Introducing…KIND-ergarten Math!

 

Jimmy has 5 cans. Joey has 5 cans. How many cans do they have altogether?

There were 4 kids playing tag. One more kid joined in. How many kids are playing now?

These are the types of word problems I’m used to seeing on my daughter’s kindergarten math homework. I guess it’s the librarian in me, but I find myself wanting a little more from the stories.

Like, I want to know, why do Jimmy and Joey each have five cans? What are they planning to do with these cans?

And that kid that joined in the game? So, how did that happen, exactly?

I got to thinking that these word problems are a bit of a missed opportunity. Instead of an ambiguous story about some random dudes with cans and kids playing tag, what if the stories had just a teeny bit more depth? What if math time could also be a time to teach kids about kindness? Perhaps we could find out that Jimmy and Joey were collecting cans to give to a food pantry! Why couldn’t we find out that the four kids who were playing tag saw a new student sitting alone, introduced themselves, and invited him to play?!

Enter KIND-ergarten Math

I decided this type of math resource should exist, so last week I sat down and started making what I call “KIND-ergarten Math” resources for my Teachers Pay Teachers store. I wanted to create math worksheets that would allow teachers to weave some character education conversations into their math lessons. Each of my “KIND-ergarten Math” worksheets has word problems that do tell a little bit more of the story, giving the teachers the opportunity to take a few minutes to talk to their students about kindness.

So now, those flowers we’re adding up are a gift for Grandma. The crayons we add are crayons we are helping to pick up when a classmate dropped them. The shirts we are counting are for a clothing drive.

So far, I have two of these resources in my storea KIND-ergarten Math Free Sample and KIND-ergarten Math for Springtime. (Update 04/07/18: I just added another KIND-ergarten Math Resource – KIND-ergarten Math: Subtraction! Feel free to check it out!) I am so excited to think about all the positive conversations that can accompany these assignments. I can imagine all the awesome things that amazing teachers will do with these, and I’m totally pumped to make more of these resources.

Grab a copy of my KIND-ergarten Math freebie!

To my librarian friends, don’t worry – I do have several library resources in the works, too! But I’m hoping that by developing new types of resources, I can reach out to a whole new group of students and play a little role in their education as well.

And as a celebration of my new resources, EVERYTHING in my Teachers Pay Teachers store is 15% off from now until Monday, March 19, 2018.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, and may God bless you! 🙂

 

Ten Terrific Read Alouds for Kids in Kindergarten!

(Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links, so if you click through and make a purchase, I will receive compensation at no additional cost to you.)

I love kindergarten! It seems like every year, the kindergarten kids have the most enthusiasm and energy of any of the classes, AND they obviously win the “cute” award, so I always look forward to that library class. (It also doesn’t hurt that the fantastic kindergarten assistant visits the library with the class to help keep them in line!)

It is always very obvious which read aloud stories are hits with the kindergarteners and which books aren’t their favorites. Keeping twenty five-year-olds engaged during read aloud time can be a tall order…EXCEPT when I’m reading one of these books to them!

Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas

We might as well start with this high energy book for your high energy students! The kids love this because A) it’s silly B) it’s cute and C) I let them jump around during the story. (How can you read the line, “Jump up and down on chicken’s sofa!” and make the kids stay still?)

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

This one is fun, AND it’s a perfect start to a library behavior and etiquette lesson. After I read this story, we talk about shelf markers, and taking on the role of the pigeon, I ask the kids if I can do a bunch of things with my shelf marker that I clearly should not do.  The kids, who are now used to responding “NO!” when the pigeon asks about driving the bus, continue to yell “NO!” after each of silly questions I ask about what I can do with my shelf marker.  (Me: Should I pretend my shelf marker is a hat? Kids: NO! Me: Can I swing it around? Kids: NO! Me: Just ONE swing-er-oo? Kids: NO!) Soooo much fun!

The Caterpillar and the Polliwog by Jack Kent

The kids will love this story about a caterpillar and a polliwog growing up and changing! This one is perfect for spring. (And…we’re finally getting there! Spring is in sight! Yay!)

Please, Mr. Panda by Steve Antony

Here is another really cute story, and it emphasizes the importance of being polite and using manners. Last year’s kindergarten class voted it one of their most favorite read alouds! (If your students like this one, you could also try out a few other adorable stories about Mr. Panda, including I’ll Wait, Mr. Panda and Thank You, Mr. Panda.)

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Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett

This book is more fun than a barrel full of an undisclosed number of monkeys! It has interactive moments built right into the story, so it will keep your kids on the edge of their carpet squares.

Leon the Chameleon by Melanie Watt

Here we have the story of little Leon the Chameleon, who always turns a different color from all the other chameleons (which makes him feel sad in the beginning of the story, but turns out to be a very good thing in the end). You can use this story as a springboard for talking about what it is like to feel different, and how our differences make us unique.

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

With Dr. Seuss’s birthday right around the corner, I had to include my favorite Dr. Seuss classic in this list of read alouds! It’s the best book ever written with fifty words or less!

Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk

As a school librarian, when I find a book that kids love AND it takes place in the library, I know I have a winner! Library Mouse is the story of a mouse who lives in a library and writes books at night, so it even inspires kids to become authors!

A Pet for Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold

My students enjoy the Fly Guy books we have in our library, and this one is my choice for the best read aloud in the bunch, mostly because it is larger than the others so everyone can see the pictures! The kids love this story of Fly Guy’s quest for a pet.

You Will Be My Friend! by Peter Brown

This is the story of one day when Lucille Beatrice Bear decides that she WILL make a new friend, right then and there. Spoiler alert: It doesn’t go well at first. This one inspires A LOT of giggling!

I hope my list gave you some new ideas that you can share with your students.  What are your favorite books to read to kindergarten kids? Feel free to add some more suggestions in the comments!


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My Spectacular, World-Famous Fiction and Nonfiction Song!

Well hello! You’ve stopped by at a fabulous time because I am about to reveal my SPECTACULAR, WORLD-FAMOUS Fiction and Nonfiction Song!

(Please keep in mind that “spectacular” might be a tad bit generous, and that it is only “world-famous” because I am publishing it on this blog, right now, which could, in theory, be read by people living around the world.)

I sing this in my school library when it’s time to review the difference between fiction and nonfiction. I teach fiction and nonfiction in kindergarten library each year in December, so I borrowed the “Jingle Bells” tune when I wrote the lyrics for this little gem.

Ahem. Here we go!

 

Fun, right? (By the way, I did have to adjust the Jingle Bells melody a little to make it work, so “We” in lines 2 and 6 is a little grace note, and “don’t want them to end” and “love nonfiction too” pick up the “jingle all the way,” if that makes sense.)

Feel free to sing it in your classroom or library to help your students learn the difference between fiction and nonfiction!

(Sorry, but please DO NOT feel free to make a recording of it and/or turn this song into the top forty hit that it clearly has the potential to be.  Hee hee.) 🙂


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