Welcome 2014 Using Morning Meeting and Daily Calendar

     The winter holiday is winding down and I am looking forward to the return to class next week.  As I look back over the first trimester I can pin point several strategies that are working really well to motivate my girls this year.  I hope to share a few of these over the next few weeks to help others who are searching for something new to jazz up their daily routines.
     The first day of class will be fun as the girls and I update our daily calendar.  I am so excited about my new translated calendar set because the girls love to interact with it during morning meeting as well as in their "Reading the Room" center.

   

















     This year I have incorporated music into our daily calendar routine.  We use the computer screen to the right of my calendar to sing along with several videos each day.  During trimester 1 I incorporated several songs from http://www.youtube.com/user/DreamEnglishKids.  My girls absolutely love Matt from Dream English.  They can be heard singing these songs throughout the day as they work and play. The use of music has dramatically increased their recall and sequencing of both months of the year and days of the week. I use name sticks (popsicle sticks with student names) to call on students to lead us with a pointer, writing, or adding word cards or sticks as we go through our daily routine.
     The following is a list of the activities we include each day:
1.  Good Morning Song 
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9Q7Y3t4m3g&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PLYzr3Vg8woe3yMmzyRmIObCOnmF2E9fcI
2.  Months of the Year Song  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v608v42dKeI&list=PLYzr3Vg8woe3yMmzyRmIObCOnmF2E9fcI
3.  Student places correct month card in The month is __________. pocket chart
4.  Day of the Week Song 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36n93jvjkDs&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PLYzr3Vg8woe3yMmzyRmIObCOnmF2E9fcI
5.  Students place correct cards in the Yesterday was, Today is, and Tomorrow will be pocket chart.
6.  Today's date color pattern added on the pocket chart.  This month we were using AABB patterns.
7.  How many day's have we been in school?  Student adds a straw to the base 10 pocket chart and write the number on the 100s chart.
8.  What's the Time Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBvmO7NgUp0
9.  Read the clock.  We are working on reading the clock to the hour.
10.  Counting by 2s, 5s, 10s.  Student helpers point to the numbers as we count.

     This semester I plan to add some new songs as well as a daily number pattern.  I hope some of my ideas help you throughout your teaching in 2014.  Happy New Year!!!