Looking for Some "Egg"- Ceptional Mini Station Ideas?

Have you ever considered what you can do with plastic eggs? Students love these little containers so turn them into quick and easy learning stations that make learning fun. These containers are super cheap right after Easter so be on high alert!

Here are some of the ideas I put together today: 

My kindergarten teachers loved these little math and literacy stations and I had so much fun using them with some of their students. What is it about "little pieces" that kids love so much? I had some of these plastic eggs from last year but I bought more at Walmart recently. Usually I buy them at the Dollar Store but they had slim pickings this year. The baskets that I put them in are from their and you get 3 of them for a buck. I am going to make these a flash freebie this week for a few days and then I will put them in my TpT store. 

What is your best idea for these eggs? Leave me a comment and come back for the freebie if you can use these. They are aligned to the Common Core and all of them have student response sheets. I hope you like these ideas as much as I do!

Are You Going Dotty With CC Math?

This is my latest packet and my teachers are loving it. Students have an opportunity to use dot markers to mark different visual representations for numbers 1-20 and to practice oral language  justifying their answers. "I marked this one because_______." This is what Common Core is all about. Right? A tall order for our ELL babies. Our students need to learn how to use "math talk". Mission impossible? Not with this little packet. I even show you how to use a collaborative model (group of 4) to work on these pages so children build their knowledge together. Join me on this Common Core journey. Number sense is the work of kindergarten and we all work hard to send them on with a deep understanding of numbers. Lock it up with this $5.00 item.

What makes this different?

1. Students love to use dot markers (yup even on their clothes) and this keeps them engaged.

2. Directions are provided for a student book of numbers  from 1-20 and this is perfect for "Open House".

3. It is perfect for intervention in first grade or for the beginning of the year.

4. Whip out the collaborative activities when the district curriculum head is visiting.

5. Use these pages for student portfolios.

6. Homework

If you want this little baby just click here and it will slam you into my TpT store to purchase. All aboard for the Common Core...

Earth Day Really Matters... Teach On

Earth Day is one of my favorite themes to use in the spring. It is celebrated on April 22nd but I love to do activities related to this for several weeks. Friends of the Earth is a Common Core packet that has been carefully designed to meet the needs of your primary learners. It will help to raise student awareness of the importance of recycling and taking care of the earth.

I have included both literacy and math stations that will build the academic language of your students and promote student engagement. Writing activities are also included and scaffolds have been provided to ensure student success. It also addresses the needs of your English language learners.Many of the printables serve as a record of student understandings and can be used for assessment and homework.

Students even make a simple necklace using straws to add some bling! If you would like to purchase this packet it is available in my TpT store. Be sure to pick up the headband freebie too! Help our children learn to care for the earth and each other. What do you do to celebrate Earth Day?

Finally A Freebie: Celebrate Earth Day With Your Kindergarten

Don't you love this time of the year? The weather is getting warmer (okay I live in Southern California) and your students are actually showing some progress and becoming much more independent. Whew... I bet you thought it would never happen and before you know it you will be hugging them all goodbye and telling them to have a great summer. Before it all slides past you why don't you do a mini unit on Earth Day instead of  just spring? You can teach a lot of different skills but also give them some understanding of recycling, reusing, and reducing. I think this is worthwhile and goes along really well with any unit you do on plants. Today I am offering you a freebie that might force encourage you to try this next month. You can pick it up right here if your kids will have fun making a little crativity. It's a headband that you can sponge paint and add a little info to. No fuss just easy to put together. Who doesn't want to wear the Earth on their head as an accessory? 

This packet is almost finished and it has been carefully aligned to the Common Core (naturally). I think it is one of my best products. I even included some writing that has been differentiated for young students. This product can also be used in a TK classroom since it has many literacy and math activities to keep little ones engaged. I have provided response sheets for many of the stations so you have a record of their understandings. 

Have a great week of teaching friends.

Read About My Weekend... You won't be sorry!

I am exhausted but filled with wonderful memories from the Southern California Kindergarten Conference. The keynote speaker was our head blogger Deanna Jump from Mrs. Jump's Classroom. She did a fantastic job on a topic that we all want to learn more about " The Common Core." Bloggers from all over  Southern California were asked to present here and it was a weekend to remember! 

I was so nervous before this presentation that my teeth were chattering. My bubble necklaces got tangled up and the room was packed with kindergarten teachers and my blogging buddies. I took a deep breath and looked up into Deanna Jump's eyes and knew I was ready to do this! I tossed a beach ball and gave away freebies. I hope they loved it! I tried to give them a general overview of CC in kindergarten through the lens of an English Language Learner and it took me months to put this together. I sweated over it more than my thesis for graduate school!  They laughed, they clapped, and blew bubbles at the end of my session. I love kindergarten. I love kindergarten teachers the most. They are so loving. On to the Blogger Bash dinner with Heidi from HeidiSongs as our MC. Miss Kindergarten and Michelle Griffo put this beautiful event together with help from other bloggers. It was FANTASTIC! They have some serious skills peeps.

We gave away gorgeous baskets we had each made and mine of course was none other than Pete the Cat! I filled it with Pete, my favorite books about Pete, my packets, Pete note paper and other Pete related goodies. The winner loved her goodies! She was so sweet and happy to receive this. The party was filled with food, laughter, and we raffled off gift certificates to our TpT store. It was so much fun to make teachers so happy!

At the end of the weekend it was pouring and I was exhausted. My husband took one look at me and booked a spectacular room at the Westin, took me out to a beautiful restaurant, talked about the conference over drinks late that evening and took me to a great breakfast the following morning. Yup, he is a keeper! #blessed

I went to most of the presentations my young friends did and I was overwhelmed by the quality of their work. They made gorgeous Power Points and handouts. They were relaxed, funny, and sent teachers home with a million ideas for implementing the Common Core in engaging ways for our young students. I was so proud of their work. Please come to this conference next year. My brain is exploding with great ideas and my heart is full. Kindergarten teachers are the best people on earth.

Much love to the bloggers in Southern Cal,

Fran

Get Lucky Today!

Have you noticed that a lot of bloggers are promoting worksheets that you can print off and use the next day? Be cautious about embracing this. Kindergarten students need to interact with materials and use manipulatives on a concrete level to build understandings. Small group instruction and work stations help them to make connections and work towards becoming independent. I think we need balance with all of this and because life is so busy we fall down this "black hole." I know I have. However, there are so many amazing resources that can keep our kids excited about learning! Are you with me?

 It's a struggle to keep up with all the demands of a classroom and have any time left for yourself and your family. Literacy and math stations require a lot of prep and this can become exhausting. Worksheets can be useful to check for understanding but only if they are well designed and used strategically.

At this time of year I have an emergent reader that my students love and it has such a positive message... I need positive! Click on the picture to grab this little reader.

This packet is filled with activities to keep learning exciting in your classroom and gives you an opportunity to see how their skills are coming along. There is definite prep involved but I think it is worth it. Laminate all the games and activities, label it, put it in a container and pray that you can find it next year. I have it in my TpT store so click on the picture and it will lead you there. Have a lucky day friends and remember to "teach to the core." You can also click here.

Who Wants Freebies Today? Hop on Over!

Some of my fabulous friends and I have been working our tails off to prepare for the Southern California Kindergarten Conference! We are so excited to present, celebrate and have an all around wonderful time with some fantastic teacher friends in Pasadena, California at the end February.

We want to share all that fun with ALL of you! Soooo....

We are having a little hop over on our FACEBOOK pages. Start on Dragonflies in First's FB page and hop your way through some fabulous freebies from some amazing teachers. 

It's a short hop and you won't want to skip a step because it ends in a chance to win an AMAZING GIVEWAY!

It all begins Saturday! What a fabulous way to start the weekend!

Happy hopping!!

Presentation Countdown... OMG

The days are going by quickly and I am working feverishly to finish my presentation for this incredible event...

Look at this line up and tell me that you have every intention of coming to this amazing event! Our very own Deanna Jump is the keynote and if you have ever heard her speak you won't want to miss this event. She rocked it out in Vegas and now you can actually meet her. This is going to be such a blast. 

Come and meet the Southern Cal bloggers. These gorgeous teacher bloggers are some of the best in the west! Did I really just say that? Okay, that was corny. I love these ladies and yes we do hang out together. Grab a ticket before they sell out and you are feeling so sad. I am taking off two days from work which is unheard of! What is the topic? Common Core- what else?

 I cannot wait to go to all these sessions and learn from this talented teachers. Woohoo... let's get this party started! Treat yourself to a ticket. You deserve it. Register right here!

Come back on Saturday for the Facebook Hop we are having where you can collect a billion freebies. Please "like" my Facebook page so that you can get some cool stuff to use next week! Promise? My friend Traci has worked her buns off to put this together. Check out her blog Dragonflies In First and yes- buy her planner. It is AMAZING!

Like all our Facebook pages when this goes live over the weekend. You will not want to miss this. I am so excited to be a part of this group... We are having a blogger bash at this conference with freebies, raffles, TpT gift certificates and even a photo booth.We have a bizillion giveaways that have consumed my life for weeks, not to mention presentations filled with ideas to take home and implement. Now if I could just avoid standing in the front of the room I would be a happy camper. Just sayin'

Meet the Presidents: Kindergarten Kids Love Non Fiction!

I love teaching about the presidents in celebration of their birthdays in February. My partner was born on Lincoln's birthday and I was born on Washington's. Yup, I swear this is the truth! The kids get such a kick out of this and we love teaching about these two important leaders. This books have been some of my best sellers because their is so little informational text out there that young children can actually read! Much of what is available is too complex for young learners. However, I do have a few favorites you might want to check out. I am a big fan of the scholastic series My First Biography. They have a limited number of books but my guess is more will come. Common Core requires that we read more non fiction to our students 

and I think they need readers that reflect this shift. If these readers appeal to you they can be purchased here and here. I provided a colored version for the teacher to present and a black and white version for your students. The dots are under the text to help children with tracking. What are some of your favorite activities to do to celebrate these holidays? We make a tall hat for Lincoln with a shiny penny glued to the front that  the kids get to clean themselves. This is a big hit with the boys! For Washington we make a red, white and blue three cornered hat with a feather (Michaels purchase) with a fake quarter in the center. This is a great time to talk about money with your students and do some probability work, flipping a coin to determine heads or tails. Students have a blast with this. So take some time out of your busy day to expose your students to biographies that they will enjoy.

And the winner is...

How lucky is this lady? She won a free ticket to the Southern California Kindergarten Conference. Okay get over it. You'll win next year. If you are still interested in hanging out with the bloggers at the event you can still purchase your ticket. Take a break from teaching... kids... the husband and join all of us for an event you will never forget.


You can even meet Deanna Jump. The whole conference is on Common Core and we are showing up at this party and rocking it out. Are you in? I know it's hard to get away but this is really worth it. Does Common Core scare you to death? Learn how to make it work in your classroom with 31 children. It will be a weekend you'll never forget. I promise. I will even be there. Come to my session and introduce yourself to me. The bloggers are taking over and you won't be sorry. Hang with us. There will be goodie bags too. Woohoo ! I am super excited. I have worked on my presentation for weeks and I am giving away a ton of freebies. Show up. That's it. Be there or be square.