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Friday Freebie – Positive Behaviors
I have found the cutest freebie ever! I can’t even wait to share these with you – these are Beehavior Beads (they all have a bee theme). The idea is that you print a bunch of them, laminate them, and punch a hole in the corner of each one, then each child gets a necklace (a ribbon, lanyard, or piece of yarn) and they can collect them as you catch them “bee-ing” helpful. Such a great idea! Go download your set from Double Trouble.
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My lesson plans for the first week of preschool
I’m not in the classroom every day anymore, and one of the things that I miss the most is lesson planning (I know, I’m kind of a nerd), so I thought I’d put together some plans anyway and share them with you! I try to keep things simple for the first week, instead of planned activities we spend a lot of time exploring classroom centers, and I might pull one or two items from each center for the children to explore at the table. I also incorporate classroom routines into activities so that I can give the children more opportunities to practice these throughout the day. Here is my lesson…
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Preschool Activities that Promote Fluency
It’s Wednesday, and here at Preschool Ponderings, that means time to focus on the standards. Every Wednesday I choose an Early Learning Standard and share a number of activities that can be aligned with that particular standard. Remember, the Standards that I use every day, and am most comfortable with are Ohio’s Early Learning Development Standards – you can review them here, however I’ve found that even if your State’s standards differ, many of these activities can still be aligned similarly. I’ve rounded up some great ideas today! Domain: Language and LiteracyStrand: ReadingTopic: FluencyIn preschool, fluency means that children use intonation and phrasing when they participate in shared reading, chants, rhymes,…
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First Day of Preschool Freebie
The first days of school can be a little difficult for everyone. Children are nervous, parents want your attention, and you desperately want to start your routines off right. I’m hoping I’ve got something that will make you end that first day just a little less exhausted! I put together a freebie to help make the first day run a little more smoothly. It is designed so that parents can complete the simple activities with their child, giving them something to do while they wait for an opportunity to talk to you one-on-one. The freebie includes: A sign and keepsake photo mat. Parents can take a photo of their child…
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Back to School Products for the Preschool Classroom
It’s the end of July, I know, how did that happen?! I swear summer gets shorter every year! Many of you are preparing to head back to school (and if you haven’t started prepping, you’ve probably started thinking about it) so I thought I would share some of the things that I’ve created that might help you out this year – make sure to read the entire post because there are freebies throughout! Inspire Emergent Curriculum: This standards-based curriculum is perfect for programs that implement the Reggio Philosophy or the Project Approach. Circle Time Mega Pack: Start the year off right by implementing successful, developmentally appropriate circle time from…
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Friday Freebie – Name Cards
Happy Friday! Do you feel like your summer is slipping away, or is it just me?! I can’t believe it’s the end of July already, how did that happen?! I’ve been trying to avoid the back to school blog posts because I find them slightly depressing, instead I’ve been trying to focus on tips and routines that will help you throughout the year. This week was all about circle time, and today’s freebie fits right in with that topic. Yesterday I talked about games that I love to play during circle time, which included games to play with name cards, so here are my free name cards; These cards are…
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Great games to play at circle time
I love to play games during circle time because they keep the children’s interest, but I still get to teach specific concepts through the games. It’s a great way to make sure that I am getting time to do large group instruction, but the children think it’s a ton of fun. Here are some of the games that I love to play, these can all be differentiated so that everyone gets to be challenged, but still successful; Letter games – I use letter cards to play a ton of games, I usually start the year with capital letter cards, and as we explore letters and the children become comfortable with…
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Preschool activities that encourage reading comprehension
It’s Wednesday, and here at Preschool Ponderings, that means time to focus on the standards. Every Wednesday I choose an Early Learning Standard and share a number of activities that can be aligned with that particular standard. Remember, the Standards that I use every day, and am most comfortable with are Ohio’s Early Learning Development Standards – you can review them here, however I’ve found that even if your State’s standards differ, many of these activities can still be aligned similarly. I’ve rounded up some great ideas today! Domain: Language and LiteracyStrand: ReadingTopic: Reading ComprehensionThis standard covers skills such as being able to answer questions about a selection that has been…
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Making Circle Time Easier (and Developmentally Appropriate!)
I am all about setting up systems to make everyday classroom activities easier – especially when it means that I won’t have to spend as much time planning! I wanted to share my circle time system with you. It is designed to make sure that circle time is enjoyable for everyone, which means that I am able to get through the content I want to get through, the children are able to move around a little, and the whole thing is over in ten minutes or less so we can dig into our centers. The first set of printables are for calendar. I don’t spend a ton of time focused…
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Circle Time Idea Round-Up
Circle Time. You either love it or you hate it. To be honest, it’s not my favorite part of the day, but it is a lot easier to manage (and much more beneficial for the children) if it’s well planned and follows a consistent routine. I’ve developed some great tips and tricks over the years, you can check them out here, but I’ve also learned a lot from some other amazing preschool teachers and bloggers. I’ve rounded up everyone’s favorite circle time strategies for you, the links below will take you to each blog’s circle time posts so that you can learn from them and compile your favorite tips, tricks,…
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