Sesame Street Videos

I have blogged before about how much I love the videos on Sesame Street's Youtube channel.  My students (this year and past years) especially love the Cookie Monster Videos.  I have several posted under the videos tab on the blog.  Since we have a new Smart Board for the classroom, we can see the videos much better and the kids love dancing to them and talking about videos.  Cookie Monster has some music videos, as well as parodies of popular movies.  "Star Wars", "The Karate Kid", "The Lord of the Rings", "The Wizard of Oz",  "James Bond" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" to name a few.  Each video contains lessons, such as whole body listening, turn taking, memory, self-control, listening to directions, and task persistence.  Here are some of the Cookie Monster Shorts.  (I promised the kids I would post some on the blog! )

 

"Blue Moo" and "Frog Trouble"

In an earlier post, I blogged about new music I bought for the kids to listen to during center times.  This week we started listening "Blue Moo" and it is super cute!  "Singing in the Shower" is my favorite!  Here is a video about the making of the album.

We also listened to "Frog Trouble" which features country music.  "I've Got a Dog" and "Alligator Stroll" by Dwight Yoakam and Josh Turner are two of my favorites.  "Trucks" by Fountains of Wayne is good too!  Here's another making of video.

This week....

No school today in observance of Labor Day.

No school tomorrow, Tuesday September 8.  Testing day

We are in session as normal Wednesday and Thursday, the 9th and 10th.

No school Friday, September 11th.  ELA training for entire staff.

Avengers Assemble!

Captain America must be prepping the team for a new mission! : D

Since I bought these action figures, The Avengers have been flying around the room and going on missions since the first week of school.  The kids love them and some of the girls are even playing with them!

Girls like super heroes too!


Here's a picture of Hulk and Iron Man teaming up to save the city!  The background is a shower curtain of a city with trucks, cars, and planes.

Here is what the center looks like.  It has large padded puzzle pieces from Five Below, a shelf full of cars, tractors, and trucks and its right beside the building and blocks center so the students also have access to the building materials and action figures to use with this center.

Over the Rainbow

Friday was a fun "Teachable Moment."  I looked out the window and I could see a rainbow outside the classroom window.  I told the kids to hurry up and come outside with me and got several odd looks.  By the time the whole class got outside, the rainbow was almost gone but most of the students were able to see it before it disappeared.  I used that moment to talk about rainbows, what colors are in a rainbow, why the rainbow could have disappeared, and why did it appear.  The students really enjoyed it.  It was a good thing we saw the rainbow when we did because it rained and poured ten minutes later! :)

First week pictures

Play dough and sensory table!

"These are a few of my favorite things!"

I LOVE the Kohl's Cares for Kids merchandise!  Good quality, hard back books and stuffed animals to go along with the books for $5.00 a piece!  You can't beat that AND 100% of the proceeds go to local children's hospitals.  Double win!  The kids love them too!  I use the books and stuffed animals in a variety of ways in the classroom.  Read the books to the class, students read on their own or with a friend, cuddle with the animals at rest time, also play and read with the animals during centers.  Many times I have caught the students using the animals as reading buddies and they are "reading" to the group of animals arranged around them.

Right now, the "If You Give a...." books by Laura Numeroff are the featured book  and stuffed animals.

 

The red mouse is from a couple years ago and goes with "If You Take a Mouse to the Movies."

Also, here's a picture of a small portion of Kohl's stuffed animals I have in my collection.  And when I say small, I mean small! ;)

Last week's orientation/open house

New Music!

Just ordered some new music for the students from Amazon!  Can't wait to share it with them!

I ordered "Bean Bag Boogie" from The Learning Station.  All of the songs use bean bags to dance and complete the motions.  I have two songs we already do using the bean bag and now have a couple more!  :)

I also ordered two Sandra Boynton CDs I didn't have.  "Frog Trouble" has country music and "Blue Moo" has 50's/early 60's music.

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Thomas Edison is on a one hour delay.

More favorite songs

"Baby Shark"

"Body Boogie"

First week playlist

This week we have been listening to music after lunch during centers.  The students enjoyed working and playing while listening to some great music!  Music plays such an important roll in learning!  Some of the little girls were wearing the princess dresses from the Dramatic Play area  and dancing to the music.  Some were even singing along to......

Yep!  I have the "Frozen" Soundtrack!  :)  There was a nice little chorus of  "Let It Go" being sung throughout the room.



We also listened to "Dog Train".

Sandra Boynton is a children's book author and also produces music for children.  This is one of several CD's for children she has and they also come with books.  The songs are silly, fun, and serious.  Music artists across genres sing songs on the CDs.   The Bacon Brothers, Spin Doctors, Allison Krauss, Hootie and The Blowfish, Meryl Streep, and Blues Traveler.  

Here's a sample of the songs on "Dog Train".

Also, here's the link to her website.

http://www.sandraboynton.com/sboynton/boyntonmusic.html

"The Pirate Song" A classroom favorite!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iAdfTzlezw

Here we go!

Twas the night before the first day of school.......

Another school year!!!

Hi everyone!

So sorry I fell off the face of the Blog-o-sphere last year!  Last school year was my busiest one yet and something had to give.  Unfortunately, it had to be the blog. :(  This year, I promise to try and post more often and update the tabs on the blog.  It is one of my many goals for continued improvement as an educator.
This week has been spent meeting parents and students during open house/orientation.  It is so good to see my returning students (They have grown SO much over the summer!) and meet my new students.  I am excited for the school year and know it's going to be a good one!

School starts next Monday for the 2 day class and Tuesday for the 3 day class.

Here are some pictures!