Getting Ready for School...

I love this time of year when a new school session begins.  The excitement, the anticipation, the preparation, and the energy.  So this is what my classroom looked like when I returned. 

I love how clean everything is, but it is a lot of work to get it ready and organized before August 11!  Yikes it is in 12 days!  So far I have my entrance wall finished, my calendar started, and my ceiling decorated.  I want it to be a happy place to learn and work.

I painted my old mailbox so now it looks beautiful.

I put colored masking tape on the edges to help the children find the right box.  I will also attach their pictures with Velcro. 
I made new calendar pieces and attached them to my magnetic calendar board that I purchased from Wal-mart.

 

 

I will post more as soon as I get more completed.  I hope you like it.  I can't wait to meet my new class!

 

Grocery Store 100 Sight Word Fun!

I am always trying to create fun and exciting ways to help my little ones learn and want to practice their sight words.  Learning 100 words is a monumental task when you are 5 and just learning what letters and words are all about.  So I created this fun new practice idea.  I gave each child a Ziploc bag and they got to choose either a grocery cart or a grocery bag.  We stapled the Ziploc to the back of their choice.  Next I gave them the words printed on items that they might find in the grocery store, like juice boxes, oranges, celery, etc.  If they know a word, they get to bag it!  So much fun.  I also plan to use the color version in my centers.  We will do a cooperative game.  All food items will be placed face down.  My shopping cart is in the center.  The object of the game is to work together to fill the shopping basket.  Each child chooses a card, if he knows the word he gets to put it in the basket.  If not, it goes to the bottom of the pile.  Keep playing until all food items are in the basket.