tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23394696296689128932024-02-19T07:08:44.809-08:00teaching the teacherconnie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-20413531111385652452011-12-13T09:22:00.000-08:002011-12-13T10:50:43.549-08:00ART(the visual kind)I am not an art expert. In fact, the only training I have had is 1 class in college - Art( For Teachers. However, I think good art has a powerful influence in children's lives. The kind of art we have in our home influences lives.<br />A visit to the art museum can be important but let me list some ways we can have art become a way of every day life where children can feel it's influence apart from a "once in a lifetime" field trip. <br />When my children were young, we went regularly to the municipal library. Besides books, this library had a collection of quality art by well known artists mounted, framed and ready to hang that could be checked out for a month at a time. The walls of my home had works by Renoir, Homer, Cassat and others displayed. I don't know if it affected our kids but I was a different person because of its refining influence.<br />You can also order prints from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and other places which you can have framed and mounted. Ralph got me a much loved painting for our home this way for my birthday. It is still a fixture in our home. Note: The art you choose will affect the feeling and tone of your home so choose wisely.<br />Children can produce their own art at a very young age. I have a daughter who hangs her children's art in her home, framed and mounted as part of the decor. Putting children's art under a magnet on the fridge has its place but framing a picture gives the creator a sense of self-esteem. She also had her children illustrate some cards so I could use them as Thank-you notes.<br />You need to have ample supplies easily avaiable so children can use them. As a first-time mother, I was not aware of many things. When my son drew every picure as big as the paper would allow I learned he needed glasses. Children can draw pictures before they can write words. Many of these pictures give a glimpse into the mind and soul of a child that you wouldn't have otherwise.<br />In kindergarten, one of our first projects was to make a book where each child drew all the pictures. I was always surprised at how many children melted into inactivity saying, "I don't know how to draw." After I showed them how to make the pictures with simple lines and circles, they were proud to show off what they had made. Often parents couldn't believe their child had done the drawings.<br />It is importent that children see and imitate good art. In fact, when I visited the Louvre in Paris, there were students who had set up their paints and easels in the museum so they could copy the masters. It is also important that a child be encouraged to do their own work even if it doesn't fit your mold of pre-conceived ideas.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-53615389936205910522011-10-24T08:36:00.000-07:002011-10-24T10:10:15.293-07:00Reading: What Parents can DoI don't have the answer to perfect parenting but I can tell you about my personal experience with reading. As a very young child it was my father who read to the the children every night. It was a good memory. He was a carpentar and I still like the smell of sawdust and sweat that I remember as we snuggled in close to his flannel shirt every night. He read Aesop's Fables, Black Beauty, poems from the Childcraft book and many others. Even now, I recite in my mind, poetry from my childhood to help me sleep. As we got older he read Little Women and Little Men.<br />I read to my oldest at naptime and that is how I discovered he needed glasses. As the girls got older, they could each choose a book and I would read it to them in front of the fire every night. They chose "Little Women" ,"Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, the biography of Helen Keller and my youngest and her Dad read "Emily's Runaway Imagination". Every once in a while I would see my Junior High son peeking around the corner and listening. I think it helped the whole family.<br />When the children were young (preschool and early elementary) we went to the city library regularly. (I liked the paintings you could check out and hang great art in your home. Every month our family was exposed to a new artist.) When the family got older and had reading homework every night, I offered to do a childs chore assignment, the dishes, while they read to me. I can still remember reading to my mother in first grade. I thought she was enamored with "Dick and Jane".<br />It is important to let children read what they're interested in first. My son read encyclopedias and joke books. I would have never guessed what he liked or where his interests were. Later you can encourage other books and you can suggest your own ideas for reading. <br />Sometimes I read a book to the family when we rode in the car on long trips. One time we read a book when the kids were teen-agers. We had not quite finished the book by the time we arrived home. The power was out at home but everyone was so interested in the story that we sat around a candle at the kitchen table and finished the book before we unpacked. It was a family memory I will treasure.<br />Now, I write a story every year to give to the grandkids along with a new pair of pajamas. I don't know if the stories are good or if they even get read but I guess it is better than underwear.<br />I don't think we had the only good reading ideas but it is nice to see the grandkids love to read and have their own reading interests.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-87471961316135373672011-05-13T12:24:00.000-07:002011-05-13T12:46:19.256-07:00You never expect itYoung children always look at things in a way you would never expect. I was reminded of an example the other day. <br />In kindergarten we spent much of the first day going over classroom rules. Because 5 year olds usually can't read, I posted three pictures at the front of the class to remind students of the rules. We discussed each one so they would be perfectly clear.<br />The first showed a little girl raising her hand. The second was a child sitting properly on the floor, legs crossed and hands in their lap. The third picture showed a little boy with his finger held up to his lips as if to say,"Shhhhh", reminding kids to be quiet.<br />One day when I asked if anyone knew what that picture reminded us of, one student raised his hand and said, "Don't pick your nose."<br /><br />What I learned: Never assume that a child understands things the way you see it.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-6641403636570692842011-01-25T09:25:00.000-08:002011-01-25T11:45:05.823-08:00Science ProjectsA couple weeks ago a grandaughter called Ralph with a request for an idea for a science project. He has had lots of experience with science fairs and scientific experiments so he gave her a good idea. <br /> This has had me thinking about the science we used to do in kindergarten. Many people think of five year olds kind of like Special Ed. and underestimate what they can do. When I went to college we learned about Bloom's Taxonomy. Benjamin Bloom was an educational psychologist in the '50s who headed a group who classified intellectual behavior important in learning. It represented by a pyramid with words describing a hierarchy of learning. Words were changed in the 1990's to verbs from the nouns Bloom used. <br /> In my experience with children, they are perfeectly capable of examining scientific principles starting at the bottom of the triangle and working their way up. In fact, the higher level thinking skills cannot be applied unless an individual has some experience at the lower level. As teachers and moms it is our responsibiliy to give children much experience at the level at which they currently are. <br /> Starting at the bottom of the tianngle, the attributes Bloom lists are: Knowledge (define, duplicate, list, memorize, recall, repeat, reproduce, state), Comprehension (classify, describe, discuss, explain, identify, locate, recognize, report, select, translate, paraphrase), Application (choose,demonstrate, dramatize, employ, illustrate, interpret, operate, schedule, sketch, solve, use, write), Analysis (choose, demonstrate, dramatize, employ, illustrate, interpret, operate, schedule, sketch, solve, use, write), Analysis ( appraise, compare, contrast, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, examine, experiment, question, test) Synthesis (appraise, argue, defend, judge, select, support, value, evaluate), Evaluate (assemble,construct, create, design, develop, formulate, write ).<br /> As you would expect, in kindergarten we spent most of our time in the first two levels. It was good preparation for later school years and hopefully, gave them confidence and curiosity to learn more.<br /> Here are some of the activities we did: In the fall we studied plants. I dug up one of my Marigold plants. Students had to observe, identify and draw the five parts all plants have. (roots, stem, leaves, flowers, and seeds.) Marigold seeds are long and narrow and look like pieces of grass so we had to plant them to see if they would really grow.<br /> I read them the book "A Tiny Seed" by Eric Carl about a tiny seed that blows in the wind and lands on good soil where it grows taller than a house. When I ask if they think a plant can grow taller than aa house I bring in one of my giant Sunflowers from my garden. It is so tall it almost touches the ceiling. We eat the seeds from the giant flower and again identify the five parts of a plant.<br /> We talk about eating all five parts of certain plants. Some students don't think we eat all five parts. I bring in a variety of vegetables which I have students classify. ( leaves - lettuce, roots - carrots and radishes, stems - celery, flowers - broccoli and cauliflower, seeds - peas and corn) When students don't think corn kernals are seeds, I bring in an ear of corn from my garden. We put the corn, cob and attached kernals in a shallow pan of water and watch green sprouts grow from each kernal. We conclude this activity by making and eating a delicious salad with these and other vegetables we have classified. <br /> In addition, we had a science table where students could bring plants from home for observation. I thoroughly enjoyed studying science with my kindergarten students and my own children. Whether it was designing a path for a marble,using all simple machines or making salt dough to put on a relief map of Idaho science can be interesting and fun no matter what level students are at.<br /><br />What I learned: Children can study science and the world around them no matter what age they are.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-59093890053490229812010-11-15T07:42:00.000-08:002010-11-15T08:12:19.523-08:00READINGI have been going through boxes of things that belong to my kids. (Instead of "A Book of Remembrance" I made a "Box of Remembrance"). Mostly I have saved school papers and artwork. I have thoroughly enjoyed going through the boxes, remembering things I had forgotten and learning some new things. I was looking at a paper from one of my daughters where she had to list her favorite book. I was surprised to discover it was a book that I didn't even know she had read and one that I didn't particularly love. Looking back on experiences at the time, I can see it was the perfect book for her. <br /><br />What I have learned: Children sometimes know what is best for themselves.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-87993695715406007052010-11-04T09:46:00.000-07:002010-11-04T11:36:45.210-07:00HalloweenHalloween is past and gone but I have been thinking about 2 Halloween projects. In kindergarten the stuudents would erupt with excitement the minute I turned the calendar to October 1. It has never been my favorite holiday but I felt I had better deal with it. When our children were young we started having Halloween parties so it would be an established tradition when our children were teen-agers and wanted to go out causing trouble on Halloween night. We had costume contests, pumpkin carving contests, as well as bobbing for apples and yummy refreshments. Mostly cousins and aunts and uncles came but it was a fun family time.<br /> In kindergarten I decided to deal with the "spook" in Halloween. We had units on bats, studied the science of bats, made bat puppets and I told them of my real experiences with bats in Island Park Idaho. <br /> I read stories about ghosts. One book explains that what looks like ghosts are just clothes on a clothesline, a bird flying through some smoke in the air, or cats howling in the alley.<br /> I read "The Monster at the End of this Book" ( It is narrated by Grover on Seame Street. The monster turns out to be himself. - not scary at all.)<br /> We also read fun books like "The Biggest Pumpkin Ever" and "The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything". Children could carry on their families' traditions Halloween night but Kindergarten was a little more calm.<br /> Here are the two projects I have been thinking of:<br /><br /> I taught the students how to make different faces on pumpkins and ghosts. For pumpkins we just finger-painted pumpkins' faces using the shapes we had learned - circle, square, triangle, oval, rectangle, and diamond. <br /> We made ghosts on a large sheet of white constuction paper (12 x 18). First, with a black crayon, we made a happy ghost face by making two ovals for eyes, no nose and a smiling mouth. Eyebrows were normal. Next we made a mad, scary ghost by making the eyebrows (two straight lines) come down in the middle like a separated V. The mouth was a rectangle with bared teeth inside. The third was a surprised or scared ghost. This time the eyebrows were two straight lines that were turned upside down like a teepee and separated at the top. The mouth was an oval. We practices making the three faces and took note of what happpened to the eyebrows.<br /> Students could choose which face to make on their ghost. We also made bony looking hands by making two handprints from hands dipped in black paint. We then cut out the hands and attached them to the ghost.<br /><br /> The other project is a spider and spider web. We studied the science of spiders and made a large spider by cutting a circle out of a normal (9x12) size piece of black construction paper.<br />The legs were made from 8 strips of black construction paper about 1 in. wide and 9 in. long. the legs were folded accordian style and attached to the circle (body). Eyes were punched out of red paper with a paper punch and glued on. (Note: Spiders have more than two eyes.) <br /> To make the spider web use a folded sheet of black crepe paper. With the paper still folded like it was when purchased, cut from one folded edge almost to the other side. Do not cut though the folds on the other side! Alternate sides making cuts about 1/2 to 1 in. wide. Unfold when finished and you should have a web-like grid that will cover a corner of the room. Spiders can be suspended with black thread. (This same technique can be used with blue crepe paper to make a giant fishing net. Seashells and paper fish can be attached.)<br /><br />What I learned: Children's fears and anxieties can be controlled with education and a sense of control.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-77648338660259328532010-07-17T08:57:00.000-07:002010-07-17T09:39:34.531-07:00HealthWhen I began teaching I was sick to one degree or another from October until March. Getting flu shots and building kindergarten helped. I decided we had better have some health lessons in kindergarten. Josie, who was then in college to become an RN, came to my class to give a lesson on hand washing. Afterwards she had the students wash their hands with something I think was called "Orange-Glo". When a black-light was shone on their hands after washing, it would show all the places they had missed. <br /> We also talked about covering a sneeze or cough. We followed this with an art project. Students drew a large head on a 9x12 piece of beige construction paper. It was almost as big as the paper. Over the mouth they glued a kleenex and over the kleenex they glued a construction paper hand they had made by outlining their own hand and cutting it out.<br /> We also discussed the sound made at the beginning of a sneeze and learned that the short a sound is one of the sounds a makes. Eventually we learned the short sound for each of the vowels and that sometimes they make the sound of their own name. (Even though vowels sometimes have other sounds, two was enough for kindergartners.) <br /> This page also became one of 26 that we collected into a book. Throughout the year we made a page for each letter of the alphabet. (I loved it when we got multiple learning mileage out of one project.)<br /><br />What I learned: Children don't want to be dirty but must be taught how to be clean.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-81142142689798408872010-07-15T13:52:00.000-07:002010-07-15T14:47:15.769-07:00Home-made Playdough - ClaydoughIn kindergarten we played with clay about once a year, on St. Patrick"s Day because it was green. It was available at the school for free. I used it because it was stiff and most kindrgartners need to strengthen their fine motor muscles. I only made this recipe for my own children and got it from my sister-in-law. I like it because it is easy and it is just like commercial Playdough.<br />I got tired of cleaning Playdough off the floor and out of the carpet so I usualy sent kids outside to play with it on a cookie sheet. Sculpting tools can be found around the house e.g. Rolling pin. kitchen utensils, toothpicks, objects to make impressions, etc.<br /><br />CLAYDOUGH<br /><br />Combine the following ingredients in a karge saucepan:<br />1 c. flour<br />1/2 c. salt<br />1 T. oil<br />1 1/2 tsp. cream of tarter<br />1 c. water<br />1 tsp. vanilla<br />Cook over low heat until all moisture disappears and mixture looks like playdough. Do not overcook.<br />Remove from heat, knead and knead in food coloring.<br /><br />What I learned: Children like to make 3-D art but it can be done inexpensively with supplies found around the house.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-85768262053968072012010-06-25T10:46:00.000-07:002010-06-25T11:38:44.402-07:00Magic Mini BooksAbout 1/2 way through the year I made a mini book for each student.The book is quite easy to make. All you need is a sheet of white computer or typing paper. Fold it in half ("like a hotdog" from top to bottom ) and cut on the fold line. You will only need a half sheet of paper for one book. Take the half sheet of paper(about 4 1/4"x11") and fold in half lengthwise ( so folded paper is about 2 1/8 x 11 "). Fold paper in half again so folded paper is about 5 1/2" long fold again by bringing each end to the middle fold. Paper should then have one long fold along one edge and four squares marked with fold lines. <br /> With scissors cut a very small sliver along the edge fold line from the second and third squares. Open each section and refold pages of book. Hold book by the back (spine) and you should have four double pages. This makes a small book a little smaller than 3 " square.<br /> This is a true test of my descriptive ability. If you are confused or have any questions call me. I did not attempt to have five year olds make the book. I made the book ahead of time and had line drawings dittoed on each page for the students to color. In kindergarten we used the third verse to a song we had learned. For older people you can write lines to a short poem on each page or choose and illustrate your own story. <br /><br />What I learned: Children like having their own small-sized book and are creative, not overwhelmed to write a story.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-47731927881328773582010-06-19T08:26:00.000-07:002010-06-19T09:24:46.945-07:00TANGRAMS<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Tangrams</span> were used in eastern Asia anciently. Their origin is not known but we used them in Kindergarten for a variety of objectives. I read a book to the students called Grandfather Tang. I think it is more fictional rather than historical but it introduces students to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">tangrams</span>. It talks about a grandfather who tells a story to his <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">granddaughter</span> and uses <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">tangrams</span> to illustrate each animal in the story. Tangrams are a group of 7 shapes ( e.g. triangle,square and trapezoid.) when put together like a puzzle, form a square. I glued magnets to the back of a set of plastic tangrams and had my aide make each animal in the story so students could see how they could be manipulated. <br /> Afterward I had students make tangram animal pictures from construction paper. First, they were given a set of plastic tangrams for practice. ( These can be purchased at a "teacher store" or other educational outlets.) I have a set of tangram animal outlines and each puzzle requires the creative use of all 7 tangram pieces to fill the animal outline. They are difficult and as I struggled when I modeled them, sometimes it would turn into a lesson on perseverance. An interesting thing that I learned, was that generally students who had an easy time with other "school" tasks, sometimes struggled with the tangram puzzles. Other students who had a different set of visual perception skills found the activity easier and were proud of their success. We don't often use these skills at this level in school. It helped me see who would get frustrated easily.<br /><br />What I learned: There are lots of ways to find success. We just have to find what the student is good at.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-58185799286972750542010-06-08T09:41:00.000-07:002010-06-08T10:38:03.937-07:00Fruit Loop NecklacesI have made these recently with 6 of the grandkids and they were a hit. Hailey helped me prepare the strings. To do so you just have to dip the ends of a length of yarn ( It needs to be long enough to slip over a child's head easily when the ends are tied together.) in wax about 2-4 in. (I melt old crayons in a rinsed out can set in a pie pan of water on the stove. Caution: Don't turn the heat up high to avoid fires. When wax is cooled on a paper towel, the melted wax makes a sort of needle suitable for threading through macaroni, rigatoni or similar material. (Hint: To dye dry pasta, place in large zip-lock bag with food coloring and a couple T. of alcohol. Close bag and shake. This results in brighter colors.) Dry pasta on paper towels.<br /> This is a great activity to increase fine motor skills.<br /> Two-year-old Jacob called it a caterpillar so you may have to change the name for boys. Because we did this for our 100's Celebration in kindergarten, we put 100 fruit loops on the necklace in groups of ten, changing the color every 10 fruit loops.<br /> Children can eat the cereal off the necklace for a snack when desired. This makes a good snack for hiking on a trail.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-72543042506246779462010-06-07T11:15:00.000-07:002010-06-07T11:59:36.774-07:001oo's DayAt kindergarten we would add a number to the number line every day. We would count to that number on a bead rack. (Kind of a very large abacus) If our kindergarten students couldn't count, it wasn't for lack of practice. When we reached 100, I carefully shut the classroom door and they could yell the number as loud as they wanted. The next day we had a 100's Day Celebration.<br /> Students were to bring 100 things from home. We discussed how it needed to be something small like pieces of macaroni, dry beans or paper clips. We also discussed the problems we would have if anyone brought something big like 100 elephants. The idea was to get the students to understand the concept of 100 and have them practice counting.<br /> The next day I had the room decorated like a party with crepe paper and balloons. They counted their 100 things from home, made a book with 100 pictures, (Rubber stamps, 10 to each of 10 pages.) and made a snack of 100 things to eat. (I will BLOG tomorrow with instructions.)<br /> When I began teaching kindergarten I started a 100'z club for student's to be in. I had a mother of a "special needs" student say to me,"I wish you had an "Eight's Club". After practcing and practicing, this student made it to 10. I thought about this and changed it to a Counting Club. Each student received a paper ribbon for every 10 numbers they could count. Our goal was to count to 100 still but everyone was in the club. When students reached 100 I held their arms up like a champion and everyone in the class clapped for them. We put everything in groups of ten because counting to 10 was a reachable goal and it is good practice for our American base 10 system.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-26051524566143451032010-03-20T12:35:00.000-07:002010-03-20T14:18:35.806-07:00Butterfly PuppetIn the spring we would make butterfly puppets. Already we had studied the monarch butterfly and watched a caterpillar make a chrysallis and turn into a butterfly. <br /> To make the puppet you need one piece of 8 1/2" by 11" piece of white typing paper or computer paper. Fold the paper from top to bottom in half. You akso need a pair scissors Along the fold side of the paper draw 1/2 of the butterfly body (like 1/2 a cigar shape). Draw the wing by drawing lines from the body to the upper corner and lower corner of the paper. Remember when you cut out the butterfly from the folded paper it wil make the full form of the of the butterfly. Turn it into a puppet by holding the butterfly closed at the fold line and with the scissors cut two slits about 1/2 inch long. Make one slit on each side of your finger or thumb holding the butterfly body in the middle. This will form a "harness" for your finger to make the flying motions. <br /> Wings can be colored according to the individual. In kindergarten, this gave us the opportunity to talk about real butterfies and what they look like. We discussed symmetry the concept of equal and the only rule we made was that each side of the butterfly had to look exactly alike, exactly equal. We talked about camouflage and some butterflies have big round circles that look like eyes to fool predators into thinking the butterfly is bigger and scarier than he actually is. We looked at actual pictures to see the actual patterns of stripes and figures on real butterflies. <br /> This was a popular activity. We made similar bat puppets out of black construction paper at Halloween.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-65941199393630799502010-03-14T11:20:00.000-07:002010-03-14T11:55:11.392-07:00Whole Wheat MuffinsDespite multiple computer problems, I am determined to post this BLOG. I am sure my ineptness exacerbates things but maybe someday I'll be computer-literate. This week Hailey and I made whole wheat mufins including grinding the wheat kernals into flour. I have never bought whole wheat flour at the store but I suppose it would work. <br /> I like these muffins because even though they are made with whole wheat flour, they don't taste too "healthy".<br /><br /> WHOLE WHEAT MUFFINS<br /> <br /> 1/2 c. butter or margarine<br /> 1 c. brown sugar<br /> 1 egg<br /> 2 c. whole wheat flour (often I use 1 c. whole wheat and 1 c. white flour)<br /> 1 tsp. baking soda<br /> 1/4 tsp. vanilla (I am generous with this amt.)<br /> 1 c. milk<br /> 1 c. chopped nuts if desired<br /><br /> Cream melted butter and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Alternate adding dry ingredients and stir in nuts. Bake in greased muffin tins at 425 degrees for 12-15 min.<br /> Makes 12 muffins.<br /> Serve with an egg dish like scrambled eggs or with soup. Ralph likes them with honey but since they are already quite sweet, I like them with just butter.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-31228168410813958592010-03-09T08:46:00.000-08:002010-03-09T23:09:48.242-08:00Kindergarten ArtHailey is a young married girl who lives in our basement apartment with her husband and 1 year old son. Ralph has hired her to help me with daily activities that I cannot do anymore. Besides being a great help, she has become a good friend too. Every Wednesday we cook something togethern, or I should say she cooks and I just lay on the couch nearby in case she needs any questions answered.<br />Hailey was an Art major in college before she got married. On Thursdays we do an Art project together. Since the bulk of my experience is in kindergarten, Hailey puts up with my simple projects but it is good to know what little children can do and how to help them. We have made snowflakes, Bubble prints and a 3-D mouse. (kind of like origami) This week I showed her how to make lettering for a sign or bulletin board. This was shown to me by an older teacher (who taught before die pressed letters were invented), not taught in any teacher training classes. Still it is a handy skill to have.<br /><br />The letters are made out of construction paper. To start, fold and cut pieces of paper to make equal sized cards or pieces of paper,depending on the size you want your finished letters. This assures that all the letters are the same size and you can make them as small or as big as you want. I've made letters as big as 1/2 piece of 9"x12" contruction paper. You can fold the paper to mark equal sections then cut out equal sized pieces.<br />To make each letter, fold each way to mark the half-way points. I use my finger or thumb as a guide to keep the thickness of each letter line consistent. For example, to make letter A, using the lengthwise and crosswise folds as guidelines, cut out the outside slanted shape of the A by folding your paper lengthwise and cutting both outside lines. This assures that each side will be symmetrical. Open up the paper and cut the inside to make it look like an A instead of merely a triangle shape.<br />The crosswise fold mark can be used as a guideline to make the bar that goes across the middle of the A. The paper can be folded in half lengthwise again to cut out the triangle space above the bar. Hopefully by now you have made an A with abou 1/2 in. wide lines.<br />This probably sounds complicated but a little practice will help. Be sure to use the fold and finger guidelines to help you. Practice with each letter of the alphabet. One of the things I liked about it, besides having nice looking lettering at my disposal, was that I think it improved my visualization skills. Call me if you have questions or troubles.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-28056300605724175352009-12-03T08:05:00.000-08:002009-12-03T09:51:11.386-08:00Thanksgiving in kindergartenOf all the holidays we celebrated in kindergarten, I think I enjoyed Thanksgiving the most. We spent weeks preparing for it. The following is a list of our activities:<br /> We celebrated for two days. The first day we had an "Indian Feast". We studied about Indians for a number of days. One of the things that has always bothered me is when Thanksgiving Indians are portrayed as the plains Indians are portrayed as the plains Indians such as the Sioux with big feather headresses.<br /> We had pictures of the East Coast Indians around the room and read stories about them. (Scholastic has some excellent books about Indians and pilgrim childen at Plymouth Plantation. I don't remember the title of all of them but one of them is called "Sarah Morton's Day".) We talked about their clothes and how they had to make everything instead of buying it at the store. We talked about how they had to dry their fruits and meat to preserve them for the winter.<br /> I had a real tanned deerskin that I brought in for the children to see and touch. We made Indian vests out of brown paper sacks and paper mats to sit on since the Indians didn't have furniture. We talked about the Indians use of "picture writing" instead of ABC's and students wrote a "picture story" on their mats. <br /> Since Indians couldn't go to the store, they had to use things they found in nature for everything. I brought examples of necklaces made from wood, dried corn, leather and bird feathers. We made died pasta necklaces. Different colors were used to reinforce patterning. (Rigatoni works well. (If rubbing alcohol and food coloring are used in a large plastic zip-lock bag to shake with the pasta, the colors are brighter. Also dipping one end of the yarn in paraffin wax or melted crayons about 3 or 4 in. makes it easier to string. When the wax cools it is stiff, almost like a needle.)<br /> Students also made headbands to wear. They had to match the number of paper feathers they put on their headband to the number of letters in their name. I could never pass up the chance to reinforce 1-1 correspondence. On the day we had our Indian feast students ate popcorn, raisins (dried fruit), jerky (dried meat), and peanuts (nuts). <br /> The next day (usually the day before Thanksgiving vacation) we had our Pilgrim Feast. We had spent days preparing for this too. We made paper hats, black stovepipe hats with a buckle for the boys and blue and white bonnets for the girls. We also made large white collars to wear. <br /> Students made corn muffins ( a Jiffy brand corn muffin mix with a little added sugar since we would not be using jam or honey. I decided this would not be the time to teach the differences between the taste of our food now compared to culture in the 16oo's. <br /> The day before, students had brought in a vegetable of their choice and we learned to cut them properly (using table knives of course). We all added them to the vegetable stew. <br /> We made home made butter (see recipe at foreverblooming.com) to put on our corn muffins. With our modern day adaptations they tasted kind of like cupcakes with whipped cream on top. I also had a mom bring in a pumpkin pie.<br /> Parents and grandparents were invited to our feast as well. We showed off our accomplishments and sang Thanksgiving songs for them. We had a wonderful celebration with I hope some learning too.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-53800664604000789602009-11-17T08:24:00.000-08:002009-11-17T08:56:48.233-08:00Number Poems con't.Fat old five has a hat on top<br /> Go down and around<br /> And see what you've found<br /><br /> Note: Some writing styles instruct you to put the "hat" on top last which is the way I learned it. This was awkward at first but with some practice it became easier.<br /><br /> Six:<br /> Roll a hoop and make a loop<br /><br /> Across the sky<br /> And down from heaven<br /> That's the way to make a seven.<br /><br /> Make an "S"<br /> But do not wait,<br /> Go back up and make an eight.<br /><br /> Make a ball<br /> And then a line<br /> That's the way to make a nine.<br /><br /> Note: The ball must be started and stopped in the correct position to have the line in the right place.<br /><br /> Make a one<br /> And a zero again.<br /> That's the way to make a ten.<br /><br />Some children rely on these poems when writing numbers for some time. Giving stuents a way to remember things is importent, whatever that way is. When I would teach alphabet letters, I would also teach and we would practice the american hand sign for each letter. I would not test them to see if they remembered the sign but I would notice that the kinesthetic learners would put their hand behind their back and make the hand sign to help them when they were being tested on alphabet letters.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-86218783207393012572009-10-24T12:33:00.000-07:002009-10-24T13:52:18.787-07:00Writing PracticeStudents usually love to write but school is generally their first experience with persistent writing exercises. Girls usually are more adept because they have built up the fine motor muscles in their hand by being more inclined to write daily. Boys would rather throw a ball or stick so they have built up their large muscles.<br /> I would do art projects with all children using paper punches to build up muscles in the hand. (See the art technique called "pointillism") <br /> We would learn how to write each letter of the alphabet as we leaned letter recognition and letter sounds. One thing I learned was that you don't have to use up the whole tree resource providing lots of paper and practice for students. I found that about 5 times was sufficient. Otherwise they would make a mistake and practice it over and over again until the mistake became a habit.<br /> We learned about numbers too. One of the misconceptions that beginning students have is the difference between letters and numbers. In kindergarten we had poems that went with each to help students remember how to make them. We made books with a page for each number. After learning to write the number students would draw p ictures to illustrate the quantity or number concept. (e.g. six balls or 9 candy canes)<br /> <br /> Below is the poem for each number:<br /><br /> 1. One is fun!<br /> 2. Around and back on a railroad track. ( Care has to be taken here to explain the position. Most beginning students want to draw the "railroad track", the bottom or base of the two, directly under the right side of the curved beginning. We would check to make sure that an object dropped from the two's 'nose" ( the beginning of the curved line on top) would fall directly on its "toes' ( the beginning of the straight line at the bottom). We would practice dropping a clothespin from our nose and watch its vertical drop to our toes. <br /> 3. Around like me<br /> Around like me<br /> That's the way to make a three.<br /> (We would talk about how the top and bottom should be equal so it has a "waist" ) .<br /> 4. Go down and over<br /> And duwn some more<br /> That's the way to make a four.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-3114878327068610342009-07-12T11:44:00.000-07:002009-07-12T13:15:20.983-07:00LoveI probably should have posted this a long time ago, near Valentine's Day but I didn't and Ralph had to give a lesson on Charity so it's been on my mind recently. <br /> Shortly before Valentines' Day in kindrgarten the students would make an inter-active bulletin board. We had already talked about love beyond the "boyfriend/girlfriend" stuff and learned songs etc. about love and being kind.<br /> I explained to the students that we would be working as partners on the bulletin board project. Immediately they moved toward their friend and started to all talk at once. "I want so-and-so to be my partner." Then I would explain the "partnering" process. I would choose someone who could then choose a partner. We also discussed how someone would feel if the partner they chose made negative comments or showed negative body language. We even did a little role-playing for emphasis.<br /> When it came time for partner choosing, I would have all the "loser" kids do the choosing. Inevitably they would choose the most advanved partners, both academically and socially. It was interesting to watch these top performing, popular kids say, "I'd love to be your partner", even though they would have made a different choice.<br /> It became an exercise in further kindness and tolerance after I explained the next part. Each set of partners was to agree on two identical hearts I had dittoed off. Some were plain. Some had vertical lines, horizontal lines, or large polka dots marked on them. Partners had to color them exactly alike. That meant that if a student colored badly the partner would have to work to make his/her heart match exactly. It took effort for both partners. The less capable students tried to do their best work and the more advanced students tried to be kind and understanding. I think it was a good learning experience for all. <br /> When students thought they had two matching hearts, we put them on the bulletin board in random order. I had already stapled large red hearts all over the bulletin board to frame the smaller, student-created hearts. Students could choose the placement of their hearts to make the matching game 'tricky". Anyone who came into our schoolroom could play the game by trying to find the matching hearts and all students were proud of their creation. <br /><br />What I learned: All students want to show love. To some it comes naturally. Others have to practice. Showing love is not only in what you do but in how you make others feel.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-84494136944965984472009-06-08T09:17:00.000-07:002009-06-08T09:56:19.450-07:00TangramsAbout this time of year I would introduce students to tangrams. They are an oriental invention consisting of a group of about 7 shapes made out of plastic, cardboard or other material. Each child would get their own set and I would introduce them with a book called "Grandfather Tang" about a chinese grandfather who made animal shapes with tangrams and tell stories about them.<br /> I had laminated outlines of animal shapes and students had to make the tangram shapes fit to form the animal. They were surprisingly difficult and sometimes when I was modeling how to do the puzzles, it would turn into a lesson on perserverance because it would take me so many tries to complete the puzzle. We also made our own tangram animals out of construction paper.<br /> It was surprising which students found the exercise easy because they had good perception skills. Some students who were good at rote memorization found visual perception very difficult. I liked it because some students who weren't used to "shining" could be "stars".<br /><br />What I learned: All students have something to "shine" at. The teacher is responsible for finding it and building their self-esteem.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-18943946273504395912009-05-13T12:58:00.002-07:002009-05-13T14:01:56.836-07:00StoriesWith some practice writing messages to each other, students are ready to use their imagination and write stories. I explained that a long time ago they didn't have TVs or movies for entertainment so they told each other stories. One common story was told to explain the world around them, especially why animals looked the way they did. (See "Just So Stories" by Rudyard Kipling or "Mother Westwind Stories" by Thornton Burgess.)<br /> Students were given a small book made out of a regular (8 1/2" x 11") folded in quarters like a greeting card with a picture of a bunny on the front who had no tail. After reading some examples of stories ( e.g. "How the Camel got his Hump and Why the Bear Has a Stumpy Tail) students would write a story about "How the Bunny got a Fluffy Tail". As an incentive students got a cotton ball to glue on their bunny. Students would come up with ideas like "the bunny planted tail seeds and grew a tail" or "the bunny glued on some cotton candy for a tail".<br /><br />What I learned: Children are reticent to make up their own stories but with a little practice and encouragement they can write delightful tales.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-73417858681987108672009-05-13T12:58:00.001-07:002009-05-13T12:58:43.934-07:00Storiesconnie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-45301295917518086812009-05-08T10:37:00.000-07:002009-05-08T11:38:59.375-07:00Post OfficeWhen students are comfortable sounding out words, I set up a post office. I used a shallow, sectioned cardboard box. One section was stocked with paper. I used a regular sheet of 8 and 1/2" by 11" white paper cut in half. I folded each sheet in half to look like a greeting card. Then I would demonstrate how to use the post office. I used a wonderful little book to introduce the post office called "The Jolly Postman" by Ahlsberg. It is set in familiar nursury rhymes and fairy tales. As the jolly postman visits each familiar setting there is a card or letter that can be pulled out of the page which is shaped like an envelope. <br /> On the outside of the card students were to print the name of the person the "card" was intended for. This was never a problem as names of classmates are the first thing students learn. Besides each student's name was clearly written on the outside of his or her personal "cubbie" (mailbox).<br /> I was going to use stamps that came in junk mailings for ordering magazines but I found too many inappropriate pictures. Then I discovered I could make my own "stamps" by using a plain white piece of paper. I would use my own sewing machine without any thread in the needle to make the perforated edges. Students could easily tear off one stamp and attach it to the outside of the "card" with a gluestick I kept in the supply box. They got to design their own stamp by drawing a picture such as a flower or a famous face on it.<br /> Inside the "card" they were to write a message. It was usually pretty short and simple such as, "I like you" or "Can you play at my house today?"<br /> If students complained that they didn't ever get any mail, I would encourage them to write some letters asking for some. This however was rarely a problem.<br /><br />What I learned: Children enjoy this new way to communicate and express themselves.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-38455805098513350432009-05-04T10:08:00.000-07:002009-05-04T10:48:58.461-07:00Word BankAbout this time students are ready to learn that ABCs and words can be a form of communication. We began writing a sentence on the board for the afternoon class to read. They would read it and compose another sentence for the morning class. This would give the students practice with "ear spelling" and reading. They were simple sentences like "The plant is big" (our classroom plant on the science table) or "Sam is sick" but it was highly motivational because each class wanted to know what the other class was saying and it was very personal to them.<br /> There were some words that we would use often and students just needed to memorize them. They were words like "the" and "a" so we would put them in the "word bank" for students to use whenever they were needed. I drew a large piggy bank on the board and wrote common words that didn't always follow the rules inside. It became a useful teaching tool for me and a valuable learning experience for the students.<br /><br /> What I learned: Reading becomes a vibrant, "real life" experience when it is something besides sitting in the "Bluebird" (or "Buzzard") group and trying to decipher what is in the reader.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339469629668912893.post-44406741122196781622009-04-21T14:45:00.000-07:002009-04-21T15:32:18.429-07:00Brown Bear, Brown BearI probably should have posted this earlier but it is still an important principle. One of the first activities we do in kindergarten is to make our own Brown Bear, Brown Bear book after reading the book Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Eric Carl. Besides re-inforcing the colors we are studying, (kindergarten kids come to school with a wide range of abilities and knowledge. One boy came to school knowing all the colors but brown was "mud", green was "grass", yellow was "sun' etc.). <br /> We had a book with the words already printed and students would draw the pictures. When I told students they would be drawing the pictures, some would begin to wail, "But I can't make a bear!". I would explain to them that this was the reason I was the teacher. I would show them how. Each day afterward we would learn to draw a brown bear, yellow duck, red bird, green frog, blue horse, black sheep, white dog, grey mouse, pink elephant, and orange fish. This gave me a chance to evaluate each student's understanding of position word like up, down, around and across etc.<br /> By the end of the book, students were surprised and proud of their own work. At Parent Night some parent's couldn't believe their own kids had made the pictures.<br /> I thought of this recently as my husband and I were talking. He teaches at a local college and many students say similar things with a wail in their voice.<br /><br />What I learned: A teacher (or parent's) job is to show the student (or child) how to do new things, or build confidence that he/she can already do more than they know.connie kernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05959614030379307603noreply@blogger.com0