Learning Names and Learning Letters

Happy Friday!  This week has felt exceptionally long, so I am pumped for the weekend.  I think my kids were too because they were telling me all about their plans.  From play dates, to plane trips, to spending all day in their jammies watching college football.  The football one made me laugh, because it came from the mouth of a tiny five year old girl who had a big pink flower in her hair!  Too cute!

I got another laugh this morning while my students said the Pledge of Allegiance (don't worry, I wasn't actually laughing out loud during the pledge).  They didn't say the pledge, they shouted it!  I guess they think the louder they say it, the better they sound.  It made me smile, not only because it was sooo loud, but also because they really have learned it in the last few weeks.  I'm proud of my little kinders!

They have been doing great with learning letters this week.  We have also learned a little bit more about each other.  We have been doing a letter a day, since most of the kids already know the letters.  I demonstrate how to correctly write the letter and they tell me words that begin with the letter.  I record all of this on a paper which gets hung on our wall after I try my hand at illustrating the words.

 I realized as I was drawing the little borders and the box with the dotted line for the letters, that there is an easier way to do this, that would take a lot less of my time!  Make a template on the computer and copy it!!!  It only took me half the alphabet to realize it.  I will be using this template next year.

Click here to get this freebie!

Each of my students is getting the chance to be in the "Celebrity Spotlight!"  This is a get to know you activity, as well as a writing activity.  The students take turns asking the "celebrity" questions, while I record the answers on a paper.  Then we discuss what color hair, eyes, clothes, etc. the "celebrity" has so we can draw him/her accurately.  Each student writes the missing words on their paper and then draws their classmate. 

                          I put the pages together in a book and send it home with the "celebrity."

  They also get their information/picture hung in the hallway!

The kids have been enjoying it, and it is a great way to help teach them how to draw people (even though mine don't look the greatest either).  If you would like to use this idea in your classroom, head on over here to pick up the templates!

Have a great weekend and come back and visit!
--Lauren