Good Night Gorilla!

Read Good Night Gorilla, watch Scholastic's video, and go on your own walk through the zoo!

Supplies: Stuffed animals that you may find at the zoo, clipart keys, a 3x5 index card for each animal, & markers

Process: Use clipart of a key and make several and cut them out. Color each index a different color. Color a 3x5 index card to match each colored key. Then place your stuffed animals around the room an index card at its side. Hand out enough keys to the children so that everyone has an even amount. Take a walk around the room and together find an animal to let out of "its cage." Match the key with the colored index card and have the child with that colored key "unlock" the animal. Let the child carry the stuffed animal around as you go walking through the "zoo."

Teach Well: Keep the animals and keys out at center time. You will be surprised how the children act out the story. Add blankets and pillows to the center so they can pretend to be the zoo keeper and zoo keeper's wife.

Schedules and Creative Spaces

The best way to begin preparing yourself for teaching next year is with your schedule. When are you going to be teaching? Is it in the morning or does your child do better in the afternoon?

Then, decide what you are going to be teaching. My scope and sequence helps break down what I teach, when I teach it.

To give you an example, I copied my own schedule below:

Morning Preschool Schedule

8:30-8:45 Opening/Free Center Time

8:45-8:50 Clean Up

8:50-8:55 Pledge of Allegiance

8:55-9:15 Circle Time/Calendar
· Wednesday Discussion
· Thursday Math Concepts
· Friday Science Enrichment

9:15-9:30 Bible/Verses

9:30-9:50 Jamboree Time (Gross Motor Play)
· Aerobic Wednesdays

9:50-10:00 Drinks/Bathroom Breaks

10:00-10:20 Activity Time
· Wednesday Letter Readiness/Zoo Phonics
· Thursday Spanish
· Friday Computer

10:20-10:45 Snack

10:45-11:00 Story Time

11:00-11:20 Craft

11:20-11:30 Clean up/Song Time/Pray/Line up/Dismissal

The next step to preparing for the school year is by making creative spaces for learning. Whether you are going to be teaching from home or in the classroom, creative spaces help children experience learning in a unique way. To see a great example of that take a visit to Megan Powers' classroom, Scholastic's 2009-2010 Kindergarten Teacher Advisor.

Below is a video of her classroom. Check out her spaces!



If you teach from home you can easily create these learning spaces. Later in the school year, I will show you some of mine to get you even more inspired! Make sure to visit Megan's blog through out the year to get even more ideas!

Teach Well: Create creative spaces in your home or classroom. Don't worry... it's ok to be inspired by another teacher like Megan!

DIY Puppet Stage

It's time to get your classrooms or creative spaces ready for the school year to begin. Why not add your own puppet stage in your dramatic play area? My friend, Rebekah, over at Yeebird posted this great idea from Country Living Magazine. Hop on over to get the instructions. It would look great in your dramatic play area along with these puppet holders.

Teach Well: You don't have to buy new fabric if you have some at home! Make a patchwork stage or paint onto muslin for a one-of-a kind look!

Breakfast on the Shore

I love this new electric campfire from Group! I just wish they had it eight years ago so that I didn't have to use tissue paper!

Supplies: Bible, electric campfire, wood, ferns, sticks, clip art of fish, and two fishing nets

Process: Set up your shore with the electric faux campfire. Add a few logs and ferns to make it look like a real campfire. Pre-cut your fish and put it in one fish net. During Bible Story time have the children listen to you tell the story of Breakfast on the Shore. Then act out the story by pretending to be on the boat with the fish net. Have a child pretend to be Jesus on the shore. Have the child call out to put the net on the other side of the boat. Have the another net behind you filled with fish. Pull it out and see all the fish that was caught! Give every child a fish and have them tape it to their stick. Have the children "cook" their fish over the fire.

Teach Well: Have a sound effects CD of waves going in the background for an even more dramatic effect.

Items I Can't Live Without!

Here is my list of things I can not live without for the month of May. To look again at the scope and sequence for May's theme go here.

1. Fish squirters like the ones here.

2. Goggles, sailor hats, and sun glasses for dramatic play.

3. This pool from here. The bigger the better! I use this for indoor play and Bible lessons. Stay tuned in this month to see the fun!

4. Plastic boats

5. Plastic eye droppers

6. PVC pieces

7. Ocean Sounds CD

8. Magnetic fishing poles

9. Ocean themed books

10. Shells, sand, shovels, and scoops

This month you will see how I use these items in unique and fun ways!

Teach Well: Shop early for summer items. Items go fast, so if you see something you like grab it!May is the perfect time to collect your Ocean Themed treasures!

Be Inspired Thursday: Room Tour

Take a look at magazines, catalogues, or online to create creative spaces for your classroom or at home. Think outside the box and try and find things around your home to use to make your child's space unique!

Who says your classroom has to be white? OK, maybe your school has limitations about painting your classroom. If not, try an eco-friendly product that is safe for children and the environment. This room is painted with Yolo Colorhouse paint.

The rug, white table, and lighting fixture is from Ikea and the table top manipulative toy was found at a garage sale.

Our little child's chair would make any reading center special in a classroom. Ours was found at a garage sale and then we bought a slipcover from Target to cover it. The curtains were handed down from my sister. To make the art, I purchased Ikea's bedding set and used their wood canvas to create pieces that would match the light fixture.

I had the bookcases already and just added baskets to fit. I change out these baskets every other week to go with the theme that I am teaching about. I also add manipulatives and other favorites to encourage play. I used this same system in my classroom. In the classroom, the children knew not to get into the baskets unless I put them out as a center. It makes the classroom look organic, clean, and creative! The puppet holders are wine rack holders from Ikea.

In the classroom, this system worked well in my art area. I kept paint locked up, but left items that we might use for the theme that month (such as feathers, silk palm branches, worm bait, plastic frogs, etc.)

This book holder is actually a holder for pot lids from Ikea. We had originally bought it for our pots and pans and they didn't fit in our cupboards. But for $2.99 you can't beat this great book rack!

I also found this child size coat rack at a garage sale. After a lovely coat of paint, we added our dramatic play items. I also change the items I hang here with our theme.

I also keep a radio at child height to encourage my child to learn to play his music when he wants to. In the classroom, have a listening center for children to listen to stories on CD or tape. This is a great center for those children that need alone time.

Number Egg-travaganza

This game can be used as a center or in your dramatic play area. I kept this in our dramatic play chicken coop in the classroom. But, getting it out to have as a one to two person center is just as fun!


Supplies: plastic eggs, egg carton, Sharpie marker

Process: With your Sharpie marker write a number on the plastic egg and also in the egg carton. Place eggs in the lid of the carton and have the children find the correct spot for each egg. Have them say the numbers out loud.

Teach Well: Instead of writing numbers on the inside of the carton, draw dots to correspond with the egg that goes there. Keep extra plastic eggs on hand. If any break you can replace it quickly.