Day Two-Teaching Kinders about Turnaround Facts

Today we went a little deeper into our understanding of turnaround facts in math.  We started out with a review of what we learned yesterday.  I used clothes hangers each with a number 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.   On one side of the number I placed one color of pins and the other side another color of pins in combinations to equal the number on the hanger.  We read the number sentence left to right, wrote it on our dry erase boards and then as we flipped the hanger around, the kids were able to see, say and write the turnaround fact. 

It was fun to hear and see the "lightbulbs" go on in their heads as they smiled and said "OOOHHH!". We talked about what stayed the same in each number sentence as well as what changed.

Then we talked with our neighbor about what we thought the term turnaround fact meant.

Once I felt comfortable with their understanding of turnaround facts, I introduced two activities that they would do  independently.  

Each child received a baggie with domino cards and number sentences.  We first laid out all the domino cards and then set out to match the fact and the corresponding turnaround fact to each domino.  The kids did great!!  As this student, continued to sort her cards, she realized a couple of mistakes and was able to easily correct herself without any support!

The kiddos next task was to use the containers of dominoes that I set out at their tables to do more turnaround facts.  This time, they chose a domino, drew it in their math journal, and then wrote the fact with the answer as well as the turnaround fact.  They really were engaged and independently discovered that doubles do not have turnaround facts!  

At the end of our math lesson today we watched a Youtube video about Turnaround facts...I'm not quite sure how I feel about it...kids were intrigued...you will have to check it out yourselves and make your own opinions!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfjXD8skB-0

Now...on to Friday-Have a great weekend everyone!

Finding Balance

So I'm very new to this blogging thing...and new to making products for Teachers Pay Teachers.  I am NOT new to teaching!  That being said, it is always hard to find balance.  It always feels like there is more I could be doing...should be doing.  Sometimes I think our pets say it best!

'Anyway, over the next months I am going to be working hard to find balance--so I can add to my blog and store, continue to do great things for my kindergarten students, and still be a wife and dog mom!  Advice is welcome from any experts!

One other quick announcement...it's my first ever "SALE" on Teachers Pay Teachers!  Everything is 20% off plus you get another 10% off that if you use the code "HEROES".  I do hope you'll stop by and see what I have--and I have LOTS of things in the works!  Just click the image below if you want to snoop around.  Feel free to click the "Follow" star if you want to get updates when I add new products.  Thanks for stopping by!

Celebrating Writing!

We are finishing up on our unit on Personal Narratives.  The kids have grown so much with what they are able to do.  We have worked really hard to grow as writers and it shows.  In our school district, we have been using the Lucy Calkins' writing units.  Throughout this unit, we have made a number of anchor charts to help us remember what it is that we need to put into our stories.  Here is a look at two of the charts we created together as a class.

When we started out our unit we focused on making a detailed picture, so when a reader read the story, the picture could support what the author wanted to say.  Once they mastered the pictures, we moved on to focusing on the words of our story.

Thus the need for this anchor chart...

We still continue to work on making sure that we have enough detail in our words to "paint" a clear picture in our reader's mind.

As a grade level, for our PPG this year, we are focusing on elaboration with the kids.  We are working hard to tell who is in our story, what they are doing and how they felt.  As a grade level, we have decided that we would revisit narrative writing for a week at the end of whatever unit of writing we are working on at the time.  As an example, we are now doing How-To writing.  We will spend another 2 weeks with this genre of writing and before moving to All Abouts, we will spend a week revisiting personal narratives.  This is the first year we have done it this way, so we will see how it goes and what the kids have actually retained!

 Here are a couple of pictures of my kids working independently on their own personal narratives.  They all have writing offices that they can use to refer to personal anchor charts that we have made in class, alphabet chart, mini word wall and a way to keep their stories organized as they work.

 One of the ways that we like to wrap up the day's writing, is to meet on the floor with a writing piece of their choice to share with their neighbor!  They love to do this and are so proud of what they have accomplished!

Friday the Thirteenth and Valentine Fun!

Well, another Valentine's Day is in the books...the kids were crazy excited and had lots of fun!

During all the craziness, my principal decided that it would be a good time to do her unscheduled mini observation!  Seriously??  Oh well, it is what it is and at least I can say it is over.  She happened to walk in while we were doing some math activities with candy hearts.  My group was doing some estimating, tallying, measuring and graphing while my aides group was sorting, graphing and counting.  

Why is it that I always second guess myself with activities and wonder what I should have done better or differently?

Prior to the kids coming in for the day, I attached their valentine holders to their tables so that they would be ready when we started passing out our valentines.  I think that the kids did a really good job of making their holders.  

The kiddos used tag board tracers for most of the parts and then they free cut the rest!  They had a choice of making a cat, dog or bear.  The large heart with their names is made from scrapbooking paper and the rest from construction paper.  My group this year sure does love doing crafts-maybe because we have time to do so few that when we do it is a break from routine and something different to do.

Our day was low key as far as activities.  I have found that what they really want to do is just open up their cards and read them and acknowledge the friend that gave it to them.  It is so fun to watch their reactions to opening each card and hearing them give an enthusiastic "thank you" to the person who sent it.  

For the past few years, instead of having too many treats for snack, we have done a Secret Valentine in a Bag.  A white bag goes home with each child to decorate and then inside they will put one salty treat, one sweet treat and a juice box along with a valentine card that says "to my secret Valentine".  We put our chairs in a circle and I put a bag under each chair.  We then play a version of musical chairs (without removing a chair) and when the music stops, they sit down.  We will play a few times to make sure no one has their own bag that they brought in under their chair and then the kids will take their bag to their table and open up.  We will go around and share who everyone's secret Valentine was and then eat our snack!  Easy-peasy!  No need to pass things out or take the time to go choose things to eat!  The kids love this!

We also incorporated some science into our day with candy hearts.  First, we predicted what we thought would happen to the candies and I wrote them on our chart.  Then a few times throughout the day we would check the progress and talk about what we noticed happening.  At the end of the day we jotted down what actually happened.  

It was a fun day!

I am glad we have an extra day to our weekend-I need the time to recuperate!  Haha!  Hope your day was as fun and successfully exhausting!

Bring on the weekend...

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/443393525789275449/

Currently February!

I am joining up with Farley from Oh' Boy 4th Grade for my very first Currently!

Listening:  We love Criminal Minds in our family!  It's our new t.v. show obsession.  My springer is laying here on the couch next to me sound asleep-he snores like a person!

Loving:  End of quarter means report cards!  I have spent the last 2 weeks assessing my kids so that I can feel somewhat confident in filling out our report card-ugh.  I think we spend more time assessing kids than we do getting to teach and interact with them.  How I miss the old days, sigh!

Thinking:  Oh boy, February is such a busy month!  We have Groundhog's Day, 100th Day, Valentine's Day, Dental Health, President's Day and finishing our science unit on Balls and Ramps.  On top of everything else reading, writing and math-can you here me yelling "CALGON!!"

Wanting:  Wishing I could just relax and spend the day with family, but planning is calling my name so off I go to get 'er done so it is not hanging over my head.

Needing:  My mom is coming into town this week for a few days and will be spending some of her time with us.  I love having her visit-but always feel in a panic because my house never seems as clean as hers!

Pageant Title:  This really fits into many parts of my life-personal and professional.  I always say today will be the day that...and I truly believe myself that I can do it and then something (whether food or meeting or lack of organization) gets in my way!  Nothing like not owning it, hey!

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