1-2-3 Come End Your Day With Me.

I designed and posted this last summer, and it was such a hit, that I'm revisiting it again for a back-to-school tip.

Are you looking for an easy and fun way to end your day? One that  will grab your students’ attention, help you transition them to going home when everyone is exhausted, and hopefully something that they will look forward to, so that transition is not so difficult?

Try the popular “See You Later Alligator - After While Crocodile" poem.  It’s been around along time, so it’s kid-tested and teacher-approved.

I believe the original started with Dr. Jean.   I’ve provided a link to her page in the packet. Click on it now to check out her awesome site!

I’ve also provided a YouTube link to Bill Haley and the Comets rock and roll song version, complete with cool swing dancing.

Oh to be able to do that again! Yup, been there, done that, when the bones were not degenerating and I wasn’t shrinking like the Wicked Witch of the West,  after a thunderstorm.

This 23-page packet, is chock full of goodies that include:

1. An alligator poster. Print off 2, glue them back-to-back and suspend from your ceiling over the door as a reminder.

2. The revamped poster-poem.  I've included enough verses so each child can recite one as they line up to go home. They can say their verse, wave good-bye and get in line.  Hang a copy of the poem on the door, + enlarge a copy to have by your circle time where everyone can read it.

3. A traceable booklet so students can get used to reading, writing and learning the verses. Children cut and glue an animal to the matching numbered box.  They will enjoy taking this booklet home and sharing it with their families.

4. Traceable animal word cards with matching picture cards to help students learn these words + a cover to make an Itty Bitty booklet.  Make extra sets to turn into Memory Match Concentration games and an "I Have' Who Has?" game.  Toss the animal cards into a basket and have students select one.  That will be the phrase they get to recite.

They can quietly line up, walking and sounding like that animal, as they recite their verse.  i.e. a mouse would squeak their verse quietly, as they scampered on all fours to the door.

5. Finally, I’ve also included an additional Good-bye Song to the tune of Up On The Roof Top.  I found this on the Internet in several places so I don’t know who to give credit to.  If it’s yours, please dash me an e-mail so I can give you credit, and link to your site.  It’s adorable! 

I really think you and yours, will look forward to ending your day in this positive way!  Click on the link to view/download See you later Alligator good-bye poem packet

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"Learning is NOT a spectator sport, so let's play!"

A favorite book that many teachers read the first few weeks of school is Chicka Boom Boom.  I wanted to dream up some new ideas, as many teachers also make a Welcome bulletin board with that theme, and gear several days around letter activities as well.

The first FREEBIE is entitled Trunk Tricks and has a variety of activities based around the trunk of a coconut tree.

I've seen others make painted handprints for fronds, which is cute, but sometimes messy and difficult, as well as time-consuming to do, especially if you're teaching a bunch of little ones all by yourself.

I decided to trace my handprints to see how they would turn out and I really liked the effect.

Have a room volunteer do the tracing and cutting for you, or send the green paper home and have parents do this step. 

With the handprint portion out of the way, this adorable keepsake artwork can be whipped together in about 10 minutes.

For extra pizzazz, I used brown textured wallpaper for the trunk of my tree.

Brightly-colored foam letters also add that bit of 3-D pop and the student photo on the coconut makes it all the more precious.

 In Trunk Tricks you can also make a Name Tree, a Vowel Tree, a Color Tree and a count by 10's to 100 Tree.

Any of these would make quick and easy bulletin boards: "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Look What The K's Did In Mrs. Henderson's Room!"

Make A Chicka Boom Name Tag:

Students cut out their coconut and can either write their name with a variety of colored markers, or glue their school photo on the tag and write their name with an ink pen.

It's a wonderful project for the beginning of school and a great extension for the book. 

 

Play I Spy A Letter!

• One of the things that I did everyday with my students for table top lessons, was play an I Spy game. 
• I made these up by drawing circles on pictures of whatever theme we were studying and filling them with dashed letters and numbers. 
• I would spy a number and my students circled it and then raised their hand to show they were done.
  

• The first one to raise their hand got to spy the next letter/number. 
• My students really enjoyed playing "I Spy". It's a wonderful whole-group assessment tool as well.  You can see in seconds, who is having difficulty spying letters and numbers, because they aren't able to recognize them. 
• I jotted down a few notes and then worked with these students later, on a one-on-one basis.

 This comparison not only involves various math extensions, but you can toss in some science exploration as well, by having a discussion with your students about what they think is inside the coconut etc.

• Once you break the coconut open, give everyone a taste of the liquid as well as the meat.  Graph whether students like apples or coconuts better. 
  

• Make a Venn diagram to compare the two.  It's surprising how many things you can find that they have in common.  Picka Chicka lists several pages of very interesting facts + a 1/2 page of terrific links and You Tube videos, including how to open a coconut and climb a coconut tree!
  

Chicka Boom Envelope Letter Game:

There's nothing like a game to help students learn lessons.  Children can play with a partner or in a group of 3. 

You can make a class set of Chicka Boom trees, or allow each student to make their own "Chicka Boom Name Tree".  Play the game several times in class and then let children take them home to enjoy with family.

Children glue construction paper to a sealed envelope making a trunk so that they can insert letters into the back of their tree's "pocket".  Students roll a dice to determine how many letters they put in their envelope. 

If they roll a 1 they take 1 letter out; if they roll a 6 they lose their turn. 

Chicka Boom Popsicle Stick Puzzle:

I love making Popsicle stick puzzles.  They are easy and inexpensive and fun for students to put together. 

• Simply find the clip art you want to match whatever theme you're doing and enlarge it to 5 1/2 x 4 1/2.  Print it off and cut it out.
• Number 6 large wooden Popsicle sticks from 1-6 on the back and then arrange them side by side. 
  
• Smooth white glue over the top and then press your picture over the sticks. 
  
• Flip the sticks over onto another sheet of paper, so that you can make a tiny space inbetween the sticks, so that you can cut them apart with an Exacto knife when they dry. 
  
• Making a Popsicle stick puzzle out of your students' first day of school photo makes a nice keepsake as well. 
  
• You can keep these puzzles for your classroom, or send them home with your students as a sweet back-to-school surprise!

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"80% of success is showing up!" -Woody Allen

1-2-3 Make a Denim Tote Bag With Me!

I don't know about you, but I tote all kinds of things back and forth from school and I can never find a bag big or strong enough.

When I want to take my bag to the park, so I can get some fresh air while working, my pens, pencils, scissors and other supplies get lost at the bottom of the bag and I'm forever wasting time rummaging around looking for them.

There have also been many times where I'm lugging books and the strap breaks because the bag's too heavy, or the bottom seam gives out.

My solution: a sturdy denim bag, and it only cost me a dollar (!) because I bought a pair of old blue jeans at a garage sale!

This is how you can quickly and easily make one for yourself:

• Besides garage sales, you can also find a huge assortment of inexpensive jeans at Good Will or other thrift stores.  Look for the biggest pair of jeans that you can find. The one I bought is so big (20 inches wide) that it will hold one of those large big books, that I enjoy reading to my kiddo's.
  
• One with lots of pockets and a side loop to hold scissors is a real find. You can see the loop on the right of the photo.
• Cut off the legs and save them to make the strap.

• Turn the "pants" inside out and sew up the bottom.
• Cut a length that is wide and long enough for a strap. Make this from the pant leg. Mine was 5 inches wide, and then I simply folded either side over (so there are no ragged edges) and then folded it in half once more to make it extra sturdy.  I sewed several straight lines of stitches up and down the strap.  You can use a fancy embroidery stitch if you want to add a bit more pizzazz.
• Sew the strap to the inside hip portion of the jeans. I sewed it triple, and used an embroidery stich, so it was really on there good.

• Wahla! Instant extremely sturdy tote bag!
• So that they are handy, I carry my scissors in the loop and all of my various supplies in the pockets.
• You can embellish with puffy paint, or hot glue appliques on. I preferred to simply leave mine plain.
• Happy DIY-ing.

Click on the link for a copy of the directions and the photo. Blue Jean Tote Bag

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