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Categories
Tag Archives: kindergarten
Young Writers and Inventive Spelling
Once upon a not too distant time I had a parent who felt her first grader should be taught only second grade work. She felt he was way beyond our first grade curriculum and as proof she brought to our … Continue reading
Posted in Notes from the teacher's desk
Tagged beginning writing, beginning writing for young children, Classroom, creative writing for young children., Developmental, Early Childhood, education, Inventive spelling, kindergarten, Learning, Notes from the teacher's desk, Spelling, writing process
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What Do You Mean You Don’t Understand?
Sometimes TMI is a good thing especially when it comes to directions. Often important pieces of information are missing for the audience reading or listening to the directions. I don’t think it’s on purpose. It’s more a causality of doing something … Continue reading
Posted in Everything I need to know to go to kindergarten, Notes from the teacher's desk
Tagged baby sweater, Classroom, Developmental, Early Childhood, family, feedback, Giving directions, kindergarten, knitting, Learning, Notes from the teacher's desk, Ravelry, readiness skills, whole brain teaching
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Do you believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny, Leprechauns or the Tooth Fairy?
My worst nightmare is when a child comes up to me and asks, “Is Santa (Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Leprechauns) real”? No matter how you answer, the next words out of their mouths are……” Tommy says Santa (Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Leprechaun) isn’t … Continue reading
Monkey See, Monkey Do
A few weeks ago I was sitting in the garden behind Notre-Dame in Paris waiting for my daughter to finish climbing to the top of the Cathedral towers. All was peaceful until two boys decided they were bored and started … Continue reading
Calling All Turkeys
I’m pretty sure most of the parents hate me on the day we get out for Thanksgiving vacation. The children love me though, for on that day we finish up our Thanksgiving activities and we make …………………Turkey Callers! Imagine a … Continue reading
Please, Please Flush the Toilet!
There are skills that just need to be taught at home before a child enters kindergarten! These are the be “nice to others skills” that are just common sense lessons in life. My top 5 skills a child needs to … Continue reading
Google Lit Trips
Our first grade reader has the story Lost! by David McPhail as one of the selections. During the 1st year of reading it I realized that it was set in Boston (Swan Boats was the trigger) and would be a perfect … Continue reading
Posted in Notes from the teacher's desk
Tagged Boston, Boston Common, Boston Public Library, Brewers Fountain, David McPhail, DeLuca Market, Dinosaur Babies, Early Childhood, Google Earth, Google Lit Trips, Hancock Tower, kindergarten, Learning, lesson plans, Lost!, Lost! by David McPhail lesson plans, Make Way For Ducklings, Mystic Rock Minis, Notes from the teacher's desk, Public Garden, Swan Boats, Trinity Church, YouTube
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Report Card Day in the Paperless World
Top 5 reasons I hate digital report cards: 1. Children aren’t handed a report card…..what is the fun in that? Report card day used to be an important day. The anticipation of receiving it, the anticipation of opening it and … Continue reading
Don’t Go Paperless
It’s 2012 and I am asking you, in the dawn of the world of digital storage, not to not go paperless. I am asking you, in the age of reduce, reuse, recycle, and repurpose, not to go paperless. I am … Continue reading
Stop, Look and Listen
Back in the day when I was a kindergarten teacher, parents of young children would want to know what skills their child should have before going to kindergarten. They were always a bit surprised at my answer. The number one … Continue reading
Teach Learn Laugh 