Tunes, transitions and tricks for kindergarten

I am already in my third week of school, and my students have settled in to the rules and routines of the classroom.  Being that this is my 16th year teaching kindergarten, I have tried many things to ensure my class is constantly learning and on task.  The secret is singing and chanting!  Kindergarten students LOVE to talk and have their hands on each other.  By singing just about every transition, that behavior is all but eliminated.  Here are my tried and true transitions, songs, chants etc.  

Lining up chant:

One, two, listen and do
Three, four, face the door
Five, six, finger on lips
Seven, eight, line up straight
Nine, ten, let the quiet walking begin

We walk with "bubbles" in our cheeks and "bumpers" with our arms (arms folded).  No more talking or touching in line!  Also, any waiting time in line we sing anything and everything!  Nursery rhymes, Heidisongs...whatever I can think of. The staff at my school is encouraged to give us lots of praise for good bubbles and bumpers! I've even been at a school where we've given out bubbles and bumpers awards.

From standing to sitting on carpet (we do this one every day after the flag salute):

Two little hands go clap clap clap
Two little feet go tap tap tap
One little body turns around
And quietly sits down
(make up a tune to this one!)

Transitioning from anywhere to sitting on carpet:

(to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It"
Put your bottom on the floor, on the floor
Put your bottom on the floor, on the floor
Put your bottom on the floor, 'til it won't move anymore
Put your bottom on the floor, on the floor

and if you need more time you can keep going with more body part rhymes

Put your finger on your nose, on your nose
Put your finger on your nose, on your nose
Put your finger on your nose
Keep it there 'til it grows
Put your finger on your nose, on your nose

Put your finger on your knee.....(you get the idea)

Here's a great one to get the student's attention as you want them to sit and listen (it's amazing how once you begin this everyone sits quietly hoping you sing their name):

(to the tune of Skip to My Lou)
I like the way that ________(insert child's name) is sitting
I like the way that ________(insert next child's name) is sitiing
I like the way that ________(insert the next child's name) is sitting
They're doing a nice job!

For story time:

(to the tune of The Farmer and the Dell)
It's story time
It's story time
heigh ho the derry-o
it's story time  

Dismissal Song:

(to the tune of The Farmer and the Dell)

We wave goodbye like this
We wave goodbye like this
We clap our hands for all our friends
We wave goodbye like this

My BEST CLASS BEHAVIOR INCENTIVE is a "marble" jar I draw on the board.  When the class is good, they get a marble.  If everyone is at school, we get a marble.  If we get a compliment as a class from anyone (for a great line, from a specials teacher) we get a marble.  I can also ERASE marbles if the class is not behaving.  When the jar is full, we either pick a prize from a treasure chest, bring in stuffed animals and blankets and have a reading party, etc.  At the beginning of the year I draw the jar small and the marbles big to earn that first prize quickly.  Then the jar gets bigger and the marbles get smaller, as the kids have to work harder to fill it.  It is SO EFFECTIVE.  

I wish I knew where I have picked up all these songs and management ideas. I have been very lucky in my career to always be surrounded by fantastic teachers who are willing to share whatever works.  Also, observing in any other classroom is so amazing!  

What tunes, transitions and tricks work to make your students successful learners? 

Open House/Kindergarten Portfolio

At the end of every school year, I invite the parents to an Open House.  First, we perform some of the learning songs we have sang and danced to all year (thank you Heidisongs).  Then, special student work and journals are on display for parents and students to look through together.  It's an amazing way for both to see how much progress was made in one school year!  I put together a portfolio which contains projects from stories I have read to the class.  Because I teach thematically, these stories and projects reinforce our academic learning.  At the beginning of the year the projects are more art based, and in Spring you will see more academics with the art.  Most importantly, this is the kind of work  that feeds the student's creative side.  Kindergarten has to be fun!  

I call these portfolios "Literacy Extensions".  On each page, I site the book and author that inspired the project.  

Do you do an Open House at your school?  At mine it's my choice....and it serves to be a nice end of year celebration and an alternative to kindergarten "graduation".

Number line fun with iPads

We use a great app in our classroom to help us add and subtract with a number line.  It's called Teaching Number Lines by Little Monkey Apps.  I use the free version, which does contain ads.  However, the students know what NOT to touch and we have had no problems.

Here is the main screen We begin with sequencing.

Sequencing...the students drag the frog to the correct spot on
the number line.

Next, we use the jump forward option to begin adding on
the number line.

I am lucky enough to have enough iPads for all my students
to work in pairs.

Now the students are ready to record the addition
problems in their math jounals.

Once we've mastered addition, I introduce subtraction . Once
again the students work in partners to "jump backwards"
on the number line.

With the Teaching Tool option, the students can write the problem,
use the frogs and number line to complete, and then write
the answer.  This is a favorite option!

Eventually, I make this a work station.  

This student is using this app to complete
subtraction problems on paper.

Subtraction work station using the iPad app.

What a great way for little fingers to work with number lines!  Often at free choice time, the students choose this app just for fun.

Word Families

This year I used word families to supplement my reading program.  The students have fun with whole class word family activities, and this brings success in individual practice during work stations.

 I always begin by introducing the word
 family, then completing a word sort .

Our first individual project is completing the mini
book during work stations.  I love these from Scholastic
because they require writing AND reading. They complete
the book and read it to me or a parent helper.

The next day the students add the beginning sound. This is from
www.hubbardscupboard.com. This is a first grade website,
which just shows how much we teach in kindergarten now.

Next is choosing pictures and writing the word
family words. I found this for free on Teachers Pay
Teachers:
 https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Word-Families-CVC-CCVC-Mini-Picture-Books-388863

For whole class fun, I find word family flip charts to
use on our Promethean Board.

For ongoing practice, I print off the word family books from
Hubbard's Cupboard.Each word family has a stage 1 and
stage 2 booklet. I organize them into a binder and a parent
volunteer reads them with the students.  

Here is a stage 2 book for the at family.  Differentiation!

I found this freebie from themeasuredmom.com. She has many,
many of these"stick mats" for free.  I printed, laminated and
added velcro.  These are great because they include words beyond CVCs
and add vocabulary discussion.

Lastly, I am lucky enough to have the Heidisongs Sound Blending DVD and CD.  What a fun way to sing and use our bodies to learn word families! Here is the link:

http://www.heidisongs.com/our-products/details.php?id=164&keywords=Sound_Blending_Songs_for_Word_Families_DVD

U. S. Symbols

U.S. Symbols is one of my favorite units to teach.  The kids are so enthusiastic to learn about our country!  We complete fun, age appropriate activities.   I show a powerpoint on U.S. Symbols, as well as a video from Discovery Education.  I also have a book on each symbol.  For extra fun, I have pictures of myself at the Statue of Liberty and Liberty Bell! The kids especially get a kick out of my 1990's (big) hair and glasses at Liberty Island.

Stir sticks make great flag poles!

Two students INSISTED they saw a bald eagle at recess this week.  

     It was VERY exciting. They said it was just like the eagle they colored 

     in class!  Considering we do live in Eagle, Idaho, it was possible (but 

not likely).  It was later confirmed by a teacher on duty that it 

was a hawk!  No, I did not tell them the truth.  Lol.

After making these hats, the students got out the Legos
  and made the torch and tablet. They did this completely
on their own.  This is why I allow time for my students
to PLAY in my classroom.    

Penguins!

We had so much fun learning about penguins this month!

Every morning we read this poem and waddled the
correct direction.

After reading many non-fiction books, we completed this fact chart together.  I made

sure to include facts to choose from that were not true.

We used this fact chart to help us write booklets about penguins.  This is the first time I have ever attempted this much writing in February!  The students were thrilled.  First I gave a few guided drawing lessons on penguins.  For two days we wrote pages for our books.  On the the third day, the students illustrated the front cover.  These turned out so well I had planned on putting them out at Open House.  However, the students were so excited about their books they wanted to take them home to share immediately!

I love writing in Kindergarten because it is such a great opportunity for differentiation.  This is from a high student who used one of our non-fiction books to find some facts that were not on our chart:

 Here is the book from the same student I featured in my post about Kid Writing.  Her confidence keeps building!

We also had some fun, hands on experiences learning about penguins. To show that penguin feathers are oily and repel water, I put vegetable oil in blue (ocean) water.  It was a great visual!

 Next, I made a blubber glove (made with Crisco and Ziploc bags).  The students put their hand in ice water. Then they put on the blubber glove and put it in the ice water again. 

To find out what it felt like to be a daddy penguin with an egg on it's feet, we tried to waddle with a squishy ball between our ankles.