Let's talk about Kindergarten readiness. As a former Kindergarten teacher, this is one of my favorite topics to discuss with parents and other educators! The purpose of this post is to share my thoughts on this topic and provide parents with a kindergarten readiness checklist to help! If your child is starting kindergarten, be sure to check out this post: My First Day of Kindergarten Activity Book. Thoughts on Kindergarten Requirements First of all, there are many opinions on the subject and ideas about what should be required of Kindergarten students and how to know if they are ready! Let's dive in! When I taught Kindergarten, the school year started with pre-beginning of the ... Read More about Kindergarten Readiness Checklist for Parents
Latest from the Blog
How to Make a Cutting Box for Basically Free
Have you ever heard of a cutting box? This post will walk you through how to set one up for basically free and some of the benefits for little ones. Raise your hand if you teach reading and writing! 🤚 Class books are one of my favorite tools for writing workshop time. They really help preschool and Kindergarten students get excited about learning to read and write. I’ve put together a set of my favorite printable class books totally free for you! These class books can be used throughout the school year and focus on skills like letter and number recognition, sight words, environmental print, and more! I know you’ll love writing and creating these books with your ... Read More about How to Make a Cutting Box for Basically Free
Jelly Bean Addition
I think one of the reasons I love Easter so much is because of the Easter treats. Chocolate bunnies, marshmallow peeps, jellybeans, count me in! I shared this activity forever ago, but I wanted to share it again! Jelly Bean Addition is fun for hitting multiple skills and sweetening up the day! Printable jellybeans are also included if giving children candy isn't your thing. Here are a few skills it focuses on: Sorting by colorReading color words Counting and naming a quantity Number writing Addition Directions: Print the Jelly Bean addition activity. Instantly download it HERE or if you are already part of my Free Resource Library, you can grab it there. Prepare the jelly ... Read More about Jelly Bean Addition
How to Teach Visualizing
Visualizing is one of my very favorite skills to teach little readers. Why? It's a powerful skill that is used throughout life and really helps with reading and listening comprehension. Plus, it just leads to some fun lesson. Visualizing was a specific comprehension skill that I taught in first grade, but even younger kids can practice it! What is visualizing? Visualizing just means creating a visual picture in your head based on the words you read or hear. It's like making a little movie in your head. This skill is very important when listening to stories (that may not have a ton of picture support) or even just listening to other people. Here is an example of an anchor chart ... Read More about How to Teach Visualizing
Make Your Own Alphabet Book
This post may contain affiliate links. Creating a book is such a powerful learning experience for children. It is SO meaningful for them to share their ideas, illustrations and writing with others. This post is all about how to make your own printable alphabet book at home! Teachers, this would be a great "homework" project to send home with students too! This activity is appropriate for little ones learning the alphabet, so probably children ages 4-7. You can offer support to your child based on their developmental needs. Directions: Print a copy of the alphabet book template for your child. The book is black and white, so no color ink is needed! It is available in my Teachers ... Read More about Make Your Own Alphabet Book
Prayer Sticks
This post may contain affiliate links. I have a very distinct memory from the day we brought EK home from the hospital. It was a Thursday and we were just so stinking tired from you know having a new baby and being at the hospital. I told my husband, "I can't wait to get home and start our schedule and routine." HA! Who says that with a 48 hour old newborn baby? Laugh all you want, but EK has always been the best sleeper and I credit some of that to our routines! These prayer sticks are one of my favorite parts of our nightly bedtime routine. Prayer sticks are just a simple way for us to pray with EK each night. Each stick has a picture and name of a family member that we want to ... Read More about Prayer Sticks
Toddler Easter Basket Ideas
Looking for toddler Easter basket ideas? This post has over 50 ideas for you to include in your toddler's Easter basket! These items were selected to encourage play, learning, and creativity. I'm still coming to terms with the fact that I have a toddler now and not a baby! It just happened SO fast! I am really looking forward to putting together a special Easter basket for EK! I like choosing items that will be useful or encourage play, learning, and creativity! Here are 50+ toddler Easter basket ideas: Here are 50 Toddler Easter Basket Ideas: Finger Paints Fingerpaint PadPaint brushes. These jumbo ones are great for paint or water on the sidewalk!An art smockMagic Doodle ... Read More about Toddler Easter Basket Ideas
Easter Writing Activities for Kids
This post may contain affiliate links. It's hard to believe Easter is just around the corner! I wanted to share one of my favorite Easter writing activities with you! It also comes with a super cute craft to display with it! I Am Eggstra Special Writing We all know that our little ones are EGGstra special! Your little one will love drawing a picture of themselves or writing about what makes them special! This product includes everything you need to make the egg craft and a few different writing options: Primary Lined Writing Paper (This is the paper shown in the image below. It is typically used with younger elementary students who are learning how to correctly form uppercase ... Read More about Easter Writing Activities for Kids
Easter Play Dough Mats
This post may contain affiliate links. I'll admit. I have been on a little bit of a play dough kick over here! Play dough is one of my favorite learning materials and it's so easy to make or find in stores. There are many benefits to little ones using play dough including strengthening fine motor skills! One of my favorites ways to use play dough is with a mat. These mats help little ones think of things to make with play dough and promote language skills. I wanted to share these Easter play dough mats with you today to use with your class and little ones at home! First, make a batch of homemade play dough or buy a pack. You can use this set of coloring to turn your dough sweet ... Read More about Easter Play Dough Mats
Easter Board Books for Babies and Toddlers
This post may contain affiliate links. Holiday books are my very favorite. I have always looked forward to putting out new seasonal books in my home and classroom. I had so much fun putting together this list of Easter Board Books for Babies and Toddlers. When choosing books for babies and toddlers I always look for the following things: Sturdiness and material of the book (It has to hold up to tiny hands!)Short text and simple storylinesFamiliar language and experiences Interactive elements(flaps, tabs, finger trails, music) There are TONS of amazing books that don't meet this criteria, but when I am specifically looking for books that will appeal to babies and toddlers those are ... Read More about Easter Board Books for Babies and Toddlers
Magic Play Dough
Have you ever heard of magic play dough? With so many of us being home with little ones, we are all looking for ideas to keep them busy. This week I felt inspired to make some homemade play dough and remembered how much fun my class would have when I made magic play dough. It's SO easy and SO much fun! This post may contain affiliate links. How to Make Magic Play Dough Recipe First, make your favorite homemade play dough. This one is mine. This recipe is my favorite because it is cheap (AKA it doesn't need lots of cream of tarter) and it literally take 5-10 minutes. You'll be able to use this recipe to make magic play dough. 2 cups flour4 teaspoons cream of tarter3/4 cup salt2 ... Read More about Magic Play Dough
Frog Learning Stations
Raise your hand if you are ready for spring! ME! I can't wait for some spring weather and learning. One of my favorite animals to learn about in the springtime are frogs. Most children have seen a frog at some point and they are truly fascinating animals! Here are some ideas for frog learning stations at home or in the classroom. Frog ABC Order Alphabetizing words (to the second letter) is a skill learned in first grade. This is great practice and an opportunity to discuss vocabulary too! You cab grab this resource for free in my free resources library HERE. Punctuation Hop When little ones start reading, they also start learning to recognize different punctuation marks ... Read More about Frog Learning Stations