Did You Know I Taught TK?

In Fact, I taught a TK/K Combo for 3 Years and I LOVED it!

What is TK?  It's Transitional Kindergarten: Students start school at four years old and attend kindergarten after a year in TK.

Having so much FUN teaching a combo class!

I had 24 students. The last three years I had 

12 TKs and 12 Ks 

16 TKs and 8 Ks 

20 TKs and 4 Ks

And I LOVED it! Really!

Did you just say, "Why?" right out loud? 

I LOVED it because I got to differentiate all day long, provide individual children with exactly what they needed, and loved watching all of my students learn and grow so much during the year.

So, how did I keep my sanity?

3 Easy Ways...  

1.) Differentiate independent work.

2.) Track progress and drive small group instruction & individualized RTI that targets specific skills.

3.) Create fun, skill-based centers that allow students to apply their knowledge, practice academic skills, and enjoy learning.

That sounds like an overwhelming amount of work, right? Well it wasn't. Here is how...

1.) Differentiate independent work: They were all working on the same letter, word, number, etc., but my Ks were doing more challenging work with those skills. 

For example:

My TKs located all of the uppercase Bs and lowercase letter bs on my Alphabet Chant page. They traced them with a marker and constructed a cat with the pattern pieces provided. 

My chants match the Zoo Phonics animals.
Click the chant to see the set. 

I'm working on making these alphabet masks
available on TpT. I used them on my word wall.

My Ks practiced tracing upper case Bs and lowercase Bs and then wrote their own Bs and bs  on laminated tracing cards. Then, they illustrated and labeled 3 items that began with the sound of /b/ on their Phonics Dictionary Page.

Students illustrate and label to create an alphabet book.Click the image to see the set.They come in color and in B&W.

This set includes 3 labeled images for each letter.I added more images by using graphics from old workbooks or old reading kits. Click the image to see the set of
Dictionary Pages and graphics.

2.) Small group instruction and individualized RTI targeting specific skills: It didn't matter if you were a TK or a K, if you were ready to read, you met with me in a small group setting along with any other students who were at that same level. 

I am meeting with TK and K students on the skills
this group is ready for. I got my data from ESGI.

I used ESGI to track my students' skill progress so I was able to create small groups and target the specific skills that group needed. And groups changed according to the needs of individual students. 

My K students' tests were organized by trimester
using bold primary colors. 

My TK students' tests were organized by trimester using pastel colors. 

And, the individualized data that ESGI created helped me to make quick RTI kits for each student that targeted the specific skills each child needed to practice. (I just used the flashcards generated by ESGI to make little RTI kits.) 

Just place each child's flash cards in a plastic bag.
Volunteers, cross age tutors, & paraprofessionals
can all practice skills with each student by using
their individualized RTI kit.

3.) Create fun, skill-based centers that allow students to apply their knowledge, practice academic skills, and enjoy learning. 

Centers like a candy store where students can use their mental math skills to add up candies they pretend to purchase. 

We "sold" sphere and cylinder shaped
candy for 1 cent or 2 cents each,
depending on the shape.
I placed 20 cents inside 2 wallets.

These templates are FREE!
Click the candy above for grab a set. 
Save those empty heart-shaped candy boxes!

Or a science exploration center where students discover the "magic" of magnets. 

Students can freely explore.
The writing was done in a small group setting.
The writing is part of a set of templates.
Click the image above to see the set. 

My students were allowed to visit any center once their independent work was done. I pulled small groups for instruction while they were independently working or while they were at a center. 

Exploring, discovering, communicating!

One more thing:

With ESGI, I was able to create 2 classes, TK and K. The tests I used for each students depended on their grade level, so all I had to do what click on one student's name and all of the items I needed to test were right there on my laptop screen. 

I wrote TK tests for ESGI and you can find them by clicking HERE.

And did I mention that ESGI is so much fun that my students actually begged me to test them! 

Click the code above. 

If you are interested in trying ESGI, you can sign up for a FREE 60 day trial (no credit card required) and, if you use my affiliate code: KFUN, you will automatically qualify for $40 off of your 1st year. Bonus: sign up for your free trial by Sept. 30 and you will be entered to win one of 11 Amazon Gift Cards! (1 is worth $500!!!)

For more info about ESGI

CLICK HERE.

So, that is how and why I LOVED teaching a combo TK/K class!

Let's Motivate, Engage, & Make Learning Fun With Palma, Heidi, & Drew!

And Get Your "P, H, D" 

from Palma, Heidi, & Drew!

Click the image above for more information.

 The CA Kindergarten Association 

is excited to gather this talented team of California educators 

for an engaging day 

filled with interactive workshops 

designed for 

Pre-K, TK, & Kindergarten educators! 

Discover strategies and techniques 

that will change the way 

you approach the next school year 

and earn up to 3 graduate-level semester units! 

When:  Saturday, June 2, 2018 from 10 AM to  

           3:30 PM.

Where:  University Village 

            Community Center Gymnasium 

            1123 Jackson Street

            Albany, California 94706 

How:    CLICK HERE to register online.
            CLICK HERE to download a   
         registration form.

Attendees will receive:

*coffee/morning snacks

*a comprehensive handout from each presenter

*a boxed lunch and soft drink                                              

*classroom-proven, developmentally   

 appropriate strategies and easy- to-    

 implement ideas to help motivate                   

 student engagement & make learning fun.

Click the image above for more information. 

Our Schedule & Topics:

10:00             Registration/breakfast  

10:15-10:20 Intros & announcements

10:20 - 11:05   Keeping the FUN in ELA & Math

11:05 - 11:50 Learning the Alphabet Through  

                      Music

11:50-12:35       Increasing Language & Literacy   

                      Through Sign Language

12:35 - 1:05       Lunch  (included)

1:05 - 1:50       Hands-On Science

1:50 - 2:35       Numbers & Numeracy Through Music

2:35 - 3:20       Less Stress With Mindfulness &  

                      Yoga

3:20 - 3:30 Closing & Prizes

Did I mention there will be prizes?

From a morning snack to a boxed lunch and soft drink, you will have a fun-filled, inspiring day. (Lunch options will be provided.)

And our sessions include everything from fun, hands-on learning, to teaching through music & movement, all the way to learning with sign language and reducing stress with mindfulness & yoga! 

Meet our CA Team:  P, H, D!

Palma   

Discover fun, engaging, research-based, and Developmentally Appropriate Practices for  Emergent Reading, Writing, Math, and Science with        Palma Lindsay. Palma taught in CA for 37 years. Most of those years were in Kindergarten. Currently, she presents “Make & Take” Professional Development for teachers internationally. 

Heidi

Get up and move as you sing and learn songs that teach the alphabet, numbers, and numeracy  with 

Heidi Butkus. Heidi has taught in CA since 1985. 

She combines brain research with practical 

experience to develop engaging teaching techniques. She is currently teaching TK and  presents workshops for teachers across the country. 

Drew

Bring mindfulness, American Sign Language, &     Yoga  into your classroom with Drew Giles. Drew  has taught ECE and Kindergarten, including low-income, in the U.S. and South Korea. He co-authored a book with Dr. Jean Feldman and is currently the Director of Quality Enhancement and Professional Development for Oakland Unified School District. 

Register soon as seating is limited.

Use #CKA2018PHD

We will see you there!

Are YOU Teaching TK This Year?

It's NOT Just "Kindergarten Light!" Right?

This was our class mascot, Boomer!

Find Boomer's Take-home books here:  CLICK HERE

Transitional Kindergarten is so much more than just a modified version of kindergarten. Student in TK should be primarily developing social/emotional skills, exposed to great literature, and developing oral language, large muscle & small muscle skills. 

Working together & learning how to collaborate. 

Developing social skills in a playful atmosphere. 

Secondary to that are the academic skills of letter and sound recognition and number sense, exposure to science concepts, social studies, and the arts. 

Science & Lit: Jack & the Beanstalk

CLICK HERE for the Bean in the Bag Flowerpot set. 

Learning about weather with pictures helps develop oral language. 

A healthy snack can be a learning experience:1 grape, 2 pretzels, 3 slices of banana.

What happened to our frozen igloo?And what happened to it by the next day?

Check out this interview where I talk about the difference between TK and K, explain a typical half-day and full-day schedule, and recall the playful centers and activities I fostered in my TK/K combo class.  

Click the image to hear the interview. 

Here is the link to the interview:  CLICK HERE.
And find more ideas to use in your TK or K classroom here:  CLICK HERE. 

Are YOU Teaching TK This Year?

Classroom Set Up Post 2 of 3:

Here is a little poem I wrote to give you a smile before your 1st day teaching T.K.

'Twas the night before TK...
When all through the school,
The work's on the table,
These hats look so cool...

Work is on the tables... 1st day star hats.

 The centers are ready...

Keyboard with headset & listening center.

Bunny's in his seat...

Library chairs

 The Discovery Center looks kinda neat,

Discovery Center

 The light on the desk of this cute TK room,
Will light up the faces around the classroom,

My desk

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear?

But Clifford the dog...

Clifford will stay in our pet shop until we need it for our chickens.

 And a cute, cuddly bear!

A soft bear and tissues just in case we have criers.

Home center labeled.

With a little, old playhouse so charming and sweet,
I knew in a moment we could cook up a treat...

With the dress-up outfits,

the children all played...

Bookcase on its side makes a closet.

 And later they stopped,
To make lemonade...

The message was written,

Our lemonade stand

On the board with care...

Lined dry erase contact paper on an easel and
a magnetic cork board.

 And the rules at the front,
Told us all to beware....

Front table

 The new ten frame numbers look like Common Core,
And the new Splash letters left us begging for more....

The money pig helps us to count each school day,

And the abacus shows counting in a different way...

And my ESGI testing is all ready to go,
It tells me which skills each child knows & doesn't know!

Another dish rack for testing files.

Then the last thing I did was to make this cute sign,

I'm exhausted, wiped out, now please bring me some wine!

Look through the frame and say, "Cheese!"

And here is a discount code for you:  
Use the code KFUN for $40 off of your 1st year when you sign up for your FREE 60 day trial of ESGI, the only assessment software that will make your students BEG to be tested! 
CLICK HERE to see more info and start your FREE trial.

Visit my TPT store and have fun setting up your classroom!
  :o)

Managing Your TK/K ~ Part III: Small Groups

Differentiating With Small Groups:

While my kids are working on their independent table work, I call up small homogeneous groups of 4-6 students for small group lessons. I keep the same theme (ELA, math, science, or social studies concept), but I differentiate how I present it and what I expect the children to do. Here are some examples:

My Small Group Table. This is a photo of the students' work mats.
I just attached lined dry-erase contact paper to 2 of the mats.
They also have a number line and a set of alphabet letters and animals that begin with each sound. 

ELA:

TK: 

1st, students place a cube on each picture that begins with /J/(this allows me to use these pages year after year).

2nd, they trace the uppercase J and the lowercase J on laminated cards with a dry-erase pen. (Pens are easier to maneuver and they can erase the card and it's ready for the next student.)

3rd, they move to the carpet where they poke a hole in every dot of the dotted letter cards. (They get to take these home and hang them on a window to let the light shine through and illuminate each letter. )

Click the image to see the dotted alphabet cards.

K: 

1st, they place their cube on the /J/ pictures and brainstorm other words that begin with /J/ and try to write them on their dry-erase work mat.

2nd, they trace the uppercase J and the lowercase J on the laminated cards and evaluate their work by circling their best uppercase J and lowercase J.

3rd, they work together to create a group sentence using as many /J/ words as possible and we network as we all write that group sentence on our dry-erase work mat. 

OR... you can have each child complete the sentence: I like ________. The blank must begin with the sound of /j/.

More Differentiated ELA Lessons:

Instant Writing:

Students use the graphics, which are printed on colored paper, to compose a complete sentence. 

I also use a page of "extra words" such as "the, a, an, my, your, our, near, by, around, through, under, over, next to..." to help students complete their sentences.

Click the image above to see the entire Instant Writing set. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Instant-Sentences-Perfect-for-beginning-writing--1116456

Writing About Colors:
These pages make great class books. The first one will have a page for each child's name.
The second one will show something that is the color mentioned on that page.
This set makes 12 wonderful class books.

Click the image above to see the entire Color Writing Pack.
It includes templates to create 12 books. 

Math:

TK:

1st,  Using my Number Pack, students complete the individual number page with help from the teacher.

2nd, then they create an object, using die-cut Pattern Blocks, to create an object that totals 3. (They may use all the same shape or 2 different shapes.) The goal is to match the pre-written number sentence which might be 2 + 1 = 3 or 3 + 0 = 3. The teacher is just introducing the pre-written equation as the students use the Pattern Blocks to create an object. I usually don't do this type of lesson until about Feb.

Click any of the images above to see the entire Number Pack.

Click any of the images above to see the entire Number Pack.

K: Using my Number Pack, students complete the individual number page independently. 

2nd, they create an object using the die-cut Pattern Blocks as above, except that the equation lines are blank and they have to decide which numbers to write on the lines to match the object they built. The students are building their academic vocabulary by using words like "plus" and “equal".

More Differentiated Math Lessons:

Rekenreks: 

These unique number racks have five white beads and five red beads which help your students to instantly see, or subitize, the numbers 6-10. They can easily make them using Fun Foam, pipe cleaners, and pony beads. 

Shopping:

What better way to apply math skills than through shopping?
I usually have 2-4 students do this activity with me at one time. While I let one student shop, the others watch so they are ready to shop when it's their turn. I set out all of the products, I create a menu with prices, I provide the money, an we collect the items purchased in a Zip-lock bag that has the child's name on it and a receipt. Once everyone has shopped, we create our monsters (or cats, see further below). These make a great bulletin board displayed along with each individual receipt.

Click the image above to see my shopping receipt set.

 Addition:

Students use manipulative to compose addition sentences. This can also be reversed to use with subtraction.

Click the image above to get the 1-10 number pack.

 Measurment:

Students measured, using cubes, they weighted, they estimated, and they talked about math!
This was a fun activity to do around St. Patrick's Day.

More or Less:

Students loved using Fun Foam letters to create "more" or "less" in each group.
They also enjoyed using the <, =, & > signs made from tongue depressors, google eyes, and Fun Foam for the teeth.

Click on the image above to see my More or Less set.