calendar binder or book kindergarten learning tool and lesson — Photo Source: growingkinders.blogspot.com

These calendar books from Kathleen at Growing Kinders are going to blow your socks off! A fantastic morning activity, with the comprehensive activity students are sure to learn new concepts, build upon old ones, and gain new skills that span across several subjects. Here's a sneak peek at a few of our favorite activities.

Date Patterning

The first order of business is to identify the day's month and date {as well as review the day of the week}. On the blank calendar in their notebook, students then pencil the correct numeral in the appropriate column/box. The twist - Kathleen has her students practice patterning by writing the dates in a specific color order. Consider beginning with simpler patterns {i.e. ABAB, AABBAABB}, then move onto more challenging patterns that involve more variables/colors {i.e. ABCABC, AABAAB, ABBABB, etc.}. Date Math

Using the provided worksheet, students are asked to 'make the date' in coins. For example, on March 2nd, students would draw two pennies in the correct box, on March 15th they would draw one dime and one nickle or three nickles, etc. Not only do students learn the proper value of coins, they also strengthen counting and adding skills.

Temperature Tally & Weather Graph

Adding a bit of science and math into the calendar book, Kathleen invites her little 'weather watchers' to observe the temperature and weather conditions. To incorporate temperature, Kathleen divided a thermometer into colored regions {i.e. zero to eighteen degrees Fahrenheit corresponds with purple, nineteen to thirty-eight with blue, etc.}. In the morning, a student volunteer reads the digital thermometer display or references The Weather Channel website, the actual temperature is compared to the colored zones and a tally is placed in the correct color box. To keep track of weather conditions, students are given a weather graph to mark off the type of weather being experienced each day during that month.

Other Calendar Book Features

Music: Kathleen has her students sing the days of the week and the months of the year as they fill out their calendars.
Writing: Students are asked to write out the numeric date {i.e. 3-17-11} and correctly pen the day of the week.
Math: Students decide if the numeric date is an odd or even number and practice counting by 2s.
Skill Practice: Students practice telling time with an analog clock, then write the time in their binder.
And SO MUCH MORE!

This is a fantastic way to get your students ready for the day! Be sure to visit Kathleen's site for pictures, additional calendar book activities, and other great early childhood resources!

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