Calendar Area
Calendar Time
Calendar is an important part of our day. During Calendar we discuss many important math skills, including counting, graphing, adding, subtracting, tallies, and place values.
We begin by singing "The Days of Week" to the tune of the "Adam's Family". Then we answer "What is today?", "What was yesterday?" and "What will tomorrow be?". Next we use the calendar to find to the day of the week and decide what the date is. We look at was yesterday's date was and tell what number comes after it. We then count by 1's to the date two times. The second time we count using ordinal numbers "1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc..." After looking at the calendar we move on to the weather. Our weather helper looks out the window and tells us what the weather forecast. We find the weather word to put up and then we fill in two weather bar graphs. One is horizontal and one is vertical. Then we make observations about the weather graph. We look at which is the most, least, and if any are equal. Then we make comparisons. We also create equations with the graph, such as adding two types of weather together. After the weather we keep track of how many days we have been in school. We first put a dot on the tens frames. We count the full tens frames by ten and then count by ones. We use the tens frame to make addition and subtraction problems too. Then we put a straw in the ones places and when we have ten straws we make a bundle and move it to the tens place. When there are ten bundles of ten we move it to the 100's place. After that we put a tally up on our monthly tally sheet. Each month we start a new tally sheet and then compare how many days we went to school each month. We end calendar by rolling our calendar cube that changes each month.
We begin by singing "The Days of Week" to the tune of the "Adam's Family". Then we answer "What is today?", "What was yesterday?" and "What will tomorrow be?". Next we use the calendar to find to the day of the week and decide what the date is. We look at was yesterday's date was and tell what number comes after it. We then count by 1's to the date two times. The second time we count using ordinal numbers "1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc..." After looking at the calendar we move on to the weather. Our weather helper looks out the window and tells us what the weather forecast. We find the weather word to put up and then we fill in two weather bar graphs. One is horizontal and one is vertical. Then we make observations about the weather graph. We look at which is the most, least, and if any are equal. Then we make comparisons. We also create equations with the graph, such as adding two types of weather together. After the weather we keep track of how many days we have been in school. We first put a dot on the tens frames. We count the full tens frames by ten and then count by ones. We use the tens frame to make addition and subtraction problems too. Then we put a straw in the ones places and when we have ten straws we make a bundle and move it to the tens place. When there are ten bundles of ten we move it to the 100's place. After that we put a tally up on our monthly tally sheet. Each month we start a new tally sheet and then compare how many days we went to school each month. We end calendar by rolling our calendar cube that changes each month.
Math Center
Our math center is full of math games and manipulatives, including puzzles, sorting games, counting games, cubes, counting cubes, and math books.
Dramatic Play Area
Our dramatic play area is still under construction but starting to look more like home. Thanks to some grants from Donor's Choose we will have new dishes, play food, pans, and table and chairs for our home center.
Writing Area
Writer's Workshop
Our writing area displays our published work and keeps all of our writing materials. Each table has a folder holder that holds their writing folders. We also keep our writing paper, colored pencils, and dictionaries in our writing center. Our writing posters are also part of our writing area and are surrounded by books organized by mentor authors and genres. We will be adding anchor charts that relate to what we are learning. Our writing units change throughout the year and include personal narrative, how-to books, all about books, poetry, and song writing.
Building Center - Coming Soon
Thanks to a grant from Donor's Choose we will soon have a block center too!
Computers
We have three classroom computers we use throughout the day. It is always a center choice but is also used for reading centers, math games, and watching videos that connect to current themes. Above the computers is our word wall.