Here is how I have decided to tackle revising a Kindergarten tradition, Calendar Time, in light of the Common Core Standards I will be teaching this year. I am renaming it "Math Talk Time." 

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"Math Talk Time" 15 minutes - TOPS!

•  First we will go over the date. We will tell what the number should be and what the picture will be, based on the pattern for the month. We'll also add another stone to the ten frames for the date (below the calendar). Now that the date is known, we'll say it properly:
  Today is Monday, August 13th, 2012" Then we will say, "Today is Monday (or whatever it actaully is), Yesterday was Sunday, Tomorrow will be Tuesday - and put cards in those calendar pockets. This language will be modeled and echoed for awhile, then I'll start having the kids say it. Below are pictures of the portions of the calendar area used for that:

•  Next is the number of days we have been in school. First, we will update the  place value straws pocket chart for number of days of school and say it like 23 is two tens and three more. I have a shapes and colors pattern where we add another for each day, with the next number on it, that circles the room: we will put the next shape up for that.

• After that, we will count on the 0-99 chart however I feel like it for the day: by ones to a certain number, or skip counting. There is a "today" card for that, so we will move that along.
• We will grab the week's graphing question, and pull 4-5 kids to velcro on their vote (simple little laminated cards with their names on the back, so after it is up we cannot tell who said what). By the end of the week we will be ready to analyze our data.

• I am also going to download Kim Adsit's calendar pack off of TPT, and try to use some of those activities on the ActivBoard. I just don't have enough copies to do Calendar Books, boo. :( I still haven't bought it, holding out for a sale soon!
• Then, we will do a number talk! This might involve dot cards, ten frames, numerals, rekenreks, fingers...all sorts of fun!! This leads right into my math lesson for the day.

Other items on the "Math Talk Time" board...

• The bags on top are for the months - I put names and pictures on a popsicle stick in the bag of their birth month. That month, their sticks go on the calendar.

• This may not be daily, but I put up a ribbon and clothespins number line at the bottom, so I can pass out numbers and have the kids come attach them to the number line. 

• The big red pocket chart is where I will put the week's sight words to review. This gets used over and over throughout the day.

• The bear is the Helper Bear - the students decorate a shirt with their name on it, when the bear wears their shirt they are the Helper Bear! I got that idea from Heidi at HeidiSongs.

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