Does the first week of Kindergarten have you shaking in your boots?
You are not alone! I've been at this for a little while now so you would think it would get easier with time but I am here to tell you it does not! I still get anxious right before school starts. What will they be like? Will I remember what to do at line up time? What if I don't set things up right and I mess up the whole rest of the year? (sounds dramatic but that is really what goes through my head!)
I sat down as soon as school got out and wrote down my first week of lesson plans to put my mind at ease. It has really helped with my worry so far! I wrote down the first five days, plans and procedures I need to introduce, brain breaks, classroom community building activities, easy morning work to get started with and even got my welcome back gifts ready. My mind is officially at ease.
I want to make sure I have a lot of fun and a LOT of books planned for the first week too. Here are a couple of fun crafts to go with the books I have planned.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
You can't skip this book the first week of school! Our focus will be all about names the first week (or more!). I put together all of my favorite books with some crafts to help teach all of those back to school procedures like cutting, gluing, and of course following directions.
The Wheels on the Bus
This one is fun for a little first sound fun. The students change the words to match the first sound in their name.
A My Name is Alice by Jane Bayer
Alphabet books are the best the first few weeks of school. A My Name is Alice Jane Bayer is the best! This is a fun activity to do after we read the book and they will make really cute self portraits to hang in the hallway the first week of school.
Not only did I plan out the activities for these books but for lots of other favorites like Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, Rosie Takes a Walk by Pat Hutchins, No David by David Shannon, and Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell.
So now I don't have to feel guilty when I am floating in the pool this summer (just kidding, I never feel guilty doing that!) But honestly, I can relax knowing all I have to do is hit print when I get back to school. These plans can work for you too! Click here to see them in my store!
Or if you are not ready to think about school yet pin this for later!
Love the name activities! We start on Monday and I definitely will be using a few of these. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI bought the kindergarten first week package and was so excited. When I opened each activity it would not allow me to print any of them. Help..any suggestions? Kathy
ReplyDeleteHello Kathy! The help tab on the TPT website has a list of ideas for printing. Generally speaking, printing problems can be because you need to update Adobe Acrobat Reader or other programs on your computer. If you are on a Mac and opening in Preview instead of Adobe that can also cause problems. This set has been downloaded and printed a lot, so it should be working fine.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry this took a little while to get back to you. I answer questions on TPT right away because I am notified when a question comes in. I don't get notifications on my blog comments and I am going to look into that now. Thank you for the question!
During the kindergarten's first week, as a teacher focus on fostering a welcoming environment. Establish routines, introduce basic rules, and encourage social interaction through games and group activities in kindergarten. Observe each child's individual needs and learning styles, aiming to create a supportive atmosphere where they feel safe to explore and express themselves. Building rapport with both students and parents is crucial, laying the foundation for a successful and engaging school year ahead.
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