Apple Literacy Resources for Kindergarten
If you’re teaching your apple unit in your classroom, I have some wonderful resources you won’t want to miss! Read on to see some of my favorite apple literacy resources and how I use them in my own kindergarten classroom! Apple Beginning Sound Centers This apple themed center is perfect for the beginning of the…
The Best September Read Alouds for Kindergarten
September brings so many exciting topics in kindergarten – apples, colorful leaves, back-to-school, and of course fall! There are so many amazing read alouds for these topics and today I am sharing some of my favorites! Books About Apples Bad Apple: A Tale of Friendship by Edward Hemingway This book is the perfect read aloud…
Teaching Phonics in Small Groups Made Simple!
Teaching phonics skills in small groups in kindergarten sounds overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! Small group instruction allows for tailored teaching, immediate feedback, and active participation. In today’s post I guide you through setting up phonics groups, how to structure your time, and activities that will keep your kinders engaged in the beginning…
Why My Classroom is NOT Pinterest Perfect
When I was setting up my first classroom, I consulted Pinterest – a lot. I was so excited to have one of the gorgeous, perfectly organized classroom that filled my feed. I quickly realized that these creative, color-coordinated pictures provided great inspiration, but also created some unrealistic expectations. Here’s why my classroom isn’t Pinterest perfect—and…
The Best Books for the Beginning of Kindergarten
Back to school is just around the corner! Fresh school supplies, new clothes, and the anticipation of what kindergarten will be like… The beginning of kindergarten can be an exciting time for kids, but it can also be overwhelming. (This goes for parents too!) These are some of my favorite books to help kids adjust…
3 Things You Can Do Now Before Back to School
Okay, I am the first one to admit I am not one of those teachers who spends all summer thinking about school. In fact, I’m usually the first teacher in my building to start counting down to summer. I LOVE any sort of extended break and since I’m not getting paid to do school work over the…
Letter of the Day Made Easy
I love teaching phonics and with the curriculum my district uses, we do a letter of the day. I was constantly searching and creating resources for my students to make it fun and enjoyable. Of course this got frustrating and took up way more time than needed, so I created a one stop shop for…
Beginning of the Year Kindergarten Assessments
I LOVE looking at data and organizing it. I am likely in the minority here, but something about looking at colorful spreadsheets (hello conditional formatting) and finding patterns in all of it makes my teacher heart so happy. Now, the collecting part of data I could go without. But in today’s classrooms you can’t really avoid that so I…
Running a Successful Meet the Teacher Night
Back to School time is creeping up again! Chances are you have some sort of Meet the Teacher evening where you get a chance to meet all your students and parents before the first day of school. Every school structures this differently and no matter what, your main goal is make an amazing first impression…
How to Teach Colors in Kindergarten
Do you teach colors in kindergarten? I love our color unit at the beginning of the year for confidence building (most students already know all their colors!) and teaching routines. And we know that in kindergarten, most of the time we aren’t diving into curriculum right away because there are SO many routines and procedures…
