ABC Fun! Christmas in July

I wanted to share with you some of my favorite ABC activities that I do with the kiddos.  In the beginning of the year we eat, breathe, and sleep the alphabet!  My goal is to have all children secure with their letters and sounds by Thanksgiving.  Of course, not all make it, but I will sure as heck try!

We play lots of whole group games.  I like to use a lot of the games from Katie & Company, different websites and videos, and of course old fashioned fun! I’ve compiled a few of my faves in this unit:

This is an old Making Learning Fun game that I updated!

You can download this one for free in my store!

We also play some partner games! This game of bubble pop is an ALL TIME favorite!  I’m working on making this game in other skills too.  They just can’t get enough!

And of course, we have centers.  Lots and lots of centers! The kids love playing these games, and I love putting them together because they are SO simple to prep!  You just need a few basics that most people have in their classrooms or can easily find/borrow from colleagues!!!

I have these available in a few options

 

Each of these have 10 different centers in them.  Or you can get the bundled set for a discount.

This is a super fun game for partners called ABC Splat!  You just need upper and lower case dice. You can also find this in my store.

Of course, I also have the basics for independent work!

 

 

 

 

 

Stop on over to my TpT store – these items will be on sale for today (7/17) and tomorrow (7/18) only! Just click on the banner below to go there!

On a side note, today my husband and I celebrate 15 years of marriage! Time flies when you’re having fun!!

Crash Course! Kim Bearden

For me, summer is a time to catch up on my ever growing reading list.  I love to read, and I try to squeeze in a bit during the school year, but I get so overwhelmed with everything I have to do, and my eyes shut as soon as my head hits the pillow! Although I like to keep my reading light during the summer, I will read a few professional books.
I recently finished one of the BEST teaching/motivational books that I have ever read.  No kidding.  I sometimes have a hard time getting through professional books, but this one kept me engaged from day one.  I even read it while I was on vacation at Disney World, people!
Crash Course: The Life Lessons My Students Taught Me by The Ron Clark Academy Co-Founder Kim Bearden.

The book is written as though you are taking a course from Kim.  It is written in manageable sections, and you can stop and start easily.  So if you have 10 minutes to kill while waiting for your children to come out of dance class (like me), this book is perfect.  Or you can read the whole thing in one night – which you might do.  It took me 2 nights, but I was on vacation

Kim writes about the ups and downs of her teaching career.  She writes about her failures and successes.  She reflects on the children that have crossed through her classroom door and how each and every one of them have shaped who she is today. 

Even if you think you don’t have time to read this summer, make time.  This one is a keeper.  I have recommended this book to so many colleagues already, and I can’t wait to had a copy to my administrator.  You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll nod your head in agreement.

 
So grab some tissues, and pick up your copy of the book right here! You will definitely not be disappointed!

Kim Bearden is the co-founder and executive director at the Ron Clark Academy. Most importantly, she is also the language arts teacher. Kim has received numerous awards for her creative, dynamic, and rigorous teaching styles. She was selected from over 70,000 nominations to be honored as the Disney American Teacher Awards Outstanding Middle School Humanities Teacher. Along with countless other awards, she was also chosen from among 7,000 teachers as Teacher of the Year in Cobb County Georgia. Over the past twenty-three years, she has been a teacher, instructional lead teacher, curriculum director, school board member, staff development trainer, and middle school principal.
For someone that has accomplished so much during her career, Kim is by far one of the most humble and down to earth educators. Her life hasn't been perfect, and I love that she is so transparent in her book as she shares her experiences as an educator. 

Instead of telling you, I will just show you! Here is a little clip that shows who and what the Ron Clark Academy is all about! The best part? You can actually come spend a day…or two…at the school! Be sure and follow the Ron Clark Academy on Facebook {HERE} to receive special updates and events!

If you would like to visit RCA and participate in the RCA Educator Training Experience, visit the website {HERE} to register! It is truly a training unlike anything you have ever experienced before. During this training, you will get to meet the students of RCA and observe Ron Clark and Kim Bearden's unparalleled instruction in their 5th grade classrooms. You will also spend the day in classroom observations and workshops that will enhance your instruction in any grade level. And of course, you will end the visitation becoming "slide certified."
2014-2015 Training Dates:

I am so excited about teaming up with some of my favorite bloggers to share our review of Kim's book. Click on any of the links below to see what they think...

InLinkz code:

An InLinkz Link-up

Win a signed copy of Kim's Book!

 

Win a free visitation to the Academy!  
 
 

It’s Christmas in July! (That means a sale!)

It’s that time of year again!  Time to shop, prep and prepare for the upcoming school year!  Luckily this year, we have pushed our start date back to after Labor Day, so I have a nice long summer break!  We’ve already been to Florida and Las Vegas, our next trip is to New York! So excited about this trip!!

But, for now….

I will be putting different items on sale for the next couple of weeks! Today and tomorrow I have placed my center packs on sale!

Check out the calendar of events:

I have bundled up all of my center packs as well!  I’ve combined my best sellers from each season to give you a fantastic deal! These won’t always be added to the sales I do, because they are already deeply discounted, but I will discount them again ONLY for this sale!  Grab them while they’re hot!

Fall Centers
if purchased separately: $49
bundled price: $39
sale price: $35

Winter Centers
if purchased separately: $62.50
bundled price: $49.00
sale price: $45.00

Spring Centers
if purchased separately: $63.50
bundled price: $49.00
sale price: $45.00

And finally here is a little freebie center pack that I posted a few years ago! It’s an oldie, but a goodie!!

Have a great week! Be sure to stop by my Facebook page – I’ll be having some flash giveaways throughout Christmas in July!!

Color Mixing Fun + A Give Away

Learning Resources recently sent me a fun little science set to check out: The Primary Science Color Mixing Set. I ADORE science sets like this because it make it SO easy to set up at a science center.  I am still fortunate enough to be able to have 30-45 minutes of free choice play every day.  The children LOVE exploring at the science center!

My daughter and I recently did some exploring with this fun set, and let me tell you, she could have explored for HOURS.  She LOVED it.  This will be an amazing addition to any science center!

I really love the task cards that come with it.  Truly makes for an independent center!

(The food coloring is not included – you will have to supply that!)

The included kaleidoscope has a removable bottom, so you can change out the contents in it.  It comes with colored transparent chips. 

There are so many different ideas and activities for the children, and they can explore in such a hands-on developmentally appropriate way!  This is a MUST HAVE for any primary classroom!!  The activities could also be easily used in a small group learning experience or as a whole group demonstration. 

Here are a few more ideas for exploring color that I’ve done!

This is a flower project that I have done over the past few years with our art teacher.  They start off with a large blob of red and yellow in the middle of their paper, and pull out from the center with their pain brushes to make the flowers.  The Grass is made the same way – we start with a stripe of yellow and blue and the children mix it to make green.  They are NOT allowed to swirl though!  Just pull from the color – it makes the beautiful variations in color that you see!

Here is another great project we do. We start with a simple directed drawing (just using sharpies) using shapes.  Then the children water colored everything yellow!  The children could then add red to the top to make orange or green to make blue. 

I love this sweet project!  Watercolor the birds with primary colors, and mix the colors right on the paper – just like we did with the UP houses above. 

I also love this great project for the beginning of the year in Kindergarten.  This could even be at your art center easel – it doesn’t take much direction from you – just free choice painting!

The children explored paint mixing with tempera paints, and then added a little confetti party with simple colored squares.

Check out this link for some great books about colors:

If you want to be REALLY ambitious, you can make rainbow pancakes with your kiddos! My daughter and I did this last year for St. Patrick’s day!

And a great little video from Sesame Street to introduce/review colors and color mixing:

Learning Resources has graciously offered to give a Primary Science Color Mixing Set to one lucky Growing Kinders reader!

Just enter in the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

NOTE: If you have won a Learning Resources giveaway on any BLOG during the past 6 months, you are ineligible to win this giveaway! Once 6 months have passed, you can enter again. Thanks!
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Thanks for reading!