Harry Kindergarten & Bonnie Kathryn Kinders & Beyond Giveaway!

By show of hands, who loves Pete Harry from Harry Kindergarten?

I do! I do!

If you have not heard of Harry Kindergarten on YouTube yet, you might live under a rock! :-) If you are living under a rock, let me bless your little heart with this FABULOUS resource.

Harry Kindergarten was created back in 2009 with "random" videos for his students. Well those "random" videos have found their way into thousands of classrooms across the world! With over 70 million views and almost 66,000 YouTube subscribers, Harry Kindergarten has brought a much needed spark and spunk to our Kindergarten and lower elementary classrooms.

I recently had the privilege of talking to Pete Harry over the phone. He shared with me his passion for teaching and creating fabulous resources for you guys!

Do you remember the old saying from your parents or grandparents, "I walked to school up a hill, both ways, in the snow!"? Well, Pete Harry really does walk to school in the snow!! And Pennsylvania winters are HARSH! My little southern belle tushie loves my heated car seats and waits by the phone with bated breath for school cancellation at the first sign of snow!

Harry Kindergarten Videos are a great way to create an interactive classroom and keep students engaged! I use his videos to introduce new concepts or provide a brain break for my students.

I love his alphabet videos like Learnin' My Letters and Snowball Fight. Here is a preview of Learnin' My Letters.

You can purchase Snowball Fight on his website for $2.49! You should have seen my kids faces when  I told them we were going to have a snowball fight...This is a class favorite!

Purchasing videos is soooooo worth it! You won't have the hassle of waiting for YouTube to upload the video (especially if your school internet is SLOW as Molasses!) You won't have to worry about other videos, like Dora the Explorer, popping up at the end of the video and your kids shouting "Click Dora! Click Dora!!!"

These videos get your kids moving and trigger their memory. They will be singing the songs all day...and so will you! Just wait, you will be hooked faster than you can say "Hooked on Phonics Worked for Me!" JK

I like activities that are interactive and engaging for students. When I create or look for resources, I like resources that match my interactive classroom environment. An interactive classroom is a great way to keep your students engaged and practice many skills at one time.

My top seller on TpT and featured as a Top 100 Product on TpT is my Interactive Alphabet Books. These interactive books allow students to practice letter recognition and letter sounds while practicing  fine motor skills. These books are great for beginning of the year book boxes, if you have a Daily 5 classroom.

Here is what customers are saying:

I needed something to supplement our Journey's reading series for seat work. This was great for students who finished early but still needed to work on letters/reading skills. It also is a wonderful way to incorporate fine motor skill development into reading. -Jessica

This is superb! I can't wait until next year to use it. It is so comprehensive and I love the fact that it is interactive. I will use it weekly next year. There is nothing I would change. I love every single part of it. You did a great job. Thanks so much for creating a product that will benefit my kinders while helping me as a teacher be more effective. -Buyer 

Holy Moly! Packed with awesome activities that will help not only reading skills, but cutting and pasting, etc! Thank you so much! -Jenny




So now that I have made you fall in love with Harry Kindergarten and my Alphabet books, I am sure you just can't wait to stock up on both resources!

Well, I have good news for you!

Pete Harry. Love Him. Is giving away 3 videos or 6 music downloads from his website.

And little ole' me is giving away one of my Interactive Alphabet Books Bundle.

Can I get a a whooohooo!?!?

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Join us on Bonnie Kathryn Kinders and Beyond Facebook this Tuesday!

How do you use Harry Kindergarten in your classroom? Comment Below!

Dick and Jane

I didn't have the privilege of growing up with Dick and Jane, but my Mama did. Now she wouldn't want me to tell you how old she is, but I did say "Dick and Jane."

See Dick.
See Dick run.
Run Dick, Run.

See Jane.
See Jane run.
Run Jane, run.

Growing up I thought that Dick surely did chase Jane a lot. Then along came Spot and Sally. And it seemed to me they all just ran around like crazy.

The point is when I became a kindergarten teacher, my Mama was so happy I was finally going to get to teach her beloved Dick and Jane.  Now, there is nothing wrong with Dick and Jane mind you. Dick and Jane taught a lot of kids to read. However, we are now past the days of Dick and Jane and living in the days of iPad apps.

I recently met two fabulous teachers Lynn Klaiman and Sara Hines who have created an iPad app designed to help kinders learn read through repetition of rhyming word family words and common sight words. And what kinder does not love an iPad? Heck! They don't even realize they are learning. That is a win win situation. I win because it is a quick and easy resource that I can grab in an instant. The kiddos win because it is fun and educational at the same time.

Here are a few snapshots of inside the app.

Here is the link to the free version. Check it out!

Working Together Blog Hop

Hi All!

I have teamed up with other bloggers from the Who's Who and Who's New Blog for an exciting blog hop.

Here are a couple of ways to "WORK TOGETHER" with your parents:

1. Sign up for Remind101. Remind101 is a free service that allows you to text your parents with updates from your phone. Parents can sign up for this service and you can easily send parents reminders via text messages without giving out your personal number.

2. Send weekly newsletters. Newsletters are a great way to keep parents informed and involved. I send my newsletter home each Friday. It covers what we have learned during the week, and what is to come next week. I also include important dates and items students need to review at home. 

FREEBIE ALERT!

Well.... It is free to anyone who leaves a comment on this blog post...it costs $3,489.93 for anyone who doesn't want to comment. Wink! Wink! ;-) 

I am helping you get off on the right foot this year with your parents. Use this template to send home newsletters. I email my newsletters to my parents so I like color options. If you put your newsletter in a folder, you can use the black and white option. This freebie comes with a troubleshooting guide if you have questions. 

or HERE.

Want to hop to the next blog? Go to my friend Jessica at What I Have Learned!

  

Aloha August Day 4

This is a FABULOUS 4 day event that is full of sweet deals, savings and 4 amazing giveaways!

Here is today's deal! 

Find your Dollar Deals Here: 

Students and parents will love these little parent notes! Send these home when you are working on new sight words or when students have mastered them! :-)

Pre-Primer

Primer

1st Grade

In addition, you can find the links to all the participating stores below...as well as 4 rafflecopters!

YES!

That is right...4 rafflecopters!

Each rafflecopter is for a $50 TPT gift certificate!

Think of all the wonderful resources you could score with that...and just in time for Back To School!

Please visit each rafflecopter and enter! 
Each one will generate a winner- and yes- you can win more than 1!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

  

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Here is a clickable list of all the participating stores!

    An InLinkz Link-up

Be sure to come by and visit our social media sites each day for these reminder posts:

 Enjoy the deals, samples and good luck on the giveaway!

And most importantly, we all send our best wishes for a successful school year!

Aloha August Day 3

This is a FABULOUS 4 day event that is full of sweet deals, savings and 4 amazing giveaways!

Here is today's deal!

Today you will find my Primer-Sight Word Bundle! 

In addition, you can find the links to all the participating stores below...as well as 4 rafflecopters!

YES!

That is right...4 rafflecopters!

Each rafflecopter is for a $50 TPT gift certificate!

Think of all the wonderful resources you could score with that...and just in time for Back To School!

Please visit each rafflecopter and enter! 
Each one will generate a winner- and yes- you can win more than 1!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

  

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Here is a clickable list of all the participating stores!

    An InLinkz Link-up

Be sure to come by and visit our social media sites each day for these reminder posts:

 Enjoy the deals, samples and good luck on the giveaway!

And most importantly, we all send our best wishes for a successful school year!

Aloha August Day 2

This is a FABULOUS 4 day event that is full of sweet deals, savings and 4 amazing giveaways!

Here is the deal for today! 

Today you will find:
Whales vs. Sharks Free, Whales vs. Sharks is a popular unit that will wet your appetite for the sister units: Insects, Reptiles, and Mammals. Purchase the bundle for 50% off!

In addition, you can find the links to all the participating stores below...as well as 4 rafflecopters!

YES!

That is right...4 rafflecopters!

Each rafflecopter is for a $50 TPT gift certificate!

Think of all the wonderful resources you could score with that...and just in time for Back To School!

Please visit each rafflecopter and enter! 
Each one will generate a winner- and yes- you can win more than 1!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

  

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Here is a clickable list of all the participating stores!

    An InLinkz Link-up

Be sure to come by and visit our social media sites each day for these reminder posts:

 Enjoy the deals, samples and good luck on the giveaway!

And most importantly, we all send our best wishes for a successful school year!

Goodbye July

Can it be possible???  July is nearly over???

I have teamed up with 40 fabulous stores for...

This is a FABULOUS 4 day event that is full of sweet deals, savings and 4 amazing giveaways!

Here's a peak at what you are being treated to...

Each day a new 'deal' will be posted by the 40 participating stores! 

Be sure to visit their Facebook, Instagram and/or Pinterest accounts to find the daily deals and codes you will use in the TPT search engine to find the sweet deals!
(you can also find the codes on the pictures at the bottom of this post)

In addition, you can find the links to all the participating stores below...as well as 4 rafflecopters!

YES!

That is right...4 rafflecopters!

Each rafflecopter is for a $50 TPT gift certificate!

Think of all the wonderful resources you could score with that...and just in time for Back To School!

Please visit each rafflecopter and enter! 
Each one will generate a winner- and yes- you can win more than 1!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Here is a clickable list of all the participating stores!

An InLinkz Link-up

Be sure to come by and visit our social media sites each day for these reminder posts:

 Enjoy the deals, samples and good luck on the giveaway!

And most importantly, we all send our best wishes for a successful school year!

M is for Monster Giveaway

I was recently introduced to a fabulous service. I was thrilled when my M is for Monster box arrived in my classroom. Mandy sent me a M is for Monster box to show me what she provides each month for toddlers through preschoolers.

This service is perfect for a busy parent who wants to provide educational activities for their preschooler. Each of the activities are great for the preschool age and help with fine motor skills and academic prep for kindergarten. The box comes with everything you need to complete the activities with your preschooler.

 

No more searching Walmart for activity books.

 

Mandy provides educational activities that you need for the whole month! The box comes monthly and is divided into four weeks. Each week has a theme and two to four activities that you can complete together. She makes it easy and provides directions for each activity. She also provides a list of supplemental songs, poems, and books that you can read to fit that theme. Essentially this is preschool in a box!!

Want to see what was in my box?

First, I noticed the directions and supplemental activities.

Everything was pre-packaged according the craft or activity. She even provided the markers and glue that I needed to complete the activities. I did not have to get anything!!!! Soooo EASY!

Week 1: Rainbows

Preschoolers completed letter R activities. My favorite activity had the preschoolers tear the provided tissue paper and glue inside the letter R. This helps with fine motor skills and great for letter recognition. This is great for preschoolers and kindergarteners!

We also made a rainbow craft! It was super cute.

Week 2: Kites

Activities included letter matching and counting and recognizing numbers. She also provided a terrific book about kites. I was excited that there was a book in the box that matched the theme! It would be perfect for a preschooler to point out the word kite and letters they recognize. If you have a kindergartener, it is a perfect reader for them!

I loved that these activities were something that I could have my kinders complete over and over again. Each piece is made out of a thick cardstock and will not bend easily. Perfect for little hands.

Week 3: Bunnies and Carrots

This week fell the week of Easter. So, it was perfect timing! Preschoolers participated in a pre-writing activity where they practiced capital and lowercase letter recognition. 

 

She also provided a carrot counting activity. This is a great activity that practiced counting numbers in the teens and it could be completed over and over again. This would be perfect for kindergarteners.

 

We made an adorable bunny puppet!

Week 4: Flowers

This week was my favorite and my kinders LOVED planting the tickle me plant. We planted it the week before spring break. One of my kinders took the plant home to care for it. She sent me the picture below. She says every time you touch the plant it dances! I can't wait to see it on Monday!

Also, inside the box was a plant craft. What I loved about this craft was that the flower petals were made out of fabric. It was fun to touch. That is great for preschoolers. They also practiced placing petals in order by size. This is wonderful for little minds!

As a kindergarten teacher, I think these activities are wonderful for preschoolers and kindergarteners! This is a fantastic service and makes it really easy for moms to provide quality educational activities for their preschoolers.

Mandy is providing my readers a 20% discount. Use the code KINDER to receive your discount. This discount is valid through May 10, 2014.

She is also giving away one box to one lucky reader. You can enter the giveaway below!

Yay! Are you excited!?!?

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