In the fall I usually do a unit about “ME” and it gives me a chance to learn a lot about the children in my class. (I just realized that I don’t write in past tense yet – I used to …) I start out by sending home a note asking parents to tell me a little about their child – why they chose their name, something their child loves, something (s)he is good at, something (s)he does NOT like, etc. I read those aloud to the class as we celebrate each child. Of course this is a great time to be doing all those name activities that are so important at the beginning of the year. We also make this book.
Along with this page we graph how many letters are in each child’s name.
All of these are also opportunities to create concrete graphs and introduce the idea of graphing to the children.
When we talked about Birthdays each child decorated a paper crown with stickers, markers, etc. and I traced over their name with glitter. I saved these hats and gave them out as we celebrated their birthday through the year.
I prefolded this simple house shape and glued it onto the page. Inside the children drew everyone in their family – then I labeled them for those who were not able to write all their family names. It also gave me a chance to see which children knew their address – although that was really not part of our curriculum.
We read books about our hands, drew and wrote about what we do with our hands. We also read Leo Lionni’s Little Blue and Little Yellow. I gave each child a spoonful of blue and yellow fingerpaint on a cookie sheet. After they experimented and played mixing the colors I pressed their painty hand on the page. Then I took a piece of paper and pressed it on the cookie sheet – making a print of their finger painting. The kids love to take that home – but this time I use that paper to trace and cut out their footprint for the next page. I do paint their feet for several projects through the year – but not this time.
This goes great with the Dr. Seuss Foot Book.
As you can see, I am NO artist. But I always talked about using the right colors and trying hard, and of course my loyal kindergartners told me that they liked my drawings!
One thing I consider important is that every child must show me their work before they put it away. I would write what they dictated at this point in the year unless I realized they were ready to phonetically write on their own.
I measured each child with yarn and cut the piece that equaled their height. The yarn was rolled up and put into this little envelope. I also put a piece of adding machine tape on the wall and marked each child’s height and name. At the end of the year we re-measured and compared.
Here is a link to the pages if you would like to print it:
I prefolded houses for the page about the children’s families. I apologize for my drawing but I attempted a step by step diagram to show how I made those – and I also scanned a completed house. The children folded back the outer flaps and drew their family on the inside, and decorated the outside like their house (roughly!)
On the page about their height I glued a small envelope to hold the yarn that equaled how tall they were that day.
Donna Kelley
Oct 22, 2010 @ 01:21:43
Hi. Can you tell me where I can print out one of the booklets? It looks adorable! Thanks, Donna
dbsenk
Oct 22, 2010 @ 01:41:41
I would be very happy to share a printable copy but I am not sure how to do that. I will ask one of my kids, or if anyone else can tell me how that would be great!
Joy
Aug 21, 2014 @ 12:27:19
Love your booklet. I would very much appreciate a copy of same so that I could use it with my class. Could you please forward me a copy? Thank you.
dbsenk
Aug 31, 2014 @ 19:47:10
Thanks Joy, just click on the link in the blog post to open up a pdf copy!
Stacey Jackson
Mar 27, 2012 @ 09:26:27
Please email a copy to staceyjackson@Mooreschools.com. 🙂 I love it!
dbsenk
Mar 27, 2012 @ 15:15:19
There is a link on the post that gives the masters for this book – it says Special Me and is underlined. If you click on that it should show up, please let me know if it doesn’t work! I would be happy to email it if you still need it!
Debbie Wyler
May 20, 2012 @ 09:52:38
I love this book! You did a fabulous job with it. I tried the link but it didn’t work. Is there any way you could email me a copy?
Thanks!
Debbie
wyler27@gmail.com
Jenny Futch
Jun 04, 2012 @ 13:27:43
I also tried the link but it just showed blank pages. I love your book and would love a copy to use with my students in August. Could you please email me a copy? Thanks a bunch for sharing this!!!
Jenny
jfutch@long.k12.ga.us
dbsenk
Jun 04, 2012 @ 21:17:15
I’m so sorry it isn’t working. I tried it myself and it opened,, but I am happy to email it. I have been traveling and am out of state, I will send it and repost it when I get home next week.
Kim
Jul 13, 2012 @ 22:23:31
You have such a great book
Can I get a copy emailed to me?
kyelich@lcscmail.com
Thanks and have a great week
Keila Butler
Aug 03, 2012 @ 01:08:16
WOW! I love the book. I am returning to Kindergarten after 16 years. I would love a copy of the book.
Thanks,
Keila
teacherkeila1@sbcglobal.net
Kerri Doyle Ronzio
Aug 15, 2012 @ 12:10:39
Hi, Can you plese e-mail a copy of this book. I love it, I just started teaching Kindergarten last year so I am trying to gather as many things as I can.
Thanks,
Kerri
k22doyle@hotmail.com
dbsenk
Aug 15, 2012 @ 17:40:15
I am very happy to share this book, but please try the link – I am pretty sure it will give you a pdf copy. If it does not work, please email me!
Shona Holian
Aug 29, 2012 @ 04:55:18
Thank you SO MUCH for your fantastic booklet ‘I’m special’. Looking forward to using it with my 4-5 year olds this next week. It printed out perfectly!!
Kim
Aug 29, 2012 @ 11:39:38
Can you send me a copy of the I am special book too
Thanks Kim
Lynn Chuback
Sep 06, 2012 @ 00:43:46
Hi there
I just want to say how much I appreciate your blog and all the great ideas and worksheets. Seriously … you are so supportive and don’t know it lol! I JUST started teaching Kindergarten although have taught grades 2 & 3 for several years. I’m also returning full time after being a stay at home Mum for several years! So a BIG THANK YOU!!!!!!!
dbsenk
Sep 06, 2012 @ 07:10:57
Thank you Lynn for taking the time to write that sweet note. I hope you can tell how much I love Kindergarten and I miss it. It is a privilege to be able to share some of the things I loved doing with my kids! Have a wonderful year!
Heidi
Sep 07, 2012 @ 19:57:43
Oh my heck!!! this is brilliant!!!! I am a preschool teacher and have so far found all the other “All About Me” pages too difficult for the children to do. But this is perfect! It’s so interactive for the kids! I can’t wait til next week to do it with my classes! thank you!
Julie
Sep 12, 2012 @ 18:29:03
Thank you so much for sharing this book. It is so great to at least have a beginning of something to start with or use completely. I’m a special ed preschool teacher and this saves me so much time, without reinventing the wheel. Thank you for your generosity.
Melanie
Sep 17, 2012 @ 20:31:34
HI! Love this book! My childcare curriculum this month is based upon All about Me and I would love to have a copy of this book emailed to me! Please do if you can! mel@melsmunchkins.com thank you!
Sheri
Sep 21, 2012 @ 13:43:15
Thank you so much for publishing your book! This is just what I was looking for! My; daughter is having a birthday party and I wanted to use this as a party favor. I was going to make up my own version and was looking for ideas, but yours is just about what I would do, but yours is done and mine is just in my head. You saved me a lot of time and work!
Thank you!
Later
Jan 23, 2013 @ 13:45:46
I would love a copy of this book.
Kelly
Jan 23, 2013 @ 16:22:17
I absolutely love this book. I would love to have a copy please. Can you tell me how to get one? Thanks so much!!!
Sheri
Jan 23, 2013 @ 18:30:11
Just above the comments at the bottom of the post with the pictures is a link. It says Me Book. Here is the link in a longer form:
Click to access me-book4.pdf
You can download it there! Or just print it out.
I printed it out for my daughter’s birthday party.
I hope this helps!
Gina Gilmore
Jul 25, 2016 @ 15:28:59
I would love a copy of the “me” book as well!
dbsenk
Jul 27, 2016 @ 07:57:53
Gina it is published in jpg format in the blog. Just click on it to open and print!