Reading Comprehension Card Game

This summer, I've decided to do theme days with my kids, so these posts will be more geared toward older kids (I have one entering 2nd and one entering 4th). Here are the theme days we're doing: 

•      Maker Monday (science, art, STEM)
•      Telling Tales Tuesday (Literacy) 
•      World Wonders Wednesday (Social Studies) 
•      Throwing Things Thursday (Phys Ed)
•      Finding Facts Friday (Math) 

Yesterday, for Maker Monday, we did a Lego challenge that you can see if you check out my Facebook Page. 

Today,  I decided to play this card game I made up. We're just finished up reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, so we're going to use that book. The rules are simple. You draw a card and follow these instructions: 

Ace- Tell a main idea

King/Queen- Chose a character from the book and tell something about them

Jack- Tell about the setting

Number cards- Tell that number of supporting details (you may want to take out some of the higher numbers to keep from running out of details depending on the length of the book)

Joker- Act out a part of the story

Be sure to ask guiding questions. Was that character key in solving the problem in the story and how? How do you know that's when the story took place?  How did that detail effect the conclusion of the story?  Did that happen in the beginning, middle or end of the story? 

Have fun with it! 

Super Easy Puppet Theater

I decided we needed a puppet theater for the classroom this year since we have so many puppets. I made a whole space for it!  Found this easy design on Pinterest (https://pin.it/q4amyzj2dt5275) using a tri-fold board and here are the results. I'm pretty happy with it. Now, let's see if it lasts!

Bobbin Lace Bookmarks

So I've recently begun a new craft. Surprise, surprise, I know! It's called Bobbin lace after the wooden bobbins that you use to weave the threads, or pillow lace after the pillow that you pin your pattern to while you make the lace.  So... since I'm a beginner, I haven't bought the pillow yet (it's like $60). I made my own little work surface out of some foam and cardboard I had laying around. Check out what I've done so far. https://youtu.be/6gFc5M8cSo4

Doctor Study in Preschool

Here are some photos of the unit we are currently working on in Head Start, "What do doctors do?" We changed our block area into a doctor's office. We added doctor's dress-up coats, doctor's kits, tongue depressors, clipboards with paper and pencil, bandages made out of cut up fabric, real bandaids (I found a box of brightly colored ones at Family Dollar for a dollar), a doctor's table (our play couch turned upside down), and chiars for the waiting patients.

Oh, and don't forget our Doc McStuffins sign!

Then, we made out sensory table into the pharmacy. Here is an empty box we happened to have that was the perfect size to put medicine bottles in for pickup.

In the sensory table, I added some old medicine bottles (thoroughly washed out of course) and some other bottles of similar size, with labels covered with tape that simply say "Name," so that they can be written on with dry erase markers.

Also, I added small paper cups, medicine spoons, funnels, test tubes, magnifiers, wooden sticks, and paper bags to the "pharmacy." I put in some flour and salt for the children to mix up their own "medicine."

Here are the books and DVDs we used:

Please feel free to comment with your ideas about a doctor study.

Preschool Classroom Setup-Walls

So, it is February and I am FINALLY getting my post up from the beginning of the year about our classroom setup. These are some photos of our circle time area wall and our birthday board. I decided to make it real simple this year. We don't even have a calendar, just the interchangable day, month and weather words. Also, I love that our word wall is interactive with velcro, so the children can take the words off when they want. Also, the laminated white posterboard is being used as a dry erase board for making our webs about our topic, lists, etc. When done, I take a photo before erasing it for documentation. It is much better than having chart paper hung all over the room or finding somewhere to store it that I will remember.

Here is a close-up of the word wall.

Here is our birthday board.

Please leave comments about things that are on the walls in your classroom!

Crochet Baby Blankets

I just finished up these 2 baby blankets for a family member who has a cousin with twins. I used the pattern on this blog. This is a fast and easy pattern as every other row is v-stitch. I loved the way they turned out. I hope you will try it out. I have since found other uses for the v-stitch including the chunky cowl from my last post.

Chunky Cowl- Free Pattern!

Here is a pattern that I created for a cowl using a v-stitch that I liked from a baby blanket pattern. I made it for my sister (pictured) along with the wrist warmers which I don't have a pattern for. I pretty much just winged it with those using mostly double crochet stitch and one row of V-stitch so there would be an opening for the thumb hole.

I used a 9mm hook and thick yarn.

Ch. 20

Row 1: DC in 2nd st from hook and each st to end. Turn, ch 2. (19 sts)

Row 2: sk 1st st, dc in next, sk 1, *V-stitch (DC, ch 1, DC in same st), sk 2. Repeat from *. After last V-stitch, sk 1, DC, then another DC in ch 2 from previous row. (5 V-sts)

Repeat Row 1-2 until you reach desired length ending with row 1. Finish off and weave in ends.

Add 2 large wood buttons on one end.

The only advice I have is to make sure your buttons are big enough because they will be going through the V-stitch holes. You want to make sure they're not going to slip out easily like mine do. My sister is currently looking for some larger buttons to replace the ones I used. LOL

Please comment any questions you have because this is the first pattern I have ever written myself, so I want to make sure it can be understood. Thanks for your help!

Crayon/Coloring Book Carrying Case

Christmas Treats

It's a little late, but here are all the goodies I made for Christmas this year. White chocolate oreo bark, raspberry almond thumbprints, decorated christmas tree and snowflake shaped spritz cookies, mint oreo truffles, reindeer chow, chocolate covered pretzels in tree and reindeer shapes, and white chocolate snowmen. You can find all these wonderful yummy treats on my "Desserts" board on Pinterest. Just follow me, Cacheymama!

Pinterest.com/cacheymama

On the Go!

So, I have decided to try and do some posting on my blog again. I would like to have a post at least once a week or so. So..... I decided with my busy schedule, I needed an easier way to type on the go. I just recieved my new bluetooth keyboard in the mail and I am so excited to use it. So far, it is working great! Will hopefully have a review of it soon after I've used it a little more. And, I'll give a little warning right now, my posts may be on a lot of random topics, but since it is now Cachey Mama's WORLD OF LEARNING, I would have to say that covers a wide range of topics anyway! Happy reading friends!

Lori <3