The first few weeks of school have been spectacular! I always forget how difficult different the beginning of kindergarten is from the rest of the year, but we are finally getting in the groove and I have the greatest bunch of learners! I wanted to share a couple of fun things we did last week!
So I’m kind of obsessed with #teachersfollowteachers on Instagram. As I was obsessively checking it last week, I stumbled across the cutest homeschooler mom and this adorable fall poem that focuses on alphabet sounds.
This game is perfect for helping your students practice alphabet sounds in a fun way! My students love this game and don’t realize they’re even learning! After reciting the poem together, your students will pick a letter out of the basket and identify the sound the letter makes. Perfect for small groups, whole group, or as a time filler at the end of the day! I knew I had to make it for my class.
As I suspected, they ate it right up 😉
I introduced the alphabet sounds game during guided reading in a small group. Every kiddo had multiple opportunities to pick an apple from the basket and figure out the sound the letter made. I have seen SO much improvement in their abilities since the first day of school! So proud of my littles 🙂 After we picked out all the apples, we worked together to identify each letter and put the apples in alphabetical order. So many skills in one little activity!
We had a little time at the end of the day after packing up and my kiddos begged me to play the apple game! #dontmindifwedo
They pulled an apple out of the basket, held it up for their classmates to see, and everyone had to say the sound the letter made. They loved it, I loved it, smiles all around!
I also thought it would be fun to make a set with pumpkins so we can continue using this alphabet sounds activity throughout the next few months. If you’d like to use this in your classroom, you can download the file for free in my TpT shop!
During math, we practiced using our manipuatives as tools {not toys ;)} and reviewed patterning. We sat in a circle on the carpet and passed the tub of bears around. Each kiddo picked out a patterning card and created the pattern with the bears. As a class, we “read” the patterns and figured out the name of each pattern.
Then we went to our table seats and applied our patterning knowledge. Each student got 4 patterning cards and recorded the pattern on their paper.
They all did really well with it and were excited to be able to take them home! I think they’re tired of me keeping their work to “decorate” our classroom 😉
You can grab this fun little patterning center {here}
