FDK Learn and Play

I know we've barely begun summer vacation, but I'm already thinking about getting back into the classroom, and wondering what I need to replenish in my room. Teachers tend to spend a lot of our own money on our classrooms, I'm definitely guilty of this (you can check a few posts back to see just how guilty I am!). I want to give my students the most enriching program I can, and so I tend to buy materials, resources, books... the list goes on and on! But, over the years I have managed to find a few simple hacks to save myself a little bit of spending - and do some good for the environment at the same time. As we gear up to (maybe) go back to school, I thought I would share some of my favourite upcycles for the classroom!  1. PLASTIC FRUIT TRAYS First up, plastic fruit and veggie trays. These are perfect for SO many activities! I use them for arts and crafts invitations, to organize materials for small world areas, they're fantastic for play dough and loose parts set ups,...

This January I experienced a teaching first - I studied Lunar New Year (also called Chinese New Year) with my kindergarten class. Let me tell you, we all loved it and learned so much! I had a little one join our class this year, having moved here from China, as well as a few other students who are also of Asian descent, so I knew I wanted to try it this year. However, as it isn't something from my own culture, I needed to do some learning on my own first. From there, I created some resources that I wanted to use with my class, which you can find here if you are interested:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Kindergarten-Lunar-New-Year-Pack-5115304 . The storytelling area in my classroom is very popular, so I chose a book to model it after and then collected the materials needed.  The book "Ruby's Chinese New Year" is a really fun story, it talks about traditions of the Lunar New Year as well as explains the twelve animals of the Zodiac. I chos...

It's not a great time to be a teacher in Ontario - we're fighting for the future of a publicly funded quality education amid a storm of misinformation. While I can't combat all of the misinformation floating around in the media and on social media, I can share a little bit of my own personal truth as a teacher. Contrary to the stance I see taken by a great number of keyboard warriors on social media platforms - I care about my students. A lot.  As you know by the name of this blog, I teach full day kindergarten (FDK) in Ontario, Canada. The FDK program is "play-based" - which means I set out educational provocations for the children to play, learn and explore in a structured and well documented environment. It is NOT a free-for-all, which is a common misconception. I spend my nights thinking of new and exciting ways to get my students interested in mathematics, science, literacy and the arts - and I spend much of my paycheque bringing that to life. Here are tw...

Do you incorporate sensory play into your programming? I understand why people don't - it can seem daunting to figure out what materials to use, and I know people worry about the mess. But I've been tinkering around with sensory play since 2012, and I'm going to share my tips on how to make it meaningful, engaging, and best of all - EASY!  First up - the container! When I first started in kindergarten I used the large sand/water table that was in the room, and I only filled it with (you guessed it!) sand or water. Now, I do still use the large table, but typically I have wheeled it outside or used it with larger scale activities. What I have found works for me now is a clear storage bin (I buy the 32 litre size) with a lid that latches. There are a few reasons I like to use these bins. First of all , they are large enough for the kids to really get in there and have a good time with the materials, but they are small enough that typically only 2 - 3 kids can play together...