Howdy Book

Howdy, Friends! That's cowboy and cowgirl talk for "hello". That's what I teach my urban Pre-K students. I create a book with the students' name and photos. Glue a boot clip art or die cut to each page. (You need one per child plus one for the front cover.) Type and glue "Howdy, ____" at the bottom of each page. Type and glue "Howdy, Friends" & "featuring (Your name)'s (grade) class" to the front cover. Laminate and bind book. Velcro in photos and use an overhead marker to write the name. The book is ready to read! Pass out the photos and have children put it on the correct page as you read. Your students will say howdy to learning!

ABC Photo Book

This book is so easy to make but since the kids are the stars they will LOVE it! Place alphabet stickers in the bottom corner of index cards. Laminate and bind into a book. Tape in photos of the children under the appropriate letter. What an appropriate way to connect the children's names to the letters of the alphabet. It's learning with meaning!

Say Cheese Book

This book is a favorite all year long! Laminate these cute camera accents. (You can get them at your local teacher store.) Write the title, "Say Cheese", on the lens of one camera. Use a circle cutter to cut lenses out of the others. Tape a child's photo on the back of the camera. Bind the cameras at the top. I used paper reinforcers and metal rings. Flip through the book and read the words "Say cheese, (child's name)." Its a great way to help children recognize one another.

Magnetic Name Match

Here's an oldie but a goodie! Get a cookie sheet that is magnetic. Tape each child's name to the cookie sheet. Laminate each child's photograph and hot glue a magnet on the back. The children match the photo to the name. I start with the names in alphabetical order (the same as our name wall). Then I retape the names in columns with girls on one side and boys on the other side. Finally, I put them in random order. You can also add magnetic letters and let the children find the first letter in their names.

People Blocks

I am a crafter. (Although these days I don't have much time to do it so I am more of a craft supply collector!) I do stamping but I use unmounted stamps on acrylic blocks. When I order from some stamp companies, they send wooden blocks for the stamps. I hated to just throw them away. So I taped my kids' photos on the front. Now they each have their own block for the Block Center. At the end of each year, I can untape the photo and use it again.

In the blocks on the right, there is a drawn one. This is the one my kids had me create one for Baby Sylvia while I was pregnant. :)

Visual Agenda

Letting the kids know what will be happening each day is important in early childhood classrooms! In my school, we are required to post an agenda. To make it meaningful (and appropriate) for my Pre-K students, I create a visual agenda. On the 1st day of school, I take pictures of the kids doing everything- eating breakfast, sitting at group time, playing outside, etc. I create a "collage photo" for each of the parts of our day. You can order these for 29 cents at Walgreens. And you get to pick them up in about an hour! I post the pictures in a somewhat circular fashion at the kids' eye level. In my case, this is on the front of the big book stand. It's a meaningful way for the kids to see our day!

Little Red Box

My kids have always loved the Little Red Box song! I have sang it for years but it is also on Dr. Jean's CD, Silly Songs.

I decided to take it to the next level and add photos. I purchased the box in the party supply section at the Dollar Tree. (I love that store!) I put the kids photos in the box (these are their old center tags) and VIOLA! A perfect visual for their favorite song. Simply pull out a child's photo as you are singing the song and the kids will join right in. It is a great song and makes a good transition to centers, to line up, etc.

If you don't know the song, it goes like this...

If I had a little red box to put my (child's name) in.

I'd take him/her out and (kiss, kiss, kiss) and put him/her back again!