Merry Christmas

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday season!!

Reindeer Moves

Need a movement activity to help the students release some of their holiday energy and excitement. Try this cute Reindeer Moves game.

DESCRIPTION

Watch your little reindeer leap and prance during this movement activity! Label each of several index cards with a different action that a reindeer might do, such as leap, jump, run, prance, or fly. Store the cards in a small paper bag. Help each youngster trace each of his hands on brown construction paper and then cut out the shapes. Staple the hand cutouts to a paper strip to represent antlers. Then fit the strip to the child's head to make a headband. Have each child wear his headband along with a red sticky dot on the end of his nose. Direct students to stand. Then invite a youngster to remove one card from the bag. Read the word and then turn on holiday music. Invite youngsters to perform the action on the card until you stop the music. Continue in this manner until all of the cards have been used. Go, reindeer! Go!

Five Powerful Questions

Check out this article on the 5 most powerful questions you can ask kids. Great read!!!

Five Powerful Questions

'Twas the Week Before Christmas

Enjoy Friends!!

I'm Back!!! Thoughts from the Conference

In case you have missed me, I have been at the National Learning Forward Conference in Nashville, TN. I want to share some of the Big Ideas from the conference.

1. Differentiation is not s set of strategies - it is a way of thinking about the classroom.
2. All learners come to the journey of change at very different levels. It is not one size fits all.
3. We learn through our students' learning.
4. We teach for the success of the learners.
5. Teaching is like having a love affair with a rhinoceros. It is difficult to maneuver and figure out.
6. What works with any student works with ALL students if we are providing quality instruction.
7. When children can't do their homework it confirms that they can't do it.
8. We lose 80% of the information taken into the brain within 24 hours if there is no sense of permanency. We must anchor it in rules, relationships, and patterns.
9. We connect something new to something old, something abstract to something concrete.
10. Repetition or practice makes learning permanent. We must make sure we are having students understand/practice correct information.
11. Quality is everyone's responsibility.
12. Talking is thinking.

And many more!!!

Santa Hunt

I know how much the kids love "The Bear Hunt" song so when I came across this song, I had to share it!  It was posted on Dr. Jean's blog. Your kids are going to love this “Santa Hunt”. 

Santa Hunt  

Adapted by Sara Lensing                                     

Get out your backpacks.

Open ‘em up.

Let’s put in some cookies for Santa and his reindeer.

And, let’s put in a thermos of milk in case he gets thirsty.

Oh. and don’t forget your Christmas lights in case it gets dark.

Zip ‘em up and repeat after me.

(Children repeat each line.)

We’re gonna find Santa  (March and slap thighs.)

Before Christmas day.  

He has a big, round belly  (Extend arms.)

And a long, white beard.   (Pull down from chin.)

Look over there!  (Point.)

It’s a Candy Cane Forest!

Can’t go over it.  (Arms over head.)

Can’t go under.    (Arms down low.)

Can’t go around it.  (Circle arms.)

I guess we’ll go through it.  (Open palms and shrug shoulders.)

Slurp, slurp, slurp!  (Pretend to suck on candy cane.)

We’re gonna find Santa

Before Christmas day.

He has a big, round belly

And a long, white beard.

Look over there!

It’s an egg nog river.

Can’t go over it.

Can’t go under.

Can’t go around it.

I guess we’ll swim across it.  (Stroke arms as if swimming.)

We’re gonna find Santa

Before Christmas day.

He has a big, round belly

And a long, white beard.

Look over there!

It’s a gingerbread house!

Can’t go over it.

Can’t go under.

Can’t go around it.

I guess we’ll go through it.

Yum, yum, yum!  (Pretend to eat gingerbread.)

We’re gonna find Santa

Before Christmas day.

He has a big, round belly

And a long, white beard.

Look over there!

It’s Santa’s workshop.

Can’t go over it.

Can’t go under.

Can’t go around it.

I guess we’ll go through it.

Shhh!  (Finger over lips.)

Get out your Christmas lights.  (Pretend to get out lights.)

Turn them on – click.

Let’s set out the cookies and milk.

I see a big, round belly.

And a long, white beard!

It’s Santa!

He-he-he! We can’t let him see us!

Tip toe!  (Tiptoe.)

Quick!  Go through the gingerbread house! Yum, yum, yum,!

Swim across the egg nog river!

Go through the Candy Cane Forest! Slurp, slurp, slurp!

Go home.

Open the door.

Shut the door.

Phew!

We found Santa.

Merry Christmas to all!

*Children could do a time line or a story map of the hunt for Santa as a follow up activity.

Lick & Listen

Did the title get your attention???

This is a great December activity for your listening center. All you need are Christmas books or music and candy canes. Students go to the listening center take a small candy cane and "lick and listen". Sometimes children just need to listen to a good story being read or their favorite songs playing. You can even have a Santa hat or Elf ears for them to wear as they lick and listen.

If you feel you MUST include something academic, you can have the students create a list of "Ll" words after listening to the story/music.

Hint: Have baby wipes available to clean hands after going to the center. And make sure to wipe down your listening station each day. Yes, the children and the headphones will get sticky!! It's okay!!

December Sensory Tub

Bring the holidays into the classroom with a fun sensory tub! 

Materials:

Colored rice

Small Christmas bows

Stars

Tinsel

Ornaments

Small presents 

Candy canes

Little trees

Etc.

Activities:

1. Simply explore

2. Sort items (color, type, texture, etc.)

3. Counting

4. Beginning/Ending/Medial Sounds

5. Spelling
6. Writing sentences about the objects

7. Addition/Subtraction

8. Measurement (length/weight)

The possibilities are endless. Students are learning and they LOVE it!!!!