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Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Kindergarten Rocks!

I've been working on a special project to give to my team members that agreed to meet at school this week and begin working on our Long Range Plans for next year. 

I am going to be our Grade Level Chair next year and really want to focus on our "team" mentality.  Since we all work with an assistant teacher, it's easy to fall into a habit of 5 separate two person teams.  Our time together today got us all on the same page.  It was a good bonding experience, plus, I like to get ahead and have a plan. 


So, just for coming, I had a special surprise for those teachers.........

I had to mix the sets to spell this out, but you can see all the different rocks and colored stickers I used. A set includes all uppercase and lowercase letters.


These rocks were really easy to make!  I bought the river rocks at Michael's.  They were only $1 a bag!  I got the stickers there too, and plan on using the extras in my classroom.  I bought a sealant type of glue and brushed it over the stickers.  It dried clear and glossy.  These rocks are ready to be used! 

I also typed up a list of quick and easy ways to use them with the children. 

Kindergarten Rocks!
10 Quick Ideas To Get You Started
1. Put the rocks in ABC order.
2. Match all uppercase and lowercase letters together.
3. Sort all uppercase and lower case letters.
4. Sort letters by tall, fall, or small.
5. Sort letters by open/closed.
6. Sort letters by straight lines or curvy.
7. Pull out a rock and ask children to name the letter and/or sound.
8. Pull out a rock and ask children to name words that begin with that letter.
9. See how many words you can spell.
10. Transition children by pulling out a rock.  They may line up if their name starts with that letter.

Harding said these rocks made her happy!


The professional conversation we had was GREAT!  We follow the Writer's Workshop approach and study Katie Wood Ray's professional books. We've got our LRP's set for the year and are excited about our soon to be Kindergarten writers! 

The teachers loved the rocks!! 

         Yours Truly,


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11 comments:

  1. Shawna LeeJune 22, 2011 at 4:54 PM

    I just LOVE this idea, and as a crafty person I think we'll do something like this to put on our front porch to welcome friends!!

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  2. Lyndsey-Creative SpiceJune 22, 2011 at 4:55 PM

    Love these! Stealing this idea and going to whip up a batch! What student wouldn't want to have fun while spelling with rocks!

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  3. Mrs. ArandaJune 22, 2011 at 4:59 PM

    Cute idea! :)

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  4. CaseyJune 22, 2011 at 8:00 PM

    I really like these. I am definitely going to make a set for my class. I like the list you provided as well. You can make a "I Can" anchor chart for literacy centers with these. What is the brand of sealant that you used? Thanks for sharing!

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  5. Mrs. LochelJune 22, 2011 at 9:37 PM

    It is Inkssentials "Glue 'N Seal" brand. It worked well and dried quickly!

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  6. Pocketful of LittlesJune 24, 2011 at 4:45 PM

    I love this idea! I am going to try this

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  7. MicheleJune 25, 2011 at 8:29 AM

    Great idea! I am headed to Michaels for sure.

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  8. Tanya SolanoJune 25, 2011 at 10:17 PM

    Waaaaay to cute! Thanks for the idea! Glad I have a Michael's coupon ; )

    www.mssolanoskindergarten.blogspot.com

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  9. UnknownJune 26, 2011 at 12:29 AM

    Love it! Thanks for sharing :)

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  10. Peace Love KindergartenJune 27, 2011 at 9:20 PM

    This is really cute! I am sooo going to do this! My kinder kiddos will love this!

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  11. KinderBugsJune 28, 2011 at 11:11 PM

    Thanks so much for sharing! I'm always looking for "manipulatives" for literacy!

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