Two New Uploads for the Final Week Before Christmas Break

It's that crazy week before the break when the kids are hanging from the rafters and can't seem to calm down. I came up with a couple of quick activities to incorporate into our center time. The kinders are going to be excited and talkative so I am giving them a focus for their talk. First, I have created six different surveys for the kids to work on their questioning and their graphing skills.

I also uploaded a FREEBIE "I Have, Who Has?" Christmas Cookies ABC's and 123"s. Click here to download it from my TeachersPayTeacher store:

Earlier this month my daughter was is in a "Baking Christmas Cookies" stage and that gave me the idea to create some yummy math and literacy centers. Here's a quick peek at what you'll find in these Christmas Cookies Literacy and Math Centers.

 

Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful last school week before the break!

~Janet aka KoalaKdgTeacher

Hands-On Math Makes it More Fun for Learning About Composing Numbers

See it HERE on TpT and get it for 20% off for the next 48 hours

My school district is using GoMath and talk about "raising the bar"! This past week my Koalas have been working on COMPOSING NUMBERS TO 10. When only 1/3 of the kinders "got it" the first time it is introduced in the chapter then it is time to find other ways to present and practice. My student teacher is currently teaching Math so I am able to sit back and observe the students as some of them struggle with the task of joining two groups of objects to make one set. In addition to understanding this task we are also asking them to find multiple ways to compose numbers to make the same sum. Then we throw a wrench in the gear and provide one addend and the sum. Essentially they are "subtracting to add", Aghhh!  

I created this math pack to help the students understand what composing is and all the different ways to make numbers through using a hands-on approach.

 

These math printables are perfect to use when introducing the concepts of simple ADDITION to 10, COUNTING & COMPOSING NUMBERS with a variety of addends. 

 

This pack includes worksheets to practice counting, writing numbers, and composing numbers to ten. Each page is set up the same way and includes a row of number blocks for placing the color cubes or other objects on, filling in with color, and writing addends and sums. There are additional cards that have the colors filled in and the students can place matching blocks over them to find the addends and sums or just count the color blocks to find the addends and sums. There are numbers in the corner of each card to tell how many cubes are needed to practice the composing math problem.

Bonus: Assessment pages are provided with number lines and number blocks. Two of these pages are editable!

I am offering it at an introductory 20% off for the next 48 hours!

Click HERE to see it on TpT.

New items on TpT!

Hi All! 

I just wanted to let everyone know I have been busy creating some new items for my TpT store. Check out the three newest resources that I just uploaded this weekend:

A Fall-Themed Mini Math and Sight Word Game Pack is filled with more than 10 activities and games to reinforce Phonics Sight Words, Color Words and Numbers 0-10!

Fall-Mini-Math-and-Sight-Word-Game-Pack

For my line of "All Things Koalas" I added a resource pack to go along with our Saxon Phonics Decodable Readers and Sight Words.

Saxon-Phonics-Decodable-Readers-Resource-Pack-K

If you liked the Saxon Phonics Decodable Readers Resource Pack but want cute "Little Learners" graphics then check out this pack:

Saxon-Phonics-Decodable-Readers-Resource-Pack-Kdg-with-Little Learners

We are winding down our first quarter this week and I will be gearing up for Parent-Teacher Conferences on the 23rd.

Do you give your parents a pre-conference form? I use a "Two Stars and a Wish" form. The parents list two areas that they have noticed academic/social growth and one area for what they wish for their child to accomplish or improve in. 

Two-Stars-and-A-Wish

Easy-Peasy Up-cycled Mystery Boxes

This past weekend I made four mystery boxes 

from empty Oxyclean tubs.

 I started out with clean Oxyclean tubs with the top edge taped off. I used clear contact paper because that was what I had on hand.

Spray paint the tubs with Krylon spray paint. It sticks to plastic and dries in about 12 minutes.

I made a paper template of the two sizes I needed and then I cut the fabric for the lids and the insides of the tubs. I used flannel-backed table cloth that I purchased at Walmart last year to use as seat covers and shelf curtains.

 To soften the sound of objects inside the bucket I chose to use sticky-back felt.  

I used a clean empty can to cut the circles in the top of the lids. First, I set the can directly on my flat-top stove burner (which was on HI) until it was extremely hot. I pressed it into the lid that was resting on a cutting board. I would reheat the can each time.

I hot glued the fabric to the lids and cut X's in the center of each opening.

I peeled the tape off of the tubs to reveal the white edge. I felt that was a nice contrast to the black bottom of the tubs. I used my Cricut to cut abc's and 123's for the outsides of the tubs. Now they are ready to be filled with magnetic letters and numbers or cards for centers.

"I can" Task Cards for Name Recognition

I have been in school for 11 days and after all of the pre-assessments I realize many of my 22 koala kinders need some help with name recognition. I spent my Labor Day creating a labor of love that I just uploaded to my store. I already have fallen in love with my little koalas and I want them to succeed! Here's a look at the newest FREEBIE you will find when you click on the link to my store. 

"I can" Task Cards 

I will be posting some pictures this week of the koalas using these task cards in the word work center. 

Enjoy the FREEBIE and have a great week!

 Janet

Making My Space a Little More Homey

The staff at my school read Sean Covey's "Seven Habit of Healthy Kids" last summer and started implementing the Habits over the 2013-2014 year. This summer I wanted to Koalaify those Habits so I created "7 Koality Quotes" posters for my classroom. I found some black frames on sale at Michael's and added ribbon for hangers. BTW-even if you cut the ribbon all the same length you HAVE to hot glue the ribbon in the exact same place on each frame! My hubby was sweet enough to come in and hang them above my desk along with a cute shelf that I re-purposed from my daughter's room. It feels like home.

A Winning Week! TpT, Weather and Newsletters!

Wow! This week has been fabulous! I want to share my three favorite things to be thankful for on this beautiful Thursday are:

1) My TpT store is up and running. Items are being purchased! I am so excited every time I get a notification from TpT that a product sold! Check out my store for some nifty kindergarten teacher resources. www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/Koalakdgteacher

2) The weather in St. Louis all week has been so pleasant! The mid 80's with a breeze!

3) And finally, the icing on the cake was getting an email from Ms. M at www.ateachersplan.blogspot.com letting me know that I won her Nicky Newsletter template! It is so bright, cheery and easy to use! I took a picture of my "first week of school" sample.  Be sure to check out Ms. M's blog and store at: www.ateachersplan.blogspot.com - You'll be glad you did!

 What are you thankful for?

7 "Koality" Quotes for Young Leaders

Giving our young learners the skills to become great leaders begins early in life. Many schools are choosing to implement Leadership habits school-wide.  Here are 7 posters designed for the young learner.

This set contains 7 anchor posters with adorable Scrappin Doodles koalas to foster those leadership “koalities” in your students.

Adapted from the 7 Habits but written in easy to learn quotes makes this a "Koality" product. 

Just print, laminate, and display these anchor posters to help your students focus on what it takes to become a great leader!

Check these out at my TpT Store!

Argh! It's almost time to go back to school!

Our school theme this 2014-2015 school year is centered around Pirates.  In honor of our new theme this Fall I have created a set of Daily 5 Code Anchor posters. The Class Code helps the students focus on the expectations of our Daily 5 time. It can also be used for Center time. I have even included a poster for Center Time. 

In my class I plan to have Peaceful and Polite Pirates - however, we will always be Mrs. Black's Koala Class because I love Koalas and I just love the way our class name rolls off the tongue!

Click on the picture to see it in my store and while you are there check out my newest FREEBIE It's a set of colorful motivational certificates for your early learners who learn to recognize all of their color words.  

Getting Ready to go Back to School

My awesome Kindergarten Team met yesterday to plan for the new year! It was great seeing these ladies. We work so well together and that makes all the difference in going to work! My favorite thing to hear every morning is "It's going to be a GREAT Day in Kindergarten!" spoken by Mrs. Hayes as soon as she walks down our hallway. No matter what kind of morning you have at home as soon as you hear those words you can't help but smile and think "Yeah, it IS going to be a GREAT day in Kindergarten!"    This was the last slide in my slide show I make every year for my parents. I'm the one in the middle and Mrs. Hayes is on my left. I LOVE these gals!

Another FREEBIE on TpT!

I have been burning the midnight oil creating more resources

for my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

 

I just added a new FREEBIE today titled:

Common Core/Essential Questions and More Posters

 

 

*FREEBIE*

 

I have a lot of visitors walk through my classroom and many times they are parents who are looking for the "right" school for their future kindergartener. While I want to take a moment to chat with them I like to have these posted where they can read about what we are learning in kindergarten.  These posters are a great way to show everyone what Standards we are working on and the Essential Questions we want to answer during our learning time. Click on the *FREEBIE* under the picture to grab yours. Enjoy!

Creative Teaching Press Giveaway!!

School is just around the corner!

Did you know that Creative Teaching Press is giving away $200.00 of Creative Teaching Press dollars to 10 lucky teachers to buy their classroom a new back-to-school outfit for the 2014-2015 school year!?!  That is $200 to spend on everything Creative Teaching Press ! I know I could sure use $200.00 worth of their fabulous products! How about you? I found out about this great giveaway on Inspired In Style. I love that site! So many fantastic ideas to use in your classroom design. Check out their blog today by clicking on Inspired In Style !!

My TpT Store is now officially OPEN!!

I have finally taken the huge step into the land of TpT as a seller!! My heart was racing as I clicked the SUBMIT button to upload my first item. So many thoughts were racing through my mind. What if I forgot to credit someone for their digital papers, frames, clipart, fonts?...ahhhh! I am sure for those of you who already sell your great resources on TpT have a system in place to help you remember to credit those who make those wonderful items. Psssst...what's your secret?
I'm sure it just becomes second nature the more you create.

Now onto the FREEBIE that has been posted on TpT.

Anchor Charts are Awesome!
The kids really pay attention to their messages and having the charts posted around the room reminds me to review those messages when something is not going smoothly.
   I love Daily 5 but I don't like the repetitiveness of all the anchor charts so the Koala Kinders have a Class Code that applies to the five areas. I do start out the year creating the chart paper style so that the kinders have ownership of what Daily 5 should look like. After several areas are introduced we talk about a code that everyone will strive to follow during Daily 5. Then I bring out the Koalas Class Code posters to hang up for everyone to see. The kinders love the Scrappin' Doodles koalas and the sparkly ribbon used to hang them from the ceiling. The simple text makes the code easy to recite and remember.

Click here to check out my store and download your free  Koala Centers and Daily 5 Anchor Posters. This can also be used for centers and includes a poster title "Our Class Centers Code"

Shout out to "Surfing to Success"

      My goal this summer is to create  my own koala clip art for my Koala Kindergarten class. I have so many great ideas and pictures swirling around in my head but alas I am tech-challenged. Aagh! 

I have been trying my best to create something that I feel would look cute, clean and pleasing to the child's eye but I keep hitting the proverbial brick wall of technology.  Would you believe that I am even married to a great guy who writes software for a living but after 29 years of marriage NONE of the techy stuff has worn off on me. Grrr!

      So.... I went back to TpT and started looking at the Tech Tutorials where I found  Mercedes-Hutchens from Surfing to Success. I found her site on Facebook and messaged her my questions. Guess what!?! This beautiful lady helped me! We chatted on Fb while I tried all of her tech suggestions and I am finally getting over that techy brick wall. I am so excited! 
      Here are my first pair of little koalas. What do you think?

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mercedes! Everyone be sure to check out her TpT store, blog, and Fb page out. She has a lot of great ideas on them!
       

Wonderful Weather

The weather here in Missouri has been exceptional. I have truly enjoyed the milder than usual temperatures. My hubby finished redoing our back deck and after adding a Sun Setter awning it has become my favorite place to sit. There always seems to be a breeze to make my wind chimes sing the song of relaxation.