So to be honest, I just purchased my book yesterday!!  I purchased the Kindle edition since I did a last minute purchase!  I had heard of this book before and seen it before, but have never actually read it so I thought this was the perfect way to get some new ideas and collaborate with other teachers and bloggers.  Click on the picture below to join the discussion!
http://kickinitinkindergarten.com/book-study-worksheets-dont-grow-dendrites-chapters-1-2/
 
The first strategy was all about brainstorming and discussion.  I think all students need a lot of time for brainstorming and discussion.  My kindergarten students come with a variety of background knowledge and they can really learn so much from just discussing a topic with their classmates.  I find that having my students "think, pair, share" or "turn and talk to a friend" works really well when brainstorming ideas.  It really helps all students get an idea to share with the class.  I would like to try using some sentence starters (I realized that... or I agree with ____ that ____ or I would like to add to ____'s idea) with my students during discussions like the book suggested.  I think with a lot of modeling and practice my kindergarten friends could really do this!
 
I love art!  I always try to add pictures on charts we create as a class and my kids will say, "You are such a good drawer" or "How do you draw so good?"  It's so cute!  I feel like I give my students a lot of drawing opportunities as far as drawing during writing, in their Notebook of Learning, or at a literacy center.  However, I would like to do more!  My teammate had a great idea to do a mural of a habitat for science and I decided I wanted to do the same because it sounded so fun and hands on for the kids.  My team then decided we would each take a different habitat to make a mural for.  We had been discussing the relationship between the needs of plants and animals and the places they live so this was a perfect culminating activity.  We had books out for students to "research" different plants and animals in the habitat.  The next day we brainstormed (hey that is strategy 1!!) plants and animals that live in that habitat.  The following day each student used construction paper, scissors, and glue to create a plant or animal that lives in that habitat.  My classroom looked like a huge mess, but there was SO much great learning happening!  Here are some pictures of each habitat that the kindergarten classes created (my class did the ocean habitat).  They turned out so great!

  This was a math lesson where my students got to do some drawing and artwork and they LOVED it!

 For this writing lesson, my students illustrated a "how to" book.  We created the words to the book as a class and then I had my students work in groups to illustrate the pages. 


And if you made it this far I have created a *FREEBIE* in my TpT store for you!  It is the "Teen Number Snowman" activity that I shared in this post.  Just click the picture to go to my store and download!
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Teen-Number-Snowman-1736968

Can't wait to check out who else joined the link-up and read their posts!!  Happy weekend!
  
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Graphics by: Kate Hadfield Designs and Glitter Meets Glue Designs Fonts by: KG Fonts
I hope everyone enjoyed the Teachers are Heroes TpT sale!!!  This was the first TpT sale where I marked my entire store on sale and I am so incredibly thankful to those who purchased products from my store!
 
I thought I would have my Five for Friday highlight some of the purchases I made!  No joke friends, I made THREE different transactions!!  I made a purchase on Wednesday night, then another on Thursday night.  Then I was checking Instagram later on Thursday night and saw Ashley over at One Sharp Bunch post about two different stores (Sonya Dehart Design and Paula Kim Studio) having their products on sale for 95 cents!  Seriously?!?!  95 CENTS!!  Digital papers and border frames galore!!  So I made yet ANOTHER purchase!  Here are just some of my purchases I made!!  If you click the picture, I have linked it up to go to their product if you decide you have to have it for yourself!

http://doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com/2015/02/five-for-friday-linky-party-february_27.html
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Kids-with-Clothespins-Clip-Art-1686412
I have been wanting this adorable clipart from Whimsy Clips and finally took the chance to purchase it during the sale!  So excited to use it!
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Easter-Candy-Clip-Art-1727996
 Glittery Peeps?!?!  LOVE!!  This Easter Candy clipart from Glitter Meets Glue Designs is GLITTERIFIC!!  Can't wait to use it for some spring products!!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ellie-Mini-Digital-Paper-Frame-and-Ribbon-Set-1422714
I love using digital papers when creating cover pages for my different products and this digital paper set from Teaching Super Power was just what I needed!!  I already have quite a few of her digital papers and LOVE them!!  Always so bright and colorful!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rainbow-Zebras-Creative-Clips-Digital-Clipart-1733068 https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rainbow-Moose-Creative-Clips-Digital-Clipart-1733070
Okay so I know this is clearly two pictures, but they are both Creative Clips Clipart!!  Creative Clips is one of the first clipart stores that I started getting clipart from and these sets were under $1 with the promo code!!  Her things are always super colorful and just so fun!  I recently organized my clipart and realized I could use more animal clipart so these were the perfect addition!
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Font-License-SINGLE-FONT-348256 
I went ahead and purchased another font license from KG Fonts!!  I am seriously in love with her fonts!! 

And this was my most popular product during the sale!!
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Games-1418656
I would love to hear your favorite purchases from the sale!  Hope you have a wonderful weekend and be sure to link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching with your Five for Friday!
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So we did one of my all time favorite math lessons in kindergarten yesterday!!  We made EDIBLE DOMINOES!!  I have done this lesson in the past and it is always one of my favorites!
 
We have been using dominoes to add so the kids were thrilled to make a domino they could eat!
 
Last week in math, I gave my students a math talk for them to record about the dots on their domino.  We also looked at the book Domino Addition.
This group decided they wanted to hold the math talk up like a speech bubble!!  So cute!

Making an Edible Domino
To make an edible domino you just need Graham crackers (one full cracker for each student), icing, a pretzel stick, and candy pieces (I used m&m's).  I have my students use a popsicle stick to spread the icing and it works really well.  You will also need real dominoes.  I had my students pick their favorite domino and then show that on their edible domino. 

Have your students put the Graham cracker on a plate.  Let them spread icing on the cracker using a popsicle stickHave your students put a pretzel stick in the middle of the cracker.  This way they can put some of their candy pieces on one side and some on the other.  Once your students have made their domino, have them record what it looks like on their recording sheet and complete the addition sentence/number sentence.  And finally...<insert drum roll here>...they get to eat their math!!  The best part!

 Here are some pictures of the work my students did! 

I am including the recording sheet as a FREEBIE for you!!  If you use it, I would love to hear what your students thought of the lesson!  To grab the freebie, click the image below!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-kLuB6C2FdhckFndzN3SkRzZVU/view?usp=sharing
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It's Friday!!  I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching with my Five for Friday!  This is such a fun linky party so be sure to join the fun if you haven't already!
http://doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com/2015/02/five-for-friday-linky-party-february_20.html

 My students LOVE to write!!  They even choose to write during inside recess!  This makes me so excited as a teacher that they get excited about writing.  I make cards for each month that they can use at the writing center to help them with their writing.  These two friends were writing about George Washington!  
I found this idea on Pinterest and then made these last night (I have the hot glue burn on my hand to prove it - OUCH!!!).  I took pictures of my kids as George Washington or Abraham Lincoln.  I am going to put it with their writing that they did today about presidents.  You can find the original idea here.
 "Roll a Word" is always a popular activity at the word work center.  I put it out this week and the kids were happy to have it out againMy students practice writing and spelling word wall words and CVC words with this game.  It is great practice for word work and FUN!!
I just recently did a blog post about math talks.  If you haven't seen it, check it out hereWe used a math talk with dominoes this week.  Some of them even put the math talk up to their mouth after they wrote it to look like a speech bubble!  It just doesn't get much cuter!!
http://mycarolinaclassroom.blogspot.com/2015/02/blogiversary-giveaway.html
Have you checked out My Carolina Classroom?!?!  Kristin is doing a great "Blogiversary Giveaway" and I was happy to help her out by donating a product from my store to her giveaway!  

Hope everyone stays warm and has a great weekend! 
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