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The Holiday Kindness Character – An Inclusive Holiday Activity

The winter holidays can be a very hectic time. A time filled with much excitement for the upcoming celebrations. Many schools and classrooms are incorporating holiday activities in their schedules during this season.

Since I teach at a Catholic school, I’m allowed to openly celebrate Christmas, however, I know that’s not the case for most schools. I know teachers who don’t celebrate the holidays or celebrate each holiday so all students feel included.

While reflecting on both school activities and what society sees in the stores, I’ve noticed that much of the holiday resources available are all geared toward Christmas, which not everyone celebrates. I even have my own Christmas resources in my TpT store that I know not everyone can use. This is how the Holiday Kindness Character was born. The Holiday Kindness Character is an inclusive holiday activity you can use in your classroom during the holiday season.

The Holiday Kindness Character

Similar to “Elf on the Shelf”, the Kindness Character watches you during the holiday season. It is a stuffed animal or doll of your choosing who joins your classroom during the month of December. This character brings letters each day that promote kindness during the holiday season. Each letter has specific ideas of what students even as young as Pre-K and Kindergarten can do to spread some joy.

The Kindness Character does not discuss any specific holidays but the holiday season in general. This makes this activity a much more inclusive holiday activity than the popular Elf on the Shelf. (Now, I’m not going to lie, I use the Elf in my classroom and we do celebrate Christmas because of my school’s circumstances, however, I want each classroom to be able to spread joy and love through the season, even if they don’t celebrate Christmas.)

The Resource

This resource includes 20 letters from your Kindness Character. These letters include ways to promote and spread kindness throughout the holiday season. It is editable so you can write your character’s name. It also includes an editable template so you can write your own letter.

Sight Word Run the Room – A Sight Word Movement Game

I don’t know about your students but mine LOVE when they’re able to get up and move (without getting in trouble). This year, I have an extra rowdy bunch, so I’ve tried to incorporate more games and activities that gets my students moving while they’re learning. This sight word movement game has been the perfect addition to my classroom!

Sight Word Run the Room – A Sight Word Movement Game

This is a super low maintenance game to set up and is all the rage once your students start playing! Here’s how you set up and the many ways you can play.

Set Up

Type in your sight words and print out the pages you need. I do 6 sight words a week so I print them out 6 at a time. I also laminate these pages so they’ll keep for many years to come.

Included in my Sight Word Run the Room resource, is an easy set up page. All you need to do is type your sight words into the chart (it can hold up to 30 sight words at once). Once you’ve typed your words, the sight words magically appear in all the different page options. I’ve included a whole page, half page and quarter page options. Then print, laminate and stick around the room.

Directions

Once your sight words are posted around the room, you’re ready to play. There are many different ways to play this game and all of them are described in my Sight Word Run the Room resource but I’m going to explain my students and my top three favorites below.

For an easy set up and 3 different size option cards, click the picture below!

First Way to Play

My students FAVORITE way to play is freeze dance style! I put on music (Kidz Bop is always a hit) and they dance around the room until I freeze the song. They freeze, I say “Find a sight word” and they run to the nearest sight word. Then, I pull an equity stick to call on a student and that student tells us the sight word and uses it in a sentence.
*If the student doesn’t know the sight word they’re standing at, I let them call on a friend to help them. Teamwork!

Second Way to Play

Our second favorite way is through setting up a “track” in my classroom. I call it a track, however, they just circle around all our tables. Students must go the same way around the track and I give them certain ways to move around it. When I say freeze, they stop, find a sight word and again I pull an equity stick. They say the word and use it in a sentence.

Third Way to Play

Another way to play is by calling out a sight word, students run to that word and then the teacher pulls an equity stick and the student says a sentence with that word in it.

This sight word movement game has been such a hit in my classroom and is a fabulous way to get your students up and moving while still learning an important skill like their sight words!

How do you keep your students engaged? Let me know below!

Sight Word Activities That Aren’t Flash Cards

Sight words can be very hard to teach. Some words can’t be sounded out, others can be, and a lot of learning sight words is just about memorizing. When I first started teaching, I relied on flash cards to teach sight words. And, although I do still use them for some things, I have found many other more engaging ways to teach sight words! These games use different styles of learning so learning sight words are accessible to all learners.

Sight Word Activities That Aren’t Flash Cards

Whiteboards

Whiteboards are an awesome tool when teaching sight words because you can use them in many ways! Here are my favorite ways to use whiteboards when teaching sight words.

You (the teacher) writes a sight word on your whiteboard. Students give a thumbs up when they know it. Students say the word all together. When students say the word all together, the students who don’t know the word are hearing it and learning from their classmates.
- Extension: Choose one or two students to use the sight word in a sentence.
You say a sight word and students write it. This works best when you’re sitting in front of your word wall as students can look to the word wall to find the sight word to write.
Show students a few words (or sit in front of the word wall) and ask students to write one word or a sentence with the word in it and then share with the group.

Play-doh

Play-Doh always gets my kids super excited and ready to learn. There’s something about it that makes learning feel more like play and less scary. Here are my favorite ways to use Play-Doh.

Students have flash cards of their sight words for the week and create them using Play-Doh.
Students look to the word wall to create the sight words you’ve already learned.
Partners create words and take turns making a sentence with that word.
Students flatten out the Play-Doh like a pancake and use a toothpick to write the word in the Play-Doh.

Sight Word Run the Room

This is a game I created to get my students and their wiggly bodies moving around the room while we practice our sight words. The game is a version of freeze dance and when the music stops, students go to a sight word that is taped around the room. I pull an equity stick and that student tells the class the word and a sentence with that word in it.

This game has become my students absolute favorite way to practice sight words! They beg me to play it each week with our new words!

Chasing Rainbows – Created by Literacy with the Littles

This game is super fun and engaging for students! You play by setting out sight word cards that have rainbows on them. The teacher calls out a sight word and students use their unicorn fly swatter to tap the sight word rainbow!

When we played, my students were so engaged and a little rowdy! They couldn’t wait to find the next rainbow for their unicorn!

Sight Word Fluency Strips – Created by A World of Language Learners

This activity is a perfect way for students to practice their sight words as well as their fluency! Included in this resource are many different strips filled with sentences or parts of sentences that include many sight words.

In kindergarten, we talk about trying to read with expression and not read like a robot. My students were able to practice reading with expression while they read sight words we had already learned!

Sight Word Cut and Spell – Created by Sweet in Kindergarten

This activity is created by one of my favorite kindergarten teachers! Students cut out all the letters at the bottom of the work sheet and build the sight words above. What I love most about this activity was that it not only works on sight word recognition, it also helps students with their fine motor and cutting skills. Plus it’s editable so I was able to type in my own sight words that we were working on for the week.

Ways to play with Flash Cards

Although I said above that flash cards were boring, there are some fun ways to use your sight word flash cards. Here’s how!

Tap What You Know
- Spread sight word flash cards out and have the students tap a sight word they know. Then ask them what that sight word is and have them say a sentence with the word in it.
Name a sight word and have students find it
- The teacher says a sight word and students look through their sight word flash cards to find the word
Sight Word Surprise
- Flip sight words over on the table, students grab one and say what it is and say it in a sentence

What are some engaging ways you teach and practice sight words in your classroom?

Celebrate the Season of Advent in Kindergarten

For those of you who don’t know, I teach at a private, Catholic school in the Bay Area in California. Since I teach at a Catholic school, we are required to teach religion as a core, everyday subject. We also teach the Church seasons, one being the season of Advent. Advent is a time when we prepare for the birth of Jesus, on Christmas Day.

It can be hard to get students (especially the littlest ones in kindergarten) to get their attention off Santa Claus and presents and on to Jesus and his birth during this season. Here are some ways I promote and celebrate the season of Advent in kindergarten.

Celebrate the Season of Advent in Kindergarten

Advent Wreath

During the season of Advent, I set an Advent wreath out on our prayer table. This wreath has 4 candles around the outside, three purple and one pink. These candles represent the 4 weeks leading up to Jesus’ birth. They also have different meanings.

The first candle represents hope
The second candle represents faith
The third (pink) candle represents joy
The fourth candle represents peace

The Advent wreath is a great visual for students that this season is a time to connect with and prepare for the birth of Jesus. Often when we say our special prayers, I assign students to move our wreath from the prayer table, onto the middle of the carpet so we can see it as we gather around for prayer.

Special Prayers

My school gives out a packet of special prayers that every class reads during their religion time. This is a special way that connects individual classes together as one entire school. These prayers are very extensive and hard to comprehend for the littlest students in the school, that’s why, my principal provided the K-2 teachers with a book that is a bit easier for our kiddos to understand. This book is called Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families. Get your own copy through my affiliate link below.

We use this book along with our Advent journals to reflect on ourselves and ways we can prepare for the coming of Jesus.

Advent Journals

Our Advent journals are a way we take what we’ve heard in our special prayer during religion, and reflect on ways we can better ourselves and others and prepare for the coming of Jesus. I created this resource as a way to focus students on this important season in the Church year. The journal comes with 25 prompts that go along with the prayers in the book above, but don’t have to be used together if you don’t have the book.

The way I use these journals is after our special prayer for the day, using the Welcome Baby Jesus book, we have a quiet reflection time where students can draw or write, responding to the prompt of the day. Of course we never finish these journals because I’ve included all 25 days leading up to Jesus’ birth, however, I send them home and give students the option to continue to respond while they are on break before Christmas Day.

I love the way these Advent journals focus my kindergarten students and help them realize how special this season of Advent is.

How do you celebrate the season of advent with your students? Let me know below!

A Look at Literacy Centers in Kindergarten

Having time in your schedule to break into small groups and teach students at their level is so beneficial. When I am meeting with students for our guided reading time, the rest of my students are doing various literacy centers.

I love this part of our day because it’s a time that I can tailor lessons to my individual students. I can support them when they need support and challenge them when that’s appropriate. This time is also important as it gives the students doing centers a chance to be independent and grow in their problem solving abilities.

Before we begin doing literacy centers, I take a week to teach each center. That way, when we break into groups, students can be independent and successful in what they are working on. It’s very important that you train your students to solve problems on their own so you’re not being interrupted a million times!

The Centers

Meet with the Teacher

During “Meet with the Teacher” students come to my table and meet with me. This is when I use my guided reading lessons that coincide with their reading level. Students are grouped by similar abilities so I am able to support, teach and challenge depending on what they need.

Word Work

Our “Word Work” station is where students practice our sight words for the week. They do this through different games, activities and worksheets. They know what to do for each activity because they have been taught prior to this time, about directions and how to play or complete properly.

Work on Writing

When students go to the “Work on Writing” station, they are practicing writing skills. In the beginning of kindergarten, I teach students to use many details and try their best to convey a message through 3 Star Coloring. Once students have learned their letter sounds, they are ready to start sounding out their words. This is when I give them other types of writing activities such as responding to a question, drawing and writing about a season or holiday or writing in their writing workbooks.

Listen to Reading

The “Listen to Reading” station is when students get to use Raz Kids (Learning A-Z) on the iPads. This program is awesome as you can assign students books at their level. In the app, students may read the book to themselves or they can listen to it being read to them. When they listen to it being read, the word is highlighted as it’s being read which is great for students to learn sight words and vocabulary.

Read to Self/Read to Someone

During “Read to Self” or “Read to Someone” students are in the library of our classroom and are again reading books at their level. The books they read in this stations are different books than the ones we’ve read during guided reading. Students have a box in the library labeled with their color group and are to grab only books from that bin. “Read to Self” sounds just how it is, they are reading to themselves. Whereas, during “Read to Someone”, students read to another person in their group.

This time with my students is so precious as I truly believe guided reading can take a non-reader and turn them into a reader or a reader into an even better reader! Literacy centers is such a valuable part of my day and in classrooms everywhere.

How to Create the Perfect Guided Reading Lesson

How to Help Your Struggling Readers

Tips for Challenging Your High Readers

My 4 Favorite Kindergarten Apps

Using digital resources in your classroom can be very valuable if you have the tools needed to do this. My school is lucky enough to have iPads. We have one iPad cart that we share between kindergarten, first grade and second grade. However, we pretty much can use the iPads at any time because we have a small school.

It can be hard to find the right apps for kindergarten, especially before they can even read! That’s why, I’ve created this list of my 4 favorite kindergarten apps. These will hopefully help you out when you decide what digital resources you want to include in your classroom.

Have a kindergarten app you use and love in your classroom? Comment with the name and a little about it below. I love learning about new apps and trying them out in my classroom!

Reading Apps

Raz-Kids

This app is my favorite reading app because you can input the student’s reading level and the app provides books at that level. Students can listen to reading or read it on their own. When they listen to the book, the app highlights the word as it’s being read. This is great for learning sight words or new vocabulary words. Once students have listened to the book and read through every story on their own, it gives them new books!

Math Apps

Freckle

This is an app that I’m still learning as well. However, I am loving it so far! It is a math app that allows the teacher to put in certain lessons or standards you want students to work on. Students can see that they have an activity from the teacher from the red circle next to the math app. (This app can also be used in reading but I’ve only used the math portion.) Students can also explore different math contents on their own (but at their level). My students love this app!

Daisy the Dinosaur

This is a coding app! Students program Daisy the Dinosaur to do different things and move in different ways! This is an app I let students use when they have free time on the iPad. I haven’t incorporated it into our regular curriculum yet.

Learning Apps (All Subjects)

ABC Mouse

ABC Mouse is probably my students favorite app! This app has tons of games, puzzles, coloring, music and much more! This app includes all subjects which is one of the reasons I love it too! When we do ABC Mouse, I just let students go and explore whatever they feel like exploring. You put in their grade level when you set up your classroom, so it’s all grade appropriate.

My students love using iPads and exploring these apps during our class time. I’m always trying to find other apps teachers are loving to add to my list of favorite apps. If you have a favorite, drop the name and a little about it below!

Your Cheat Sheet for Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent teacher conferences are coming up and they can be a little nerve-wracking. When you share so much with your students’ parents, you never know how they’ll respond. Just remember that as long as you come across as wanting the best for their child, they’ll appreciate whatever you say. You are a team!

I like to be as organized as I can and get everything ready about a week before conferences. We have to put in grades and get report cards printed, find examples of student work and get together any other important resources for parents so this time can be pretty busy! The sooner you’re organized, the better!

Here are some tips I’ve learned that will help you during parent teacher conferences.

Format of the Parent Teacher Conference

At my school, we have 15 minutes with the parents. I like to do most of the talking for 10 minutes, then take questions and then we bring the student in to showcase some of their work!

First 10 Minutes:

Explain Report Card

I use this time to explain the report card. This is their first report card so I explain standards based grading and what they’ll see on the report card. I also highlight a few of the standards in each subject category.

Discuss a Few Standards

I like to highlight what we will be learning this year in kindergarten. Since this is the only face to face meeting we have with parents (unless we schedule something else) I like to explain some of the learning they’ll see within the year.

Tell Student’s Reading Level

We use Fountas and Pinnel to assess students’ reading levels so I mention what level their child is. Most of the time, students at this point in the year are only a level AA (pre-reader) or an A. I mention where we want students at the end of kindergarten as well.

Give Parents Resources to Help at Home

I like to print out some resources of how parents can help their child at home in reading or sight words and explain how important it is that they help their child with their learning at home so it reinforces what we do in class.

Final 5 Minutes:

Time for Questions

I give parents time to ask any question they have that they might not want their child to hear, before the child comes in.

Student Joins

When the student joins, he or she shows their parent a few things they are proud of. I like to have their writing folders at the table because it shows their growth from the beginning of the year. I like having students run this part because they get so excited to share with their family what they’ve done in school!

Tips to Help Parent Teacher Conferences Run Smoothly

Make Note of Key Talking Points

It’s important to know what you are going to talk about in the conference. That’s why, I like to make note of what I want to be sure to say (both positive and negative) during the conference.

This year, I’m going to use Stephanie’s (Teaching Little Leaders) Parent Teacher Conference Forms. She includes everything you need to prep for your parent teacher conference! Check it out below.

Keep Everything for the Conference in a File

I like to use files for each student because they’re easy to pull and keep everything safe and in one spot. When you have so many conferences, it’s best to just have to pull one file instead of a bunch of different forms or documents.

*I even like to put a post-it on the front of the folder with the child’s name and when the conference is. Then, I put them in order by day and time.

Keep the Student Occupied

If your school is like mine and students join the conference at the end of the meeting, give them something to do while you’re meeting with their parents. I like to keep books in the hallway next to a chair so the student can sit and read.

Here are my tips and tricks for parent teacher conferences and I hope you find something that helps you out! What have you learned during your conferences? Comment below!

Tips for Challenging Your High Readers

Students come into your classroom at all different levels. Some students are really strong in reading and others need a bit more support. It can be hard to reach each student at their level but as teachers it’s our job to try! Throughout my years teaching, I’ve learned some tips to challenge my high readers.

Some years, I have students come in to my kindergarten classroom already reading (normally incoming kinders don’t read yet). Other years, I’ve had students come in reading at a first grade, second grade, even third grade level! This has been a challenge for me as I figure out what I need to do with these high readers.

Tips for Challenging Your High Readers

Use Small Groups

I recommend using small groups in both reading and math. Students will always come to your class at different levels and by using small groups, you’re better able to tailor lessons to your students needs. Sometimes, my high reading groups only consist of one or two students… that’s okay! If you can split your class up this much and have enough things for other groups to do, I highly recommend you do this.

To read about small groups during guided math check out the posts below.

All Your Guided Math Questions Answered: A Collaborative Post with Sam Ripley

Everything You Need to Know to Launch Guided Math in Your Classroom

How to Write Differentiated Lesson Plans to Use During Guided Math

Ask Open Ended Questions

When they’re in these small groups (or even if you don’t do small groups) ask your high readers open-ended questions. Critical thinking questions and open-ended questions give students the opportunity to really have to think about their learning and about what they’ve read.

Give Challenge Work

Giving challenge work does not mean extra work, it means giving them meaningful work that challenges them. When I give challenge work for my high readers, I think about the comprehension skill for the week and I find a worksheet or an activity that goes along with the comprehension skill. I also look for work that will make them think more than something the rest of the class is doing. When you give meaningful work, you’re challenging your higher readers.

These are some ways I’ve found to challenge the students who need a challenge. What do you do for your high readers?

Celebrate Halloween with a Halloween Book Companion

I love celebrating holidays in my classroom but sometimes it can get to be a little overwhelming with all the excitement and usually many sweet treats. That’s why I like to incorporate Halloween activities that are educational! Whether it be a center or a special project, I just love seeing what students can do when they’re excited about something. For Halloween, I’ll be celebrating with a book companion or a couple of book companions!

What’s a book companion?

Book companions are activities that go along with a particular book! They include multiple language arts activities that students can complete, reviewing a language arts skill or even learning a new skill! Some of the skills included are sequencing, problem and solution, and conventions. I always love to end with a craftivity as well. These make amazing bulletin boards to look at for the entire holiday season! See below for what’s included in my Halloween Book Companions.

Included in the Halloween Book Companions

I’ve created 3 Halloween Book Companions for you to celebrate Halloween in your classroom! In each, students practice a variety of language arts skills. I’ve also included at least one craftivity in each book companion set.

Little Boo – Book Companion

Here’s a list of all that’s included in this book companion resource:

Sequencing the story
Problem and solution
My Favorite Part Writing
Additional Writing Prompt
Describing the Seed Graphic Organizer
Describing the Jack-O-Lantern Graphic Organizer
Little Boo’s Verbs
Craftivity

Skeleton for Dinner – Book Companion

Here’s a list of all that’s included in this book companion resource:

Sequencing the story
Problem and solution
My Favorite Part Writing
Additional Writing Prompt
Describing the Skeleton Graphic Organizer
Describing the Witches Graphic Organizer
Skeleton’s Verbs
Witches Verbs
Two Craftivity Options

Ms. Broomstick’s School for Witches – Book Companion

Here’s a list of all that’s included in this book companion resource:

Sequencing the story
Problem and solution
My Favorite Part Writing
Additional Writing Prompt
Describing the Pandora Graphic Organizer
Describing the Ms. Broomstick Graphic Organizer
School of Witches Verbs
Craftivity

These book companions can be purchased in a bundle or individually depending on which story you’d like to incorporate or if you’d like to incorporate all! Using a book companion is a great way to sneak in some Halloween fun while still learning or reviewing critical language arts skills.

What type of teacher are you? Do you enjoy celebrating the holidays throughout the holiday season or do you stick to celebrating the holiday strictly on the day of the holiday only?

All About Star of the Week

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on or buy something from one of the links, I may receive a small income at no additional cost to you.

Star of the week is one of the best ways to get to know your students on a deeper level. I start star of the week right in the beginning of the year so we can get to know each other right away. I love incorporating this in my classroom because students feel special for a whole week and it promotes classroom community.

The Importance of Star of the Week

Star of the week (or Student of the Week) is one week in the school year where a student gets to be celebrated. Each day, they get a special privilege or activity all about them. After the week is up, we feel more connected and the student feels appreciated.

Daily Specials

Here is the list of specials that I do each week for our Star Student. There many other options you could include (I’ve listed these ideas after my daily specials).

Monday

On Monday, the Star of the Week brings in their Star of the Week poster. (I give these posters to them a week in advance because they are pretty large and I don’t want them to rush it.) The student gets to tell us about their poster and I let a few students ask questions about the star. Then, we create a book for the Student of the Week. The Star of the Week colors the cover page to their book and all other classmates write a letter about why this person is a star. After everyone is done, I bind the pages into a book and the Star of the Week takes it home.

Tuesday

On Tuesday, the Star of the Week gets to bring in a show and tell item. They tell about the item and then classmates get to ask questions about the item. (A lot of the time the question is “can we play with it at free play?” Ha!)

Wednesday

On Wednesday, the Star of the Week gets to start free play first! Always a favorite day for my kinders!

Thursday

On Thursday, the student of the week gets to bring in a book that we read as a class. I love seeing which books they bring in and sharing them with the rest of the class.

Friday

Friday is my favorite day of the week! On Friday, I read a letter written to the student from their parents. These letters are so heartfelt and so sweet to read as parents are so proud of their little ones.