Look who will be at the Southern California Kindergarten Conference... Get your ticket!

Have you heard about the Southern California Kindergarten Conference?! It's a two-day conference in Pasadena, California geared toward early childhood educators. If you live in Southern California {or want to come out to visit!} and you teach Pre-School, Pre-K, Transitional K, Kindergarten, or First Grade, this conference is for you! Learn all about teaching Common Core Standards, organizing your classroom, reading and writing tips, classroom management and more!

Want to know the most exciting part?!? Some of your favorite Southern California bloggers {and a very special guest!} will be presenting at this conference on February 28th and March 1st!! Look at all these fabulous bloggers you can meet!

Annie's blog

Annie's store

Christy and Tammy's blog

Christy and Tammy's store

Deanna's blog

Deanna's store

Fran's blog

Fran's store

Hadar's blog

Hadar's store

Heidi's blog

Heidi's store

Katie's blog

Katie's store

Kelley's blog Kelley's store

Kerri & Lindsay's blog

Kerri's store

Lindsay's store

Kristin's blog

Kristin's store

Michelle's blog

Michelle's store

Palma's blog

Palma's store

Traci's blog

Traci's store

Want to know what we're the most excited about?! Our very first BLOGGER BASH!!! A party?! Yes, thank you!

Come meet your favorite bloggers and enjoy an evening of food, prizes and fun! Each attendee will receive a fabulous dinner, a goodie bag {full of freebies!!!}, and a raffle ticket to enter for some amazing prizes! We will have a short little blogger presentation and then the rest of the time will be for chatting and asking questions! You can purchase your Blogger Bash ticket for only $25 {here} or call (661)297-6900 to reserve your seat!

Are you excited yet??! How about a chance to WIN a FREE registration to the two-day conference?! Well, it's your lucky day! SCKC has generously allowed us to giveaway one free registration to the conference! Enter using the rafflecopter below! The giveaway will end on February 1st and the winner will be announced shortly after!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Print this flyer and hand it out to your fellow early childhood education teachers

or email them a copy!

A very special thanks to our sponsors!

You Won't Want to Miss This Emergent Reader on Martin Luther King

This is one of my favorite emergent readers for Martin Luther King and is a great follow up when you come back to school on Tuesday. It helps children set personal goals for the second half of the year now that they realize what they need to work on. It is so cute to have those rich conversations about what they want to work on. You will love listening to their goals and dreams and the inspiration for all this is an American who worked hard, had goals, struggled, but still followed his dreams. I love this connection and I think it is powerful for our little ones. If you are interested you can find it for just a few dollars right here. Let me know what you think of the book and what you like to do to celebrate Martin Luther King. 
Do you need a freebie to add to the excitement? I think this is a keeper for our kindergarten kids.


Do you need something to help you celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday? How about making a special necklace that is quick and easy. The directions are in this little packet and will add some fun to this important national holiday. It's a freebie and we all love free- right? Click here for this. Don't forget to grab the emergent reader I created entitled, What Is Your Dream? The link is on the post just below this one. If you like the freebie please leave a comment and I hope your students like the bling!
These graphics are from Melonheadz Illustrations and she did the most incredible job. The other graphics belong to www.DJInkers.com There is so much talent out there... Now go teach about this great leader.

Baby It's Cold Outside... for California

Happy New Year everyone. I have been so busy preparing for a conference presentation that I have neglected my blog. I want to post some products that I have that are ideal for this time of the year and are aligned to the Common Core:

This is a great product which is filled with literacy and math activities. No it is not just printables that you run off. I am not a big fan of that and trust me principals are not impressed when they walk into your room and see too much of that. The Common Core is about kids working collaboratively and interacting with each other to build knowledge. This packet is filled with activities that kids can do at stations to build their understanding of counting on, the teen numbers, sight word games, more letter knowledge practice, winter vocabulary,etc. If you have ELL's this will be a good match for your students. In addition to that it is filled with emergent readers that my students love using.

I have retelling cards and a reader for The Mitten. I like to read a variety of versions of this story and compare and contrast them. Retelling is a really important skill for our little ones since it leads to their ability to summarize and our ELL's need oral language practice that is fun and interesting. This cards will fit in your pocket chart and become a flow map! If this sounds like a good match for your kiddos you can grab it here.

Stay cozy with these "Winter Warm-Ups that meet the Common Core. I will post some other products later when I can grab a few minutes. What activities do you love to do with your kids at this time of the year?

Need A Gift For Your Secret Pal At School? Shhhhh...

Right now things are crazy at school but I am having a blast picking out or making gifts for my secret pal. Why not make the gingerbread play dough for your kinder friend or a teaching friend with young children. I have even made this for parent volunteers in my classroom and wrapped it with a gingerbread cookie cutter. It's homemade and much appreciated. If you want to add in these simple mats for a little something extra from the elves you can grab them right here but be sure to leave a comment just to add some Christmas cheer. The students in your room could certainly enjoy them at a math station too! Happy Holidays!

Okay so I forgot the recipe... I'm on it!

This is not my recipe. It comes from the most amazing site for cookies in the world. If you visit this lady she will make you feel bad about yourself. Your cookies will seem pathetic by comparison so don't say I didn't warn you. I could spend all day on her site and Facebook page. She is truly a cookie artist. Remember that I warned you. Do not lash out at me...Check out her elf cookies and leave me a comment once you stop drooling over her work...http://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/.

What's Cooking At Your House?

As if you aren't busy enough... I hope you squeeze in the time to make Gingerbread Playdough for your classroom. Your students will love you so much. My recipe has you cook this on the stove and add all the delicious ingredients used in the cookies. The house smelled delicious and the poor husband thought I was making the real deal. Boy was he disappointed! Anyhow, it's a secret  (shhhh)  but this is for some of my kinder teachers who want a little fun sprinkled into their classroom. Who better to deliver this gift than the elf? I will post these mats if you leave a comment about what special holiday fun you infuse in your classroom that still meets our rigorous academic standards?  Have a wonderful week and squeeze in time to do this. You will not be sorry. Your students will love the smell and have fun with this special holiday dough!

Don't Miss Cyber Monday On TpT: I Am So Excited to Have a Sale!

I am so excited to finally put some of my packets up for sale this week. You can "gobble" up any of these sets to help you plan for the upcoming weeks or put them away for next year at prices you won't want to miss! How cute is this sale button? My amazing, smartie, techie friend Traci created it and I love her creativity. Her blog is Dragonflies In First  and she is wildly creative.

Here are the bundles I think you will be interested in for this time of the year:

T is for Turkey and Turkey Leftovers: These packets are perfect for young learners at this time of the year and are filled with activities to use if you do a celebration just before you go on break. You can find these here in my TpT store.

A Bundle of Alphabet and Number Foldables:  My kinder teachers love these mini books and their students are having so much fun practicing the letters of the alphabet and saving them to review. The number books work on number sense, allowing students to count, use ten frames and store all their understandings in a little book to save and use for review. Teacher posters are for guided instruction and for use in centers.Doing RTI? Grab these as a perfect resource for this time of the year.

Gingerbread Holiday Joy In Literacy and Math: Are you getting ready for December? . Who does not love the many versions of this holiday story? You will find a wide range of activities in this bundle. Students read their own emergent reader, practice retelling the story in a pocket chart with cards, and even make their own bracelet. Also included is a headband for number counting fun, working on teen numbers, and number writing work. These are perfect for your activity days and you can grab this here.

There's An Elf In Our Room Bundle: Do you need some academic activities before you go on your winter break? This bundle was a huge hit in my kindergarten classrooms last year.  These packets provide an opportunity to make a classroom elf who loves watching students work on letters, sounds, rhyming and reading! An adorable cut and paste emergent reader is provided for students to share with their families. Students work on counting by two's and even create a jingle bracelet to add some holiday bling! You can purchase this Common Core aligned bundle right here. 

Hanukkah Readers for Young Learners: This is an amazing deal to grab for your young students who need Common Core aligned readers just right for this time of the year. In this packet are two teacher books that are interactive and engaging. One is perfect for building math concepts, while the other is informational text which teaches about the of traditions of Hanukkah with repetitive text and cut and paste fun. This is a great package for this time of the year. 

 So my friends- I putting all of these on sale for 20% off and TpT is offering an even bigger discount with the code CYBER. This is my first big sale ever but I am full of gratitude for all of you who read this blog, leave thoughtful comments, and continue to show your support for Kindergarten Crayons. Have a wonderful week of teaching. Click on each title to grab it from my store and I hope you fill your cart up with wonderful products.

Light Up Your World With Hanukkah

This is a new product that I am really excited to present to you. I spent a long time on it since I wanted emergent readers that provided information about the holiday of Hanukkah. I think I pulled it off and I am really happy that it is Common Core aligned. The first book is entitled Hanukkah is Here.

It is important to me that my students be exposed to culturally diverse literature and these books provide them with that opportunity. They will also build academic vocabulary while they practice important foundational skills. The teacher reader is perfect for a literacy station once students have completed their own version. 

The second set of books are for building math concepts and the title is Light the Menorah. Teachers will have a colored version to read to their students and to use as a model during small group instruction. Students work on counting skills, ordinal numbers, and reading number words. This can be challenging for young children but this book contextualizes these numbers so children can make sense of this. 

Are these only useful at this time of the year? No! These have valuable content that children can explore throughout the year. If you want to take a peek at them you will find them here.  Have a wonderful week.

Turkey Fun On the Run... some extra ideas recycled

Thanksgiving is almost here and this is back by popular demand!

I am posting this since so many of my followers have asked me about these ideas. Here are some freebies, packets, games, and ideas for Thanksgiving. I am even thinking about holding a special sale to celebrate my favorite holiday!

My students loved this game and it is a great way to continue to review those kindergarten sight words that they still need to practice. When they go on break they often come back with very little memory of these crucial words. I should send a version home for parents to play and keep!

More and less is a challenging concept that is clear as mud to little ones. I made this very concrete version for students which they loved to play! Just slam a turkey or Pilgrim on a card and they are convinced it has to be fun!

The concept of more and less shows up in our math program right around this time of year and our kids struggled with this so much. So I tried to make it more concrete for them and using Thanksgiving graphics to convince them it was so much fun. This is perfect to do in collaborative groups to meet CCSS standards so I am showing this to my kinder teachers.

My BFF teachers next door to me last year showed me this idea last year and it is such a keeper. I adored it since I make headbands for everything possible. This is the best trick I have ever seen and you need to remember it! It's a real keeper!

These are my Thanksgiving retelling cards that I use in a pocket chart to build a flow map of the story. I practice it with the kids for several days and then move on to the bracelet activity that Dr. Jean taught me, right before they leave for vacation. You can grab them here but please leave a comment and any suggestions you have for this holiday.

Please try this pumpkin activity if you have never done this. 
1. Scoop out the pumpkin but leave the seeds in the bottom.
2. Add soil to the pumpkin, filling it to the top.
3. Water it and leave it in the sun.
4. It will grow very quickly and your students can use a science journal to record 
    the results. It was a huge hit in my room. 
This is not my idea. I found it on another blog called Growing In Pre- K. You can see her fabulous version here. Can you think of a better way to teach the life cycle of a pumpkin? My teaching friends did this for the first time this year and adored this project. 

I have used the retelling bracelet that Dr. Jean created for many years now. However, I found that my English Language learners needed more support because the language of the story is so demanding. Finally, about six years ago I simplified the language a bit, created the flow map cards to practice the story whole group, and came up with a little strip book to support their learning. You can find it here.Why was this such a big hit? My kids could go home and tell the story to their parents at their own Thanksgiving table and feel so successful. A big shout out goes to my friend Dr. Jean who understands young children and their developmental needs better than anyone I know! Visit her blog if you are a kindergarten teacher and you will truly learn from her.
She has a more difficult version for first grade or for students who can handle more complex language.

Finally, these are packets I have created to support their learning at this time of the year. In Turkey Leftovers I have included an emergent reader that is a poem that you can also sing and is precious. Sparkle Readers #5 have a turkey reader about the food we eat at our Thanksgiving meal and focuses on beginning sounds. These are all at my TpT store and at Teachers Notebook. They can be used after vacation too as you get ready for your winter curriculum. Click here for T is for Turkey.

This is a card I created this year for students to make. They pick out the pictures that reflect what they are grateful for. I love the great conversations you can have around this! I think it is so important that we stop and remind each other of how grateful we are for all that we are blessed with. I have posted this before but if you still want to grab it you can find it here.
I love teaching about this holiday, making the costumes, cooking cranberries, creating pasta necklaces and all the other projects. What are some of your favorite activities to do? 

I got this idea off of Pinterest and completed the whole thing in just a couple of hours. I sent the Hubs out to find Bugles and Runts and he finally had to look on the internet for them. Wal-mart has these but ran out so he went to Walgreen's and hit it big. The man was my hero and they were so cute. I brought them to school on Friday and was super popular that day! Hint: bring treats to work to feel the love. Here is a set of these labels so you can be everyone's favorite teacher. Click here.

Leave a comment and share!
Have a wonderful holiday with your family. It is so well deserved.
Fran

You've Been Framed!

 So here is my latest product and I think it's really a winner. It is a series of mini books that hit many of the Common Core Standards for Number Sense. In addition I made guiding posters to use when teaching these concepts. Students get a "Number Expert" award when they have mastered these concepts.If you are interested in these you can purchase them here. Ten frames are a crucial concept and this is addressed in these mini books. You can use a bingo marker, highlighter, or crayon to fill in your frame. The teacher posters are laminated and can be used in a math center, using play dough to represent the appropriate number. Students need lots of experiences with this concept and this packet will bring it home! Easy-peasy.

Here is a DIY teaching tool that will really help your students understand ten frames and can provided them with hands-on practice that will keep them engaged. Follow the directions and you can make them quickly and easily so get your "craft on." The teacher tray and student trays (smaller) are available at the Dollar Tree.

The glass beads were purchased at Dollar Tree but the glue and all the magnets were purchased at Walmart for just a few dollars. When you use a circle punch it saves you massive amounts of time since you can grab scraps of cute paper and punch your circles in seconds. Place the Modge Podge right on the bottom of the glass bead with the right side facing up when you turn the bead over!  Is this clear as mud? Add the heavy magnet with this glue called Amazing Goop.

The mat has adhesive magnets on the back so it doesn't slide around and can be changed to use with other concepts. The little trays are also available at Dollar Tree and can be used by students in a small group or at a math station. They go perfectly with my Number Books and students can save their little books in a baggie to use with a partner. These are perfect for homework. Stay with me because the magnets on the little trays can be purchased at Walmart but I used adhesive dots to make them in the color I needed... BRILLIANT right? Applause, please. I hope this makes sense. Kids love little foldables and I love playing with magnets, don't you?