Summer, Summer, Summer time

And we are off.....extended school year has started and by the time I actually post this; its three quarters done!  Summer school is such a change a pace for me; not only am I teaching preschool (yes, I have every certification under the sun) which is different from my normal fourth graders, but I feel it's the break I needed to a recharge for my upcoming fourth graders.

Having the little guys and girls during this short time had restored my passion for teaching and even creating.  They have a thirst for learning and LOVE school.  We had laughs and fun all while learning academically and socially.  

Here is one of the activities we did incorporating counting, identifying numbers and utilizing fine motor skills.   Counting and Identifying numerals to 10 Task Cards  were laminated and either circled with dry erase markers or clothespins.  Of course, we had summer themed clip art.  This can be a fun activity to do with your little kiddos too at home!  

It wouldn't also be as fun without some Pirate activities too!  This is the perfect activity for kids trying to practice fine motor skills and writing.  My preschoolers are really working hard on writing their letters and holding a writing utensil with a tripod grasp.  Additionally, I would like to add that I love writing in highlighter for the students to trace over too.  I found this to be a successful strategy to transition the students to start writing their letters independently.  You can find this resource here:    Tracing Upper and Lowercase Letters

Throughout ESY, my assistants and I were constantly teaching social skills and appropriate behavior.  Unfortunately, with the rigor of school today; many kids do not know how to play and interact well with one another anymore like they once did in Kindergarten.  They don't get to play and learn to share as much as they used to and now it is impacting the present and past kids, teachers, and their families.  Who can relate?  It's a real eye opener when you have to teach your fourth graders how to share and respect one another with actual curriculum.  This was partly why last school year was one of my more challenging years.  

Of course, summer is a time for teachers to recharge and even though I taught Extended School Year, I am recharged to have fun again.  I'm over the deadlines... I am over tests....I just want my kids to have fun while learning!  I'm just ready to start fresh!