Author: Andrea Darcy

I am a mom of 4 young adults and have been teaching for 24 years. I currently am in my best post yet! Im Teaching 1st grade at a private Christian school and love it!!!! Over the past 20+ years, I have taught grades PK, K, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. In each grade I have also taught Special education, written IEP's, modified and accommodated lesson plans and activities and have also Co-Taught. When I began teaching Pre-K and then Kindergarten, is also when I was in the process of earning my Masters Degree in Education. As a result, I combined my love for teaching, learning and writing into my "2nd and 3rd jobs" which are: Writing curriculum and writing for my handful of websites!!! (green bean kindergarten, elementary elephant)! I hope you find something here that will be useful to you and your classroom! Happy teaching! -Andrea

Homework Stinks – but Kid boxes are Fun!

Let’s face it-homework stinks. Kids hate it and teachers hate creating it and finding creative ways to get children to complete it on time. Long, paper and pencil homework is not 100 % productive for Pre-K and Kindergarten children. They learn by playing and they have fun by playing-not being tortured with writing and sitting for long periods of time. So, what to do, what to do, then? Children need to be active-and not necessarily with a paper and pencil. Well, some brilliant moms and teachers must have been pondering similar ideas and dilemmas. The problem has productively been solved with the Busy Bag, Travel kit, Theme Bag-whatever you call it! It is a bag/box/container that is filled with fun stuff and it keeps a child engaged for more than five minutes. I am on a mission to create a learning kit, in comparison to the ideas that I discover. My goal is to make a kit based on what a child is currently learning about in my classroom. So, because I know that in reality-these Take Home Kits are not my own brilliant original idea, I am setting off on my own journey to discover what other teachers and moms out there have already created.

To begin finding inspirations, I begin with Pinterest (of course!) Hmmm….so…..what will my Take Home Kits look like? Maybe, it will look like these that follow, perhaps????

Spider Learning Bag – I just love the tea set and stuffed animals that are here to encourage a child to act out the story. It was created by Ms. Annie @ kindergarten at heart. I just love her learning bags! http://kindergartenatheart.blogspot.com/search/label/Take-Home%20Bags

Toddler Busy Bag – I love how @ The Princess and the Tot, this super mom created this bag full of colored paper clips and paint sample cards. This is a fun way to color sort. The bag is just an inexpensive pencil holder zipper pouch! http://theprincessandthetot.blogspot.com/2011/07/toddler-busy-bags.html

Toddler Learning Baskets – Lindsay over @ Passionate Homemaking created a list of supplies and activities for toddler bags. There are not many visuals of what the kit looks like, but they are so geniusly simple, that I am sure that you can imagine them, just as I did! http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2011/09/simple-toddler-learning-activities.html

Camp Bag – Victoria @ one-crafty-momma is so crafty with this idea! This would be a kit that could not be reused as often. But I think it is one worth noting here, because it is just so darn clever. It also looks like a lot of fun to make. The child is learning while making each item, as well as the bag! (She actually made this as a birthday party bag-but I just can’t help to see the educational side of it!) http://one-crafty-momma.blogspot.com/2011/05/camping-birthday-party.html#comment-form

Bean Learning Bag – Look carefully-these beans have sight words written on them! This cool idea from Melissa @ Chasing Cheerios is seriously smart! http://chasingcheerios.blogspot.com/2012/04/kindergarten-activity-bagsight-words.html

Retail Learning Kit – And-if you don’t have the time to make a kit, then you can buy one and have it shipped and delivered to you!. Jessica Kim created her own business with these amazing BabbaBoxes. How smart she is! She creates kits and subscriptions for parents to order kits per month or year. http://www.babbaco.com/

BabbaBox Sample 1

Ok-now I have been inspired. I am ready to begin planning the contents for my Take Home Learning Kits. My goal is to incorporate learning and educational stimulation with the activities provided in the Kit. I want my students to have fun, enjoy thinking and using art, as well as be challenged with Math and Language tasks. I also want my kits to contain a real book, puzzle, art activity, technology element, drama task and incorporate collaboration with a parent. I am so excited. My journey begins.

21st Century Learning Skills-Do you have them?

By: Andrea Chouhan

“For students to succeed in the coming decades, they must also learn to be creative, think critically, communicate, and collaborate.” New literacies of information, media and technology skills are additional skills that are vital for 21^st Century Learning. Young children are already self-learning how to digitally think critically.

Let’s face it-children and students crave technology. Technology grabs their attention, is exciting and is engaging in many ways. Other than handheld blinking light toys, 2- 3 year olds first technology is the iPod or iPad. Its ease of use and simple directions are learned quickly. Young children learn that if they touch the screen-something exciting will happen. Sounds and animation are a given. This interactive technology wins against watching a cartoon on t.v.

The next type of technology that young children interact with is laptop computers. Like the iPad, it is handheld and interactive but in a different way. The computer allows a child to learn by searching the internet, using the keyboard to type letters and words, and using the mouse to click and drag objects on the screen.

All the above technologies foster learning by reaching out to so many learning styles: tactile, visual and auditory. Students today are influenced by the media-rich and instant technology based environment. Technology provides immediate, fast, engaging, and dynamic learning experiences. Students’ methods of learning are different than earlier generations. Students collaborate, network and communicate via technology, like Twitter, blogs, texting and Facebook. They learn online and rely on digital media for information and socialization. They crave this technology, just like prior generations craved the radio and talking on the home telephone.

It almost seems unfair that children have such easy access to technologies that were not even created when we were in high school. This brings up the fact that these children have the opportunity to learn more efficiently, than we did as children.

“Today’s students need to be prepared for life in a world that will require new skills. That need puts schools at the forefront of technology adoption and education.” In order for teachers to meet students “where they are at” schools must create a learning environment that inspires students to attain the 21^st century skills that society demands of us. The classroom should be student-centered instead of teacher centered. In a student centered classroom, learners are engaged in meaningful conversations, interactions with technology and group-based tasks. The direction of learning is facilitated by the teacher, as opposed to being dogmatic about covering specific standards. Long gone should be teacher-centered classrooms, where the teacher stands in front of the classroom and talks while the students take notes and listen. Who actually likes to sit and take notes anyway? This is not a conducive style of learning for most people. This requires tough change, which begins with the school and then the teacher. This change begins with integrating and aligning technology within curriculum, instruction, learning standards, teacher professional development and student assessment. In order for schools, teachers and parents to nurture student learning, they must learn about these new technologies. Just as teenagers acquire more knowledge from the internet than they do their parents, we adults need to follow their example. To start with, I encourage you to investigate some of the new technologies that I have discovered. A simple Google search provided me with knowledge on the following: Augmented reality learning, iStation computer assessments, Animation-ish software. By clicking on the links below, you can begin your journey towards critical and creative thinking. Can you use these new technologies? Can your child or student use them? If so, how? Enjoy your learning journey!

References:

e-book, “21^st Century Learning”: Tech & Learning Online Magazine http://newbay.ebookhost.net/tl/lenovo/1/index.php?e=41&open=1

;

Computer-based Reading Assessment- http://www.istation.com/Assessment/ISIPEarlyReading

Animation-ish Graphic design Software for children- http://shop.fablevisionlearning.com/animationish/fa/shop.detail/productID/2542/

Letters Alive, Augmented Reality 3-D Software for the Whiteboard http://www.logicalchoice.com/archive/archive/augmented-reality-for-teaching-learning/letters-alive-curriculum-pre-k-k/

http://www.howstuffworks.com/augmented-reality.htm

http://www.scoop.it/t/augmented-reality-in-education-and-training

Augmented Reality Technology Brings Sesame Street Characters to Life | Augmented Reality in Education and Training | Scoop.it

h ttp://popartoys.com/2011/05/3-d-interactive-augmented-reality-childrens-book-series-popar-debuts-at-the-new-york-international-book-fair/

Interesting Parenting Article: http://www.psfk.com/2010/10/the-digital-birth-of-the-modern-child.htmly

Interactive WhiteBoard interactivity!

Children love using Interactive whiteboards in the classroom. I have observed that children learn more and are involved more when they are actually interacting with the board, with their touch. It is true that children learn by doing, therefore the whiteboard should be used to its full capability-instead of just being a backdrop to view Power Points and video’s. Power Points and video’s are important too, but should not be the only method for delivering instruction. Children are very capable of coming up to the screen and touching it to advance each slide. I have realized that I need to include more whiteboard interaction into my teaching. I will be using this cute little picture icon to display whiteboard activities that I have found online, from other other teachers. I am excited to start using other professionals activities!

Here are my teacher inspiration blogs below!

http://edutech4teachers.edublogs.org/2012/06/29/interactive-whiteboard-resources/

Here’s an early childhood one- It’s one of my favorites!

http://besbellotic.blogspot.com/2008_06_01_archive.html

http://upendogod.blogspot.com/2011/05/interactive-whiteboards-and-flipcharts.html

Here is an Australian sight that allows you to use activities for free.

http://www.seeshareshape.com.au/share/story.aspx?sc=53122&id=1105&ch=3

This one is by Carson Dellosa and includes a free download unit:

http://iwb.cdlearningspot.com/iwb/free/

More downloads here:

http://blog.learningtoday.com/blog/?Tag=interactive%20whiteboard%20math%20lesson

This post below is even better than mine and has a comprehensive list of hundreds of interactive lessons!

http://small-changes-big-returns.wikispaces.com/SMART+Board

IWB

Kids just want to have fun….during Summer time (and mom just wants to keep them busy)!

Here are my top 5 some fun things that I did with my own children….ages 5, 7 and 9. Maybe you can try some of them too, with your kids!

1. Local Field Trip – We went to the Fish Market (the fresh seafood section of our local grocery store). The kids had fun on this “free field trip.” I just bought shrimp-that they didn’t eat. Oh well, they will never forget those little fish eyes staring at them!
2. Fruit Scavenger Hunt – I told each child the fruit that I wanted them to find, gave them a plastic bag, then told them how many that I wanted. They each came back so proud! We ended up with a variety of fruit to take home…but we ended up making fruit salad. I let them use butter knives to cut the fruit.
3. Kids Grocery List – I split the grocery list three ways and it was each childs job to find the items on their list. We all stayed together during this process and they were not allowed to get anything else, than what was on their list. (The list was actually MY grocery list!)
4. Swim in the house – Yes, this sounds weird, but for some reason my kids love swimming in the bathtub. They also get a little clean in the process. I let them use their water guns and floats also.
5. Gold Rush – Randomly drop coins under furniture, cushions, in the washroom, under the towels and in the dirty clothes. Tell each child that they have to find a certain amount of money. This is good teamwork-if they are honest! Or, you can just tell them that whatever money that they find, they can keep.

What is the Best Way for Teaching Reading?

Arthur Read (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dolch words vs. Sight Words. Which method proves to be the best way for teaching reading? Are they even the same thing or are they different? As a Kindergarten teacher, who has taught sight words, I was curious about the answer to this question. Other Kindergarten teachers across the world teach dolch words. So, are we both up to part with the teaching of reading? Is one method better than the other?

According to Edward William Dolch, there are 220 most commonly used words in the English language. This list was first published in 1948 in his book “Problems in Reading.” Dolch called these words “service words” meaning-words that must be quickly recognized to be able to read successfully. Words that must be recognized and read quickly are also called “sight words.” Many of the Dolch words are sight words (the answer to my original question)! In fact, any general text contains about 50-70 % of the 220 dolch words which are sight words. Therefore, sight words are vital to reading successfully.

The other 30-50% of the words in most general text is phonics-based. Phonics based reading (the sounding out of words) is also vital to reading successfully. One could read with only sight words, or read by only sounding out words. However, if that were done, the person could not read successfully-or would be reading on a K-1st grade level. In order to read by phonics, a child must have phonemic awareness-the realization that letters make sounds. Then, the child must be able to know the name of each capital and lowercase letter, and the sounds that each makes. When letters are recognized within a word, such as “man,” the child should be able to think about the name of the letter and the sound it makes, and then sound out each sound slowly. By “reading” and practicing “sounding out” simple 2-3 letter words, a child will eventually sound out the letters more quickly and read more successfully. Therefore, phonics-based reading, sight word and dolch word reading are vital toward being a proficient reader.

The list of Dolch words can be found all over the internet via Google searches. The easiest to print list (found below) can also be found on Wikipedia. Below is the list, from Wikipedia, in alphabetical order. They are separated into categories by grade level and by noun/non-noun.

Dolch list: Non-nouns Pre-primer:

a, and, away, big, blue, can, come, down, find, for, funny, go, help, here, I, in, is, it, jump, little, look, make, me, my, not, one, play, red, run, said, see, the, three, to, two, up, we, where, yellow, you

Primer:

all, am, are, at, ate, be, black, brown, but, came, did, do, eat, four, get, good, have, he, into, like, must, new, no, now, on, our, out, please, pretty, ran, ride, saw, say, she, so, soon, that, there, they, this, too, under, want, was, well, went, what, white, who, will, with, yes

1st Grade:

after, again, an, any, as, ask, by, could, every, fly, from, give, giving, had, has, her, him, his, how, just, know, let, live, may, of, old, once, open, over, put, round, some, stop, take, thank, them, then, think, walk, were, when

2nd Grade:

always, around, because, been, before, best, both, buy, call, cold, does, don’t, fast, first, five, found, gave, goes, green, its, made, many, off, or, pull, read, right, sing, sit, sleep, tell, their, these, those, upon, us, use, very, wash, which, why, wish, work, would, write, your

3rd Grade:

about, better, bring, carry, clean, cut, done, draw, drink, eight, fall, far, full, got, grow, hold, hot, hurt, if, keep, kind, laugh, light, long, much, myself, never, only, own, pick, seven, shall, show, six, small, start, ten, today, together, try, warm

Dolch list: Nouns

apple, baby, back, ball, bear, bed, bell, bird, birthday, boat, box, boy, bread, brother, cake, car, cat, chair, chicken, children, Christmas, coat, corn, cow, day, dog, doll, door, duck, egg, eye, farm, farmer, father, feet, fire, fish, floor, flower, game, garden, girl, good-bye, grass, ground, hand, head, hill, home, horse, house, kitty, leg, letter, man, men, milk, money, morning, mother, name, nest, night, paper, party, picture, pig, rabbit, rain, ring, robin, Santa Claus, school, seed, sheep, shoe, sister, snow, song, squirrel, stick, street, sun, table, thing, time, top, toy, tree, watch, water, way, wind, window, wood

References: Dolch, W. E. (1948). Problems in Reading. USA: Garrard Press.

Internet Source: www.wikipedia.com

Published June 17, 2012 at my professional website: https://greenbeankindergarten.wordpress.com

Dolch Word Worksheets: Pre-Primer (thethoughtfulteacher.wordpress.com)
Sight Word Worksheets (thethoughtfulteacher.wordpress.com)

The Invention Station

This was my students most favorite station this year. I sent an email for the parents to send clean and empty bottles along with newspapers and toilet paper rolls to school. Here are some of the things that they created.

Ra-ra Rainforest fun!

For the second to last week of school, I thought it would be fun and engaging for my students to review sight words and reading skills with a rainforest backdrop!

Here are my Pinterest found inspirations!

Skippyjon Jones fun!

Kindergarten Memories

On the last day of school, I asked my students what their most favorite thing about kindergarten was. They loved sharing their memories! I loved having their thoughts in this web!

I received this wonderful gift from a parent, one school year! Every child in my class is represented! I just love it!

A few years ago, my students drew a picture of themself as a Kindergarten student. They did a wonderful job!

One of my students inspired me to have an “End of the Year Circus-Themed” Party. So I did! It was fun and easy to decorate. It was also very inexpensive!

Easy Decorations:

1. I made the balloon center piece by taping 4 balloons to a popcorn cup and then a filled in the holes with tissue paper.

2. I sprinkled the table with peanuts and animal crackers.

3. The brown bags are filled with popcorn and are decorated with circus animal die-cuts.

4. I placed some more animal crackers in a ziploc bag and then placed a die-cut of a circus tent on the top.

5. Darn, I forgot to take a picture of it….but I hung up a pennant banner (that I bought at Wal-Mart). I also hung some balloons

6. At Michaels, I found some 50 cent Circus plates and napkins!

Incredible Insect Activities!

To start off our insect lesson, we compared what we know about the traits of animals, people and insects. However, this may be better for the end of an insect unit.

Here are my favorite Pinterest inspirations from other amazing teachers! Just click the picture to see the website of the original creator of the activity.

Firefly Craft- Add a glow stick inside of a mountain dew bottle! (idea found on Pinterest)

We just completed a fun “Hungry Caterpillar” activity, using real fruit and a caterpillar toy to retell Eric Carle’s story. My students also tasted each fruit, just as the caterpillar did!