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Articles and Weekly Focus

parents as partners in the classroom

How Parents and Grandparents Enhance Our Curriculum

By admin | Sep 22, 2016 | Comments Off on How Parents and Grandparents Enhance Our Curriculum

Every morning, a few parents come in and read to a small group of children in our quiet library area. On my Kindergarten Wish List, I said we needed dress-up clothes. You should see the awesome old hats and jackets and dresses we received.

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How to Organize Poetry (“I Can Read”) Notebooks

By admin | Sep 20, 2016 | Comments Off on How to Organize Poetry (“I Can Read”) Notebooks

Favorite songs, poems, rhymes, chants and story excerpts are first learned orally. Children will both memorize and read the words from language charts, pocket charts or big books.

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kindergarten - Fun family learning

Summer Learning Fun

By admin | Sep 17, 2016 | Comments Off on Summer Learning Fun

Summer Learning Fun: Playing in Your Own Back Yard. Parents—consider this an invitation for your child to connect with nature in their own back yard this summer. Happy exploring! N.E.

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Children Discover the Dramatic Power of Their Voices

By admin | Sep 15, 2016 | Comments Off on Children Discover the Dramatic Power of Their Voices

First, introduce nursery rhymes through the age-old tradition of the rhythmic chant, carefully articulating and modeling the rhythm and sounds of the language.

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kinder stars Year-End Celebration

The Kinder Stars Year-End Celebration:

By admin | Sep 15, 2016 | Comments Off on The Kinder Stars Year-End Celebration:

With high expectations, we reach for the stars with the lives of our children. The Kinder Stars classroom is set up for the last performance and party of the year.

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End-of-Year Celebrations Bring Closure

By admin | Sep 15, 2016 | Comments Off on End-of-Year Celebrations Bring Closure

A hug magically turns children into First Graders: Kindergarten teacher Barbara Sagen gathers the children around her, and together they remember many of the magical things they have shared during the year. On the last day of school, they remember being the “Three Billy Goats Gruff” and other animals and characters from stories…

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games in school

End-of-Year Family Ritual:

By admin | Sep 15, 2016 | Comments Off on End-of-Year Family Ritual:

Parent volunteers trace and cut out a set of wings from railroad board for each child. “After the children paint their wings with bright colors and designs (and sometimes feathers and glitter) we attach two elastic straps to hold these on their arms

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The Heart of Kindergarten:

By admin | Sep 15, 2016 | Comments Off on The Heart of Kindergarten:

Over the years, my kindergarten colleagues and I have shared many vignettes of memorable classroom rituals, traditions, and celebrations. For us, school has always been a “celebrative place.”

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Accelerate Literacy within a Love of Language

By admin | Sep 15, 2016 | Comments Off on Accelerate Literacy within a Love of Language

Accelerate language and literacy in your classroom with Nellie Edge Read and Sing Big Books™! They are designed to immerse children in meaningful language that has rhythm, rhyme, and repetition. These traditional English and Spanish folk songs and rhymes will build skills and confidence in students at all stages of language and literacy development, from internalizing the sounds and patterns of language to fluent independent reading!

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Invite Parents to Color Big Books and Language Charts

By admin | Sep 15, 2016 | Comments Off on Invite Parents to Color Big Books and Language Charts

Easy Coloring and Laminating Guide for Black and White Big Books. Unless coloring Big Books is therapeutic for you, we encourage you to enlist volunteer help.

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