November Kindergarten Activities - Week 1 FREE BOOK
November is here… let’s shout a cheer!
You’ll be singing this too if you use my November digital calendar kit.
I just love teaching to songs, and now my students will be learning how to spell each month, plus so much more thanks to the new resource I’m using for calendar and morning meeting.
But before I get into calendar time, have you printed my free November lesson plans?
My plans are very flexible, and you can use what works for you and skip what doesn’t.
I share so many freebies as well!
Please note that they are intended to be a guide only.
If you’re required to use a specific curriculum, you can choose to add resources in or skip what you can’t fit in.
My weekly blog posts (like this one you’re reading now - showing what I teach the first week in November) are also to help you see how I teach with these resources.
You can visit my November lesson planning homepage HERE and there you will find an overview of what I teach this month along with the links to the other weekly blog posts.
This page contains affiliate links. Read Full Disclosure
Let’s get started!
This is our absolute favorite unit this time of year.
The kids think it is absolutely hilarious, and they ask to read Turkey Trouble over and over again.
When they are engaged and having fun, they forget that we are learning the standards and there is almost zero management issues.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE + FREEBIES
Having self starters, or “bell ringers” on student desks starts my day off on the right foot.
If you already using my morning work, then you know that students can mostly be independent with these.
My morning work is actually one of the very first resources I ever created. I probably tried about 20 different “morning work” packs I bought, but the problem was that my students couldn’t actually be independent, the skills jumped around and didn’t fit the standards.
So I created my own!
This entire week is FREE CLICK HERE
Each month also now is compatible with Google Slides if you’re teaching virtually as well.
This morning work is absolutely a gamechanger, and you can print a free week from every single month to see how the skills progress throughout the year.
CALENDAR TIME & MORNING MEETING
I am so excited about my new digital calendar kit and calendar notebooks.
I have been wanting to change up the way I teach calendar to practice more skills and make it easier to keep students engaged.
Plus, with this new digital version, you can use either PowerPoint or Google Slides so if you’re teaching virtually or in the classroom it is so easy to use. It saves so much wall space too!
You can use this on your SmartBoard or interactive whiteboard too!
I have always love teaching concepts with songs, because all the research shows that this truly cements new concepts into their brains at this age.
Use a song, and it will STICK! So many slides in my calendar have songs embedded right in them.
For example, we sing along with this November song each day, and after the first two weeks, my students can all spell November.
I still remember learning how to spell the word Halloween when I was in kindergarten because we sang it and did a little dance every day.
Along with calendar activities, I also wanted my morning meeting planned out each day so I didn’t have to come up with questions and topics each day.
Now, it is all done for you!
Here is a little glimpse at what my morning meeting slides look like:
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE NOVEMBER CALENDAR AND MORNING MEETING KIT
SAVE WITH THE BUNDLE!
“This is fabulous! It far surpassed my expectations. My class has loved it so far. Thank you!”
“This has been a lifesaver as we have had to switch to remote learning twice already this year. The fact that this is converted into Google Slides is AMAZING! Thank you so much for doing this. I can't say enough positive about the seller and the product!”
“This is an amazing resource! The daily conversation starters are amazing. My kids love to see what question comes next. This makes our morning routine so smooth. Thank you.”
CALENDAR NOTEBOOKS
I also have been looking for a way to step up student accountability during calendar time.
I absolutely love how these turned out, and students really enjoy filling out their very own calendar each day.
This activity kit works on so many reading, math, and writing skills. All printables come in both color and black and white, so you can print copies for each student and use paper/pencil or place them in page protectors to use with dry erase markers.
Here are a few photos from our calendar notebooks last month.
This kit comes with calendar printables for the entire year, and you can print the month of September for FREE HERE
PHONICS
We are finishing up our first sounds phonics unit.
Students have come so far since we started learning about letter sounds, identifying the first sound in words and manipulating/changing first sounds.
This week we are just reviewing, and then I plan on giving my first sounds post test.
Next week will are moving on to last sounds in CVC words! Students have already learned so much, and I love that we are in a routine, they recognize these activities and need minimal directions.
Are you using Elkonin Boxes yet? They are incredibly helpful for all learners to see, hear and segment the sounds in words.
This phonics mini bundle will help your students master first, middle and last sounds.
If you’re new to my phonics program, you can get an idea of how I set up my units by trying THIS FREEBIE
Have you used Boom Cards yet? They are an incredible tool for helping students with reading, math and so much more.
My favorite part is that they come with audio and they are self checking, so students can be independent and know right away if they got the correct answer.
THIS DECK focuses on segmenting the sounds in CVC words, or if you want to just focus on first sounds try THIS DECK
If you are new to Boom Cards, CLICK HERE for more information on how to get started for FREE!
MATH THIS WEEK
This is what I have planned for the week! We are starting geometry, and I am super excited for this unit.
Geometry is definitely under rated for how important it is for developing math skills, spatial awareness and problem solving.
It encompasses way more than just learning about shapes!
This week, I plan on sending home the unit overview checklist for parents (shown o the left above). They really appreciate having a heads up to what we will be learning about in the unit.
Next, I give the unit pretest (all my math units come with both pre and post assessments.) In my previous district, I was always required to document student growth and back it up with data… enter these assessments!
These activities are the perfect way to introduce vocabulary and help students learn the names of different shapes.
I use many centers throughout this geometry unit, but I introduce this one first.
I love to see their creativity, and they just need to explore how to use pattern blocks, how they fit together and let their imagination run with it!
Read my full blog post about geometry HERE to learn more.
READING
I love guided reading time! I do this in small groups, and this is truly where the magic happens.
You can give 1:1 attention, move quickly or slowly and really “move” kids in small groups.
I would teach in small groups all day if I could. It is so easy to keep them engaged and make connections with each child.
We warm up by reviewing sight word flash cards and then read two sight word fluency pages that we are working on.
If you have five kids in each small group, just make five fluency passage folders. I just slip each passage into a page protector and this makes it so quick and easy to read each day.
I use these three pronged folders and page protectors.
You can do the same thing with your guided reading fluency passages as well.
We follow the same routine each week with guided reading using the same three materials: fluency and comprehension passage, mini reader and sentence builder.
The theme changes each week and the difficulty increases each week, but the routine stays the same. I love that my kids are in a routine and it saves me so much energy not having to explain what to do. All of our instructional time is spent on learning.
WATCH THIS QUICK VIDEO TO SEE HOW MY GUIDED READING FOR NOVEMBER WORKS
I outline my guided reading routine HERE on our rock star reader homepage.
I love thematic teaching, and I am so excited to kick out this unit… all about fall.
This is how I incorporate our favorite read aloud books, reading, writing, art, science and social studies.
This unit lasts a full four weeks, but this post shows what I teach the first week.
Week 1 - Awesome Autumn
I start off the unit by showing this beautiful slideshow all about fall.
This leads to so many questions and discussions, and it is the perfect way to build background before we dive into the unit.
We then fill out our coordinating mini book! It matches the slideshow perfectly.
Next, we read on of my favorite fall read aloud books. It is is perfect for kicking off your unit about fall.
So many kiddos have never heard the word autumn before, and this teaches them that another word for fall is autumn right off the bat.
The kids love this book because it covers so many facts about autumn, and the pictures are super colorful and engaging.
It covers everything from what fall looks like, sounds like, feels like, smells like and tastes like. We learn about how some animals migrate and the days get shorter and cooler.
It even shows pictures of how our clothes change in the fall.
This book is just the perfect introduction to autumn!
You can see how this book lends itself to a few days of reading, review, discussion and activities. Students will always rush to pick this book up during free reading time too because they love the pictures.
After we read the book on Monday, we dive right into our fall enrichment activities.
This anchor chart is perfect for learning new fall vocabulary that we discussed in the book.
On the black and white version students can trace the words and color the pictures.
Next we talk about using our senses to describe fall (just like we did in the book!)
These adorable cards can be printed, laminated and used in a pocket chart. Students love to sort them under the correct heading.
You can use these cards whole group or in a center. They are perfect for expanding students’ vocabulary.
Finally we fill out the graphic organizer shown above using what we learned about our senses.
I end our enrichment week with this fun writing prompt. Students trace the sentence starter “Autumn is awesome because…” and then they finish writing the sentence.
I always love to see what they come up with after we spent the week discussing and learning about how autumn is so awesome in so many ways.
NO PREP ACTIVITES
I am sharing two freebies with you this week!
You can use these activities in any order you wish and they are all standards based. They are so versatile! These are the ones I plan on using this week (show above.) The entire pack comes with 65 activity pages!
I use these activities as my reading and math “centers” in the classroom, for fast finishers, sub tubs, intervention, small groups and more.
No more laminating tiny pieces or using all your color ink. These monthly no prep packs are a total game changer.
We make these “I See” books every month, and the kids really look forward to them.
Print this one for FREE HERE
Print this turkey first sounds activity for FREE HERE
Love these activities? Be prepared for the entire month with the November No Prep pack!
Or save even more and grab my monthly no prep packs for the entire year.
Purchased in the bundle, they are only $2.80/each!
“Fabulously complete and ready to use resource! These are great for not only teaching lessons, but for re-visiting, practicing and/or having fun with kindergarten concepts.”
WRITING
This week in writing is super exciting! We are learning how to write complete sentences.
Just like when I taught my labeling unit, we learned that letters must go in a specific order to create a word. Well, now we are learning that words must go in a specific order to create a sentence!
It is truly not overwhelming if you provide students with structure, support and scaffolding.
I always being by using sentence starters. Students use have to fill in the last word in their mini book.
Model, model, model. You cannot model enough! I also “think out loud” to model metacognitive strategies.
For example, point to each word with your magic reading finger and reread before you write a new word.
Say, “What do I always have to put after a word?”
“A finger space!”
“I loved planning writers workshop with these resources. My co-teacher and I have purchased EVERY writing unit because we love the synchronous design and the repetitive formatting she uses. Worth every penny to align with what our district requires.”
“This was soo useful and I love how it is scaffolded so that any and all of my students can use it and benefit from the lessons!”
“Probably my favorite unit out of all of them - Again, layout of lessons is easy to follow. Lessons are engaging. Can't beat the price.”
Along with starting our narrative writing unit, we are going to make Thanksgiving Lists too!
I love seeing what students decide to put on their list! The picture word bank provides scaffolding so students can never say, “I do not know what to write.”
They simply choose five out of the eight things to add to their list. Then, we share with our classmates.
This is a simple writing exercise, but we are expanding our vocabulary and practicing that words have meaning, and letters must go in a certain order to create words.
This unit will take you through the entire school year of writing lists.
For even more practice with building sentences and grouping words into lists, I created Boom Cards.
These are perfect if you’re teaching virtually, or for your writing centers in class.
Watch these quick videos to learn more.
Narrative Writing Digital Task Cards
Making a List Digital Task Cards
I created this program last spring when schools went remote for virtual learning. It makes it so easy for parents to see what students need to work on each day.
It brings consistent, standards-based activities that students feel confident completing each day.
In the classroom, these make perfect daily warm ups for language arts and math time. They also can be used for a daily end of the day review.
I use them at home with my daughter each day - I just copy the math and language arts page back to back each day for her. I love how she can be almost totally independent with them!
WHEW! That sums up my plans for the week.
I hope this blog has been helpful for you. I used to spend every evening and my entire weekend prepping and planning.
My goal is to give you back your time… time for yourself and time with your family. I love sharing with other teachers and homeschool mamas.
Questions? Leave a comment! I am always happy to help.
See what we are up to the rest of November!
All my best,
Michala
