ESGI has amazing features that I think many are missing. It is time to have some ESGI FOMO!
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In December I love to take my students on a world tour, discussing how holidays are celebrated in different countries and cultures. In Part One we traveled to Germany, Australia, Russia, Denmark, Spain, England, France, South Africa, Ghana, Liberia, Ethiopia, Canada, and Greece. Now the world tour continues!
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Looking for the perfect Christmas Around the World thematic unit? Looking for books, supporting videos and songs? At Christmas time, I love to take my students on a journey around the world to celebrate all the wonderful and diverse ways people celebrate the holidays. It's a great way to introduce them to important social studies concepts in a playful and celebratory way! We love to read books about the different celebrations around the world as we set out on our adventures. Here are a few good ones to start off the journey:
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Looking for a special project to try before your Christmas or Winter break begins? Consider decorating graham cracker “gingerbread” houses!
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From memories from my own childhood, to memories I have made with my own children (and now grandchildren), to memories I have made with thousands of kindergarten children, celebrating the traditions of Thanksgiving will never get old.
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I love having parent volunteers in the classroom. It creates such a sense of community and family when children are able to include their family member in the classroom! However, many parents are not able to come into the classroom. I have such a parent whose daughter really wanted her to come into the class, but who couldn't attend because of work. Fortunately, technology affords us many ways to include parents who might not be able to be a part of the classroom otherwise. Here are some ideas:
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Reading is a complicated process that involves multiple points of understanding along the way that lead to the connection of text and understanding. These points of understanding include instruction in phonological awareness and phonics.
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Who doesn't love LEGOs? Well LEGO is getting even better because LEGO Education is introducing a new line of products, STEAM Learning! Although this product is labeled preschool, it is very appropriate for kindergarten students at well.
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It's no secret that one of my favorite parts of the kindergarten classroom is the science center! This year I introduced it to my students through the concepts of magnification and magnifying tools. One of the first things I purchased for this center was a set of GIANTmicrobes. These fun stuffed plushies replicate the look of real microscopic organisms and cells. The children loved looking at these cute little critters under the microscope.
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Lyndsey has put up her Skeletons and the excitement level in her classroom is through the roof! Why? Because the best thing you can do for your students is to bring science into the classroom. Kindergarten students are natural scientists! And with the engagement of a science-based theme, such as skeletons, you are able to teach all cross-curricular academic skills with high engagement!
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Introducing Unit Two of our "Math Through Play" series.
This math unit is developmentally appropriate and *classroom-tested for early learners. The lessons are geared for a typical Kindergarten classroom and can be easily adapted for Preschool, Transitional Kindergarten, or any Homeschool setting.
For those children that enjoy the 1000 plus hours of lap-time recommended to ensure kindergarten readiness by the National Institute for Children’s Health and Development, the skill of rhyming is usually learned unconsciously and effortlessly. However, for those students who enter kindergarten without that skill under their belt, learning how to rhyme can be a laborious task, indeed!
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Young children need to know alphabet letters and sounds; in fact, knowledge of the Alphabetic Principal is crucial for a young child to become a successful reader. The Alphabetic Principal is simply the idea that a letter or groups of letters represent a spoken sound. Once young children understand the letters and their predictable sound(s), they are able to apply that knowledge to the decoding of words.
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I have spend the last few days clapping syllables to the extent that I have even found myself breaking up words into parts at home! So why all the clapping? Syllables, or being able to hear the parts of words and the rhythm that makes up our oral and written language is a crucial beginning step in the learning to read process. I love using our easy to prepare lessons from our Learning to Read: Syllables Unit; I think you will love it to! We have recently updated and added to the product making it a complete syllable curriculum of four lessons for four weeks.
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If you have not heard of Heidi Songs, you will LOVE what using her music will do for your early learning classroom. The Hexagon one is my favorites! This song is generally stuck in my brain at all times!
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We've been working hard on our new Math Series, Math Through Play, and Unit 1: Counting and Cardinality is now available!
This math unit is developmentally appropriate and *classroom-tested for early learners (*We ONLY sell what we use successfully in our three kindergarten classrooms)!.
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Are you looking for a great start to your school year?
These great cross-curricular thematic units are PACKED with activities. All of the lessons are scripted for easy lesson delivery! 238 pages of quality early childhood learning, and for the first time -- bundled for great savings!
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What I've been using counting straws wrong?
Do you have a set of these small counting straws in your classroom calendar area? Do you dutifully add a straw to the pocket chart every day counting the days of school? Do you immediately bundle the straws into groups of ten on every tenth day and then a group of one hunderd on the hundredth day of school? That's what these straws are for isn't it?
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So your new classroom is in a Portable Trailer. Take a look at how you can make yours home?
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