PreK Line up - Math integration

It is quite helpful to have the floor marked in some way to show the children where to line up.  We decided to integrate math as we transition to different activities (such as lunch, playground, etc.).  The children have color groups, so we have the opportunity to correlate them in that way if needed.  So far we have called the children to stand on a certain shape, a certain color, and a certain number.  We will also use this to review patterns.  There are two shapes for each number so that we can instruct the children to put one foot on one shape and the other foot on the other (Hopefully avoiding turning around and talking in line, twirling around, etc.).  

There are 20 total spots.  The shapes were made by laminating construction paper, cutting them out on the die-cut machine at school, writing the numbers on the shapes with a Sharpie, and using contact paper on each set of shapes (20 sheets cut to size) to stick them to the floor.  This should *hopefully* be easier to pull up at the end of the year to prepare for the floors to be waxed over the summer. 

There are a few closeups and then a full length picture.  This has been a great classroom management tool. 

Sensory bags for Writing

There are many parents and educators out there who have made sensory bags for various purposes.  In my PreK class we've been learning pull lines, slide lines, and circle back as an introduction to writing, so we gave the bags a go.

I've often seen the recommendation of using $1 hair gel to make the bags.  I went looking at our local Dollar General, and I couldn't find exactly what I wanted, so I stood in the aisles tipping various bottles of (cheap) liquid around until I found something that I thought was gel-like.  

I found these $1 hand soaps, and I added some food coloring to them to get the desired colors.  

I also bought some $1 shaving cream to make some fluffy bags.

The finished product looked like this.  It help up reasonably well (We used Great Value sandwich bags from Wal-Mart).  I had to replace a few over the course of the day if a child got a little to rough with one and poked a hole.  The soap poured fairly easily into a new bag if I snipped off a corner with scissors.

This kind of shows how the bags work.  

It's a bit of trial and error to find the right amount to initially put in the bag to give the needed effect.

And there you have it!

The kids love them.  They were great for our small group / special activity table.  We made a few rules.

1.  No picking up the bags.

2. No squeezing the bags.

3. No pounding on the bags.

4. One bag per person. (Trading is okay.)

Basically, keep the bag flat on the table, and (gently) use your finger to write/draw in it.  

A few things to note: Shaving cream bags only last for about a day because they loose their foaminess.  The soap I used got little suds after a while, but it just turned into a different sensory experiment.  I used these bags for a few days before throwing them away.

Our classroom door

Here is our classroom door prior to all of the decorations from the kid's crafts.  We went simple.  

We would have to cover it with flame retardant treated fabric if we covered the door.  The Fire Marshall doesn't like butcher paper covering the entire door.  

We put PreK on the door in big letters so the parents/guardians would know where to come to drop off their children and sign in.

The border on the window was added for a pop of color and to tie it in to the inside bulletin boards.

The Welcome sign serves not only as a welcome, but also as a way to show the expectations of our classroom.  

Thank you to this blogger I found through Pinterest for the idea for the Welcome sign.  I used Microsoft Publisher to create it.