Bulletin boards perfectly decorated, tables placed in just the right place, first day songs charted and ready to be sung, parent information forms copied and stapled, the smell of newly sharpened pencils and just opened boxes of crayons. Yes, it is the first day of school! I was reminded of my favorite first day of school story when my mom posted this familiar picture on Facebook.
Those are "Kissing Hand" cookies to go along with the wonderful story The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. My mother is a fantastic kindergarten teacher and she starts off each year by reading this story to her new class and finishes the day by sending them each home with this special treat. You can bet that when I taught kindergarten I followed in my mother's footsteps and did the same thing. This story is a great first day of school story. It gives comfort to the kiddos worries and melts the hearts of all the parents as they too need a little comfort on that "first day."
Here's a look at my first day of Kindergarten plans and how I incorporate this story into the mix. Happy Saturday!
First Day of Kindergarten Plans
8:45-9:00 Parents and students enter the academy and begin
browsing classroom.
9:00 Classroom Welcome & Family Activity (our parents
get to accompany students in the classroom for the first 45 minutes)
1.
Ring Bell & Greet
2.
Sing Song: “Sit on a letter” to invite children
to find a rug spot and invite parents to have a seat in the room.
3.
Introduce self & take Attendance
4.
Introduce the Special Reading Box (more to come
on another post) and talk about the book The
Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.
5.
Discuss first day feelings by acting out
feelings then pass Chester the raccoon around the circle so all students can
share how they feel about the first day of school. “I feel _________”
6.
Invite parents to sit close to their child and read aloud The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.
7.
Introduce drawing activity where students will
draw how they felt on the first day of school.
When students are dismissed to their seats they will begin work as
parents say their goodbyes by placing a heart sticker in the middle of their
child’s hand before leaving.
(While students are drawing I will call students over 1 by 1
to do their first day picture with Chester the raccoon)
10:00 Teach Clean Up Procedures
10:15 -10:30 Recess
10:30 Introduce Writing Workshop
1.
Writer’s Workshop Song
2.
Chart: What is an Author?
3.
Self Portrait ( I am an Author)
*Early finishing Actvities: Blocks, Cubes, Book Box
11:00 Clean Up & Movement Song (Wiggles)
11:10 Calendar &
Math Activity
1.
Introduce Calendar Procedures & Songs
2.
Define Math Workshop
3.
Number Tracing Activity
4.
Math Centers Introduction & Play
12:00 Clean Up & Movement Song
12:05 Lunch Procedures
12:15 – 12:45 Lunch
12:45- 1:15 Music in the main Hall
1:15 – 1:45 Project Time
1.
Discuss what are rules and read aloud: No, David! By David Shannon
2.
Introduce Rule Number 1 and Motion (Rule Number 1: Follow Directions Quickly)
3.
Students Trace Rule 1 and Illustrate in “Rules”
book
1:45 – 2:15 Classroom Tour & Choice Centers
1.
Classroom Tour
2. Choice
Centers: Basically on the first day this is more “play and explore” with the
centers I put out.
2:15 – 2:30 Recess
2:30 – 3:00 Closing Circle and Pack Up
3:00 – 3:15 Kissing Hand Cookies & Dismissal at 3:15
No comments:
Post a Comment