Mouse Unit

Now that school's are closed, I know many parents are struggling to find activities to do with their little ones.  It is no different with my family.   My little grand-daughter is not getting the services that she needs.  Her mother and father are at home with her trying to adapted lessons that are sent home for all the students in her class. These lessons do not meet her IEP goals.   So I created a unit at her level and can be used for any preschool/kindergarten level children and it's easy enough for parents to follow.    

It centers around the books Mouse Paint, Mouse Count, and Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh.  I went to the NAEYC and read the guidelines and made sure that the unit was appropriate and followed their curriculum guidelines.  The unit has a little bit of everything in it: art projects, number and pattern games and a flannel board story.  I tried to keep it as simple as possible and even added steps of how to change it up for different levels.  

 There are ten different activities for your child/children to do:
Activity 1:  Science and Art Project
Activity 2:  Color Patterning Cards
Activity 3:  Color/Shape Memory Game
Activity 4:  Flannel Board Story
Activity 5:  Mouse Counting Cards
Activity 6:  Mouse Bingo
Activity 7:  Mouse Shape Art/Class book
Activity 8:  Pattern Blocks with Shapes
Activity 9:  Roll and Cover Shape Game
Activity 10: Vocabulary Match Boards/Writing Center Cards
Additional Book List/Rhymes

This unit is available at my TPT store and May 6-7-8, 2020 I am hosting a giveaway on my Instagram account.  Stop by and follow and maybe you will win a copy of the unit.  

Stay Safe and I hope you get a chance to get outside and enjoy some nice weather.  😀 

Math Centers: Money Counting Cards

As part of my math instruction I like to have Math Stations to reinforce our daily instruction.   

My students finish their class work at different times and begin Math Stations.  I try to introduce at least one or two new stations a week.  I generally have five to six stations going at one time.  

  

When they complete the lesson, I do a quick check of their work and then the students go to the Math Station they were working on until it is complete.  When they complete that station then they can move to the next one.   With Money Counting Cards, it is really important to me that each student completes each color level correctly before he/she continues to the next level because each level get a little bit harder.  

When all the students complete a station then I introduced a new station. 

Once in a while I have a few students who take forever to complete a station.  I generally pack up that station and they take it home for homework so the class can move on.  Or if I know they are the type that will not return it,  I have them do it during recess. 

Generally I have the stations set up around the room so my students are busy working in different corners.   I like to use these tabletop pocket charts because they are easy to set up and fold during the Math lessons.  

If you want to see more details about the Math Station activity please go to my TPT store and check it out.  

Updated Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Alphabet and Number Bingo Games

Years ago I made my first Chicka Chicka Boom Boom game on the computer.  I made the numbers on word and stamped the colorful dots with a pencil eraser.

When I decided to give TPT a try I made a new version on word with my limited computer skills.  

I did sell a few of my TPT version and it worked fine for most of my students.  However, right now I am working with students who really struggle with identifying their letters.  So I decided it would be a lot easier for them if I used a simple font for the letters and numbers. Also I only made the game in capital letters for the little ones that I am working with this year.  

It has a lot more in it.  So you can adjust the centers and your teaching to the needs of the learner.

 When I put my materials together I put the uppercase and the lowercase back to back to save on laminate.  

The boys in small group had a blast today playing the game.  I was concerned that the letters were not sticking in their brains however after playing the game today I feel much better.  They were excited about yelling out the letter names and singing the song to figure out what letter comes next.  I feel like we are making progress.

If you are interested in more Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Ideas check out these posts: September 18, 2011, September 24, 2011, and September 4, 2012,    

If you are interested in the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Alphabet and Number Bingo please go to my TPT Store.   

Math Stations-Shape

One of my goals this summer is to review how I am doing Math Stations and look for ways to improve them.  I am starting at the beginning.  I redid my Shape Stations first.  I decided to focus my shape stations on the  Mouse Stories by Ellen Stoll Walsh.

TPT STORE

My math shape stations include:

·      Shape Bingo

·      Shape Memory

·      Mouse Counting Jars

·      A Mouse Shape Spinner Game

·      Shake and Make A Mouse

·      Say It and Draw It

·      Number Power

The stations focus on the basic shapes: circle, rectangle, triangle, square, oval, hexagon, and diamond.  There is also a review of identifying numbers 0-20. 

I also wanted to share how I plan to organized the stations for next year as well.  First I purchased these drawers.

Then I purchased these plastic folders that the children will carry to the tables to work with.  “I Can” directions are on the back.   When the unit is over I just need to collect the folders and put then away in the file cabinet for next year. 

 I put green dots on the folders to indicate that the folders are on level for everyone.  

I am planning on purchasing this Mouse Unit from Doodle Bugs Teaching for enrichment as soon as TPT is working correctly.  

Telling Time

My little ones made these clocks this week during Math as we discussed the parts of the clock.  The octopus goes along with our ocean unit.    This adorable clock was an idea that my partner teacher shared with me.  It is so cute.  The children loved working on them.  We did have some volunteers precut the hands for the children and precut the numbers for us. (A circle punch was from Michaels and it is a life saver.)

We read two great books about telling time:

I created a math work station with some cards.

I left the cards blank in case you want to download the cards on card stock, then you can use a sharpie and write down times you want your little ones to practice.  

My little ones are working on telling time on the hour.  

I also have a recording sheet.

You can find the cards and the recording sheet HERE!

I found a telling time app for another Math Station, right now I am using the free version.  However I may purchase it  for 2.99.

App Store Link

Money Cards

I found these old picture cards I used when I taught first grade.  I decided to use them again in kindergarten during my May Math Stations.

First of all I made these cards with pictures of flashcards I found in the back of my file cabinet.  You could use clipart or magazine pictures if you wanted.

Then I wrote the names of the objects on the cards and prices.  This will save my sanity so my little ones will not ask me 100 times how to spell.

I created a simple worksheet with MS word.

My little ones stamp the correct coins, using these stamps I found at Lakeshore Learning.  I want my little ones to practice recognizing the coins. 

Measuring with Worms

Inch by Inch by:  Leo Lionni

Do you remember this book?  It has been around since 1960, before even I was born.  Wow!   That is really an old book!  Anyways I love to use this book to introduce measuring to my little ones.  It is about an inchworm that measure animals until he is threatened and then he has to measure his way out of trouble.

I purchased these worms from Lakeshore a few years :

I created this worksheet to go along with the story and the plastic worms.   I cut the worksheet in half and we do the one inch worm side together. I send my little ones out on a hunt to look for things in the classroom that are the same size as the littlest worm.  

 Then I put the three inch worms in the Math Stations along with the other side of the worksheet for my little ones to do on their own.

Graphic from KPM Doodles

If you would like a copy of the worksheet click here.  

Here are some other resources you might like:

Gummy Worm Measurement

worm measurement worksheet

Graphing Ocean Creatures

I found these buckets of ocean creatures that I had the children count years ago.  I don't even think I took the ocean creatures out of the draw last year.  

Anyways I thought I would make a graphing activity with the creatures.  I purchased the ocean creatures at Lakeshore Learning years ago.    Lakeshore now has different ocean creatures in the bucket, however if you have the Bright Sea Creatures Pack from KPM Doodles Graphics you can make your own worksheet.  

Click Here if you would like a copy of my activity.  I hope you are lucky enough to have these ocean creatures in your classroom too.  

I also created a label for your storage jar.

The graphics for this activity are from KPM Doodles expect for the shark, I found that on google images.

This activity will be part of my ocean Math Stations, which I will write more on in the future.

I hope you enjoy the activity, and please leave a comment and let me know what you think!

I am linking up and joining the challenge that Charity is setting up at her blog, The Organized Classroom.  I promise to have high standards on my blog.  :)  Join the challenge.  

Graphing Coins

Graphing Coins

I am working a bit slow this month.  It is taking me forever to get my math stations together.  
I have recreated an activity I had for my children in past years.  
In the past the children sorted the coins and counted them.  They will continue to do that however I add another dimension to it.  


To introduce the children to this station I read the book:

I shared with them how many of these coin purses once belonged to my daughter Sandy, who they know because she comes to my classroom on breaks from college. I tell them some of the stories about the coin purses.  How Sandy loved dogs and the dalmatian coin purse is her first wallet.  The  purple striped wallet she got at daisy scouts. 

I think what the children like the most about this station is that it has real money in it. 

Directions:

1.      The children will sort the coins.
(I created some sorting mats to aide students at different levels.)

Click Here for a copy

Click Here for a copy

2.    Next the children will graph the results.

This is my copy, however I made a blank copy at the end of the document if you want to add your own pictures.  Let me know if you have problems.
Click Here for your copy.

3.    Finally the children will add up the total for each coin.

4.    I have a couple of students who need a challenge, they can add up the total for the entire coin purse.  


I try to check each day to make sure that they are on the right track.