Who Stole the Cookie From the Cookie Jar?

I like to do this in the first week of school to help learn everyone's name. We use the pocket chart to substitute names of all the students.


Once we get good at saying the rhyme, I use cookies with letters on them that they steal. Instead of saying cookie, we say "____ took the _(letter)_ from the cookie jar." I hand out some letters so that everyone has a cookie, they hide it (sit on it), then when I say a certain letter, whoever has it comes forward and puts it in the pocket chart.

Literacy Stations- Week 1

Literacy Stations went well the first week. I did not start reading groups yet. This week I was just walking around and monitoring. Since we spent a week talking/ learning about these stations, I feel like the children know what I expect of them. If I saw a student playing at a station, I immediately put them in a 2 minute time out. This only happened a once or twice, but I am giving no warnings. I would like for them to learn that I mean business right away instead of dealing with these behaviors when I have to start reading groups.



This is my magnet station. I have it on my closet door. I got the activity from Lakeshore. Children match uppercase and lowercase letters. I have put the letters on the door for them to look at in case they do not know letters yet.

Pocket Chart Station- Matching names to pictures. On our word wall, the first thing I do is put up each child's name and picture. They can reference the word wall to help them do this activity.




File Folder Station Game #1- Matching lowercase letters to uppercase.
File Folder Station- Game #2- Putting the letters in order


Overhead Station- Partners play game to cover all letters on a certain transparency.


Library Station- Children can choose a book to read quietly. I also have an alphabet poster next to this station where children can play with their partners to name letters.


ABC Station- This game set is from Lakeshore. Children are matching uppercase/ lowercase.


Leap Frog Station- I received a class set of Tag Readers and books/game boards from a grant 2 years ago. The kids love them and all the books are familiar titles.


Computer Station- Children will work on the letter pages on Starfall.

Math Stations- Week 1

This is what I did for my first week in Math Stations. The kids were just exploring some of the math manipulatives. After this week, I have found that the kids LOVE math stations, at least for now... They wanted to go everyday! I think I am going to do them 3 days a week though and focus on our skill for the week the other 2 days.

Exploring pattern blocks

Exploring bugs- Even though I didn't give directions for these, I found that the kids started to sort them and make patterns.


Exploring links


Exploring cubes


Exploring my Barrels of Monkeys


Exploring bear counters

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

It may seem overdone, but I LOVE, LOVE using Chicka Chicka Boom Boom the first week of school! The kids think it's so cool to use my big blow up coconut tree! After reading the book several times, I bring this out and give each child 1-2 letters. I have put velcro dots on the tree and the letters just stick to them. As we read the book, the children put the letters on the tree as their part comes. It gives me an idea of who can recognize letters or not.



To reinforce letters in their name, we stick foam letters on a coconut tree and the wall says "Chicka, Chicka Boom Boom, Look Who Is In Our Room!"

Math Stations

Math Stations are going to start this year! After reading Debbie Diller's Math work Stations, I got motivated!
Here is my work station wheel.

Whatever number the student's name is on, they go grab that tray.


I worked hard getting everything ORGANIZED!!! Even labeled!