HIT> Kindergarten Activities (long)

[Madeline Buchanan <dems105@UABDPO.DPO.UAB.EDU>]

Many thanks to those who sent activities to be used with kindergarten
students.  Below are some suggestions that I received:

Barbara Fiehn included a lot of visual literacy into her stories such as
reading the pictures, looking for details in facial expressions, movement,
and body language.  She also used thinking activities, predictions, making
up endings, book terms, and parts of a book.  Her favorite authors for
kindergarten stories included Donald Crews and Pat Hutchins because they
are non-verbal enough to keep the students interested.

D'Anne Easton suggested dividing kindergarten students into 3 groups at the
beginning of the year.  She reads to one group, another sits at a table and
does read-alongs, and the third group might draw pictures relating to a
book they just heard.

Sandy Williams suggested dividing the time into short segments.  These
segments might include doing simple exercises, reading a story, discussing
the story, and singing motion songs.  She also suggested using puppets
daily.

Blythe Bennett plays "I Spy" with her kindergarten students, relating the
objects that the students see to the stories chosen for the class.  The
students tell why a particular object is chosen.  She also does finger
rhymes.

Freida Hammett says to break up the period into a telling and retelling
session, letting the children use art activities to retell the stories they
have just heard.

Mary Ludwick uses puzzles made from cereal, dog food, or cracker boxes.
She cuts large pieces so kindergarten students can be successful.  Students
browse through magazines.  She also has books on zoo animals, dinosaurs,
and farm animals accompanied by plastic figures.

When Kay Salling feels creative she has an artsy activity along with a
story, such as folding newspaper hats.  One of her projects is an alphabet
project.  The alphabet is cut, one letter each week, by folding squares of
paper and cutting, following directions, with no lines on the paper.  (I
cut my letters the same way for bulletin boards).  She also tells or read
stories, shows a short video, and lets them look at books.

Kelly King Hamilton suggests making felt hats to go along with the story
"Hats for Sale" and act out the story as it is read.

Marla Hall places Caldecott winners at a table for browsing.  Sometimes she
does two tables of fiction and two of nonfiction.  After explaining the
difference, the students have hands-on time.  She then switches the books
so the students can see each type.

Maryellen Paull suggests using "Story Stretchers" by Raines and Canady;
"Read for the Fun of It," "New Handbook for Storytellers," "This Way to
Books," "Celebrations," and "Presenting Reader's Theatre" by Caroline
Feller Bauer; and "Story Play Costumes, Cooking, Music, and More for Young
Children" by Joyce Harlow.  Harlow's book provides fun things to do with
classic stories.  Other ideas include flannelboard stories, making paper
bag puppets, story masks, and have students read a book.  Students color a
double-sided page illustrating the care of books during a 6-week unit on
care of books.  They put them in order,
read them in the library and take them home to read to their families.  Her
most fun activity is to read "Green Eggs and Ham" and then make green eggs
and ham and eat it.

Meredith Prostak suggests enriching storytime with group singing of easy
songs, using listening activities that use recorded music, and doing art
activities that are tied to stories such as modeling characters in clay or
making cardboard masks.  Children can act out folk tales.

Patricia Heydweiller feels that kindergarten students should know such book
characters as Clifford, Peter Rabbit, Babar, Angus, Madeline, and Corduroy
visually as well as hearing the stories.  Shetries to read more than one
book over a period of time with each character, calling them "story stars"
and reviewing them each week.  Students draw and color the book characters.
Sometimes her students make stick puppets of the characters and the
activities may be followed up with a film or video.  Patricia has also
started collecting puzzles that go with books for small group activities,
but that needs either flexible scheduling or parent volunteers.

Sunnie Tait reads stories, sings songs or does finger plays, and then has
activities connected with the stories.  While the students do the
activities, she takes just a few at a time to select books.  Students also
use the CD-ROM with Broderbund's Living Books Series.  An example is her
unit with Alistair Underwater.  Students are doing sea and fish related
activities.  She has fish and animal stamps and the students make
bookmarks.  The students make fish necklaces, trace shells, and have ship
stencils.  Students make bread and ham sandwiches with "Bread and Jam for
Frances."  For a dinosaur unit the students make dinosaur tooth necklaces.

Tongay Epp suggests cooking projects or hands-on art activities.  She adds
fingerplays, action songs, drama, and puppets.

JoAnn Skinner is using shareware programs called "Amy's First Primer" and
"Reading and Me."  She and a library volunteer work with small groups at a
computer, teaching the use of the directional keys on the keyboard and
gradually using numerical keys.  A few even use the alphabet keys.  This
teaches the children directional skills as well as the concepts of taking
turns and sharing.



     Madeline L. Buchanan            Barrett Elementary School
     Library Media Specialist        7601 Division Avenue
     dems105@uabdpo.dpo.uab.edu      Birmingham, AL  35206
                                     (205) 838-7644