Kindergartener For A Day!

Today was an exciting day for Ally! (more on that in a minute) First, Ally wanted to share the award she received yesterday in preschool for knowing her telephone number and address.

her award necklace (as she calls it)
Ok--onto today! My friend Ashley (who goes to church with us and is in my Sunday School Class) invited Ally to visit her classroom at Arlington Elementary. Ashley is a Kindergarten teacher at AES and thought it would be fun for Ally to see what being a kindergartener is like (since she'll be starting K in August). Ally was so excited!

Ally drew a picture for Ashley of our church

We arrived at AES at 11:00 a.m. and signed in at the office. We sat down on the benches outside of the cafeteria to wait for Ashley and her class. As we were waiting our friend Brandy Robertson came out of the office to speak to us (she is the Special Ed Secretary). Then Ashley came around the corner with her class. We walked with them into the cafeteria, dropped her class off at lunch, and then headed back to Ashley's classroom.On the way back to her classroom we met several of the other Kindergarten teachers: Mrs. Hollingsworth, Mrs. Grimes, Mrs. Wiseman, and Mrs. Orman. They were so welcoming and kind and invited us into their classrooms to look around. Many of the kids wondered if Ally was a new student! Once we got back to Ashley's classroom she gave Ally a quick tour of her room.
Claire made herself right at home at a table with a book
Ally & Ashley (Mrs. Addison)

Then Ashley took us to look at the gym and the library. Ashley's mom, Mrs. Cathy, is the library assistant. She was so happy to see us! She introduced us to the librarian, Mrs. Inman. Mrs. Inman stopped her class to welcome Ally--she was so nice!! Then it was time to pick up Ashley's class from lunch. When we got to the classroom, it was time for math! They were learning about the number 13 today and putting the numbers in sequence. Ashley held up the number 13 and asked Ally if she knew what it was--Ally identified it immediately! Then she had Ally and several other students hold up numbers. She mixed them up and had the class put the numbers in the correct order.

Then she sent the kids to their tables to do a sheet tracing and writing the number 13.

Ally working hard

On the back of the sheet the kids were to cut halves of a heart, count the dots, and glue them next to the correct number. Ally had no trouble completing the assignment and got all of the answers right!!
I took a close-up of Ally's name so I could remember what it looked like at this writing stage.
As the kids were working, Claire was getting into Ashley's collection of giraffes (her classroom is a safari theme).
Ashley & Claire

Claire insisted on sitting on the giraffe's back

I was able to check out the reading curriculum while the kids worked. When I taught Kindergarten (almost 5 years ago) we had the Letterbook curriculum. This new program is much improved especially with the addition of a Guided Reading Program with leveled books. I was excited to see it (my thesis for my Masters Program was all about integrating Guided Reading into the classroom).

The kids took a bathroom break and Ally was able to see how the kids were expected to behave in the hallway. Ashley has wonderful classroom management so Ally was able to see some good examples of how kindergartners are to behave. Then we said our goodbyes around 12:30 p.m. and took some pictures outside of the school. Look at how the sun is hitting Ally in this picture. It looks like there is a spotlight shining down on her!

Ashley gave us a list of the Kindergarten skills for each 9 weeks which we hung on our refrigerator

Thank you Ashley for allowing us to visit! Ally had the BEST time! If she could start Kindergarten tomorrow she would! :)