Spotted at Target Dollar Spot

I have been checking my local Target's Dollar Spot without success so far this summer.  Today, Fran from Kindergarten Crayons shared her recent purchases from Target.  I was VERY jealous.  Did I just stew on it?  Goodness no.  I drove to a Super Target in the next community.  It's all good (to quote a smart cat).

Here's my loot:

My favorite color of pocket charts! Thank you Target!
The self inking stamps were $3, but hey- these little things make teachers so happy.
I still need a few more colors of the little buckets (hoping they are available in red and pink....) because I want to do Pinteresty buckets full of one color of crayons.
The puzzles are smaller than they were in past years.  I almost left them there until I realized how nicely they would fit in tubs....  Now I want more of them....
No sign of the connect a word puzzles though.  I guess I'll be trekking back to Target again very soon.

Almost forgot... these cute owls were also a Dollar Spot find:

There were six each of four colors, so I filled in the blank spaces with numbers, number words, tally marks, and dots (1-6).  There is a dice game in the making, but I haven't quite come up with the rules yet....Suggestions welcome.

I'd love to hear about your back to school bargain finds!

Hugs,
Eilis

UPDATE:  MORE GREAT FINDS

Count to 10 with a Mouse

I'm joining  Mrs. Jump's Book Linky today.  I am currently teaching in a very small school.  You could say that I am the kindergarten team.  One thing I really miss about team teaching is the sharing of wonderful children's books.  I've never had another teacher recommend a book to me that I haven't loved.  This linky has been recharging my batteries and I thought it was time to share a book and activity of my own.

Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, I live near a great Half Price Books store.  On a recent visit, I found a wonderful hardcover book, Count to 10 with a Mouse, by Margaret Wise Brown. It is large and perfect for read aloud.  This is an Amazon affiliate link:

The book is about an adorable little mouse who wants to learn how to count so he will know how to count his nose and his toes.  Each illustration makes it appear that he is actually moving through holes in the book to get to the next page.  Each page features a different number of things (butterflies, monkeys, apples, etc.) There is repetitive text, rhyming, and counting to ten.  I look forward to introducing it to my class during the first days of school.  I feel sure it will become a class library favorite.

Here's an excerpt:

"6 pussycats
And in among the mix.
And in among the mix.
Six little pussycats are all in a fix.

So the mouse ran through the book,
the mouse ran through the book.
He ran onto the next page
to take a little look."

After reading the book, we will make our own class version.  Each page will have a fold out revealing a picture (with a peep hole).

I will fold a 12 X 18 sheet of construction paper leaving about an inch along the left side (note the arrow at the paper edge).
HERE is a free printable page to fill in with the student's name.  Each printed page will be cut in half and used for two students.  A little side trimming is needed before gluing the printable page to the folded construction paper.

I will use one of my favorite scrapbooking tools to cut a peep hole in the front part of the folded construction paper.  I think the kids will love guessing what will be underneath by looking at what shows through the hole.

The students will draw one to ten simple pictures inside the folded paper. (Another option would be to use stickers or stamps.)  They will dictate the number and words (beginning of the year).

I will bind all the pages together on the left side so the folded flap can still be opened up.

And... The GrowinginPreK Facebook page is up to 930 likes.  Looking for 70 more :)

Hugs,
Eilis

Happy Monday Freebie

I LOVE Mondays - during summer vacation...
Don't you? !

I've just finished a cute printable for my classroom and will be offering FREE in my Teachers Pay Teachers Shop until September 1.

If you print it, please follow my shop and/or like the GrowinginPreK Facebook page.  I have over 900 likes...please help me reach 1000.

I have long admired the "In our classroom ..," signs all over Pinterest, but wanted a version that my young students would be able to "read" early in the school year. As much as I love the "we do" phrase in many of these signs, I want to model correct grammar for my ESL learners.

I have included 5 of my classroom rules (We are good listeners; We try our best; We follow directions quickly; We are kind friends; We take turns) and two optional signs:  We pray together and We love books. I also couldn't decide between "In Our Class" or "In Our Classroom," so I included both.

Also, you may need to choose "landscape" when printing this file.  When I printed it without choosing landscape, I ended up with a small version on portrait.

I love to read your comments!

Hugs,
Eilis

Another Dollar Store ABC Center

I have just returned home from a wonderful week in Key West with my husband.  It was a week of firsts for me.  First jet ski ride, first trip on a sea plane... I also got to snorkle, which I love to do!  Can you believe that when my suitcase was ripped badly while checked, Southwest Airlines replaced it with a new suitcase on the spot?!  I have to say that was some pretty amazing customer service!

Back to my new ABC center activity...
I am just crazy enough that I stopped in a a Dollar Tree in Florida to see if they had any different stuff.  I picked up this package of alphabet letters on a train.  Of course, this is intended to hang on a classroom wall. I will be laminating it and cutting the cars apart.  I can use it in a whole group activity where the kids take one letter each and put themselves in the right order.  Later, it will be an abc order puzzle in a center. I may also have the kids put an item that starts with the correct letter on each train car. Simple I know, but it costs a lot less than a commercially made puzzle or printing something similar with color ink...

Hugs,
Eilis

Little Critter Books from Kohl's

I picked up two Little Critters and three of their books at Kohl's yesterday.  They were five dollars each in the current Kohl's Cares for Kids promotion.

This is NOT a sponsored ad.  I was happy to find two more adorable "reading buddies" for my plush character collection.  I was also happy to add these  lift the flap hard covers of classic children's stories. Love that the wolf is hiding under the blanket until you pull back the flap. The characters and wording of these fun adaptations make these books less "scary" than some versions.

There were also plush versions of the wolf and a bear (to go along with a Little Critters Bed Time Story Book) but as you can see... I do have some self-control.

Hugs,

Eilis

Dollar Store Day

If it's July, it must be time to start haunting the dollar store for classroom bargains....

Here's what I found at the Dollar Tree today.  (Target, if you are listening....please load up my local Dollar Spot with classroom goodies soon....)

A pack of 20 foam circles (about 6 inches).  I wrote the numbers 1-20 on them in Sharpie marker.  I will pass them out to students to put the numbers in order (as a whole group activity).  I will also have the kids put the specified number of manipulatives on each circle in a math center.

Five (one dollar each) frog bath mitts for acting out Five Green Speckled Frogs at the beginning of the school year. Who can resist those grins?

I have walked by these foam puzzles before, but plan to put the letters in a bag and have kids pull them out of the bag and place them in the frame as a beginning of the year ABC center.  The kids could color this oldie but goodie printable from GrowinginPreK.com for accountability (and fine motor skills).  Click HERE for the free printable:

The original post is HERE

And... happy dance to find lots of the primary lined journals with room for pictures for a dollar each!

Last but not least... These plastic flip top jars were two for a dollar.  I think they will do double duty.  I will use them to hold smelly items for science during a Five Senses unit.  The kids will also count items in them for a beginning of the year math activity.  I need to stop thinking about it or I will go back for more than I have already bought!

Have you found any great bargains yet this summer?

Hugs,

Eilis

Harry and Rosemary Wong

Yesterday, I had the good fortune to attend a conference by Harry and Rosemary Wong.  I was familiar with their classic The First Days of School, but not their new book, The Classroom Management Book.

 This is an affiliate link to Amazon.com

We were given a copy of the book as part of the conference registration.  It may look a little dull on the outside.... but it is engaging, practical, and full of good resources. There are loads of photos from real classrooms. The Wongs were inspired to create this book by Sarah Jondahl.  Sarah is a teacher who had a very successful first year after writing a detailed classroom management plan for herself.  Basically, the Wongs reminded me that whether you are new to teaching or have done it for years, you should have a carefully prepared plan for the first weeks of school.  A major point that the Wongs emphasized yesterday was the importance of modeling every school procedure for students so the classroom will run smoothly for the rest of the school year.

I did not have this opportunity last year, since I came into an existing kindergarten class in January. I tried to leave as many of the previous teacher's routines in place as possible, not wanting to disrupt the students any more than I had to.  Fortunately, her style and my style were pretty comparable.  Still, I am looking forward to "starting from scratch" this year.  I will be referring to this book often.  It even has 40 QR codes that you can use to "visit" amazing teachers and resources.  The conference and book have even reminded me of little things I used to do at the beginning of school that I had forgotten about over time.  That is a great reason to make myself a first day of school script (as they recommend).

Hugs,
Eilis