Keepin' it "Rural"

After "Cue the Banjos...We're Going to the Farm," I had a difficult time coming up with a title for this post. I've created a few more farm activities for my classroom. We do a HUGE unit that combines chicks and farms for the entire month of April. I LOVE it. Have I mentioned that I live, almost quite literally, in the middle of a cornfield? Our subdivision is new and we really thought there would be houses across the street but alas, the market changed and now all that you can see to the East of our house is cornfields. I like a good farm as much as the next guy, but by late summer I start to worry that I may see Malachi or an eery crop circle...either way I'm keeping my distance.

I totally ADORE my current schedule? I really feel that I have the best of both worlds. I'm tired as all get out by Friday afternoon, but I love being at home a few days and being in the classroom a few days. I am sooooo scared of next year, I will have to go back to reality and work five days. I guess I just shouldn't think about it.

Anywho, chick season is upon me. We get our eggs on Tuesday. I ended up with a good hatch last year, so I am hopeful. Chick season inevitably becomes high stress for me. First the kiddos end up being so excited that it is difficult to keep teaching. And, second I am always fearful that I won't have any hatch or that the ones that do hatch will end up "not right" or worse....eventually dead. There is nothing worse than A-walking into your room in the morning and finding one dead or B-having one die in the middle of the day. The kids love doing the unit and it's really educational and fun, except when it's not. I will let you know what happens :0)

Here are the links to the previous Farm and Chick posts for your reference...
Let's All Do the Chicken Jive
Peep Peep
Farm Thinking
Cue the Banjo's....We're Going to the Farm

Also, if you are interested I am having a giveaway, it can be found here...
Giveaway!

Here are some of the newest things I've got going. I hope you find some things to use in your classroom. As always, I truly appreciate all the love you send my way!!! If you download, please take a few seconds and leave a comment :0)  Have a wonderful week!!

Enjoy!
Shannon


Literacy Goodies
Farm Sight Word Color by Code Farm Frenzy Rhyming ABC Order Chick Worksheet On the Farm-At the Zoo Sort Math Goodies Base Ten Teen Number Match-Up Numbers to Crow About Worksheet Find the Sheep Sequencing Numbers Center Farm Friend Squeeze Chicky Ten Frame Match Up How Many Chicks Ten Frame Worksheet Cow Puzzle 10-1 Pig Puzzle 10-19 Barnyard Adding

The Great Giveaway!

I started a Facebook page for Kindergarten Hoppenings and wanted to have a little giveaway to commemorate the occasion. Hmmm...a giveaway...what should I give away? Tricky, tricky...I already have almost all of my creations available on Scribd and this girl is broke as a joke, lol, because I am staying home with the little Mister two days a week for the rest of the year. (and how can I resist?)

I've come up with something simple. I will be giving away 2 flashdrives. Two flashdrives, what kind of giveaway is that? They won't be two ordinary and empty flashdrives, oh no, they will be filled with goods. Everything that is on Scribd, all on one convenient and organized location....all in pdf form, of course. There will also be some things that have not gone up yet....

• You know my Poetry Journal Posters. Well, I will include the pieces to make your own. All you will need to do is print them out and glue 'em!
• Center things (Beginning Sound Sort, Alphabet Pocket Chart Game, CVC Puzzles, CVC Word Mats, New Write the Room Sheets)
• Blend Posters
• Classroom Library Book Bin Labels
• Homework Calendars for 2012-2013 School Year

You will have two opportunities to enter a random drawing. 

1. Follow Kindergarten Hoppenings blog. Leave a comment on this post that you are a follower with your email address.
2. Like Kindergarten Hoppenings Facebook Page. Kindergarten Hoppenings Facebook Page You will need to leave a comment on this post saying you likey on Facebook again with your email address. Facebook is tricky about giveaways, so I'm just going to have to trust y'all.

Make sure you leave 2 separate comments so you have 2 entries!

I will do a random drawing for each on Thursday, April 5, 2012 at 12:00PM Central time and announce the winners later that evening! Easy Breezy!

Good luck to all and may the odds be ever in your favor :0)

Shannon

Facebook and a Pinterest Find

I am on Spring Break and my little guy and I are just laying low. I started a Kindergarten Hoppenings Facebook page. I have no idea why. My husband said "it's about time"....again, I don't know why. But, here is the link https://www.facebook.com/KinderPond, you can HOP on over and like it. I will be doing a Facebook Launch giveaway...probably tomorrow....maybe Friday....ok by Saturday. The giveaway be for one follower and one, um, "liker?" on Facebook. It took me a while to come up with something to giveaway, so here's hoping it will be worth your time, lol. More details to come!

Yesterday during an incredible morning nap, I was spending waaaaay too much time on Pinterest and I stumbled across a great find. You must go check it out....

Michelle Rist over at Inspired by Kindergarten is giving away her April Reading and Math Activities. You know me I am loving a good freebie!

Check back soon for some giveaway details!

Hoppy Spring!

I now have a Facebook page. I would love to see your smiling face there...hint, hint. :0)
https://www.facebook.com/KinderPond

Two things that I am shocked by: 1- I have just over 1000 followers! Holy Guacamole!!! All the kind comments, Pinterest love, and emails leave me humbled. Thank you so much. And, 2- I cannot believe how unbelievably warm it has been here in Illinois. I am loving it!! Although to be quite honest, it will have me living in fear of late summer. If it is in the 80's in March, what will my oven classroom be like in August? Oh well, we'll all just smell like wet dogs together, I guess.

So, I have been crazy with getting myself familiar with the new common core standards. Is anyone else a little shocked by some of them? Well, I am. How can I expect a five year old who comes to Kindergarten with no number sense to add and subtract "fluently" within five? I am not saying that all of the new standards are impossible but some of them definitely pose a challenge. I was completely surprised that counting by 5's and coin recognition are no longer mastery skills. Overall, it doesn't matter...I am go with the flow. I am an avid rule follower, so I will make the necessary adjustments and "teach like my hair is on fire".

I've been working like a busy bee, creating some new Spring materials. I keep getting the question from people, "how do you find the time". Well, let me tell you, I am off four days per week and Coop averages 3-4 hours of nap per day and a girl can only clean so much. Creating materials and blogging are therapeutic and truly make me feel good.

Here is a little hodge podge of things that I've created for the upcoming weeks. As always, thanks so much for the emails and comments, I always appreciate it! I hope you find a little something you can use and I hope I don't make your computer crash ;-) Have a wonderful Friday!!!

Enjoy!
Shannon


Literacy Goods
I Have Who Has Bird Edition (Nonsense Words)


For the Birds NSW Fluency Worksheet

Flower Power Picture to Word Match Up

Spring Stamp a Word

Spring Syllable Sort

Spring Syllables Worksheet

Flower Power Ending Sounds Dice Toss

Flower Power Ending Sounds Dice Toss Worksheet

Spring Training Word Family Matching

Math Goods
Bunny Ten Frame Match Up

Counting Carrots Ten Frame Worksheet

Spring Counting Cards

What Comes Next Spring Worksheet

Spring Comparing Sets Center

Spring Comparing Sets Sort

Argh!

Well, my first week back was in a word...tiring! It felt good to be back with my Kinder-Hoppers and just working three days of week really does give me the best of both worlds, but Holy Guacamole, this girl was T.I.R.E.D. by about 1PM everyday. I seriously felt like I was go! go! go! and then SLAM! right into a wall. I am excited to dive back into things with my kids; however...

Twas the week before Spring Break and all through the school,

Not a student was sitting and it seemed no one knew a single rule.

Let's be honest, this week is a bust. Tuesday is an Institute Day because of voting in the building and Friday is VIP Day (formerly known as Grandparents Day). We need to finish up our Ocean Unit, but this teacher is just not feeling it. I missed virtually the entire unit so what's a teacher to do? PIRATES! It ties loosely into Ocean right?

When I told the teacher next door...my partner in crime...we were going to do some pirate things to jazz up this week, she said "I haven't heard too many good stories about pirates, lately." Hehehe....We're doing cute Pirate stuff. We aren't really going to talk about all the horrible pirate things, silly girl! 

I don't have a ton of stuff for pirates, just enough to do as Babbling Abby says and "bring sexy back". I used some Scholastic points and ordered a few books to add to me collection....

 

I don't have a ton to offer because I kind of threw this all together late Wednesday night and then didn't go back to it until tonight because it has been crazy warm here in the Chicago subs. Coop deserved a walk or two or three!

 

I hope everyone has a wonderful week! Thanks so much for all the emails and love! Hope you find something you can use in your classroom. If you download, please be sure to leave a comment :0)

Enjoy!

Shannon

Argh! Here's yer booty!

Treasure vs Fools Gold Word Sort

Treasure vs Fools Gold Words Worksheet

Roll Say Keep Pirate Edition

Picture and Word Memory Pirate Edition

Do You Like Pirates Graph

I Have Who Has Pirate Edition

Pirate Patterns

More Phonemic Awareness

This is my last week of my maternity leave. It's bittersweet. I miss my kiddos, but I KNOW that I am going to miss my little guy terribly. I've gotten loads of emails and comments that have told me to enjoy every minute because it goes so fast. I will be honest, late at night and during bouts of screaming, time has moved slowly; however, all the sudden...it's been almost three months. I just can't even believe it!

Coop can't believe it either!

To try to get back in the swing of Kindergarten, I am going to try to put a few posts together during Cooper's short naps throughout the day. This afternoon I got an email from Karen Strawser requesting Diagraph/Blend Cards to use during Phonemic Awareness instruction. They will compliment Michael Heggerty's program very well. You can see more about his program here...http://kinder-pond.blogspot.com/2011/01/phonemic-awareness.html.

So, this evening during my much beloved show, The Voice. I worked on Diagraph/Blend flashcards. I will try to post again later in the week, if I can. Thanks again for all the kind comments and emails. You truly have no idea how much I appreciate it. Now it's 9PM...time to sleep for a couple of hours before someone demands 5oz of liquid gold.

Thanks!

Shannon

This document contains a font that are copyright DJ Inkers. This document contain graphics that are copyright Carson Dellosa. They are used with permission. Please visit http://www.djinkers.com/, for wonderful clipart and fonts.

I had to put it into Google Docs because something wacky was going on with Scribd. Here is the link...https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6-Y-ruCSs2rSXRQVDJrSnZRajZqTVl1c2tBOThZQQ/edit

St. Patty's Showcase

Hello all!

First, I cannot thank you all for the kind comments and emails. It was soooo nice to hear from everyone. You are all just too sweet for words. My little fella thanks you too :0)

I got a few freebies from some of my followers and I've got a few things to share, as well.

Leprechauns Gold is a sight word game courtesy Jessica Benson.
Leprechaun's Gold Sight Word Game

Here is a St. Patrick's Day Sight Word Coloring Sheet sent by Amy Cox.
St Patricks Day Coloring Page Sight Words

Sharon from the http://dogdaysofkindergarten.blogspot.com/ sent The Pot of Gold game.
pot of gold

The Goods from Me :0)
All documents contain fonts that are copyright DJ Inkers. Virtually all documents contain graphics that are copyright DJ Inkers. They are used with permission. Please visit http://www.djinkers.com/, for wonderful clipart and fonts.


You can also find my original Lucky Hoppenings post here...http://kinder-pond.blogspot.com/2011/02/lucky-hoppenings.html
What's in the Shamrock Phonics Worksheet

Building Words (Short a Word Families)

Luck in Various Languages

Lucky Numbers 26-50

Shamrock Sight Word Concentration

St Patricks Day Sight Word Find

Websites for ideas...
http://mrsbrockhoff.edu.glogster.com/st-patricks-day/
http://www.littlegiraffes.com/stpatrickday.html
http://larremoreteachertips.blogspot.com/search/label/St.%20Patrick%27s%20Day?updated-max=2012-02-25T16:04:00-08:00&max-results=20&start=1&by-date=false
http://www.kidssoup.com/StPatricksDay/StPatricksDay.html#freestpatricksday
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/st-patricks-day/
http://whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com/2011/03/st-patricks-day-activities.html
http://extraspecialteaching.blogspot.com/2012/02/st-patricks-day-activities-freebie.html
http://lilcountrykindergarten.blogspot.com/2012/02/march-comes-in-like-freebie.html
http://www.hanginwithmrscooper.com/2012/02/lucky-charms-freebie.html
http://learningandteachingwithpreschoolers.blogspot.com/
http://www.classroomfreebiestoo.com/2012/02/free-st-patricks-day-pattern-page-for.html