturalist app for your device, which can help you snap a picture and identify what you find!    

5. Music: Mondays are Music days in Kindergarten! Make sure you go to the music teacher’s blog page to see what she has planned for you this week!

6.  Lexia: (20 min) https://www.lexiacore5.com/

Attachments:

FeelingsDictionary

dictionary avtivity sheet

Happy Friday Kindergarten! April showers bring May flowers, and May is just one short week away! Today’s activities include Yoga  and a bright sunny craft to hang in your house! Enjoy this last sunny weekend of April!

1. Math: (30 Min)  Math: Play Top-It! (30 min)  For this math game you can use a deck of cards, with Jacks being 11, queens 12 and kings 13. Split the deck equally among players. Each player turns over their top card at the same time. The player with the highest card gets to take all cards layed down and put them at the bottom of their deck. First person to win all the cards wins the game! 

2) Movement/ Social Emotional Learning: (30 min) Yoga poses for kids, fantastic printable cards for reference with picture and written directions for the adult helper (attached to post). Find your center after a busy day or week. These can be used anytime to help calm your mind and body throughout the day. This is an activity that can be enjoyed by the whole family. I sourced these through a link on www.theinspiredtreehouse.com  Or go directly to the creator’s sight at  https://www.kidsyogastories.com/breathing-exercises-for-kids/  to find more fantastic resources for using yoga with kids!!! 

3) Word Work: (15 min)  Please go to the following link to download the FREE word work PDF document that includes 6 CVC word work pages. Students may choose one to complete each day this week! As there are only 4 days this week, they may choose to complete two on some days! I am not allowed to attach/ distribute this document due to copyright, but you may download and use it yourselves.  Enjoy!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Short-Vowel-CVC-Worksheets-4529112

4) Art/ Fine Motor/ Creativity: Sunshine craft! All you need for this fun craft is a paper plate, paint or markers, and multi colored paper (if you don’t have multi colored paper, magazine pages work well too!). You can choose to add other creative touches such as clothespins or twigs (for the sun rays) pompoms or cotton balls, google eyes…. Get creative! To get the curled paper effect at the bottom, wrap the paper strips around a pencil. This activity is great for building fine motor skills and creativity! Don’t forget to send along a picture of your completed artwork if you can! I’d love to post it on the blog space! 

5) PATHS/ Writing (30 min) Complete a page in your PATHS Feeling’s Journal. Write/draw about a feeling you had this week. Name the feeling, why you were feeling that way, and what you did. 

5) Lexia: (20 min) https://www.lexiacore5.com/

Attachments:

Yoga Poses for Kids

FeelingsJournal-3.12

Hello Kindergarten! Today I have a uniques scavenger hunt that I think you will really enjoy! It requires you to use your five sense. Can you list what your five sense are???  Have Fun!

1. Word Work: (15 min)  Please go to the following link to download the FREE word work PDF document that includes 6 CVC word work pages. Students may choose one to complete each day this week! As there are only 4 days this week, they may choose to complete two on some days! I am not allowed to attach/ distribute this document due to copyright, but you may download and use it yourselves.  Enjoy!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Short-Vowel-CVC-Worksheets-4529112

2) Movement/ Sensory Motor: (30-45 min) Sensory Motor Scavenger Hunt!  Get outside, get moving, and use your senses! This is a different scavenger hunt in that it is sensory based! Please find the list attached at the bottom! 

3) Art: (30-40 min) Please be sure you are checking out the specialist’s blog pages each week for weekly assignments and activities for art, music, library, and PE!  

4) Science/ Social Studies/ Reading/ Writing: (30 min) Recycling! There are many great books available to learn about earth day and recycling. If you don’t have one at home, there are several choices available online through the resources page at LES under literacy. Please check out the selections on Epic, Storyline Online, and Audible.  After completing one of these selections, students may then complete the Earth Day activity on recycling! It will ask them to think of items that they might recycle made of different materials. I would encourage students to stretch their words to see how many sounds they can hear to assist them in writing down their ideas. 

5) Symphony Math: (20 min)   http://content.symphonylearning.com/assets/student/start.html?v=7.2

Attachments:

Sensory Motor Scavenger Hunt

earth 4

Hello Kindergarten! Today is Earth Day! I have a couple Earth Day activities planned for you over the next few days. Today is also a Google Meet Chat day at 4:00.  I am hoping that this week’s chat link will work as expected. As we were not able to “meet” on Friday, we will be using Friday’s activity prompt. Please be on the lookout for an email with a new link.

1. Math: Monster Squeeze! (20 min) A favorite game in Kindergarten! Using scrap paper, put one number on each piece of paper and line them up in order (use numbers 11-20 or higher if you want a greater challenge!). Put a “monster” at the beginning of your numbers, and one at the end. You can draw a picture to make your monsters, use a stuffie of your choice, or other object that peeks interest! One person picks a number from the number line (write it down somewhere so you don’t forget) and the other player has to guess your number. For example, using numbers 1-10 if the secret number is 6, and someone guesses 8, the secret holder would say “it is less than 8” and move the monster at the end to the number 8. The idea is to practice using the frases “less than/ greater than” when comparing number values. As the monsters at each end move, it squeezes in on the correct answer! 

1. Reading: (30 min) Go to https://www.storylineonline.net/books/carlas-sandwich/ You can also access Storyline Online through the LES resource page under literacy. Today students will be listening to the story “Clara’s Sandwich.”  A saying we often use in Kindergarten is “don’t yuck my yum.” This story explores themes of individuality, tolerance, and peer pressure. There is also a parent guide included on this post with guiding questions for you to use with your child before, during, and after this text. Offline alternative reading selection: The Sandwich Swap 

1. Movement: (30 min) Offline Activities: 10 Outdoor Activities for you to choose from:  inspired by Angela Hanscom, author of “Balanced and Barefoot” an advocate for unrestricted outdoor play.  https://theinspiredtreehouse.com/balanced-and-barefoot/  I have been reading her work recently as PD during this time and find her work inspiring! For follow up activities, check out her blog space: https://www.timbernook.com/blog/ Play based learning is a topic of special interest to me and my educational practice! 

1. Earth Day/Writing: (45 min) Today is Earth Day! Attached at bottom is a printable foldable writing prompt for kids to complete (includes both coloring and writing) that asks them three questions: What do you know about Earth Day? What do you want to know? and What did you learn? This is completed in three parts along with the following “Nature Cat” episode from PBS kids full of lots of age appropriate information! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQq89u5ACxQ 

1. Word Work: (15 min)  Please go to the following link to download the FREE word work PDF document that includes 6 CVC word work pages. Students may choose one to complete each day this week! As there are only 4 days this week, they may choose to complete two on some days! I am not allowed to attach/ distribute this document due to copyright, but you may download and use it yourselves.  Enjoy!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Short-Vowel-CVC-Worksheets-4529112

6) Lexia: (20 min) https://www.lexiacore5.com/

Attachments:

CarlasSandwich_ActivityGuide

earth 3

Happy Tuesday Kindergarten! Welcome Back! I hope the long weekend treated you well and everyone had a chance to enjoy the beautiful weather on Sunday!

1) Reading/ Social Emotional Learning (30 min):  Log into Epic to hear the read aloud of the book “Goldbeard’s Treasure.” I have also sent this as an epic reading assignment via email. This story is a pirate theme, but also one about the value of friendship. Before reading this story, ask your child to make a prediction about what they think the story will be about.  This is a great story for exploring feelings and character perspectives. Other themes include what makes someone a friend, similarities and differences between characters, and how you determine value. This book can also be a great springboard for the Ms. Martha challenge!    

Reading Bonus: Bucket List! Please see at the bottom of this page a “bucket list” of reading challenges. Every time you complete one, you can cross it off your list. You may use this over the next several weeks! 

2)  Science: (30 min)  Log on to “Let’s Find Out” Magazine’s page. During the school year, students usually take home one a week in their orange Friday folder. You may now access these online, and virtually complete the activity at the end of the virtual magazine. Access the website here: https://letsfindout.scholastic.com/home-page-logged-in.html  The classroom code is Roadsize6105. Read and complete the activities for “Would You Munch a Plant for Lunch” 

3) Multiple Academic Disciplines : Ms. Martha Challenge of the Week! (30-45min) Do you think you can create a map of your home? For this activity, you will pretend to be a pirate hiding your treasure! Your task is to create a map of your house or yard. You will need to think about where things are in relation to one another, the scale of your drawings to make sure you can include all of your needed details, and how you will guide the map reader to the treasure! Then you may hunt down the treasure yourself, or pass your map and instructions off to a household member! Don’t forget to take a video or pictures and send it “reply all!”   Have fun and get creative! 

4) Word Work: (15 min)  Please go to the following link to download the FREE word work PDF document that includes 6 CVC word work pages. Students may choose one to complete each day this week! As there are only 4 days this week, they may choose to complete two on some days! I am not allowed to attach/ distribute this document due to copyright, but you may download and use it yourselves.  Enjoy!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Short-Vowel-CVC-Worksheets-4529112

5) Symphony Math: (20 min)   http://content.symphonylearning.com/assets/student/start.html?v=7.2

Attachments:

Reading bucket list

Friday’s Morning Message (and last Okee Dokee Tune of the week before the long weekend….) (30-45 min)  is a music and singing challenge! Watch the following song/video and see if you can create a singing/playing/dancing performance of your own! If you are feeling brave, maybe you can share a part of your performance with us! We would love to see it! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHw9csAtCns&t=0s

1. Virtual Field Trip! (15 Min) and Writing Activity (30 min) Before the long break, the K classroom pretend center was a mailroom. Enjoy a virtual Field trip to the Post Office to learn all about how the mail is delivered! Discussion questions: Before watching, what is something you are wondering about? What do you have questions about? After watching: Tell me about three new things that you learned. Did you have a favorite part?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGOE-qxRVZw

After you are done, see if you can create some of your own mail to send out to friends, family, or loved ones that you would like to say hello to!  This could be a letter, a card, a picture with a sentence, a postcard, a package with a craft and letter… I have attached to this post a template for letter writing if you wish to use it.

2. PATHS: (15 min) Choose a new PATHS kid of the day in your house and start working on those complements! 

3. Reading/ Word Work:(30 min) Remember “Bossy e” kindergarten??? Today I have a bossy e challenge for you! You will need to look very closely! If you have a magnifying glass, you can use it to help you find all 10 bossy e words hiding in this picture! Circle them when you find them, and write them down on your list. Then see if you can read the 10 words that you found! Kindergarten has completed activity pages similar to this in class before the break. You know what to do! 

4. Social Studies: Patriots’ Day (30 min) is observed the third Monday in April and commemorates the battles at Lexington, Concord, and present day Arlington. April 18th was Paul Revere’s Famous Ride, where he warned Americans that the British soldiers were coming.  It “marks” the beginning of the revolutionary war and our independence from British rule. There is no school on Monday and traditionally the holiday is celebrated all weekend long. Battle reenactments, parades, and special events at area monuments and museums are very common.  Unfortunately, many of these events are canceled this year. The Boston Marathon is also traditionally run on this day. Here is a short video put out by PBS Kids that gives a general overview of the holiday for children. https://www.wpbstv.org/pbs-learning-media-patriots-day-pbs-kids/

Kindergarteners’ social studies curriculum includes learning about many holidays that are observed by our country and state. This holiday lends itself to discussions about what the terms “Patriotism” and “Freedom” means,  and a time in our country’s history when Americans were fighting for freedom from British rule.  To assist in discussions about these terms I have sent everyone a link to a book that will read to your child through Epic called “Patriotism.” It is specifically geared towards the K age level and is a good springboard for discussion. If you haven’t set up your child’s account yet, please go in through the email I sent via epic. The classroom code is yxr4206  and is free for you to access.  There are also many great books on Epic about the American Flag and the Pledge of Allegiance, two other social studies standards taught in Kindergarten.  

5.  Lexia: (20 min) https://www.lexiacore5.com/

Attachments:

Sending You Love Letter Template

Paths Kid of the Day

04162020110328-0001 10  (Bossy e I-spy challenge)

April 16th is National Pajama Day! Not that we need much of an excuse to wear pajamas lately. Lol!

Thursday’s Tune of the Day is “Through the Woods” (10 min, and a 30 min nature walk or outside play)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBqVDCqLWB4

1. Math:(30 min) Caterpillar Challenge!  Each day this week for Math you will get to create a new number caterpillar! Today you will make a caterpillar by counting by fives, from 5-50. Print out page 6 of the attachment, as well as page 7 for a caterpillar head. If you don’t have colored paper. You can color in the strips before you cut them out. If you don’t have a printer, you can make paper chain strips from any paper (or magazine pages!) and write the numbers on the strips. By the end of the week you’ll have a caterpillar family! 

2. PATHS: (15 min) Choose a new PATHS kid of the day in your house and start working on those complements! 

3. Science: (30-45 min) Before the break the K class was exploring pushes and pulls and force and motion. One way we explored this concept was with ramps. Please see the attached some fun hands-on activities for how you may continue to explore these concepts at home. There is also an included suggested reading list, as well as online game options. The document is labeled “Peep and Ramps.” 

4. Reading/ Word Work: (15 min) Keep practicing those “breath boxes” sight words! 

5. Check out Khan Academy online! (20 min) Simply download the app and get started! It will place your child at the appropriate level and adjust accordingly. 

https://learn.khanacademy.org/khan-academy-kids/

6. Read Aloud/ Book Discussion: (30 min) Click on the link to Storyline Online https://www.storylineonline.net/  There are many fantastic stories to listen to here! Today I would encourage you to check out one of my favorite books… “Enemy Pie”  This is a story about a boy who is struggling to connect with a peer. But it has a surprise ending! Make sure to discuss the book afterwards. What was the problem? What was the boy’s plan? How did his plan change? What happened at the end? How did he feel at the beginning? The middle? The end? Enjoy! 

7.  Symphony Math: (20 min)   http://content.symphonylearning.com/assets/student/start.html?v=7.2

Attachments:

Counting-Caterpillar

Paths Kid of the Day

peep and ramps

Converted (breath boxes)