I made the chart with rules for behavior...
I decided to start with shapes because I already had a couple of things that could be used as a station and it is the first story in our reading program.
I was very excited............. I created five work stations:
1. Shape Books......and I only have about five shape books
2. Shape Spinners....a game I had from Lakeshore
3. Shape Race....a modified game from Math Their Way that I made years ago
4. Picture Shape Sort
5. Creating Shape Pictures
My first week did not go very well.
I just randomly grouped them or let them pick a station based on their interest.
The kids enjoy the games but they need adult supervision to play the games. I was surprised at how many children did not know how to take turns at a board game.
The Creating Picture station is ok.....but some kids are just gluing shapes randomly down on the paper to quickly finish.
The Picture Sort Game was too hard for the yet.....I need something easier. Some kids were bored and needed adult help.
I thought I would make a memory shape game this weekend and a go fish shape game. I am ordering a mystery box from Lakeshore, but that will take a few days to get here.
Other suggestions welcome.............
I like spinner games and dice games. You can make a shape picture (a house, a robot) and have them color in the shape that they spin or roll. You can have a strip of pattern shapes for them to match with a pattern block when they spin/roll that shape. You are hoping to get them talking about the shapes (hand me a square, I need a triangle, what is this shape called?). I love pattern blocks and I have printed on cardstock pattern block pictures for them to make. They can also use the foam pattern blocks to print a pattern on a sentence strip. You need to be free to roam around and help/extend their thinking. I also find it to be extremely beneficial to have them gather together and share their work at the end of the 15 minutes. Gives the other kids ideas about what they can do,holds them accountable, and gives you another opportunity to extend/reinforce their thinking. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks Laura for your ideas....I do have a lot of pattern blocks in my classroom. I can make something with them :) Sue
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