Kindergartners Can Do Interactive Notebooks...and some Hanukkah Fun!

Yesterday, during the TPT Cyber Sales I sold quite a few of my Interactive Notebook: Holidays! Pack and I also had someone ask me how they are used...so I figured a post about my experience with them was due!

Interactive Notebooks (or Journals or Lapbooks as they are also referred to!) are all over!  I was inspired by the ideas I saw floating about- but nothing was brought down to the kindergarten level.  I wanted my students to have an interactive 'scrapbook' of all we learned too- so I did a bit of research and got to work..and boy and am I glad I did!

These notebooks have quickly become a favorite of my students!  They actually ask to do more notebook activities!  I can't work fast enough to keep up with them!  

So...how did I set them up and get them going?  It was quite simple!

Each child has a marble notebook and I purchased Post-It Stick on Tabs in rainbow colors.  They have an ELA section, a Math section and a Science/SS section as defined by the tabs...and surprisingly they already know which tab is what and will say to me 'So this goes in the blue Science section Mrs. Drake?'!  YES!!

At first I had to trace the dotted lines so that tabs weren't cut off.  Now I can basically copy as is!

Here is a pic of our first go round with them:

But I found that cutting out the pieces took too long to have them cut, glue and 'interact' at one shot (looking back- what was I thinking!) So now each of my students have a 5x7 envelope.  Each Monday morning their 'morning work' is to cut the pages for the letter they will be working with that week and place all the pieces in their envelope.  The envelopes are then stored with the notebooks, so when they go to that center, they just take out their envelope & book, take out the pieces, glue them in and then 'interact!'  It is working out BEAUTIFULLY!  It also lets me keep track of who was absent/missing during that center- if I see pieces in an envelope at the end of the week, I know who still needs to catch up!  For copying/distributing purposes, I copy each letter set in collate/staple mode.  They take a pack and are all set to cut!

At first they needed some guidance, but now can all do it independently!  Here is one of my students working on her 'Aa' page yesterday (we don't go in ABC order- I follow Fundations order):

Want to try it out?!  I have the 'Aa' pack up as a freebie on TPT!  You can grab it here:

A sneak peek into your freebie's components:

Now once we were comfy with the ABC set, we started diving into our math and science sections!

Here is our fall/not fall sort from the Fall set- one of our first 'science' insertions! (You can see the blue tab in this pic too!)

We are working in the Holidays pack of goodies now!  

Yesterday, during word work, we practiced matching ending sounds!  We first did a picture sort in a pocketchart and then the students went off and completed their I.N. entry independently!  All but 3 of my students were able to do this solo- and even some took my '1st Grade Challenge' and labeled the pictures with letters to represent the ending sound!

 

Considering this was our first go-round with ending sounds, I was quite impressed..and PROUD!!!

So during Social Studies we read about Hanukkah and charted what we learned about Hanukkah!  We are having a Hanukkah celebration tomorrow and I definitely think they are ready!  We've been playing the dreidel game during Math Centers- and also playing Dreidel War!  Last week we worked with Turkey War and the winner was the one with a 'greater' number.  This week we are looking for the 'lesser' number!

After creating our chart, the kids then went back and made their Hanukkah cubes in their notebooks. 

 I then had each one 'read' to me for each section of the cube!  

I hope this helps explain notebook use in kindergarten a bit better!  Feel free to ask away...I am more than willing to share what I have learned and done with my students! It surely is inspiring to watch them so excited about something...and I LOVE that by the end of the year they will walk away with a 'scrapbook' of all they learned and accomplished in kindergarten!  I will be busy working on a 'Winter Set' during the holiday break!  And I have a 'New Year' pack in the works- I am inspired to make more as I watch each little face sparkle and shine with excitement!

One last thing...today is the LAST day of the TPT Cyber Sale! 

Use Promo Code CYBER for added discounts!  

I'll be doing some shopping this evening!