King Bidgood's in the Bathtub and He Won't Get Out!

         One of my favorite books is King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Audrey and Don Wood.  The book tells the story of a stubborn king who refuses to leave his bathtub and attend to his duties. One by one, the knight, the queen, the duke, and all the members of the court attempt to persuade the King to leave his bath.  In each instance the King insists that he is joined in the bathtub for the activity.  Don Wood's illustrations of a battle, a feast, fishing and a ball - all in the bathtub are wonderfully detailed. 

This is a book where there are lots of opportunities for discussion. My class always loves noticing the characters' facial expressions and making predictions about what will happen next.  They also love that it is the Page (who I explain is a child who is their age who helps the King) who finally comes up with a solution to the problem.

           After we read the book we generate a list of how we would entice the King to leave the tub.  I remind them that they should think of things that would be really funny if they happened in a tub.  I usually write what each child says with quotation marks (it seems we are often starting with them when I fit this book in). For example, I would write:

Abbey said, "It's time to play soccer!"

Ben said, "It's time to go to school!"

I like to do bubble painting after we read this story.  I put blue  paint in a shallow container with some water and dishwasher soap.  I stir it up and then let the kids blow bubbles with a straw.  When they have a nice collection of bubbles, they carefully put a piece of white paper on  top to make a bubble imprint.  Sometimes, they have to blow more bubbles and do it again (they do love bubble painting;). I usually work with 4-5 kids at a time.

While the bubble paintings dry, the children use a tracer and cut out a bathtub.  They also make a king's head on a small piece of white paper.  When the bubble painting is dry, they use caps as tracers and cut out 5-6 bubbles for their picture. They then put the their pictures together and they (or I) write how they would get the king out of the tub. 

The results are always adorable:

            The blog Mommy and Me Book Club is hosting a virtual book club.  This month the focus is any book by Audrey or Don Wood.  Check out the wonderful ideas to go along with the Woods' books. 

Collaborative Classroom Projects

Amanda, from Teaching Maddeness is having another linky party.  This month she's looking for classroom projects ideas.  I decided to write about some of the collaborative projects we do in my classroom. My favorite collaborative projects are probably all of the class books we do but I am going to blog about that later...maybe a linky party if I can figure out how to do that :)

The projects I am writing about are ones where everyone contributes... but not just by making a distinct part of the whole.  In other words, these projects are not like my quilt where everyone made a piece that I then put together to make a whole.  Instead, these projects resulted in one shared product that couldn't easily be divided after it was completed.  Perhaps because these projects result in something that can't be sent home, they really do feel like they belong to the class.  Here are a few of the things I have done recently:

Collaborative Mosaic

This mosaic was made by gluing plastic caps to a circle of foam board.  This project was set out during free play for several days during our Art Unit.  I simply cut out a large circle from a piece of old foam board.  I used colored electric tape to cover the edge (because my cutting wasn't perfect).  I then put out tacky glue in shallow pans and a large pile of plastic caps.  I asked each child to stop by at some point and glue on at least 8-10 caps.  They were to try and make sure the caps were touching. If the children were interested they could glue on more caps.  I, together with a few interested children, went back later and filled in holes with small glue stick and glitter glue lids.

Rolled Paper Collaborative Collage

I described how we made this collage with rolls of painted paper here.  It is actually incredibly beautiful and, if I can figure out how to frame it, I want to put it in my house. 

Cardboard Box Castle

During our Fairy Tale Unit, I made a really cool castle with 8 large boxes and Mr. McGroovy's special rivets.  

The children worked together to paint and decorate the castle.

We also worked together to decorate this dragon by attaching pieces of tissue paper with watered down yellow paint.

Retelling Props

During the Fairy Tale unit we created lots of materials that we used for retelling.

Our Story Path for Goldilocks and the 3 Bears

We decorated 3 pieces of cardboard for retelling the 3 Little Pigs with painted bricks (using a sponge to paint the bricks),  glued on sticks and glued on rafia (for the house made out of hay).

Bulletin Boards

Many of our bulletin boards have collaborative aspects.

The kids sponge painted the water.

The class worked together to paint the rainbow.

The kids illustrated the elements of art - color, shape and pattern, by putting little pieces of tissue paper, fun foam and scrap book paper onto large pieces of contact paper.

The kids used Dot Markers to paint this background.

Just for Fun Group Painting

On several occasions I set out long sheets of bulletin board paper with markers and crayons (inside) or paint (when we attached the paper to a fence outside) for the kids to work with during free play if they were interested.

My one problem with these collaborative projects is, "What should I do with the finished projects?" I can recycle the casual group paintings or bulletin backgrounds but I hate to get rid of the more "finished" artwork such as  the mosaic or collage.  I asked parents if anyone wanted the castle and one parent said they had room for it and took it apart. I think that next year, I might send the collaborative types of pieces home with children the way I do with class books (if we have enough for everyone to get something). Any other ideas?

The Pledge of Allegiance - Teaching Citizenship Linky Party

        This month, Maria Dismondy's Make a Difference Monthly Character Linky Party is focusing on Citizenship. When I taught kindergarten we started each day by saying the Pledge of Allegiance with sign language.  I think the Pledge is a wonderful place to start talking about citizenship.  Although most students say the pledge each day, they often say it incorrectly or  without understanding what they are saying.  

       There are many versions of the Pledge in sign language.  The one I used was a variation of one I learned at a Dr. Jean conference.  I like it because it is very simple and I think it is very appropriate for young children because it slows the kids down so they say each word but it isn't so complicated that it is too hard for the children.  I asked one of my former students who I found swimming at our swim club to model the pledge so I can explain the motions we use. You will notice that I don't try to put a motion to every word. While I'm not sure that a deaf person could follow our motions, I know that the motions helped my children understand the pledge.   The word document showing the motions is available here.

        In kindergarten, I taught the Pledge of Allegiance and the accompanying sign language motions on the first day of school.  I gave brief descriptions of what the words meant when I first taught the pledge. I started by saying that most 3rd and 4th graders don't know what the words mean so it is really cool that my kindergarteners were learning such big and important words. Then, each morning, I would then ask the class about different words in the pledge.  For example,  I might do the motion for indivisible and then ask what the word means. The kids would say "can't break it apart" and I would act (and be) very pleased that they know such a big word.   

     After a few weeks, when we are really good at saying the pledge, I read I Pledge Allegiance by Bill Martin and Michael Sampson.  The book is illustrated by Chris Rashka and does a wonderful job of explaining what all the words in the pledge mean. It also includes historical facts about our flag, the Pledge of Allegiance, and Christopher Columbus' discovery of America as well as facts about our country such as what the colors of our flag represent.  I love Chris Rashka's quirky collage style illustrations.  For example on the page that defines allegiance as loyalty, there is a little dog wagging his tail.  Publishers Weekly describes the book as "simple without being simplistic, this cleverly designed volume spells out the concrete meaning behind the words in the Pledge of Allegiance while deftly communicating the democratic spirit and principles that inspired it".   While I love the book, I do think the concepts are a little hard for kindergarteners which is why I start with simply learning the pledge and the accompanying motions.  I think it helps that the kindergarteners already feel good about what they know about the pledge before I use the book to go into more depth.  Older students would appreciate the book right away and I think that this book (and learning the Pledge in sign language) are wonderful ways to introduce citizenship to young children.

Versatile Blogger Award

A HUGE thank you to Connie at Welcome to first Grade Room 5 for bestowing the honor of...

on myself and my little blog.  What a perfect way to start my week.   If you haven't explored all the wonderful ideas at Welcome to First Grade Room 5, make sure you stop by Connie's blog. She's fantastic!

Now, here are the next steps:

1) Link back to those that nominated you and thank them (check) 

2) Share 7 things about yourself

3) Pass the award on to 5 other blogs that you know and love

Okay, here are 7 tidbits about me.

1. Teaching is a second (or third) career for me.
2. One of my favorite places in the world is Keuka Lake in New York state where I vacation each summer with my extended family.
3. We have a big sailboat.  I can't sail but I am really good at reading and entertaining on our boat.
4. I am widely known for my "underdog pushes" on the swings.
5. My favorite candy is See's Toffee-ettes. I have no willpower when they are around.
6. I love my girlfriends.
7. I am not a neat person...I really wish I were!

Finally, here are 5  blogs that I think you should check out:

Crack of Dawn Crafts
(Cheryl is not a school teacher but she posts directions for making adorable finger puppets, seasonal crafts and birthday party ideas.  What is really cool is she also writes about children's books that work well with her puppets...an inspiring blog!)


Forever in First
(Tammy is one of the nicest bloggers I've "met."  I love the thoughtfulness of her Saturday Sayings)


Familylicious 
(this is not a teaching blog but Debra does the coolest things with her kids)


Rainbows Within Reach
(Debbie always posts the greatest ideas that she finds at schools she visits as a performer and author)


Kindergarten Kindergarten

(great photos and one of the first blogs I started stalking :)

Fiction Friday - Press Here

       There are so many children's books that I love.  I like the idea of writing about a favorite book each Friday, so I am joining The Teaching Thief's Linky Party.  One of my new favorite books is Press Here by Herve Tullet. It is so simple and yet young children are fascinated by it.  

         On each page the child is directed to follow a simple direction. The first page has one yellow dot and says "Press here and turn the page." The second page  has 2 yellow dots and says "Great! Now press the yellow dot again."  The pages continue like this with different directions to press, rub, shake, tilt, or blow on the page. Each time, the readers are rewarded with some kind of action on the subsequent page. Rubbing the yellow dot may make it change color. Shaking it moves all of the dots around. And blowing on the page just might send all of the dots flying. I guess that in some ways it is like an ipad game, except its made with nice thick paper and relies on children's imagination rather than batteries.

                                                   

         This is my "go to" big sister or brother gift that I give when I am giving a baby gift.  I know the siblings will love the book and that they will get a few minutes of special mommy or daddy (or grandparent) time when they ask to have the book read over and over - and that the adults won't mind rereading it because it's fun for them too :)

        I wasn't sure how the book would work as a class read aloud and whether my 5 year olds (who do play on ipads at home) would be too sophisticated for it and find it too simplistic. I didn't need to worry. They LOVED it!  I read the directions and then followed the directions myself.  By the end of the book they were jumping up and down and cheering because they were so excited. I can't say enough good things about this simple book. I'm thinking I might try to have the kids make their own Press Here books this year. 

I can read here or there, I can read anywhere!

                                          
        I love making class books.  A few years ago, I made a class book with my kindergarteners and our reading buddies from 2nd grade.  Our book was titled I Can Read Anywhere!  First I read Green Eggs and Ham to the whole group.  We then talked about writing our own rhyming book and decided on a reading theme because that is what we did together (and because I steered the enthusiasm that way:)  We then came up with a really long list of places we could read (I figured that was a good exercise in and of itself). Although we had initially planned to have the kids draw pictures of reading in rhyming places, the kids suggested that we use photographs of them reading.  Although this made the book a little harder because we had to find rhymes that we could take pictures of around our school, I think it made it easier for my kindergarteners to read the very predictable book.  The result was really cute and a favorite in our class library.

Turn the Music Up Linky Party

       I just found a new blog with lots of great ideas.  Amanda Madden at Teaching Maddeness  is hosting a linky party about music in the classroom. There are three parts to this linky party.

1. Favorite Educational CD to use in the classroom:

Without question, Dr. Jean's CDs are my absolute favorite. The first Dr. Jean CD I bought was  Sing to Learn and its still my favorite.  I love Alphardy (or "A for Apple" as my kids call it) for teaching letter sounds and Macarena Math for teaching skip counting.  Although I own lots of her CDs, I think that it is wonderful that I can now go to her site and order just the songs that are appropriate for my class. 

2. Just for fun CD to use in the classroom:

Although I don't actually listen to much classical music outside of school, I love using classical music during quiet time in my classroom.  This CD is great because the music isn't "dumbed down" for kids ... it's engaging, upbeat music played by famous orchestras.  When I taught kindergarten, I would put this on and turn off the lights when we came in from recess so the kids could have a few minutes to quietly unwind.  The kids soon learned their favorite composers and loved "conducting" the orchestra with their hands.   

3. Music I'm thinking about buying but would like feedback about:

Has anyone heard this new Jack Hartman CD?  I like the idea that the music is directed toward preschoolers but I can't find much about it online. 

I'm looking forward to finding new music to play in my class.  What are your favorites?