"EXPERTS IN LITERACY AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT HAVE DISCOVERED THAT IF CHILDREN KNOW EIGHT NURSERY RHYMES BY HEART..., THEY'RE USUALLY AMONG THE BEST READERS BY THE TIME THEY'RE EIGHT."

Mother GooseKathy CraneAugust 18, 2016Rhyming, Mother Goose, Thematic UnitComment

Sensory Table

The sensory table in my classroom is always a favorite of my students and a great companion to math, science, and literacy development as well! As children are able to experiement, discover, solve, estimate, explore and more, understanding of mathematical and science concepts are developed. When academic tasks are combined are placed in the sensory mix, students can expand even there literacy development.

Sensory TableKathy CraneAugust 13, 2016Sensory Table, Developmentally Appropriate, Play

Best Ever Kindergarten Assessments

These documents serve as organizational tools for gathering information about language arts and math strengths and weaknesses of kindergarten students. Using these assessment, you will learn more about your students and will more easily determine the focus of your instruction.

AssessmentKathy CraneAugust 9, 2016Assessment, Common Core, ESGIComment

ESGI Classroom Management Tool

Everyone knows that ESGI is a great assessment tool, but it also has a class management tool, that is a great time saver as well. Read more here about how to use ESGI for Assessments.

Simply click on the class management tool located at the far right on the top menu bar.

AssessmentKathy CraneAugust 9, 2016Assessment, ESGI

Fostering Positive Classroom Behavior

We all have had those active classrooms with “behavioral challenges.” In fact, the trend is that instead of one “hard” student in the school (as it was early on in my career), it is expected that most classrooms will have several behavioral challenges that change the tone of the room.

Classroom ManagementKathy CraneAugust 5, 2016Classroom Management

Sight Word NO-PREP Multi-Task Worksheets

Make the most of your student's sight word practice by providing them a great multi-task work page. Students are asked to color the word, trace the word, write the word, find the word, and then create the word as a puzzle. My students LOVE to do these pages. I have made them workbook style and used as single worksheet pages, they have loved them both the same. It is especially effective when I put the Heidi Songs Sight Word song on loop. By the end of the activity the majority of the students can spell and identify the sight word of the week.

LiteracyKathy CraneAugust 5, 2016Sight Words, Literacy

Empowering our Students

The children of middle and higher income parents are busy shuffling their children from activity to activity. They are chauffeuring their children to art classes, music classes, cooking classes, STEM classes, gardening classes, drama classes, T-Ball, soccer, tennis, swimming and more. On top of that their families participate in family vacations, trips to museums, libraries, and zoos. These trips will reinforce, expand, and enrich the learning of these lucky kids.

Growth MindsetKathy CraneAugust 4, 2016Character Development, Growth MindsetComment

Words From a Kindergarten Mom

I ran across this quote on Facebook from a special mom and I asked her if I could share it. Even when children have attended preschool, kindergarten is still the pivotal year of change. It is difficult for all adults involved. Taking your child to kindergarten, taking your child to college, two very difficult steps in a parents life. Don't worry mom. I will take good care of him!

Teach The Alphabet in Rythm & Rhyme

If you know Kathleen Law, our contributor from Idaho, you know that she has always had tremendous success teaching her students the alphabet quickly.

LiteracyKathy CraneAugust 3, 2016Alphabet

Developing Fine Motor Skills and Glue Bottles

Developed fine motor skills are not only essential to complete everyday tasks such as eating, zipping, buttoning, and tying shoes, they are also necessary for the academic life of a early learner. Strong fine-motor skills are necessary for writing and cutting, and it is the job of educators to develop these skills.

Fine Motor SkillsKathy CraneAugust 2, 2016Fine Motor Skills, Developmentally AppropriateComment

My First Days of Kindergarten Schedules

Each year I carefully plan the activities for the first days of school to make them not only productive days, fun days, but also days that makes everyone want to return tomorrow! (Me included)

Back to SchoolKathy CraneAugust 2, 2016Back to School, Schedules

Teacher Please Love My Child

My grandson T. had a kindergarten experience that made me sad indeed.

Instead of waking up each morning with joy for learning, he cried and complained he didn't want to go. He would return home from school with his shirt completely chewed up from nervousness and anxiety. He hated everything about school and treated every question about it with gloom and avoidance.

Child DevelopmentKathy CraneJuly 31, 2016Developmentally Appropriate, Early ChildhoodComment

Poverty and Student Academic Success

Poverty and academic success…

Child DevelopmentKathy CraneJuly 28, 2016Poverty, Early ChildhoodComment

Teaching Thematically To Increase Academic Learning

Kathy CraneJuly 27, 2016

Building Community In The Classroom

Building a community of learners who truly care about each others is more important that the curriculum you will deliver!

In this perilous world in which we live, it is more important than ever that we give students opportunity to truly know, listen, and appreciate each other; take time to learn about each other, to note each other's differences, to respect other's likes and wants.

Kathy CraneJuly 26, 2016