addition

Here is another idea that I love for math! I think math should be concrete in the beginning for kids to gain a firm foundation to build off. I got the star cut outs at my local Dollar Tree(they went with our letter s activities, too!). I laminated them and then wrote simple addition problems on them. We used beans as the manipulatives since I have a ton left over from making bean bags! But, you can use anything you have access to. Gracelyn did really well with this and I plan to do it with Ella, too.

Here is a short video of Gracelyn doing a couple math problems:

letter Ss

Handwriting -


explode the code (Gracelyn)


letter Ss worksheets from here (Ella)

push pin tracing (Ella)

Phonics -


explode the code (Gracelyn)
letter Ss mini book from here (Ella)

Math -


skip counting by 10's review from here (both)


addition (Gracelyn)

Arts/Crafts -


letter of the week idea from here


snail puppet from here

Other -


snake lapbook


S is for snake pom-pom mat from here

*For more Prechool activities and ideas, check out the Preschool Corner

snakes

Here is our second lapbook. We did it on snakes to go along with our letter of the week. I don't think this one turned out as well as the penguin lapbook did. But, I did however, learn the importance of planning where you want the components to go BEFORE you start glueing! Oh well - lesson learned and the girls and I still had fun working on this together. Although, Gracelyn is getting to where she doesn't like to color anymore! What? I still love to color!


Here is the middle of the lapbook.

components -
vocabulary words:
prey
venom
basking
molt
scales
reptiles
fangs
egg tooth
life cycle of an egg-laying snake
label the parts of a rattlesnake
facts about rattlesnakes
different examples of reptiles


Here is the back of the lapbook.

components -
Eve and the serpent coloring activity
Adam and Eve mini book

beginning consonants sort

Okay - here is the last of the promised picture sorts! I know you all have been waiting on the edge of your seats :) The downloadable sort is different than the sort pictured above. The sort above was taken from a book I have and the downloadable sort is one that I made.

materials -

(click on the thumbnail to download the file)

file folder
velcro dots
laminator for durability

educational benefits -
builds phonemic awareness

learning styles -
visual
auditory
tactile

directions -
1. download the sort. cut and laminate for durability.

2. place velcro on the beginning consonants cards and one velcro dot at the top of each side of the file folder.



3. choose 2 consonants to do at a time.

Letter Pp

handwriting -


explode the code (Gracelyn)


letter P worksheet (both)


letter P worksheets found here (Ella)


letter p copy work (Ella)

phonics -


explode the code (Gracelyn)


beginning consonant letter sort: p & y (Ella)

art/crafts -


letter of the week (capital - Ella, lower case - Gracelyn)


letter P penguin idea found here


fun with Pixos!


pig paper bag puppets


other -


penguin lapbook found at lapbook lessons


had a picnic


word, build, write sight words from Home Grown Hearts (Gracelyn)


dot to dot found here (Ella)


letter beads (Ella)

number pre-writing mats

I made some number pre-writing sheets to use for math and Ella really enjoyed working on these! I made 0-9 number sheets. You can use any type of manipulatives you have on hand. We used platic lids because it's something we can reuse and doesn't cost much money and doesn't use up all of my ink!

materials -

(click on the thumbnail to download the file)

manipulatives or Do-A-Dot markers

educational benefits -
number recognition
number writing

learning styles -
visual
tactile

plastic lids

I'm really trying to recycle, reduce and reuse things around our house. And, I've been brainstorming some ideas for more math ideas. Is it just me, or does there seem to be not a lot of ideas for math out there? So, I've been saving my plastic bottle/milk jug lids and came up with a few ideas to use in school.


patterns


number pre-writing practice sheets


pictures

bean bag tutorial

Okay, so I know this isn't an original idea or anything, but I made some bean bags for my kids and they LOVE them! I also try to find ways to use them during school time. Around valentine's, I cut big hearts out of construction paper and wrote numbers on them and tapped them to the hallway floor. I called out a number and they had to toss the bean bag onto the number. I love it when we can accomplish 2 things at a time - physical education (tossing) and math (number recognition)!

Okay, so for all of you who just landed on planet earth and doesn't know how to make bean bags...here you go :)



materials -
fabrics
pattern (5x5)
fabric pen
scissors
beans



1. trace the pattern onto the fabric
2. cut out squares
3. sew right sides together - leave an openning to pour the beans into
4. turn the bags inside out



5. use scissors to push the corners all the way out



6. enlist little helpers to fill the bags full of beans
7. hand sew the openning closed



8. enjoy!

penguins

I finally decided to give lapbooking a try. I have loved the idea of them, but I was too overwhelmed to try one myself. But, I reminded myself it's only paper and a file folder that is at stake! This week we are doing letter P stuff and the girls got to see live penguins at the Chattanooga Aquarium a few weeks back, so I thought a lapbook on penguins would be a good start. I got all the components (except the poem) from Lapbook Lessons.

This is the middle of the lapbook.

components:
number matching with penguins and eggs
label the parts of a penguin

Here is the back of the lapbook.

components:
poem
life cycle of a penguin
number book (fingerprints to make the penguins)

We all worked on the components together to make this lapbook. It is very simple, but not too bad for our fist one!

Letter Rr

Handwriting -
letter Rr worksheet found here


explode the code

Phoncis -
letter Rr mini book found here


explode the code

picture sort (r and w)

Math -


1 - 20 number recognition found here


number writing practice found here


raindow dice game found here

Art/Crafts -


letter of the week idea found here


Fruity Pebble rainbows (this was a flop, because they got tired of sorting out the colors)

Other -
letter beads


rainbow size sort found here


sight words and readers

Rr blends (ra, re, ri, ro, ru) found here