Monday Made It

I'm joining the Monday Made It link up at 4th Grade Frolics today.  While all my ideas are borrowed from blogs and Pinterest...

I'm still really happy that I am making them into realities!  And it is only July 21st!

     The frame for my students to hold while I take their first day photos.  I had this black plastic frame 

            on hand because it had fallen of a wall and the glass had broken.  I also purchased the letters on 

            clearance at Hobby Lobby years ago intending to use them in my classroom.  Well... I finally am.

      Pails for sharp and dull pencils.  The buckets and stickers are all from the Dollar Spot at Target.

            My classroom is going to be a little bit beach this year.  

                     Paper plates with colored dots for subitizing practice.

Hugs,
Eilis

Walmart Back to School Find

I found a few treasures while stocking up on school supplies at Walmart yesterday.  They were in the back to school aisle.

I know... it is time for an intervention or something...
But they were about two dollars each!
And I love how simple they will be to use in beginning of the year centers.  Actually, I will only put out the puzzles up to ten at first.  I will also use the rhyming puzzle in a whole group activity where I hand out pieces to students and have them pair up if their words rhyme.

Hugs,
Eilis

More Loot from Target Dollar Spot

In my previous post I shared my excitement about recent back to school finds at Target's Dollar Spot.  I mentioned that I was still looking for some word puzzles that Fran from Kindergarten Crayons had found there.
Well.... I am so happy I persisted.  I have lived in the Dallas area since August.  I have no sense of direction and am terrible at finding my way around unfamiliar places.  Thank goodness there is an app on my phone called Waze.  It is my new best friend.  Yesterday, after using it to find an appointment, I used it to find another Super Target close to the appointment . . . . jackpot!

These puzzles are three dollars each.  I didn't expect too much because the boxes are the usual flimsy cardboard.  I was pleasantly surprised by the sturdy puzzles inside though.  The pictures and colors are fun. Each puzzle is also reversible.  Each picture above shows one side of same set.

The two photos above are from the letters and numbers set. Cute and educational - my favorite combination!

No picture of the reverse side of the four letter puzzles, but I think you get the idea....

I also picked up a few more of the one dollar puzzles.  They are small, but as I mentioned previously, they will fit in tubs.  The pieces are nice and sturdy.  Thank you Crayola!

Two minutes and a Sharpie turn this ocean animal puzzle into an ABC center activity.

And a few more fun dollar items... How cute are the alphabet sticky notes and matching note pad?

One more fun thing to share...

I found this near the check out lane.  No they didn't have Eilis... but they did have Kate.  My college freshman daughter loved it!

I love to read your comments :)

Eilis

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