Gingerbread Kids... Sharing Information Through Glyphs

I thought my students' gingerbread kids turned out so cute! Plus... each one is unique! Every gingerbread project tells the story of the child who created it. The components convey information about children's families, birthdays, age, interests and favorites.





See my post below for the legend, and instructions. My students loved doing this, and it's been even more fun "reading" the glyphs! My little geniuses are getting to be pros at looking at a gingerbread person, and quickly being able to figure out who it belongs to based on the eye color, number of brothers  and sisters, and birthday month. So smart!

 

Gingerbread Glyph in Kindergarten and First Grade

Well the joy continues...

I forgot to take pictures of the gingerbread kids that my little sweeties made today, but I will do it tomorrow! They turned out great!

This little activity is in my Gingerbread Goodness Unit, and I'm offering it here as a freebie! Snag a copy of the instructions for the Gingerbread Glyph and get busy with your kiddos!



A few tips for creating glyphs with your kinders and first graders... I first distributed this page to each child. I had my own copy up on my teaching easel, and students were seated on the floor, where they could see well. First, we numbered each of the boxes. I showed them how to number 1-2-3 down the left column, then 4-5, then 6-7. This was just to make it easier for them to keep track of where we were! Then, I read each box, and students circled their answers. As we went through all the questions, we talked about how we would represent that data. I explained carefully, "My birthday is in July. In the middle of the page, it says, 'July=red, white and blue,' and that means that I will make hair using red, white and blue paper." We discussed every box, and students shared some of their answers and how they would represent the information on their gingerkid.

Only after all that do I recommend tracing and cutting gingerbread men. I have tagboard gingerbread man shapes that children traced onto 9" by 12" tan paper and then cut out. I modeled how to cut eyes, nose, stripes, hair, etc.... and then I put out a ton of colored paper and let the students work independently. So fun! The room was filled with the buzzing sound of children working, and it got messy! But we cleaned up and all is well!

Pictures tomorrow, I promise!

My Marvelous Monday... and Don't Forget About the Sale at TpT!

Truthfully, I wasn't looking forward to going back to school today. I mean, I LOVE my students. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.

But that long weekend? Sleeping late, lounging in my pajamas for hours, reading books, walking on the beach, hanging out with my own children... That was pretty darn amazing!

So I admit that I went to school a little reluctantly today. Especially since I had to go extra, extra early due to some crazy car logistical issues that were a result of the long weekend.

But let me tell you---- We had the BEST day!

I changed the activity that students do first thing in the morning, and I added a bit to the routine (more on that later.) We started reading gingerbread stories (one of our big themes for the months), had a smoother-than-usual reading/literacy block, learned a couple of new poems, talked about characters in books, began work on our gingerbread math project (might take all week!) and had group time. During group time, three parents come work in the classroom and students are engaged in a variety of activities. Today one group was reading Time for Kids, one was working on some Marcy Cook math lessons, and one was busy with December calendar activities. I was working with a group and we discussed Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett. I created a class book that's related to the story, and each student completed a page. It's going to be darling!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was one of those amazing days. Children were kind to each other, they followed the rules, and they did their work. It was a total treat! And now... I'm excited to go back tomorrow!

Don't forget about the big sale at Teachers Pay Teachers! Everything in my store is already 20% off, and if you use the code "Cyber," you can get an additional 8% off. I used this opportunity to moved a pile o'stuff from my wish list to my cart to the "Downloads" folder on my laptop... and I'm thrilled to get working on some new projects!



Have a terrific Tuesday!

 

Hop on Over to Teachers Pay Teachers! There's a Big Sale This Week... It's Cyber Monday!

If you didn't make it to any Black Friday sales, here's a chance to do some serious saving right from home! I've gotta say... this is a sale I can really get excited about! New gaming systems, televisions or toys? Nope. Great deals on clothes and shoes? Tempting, but no thank you! TWENTY-EIGHT PERCENT OFF at Teachers Pay Teachers? Don't mind if I do!



Click on the picture above to go to my Teachers Pay Teachers store for a big discount on every product! Now is a great time to grab those items you've been wanting... heck, I have a little wish list of my own! I'll be taking advantage of the discounts this week and acquiring some new clip art for future units!

We just love a sale, don't we? Happy Shopping, Teacher Friends!

Last Day of November: My Holiday Joy Math and Literacy Unit is Nearly Finished! Ho ho ho!

Did November just fly by or what?!

December, here we come!

This is an amazing month full of all kinds of holidays and activities and cuteness... but too many times I've seen children truly overwhelmed by the festivities and excitement. They get tired and cranky, and before we know it,  they're just struggling to keep it together! I'm determined to do everything I can to prevent my babes from getting too stressed out. Here's my plan:

1. I already sent home a note about sleep! The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a minimum of 10-11 hours per night for children ages five to seven. A recent study on children and sleep found that “a modest addition of sleep  each night (27 minutes in the study) resulted in significant improvement in their ability to regulate their emotions.” Many parents don't realize how much sleep their kiddos need, so I decided tell them!

2. Routine, routine, routine! We have worked so hard to establish routines since the first day of school. Now is not the time to throw all that out the window. In our classroom, we'll be sticking with the routine as much as possible. Yes, it's that time of year with the schedule is constantly changing, and it does require flexibility. But the fewer the disruptions the better!

3. I try to keep the number of holiday activities in check. We will stick to our usual Writing Workshop activities, and our Reader's Workshop won't change. I'll include fun holiday activities in each day, but I'm careful not to overwhelm my students with CHRISTMAS EVERYTHING.

4. We're going to spend some time focusing on others. What can we do to show our appreciation for our office staff, our buddy class, the lady in the cafeteria, and our custodian? Is there anything we can do outside of our school to help those in need?

5. I'll be including extra community-building activities this month, in addition to some "reminder" lessons for showing respect, being responsible, and showing compassion.

That said, I will make certain that we have a completely fun month! Santa, reindeer, toys, candy canes, gingerbread, music... we're going to have a great time!

My Holiday Joy Unit is almost ready! I can't wait to share with you!



Enjoy this last day of November!

Black Friday for the Classroom: Units on Sale at Teachers Pay Teachers

I'm really not a shopper.

I like to research things from home, go pick them up as fast as possible, and get out of the stores!  I'm not crazy about the crowds at the mall, the food at the mall, or the parking. Ugh!

I know my sizes at Banana Republic, Old Navy, Gap, J. Crew, most Nordstrom brands, and of course... shoes. I also know my husband's size, and the places where my children would like gift cards. So ordering online is pretty easy.

Don't get me wrong--- if my kids need something or my husband needs new clothes for say, a business trip to Korea, I'm all over it. I can zip through that mall and get it done. I just don't enjoy the shopping part. It's the "cross that off my list" part that motivates me.

I live in a town with a sweet little downtown area. Oh my. It's oozes adorable! Occasionally I will look in windows and go into the quaint shops on my way to get a cup of Peet's or Starbucks. There's a cute little bookstore, a pet store with darling toys and accessories for my RoseKitty and Violet, some cool places to get clothes, a great party store, Hallmark, bakeries and gourmet restaurants, and many antique and gift shops. It's great. Occasionally.

But shopping today? Um. Let me think...NO. WAY.

Instead, I'm getting a pedicure, hanging out with my family, going for a run, and working on my Sweet Holiday Reading Unit!

But in the spirit of shopping and good deals, I'm having my own sale over at Teachers Pay Teachers. Everything is 20% off, just so that you can shop from home! My sale, unlike the malls... is a Black Weekend Sale. Gather up all the goodies you want all weekend long!

Beanie Babies? Yep. Totally on sale!



Contractions? Yep.



Blend and Digraph Fun? Oh, yes!



I could go on, but you get the idea... Everything is 20% off!

Have a great day, Teacher Friends, no matter how you choose to spend it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Oh, I am loving this weekend already! Is it possible that I feel rested and recharged already?

Yesterday was a great day at school. Even though it was short, there was TONS of learning and writing. Students finished their turkey books, which were loaded with facts! And the circular pages were a huge thrill!



Students ate the Stone Soup we made on Tuesday. Sometimes they don't like it, but this year, nearly all the soup was eaten. I did have one little boy look at the soup and look at me with a serious expression. "There's no way I'm going to eat that with all that stuff mixed together," he said. And then he told everyone that he was allergic to carrots. Ha!

The smarties also worked on an adorable little soup project to complete the unit. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture to show, but it's a big construction paper soup pot with pages to flip. I'll try to post a picture soon. All week the poem was in the pocket chart with picture cards to show vegetables that can go in soup: potatoes, beans, carrots, onions, corn, etc.

Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!

The soup is getting hot.

I think it needs some ______

So I'll put some in the pot!

 

Students wrote and drew to show which ingredients they wanted in their soup pots. They were reading and chanting as they worked, which I loved! I had them working right up until 1:34 p.m.

And then school was out yesterday at 1:35 pm. I hugged my darlings, wished them all a Happy Thanksgiving, and dashed out my back door! My husband had taken the day off, and he met me in the school parking lot with all the kids, the packed car, and my favorite Jamba Juice (Pomegranate Paradise without the mangos!) We went straight to the freeway, where we found about five bazillion people headed the same direction. Sigh.

And so began a long drive. We stopped for coffee, gas, more coffee... and at the kids' request, we picked up some tacos. We never eat fast food except for when we're driving on long trips, and it was a treat for them. Funny, the part of the drive where there was the least amount of traffic? Right when we got to L.A.

We stayed up late laughing with family and got up early this morning to get to the Turkey Trot.



My sister ran her first 5K, and we all enjoyed getting some exercise! ON THE BEACH!! Some said it was chilly, but I thought it was excellent running weather!



It was a gorgeous morning!  And I love this photo with the seagull photobomb!

We got some coffee at Peet's, started breakfast preparations, and claimed our spots on the couches!

I think there are a few errands for tomorrow: a trip to the Sprinkles cupcake ATM, possibly a fun run at the local Fleet Feet, and maybe one or two others. But there will be no Christmas shopping! Nothing but relaxation, lounging, eating, reading and sleeping.

Just what we all need.

Wishing everyone a wonderful day with family and friends!