First-Day Ideas
Posted by Debra Liverman on 13 Aug 2008 | Posted in: Teachers and Teaching, The Mailbox
By now you’ve probably heard that we updated The MAILBOX Intermediate starting with the August/September issue. (Take a peek here if you haven’t seen it.) We are all very excited about it! One of the newest departments that we added to that magazine is called “What Works for You?” The featured topic in the Aug/Sep issue was first-day ideas. Here is a look at the four ideas that Peggy (Managing Editor) selected for the magazine.
In just a few weeks (or days!), school bells will be ringing around the country. In order to get everyone ready, I’d love for you to share with other readers “What first-day activities work for YOU?”
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48 Responses to “First-Day Ideas”
More Comments Pages: « 1 2 3 [4] Show All Comments
More Comments Pages: « 1 2 3 [4] Show All Comments
On the first day of school, we sit in a circle and play a game called: Name Ball. I roll the ball to each child and they have to say their name, roll it to another child and he says his name, etc. until all have had several turns. We also read the story Mouse’s First Day of School by Lauren Thompson, and talk about the similarities of Mouse’s experiences and theirs.
I was interested in ideas and activities about THE CRAYON BOX THAT TALKED that Lawanna wrote in about on Aug 13. This is the first time that I have sent anything to this comment site, so don’t know how retrieving such info is done.
Thanks so much!
Betsy
My 3’s Preschool Class will meet on the first day for an hour with one parent. I love it because it is a nice way for the children to get aquainted with the class with the security of Mom or Dad with them. We follow an abbreviated schedule that gives them a taste of what our days will be like in Preschool. We have a Preschool scavenger hunt to locate all of the important places in our classroom..cubbies, circle time carpet, our teachers and, of course, the Bathroom! We read the story, Fox Makes Friends by Adam Relf. I then ask both parent and child to decorate a page which has been preprogrammed with all of the names of our new Preschol friends. This is a nice page to bring home to help them remember the names of their new friends! It is a real nice activity- not too overwhelming for the first day of school for my little learners!
The August/September issue of The Mailbox Preschool has a great animal-themed unit for welcoming preschoolers called “Wild About Preschool” (p. 4). There are also numerous other back-to-school ideas sprinkled throughout that issue. Mailbox Companion members, simply type “back to school” in the new search feature on the homepage and you’ll get dozens of additional ideas!
Are there First-Day ideas for pre-school?
During the first week, I read How to Lose All Your Friends. Then each student gets a large piece of paper to make their page for our big book titled How to Keep All Your Friends. Students can come up with ideas on what makes a good friendship, write it, then illustrate it.
Before the first day, I make red, blue and yellow ice cubes. I pack them by color in freezer bags. As a first day activity, each kindergartener chooses two different colors that get placed into their own quart sized freezer bag. (Make sure to use freezer bags-they are more sturdy.) We make predictions about what will happen to our ice cubes. This is a fun activity that genereates lots of smiles!
I am using the Crayon that Talked, as well, but I will be making a friendship fruit salad, and leaving out the rotten banana.
For the first day of school, I like to play the “get to know your neighbor” game. I hand out a paper that has several questions on it for them to ask the people around them such as “do you have a dog?” or “where were you born?” They start off in groups of four and then every couple of minutes they have to switch groups. We’ll play this for about 15 minutes-20 minutes. It’s a great way for them to get to know each other, especially those who are new to the school.
Last year for Kindergarten I made magic playdough and told the kids that this was special playdough that told the future (It is white playdough with food coloring in the center). If it changes colors then we are going to have an amazing year together we make predictions and discuss with our neighbors what we think is going to happen. Of course it changes colors and all the kids are amazed how it changes colors. Plus they have something they can take home with them to help with their small muscle coordination. I also read the gingerbread man and while I was reading a clue fell out and it sent us on a gingerbread man hunt around the school to every place and every person they need to know. Each person/place has a clue that sends us to the next place. This is great for teaching how to walk in a hallway and in a line because we have to be quiet if we want to sneak up on the gingerbread man and catch him. Then the last clue leads us to the room where there is a gingerbread man cookie waiting for them. After they take their first bite we graph which part of the body was eaten. After they enjoy the rest of the cookie while I finish the story. This was a huge hit. I am moving to first grade and am going to do something similar but with brown bear brown bear and going on a bear hunt.
I am trying a new back to school theme this year. I will be using the story “The Crayon Box That Talked” as my focus story. I have found many activities and ideas using crayons and I think that this story will help to reinforce the theme of community. I have also used the story Kissing Hand as a first week theme.
I play what seems like a game to the students from the minute I open the door to let them in. This is my way of insuring that the morning procedures are learned. It goes like this: After greeting the students outside my door I invite them in to hang up their backpacks and sit on the carpet facing our calendar. Next I add more morning procedures like: after you hang up your backpack, go to the lunch count board and make your choice. Then grab your math notebook and pencil and have a seat on the carpet for calendar. Then we all go back outside, line up again and try it. You need to make a big deal when you open the door like it’s the first time you’ve seen them. The kids come in, follow the new procedures and sit on the carpet. Then I add another procedure or two like where to turn in lunch money, homework and notes to me. Then the go back outside, line up and try it again. It’s fun and they remember.