Transforming Eggs

This is a project from Mrs. Goodroe's kindergarten across the hall from me.  Each student is given an egg cut out to transform.  They then wrote the sentence, "It was an egg, now it is a . . .".  I thought they turned out so lovely!

Drawing a Bunny

Last Friday, I lead the children in drawing a basic bunny.  I used basic shapes so it would be super easy.  To keep it a low set up - I used regular black markers for the drawing and let them color them with crayons.   They had a blast adding details.

Step One: Draw a circle in the top half of the paper.

Step Two:  Draw a oval for the body.

Step Three:  Draw two long pointy ovals for the ears.

Step Four:  Draw circles for the four legs.

Step Five:  Draw a half circle for the nose.  Add a "J" shape front ways and backwards.

Step Six: Add two dots for eyes.  Add three whiskers (straight lines) on each side of nose.

Step Seven:  Draw inner ear shape.

  You can add a fluffy tail if you wish.  Color.

Update on My Daughter

 Thank you so much for all the love, emails, messages of prayer and thoughts for my family and daughter.  It has meant so much to us all.  I wanted to let you know that my daughter was admitted into the hospital today for steroid infusions, further testing (more MRI's and such) and finally, rehab to relearn how to walk and manage her mobility.

This weekend I had that deep intuitive feeling as a mother that she was in crisis and needed immediate intervention.  Our neurologist is out of the country right now so when I called his office and was asked to leave a message for the nurse (who would have to call us after 4pm) - I left a very straight forward question.  What do I do now that she has declined to the point of possibly needing home health care?   I received a call back within the hour, had an appointment within 4 hours and my daughter was on her way to the hospital within 5 hours from her appointment.

It reminds me how much power there is in a question.  Questions open doors, illuminate thinking and sometimes contain the answer within them. 

I am so grateful for the support and love of friends, family and blogging community.   I am uncertain what will be needed next.  I know that I will seek more aggressive treatment if this does not work.   I appreciate all the articles, doctors and methods many of you have shared.  I will be investigating them all as soon as we are out of the current crisis. 

Hugs to you each. 

A Momma's Tears

My Lizzie Lou

It has been a challenging weekend.  My daughter who was recently diagnosed with MS - lost the ability to walk with cane.  Her muscle strength is gone.  She cannot use her left leg.  She says it is like lead.  Her feet feel like ice blocks.  It appears her MS is taking an aggressive path. 

Again, I could not muster the heart to post on the blog.  My heart was totally surrounding my daughter with love, support and as much healing as I could find for her. 

I have been really sad this weekend as I have watched my sweet first born loose all ability to function on her own.   Anymore decline and we will not be able to care for her without more help. 

It has been a weekend of a Momma's tears.  My daughter cried more as well.  She apologized one time for crying.  I stopped her.  "Darling,"  I said, "In the matter of a month you have gone from walking freely to a walker and with help at that.  This thing has hit you so quickly - you haven't had the time to process it!   It is only natural to weep."   And so we cried holding each other. 

Today we had Easter brunch as a family.  My son and his wife came, my youngest came home from college and we laughed and enjoyed the day together.  At dinner we prayed, and again, we all cried.

This life is such a tender gift.  Each day is a new beginning.  

The Three Billy Goats and The Three Pigs Sight Word Sets

Here are a couple of more fairy tale sight word sets.

Three Billy Goats Sight Word Set


Three Pigs Sight Word Set

Paper Bag Easter Baskets

This is a very easy and cheap way to make an Easter basket.  It does require you prepare the baskets for the children to decorate.   It does not take much time.  You will need brown lunch bags, tag board (or poster board), large construction paper cut in half lengthwise, things to decorate (I purchased Easter foam stickers at Michael's for half price.  I so rarely offer this kind of thing that they were thrilled.  I think the joy is in the peeling of the backing!)

Step One: ADULT PART Cut the brown bag to the height you desire.  I need each bag to hold at least 6 eggs for our Easter Egg Hunt (5 inches tall).

Step Two:  I cut poster board 2" x 20" strips for handles.

Step Three:  I hot glued the strips to the inside of the brown bag.

Step Four:  Cut 5" squares out of poster board.

Step Five:  Hot glue the bag to the square.

Step Six:  CHILD'S PART Using the lengthwise construction paper strip, cut fringe for grass.  I let the students chose what color they wanted or they could choose not to use it at all.

 

Step Seven:  Using a glue stick - rub a layer of glue on the paper bag.  Press the strip on to the bag, moving one side at a time.  (Press from inside the bag - the children did this so well!)

 Decorate with stickers and drawings.

FREE Three Bears Sight Word Download

This is a sight word recognition set I created for the classic fairy tale, "The Three Bears."  I have a set for each of the major kindergarten fairy tales.  I like this format because it honors the various levels the children are at:

•   For the pre-emergent reader - it provides the simple practice of "sight" recognition which builds visual perceptual skills critical to reading.
•   It has repetitive text at an emergent+ reading level.   
•   It builds and repeats a set of basic sight words.  
•   It is a familiar story that the children have prior knowledge of and can draw upon that knowing.  

 Enjoy!  I will keep posting these if you like them.

Disclaimer:  I did not create this set with the idea of sharing it.  The words used have been taken from an old 1916 primer reader I have (I have a collection of old readers).  The images are from assorted sources that I did not note. 

Three Bears Sight Word Set

One Day at a Time

My Heart
I have been intending to post for the last few days but my heart has been focused else where.  Last week my eldest daughter received a diagnosis of MS.  The most difficult part has been the progressive nature of her disease and that she went from fully able bodied one month ago to totally dependent on help today.  She can not walk without a cane and not for long at that.  While she has already received a very expensive steroid treatment, improvement is slow.  We moved her back home for safe keeping (to get to her apartment is a long climb upstairs).

The Star On Her Door
Yesterday, sitting outside on the lawn, sunning ourselves - my daughter said to me "I can be a victim and have a pitty party or I can have some power and create a better life."   Wow.   I was really taken back by her positive attitude.  She laughs a lot at her body that does not want to obey anymore.  A visitor said to her, "Why do you laugh so?"   She replied, "It is really insane I can't move my own leg!  I can cry or laugh.  I choose to laugh."  So wise a young woman she is.  She has been a positive soul since birth.  I remember she was that baby that slept, ate, and laughed.  Not much crying.  Amazing how much of the personality is displayed in those first few months.

Blue Monday
My family has begun a new journey.  It is one day at a time.  We have altered our diet completely under this new assault - taking up an anti-inflammatory diet plus no gluten, none of those yummy white powders (salt, sugar, flour).   I love cooking and making delicious food is a balance of factors.  Fresh herbs is key.  I planted my herb garden today - one of the best secrets to luscious fresh food.

I am reminded as I look at the way life has changed in the matter of just days - that teaching is so much a one day at a time phenomena.  I have no control over what life will bring my children.  I have no control over what happens to the children I teach when they leave my classroom.  But I can take the moments I do have and bring as much life and vitality as I can.

I would be lying if I said I didn't feel a little blue about this new situation.  But inside the blue, is a vast open space for a new level of life and radiance.  Like blue skies, the sun shines there.  It begins with what is so.  And so it is. . .

In the Tall, Tall Grass

This was an art project in another kindergarten class in my school.  I altered only one thing.  The teacher had a pre-printed sheet of insects and animals for the children to color and cut out to put in the "tall, tall grass." (based on the book of the same title).   I kept the focus on insects and had my students draw the creatures.  

This is an easy project.

1. Provide each student with a large dark blue sheet of construction paper, a half a sheet of large green construction paper (cut length wise) for grass, a sentence strip or white strip for writing and a piece of white paper for drawing insects.
2. Have the students cut the top of the grass paper to form the grass blades.  Glue down on blue paper.
3. Glue white sentence to top of blue paper.  Write "In the tall, tall grass."
4. Draw and cut out insects and creatures to put in the grass.

Here are some insects to draw for the grass:

Addition Ladybugs

I saw this idea in the hallway across from my kindergarten.  Mrs. Goodroe was putting them out on display.  Love it!  I just had to do it as well.  We did this as a small group activity.  The children loved it.

 3 + 6 = 9

HOW TO DO THIS:

Materials:  white cardstock, sharpies, red crayons, green watercolor paint

•   Have the children draw a leaf that fills the page. 

•   Draw a ladybug on the leaf.  I draw and explain it so they can see it step by step - and they copy my actions.

1. Draw a circle for the body.  
2. Add a smaller circle for the head. 
3. Add antennae and eyes.
4. Add six legs.
5. Draw the wings. 

• Have each child roll a dice.  They draw that number of dots on one side of the ladybug.  Roll again and that number of dots goes on the other side.    Next, the student writes the two numbers as an addition sentence with the answer.  

• Color the ladybug red with crayons.

• Paint the entire leaf green.  Let dry and then cut the leaf out.

 5+3=8

4+4=8

4+4=8

Kid Writing

Kid writing is an amazing reflection of student understanding of not only their own thoughts, but of letter sounds as well.   It is such a natural process.   Everyday in my classroom, the first activity of the day is writing in your journal.  In my classroom, the children are BOSS of their journal writing - I never tell them what to write about.  This is important on several levels:

• First, it gives children a place to express what is important to them and what they love.  You get a glimpse into their inner world!  What are their interests?  Concerns?  etc.

• Second, it supports the use of important thinking/cognitive processing that does not otherwise get activated.  It is brain smart!  It requires the child draw from that which is meaningful to them and then give it form in symbolic terms (drawing, words, complete thoughts, etc).  

I think it is important to honor the stage of writing they are currently in and support their self-expression in its current form.  Like learning to walk - each stage is important in the process.

• An important tip #1.  I never write the "adult" version of their writing on the page.  To me, this undermines the process.  We are honoring their self-expression.  When you re-write their expression - it sends the message their writing is not "correct" or good enough.  I find each level of writing to have its own splendor and as you dwell in kid writing - you can truly "get" the written communication it is.  It is disrespectful in my opinion to re-write in a child's journal.  It is not the place. 

• An important tip #2.  I feel strongly about this - handwriting and writing are two separate processes in the beginning.  Handwriting is the construction of specific line formations.   Journal writing is learning how to capture thoughts on a page as words and sentences.  A kindergarten student is new to both processes.  Keep them separate!!

I do not give the children lined paper for journal writing at anytime during kindergarten (I use lined paper exclusively for handwriting practice).  I feel it requires too much thought about the lines and not enough freedom in thinking.  I want the children to focus on the sounds and what letters to use.