Behavior Clip Charts {TPT Store}

To all of you who requested an editable version of my behavior clip charts, I just posted both files for sale in my TPT Store! Click the images to check them out. I included seven colors and the text is customizable to fit your needs! One has small polka dots and the other has large polka dots. Enjoy! P.S. This new clip chart system has been working like magic with my class this year! I LOVE it!!!

Color Days (Part 1)

At the beginning of the year, we celebrate Color Days and Shape Days to help the kids learn their colors and shapes. These are some of the activities we did for our first week of colors...

Red

We read Clifford Goes to Dog School & Clifford's First School Day. Then we made a Clifford puppet.

Orange

We read Not Norman: A Goldfish Story. Then we made handprint goldfish and we sorted Goldfish Crackers (ones with faces and ones without faces).

 Yellow
We read the story Duck & Goose. Then we made a yellow paper plate duck craft. Later, we sang Five Little Ducks and used our ducks as props.

Green

We read Franklin Goes to School and created a paper plate Franklin craft.

Later, we read Froggy Goes to School and made these cute frog headbands.

Blue

We read "The Monster at the End of this Book" and watched Sesame Street. Then we sponge painted a blue paper plate cookie monster. I didn't realize the book was about Grover until after I prepped this craft, so if you read this book, you may want to add a pink nose and make it a Grover craft!

Monthly Newsletters {TPT Store!}

I'm feeling inspired to get super organized this year. One way I'm doing that is by keeping parents involved and informed with a monthly newsletter. I've included information such as what we are learning in reading and math, important dates, birthdays, and other reminders. I made 12 templates featuring adorable Scrappin Doodles clipart. Click the picture to go to my TPT Store!

 

All About Your Teacher Book

I created this book for my class and decided to make an editable version available for sale in my TPT Store! The "All About Your Teacher" book includes 7 editable pages where you can place your own pictures and text. There is also a corresponding "All About Our Class" book included so that your class can make their own version of the book. What a great way for your students to get to know you at the beginning of the year! Head over and check it out!

Brown Bear, Brown Bear {Freebie}

After reading Brown Bear Brown Bear, we created our own version of the book. This gave the kids some good practice writing their names. I had to highlight in yellow for some of them to trace over. Then I pasted their pictures on each page. On the last page is a picture of our whole class. The kids love seeing their faces in this book and they want to read it again and again! Click an image to download!

Class Promise

After discussing our class rules, we worked together to write our class promise. With some guidance from me, this is what we came up with. And no this is not my whole class...I still have a handful that need to finish their faces! I wish I only had 16!

Story Elements Posters {Freebie}

I've got so much to post about but I've been super busy this past week! By the end of the week, I'll be posting activities for teaching the alphabet, students' names, and color day activities. For now, here's a freebie! I made these posters for teaching story elements and reading vocabulary to my kinders. Click the picture to download!

Behavior Picture Sort {Freebie}

Today we read David Goes to School and talked about behavior at school. We talked about what David was doing wrong on each page and how he could have made better choices. Then I told them we are going to teach David how to make good choices in school. We did a pocket chart picture sort and discussed which behaviors are good choices and poor choices. They all totally got it, and throughout the day it was helpful to refer back to this chart.

After we did this, the children did their own version of the sort by cutting and pasting pictures into the correct box. After this lesson, I introduced our behavior clip chart and reward system and now my kids are super excited about making good choices at school :)

Click here to download my Behavior Picture Sort. 

Morning Routines

I love creating visials for just about everything in my classroom, especially with all my ELL kids. In order to help my kiddies learn our morning routines, I just put this quick poster together. By the way, our first couple of days went fantastic. The kids really got to know all our routines so quickly and they are so sweet and cute!

Click here to download a copy of my Morning Routine Poster. The clipart is from Scrappin Doodles.

Classroom Management {Freebies}

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Classroom Rules

These are my classroom rules, adapted from Whole Brain Teaching. I also have a second copy that I keep on a binder ring so I can hold them up as we practice reciting the rules everyday, along with body movements. Click below to download:

Classroom Rules (Large Dots)          
Classroom Rules (Small Dots)

Behavior Clip Chart

At my school, our entire grade level uses a “stoplight” system for behavior management. I used it last year and found that it was too negative and didn't work quite as well as I'd hoped. I’ve seen lots of great clip charts on other blogs, and I was inspired to create this one for my classroom. I needed something simple to keep track of so I could appropriately reinforce behavior at the end of every day, so I eliminated some of the other colors that most teachers use. Click to download: 

Behavior Clip Chart (Large Dots)    
Behavior Clip Chart (Small Dots)

Here's how I'll use the chart to reinforce behavior:

Purple = 2 carnival tickets + 2 stamps

Blue = 1 carnival ticket + 1 stamp

Green = 1 carnival ticket

Yellow = No reward, Lose 10 minutes playtime

Red = No reward, Lose entire playtime

Our kindergarten team holds a mini-carnival each quarter with games and prizes. In all the classes, the children collect carnival tickets for good behavior, which they accumulate until the carnival. This is a fun reward; however, I've found it's not immediate enough to have a significant effect on behavior. So this year, I decided to also include Punch Cards, which students can earn stamps on each day. When students fill up a card, they will be able to go shopping from the treasure chest.

 Warm Fuzzies

For whole class management, I used a marble jar at the beginning of last year, but it took so long to fill up! I later implemented the Whole Brain smiley score board, which worked well, but I like the idea of the marble jar...so I am going to try it again. This year I'm going to use pom poms ("Warm Fuzzies") instead, so it will fill up quicker. If it doesn’t work out, I can always go back to the score board!

UPDATE: To those who wanted an editable clip chart with additional colors, I have posted a new editable version to my TPT store! Check out my updated post here:  http://mrsriccaskindergarten.blogspot.com/2012/08/behavior-clip-charts-tpt-store.html.

Pencil Cup Labels {Freebie}

Last year, I had so much trouble with
students not having sharpened pencils
and wanting to sharpen pencils at inappropriate times. So, I created these buckets for children to borrow a sharp pencil when needed. They'll take one from the sharp bucket and put their dull one in the other bucket. Click the picture to download the label template.

Letter Monster Swatter

I was inspired to create this the other day and I thought I'd share it if anyone would like to use it. I just printed 3 copies (on white, purple, and green paper), then cut out the different pieces and glued them together. Then I laminated it and taped it onto a fly swatter with the middle part cut out. It can work as a letter monster, a word monster, or even a number monster. I also found a cute little rhyme to go with it. I might have to make some more of these when I find the time! Click the picture to download.