Kindergarten Readiness Activities and Centers

My son is officially in Kindergarten right now.  And last summer I was prepping him to enter Kinder at a private school.  After he took his admissions assessment I panicked a little because there was a gap from his TK class to where he needed to be so that he was a little ahead for the first day of school.  Out of that, I created this Ready for Kindergarten Resource.

Before I show it to you, you need to know it covers WAY more skills than just "entering kinder" standards.  Depending on where you work, there are different expectations for the students (we can save that discussion for another day, lol) AND kids are at different levels, so I wanted centers and learning goals that would challenge kids, no matter where they are at.

Let's take a looksie! I can't wait for you to see it! 

The whole resource is centered around the Learning Goals.  There are over 35 cards that you could choose from to practice different learning goals.  You could place them in a pocket chart, like I did, and just display a couple at a time, OR fill the chart up.  It comes with a recording sheet (one for the students and one for the teacher) to color or check off once the students master each skill!  The best part...

...every learning goal comes with an interactive center to match it! So the students can focus on one of the learning goals, and play the center game to practice!

⭐️HOW TO USE THIS⭐️

Display the learning goals in a pocket chart, on the white board, or on a bulletin board in your room.  You could have 3 learning goals for the week, or showcase all of them at once!  Pick one to focus on for the day, and pull out the matching center game (or printables) to match it.  The kids can practice the center with the goal of mastering each skill.  Once a skill is mastered they can color the printable version of the Learning Goals.  This will keep them motivated and YOU organized to see who knows what!

⭐️WHEN TO USE THIS⭐️

You could use this resource at the END of TK, preschool, or Pre-k.  This would be perfect to use the summer before Kindergarten as well. But a lot of people love using this the first trimester of Kindergarten.  These make perfect back to school centers, or even as a review all year long.  If there is a skill your students are struggling with, you can pull out the center for review!

Check out what learning goals are included!!!

MATH:

⭐️Count 5 objects

⭐️Count 10 objects

⭐️Write numbers to 5

⭐️Write numbers to 10

⭐️Count to 5

⭐️Count to 10

⭐️Count to 15

⭐️Count to 20

⭐️Draw shapes

⭐️Recognize shapes 

⭐️Recognize colors 

⭐️Put numbers in order 

ELA:

⭐️Say uppercase letter sounds

⭐️Say lowercase letter sounds

⭐️Say the first sound in a word

⭐️Match uppercase and lower case letters 

⭐️Write lowercase letters

⭐️Write uppercase letters

⭐️Recognize lowercase letters

⭐️Recognize uppercase letters

BASIS SKILLS:

⭐️Draw a self portrait

⭐️Write first name

⭐️Write last name

⭐️Cut with scissors

⭐️Draw a self portrait 

ADVANCED SKILLS:

⭐️Put letters in order 

⭐️Read CVC words

⭐️Blend sounds in a word

⭐️Build words

⭐️Segment sounds in a word

⭐️Count by 5s

⭐️Count by 10s

⭐️Write numbers to 15

⭐️Write numbers to 20

⭐️Count 15 objects

⭐️Count 20 objects

Print- and-go Printables Included:

✅Draw a self portrait

✅Name writing

✅Cutting

✅Number tracing

✅Number writing

✅Counting

✅Fill in the missing number

✅Uppercase letter tracing

✅Lowercase letter tracing

✅Letter matching (upper and lowercase)

✅Letter Hunt (upper and lowercase)

Head over and check out the Ready for Kindergarten Resource to simplify and streamline student mastery of beginning kinder skills!

St. Patrick’s Day Class Party

Holidays are so much fun to celebrate in the classroom. Whether a significant holiday or a smaller holiday, the event is extra special for students. Therefore, teachers work hard to ensure that students have festive activities to celebrate the day with their classmates. However, there is so much content to get through each year, so it can be stressful to give up a day to celebrate. Thankfully, this does not have to be the case! The St. Patrick's Day Activity Bundle will ensure that any St. Patrick’s Day class party has learning, crafts, and laughter. 

When is St. Patrick’s Day?

St. Patrick’s Day occurs on Thursday, March 17th. Thus, now is the perfect time to plan fun class party centers!

Tips for Successful Class Party Centers 

Simply put, students will have even more energy when there is a special event. Therefore, these days require a bit more planning. Luckily, the tips below will help ensure centers go smoothly! 

1. Detailed Planning: While a framework for a lesson works most days, it may not during a special celebration. Honestly, these days require structure and organization. Additionally, creating crafts requires more supplies than paper and pencils. While detailed planning takes time, it will be time well spent when students focus all day. 

2. Organization: When using class party centers, the organization will be essential. Due to student excitement, it will be vital to have each center ready to go before students arrive. If teachers are still gathering materials together, students may start misbehaving. Luckily, the St. Patrick's Day Activity Bundle contains many simple, engaging centers to use during a party! There are Color by Code activities, directed drawings, and Q-tip painting to ensure students have a blast! 

3. Independent Work: Not every party needs to have group projects. Honestly, a party can still be calming independent work. Thus, the St. Patrick's Day Activity Bundle contains DIY activities. This means that students can still talk to each other while working on their activities. Or, students can have quiet time throughout the day. Thankfully, all six activities allow teachers to have the choice on the completion format. From the snap cubes to the letter hunt peek-a-boo, this party will be one students always remember. 

Grab this freebie

4. Minimal Prep: Parties are EXHAUSTING! Thus, it is vital to remember that students will focus on time spent with classmates over elaborate activities. That is precisely why the St. Patrick's Day Activity Bundle focuses on minimal prep! Teachers just need to print and set out supplies. All six crafts focus on high engagement with little prep work. 

Heart of the Party 

Before planning elaborate party activities or details, remember that students like simple things. At the end of the day, they will remember the laughter shared with classmates and the teacher’s attention. That is precisely why the St. Patrick's Day Activity Bundle focuses on activities with little prep but high levels of student engagement. 

St. Patrick’s Day is such an exciting day for students. They love seeing leprechauns, rainbows, pots of gold, and shamrocks. Thankfully, the St. Patrick's Day Activity Bundle contains six incredible activities that students will love working on!  

If you do not want to miss any of the upcoming lessons, join my email list to be notified of all the interactive lessons coming up! By joining the email list, you will also receive freebies for blog exclusive subscribers!  

Valentine's Day Gift Tag Freebie

Valentine's Day is the perfect time to spread a little LOVE to your teacher, principal, or co-worker! Attach this latte-themed Valentine's gift tag to any coffee-themed gift! 

I found this giant latte CANDLE from Home Goods this year and attached this FREE GIFT TAG to personalize it!  You could also attach this gift tag to a coffee cup or coffee gift card! 

You can get this free gift tag by CLICKING HERE and I will email it to you!

There are 3 versions of this tag:

-I love kindergarten a latte.

-I love school a latte.

-I love you a latte.

Happy Valentine's Season!

Valentine’s Day Party

Valentine’s Day is such an exciting time in the classroom. While it is only one day, it can be one student never forget. The day creates a unique feeling between bringing in valentines and having Valentine's Day party. However, this can also result in chaos for the teacher if the day is not carefully planned. Thankfully, the Valentine’s Day Centers and Crafts will ensure students have Valentine’s Day to remember! 

Tips for Running a Smooth Valentine’s Day Party 

No matter the grade you teach, organizing any type of party can be stressful! More importantly, the day of the party can become absolutely chaotic. Thus, it is imperative to have everything organized to ensure the celebration does not turn into a disaster. With these tips below, this year's Valentine’s Day party will be headache-free! 

1. Plan out the Day

Students work best whenever there is structure and organization. Hence, it is vital to have a plan for the day. This includes knowing the times when different activities will start and if students will still attend specials. It will be helpful to have an updated visual schedule for the day to keep students focused. Additionally, this will help reduce being asked when the party will start about a thousand times.

 

2. Organize Centers 

Students are going to be more excited than usual due to Valentine’s Day party! Thus, utilizing these no prep Valentine’s Day Centers and Crafts will be the perfect way to ensure all students remain engaged. With these centers, Valentine’s Day in kindergarten will be more than just a party. Students will still focus on their academics. Centers include color by code, directed drawing, and letter practice. Thankfully, teachers just need to gather the needed supplies to ensure students are academically focused before a party.  Additionally, these centers require minimal supervision! Thus, this resource does not need volunteers to successfully implement in the classroom. 

3. Crafting Time 

A kindergarten Valentine’s Day party is not complete without crafts! Hence, the Valentine’s Day Centers and Crafts include multiple options filled with Valentine’s Day symbols. For instance, students will work on Q-tip painting and a hot air balloon craft. As above, all of the crafts are low-prep. Teachers just need to assemble the materials. Everything is so organized that teachers won’t need any volunteers. Students will have a blast working on their Valentine’s Day crafts!

           

4. Valentine Bag

With a class Valentine’s Day party, students spend a lot of time finding the perfect valentine to hand out. Thus, no one wants to lose a valentine while packing up or walking to the bus. To avoid this, be sure to have a big bag for students to take home the valentines they collect. 

5. Perfect Timing of Party 

Since the class Valentine’s Day party will not last all day, planning out the start and end times is imperative. For instance, having the party before the end of the day will allow students to celebrate and then head home. Or, having the party before recess means students can get wiggles out after the party. By carefully planning out the timing, students will still focus on their academics throughout the day. 

Teacher Tips Video 

The tips above are all teacher-tested to ensure any classroom party goes smoothly. Additionally, they help ensure that teachers will not need to worry about classroom volunteers to run a successful party. This is especially helpful as many schools have to limit volunteers right now. To ensure the tips are easy-to-follow, be sure to check out the Teacher Tips Video. 

A Valentine’s Day party is such an exciting time for students. There will be so much energy to contain between bringing in their valentines and celebrating with classmates. Thankfully, the Valentine’s Day Centers and Crafts will ensure students stay focused in the hours leading up to the party. Students will never forget their Valentine’s Day in kindergarten when implementing the activities and tips above!

Get Freebies Each Week 

If you do not want to miss any of the upcoming lessons, join my email list to be notified of all the interactive lessons coming up! By joining the email list, you will also receive freebies for blog exclusive subscribers!