I am often asked "How do you do Calendar Time in your classroom? Another question I often get is, "How can I make my calendar time more engaging? Calendar time can either be engaging or a classroom routine that is painful for all. I love my morning calendar time. Morning Calendar time is my favorite way to start each school day.
I use Calendar Notebooks as a way to engage all of my students during our morning calendar routines. When students are engaged, they are learning. You would be amazed at just how many skills you can address during your calendar time each day.
Skills Addressed During Calendar Time
Days of the week and months of the year are just two calendar routines that you can cover each day during calendar time.
Weather- Each student has a weather graph that they complete each day. Using the graph I can add in math skills- Which wether have we had more of or least. How many more days of sun, then clouds...
Counting- Every day we practice counting using our 100's chart. We count by ones, fives, and tens.
Number of Days in School- I use a Ten Frame Chart and a Tally Marks chart to count our number of days in school. Using the ten frames chart is great for students to practice making ten.
Numbers Sense-Using their individual number charts I have my students trace the numbers I all out. Besides calling out individual numbers I also work on number sense asking my students to find the number that is before, after, or between a specific number.
Shapes-We name and compare the measurable attributes of shapes.
Alphabet- We work on letter sounds and the names of letters. I have a letter strip on my whiteboard. I point to random letters- usually ones we have already learned. Students give me the name and its sound.
Phonic Skills- using the alphabet page in our calendar Notebooks, I will either say a sound or the letter name and students must find it.
Sight Words- We practice reading our sight words. We learn these in rainbow order. I only have sight words posted that we have already learned. Each week I mix them up.
As the year progresses I add in other math skills like the number of the day, daily addition, and greater than-less than.
A daily calendar routine provides opportunities for number talks, builds number sense, and covers a variety of Common Core Standards in a short amount of time.
Using Calendar Notebooks has been an amazing way to make my morning calendar routines engaging for all students. By having each student have their own calendar book, my students are actively involved. No longer are they passively sitting and watching, your students are participating and learning.
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