Tinokla Scribbles and Doodles » Teacher Talk

Newlyfound Teaching Resources for Think Ahead

tinokla — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 04:29:39 +0000

After 7 days of teaching the kids of Think Ahead, I am getting the hang of it! Honestly, I am loving it… One of the things that I include in my planning is sourcing the internet for worksheets and other activities related to my topic. The program for Think Ahead is basically composed of reading and math skills. To make it more organized, we made it literature-based. Anyway, I will be talking more about Think Ahead in the coming days and might share some of the cool worksheets I made for the program. For now, I want to highlight the great websites that I found in the last few days… Check them out, too!
http://www.englishforeveryone.org/
This website contains cool reading comprehension worksheets to sharpen the thinking skills of kids who are already starting to read!
http://bogglesworldesl.com/
This website has plenty of wonderful worksheets catered to children with varying abilities!
http://www.kidslearningstation.com/
As a pre-nursery and now a Think Ahead teacher, this website will forever remain to be one of my favorites!
http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/
This website is my newfound love! Super loaded with cool and amazing worksheets, flashcards, and so much more!
I urge teachers like me to browse through these wonderful sites! Until my next post… Ciao!

Thinking About THINK AHEAD

tinokla — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:19:21 +0000

Think Ahead is one of the offerings we have for this summer. Just like our other programs, it will run for about a month, 22 days to be exact. As per what I’ve written in the brochure, Think Ahead will offer advanced lessons in Reading and Math, in a stress-free and encouraging learning environment.

Teachers at this point might say, yeah right, easier said than done. Yup, I admit that this program is not going to be a walk in the park. On the contrary, it will be complicated and tricky. It will involve a lot of thinking and planning. Reading and Math encompass a lot of skills. Hence, time pressure is imminent. I have to produce evident results in less than a month. To make matters more challenging, I’ve been handling toddlers for quite some time now and suddenly, I am to make a 360 degree turn, and teach the oldest preschoolers. Honestly, I am nervous as hell… but, thankfully, the adventurous me is all hyped and excited. I am looking forward to planning and conceptualizing the program. It will be tough but I am ready to face it. Hence, I started this topic to document my activities as I go through the whole Think Ahead process. Hopefully, the end-product of it all is an effective and reliable program for reading and math.

Preschoolville’s White Christmas Party 2010

tinokla — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 12:08:32 +0000

From a school owner’s perspective, preparation for our first ever Christmas Party has been truly daunting, but wonderfully rewarding. As with our other programs, we had to do everything- from the planning, backdrop making, designing, etc. etc. I am glad that we complement each other in terms of strengths and skills. It seems easy to be the best if you are with the best.

For this school year, our theme was “White Christmas”. We wanted our program to be subtly explosive- choosing white as the main color because of its simple elegance and purity. Having the kids dress in white complemented other Christmas colors. Everything- from the physical set-up to the children’s attire has been perfect. It was truly a sight to behold.

Of course, physical appearance is nothing without a well-planned and organized program. Our party, which revolved around the idea of sharing was surprisingly easy to conceptualize. First the kids ‘shared’ their talents to their parents in a form of a dance number. Then, we proceeded to the traditional gift-giving, led, of course, by our jolly old friend, dear ol Santa Claus.

Being placed in the super tight schedule of the most popular Santa Claus in Angeles City was not a breeze. Schools, malls, and other events book him as early as January. Because we were a bit late, we got an earlier date. Regardless, the program went well and as always, Santa has been adorable and charming.

We beefed up our gift-giving activity by pondering, again, on the idea of sharing. Now, we are aware that Santa conducts his own charity program with the less fortunate kids. What we did was that we asked the kids to give Santa a gift, also… He was truly touched and surprised by this gesture. I do not know but I think this move earned us a soft spot in his heart…:-) Then, the kids also shared simple tokens and small gifts to their classmates. There was really so much love in the air!

The day ended with snacks and refreshments that were donated by the parents. Indeed, joy and love have been the fitting adjectives for that day! Merry Christmas dear preschoolvillers…. God bless You!

Supercoloring.com: Highly Recommended!!!

tinokla — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 16:26:07 +0000

As a preschool teacher, I am deeply grateful for websites such as supercoloring.com. This website is loaded with wonderful and hard to find images that are not watermarked and thus, absolutely free! I find it especially helpful now, since we have adopted a theme-based curriculum. The generous heart of Kate (supercoloring.com’s editor) has inspired me to extend this kindness to other teachers out there. Please feel free to use the worksheets and teaching resources that I made in your classrooms and/or homes. I will try to upload more in the coming days… Thanks supercoloring.com!!

Halloween Costume Blues

tinokla — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 04:25:29 +0000

Seriously, it is soooo difficult to find the right halloween costume for kids. Yeah I know… it should not be. However, I could not help but think once, twice, or more, before I buy something for my Amber! For one, I feel that the costumes available in the malls are not aesthetically satisfying. The money we spend on them is not truly worth it! Secondly, if you buy ready made, there is a chance that you will bump into somebody wearing the same thing! To eliminate these halloween costume blues, we, mommies, have no choice but to let the creative juices flow! Seek inspiration from current trends and fad… Mix and match anything that is readily available and come up with something simple but explosive…

That is just what I did! I was sifting through available costumes in the market with my eldest, Pauline. She saw this wig and said it looks like Lady Gaga’s hair… Upon hearing that, I had a sudden burst of inspiration! I could not really imagine it by that time but I still went along with the idea. So I grabbed the wig, paid it, and searched the net for Lady Gaga’s images.

Then I realized that it is not as easy as it seems. I mean, seriously, Lady Gaga’s complex personality extends to her wardrobe! I got all jittery and nervous, my confidence dwindling rapidly that I was so tempted to back out at the last minute and run to SM and buy a Snow white costume. But then I thought, I do not need to exactly copy her. Hello, this is Lady Gaga we are talking about! I just need to think weird, sexy, shiny, and pretty!! So that’s what I did!

I dug up an old white leotard and asked my eldest to stick several pieces of silver foil paper on it. I wanted to buy some fishnet stockings but they do not have anything on Amber’s size so I decided to do without it. Then, I did her make up and asked my husband to draw Lady Gaga’s signature lightning bolt on her face using liquid eyeliner. Then, we put the wig on her and amazingly, it was magic! She was so cute and pretty and true enough, her entrance in the venue created quite a stir! She received plenty of compliments and made many people smile!

Here is a picture of my pretty Lady Gaga!

Preschoolville Update: Spooky Fun Party 2010

tinokla — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:02:12 +0000

As we await the launching of our website, I’ve decided to share my thoughts about recent experiences we’ve had in our school- Preschoolville Learning Center. I should have done this a long time ago… The bum in me has been waiting for some free time to get things done. Now, I realized that there is no such thing as ‘free time’. We alone can ‘make time’. Anyways, along side this, I vow to start mapping out the beginnings of what our website should look like… better watch out for this because we promise to make it explosive!
Well, just a few hours ago, we have successfully concluded our Spooky Fun Party in school. This is when we celebrate Halloween with a bang- dance presentations, games, snacks, trick-or-treat, and bonding with friends and family. Two years ago, I would not have said the same thing… But ever since we modified and improved the Halloween Program we have been accustomed to in another school, I have grown to really appreciate what we have done. See, our Spooky Fun Party does not have any element of competition since there are no best costume winners here… As what we always do, we put the children at the center of the whole thing- from the planning, organizing, and implementing. And in the process, without really trying so hard, we get to impress our parents, too.
Parents’ support are imperative to ensure the success of any program. Our reputation for pulling out effective activities have enabled us to rightfully earn their trust. Later on, whenever you seek their help, they know and believe that what you are doing are for their kids’ benefit.
Check out some of our Spooky Fun Party pictures!

I will really do my best to update my readers about the recent happenings in Preschoolville! Until our next program! Ciao!

My Low Budget Costume for International/UN Day

tinokla — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 09:40:07 +0000

It’s October again and a lot of Kapampangan folks flock to Plaridel to find their kids national costumes to wear in their school programs. Good thing, this area is loaded with shops that rent out a wide range of costumes. So basically, if you have the budget, you will never run out of something to wear. The problem is, once the demand is high, the supply becomes limited, and prices skyrocket. This fact makes moms like me think thoroughly about the practicality of the situation. I mean, would I rent a costume for 400 pesos just for a 2 hour program? There are ways to alleviate this concern. For one, rent early. Early birds have the luxury of choosing from a wide array of choices and at a fair price. Second, buy your own. SM department stores have costumes that are as cheap as 399 pesos. At least you get to keep it for future use. Third, improvise! I knew a mom who came up with her own ensemble of clothing, and ended up making a Mexican costume for her daughter.

Well, that’s what I did with my costume… I improvised! As a teacher, we are also required to be in any national costume. Now this is pretty much stressful for me… with me being so pregnant and all. Good thing pregnant ladies seem to get all the luck. I have a friend who lent me a preggy gown that with a little bit of imagination, can be transformed into a national costume for India. Though it was a bit big, I settled for it. This leaves me with a second dilemma. Indian women are heavily accessorized. If I were to buy chunky gold earrings, necklaces, and bracelets, I might as well go back to Plaridel and rent a 500 peso Kimono. I was determined to make everything low cost that’s why I came up with an ingenious plan. I bought 2 yards of fancy gold ribbons (the ones with plenty of glittery embellishments) and made my own. Also, I bought a pack of gold sequins and a false eyelash glue. The next day, I woke up early and rigidly put together what I had been imagining all night. After less than two hours, I believe I have almost perfected the looks of an Indian woman… for only 100 pesos… I am so proud of myself!

So you see, with a little bit of money but plenty of ingenuity and imagination, you can make anything happen!

Free Printable Preschool Classroom Flashcards

tinokla — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 10:16:27 +0000

I am aware of how difficult it is to search the internet and local bookstores for instructional materials such as flashcards. Faced with that dilemma, I decided to make my own by sourcing the net for images, doing my own lay-out, printing, and laminating. As I was doing this, I realized that even if there are a thousand images ready to be copied, most are water-marked… I guess not all artists are really willing to share their pictures to us. However, with a few editing, I managed to come up with a decent number of cards for lessons we tackled in class. Flashcards are valuable tools in the classroom, especially when it comes to building vocabulary and comprehension skills. So here below are some flash cards I used in my own class… feel free to print and use them.

Flashcard 1: communityhelpers_flashcards
*images courtesy of philipmartin.info

Flashcard 2: Pictures that begin with the Letter F

Flashcard 3: Pictures that begin with the Letter L

Flashcard 4: Pictures that begin with the Letter M

Flashcard 5: Pictures that begin with the Letter S

Flashcard 6: Pictures that begin with the Letter T

As with my other free resources, this list is also a work in progress… I will be inserting more in the coming days… Please be reminded that these are for classroom use only… tnx and ciao!

Preschool Worksheets/Activity Sheets/Table Activities: General Readiness

tinokla — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 08:36:15 +0000

This post has attachments to worksheets covering various general readiness skills. I placed them all here and probably, as my collection grows, I will be breaking them down into specific categories.

General Readiness

Worksheet 1: Circle and Sort: School Things(Back to School Theme)

Worksheet 2: Match:School Things(Back to School Theme)

Worksheet 3: Circle the Same Healthy Food (Health Theme)

Worksheet 4: Comparing: Long and Short Objects

Worksheet 5: Matching Same Pictures (Halloween Theme)

Worksheet 6: Color, Count, and Match the Stars (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Theme)

Worksheet 7: Things_to_Wear (Clothing/Self Theme)

Worksheet 8: Matching:Same Shapes/Colors

Worksheet 9: School Things Coloring Worksheets

Preschool Worksheets/Activity Sheets/Table Activities: Transportation

tinokla — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 09:41:35 +0000

Our theme for the month of January is “Ways to Travel”. I am now in the process of coming up with some worksheets related to the topic. Will be adding more in the coming days.

Transportation

Worksheet 1: Counting Things that Go (1 to 5)

Worksheet 2: Color the Cars (Reading color words)

Worksheet 3: Big and Small Transportation

Worksheet 4: Park the Cars! (Tracing Broken Lines)

Worksheet 5: Circle the Same Pictures (Transportation)

Worksheet 6: Land, Water, and Air Transportation (Color and Sort)

Worksheet 7: Matching Colors to Colorwords (Trucks)

Worksheet 8: Trucks and Letters( M,S,L,F,T,H)

Worksheet 9: Cars and Numbers (Matching)