Card Games for Teaching Math

Lately I've been using a lot of simple card games as a way for my students to practice math skills. I think it's important that students are able to practice math skills in a real life setting, such as playing a game, as opposed to reviewing on worksheets. Here is a web site with descriptions of various card games for kids. http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/5763.asp All of them emphasize turn taking (a much-needed skill in kindergarten), counting, and problem solving. I mention problem solving because the big issue with kindergartners is deciding who gets to go first. Of course all of them want to be first all the time. I encourage my students to play rock-paper-scissors to solve simple problems such as who goes first.

Our Class is Shrinking

Sadly, in the span of one short week, we have lost two students. Albert and Neveah have moved to other local schools. Thankfully, our class had the opportunity to say goodbye to both of them, but we are all feeling sad about their departure.

Snowflakes and Chameleons

Today was very "artsy." We read the book Flower Garden and then students made flowers out of coffee filters and pipe cleaners. I hope you saw the end result--they were cute! Next, students made snowflakes out of the coffee filters and decorated our classroom windows. In the afternoon, we read Leo Lionni's A Color of His Own and I did a guided drawing lesson of the chameleon from the story. The pictures turned out fantastic! I wish I had my camera at school today. I will try to post some pictures tomorrow.

Fun Way to Practice Sight Words

Check out this blog for a great way to practice sight words with your child. If you decide to make a set of these "jewels" I might ask you to make a set or two for the classroom, too! http://www.fairydustteaching.blogspot.com/

As part of our nutrition unit, students had to think of a food they like that begins with the same letter as their first name. We had a hard time with the J's -- jelly and jellybeans were about all we could come up with. They made a book with paper plate pages about their food during writing. For science, we learned a song about our bodies: the heart pumps blood, the lungs fill with air, the stomach processes our food, and the brain tells our bodies what to do. We took our pulse at rest and after running place for 30 seconds.

We had a busy day. It sounds like everyone enjoyed the break. We reread Gregory the Terrible Eater and at writing time, each student made a page for a class book. When we were talking about the ways parents get their kids to eat healthy foods, I told the class that I have a recipe with pureed cauliflower and carrots and that my kids love it. Morgan said she wanted the recipe and then a light bulb went off in my brain -- what if we put together a class recipe book. Each child could contribute their favorite recipe and I could make copies for everyone. What do you think? If I get a positive response from those of you who check this blog, I'll send the word out to everyone next Monday. Please submit your child's reading minutes for December ASAP so I can get the Pizza Hut coupons distributed to those student who met the reading goal of 300 minutes.