Teach how to draw a ten frame so that it can be used as a tool throughout the year to show groups of ten – perfect for composing and decomposing numbers. This is a hugely important skill! I am laying the foundation for all of that now by teaching them how to draw it… I…
Describing 3D shapes in kindergarten is now an expectation as it is a key geometry standard. This standard focuses on four main 3D shapes: cylinder sphere cube cone Students should be able to describe the faces, vertices, and edges of each shape. So, what are some 3D shapes activities for kindergarten and resources for practicing…
Teacher planning is part of what we do as teachers to create lessons and plan for students. These are the key items I include in my teacher planning binder. Having a sense of teacher organization and incorporating organization into teacher planning is possible. Readers, I’d like you to meet my sanity saver. This is where…
What we just explored why decomposing and composing numbers really is crazy important in kindergarten. This is part 2 of this series – it’s all about making practicing this skill regularly a cinch in the kindergarten classroom. As a recap, I know that we often call this common core standard “place value,” but really it is…
Decomposing numbers means to break down numbers into their sub-parts. Common Core standards has kindergarten students decomposing numbers in two ways. The first is to decompose numbers into their tens and ones (focus on numbers 11-19) and the second is to show how any number 1-10 can be created using a variety of addends. I…
When it comes to winding down the school year, there are lots of fun ways to celebrate a year of learning together. Here are my favorite end of the year celebrations for kindergarten and kindergarten graduation alternatives. You can make any of these ideas as simple as you want or you can go all out…
A staff meeting is part of the teacher’s job… whether we like it or not. Keep everything straight coming out of a teacher staff meeting with these staff meeting notes papers. Take notes on what is important to you, things to take action on and you’ll be doing so in style. These staff meeting notes…
How is it that some calendar dates can totally just creep up on you – leaving you feeling a little unprepared?! Earth Day always felt like one of those dates… and Groundhog Day for that matter too. So, here is a go-to list of kindergarten Earth Day resources and activities that require little to no prep…
Mother’s Day crafts for kindergarten can be tricky to finagle in the classroom. Time is precious and yet creating a special mother’s day gift does top out the list every year of must-dos. Here are some creative and sweet kindergarten crafts for Mother’s Day. The range of projects in this list ranges from projects that you can…
Studying butterflies for kids is one of the highlights in my school year. Some years we get really in depth and others, we take a more relaxed approach. No matter how we hit it, it is always a worthwhile set of lesson plans that captivates, motivates and inspires awe. Here are my tips on ordering…
A little bit of tranquility set in when I digitized my files. I added bonus storage with my newly emptied filing cabinets and there’s something to be said for having less. If you like feeling organized, you’ll never want to look back. It’s a bit like going minimalist and it is very freeing… seriously. Here’s how…
Teacher organization doesn’t happen by accident! Here is a set of my favorite and newest teacher organizational tools. This makes a great starting place to plan the school year and keep your weekly and day to day stuff under control. If you’re looking to add a little organization to your year, I recommend starting here….
Teacher appreciation is something I value. Here is a teacher appreciation poem that I created in honor of teacher appreciation day and to say “thank you teacher” – to all of my readers! To my fellow teachers, post it where you can read it daily and remember that YOU MATTER! It hits me every summer…
I love using math games to encourage practicing standards independently in kindergarten. Here is a collection of resources and organizational printables that I made to help keep my fourth quarter guided math games organized. These materials are used in the practice zone by my students and are organized using ziploc baggies and housed in a cupboard….
My guided reading binder needs to be organized in order for me to grab lesson plans and take guided reading group notes in seconds. We’ve just looked at 4 steps to create a guided reading binder – now let’s keep it organized with these 6 simple recommendations. With these 10 tips combined, I hope that you feel a little more…
Free fonts help me create my classroom resources. Here are 7 free teacher fonts that I’ve made, all collected in one place. There is a Zaner-Bloser style font, two handwriting fonts, and some funky, fun fonts. I’m also including a paid math ten-frame font as number 8 in this list since I made it. I hope you…
Pete the Cat is the go-to book for many kindergarten and elementary classrooms. Here are free Pete the Cat activities, freebies and books listed all in one place so you won’t have to go digging to look for them. These resources were all free at the time that I found them. There are printables for back…
Ever feel this way about back to school time as a teacher? I know that I do. Which is why I’m totally writing this post. This is my collection of back to school posts and things I generally do each year to prepare my classroom. It does not include the list of 53 nitty gritty…
In kindergarten, we celebrate the end of the school year by counting down the days together using the alphabet. Here is a fun classroom photo idea to show off the bright future of your students at the end of the year. Plus, there is a free photo overlay you can use to make your own….
The first day of school is almost overwhelming with new procedures and things to learn in kindergarten. No, that would be a lie to say *almost* because it definitely is overwhelming. It’s just a big, exciting day with tons to pack in… in the most creative, energetic, playful, movement-oriented ways of teaching how to “do…
Collect what you need to know at-a-glance from kindergarten parents so that you can quickly get to know your new incoming students. Here is a double-sided information collection sheet designed just for kindergarten. I hope that this form that is both parent-friendly and teacher-friendly can save you time and help you get to know your…
Classroom jobs for students is a popular way of structuring tasks within a classroom. Kindergarten classroom jobs can take on a life of their own depending upon the teacher, teaching style and school building. What types of jobs should a teacher have in her classroom? Well, I may not be able to answer this exactly…
Sharing how to hold tight to the beauty in teaching kindergarten… making learning fun and the cool thing to do is what I do here on KindergartenWorks. Here are the top free resources that I recommend to help us all do that – but of course – you can also view all freebies. Reading Math…
There is so much wrapped up into the first day of school in kindergarten. A kindergarten first day is important to teachers, students, and parents! Here is what I do ahead of time to prepare for just the first day. These preparations help me keep myself on track the first day of school since we…