Preschool Teacher's Resource

Free Resources to Teach Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

2013-06-15T08:30:00.000-05:00

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is a classic children's book for teaching the alphabet. Here is part of the review/description from Publishers Weekly-
In this bright and lively rhyme, the letters of the alphabet race each other to the top of the coconut tree. When X, Y and Z finally scramble up the trunk, however, the weight is too much, and down they all tumble in a colorful chaotic heap: "Chicka Chicka . . . BOOM! BOOM!

There are some great early childhood resources out there for this delightful children's book. Most of them are FREE!

Train Up a Child Has 30+ Activities

Hubbards Cupboard has an incredible FREE unit on their website

DLTK Crafts has coloring pages and two levels of paper crafts

Little Giraffes has a cute water bottle craft and more

Mrs. Lee's Kindergarten has a Unit on the book on TPT-Here is a preview of many activities on her website

There are many versions of Chicka Chicka Boom being read or sung on You Tube, some good, some not so good....
So watch out for those falling letters!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom 7.99 Paperback
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom 1.99 in the Kindle store

Printable Preschool Calendar for June 2013

2013-05-31T06:58:00.002-05:00

Here is a cute little song that piggybacks to Mary Had a Little Lamb. Once you finish the verse, pick a child to name something to put into the picnic basket. You can talk about nutritious foods and emphasize making the right choices. Sing this song on your class picnic!

Print Out This Calendar

Here is a great free book about the beach. Counting, Naming Colors and Matching. It is free on Teachers Pay Teachers for a limited amount of time. Get yours now!

Calendar for May 2013

2013-05-01T08:57:00.001-05:00

It's all about sharing! As the traditional school comes to a close, sharing in the classroom can be difficult. Here is a little song for your children to sing and remember to do things in a sharing way. It also teaches them to say please and thank you while they ask to share with another. Ah, if only it were that easy, but the song may help.

Click Here to Print Out a PDF of This Calendar

Here is a book and file folder game about sharing. It is free on Teachers Pay Teachers for a limited amount of time. Get yours now!

Calendar for April 2013

2013-03-30T10:01:00.000-05:00

Kids love to sing fast. This song lets them go faster, and faster and faster. Sing the Little Ducks song to the tune of This Old Man. You can curb their falling down by sitting still and clapping on the quacking lines, or you can let them walk in place.
Don't forget to play Duck, Duck Goose!

Click Here to Print This Calendar

A Classic Book About a Duck

Duck Paper Plate Craft

Duck Coloring Page

CLICK HERE

Easter Crafts and Stories

2013-03-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

Just a few things to help in planning Easter in your classroom.

EASTER CRAFTS
Funny Bunny Hat from Busy Bee Kid's Crafts
Coffee Filter Eggs from the Chocolate Muffin Tree

COLORING SHEETS
ColoringPages.net-Many Easter Coloring Sheets
Blank Eggs to Print and Decorate from DLTK

EASTER STORIES

One spring morning, the Easter Bunny skips merrily along to deliver his colorful, hand-painted eggs. But the children tell him that it's Mother's Day, which can only mean one thing: HE SLEPT THROUGH EASTER! Nobody wants eggs on Mother's Day, or on the Fourth of July -- and especially not on Halloween. Children will sympathize with the little bunny's plight and cheer when Santa finds the perfect gift to help!
Originally published in 1957, The Easter Bunny that Overslept now returns with a fresh look, promising to delight new generations of children. What a wonderful tale to share at Easter, Mother's Day, Christmas ... or at any time at all!

In this charming Easter story, Peter Rabbit and his friends are looking for ducklings. Classic Beatrix Potter characters combine with beautiful, contemporary styling to make this little board book (with a 3-D Peter Rabbit applique!) a must for every child's Easter!

St Patricks Day Stories and Crafts

2013-03-10T10:30:00.002-05:00

Need a good picture book for St. Patrick's Day? Here are few that be purchased on Amazon or searched for at your public library.

On St. Parick's Day, come dance a jig with the students in the classroom ALA Booklist calls "a lively place."
Today in Mrs. Madoff's class we all wore something green to school. Kate played the fiddle and we danced to Irish music. Then we learned about St. Patrick and many Irish tales and traditions. Now we know why there are no snakes in Ireland. Not every-one in school is all Irish like me, but we all can celebrate St. Patrick's Day together!

Natasha Wing puts an Irish twist on a Christmas classic. It's the night before St. Patrick's Day, and Tim and Maureen are wide awake setting traps to catch a leprechaun! When they wake the next morning to the sound of their dad playing the bagpipes and the smell of their mom cooking green eggs, they're shocked to find that they've actually caught a leprechaun. But will they be able to find his pot of gold?

CRAFTS
Many St Patrick's Day Crafts from DLTK
Shamrock Hat from a Paper Plate (and other holidays as well!)

COLORING SHEET
Shamrock and Hat

Preschool Calendar for March 2013

2013-03-01T09:37:00.000-06:00

Time for our March calendar. This is a good movement song for kids to pretend plant and water flowers. If you do some class planting projects this Spring, use this song as your kids plant seeds or flowers. The song follows the traditional tune of Tideo until the end when the kids can raise their hands from floor to ceiling as the plant grows.

Click Here to Print This Calendar

Cupcake Daffodil Craft Project from Katie's Nesting Spot

Planting Seeds Project from Noey

Gardening Books

Preschool Calendar for February and a New File Folder Game

2013-02-01T19:12:00.002-06:00

Time for the February calendar. This month's calendar song is to work on greeting skills with regular or special learners. Many children do not know what to say when greeted by adults and for an autistic child it's even tougher. Use this little song to practice greeting skills with your kids. It is piggybacked to the first part of the familiar tune, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

Print This Calendar

This month I have a new file folder game to reinforce pattern matching. You can find Hearts and Flowers at
Teachers Pay Teachers
or
Currclick

Finally, my the second book in my mystery series is free to download on Kindle February 1st and 2nd. Click Here to Download Overdue for Murder.

January 2013 Preschool Calendar

2013-01-02T07:49:00.000-06:00

January is here and all of the crazy Christmas activities are behind us. This month's song is probably promoting a bad habit but it is oh-so-much fun. Sing the song in a circle inside your classroom and in the end everyone jump to the center. Make sure your circle is big enough that you don't end up with kids smashing into each other. This song is sung to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat.

Print Out This Calendar

Time for our December 2012 Calendar

2012-12-01T11:07:00.000-06:00

This month's calendar song is sung to the familiar tune Jingle Bells. With lights strung everywhere this is an excellent opportunity for counting. At the end of the song have your students put up there hands and see how far they can count!

Go to a printable version of this calendar.

Check out my other Christmas activities

Time for our November 2012 Calendar

2012-11-03T20:29:00.001-05:00

A little late, but here is our November calendar. This one is a chant to recite as you take your kids to the library. Practice your library routine in your classroom by setting up a library center where children can "check out" books.

Click here to print this calendar

Teaching the Picture Book: Tumford the Terrible

2012-10-13T07:59:00.000-05:00

If you are working on the concept of saying "sorry" after a behavioral incident, then the book Tumford the Terrible is a delightful way to demonstrate to your children the positive aspects of apologizing.
In the story, the little cat Tumford gets into all kinds of trouble but has a hard time apologizing. Because he can't face it, he runs off and hides. Tumford, of course, comes to the realization that maybe he wouldn't be so miserable if he would just try to apologize for his actions. This is a funny and entertaining book that would be suitable for 3's, 4's, Pre-K and Kindergarten.
Here are some ways to reinforce this book.

Bulletin Board-Put cat paws all over your bulletin board and then ask your class things they might say sorry for doing--spilling milk, not picking up toys, not listening to the teacher, hitting someone, etc. Write this list on a piece of construction paper and put it up in the center of the cat paws. Suggested title the bulletin board- Saying You're Sorry Is A Big Kid Thing!

Cat With Fish Coloring Page

Letter C Cat-Trace the Word and Color the Cat

I Can Say I'm Sorry File Folder Game from Sugar Doodles

Manners Games and Activities from Childfun

Time for our October 2012 Calendar

2012-10-01T05:27:00.000-05:00

For this month, The Not So Itsy Spider. I have actually posted this one before, but brought it back because of reader requests. It's a really fun song set to the the tune "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" warning of the evils of too much candy.

Print this month's calendar

Teaching With The Picture Book: The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse

2012-09-29T10:44:00.002-05:00

The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle was named one of the best picture books of 2011 for many reasons. I like it because it teaches colors and reinforces creativity in preschoolers. The book doesn't follow the traditional color patterns making a horse brown and a crocodile green. This enables children to see the color first and then the animal. It's also a lot fun, especially when the kids get to tell you how wrong you are!

Here are some coloring sheets to go along with this book.

Horse to color blue

Crocodile to color red

Cow to color yellow

Rabbit to color pink

Lion to color green

Elephant to color orange

Fox to color purple

Polar Bear to color black

Donkey to color with many colors

Here is a link to the book on Amazon

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Last Day To Get Your Free Preschool Week Long Unit!

2012-09-15T08:24:00.000-05:00

It's the last day to get this freebie! If you haven't downloaded The curriculum guide for The Sunflower Parable follow the links below!

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO GET YOUR FREE COPY UNTIL SEPTEMBER 15, 2012

Order the Book the Curriculum Guide is Based on From Amazon

Time for Our September 2012 Calendar

2012-09-01T11:58:00.000-05:00

For September we have an exercise chant to get all those wiggles out. I listed jump, run and walk but you could also add in twirl, tiptoe, crawl and blink is a good one for slowing down. Have fun with it and channel your inner drill sergeant!

Print Out this Calendar

Don't forget one of my curriculum guides is downloadable for free until September 15.

Preschool Unit for The Sunflower Parable at Currclick

Preschool Unit for The Sunflower Parable at Teachers Pay Teachers

Curriculum Guide Freebie!

2012-08-29T17:14:00.002-05:00

My curriculum guide The Sunflower Parable will be free until September 15! This curriculum guide is a great way to start off the school year if you teach in a Christian school. It is one of four curriculum guides I wrote for the Liz Curtis Higgs Parable series. It usually sells on Currclick for 2.50 but for the next couple of weeks--it's free!

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO GET YOUR FREE COPY UNTIL SEPTEMBER 15, 2012

Order the Book the Curriculum Guide is Based on From Amazon

Time for Our August 2012 Calendar

2012-08-02T08:41:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it's August already? Obviously it crept up on me because I'm a day late with the calendar! This little song is a great one for teaching new classes about walking around in a line. It is sung to "The Farmer in the Dell" tune and is easy to teach and learn. If you feel adventurous you can switch "walking in line" to "hopping in line" or "tiptoeing in line". The kids will love it.

Print out a copy of this calendar

Time for Our July 2012 Preschool Calendar

2012-07-01T14:19:00.000-05:00

This month, as I listen to the sounds of various ice cream trucks going up and down my streets...and try to resist...our song is about buying ice cream. Sing this song to the common tune "Here Comes the Bride" and when you finish the verse put in a foot stomp and chant:
chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, yummmm!

Your kids will love it and you can teach about safety, counting, colors and flavors.

Click Here To Go To The Printable Page

June 2012 Preschool Classroom Calendar

2012-06-01T14:29:00.002-05:00

This month we sing about growing flowers! Sing this song with the tune "Clementine" or it also works with the tune from "Found a Peanut". Pantomime planting a seed and then when the flower grows have the children act out the flower going from the floor to the ceiling. Raise the pitch of your voice on your final "groooooooow".
I now have some of my curriculum guides over at Currclick and to celebrate I have priced my Sunflower Parable Unit at $1 for the month of June. This is a week long unit to use with the book The Sunflower Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs. The discount only works with this LINK for Printable Pre-K/Preschool Teacher's Resource visitors.

Click here to print out a copy of this month's calendar.

Time for our May 2012 Calendar

2012-05-01T19:00:00.000-05:00

As our students are planting seeds and watching butterflies emerge from cocoons, it's a good time for a worm song. There's lots of action in this song for those rainy days and it is sung to "Mary Had a Little Lamb".
Want to expand on this song?

Dr. Jean has a whole page of wormy activities here.

Here is a bookworm craft from DLTK Crafts.

Click Here to print out this calendar.

Teaching the Letter L

2012-04-18T11:03:00.001-05:00

Lovely L Activities!

Crafts for the Letter L
Paper Bag Lion Puppet from DLTK Crafts
Lamb Handprint Craft from DLTK Crafts
Hearts Ladybug Craft from First School

Put a giant paper L on your wall and have the kids cut out and glue pictures of words beginning with L.

Coloring Pages for L
Apple for the Teacher-Lion, Lamb, Ladder, and more

Online Story for L
The Lion and the Mouse-Animated Online Story from PBS Kids

Letter L Songs
London Bridge from Kididdles
Looby Loo from Kididdles
Both of these songs are great for movement on rainy days!

Practice Worksheets
L Handwriting Worksheets

Online Exercises for "L"
See the letter drawn at Kat's ABC's Just For Me

Books With "L" Characters

Time for Our April 2012 Calendar

2012-04-01T18:58:00.003-05:00

The song for this month can be used with the classic story The Tale of the Three Trees. This is a wonderful old folktale about three trees who end up serving God in becoming a cradle, boat and cross. It is a great story to tell this time of year or at Christmas time. I have a curriculum guide that I created for this story many years ago and it is up at Teachers Pay Teachers. It is a week long preschool unit for the book.
If you are looking for the book, there are a couple of different versions of this book at Amazon.

Print Out This Calendar

Reviewers seem to prefer the second book.

Time for our March 2012 Calendar

2012-02-29T16:01:00.000-06:00

Many of you are probably not old enough to remember hammer time from the 80's but here is a nice little song for a construction unit. The final two lines can be clapped, knee-patted or stomped. Sing this song to "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush".

Printable March 2012 Calendar

St. Patrick's Day Addition Game

2012-02-16T16:30:00.000-06:00

St.Patrick's Day Addition Game for Preschoolers and Pre-K

This game provides children a way to practice addition visually using a St. Patrick’s Day theme. Provided is an addition mats, examples, 50 addition cards, 10 answer cards, 2 sliders, and square and circle counters. This is free to download on your computer from Currclick for a limited time.