Teacher Made Materials and Games!

I just can't stop being inspired by all of the amazing materials and games that you all create!!  If you have something that you'd like to spotlight in the BLOG, please tell me on my next visit!!  I love to see what you are up to so we can share with one another!

Clothespin Name Game

(Preschool teacher Ohdra in Porter Square)

The names are lined up...

And they need to find the corresponding clothespin to make a match!

I love putting the materials on trays...it makes it so easy for the children to know what to do!

Excellent fine motor and literacy game!

Memory Game

(Preschool teacher Karina in the South End)

The kids play memory to try to find the matching apples.

I love the way the apples stand out on the black paper!

Color Sticks

( Preschool Teacher Lidiani in the South End)

Reusable Coloring Mats

(Toddler Teachers Maria and Carmenza in Needham)

Laminated leaves for the children to draw with dry erase markers.  Easily wipes away.

These toddlers were practicing dots and circles!

Name Game

(Preschool Teacher Emily in Needham)

The children had to find the matching letter for their name in the bowl of letters!

Clothespin Number Match Game

(Preschool Teacher Emily in Needham)

Self explanatory clothespin game!!  Excellent fine motor activity!

Transportation Sorting Game

(Preschool Teacher Emily in Needham)

Took a box that holds 6 beverages and covered it up with colored paper and a mode of transportation.

They can sort it by color

Or by mode of transportation!

Homemade Felt Board

(Preschool Teacher Lidiani in South End)

Lidiani covered an old carpet square with felt to create this numbers matching game!

It was super easy to make and the kids love matching the pumpkins with the numbers!

Homemade Vowels

(Toddler teacher, Carmenza - Needham)

Carmenza loves to sew so she designed these letter "pillows" out of felt and stuff them with batting!  They love to review the sounds they make with the toddlers!

Countdown to the 100 Days of School

The Pre-K Teachers in all of our schools are all doing a countdown of the first 100 Days of school!  I thought I'd share some of the really creative ideas of how each Pre-K teacher is doing it!  Check it out!

Jenna- The South End 

The children add a circle with the number on it to create a long caterpillar in their classroom!

Marissa - Needham

As part of circle time, one of the jobs of the children is to color a circle and add it to the 100 Dias jar!  Then they count all of the "marbles".

Britni and Katie - Newton

The children count the numbers on the chart together and mark off the days as well!

Maria and Claudia - Kendall Square

The children are adding an apple and other items to the tree throughout the year to count the first 100 days.  

Maru- Brighton

The children count the first 100 days by adding different items to the jar each day.  She started the first 20 days with straws, and then changed to buttons for the next 20 days.  She will then change it to something else every 20 days!  

Here's a link to a video of Maru counting the first 29 days of school with her Pre-K class....

http://youtu.be/NNAJlL6mqDQ

Eliana - Porter Square
The children add a straw to the container for each day of school.  Then the straws are taped together in groups of 10 to be able to practice counting by groups of 10!

JP - Revere Street

The children add a sticker to their individual gum ball machine to count the first 100 days of school!! 

More Portfolio Tips

I just can't help but get so excited when I come in and see how everyone is progressing on their portfolios!!!  Here are a few more ideas for you to get inspired for portfolios!!!  More to come!!!  Too much to share in this one post so here's a spotlight on a couple of toddler teachers!!

Marilyn & Julissa - 

Young Toddler Teachers in JP Revere Street

Marilyn and Julissa shared some of the systems that are working for them with their group of young toddlers

They have organized the portfolios with photographs and names of the children on the binding.  So cute!

They also created a bulletin board for each area of work that they are collecting...Ciencia

...Arte...

...Matematicas...That way, all of the work that they collecting for the portfolio is already divided by subject!!  

They used a sample of the toddlers ripping tissue paper and had them glue it onto the paper to show their fine motor work.  

They are also using photographs that they print to document the process that the children go through to create the work in school.

They created labels on the paper that we provided to divide the sections by month.

They also came up with a creative way to collect their Anecdotal notes for each child.  

They made a table for EACH CHILD so that they can easily jot down notes for the children and then will transfer it to the portfolios.

Great system that works for them!!

I also wanted to share this adorable bulletin board that they created too!!  Great work ladies!

Darlin - Older Toddler Teacher in Newton

Darlin created her month dividers on colorful paper

She decided to use lots of photographs to document the different developmental areas.  She even made one for Physical Health.  

The Arts

Math

Language and Communication

Cutting Sample

Story Dictation - used a post it to write what the child said about their creation.

MADE HER OWN COPIES OF LABELS!!

She took an envelope and placed a label on the front so she knows what is inside.

There are multiple copies of the labels in the envelopes so she is always ready!!  Love it!!

For fun, here is Darlin's bulletin board.  She made the letters 3 Dimensional by adding extra tape behind them!!  It's hard to see in this photo, but in person, it's really cool!!

Her Arbol Bulletin Board

Parent Communication Board!!

Isabel - Younger Toddler Teacher in Newton

Isabel also created the front of the portfolio with a photo and his name.

I LOVE how she put a photo on the actual piece of art to show the process of how he did the activity along with the label.  So professional!!!  

Here is a very creative bulletin board that Isabel did for her toddler class.  She used real leaves to write out the word "otono", and made a 3D effect of the basket under the tree by stuffing it with hay.  Another cool 3D effect was that she used BALLOONS to make the apples in her tree and then wrapped them with tissue paper!!  Super creative!!

GRACIAS!!!

Jacie