Poems, Songs and Fingerplays
(tune: "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush")
This is the way we go to school,
go to school, go to school,
This is the way we go to school,
so early in the morning. This is the way we do our work,
do our work, do our work.
This is the way we do our work,
so early in the morning. This is the way we read our books,
read our books, read our book.
This is the way we read our books,
so early in the morning. This is the way we eat our snack,
eat our snack, eat our snack.
This is the way we eat our snack,
so early in the morning. "B-O-O-K-S Song"
(tune:"B-I-N-G-O!")
There was a class
that loved to read,
And books were what they read, oh.
B-O-O-K-S, B-O-O-K-S, B-O-O-K-S
And books were what they read, oh. Off to School We Go
(Tune: A-hunting We Will Go)
Off to school we go,
Oh, it's off to school we go,
We'll take our lunch and ride the bus,
With everyone we know.
Off to school we go,
Oh, it's off to school we go,
We'll learn our ABC's and more,
With everyone we know. FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
(tune: I'm a little teapot)
Good morning, _____ how are you?
This is the very first day of school.
I'm so glad to meet you, others will be too,
Just come in the classroom,
There's lots of things to do. BRAND NEW YEAR
(tune: London Bridge)
It's time to start a brand new year,
Brand new year, brand new year,
It's time to start a brand new year,
Welcome new friends. We'll learn lots of brand new things,
Brand new things, brand new things,
We'll learn lots of brand new things
Let's get started now. HELLO
(tune: Frere Jacques)
Hello, _____, Hello, _____
How are you? How are you?
We're so glad to have you,
We're so glad to have you,
Here at school, Here at school. WHO IS HERE TODAY?
(tune: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)
Let's see who is here today,
Who has come to join our play?
Everyone sit close at hand,
Say your name, then you can stand,
Let's see who is here today,
Who has come to join our play? HELLO SONG
(tune: Three Blind Mice)
Hello, _____,
Hello, _____
How are you?
How are You?
We're glad you're here to laugh and play,
We hope you'll have some fun today,
You're welcome, welcome everday.
To our playschool. GLAD TO SEE YOU
(tune: Frere Jacques)
TEACHER:
I'm Ms. _____, I'm Ms. _____.
That's my name, that's my name.
Glad to see you here, Glad to see you here.
What's your name? What's your name?
CHILD:
I am _____, I am _____
That's my name, that's my name
I am glad to be here, I am glad to be here,
At school today, at school today. Jump Song
Original and variations here!
Pick a child, and have them pick a friend to jump with.
Let's say you are singing for Sarah and Mike
Sarah and Mike, Jump up and Down,
Jump up and Down, Jump up and Down,
Sarah and Mike Jump up and Down,
Now sit back down. Special Song
(Sung to "Where is Thumbkin?")
(Child's Name) is Special,
(Child's Name) is Special,
Yes (he/she) is,
Yes (he/she) is,
(Child's Name) is Special,
(Child's Name) is Special,
Yes (he/she) is,
Yes (he/she) is,
This song works really well when you have the children sit in a circle, and allow the named child to stand/dance in the middle while the other children sing, and/or clap along. They really like it. The More We Get Together
The more we get together, together, together
The more we get together the happier we'll be.
'Cuz your friends are my friends and my friends are your friends
The more we get together the happier we'll be.
With child's name, and child's name, and child's name, and child's name
The more we get together the happier we'll be.
With child's name, and child's name, and child's name, and child's name
The more we get together the happier we'll be. Jump Jim Joe
(Sung to "Hurry Hurry Drive the Firetruck")
Have the children sit in a circle before lunch. Pick one child, have that child pick a friend, then have the two children hold hands and follow the directions as you sing:
Jump, Jump, Jump Jim Joe,
Shake your head,
Nod your head,
Tap your toe,
Round and round,
And round we go,
Go and wash your hands
WITH SOAP 1, 2, 3 Good Friends
Sung to "10 little Indians"
1, 2, 3 good friends,
4, 5, 6 good friends,
7, 8, 9 good friends,
10 good friends are we! You can also sing it in Spanish
Uno, dos, tres amigos,
Cuatro, cinco seis amigos
Siete, ocho, nueve amigos
Diez amigos son! Who is here today?
(Sung to "the Farmer in the Dell")
Who is here today?
Who is here today?
Everybody clap your hands,
Who is here today?
Jill is here today!
Jill is here today!
Everybody clap your hands,
Jill is here today!
Substitute Jill for the names of the children in your class. Great circle time song where the children can dance or jump while you sing their name. HAVE YOU MET A FRIEND OF MINE?
(tune: The Muffin Man)
Have you met a friend of mine,
A friend of mine, a friend of mine?
Have you met a friend of mine?
Her name is _____. WHAT IS YOUR NAME
(tune: Frere Jacques)
What is your name? What is your name?
Tell us please, tell us please,
We would like to meet you, we would like to meet you,
What's your name? What's your name? OFF TO SCHOOL WE GO
(tune: A-hunting we will go)
Off to school we go,
It's off to school we go,
We'll take our lunch and ride the bus,
With everyone we know.
Off to school we go,
It's off to school we go,
We learn our ABC's and more,
With everyone we know. WE LIKE TO COME TO SCHOOL
(tune: The farmer in the dell)
We like to come to school
We like to come to school
Our school is such a happy place
We like to come to school HAPPY FACES
(tune: Jingle bells)
Smiling faces, Happy faces,
Giggling all around
Oh, what fun we'll have this way in a happy class today.
He-he-he, he-he-he-
Ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha,
In a happy class today! I wondered and I wondered
When I could go to school.
They said I wasn’t old enough
According to the rule. I waited and I waited,
I was patient as could be.
And now I’m all excited ...
It’s time for school for me! September is here.
September is here.
School's begun and we'll have fun,
September is here. Off to School We Go
(Tune: A-hunting We Will Go)
Off to school we go,
Oh, it's off to school we go,
We'll take our lunch and ride the bus,
With everyone we know.
Off to school we go,
Oh, it's off to school we go,
We'll learn our ABC's and more,
With everyone we know. Hello Song
(Tune: Frere Jacques)
Hello, _____, hello, _____
How are you? How are you?
We're so glad to have you,
We're so glad to have you,
Here at school, here at school. In Our Class
(Tune: It's a Small World)
We will study hard
And we'll make new friends.
There's so much to do 'til the school year ends.
We will read, write and spell,
And do math very well,
In Mrs. Smith's First Grade class. In Mrs. Smith's First Grade class.
In Mrs. Smith's First Grade class.
In Mrs. Smith's First Grade class.
There's so much for us to do! Biddely Diddely Bumblebee
Won't you tell your name to me?
(child says name) Karen!
(everyone claps and repeats the name twice) Karen! Karen! (Sung to: "London Bridge is Falling Down")
I like to paint and build with blocks,
Build wit blocks, build with blocks,
I like to paint and build with blocks,
At my school. I like to sing and model clay,
Model clay, model clay,
I like to sing and model clay,
At my school. I like to ride the trikes and swing,
Trikes and swing, trikes and swing,
I like to ride the trikes and swing,
At my school. The Importance of Rules
Rules can be helpful,
Rules can be good.
They help us behave,
The way we should. If we can follow the rules,
And keep from doing wrong,
The world will be a happier place
When we all get along. Important Rules
(Sung to: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)
Here are rules for you and me,
See how important they can be.
Always be honest, be kind and fair,
Always be good and willing to share.
These are rules that we should know,
And follow these rules wherever we go. We Welcome You
(tune: Mary Had A Little Lamb)
We welcome you to school today
School today, school today
We welcome you to school today
Please come in and play We're glad to have you here today
Here today, here today
We're glad to have you here today
Yes, it's a special day I Want To Say Hello
(tune: I'm A Little Teapot)
I am your new teacher, Ms. (name)
I want to say hello to you
We will learn our letters and numbers too
We'll have fun and learn lots too Welcome
(tune:Happy Birthday)
We welcome you here
We welcome you here
We welcome everybody
We welcome you here . FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
(tune: I'm a little teapot)
Good morning, _____ how are you?
This is the very first day of school.
I'm so glad to meet you,
others will be too,
just come in the classroom,
there's lots of things to do. . BRAND NEW YEAR
(tune: London Bridge)
It's time to start a brand new year,
Brand new year, brand new year,
It's time to start a brand new year,
Welcome new friends. We'll learn lots of brand new things,
Brand new things, brand new things,
We'll learn lots of brand new things
Let's get started now. Important Rules
(Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle)
Here are some rules for you and me,
See how important they can be.
Always be honest, be kind and fair,
Always be good and willing to share.
These are rules we all should know,
We follow these rules wherever we go. Rules Rap
(lightly slap your knees to this one)
Rules can be helpful,
Rules can be good.
They help us behave,
The way we should. We follow the rules,
And we don't do wrong.
The world's a happier place
When we all get along. HELLO
(tune: Frere Jacques)
Hello, _____, hello, _____
How are you? How are you?
we're so glad to have you,
we're so glad to have you,
here at school, here at school. WHO IS HERE TODAY?
(tune: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)
Let's see who is here today,
Who has come to join our play?
Everyone sit close at hand,
Say your name, then you can stand,
Let's see who is here today,
Who has come to join our play? HELLO SONG
(tune: Three Blind Mice)
Hello, _____, Hello, _____
How are you? How are You?
We're glad you're here to laugh and play,
We hope you'll have some fun today,
You're welcome, welcome everday.
To our playschool. HAVE YOU MET A FRIEND OF MINE?
(tune: The Muffin Man)
Have you met a friend of mine,
A friend of mine, a friend of mine?
Have you met a friend of mine?
Her name is _____. WHAT IS YOUR NAME:
(tune: Frere Jacques)
What is your name? What is your name?
Tell us please, tell us please,
We would like to meet you,
we would like to meet you,
What's your name? What's your name? OFF TO SCHOOL WE GO
(tune: A-hunting we will go)
Off to school we go,
It's off to school we go,
We'll take our lunch and ride the bus,
With everyone we know.
Off to school we go,
It's off to school we go,
We learn our ABC's and more,
With everyone we know. WE LIKE TO COME TO SCHOOL
(tune: The Farmer in the Dell)
We like to come to school
We like to come to school
Our school is such a happy place
We like to come to school HAPPY FACES
(tune: Jingle Bells)
Smiling faces, happy faces,
Giggling all around
Oh, what fun we'll have this way
In a happy class today.
He-he-he, he-he-he-
Ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha,
In a happy class today! THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
I used to be little, but not any more.
Tomorrow I'll get up and walk out the door.
I'm going to school-it's the first time for me.
It's great to be big, but I'm scared as can be. My tummy's in knots. Do you want to know why?
I'm thinking that maybe, just maybe, I'll cry.
When Dad leaves the school and I'm there all alone,
I'm thinking that maybe I'll want to go home. But wait-Mommy said I'll play lots of new games,
And meet lots of friends-I can learn all their names.
The first day of schoool, oh there's so much to do!
There's painting and books and a big playground, too.<.p> I used to be little, but not any more.
Tomorrow I'll get up and walk out the door.
I'm going to school-it's my first day, you see.
It's great to be big! I'm so glad that I'm me!
*****
Language
Language
Call out the names of school items and invite the children to locate the items in the classroom. Start with a stapler, staples, crayons, pencils, chalk, books, a dictionary, pens, writing paper, construction paper, scissors, pencil erasers, the chalkboard, chalkboard erasers, rulers, a yardstick, a globe, glue or paste, paint, a paintbrush, watercolors, and so on. Tape a label on each of the items as the children locate them. Leave the labels on all week to give the children opportunities to see each word and use their knowledge of initial consonant sounds to read each word. Discuss why children come to school. Encourage the children to ask their parents to share some of their school experiences with the children. Invite the children to tell the rest of the class about some of those experiences. Ask the children to predict what might happen if a bear were to come to their school. Then read The Berenstain Bears Go To School by Stan and Jan Berenstain. Take children on walk around the classroom. Explain different centers. Ask children to name materials found in each center. Review names of objects with pictures. How do children move in school? They sit in a circle, rest on mats, and run on the playground. What else to we do on the playground? Friends Poem
I have this poem in a pocket chart in our reading area, with an extra set of words for matching. The same poem is on a large bulletin board, which is actually the paint easel area of my classroom. This will be the first poem in their Poetry Journals. I use three-ring binders to hold their poetry collection, and send the binders home at the end of the year.
Friends
by Jill Eggleston
Friends share.
Friends care.
We need friends
Everywhere!
*****
Manipulatives
Manipulatives
Take photographs of school activities. Have children arrange them in sequence. Which activity do we do first, second, next?
*****
Decorations For Bulletin Boards
Decorations For Bulletin Boards
- Make a large tree on the classroom wall. This tree may be made from flat brown paper, or wide crumpled butcher paper. - A "tree for all seasons" may, as the name suggests, be left up all year and may be decorated to suit the time of year. For the beginning of school in September, cut out large leaves from red, orange and yellow paper, print a name on each leaf and pin to the tree.
- "Hats off to Mrs. _______'s class! " This sign was surrounded by a variety of hat shapes, each with a child’s name.
- Print each child's name on a star. "Welcome to my Bright Stars!"
- For those teachers who have very large classes, here is a mild but effective protest!
- "There was an old woman who lived in a shoe....." Cut out a large boot, and have the children's names on girl and boy shapes around it. You could also have the children draw themselves in the first week and print their own names to put around the words and boot picture.
- "I am special!" Each child draws and colors his/her own face on an inverted paper plate. Add crayoned paper strips or the correct colors of crepe paper for hair.
- Printing the names on bright red apples and placing the apples on a tree or in a basket makes a colorful display.
- The children make a full figure drawing of themselves and cut it out. Each drawing is mounted with a drinking straw in the child's hand for a pole, and on the top of the pole is a banner with the child's name on it.
-
Do you have a very large class?
Cut out a large old-fashioned bathtub and mount on the board. Each child creates their own face on a paper plate (or just a drawing), adds yarn or crepe paper hair, etc. All the heads are mounted above the tub as though bathing. A poem to go with it:
There's too many kids in the tub,
There's too many elbows to scrub,
I've lost my knee, oh, where can it be,
There's too many kids in the tub.
(May be sung to "Popeye, the Sailor Man") - "Each year I try to pick an interesting opening theme and pick a way to have all the children's names up on our large bulletin board. .....(1996) was "Spiders". Each child was given the spider shape to decorate and which included their name. It was titled "Busy Workers in Div. 16". Another slogan I use is "Div. 16 Leaping Ahead" and the bulletin board is covered in frogs, or "Div. 16, We Give a Hoot" and the board is covered in owls."
- Take a head photo of each child. Make a photocopy. Give each child its photocopied head and he/she can glue it to another paper. Then the child draws his body. Over the head a half circle umbrella shape is placed covering the child's head and stapled at the top. Lift the umbrella to see the child's face. Good for rainy climates! "See me! I am under my umbrella!"
- Do a mini ice-cream theme the first few days. Each child can make a large cone shape out of brown construction paper with a different coloured scoop on top. They put their picture on the ice-cream scoop and their name on the cone. The title can read "Our Class Comes In (number of children) Flavors!"
- You could have the children create different fantasy fish with crayon on a pre-cut shape, leaving a large circle area in the middle for their picture and name. All must be colored facing the same direction (preferably noses to the right so the fish are traveling from left to right). They are then fastened to the bulletin board in a triangular fashion, so that you start with one fish on the right hand side, two fish behind him, the third row with 3 or 4 fish and so on. The title of the board reads "School's In!"
- Create a large yellow school bus, with the children's heads (photos, photocopies or drawings) in the windows. The side of the bus could read "Mrs. Smith's Magic School Bus".
- Cut white paper, any size, into T-shirts - one for each student. You or the children print their names in the middle of the shirtfront and decorate it any way they wish. They could put some of their favorite things around the name. Hang them on the bulletin board as if they are hanging out to dry. Use string and actual clothes pins. You could do one, too, and yours of course will be much bigger.
- Have the children draw themselves and attach a parachute. Title: "Flying into Grade One".
- Print each student's name on a picture of a bear or teddy bear. Title: "Welcome to Our Bear-y Wonderful Class".
- Create giant puzzle pieces in bright colors. Mount these on a black background and separate each piece slightly so the background shows. Each piece can have a child's picture and the name on it. The title can be: "We Fit Together Perfectly".
- Make a giant school bus with windows and put pictures of each child in the windows.
- Take pictures of the children the first day of school. One set I attach to a fishing net with fish cut outs and hang up with the words "What a Great Catch!"
*****
Circle Time
Circle Time
Getting to Know You
Pass out memory cards to each person. Then have them walk around and try to find their match. But, before they see if they have a match, they would have to say:
"Hello, My name is Mark" and the other person would say:
"Hello Mark, my name is Jane"
"It's nice to meet you Jane"
Then they can see if they have a match. The first group to find their match wins a small prize. Then, you would have them ask a few simple questions of their new friend. Name? Age? Favorite Color? Whatever... Then you would go around the room and each person would introduce their new friend.
Then... Ask each child to name its new friends. Count how many they get right... and the people who remembered the most.. get a prize. Name Game
Ask each child to name all of the other students during circle time. During Group Time Have the children count the number of children in the class. Every child can have a turn. Make a graph and make how many boys and girls are in the class. Extended version: continue to mark the graph each day.
What time is it My New Friend?
This is a fun game to play outside. You can change the name to suit any theme. The children all line up against a wall or fence. And one child, (My New Friend) or the teacher faces away from the children, a good distance away from the children. The children yell, what time is it "My New Friend", My New Friend answers 1 o'clock, and the children all take one step toward My New Friend. The children yell again, what time is it "My New Friend", My New Friend answers (fill in the blank) o'clock, and the children all take same number of step toward My New Friend. This continues until all the children are very close to My New Friend then My New Friend will answer it's midnight, and My New Friend chases the children back to the fence or wall that they started at. The first person My New Friend touches will be the new My New Friend. My Friend May I?
Played just like Mother May I? The child and parent stand at opposite sides of a room. The child asks if he/she may: take so may step forward. i.e. "Mother may I Please take 3 baby steps forward?" the answer would be either, "Yes you may", or "No you may not." The child wins when they reach you. Encourage the use of descriptive words, such as little, big, huge, tiny, and giant. You can also play this with a group of children. The winner would be the one who reaches you first. Red Rover
Line the children up against one side of the room. Have one teacher on one side and one on the other. The teacher on the opposite side of the children calls out "Red Rover, Red Rover, let (child's name) come over." The child goes to the other side of the room. This continues until all the children have gone to the other side of the room, then the other teacher calls out the names. Variation... call out "Red Rover, Red Rover, let children wearing red come over" and other colors, this allows more children to be active at one time. Name Ball Game
Have the children sit in a circle and supply the children with a ball or bean bag. The child must say the child's name that they are going to pas the beanbag to or roll the ball to. Friendship Tables
Set up a table for two children to play together, legos, blocks, crayons whatever. In order for the children to sit there they must cooperate in their activity and one must ask to other to join him/her in the activity before they go to the table. Friendship collage
Have the children cut pictures of children out of magazines and glue them to a piece of paper. Friend Memory
Ask the parents to supply you with a picture of each child in the class. Make 2 black and white photo copies of each photo and glue the copies to the back of a blank index card. Now you have the cards to play memory. Who is missing? Have all the children cover their eyes. I have found that when they lay on their bellies they tend to peek less. Tap one child on the shoulder. That child will hide. Then the other children have to guess who is missing. Hello My Friend!
Have one child sit in the middle of a circle on a chair. This child should cover his/her eyes. Then pick one child to go up to the child in the middle and say "Hello my friend, can you guess who I am?" The child in the middle gets three guesses. Then the child who spoke sits in the middle and the child that was in the middle chooses another speaker. The children can use their normal voices, but if they are familiar with the person in the chair, silly voices can be more difficult and amusing:) Follow my Friend
Play follow my friend just like follow the leader. Getting to Know You Pudding
Take a large coffee can, clean and decorate. Chill the can. Add the ingredients for Instant pudding and seal lid with tape. Have the children sit in a circle. Have them take turns saying their names as they roll the can across the circle to another student. After a few rounds, have the children call the name they are rolling to. In no time you have a yummy snack to share or for finger liking good fun, let the children finger paint with the pudding on a clean table and then take prints of their masterpieces. Here is a great one to introduce everyone.
"Welcome, welcome, welcome to our school welcome my friend______(have child tell their name) GO around the circle and have everyone answer. I am also using a bird puppet, that lands on their head, and that is when they answer with their name. Back to School Rules
Let children help you make up the rules for the classroom. Keep them very simple and only have two or three. Make sure you discuss safety rules. Print them for all to see. Variation: Take pictures of the children following the rules. Glue the pictures along with the rules. Why do we have rules? Go over daily schedule with pictures and chart. Introduce school rules for indoors and out. Include important items such as washing hands before eating. Review playground safety rules. Discuss emergency procedures. Demonstrate and practice proper use of swings, slides, and other equipment.
Class Rules
One of things we have to do on the first day of school is talk about school rules and safety. First we brainstorm a list of rules the kids think we should have in our class -- I always get lots of "no hitting, no pushing, no spitting" responses. I list all of their ideas on a Language Experience chart, using different colored markers on alternating lines. After we discuss their ideas for a few minutes, we talk about our school's official rules and also the rules in our classroom. I have the following poem on chart paper, attached to the front chalkboard all year long:
We raise our hands to speak.
We work quietly at our seats.
We use voices soft and sweet.
We keep our places tidy and neat.
We are helpful, friendly, and fair.
We take turns and willingly share. We usually agree on the following rules for our class:
Be nice.
Do what you know is right. Those two rules seem to cover most situations, and they're easy to remember. I add three other important rules:
- Listen to the teacher and follow directions.
- Do not interrupt Mrs. Smith when she is working with another student unless you are having a "B Emergency." (B Emergencies are bathroom, blood, and barf.) The kids love this rule, and it's one they respect from the very beginning. No one has ever had an "accident" in my classroom, after learning this rule.
- Only Mrs. Smith may use the classroom sink. Students must go to the restroom to wash their hands and get drinks. I have this rule so that I will have a sanitary place to wash and disinfect my hands, which keeps me from catching their colds and runny noses.
After we finish talking about rules, we walk to the bathrooms and drinking fountain, so everyone knows where the bathrooms are and what the rules are when using the bathroom. Then we take a walk from our classroom door to the spot where we line up on the track during fire drills, so that they will know where to go and how to walk nicely when we have our first fire drill later in the week. My class always lines up in ABC order, no matter where we're going. That way, there are no arguments about who got to the front of the line first. Having the kids in ABC order makes a lot of things easier all year long. My Teacher's My Friend
Once everyone has arrived, we go to the story floor. I always start our first story time by reading P.K. Hallinan's wonderful rhyming story "My Teacher's My Friend." It's short, has a lot of rhythm and rhyme, and it leads into a natural discussion about school and this new person in the childrens' lives, Mrs. Smith. After we read the story, I tell the children about me and my family, and let them ask questions. And then we take some time to let each of the children introduce themselves and share something they'd like us to know. To finish, I read the story again, encouraging the children to help me with the rhyming words. We'll revisit this book many times the first week of school, as we talk about school and friends. The first day back is a hard one for the children. So, I make name tags with each child's name and tell them that I am glad that they have come to my class. We then play this game to set a happy mood. Game: The children form a circle with the teacher standing in the middle. While bouncing a ball to one child at a time, the teacher says " I am happy to see(child's name). Continue til eveyone's name is said. Then we pass the ball around the circle to each child, the entire class says the name of the child holding the ball.
*****
Calendar
Have a calendar on display. Each day, count with the kids (count in funny ways like soft or loud, high or low, squeaky or scary), name the day of the week (sing the Barney day of the
week song), talk about the month and the season. Help them associate months and seasons to their birthday-they love that!
Months of the year:
A variation on "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" source: Frog Street Press
January, January, what do you see? I see snowflakes falling on me
February, February, what do you see? I see valentines coming to me
March - I see shamrocks under the tree
April- I see raindrops falling on me
May - I see Spring flowers looking at me
June-I see ants crawling on me
July- I see fireworks popping for me
August-I see the hot sun shining on me
September-I see the shool bus waiting for me
October-I see a jack-o-lantern smiling at me
November-I see a turkey running from me
December-I see Santa bringing gifts to me
Frog street press has a wonderful curriculum for pre-k and Kindergarten. Diamond school supply sells their material. They have a song to school is fun with a big book shaped like a
bus.
I have a Calendar that has the month, days, and number cards (usually
thematic, ex. apples). We go over the month, today's day and then place
the number card on the calendar and choose our Weekday animal. For
example: Today is August the 20'th, place the 20'th apple number card on the calendar. Today is Tuesday. What animal loves Tuesday?? That's right Tuesday the Tiger. Come find Tuesday Tiger and place him by our
calendar. On Friday, we briefly say that we will not be in school the
next three days for the weekend, but will be back on Tuesday. Once attending Kindergarten, they will add on Monday.
Let's Go Play in the Centers!-
Again here come the colored shapes! I use a paper covered board with
bits of velcro, (This helps the child identify by the color. Place each
child's picture on the board, and at circle time give each child his/her shape to choose a center. Have the child place his colored shape, at the center of choice, onto paper slots at the center. When the child is ready to move from the center: He cleans up the center, takes his colored shape from the center, and places it at the next center. When it is time to cleanup, the students clean up, get their shape, place it on the board, and sit on their colored pillow. (If you have a non-verbal child, create an aac display that has these displays: child's name, answer choice, and any other questions that you will ask for this activity).
Let's Still Play in the Centers!
If your students cannot handle the above center transition, this one
will work. I use this for my younger and lower functioning students. At
circle, have the student choose his/her center by giving them a choice
of two concrete actual objects that represent the center. For example,
give Tyrone a choice between a red cup for the kitchen, a puzzle piece
or manipulative for the games, or a block for the blocks. Tyrone makes
his choice and then takes that item to the center to play. When he is
ready to leave that center, he simply cleans up, and chooses another
center to go to. Then at cleanup time, we clean up and come sit back on
our pillow at circle.*****
Cooking
Giant School Bus Cookie
Prep Time: 40 minutes (Ready in 1 hour 15 minutes)
1 (18-oz.) pkg. Pillsbury Refrigerated Sugar Cookies
1 cup Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Vanilla Frosting (from 16-oz. can)
10 drops yellow food color
2 creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
2 graham crackers (4-section kind)
5 gummy peach candies
Purchased decorator icing
5 chocolate licorice twists
11 mini fruit-shaped candies (yellow, red and green)
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil. Cut cookie dough
in half crosswise. Cut each section in half lengthwise. With floured fingers,
press in bottom of foil-lined pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15 to 20
minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool in pan for 15 minutes or until
completely cooled.
2. Remove cookie from pan by lifting foil; remove foil. Place cooled cookie
on large serving platter or foil-covered 14x10-inch sheet of cardboard. With
long side facing you, cut rectangle, 3-1/2 inches long and 3 inches wide,
from upper right corner of cookie. Cut small rectangle in half lengthwise;
reserve for bus door.
3. In small bowl, combine frosting and yellow and red food colors; blend
well. Reserve about 4 teaspoons frosting. Frost cookie with remaining
frosting. Place reserved cookie pieces for bus door in place; frost with 3
teaspoons reserved frosting. Decorate as desired, using remaining reserved
frosting to attach decorations.
4. Place sandwich cookies on bottom for wheels. Place 1 whole graham cracker
in upper left corner of cookie about 1/4 inch from top and left edges for
passenger windows.
5. Place reserved cookie cutouts to the right of windows to create door.
Frost with 3 teaspoons reserved frosting. Separate remaining graham cracker
into 3 pieces, 1 square and 2 rectangles, along perforations. Press 2
rectangular cracker pieces onto frosted cookies to make windows on door.
6. Place remaining cracker square on front for driver's window. With
remaining teaspoon frosting, attach gummy peach candies to crackers for
driver and students' faces. Use decorator icing to make eyes and mouths on
faces.
7. Use licorice to make side stripes on bus and to outline door. (If
necessary, cut licorice in half lengthwise to make it easier to bend.) Use
red and green fruit candies to make safety lights; use yellow candy bananas
for headlights and rear lights.
Cookies
1 (18-oz.) pkg. Refrigerated sugar cookies
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Decorations
1 cup vanilla frosting
10 drops yellow food coloring
2 rolls strawberry-floavored fruit snack
2 tablespoons miniature chocolate chips
1/8 teaspoon oil
Step 1. Heat oven to 350. Line a 13 x 9 inch pan with foil.
In a large bowl break up cookie dough. Add cinnamon and nutmeg. Knead dough
with hands until well mixed. Press dough in bottom of pan. Bake for 18 to 20
min. or until egdges are golden brown. Cool 30 min. Remove cookies by lifting
foil out of the pan, then remove foil.
Step 2. Trim 1/2 inch off each short side of cookie. Cut cookie in half
lengthwise. Cut each long strip into 3/4 inch wide strips. Form one end of
each strip, cut off corners to form pencil point. Place pencil bottom side up
1/2 inch apart on wire rack over sheet of waxed paper.
Step 3. In a small bowl combine frosting food coloring.
Microwave on high for 30 seconds or until frosting is melted and can be
stirred smooth. Spoon frosting over pencils leaving points unfrosted. Allow
frosting to drip down the sides. If desired smooth sides with a knife.
Step 4. Cut fruit snacks into 26 (1/2 inch) strips strips.At the end of each
pencil place 1 strip on top and down the side to form an eraser. Sprinkles ,
sprinkles to resemble the metal band. Cool at least 30 min. or until frosting
is set.
Step 5. In another small bowl combine chip and oil. Microwave on high 45
seconds or until chips are melted. Dip pencil points in melted chocolate to
resemble lead. Cool til chocolate is set.*****
MISC IDEAS
Have two children work on an art project together.
Friendship Art 2
Have each child draw a picture of their friend. Label the picture as
such.
Friendship Art 3
Have each child draw a picture for another child.
Friendship Art 4
Have one child trace another child's hand, color it and cut it out.
Friendship Art 5
On a very big piece of paper, have one child lay down, and the other
child trace the first child. The children may color in their bodies and
cut them out to hang around the class.
Friends Holding Hands
Have the children use non-toxic paints to paint their hands. Then have
one child place their left hand on a piece of paper and another child
places their right hand on the same paper. Label with the children's
names.
Friends Holding Hands 2
Have each child place their hands along the outside of a large piece of
paper. On the center of the paper write "Pre-school Friends Holding
Hands" Change Pre-school to be more appropriate to your program. Say
your class is the bluebird class... "Bluebird Friends Holding Hands"
Ask the parent to bring in pictures of the children with a friend to
post in the classroom. Place a piece of contact paper over the picture
to attach it to the wall at eye level. Talk to the children about their
friends in the picture. If possible, take pictures throughout the week
to post as well, of the children with their new friends:)
I Like...
When I was in Second Grade we did an "All about Me" Board and a warm
fuzzies book. The "All About Me" board was a bunch of pictures of me and
my family and there were also things that said a little bit about me...
like "My favorite food is Spaghetti" or "I have a cat named Missie" The
Warm Fuzzie book was a book that the teacher wrote compiling all the
nice things the other children said about me. "I like her hair" "She is
a good student" "I like to play with her" I still have this book
somewhere amounst the few things that made it from move to move. Anyway,
have the children sit in a circle and say one nice thing about the child
sitting next to him/her.
We are making "phone books" the first week. I mailed letters to all the
families with a questionnaire about if we could include home phone number,
name of business, business phone, number and ages of siblings living at home.
I have typed this all up, now all I am waiting for is when the children
decorate the covers, we will staple together and they can take them home.
VERY IMPORTANT PRESCHOOLER
The children take turns being this week's VIP (Very Important
Preschooler)--isn't that cute?
Self Portrait
I have another poem by Jill Eggleston that I share with the
children:
There are millions of people
All over the place
But nobody else
With exactly my face.
Calendar
Cooking
MISC IDEAS
I give each child a paper that has the outline of a head and shoulders on it, and they draw their self-portraits. I cut freehand around their drawings, and display them on the bulletin board with the two poems. I write each child's name on a sentence strip cut to size, and place it beneath their drawing. After a week or two, I move these to a spot above our sink, where they remain for the rest of the year. We make self-portraits again during the last week of school and I mount the two portraits side-by-side on black paper and laminate them as a gift to their parents.
Time CapsuleSaw a cute idea for a beginning of year---Take a paper towel roll and have the kids decorate it. Place inside the roll a self-portrait the student draws, info. on the child like height, weight favorite colors, T.V. show, fav. books, sample of their writing, and a hand print. You can design a piece of paper to contain all of this. Place it in the roll and seal up the ends of the tube. Don't forget to put the name on it with a tag or such. Make a big deal about what a time capsule is and the purpose of one. Place in a safe area in your room. Check on them from time to time with the kids. On the next to the last day of school hand them back to the students to take home and they can make a comparison. Attach a note for parents to read about the time capsule. Family tree
Draw a family tree ( a tree with bare branches) for each child, have the children bring in pictures or draw their family. Class tree
Draw a large tree with bare branches, cut out apples or leaves and write each child's name on an apple or leaf. Stepping into pre-school mural. (2 and 3yr olds)
Cut a large piece of paper from a roll. Across the top write "Stepping into Pre-school". Have the children take off their shoes and paint the bottoms of their feet and they walk across the paper. Label the prints with their names. For anyone who doesn't want to get painted, I just trace around their shoes.
*****
Books
Books
First Day of School by Bill Binzen Willy Bear by Mildred Kantrowitz
"I Like School", by Michael Mantean
"Will I Have a Friend?", by Miriam Cohen"
"Shawn Goes to School", by Petronella Breinburg
"School Bus", by Donald Crews
"Everybody has a Name", by Richard Browner
"Billy's Treasure", by Dorothea J. Snow
"The First Day of School",
"Going to Daycare", by Mister Rogers
"Starting School", by Janet and Allen Ahlberg
"The Berenstain Bears Go To School" by Stan and Jan Berenstain
"School Bus" by Donald Crews
"Blue Bug Goes to School" by Virginia Poulet
"The Flying School Bus" by Seymour Reit
"My Teacher Sleeps in School" by Leatie Weiss
*I Spy School Days
A Book of Picture Riddles
An engaging book that you'll want to keep with your Back to School collection for your students to enjoy ... a great conversation starter! *My Teacher's My Friend
Hallinan is one of my favorite children's author/illustrators, and he's the subject of our first author study, which we call Star Author. We'll read many of his books throughout the year, and we focus on his books about friends at the beginning of school. The Kissing Hand
This book is the perfect First Day of School story. It's about Chester Raccoon, who doesn't want to leave his mother to go to school. His mother shares a secret with him -- the Kissing Hand. Your students will love this story, and you can do many different follow up activities, including handprints with hearts in the middle, and hand-shaped cookies with a Hershey's kiss in the palm. Dozens of teachers have shared their terrific ideas for the Kissing Hand on the KinderKorner mailing list this summer, and they'll soon have a page of their own. When You Go to Kindergarten
This is a delightful book filled with color photographs ... my students always enjoy looking at this book, and we make our own version about *our* classroom. Under $5 Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten
A favorite story about the beginning of school Froggy Goes to School
Jonathan London was our visiting author two years ago, and my K's and 1's LOVE Froggy Never Spit on Your Shoes
What one first grader learned on the first day of school Franklin Goes to School
My Teacher Sleeps in School
Another class favorite Annabelle Swift, Kindergartner
Pooh's First Day of School
Owen
A charming story about a boy who doesn't want to give up his blanket when he goes to kindergarten Back to School for Rotten Ralph
Kids love the Ralph stories Will I Have a Friend?
One of my personal favorites Chrysanthemum
We graph the letters in our names after we read this popular story Nobody's Mother Is In Second Grade
A humorous tale that my first graders enjoy Billy and the Big New School
A well-told tale of a boy's fears about starting school. Chicken Soup for Little Souls:
The New Kid and the Cookie Thief
An outstanding first-day-of-school story. Cleversticks
Perfect for discussing how everyone in different and special in your class. Clifford's First School Day
Everyone's favorite Big Red Dog Barney and Baby Bop Go to School
Kid-friendly photographs Starting School
A gentle story about what goes on at a busy school Suggested Story Follow-Up Activities
I always read My Teacher Sleeps in School sometime during the first day or two. After we discuss the story, I share a photo album with pictures of my house and my family, to help the students know me better. The album becomes a favorite part of our class library, along with a similar album we create of class pictures throughout the year. After I share my personal pictures, I usually serve the children cupcakes or cake like the teacher did in the story. It's a nice, informal time for us all to get acquainted. If I have a kindergarten class, I also read Miss Kindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten on the first or second day of school. Then each child draws a picture of something they did to get ready for kindergarten, and I write a sentence about their picture. This becomes one of our first class books
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