Items filtered by date: October 2011

7 pages This is a fun writing prompt for December that can be a cute December bulletin board as well!

16 pages. A fun way to review the five senses, expand children's descriptive vocabulary and work on their fine motor skills.

A December Bulletin Board Idea That Will Get Your Students Writing!

Here is a quick, easy and eye-catching December bulletin board idea:

Dear Santa:

Have students practice their writing skills by composing a letter to Santa.

Gather children in front of the board and brainstorm a “wish list” of things they want for Christmas and write them down.

Have them select two things.  Choose a form letter you like, and run off copies.

Have students use red or green markers or crayons and printing as neatly as they can, fill in the rest.

They can also color in the holly at the top to add a bit of pizzazz to their paper.

Click on the link to view/print a Dear Santa Letter for December bulletin board ideas.

If you like, tell your little ones that they will be making two copies: one to send to Santa and one for your December bulletin board.

Mount their letters on red and green construction paper.

Cover your bulletin board with white paper and scatter their letters around the board in an interesting pattern.

Add a triangular piece of white paper on the top of the bulletin board so that the entire board looks like a huge envelope.

If you want to add a bit more pizzazz print off my jumbo stamps, cut the edges with a pinking sheers, mount them on hot pink, turquoise, lime green and neon yellow construction paper and dangle them from the ceiling with fish line, over the top of your bulletin board.

Click on the link to view/print Christmas stamps for December bulletin board

You could also dangle tissue paper, or white tag board snowflakes that you can buy pre-cut at any party store.

Using an Ellison die cut machine, cut Dear Santa letters out of black construction paper and stick them in the middle-center of the triangular part of the white envelope at the top of your bulletin board.

For a teachable moment, have them put the second copy of their letter in a large manila envelope and show them how you properly address an envelope. 

I do a mini lesson of how to address our valentines when we walk to the post office in February to mail them. If you do that too, this would be nice recall.

For more December bulletin board ideas scroll down to the next article.

Behavior Modification For December

The snow will soon be flying, temps will dip, and the wind will blow at a fierce rate, making recess not so fun.  Keeping little ones cooped up can add to a sometimes crazy day, when children are excited about snow, the season, holidays, Santa and whatever else they may be celebrating or participating in.

To keep things running smoothly and my students on their best behavior, I try to have a few fun-filled behavior modification techniques that I incorporate into my day,  no matter how filled with energy and excitement they are brimming over with.

I've compiled my favorites in this free booklet entitled December Behavior Modification.  Peruse through it to see what fits your needs and teaching practices.

I hope you find some helpful tips to make your days stress free and less frantic and frazzled.

I'd enjoy hearing how you handle the month of December and any behavior tips you have! diane@teachwithme.com

May you have a delightful December!

Have Fun With Dolch Words!

Since the CVC word Bingo Cards were such a tremendous hit, I decided to make sets of Bingo cards for the Dolch words as well.

Here's what to do:

Run each set off on a DIFFERENT color of construction paper. This way you can tell that those color cards deal with a specific set of  25 words.

Laminate and cut out the cards.

Make an extra white set to cut into pieces.

There are 25 words per set.  Because of the FREE space, there are only 24 words used on each card.

Glue the white pieces onto the matching color construction paper for each set of Dolch Bingo cards.

These pieces will be the cards that you draw so that students can put their “markers” on their bingo cards.

Keep the pieces in Snack Baggies.

Put the matching Snack Baggie in a file folder with the matching set of Dolch bingo cards.

Dried beans are an inexpensive “marker”.

When your students have learned those Dolch words, challenge them to a higher level and move to a different set of cards from the next grade level.

For an explanation of 2 other fun things to do with the cards, click on the link to check out the CVC Bingo article!

After the game, award certicates to all participants. 

Click on the links below to view/print the Dolch Word Bingo Bonanza's of your choice.

Pre-Primer Dolch Word Bingo Bonanza,

Kindergarten Dolch Word Bingo Bonanza,

1st Grade Dolch Word Bingo Bonanza,

2nd Grade Dolch Word Bingo Bonanza,

3rd Grade Dolch Word Bingo Bonanza 

I also have a 53-page Dolch Word Help book that includes traceable word cards for all of the Dolch words from the pre-primer through the 2nd grade lists, as well as traceable cards for the Dolch noun, with matching picture cards + a story that includes all 220 words!

Click on the link to view/print a copy.  Dolch Word Help Book

Pop back tomorrow for bulletin board ideas!

36 pages. Common Core State Standard: RF.K.3c 60 Dolch Word Bingo Cards 2 word lists of 30 DIFFERENT cards so your entire class can play as a fun group activity. Also includes directions with helpful tips and 2 certificates of praise.