How to use this blog

Welcome to I Teach Preschool. I have created this site to collect and share the wonderful early childhood educational resources available on the web!

I will try to label each post to make finding resources that fit your needs easier. To save time, posts about sites/products/items/ideas will generally be in bullet format with just a few notes about the site/product/item/idea to quickly and easily help you find what you are looking for!

I am available for product and curriculum review. Please contact me via e-mail for more details. Please note, products and curriculum materials will NOT be returned following review.

I encourage comments on posts and would welcome contributors to the site. Please e-mail me with your favorite site links, creative teaching ideas, art projects and tips!

Want to share this blog with a friend, fellow teacher or homeschooler? Just send me their e-mail address and I will invite them to join the site so they can view it too!

Be sure to look for the E-mail subscription box on the right side of the page. By signing up for E-mail subscriptions you will get the posts delivered right to your e-mail inbox!


Copyright advice

I do my best to link to as many sites as possible and keep this site organized and useful for early childhood educators.

When visiting sites I have listed, please make sure you check the copyright policies for downloads and printed material.

Some sites specifically state the items available are for personal or home use and some also include classroom use.

I recommend contact a site if you are unsure of their use policy.

Also, remember you can use ideas you see on sites to create your own resources!

E-mail me link

Email me

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Thoughtful Spot Daycare

Thoughtful Spot Daycare blog has simple theme based ideas!

Site Link:
http://thoughtfulspotdaycare.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Print Cut Paste

Print Cut Paste is a subscription based site that offers theme based notebook centers for preschool-1st grade.

Site Link:
http://printcutpaste.com

kinderprintables.com

Find lots of categories for free printables at Kinderprintables!

Site Link:
http://www.kinderprintables.com/

Monday, June 21, 2010

The Amazing Mess

The Amazing Mess is a site that should actually describe my house in the summertime, BUT it is really a site dedicated to preschool crafts, cooking and enrichment!

Site Link:
http://theamazingmess.blogspot.com/

AlphaMom

Check out AlphaMom for contests, crafts and parenting articles!

Site Link:
http://alphamom.com/

Kids World Exploration

Visit Kids World Exploration where you can find lessons that encourage learning through play.

Site Link:
http://kidsworldexploration.com/index.html

A Mommy's Adventures

Check out A Mommy's Adventures to find START (Story + Art) ideas!

Site Link:
http://amommysadventures.blogspot.com

Learning and Teaching with Preschoolers

Check out Learning and Teaching with Preschoolers for various ideas to use in the classroom.

Site Link:
http://learningandteachingwithpreschoolers.blogspot.com

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Make and Takes

Visit Make and Takes for cute craft ideas, free coloring pages and more!

Site Link:
http://www.makeandtakes.com/

Mommy Moment

Mommy Moment is a site that features different craft, learning, review and art themes. Each day of the week features a different theme.

Site Link:

http://www.mommymoment.ca/

Old McDonald on Oopsey Daisy


Check out this cute stick puppet idea on Oopsey Daisy!

Site Link:


http://oopsey-daisy.blogspot.com/2010/06/old-mcdonald.html

Toddler Approved

Toddler Approved is a site for cheap and easy toddler activities and ideas!

Site Link:
http://toddlerapproved.blogspot.com/

Alpha Apple

Alpha Apple is a site with links, resources, and ideas for teachers.

Site Link:
http://alphaapple.com/

Childcareland

Childcareland.com features lots of ideas, printables, links and resources for teachers.

Site Link:
http://www.childcareland.com

Pam's House

Pam's House is a site run by a daycare provider who teaches preschool in her daycare.

Site is organized by month with a calendar of weekly themes for each month.

very well organized site with quick and easy activities for various early childhood age groups!

Site Link:
http://www.pammshouse.com

Kids Sunday School

Kids Sunday School is a site with bulletin board ideas, crafts, lesson plans and more!

There is a free and a members only section.

Check membership tab (located at the top of site) for current prices.

Site Link:
https://www.kidssundayschool.com

Danielle's Place

Danielle's Place has bible crafts and activities and printables.

Site Link:

http://www.daniellesplace.com/

Lil Bunny Hops

Lil Bunny Hops has over 2000 free printables to download.
Organized by learning area
Organized by theme with in the themes section

Site Link:
http://www.lilbunnyhops.com/

Miss Renee's Kindergarten Pad

Miss Renee's Kindergarten Pad is a site run by a teacher.

Themes are listed and each theme includes fingerplays, ideas and pictures of the ideas bing used in her classroom.

Site Link:

http://lilteacher.com/

Hummingbird Educational resources

Visit Hummingbird Educational Resources is a theme organized site.

Within each theme there are links to purchase theme related items.

There are free ideas, fingerplays, lessons plans etc. following the links to purchase items!

Home Grown Hearts

Home Grown Hearts contains great printables and ideas from a Homeschool mom!

Site Link:
http://lovemylifex4.blogspot.com/

Preschool Education

Visit Preschool Education for themes, topics, and ideas to use in the preschool classroom.

Site Link:
http://www.preschooleducation.com

Preschool Rainbow

Check out Preschool Rainbow for TONS of early childhood themes and ideas.

Use the search rainbow on the left sidebar to find the theme you are looking for!

Site Link:
http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Excellence in Early Childhood Education

Exellence in Early Childhood Education contains professional development ideas, topics and articles for Early Childhood Educators.

Site Link: http://preschoolprofessional.blogspot.com/

Little Fingers That Play

Little Fingers that Play has Finger Rhyme and song ideas. They also have videos of the songs being sung! Activity ideas are also posted to go along with the Finger Rhyme/song presented.

Site Link:
http://littlefingersplay.blogspot.com/

Getting Messy with Miss Jessi

Getting Messy with Miss Jessi has both clean AND messy ideas for preschool fun!

Site link:http://gettingmessywithmsjessi.blogspot.com/

Irresistible Ideas for play based learning

Check out the site Irresistible ideas for play based learning. They have lots of categories filled with ideas to spark creativity in your early childhood classroom.

Site Link: http://www.playbasedlearning.com.au/

Make your own moonsand

I just came across this recipe on Penny Pinching Parent for moon sand. I haven't tried it, but wanted to share it right away. Please post a comment if you try this recipe and let us know if it works!

Site Link: http://www.pennypinchingparent.com/2009/02/toddler-activity-homemade-moon-sand.html

Preschool Printables

Preschool printables has bible printables, science and nature, math, alphabet printables and MORE.

Site link:
http://homeschoolcreations.com/preschoolprintables.html

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Pre-K Pages

Pre-K Pages contains wonderfully organized preschool ideas, printables, and topics!

Site Link:
http://www.pre-kpages.com/

Monday, June 14, 2010

Me and Marie Learning

Me and Marie Learning is a blog/shop that creates and sells printables for preschool and toddlers. They also offer great tips, ideas and free printables.

Go check out Me and Marie Learning.

Site Link:
http://www.meandmarielearning.blogspot.com

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Brightly Beaming Resources

Brightly Beaming Resources is an online resource created by a mother of 4.

Is focused on letter of the week and pre-reading skills.

Well organized with useful tabs and sidebars

Contains TONS of information and ideas for letter of the week as well as teaching sequence, tips, printables, finger rhymes, etc.

Site Link:
http://www.letteroftheweek.com/about_us.html

Teaching Two has Minute Math ideas

The blog Teaching Two is a mommy/teacher blogger who shares some neat ideas.

I especially like her minute math calendar. The link below shares her June minute math ideas. This would be a neat idea to send home to parents monthly with new minute math challenges.

You could focus on counting, sorting, patterns, with suggestions for daily quick activities kids could do with parents. Maybe even give a sticker/reward if calendar is brought back completed?

Link to June Minute Math Calendar on Teaching Two Site:
http://www.teachingtwo.com/2010/06/03/minute-math-everyday-for-june/

Preschool Playbook

I just shared a link to a specific area of Preschool Playbook, but want to include the general site as well.

The site is organized by themes and ideas.

A blog run by a oreschool teacher of 20 years.

Site Link:

http://www.preschoolplaybook.com/

Great idea to give students at End of Year!

Preschool Playbook shared this wonderful ideas for a gift teachers can give their early childhood students at the end of the year!

Go visit preschool playbook to view this neat and simple idea that will encourage learning all summer!

Here is a sneak preview of what was inside:

Summer Survival Kit

*A deck of cards: have fun practicing Math!
--practice sorting the cards by suit, color, and number
--put the cards in numerical order(forward+backward)
--play card games like Go Fish and War
--flip the cards and add/subtract them

*A pair of dice: have fun practicing Math!
--roll the dice and add the numbers together
--roll the dice, count the dots, and write the word
--roll the dice, add the dots,and record the results on a tally chart--see what number appears most often

*Sidewalk chalk: have fun Writing!
--practice writing the alphabet, numbers, sight words, and words and sentences on the driveway!

*Pencil: have fun Reading and Writing!
--use the pencil eraser as a your pointer and read, read, read!
--practice writing sight words, sentences and making books
--keep a journal
--write letters to everyone!
especially Mrs. (teacher's name and address)
--practice doing math problems (adding and subtracting)

*Laffy Taffy: have fun and laugh a lot this summer:
--make lots of memories with your family!

*Remember you are a star!
--Shine bright and always be your best!
--Jesus in your friend. He is with you always!
--Jesus loves you and so do I!

Site Link:
http://www.preschoolplaybook.com/2010/06/this-past-week-was-last-week-of.html

Preschool Rainbow

Preschool Rainbow has great preschool ideas.

Site is well organized by topic/theme

Includes category for outdoor play, finger rhymes, etc.

Site is cross-referenced well

Site Link:
http://www.preschoolrainbow.org

Confessions of a Homeschooler

Confessions of a Homeschooler is written by a homeschool mom of 4.

Ideas for preK to 2nd grade!

Printables

Site Link:

http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.blogspot.com/

Teaching Heart

Teaching Heart has lesson plans, printables, finger plays, songs.

Geared toward various age groups

Some ideas are available for purchase on CDRom

Other ideas and printables are available for free.

Site Link:
http://www.teachingheart.net/

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Blenda Mooney

Blenda Mooney writes a blog that contains printables and ideas for educating young children.

Well organized with links to previous posts on the right side of the blog.

Contains 3 years worth of blog posts and ideas!

Site Link
http://www.suite101.com/blog/belinda14/2006

More Literacy Bag Resources

Suite101 contains MANY more printables and resources for Literacy bags.

Create bags to send home for family involvement

Use these printables in your classroom centers

Site Link:
Literacy Bags

Give a mouse a cookie

Using the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie?

This site has printables and links to ideas to use with this book.

Make this into a literacy pack or use the ideas during center time.

Site Link:
If You Give A Mouse A Cookie

Take Home Bags

The Take Home Bags section of this site contains ideas and resources to make your own literacy bags or discovery packs.

Multi grade level

Contains links to printables and a parent letter to introduce the bags.

Site Link:
Take Home Bags

Clutter-Free Classroom

Clutter-Free Classroom focuses on helping busy teachers get ORGANIZED!

Neat ideas for organization

Money Saving tips

Site Link:
http://littlestlearners.blogspot.com/

Mrs. Meacham's Classroom

Mrs. Meacham's Classroom is a wonderfully organized site.

Be sure to check out her Igloo ~ Very Cool!

Ideas for Kdg-1st also a few ideas that would work better for older grades.

Site Link:
http://www.jmeacham.com/

Discovery Packs

This section on Kinderpond features Discovery pack ideas.

Lots of ideas for take home discovery packs

Discovery packs are also know as literacy bags

Link to other sites that help with discovery pack creations!

Site Link:
http://www.kinderpond.com/discoverypacks.html

Along the way

Along the way is a blog by a Homeschool mom who create printables

Printables are organized neatly by category

Links open in new window to download.

Very colorful printables!

Several topics covered!

Site Link:
http://gironlife.blogspot.com/p/printables.html

Reading Rockets

Reading Rockets is a site for "launching young readers".

It is funded by a grant from the US Dept. of Ed.

Has tabs for Teachers, Parents, Principals, etc.

Is available in Spanish

Does have some downloads/printables

Site Link:
http://www.readingrockets.org/

Friday, June 11, 2010

Sunday School Printables

Sunday School Printables contains free Christian printables, stickers, certificates, etc.

Sticker Charts
Bible verses


Site Link
http://www.sundayschoolprintables.com/

Making Learning Fun

Making Learning Fun is a site for Preschool and Kindergarten Teachers

Filled with FREE printable resources

Organized by theme and cross referenced by Activity type!

Also has a Facebook group and Yahoo group!

Site Link:

http://www.makinglearningfun.com/

Hubbard's Cupboard

*Hubbard's Cupboard has Preschool and Kindergarten resources.

*Resources are categorized on a sidebar by type (eg: literacy, math, social studies)and by learning level (eg: PreK and Kdg)

*Site contains Christan resources and printables.

*Great Literacy kit section within the family involvement tab.

*Nice printable sight word mini-books for class as well as a larger teacher copy. Items can be printed

Site Link:
http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/index.html

FIrst Post

This is the first post for the I teach preschool blog. I will be using this blog to share ideas, resources, and printables and sites of interest for teaching preschool/early childhood.