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Monday, 28 November 2011 18:20

December Bulletin Board Ideas

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

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

 santa letter, December bulletin board ideas, bulletin boards for December, December bulletin boards, December writing promptsDear 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.

dear Santa letter, letter to Santa, December writing prompts, December bulletin boards, December bulletin board ideas, ideas for December bulletin boardsHave 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.

Dear Santa letter, letter to Santa, December writing prompts, December bulletin boards, December bulletin board ideas, ideas for December bulletin boards, 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.

dear santa letter, santa letter, December writing prompts, December bulletin board ideas, ideas for December bulletin boards, bulletin boards for December, December bulletin boardsFor 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.

Published in Getting to the Core

Behavior Modification For December

behavior modification, discipline tips, discipline ideas, controlling children, positive behavior reinforcementThe 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! This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

May you have a delightful December!

 

Published in Care to Share ?
Sunday, 27 November 2011 09:20

Teaching Dolch Words

Dolch word bingo, Dolch word bingo cards, Dolch word games, pre-primer Dolch words, kindergarten Dolch words, 1st grade Dolch words, 2nd grade Dolch words, 3rd grade Dolch words, teaching Dolch words, Dolch word lists, Dolch word certificates,

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.

Dolch word lists, Dolch word cards, Dolch word picture cards, pre-primer Dolch word list, kindergarten Dolch word list, 1st grade Dolch word list, 2nd grade Dolch word list, 3rd grade Dolch word list, Dolch word games, Dolch word activities, Dolch wordlists, Dolch word nouns, Dolch word picture cards, Dolch word certificatesHere'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.

Dolch word cards, Dolch wordlists, pre-primer dolch word list, pre-primer Dolch word cards, kindergarten dolch word list, kindergarten dolch word cards, 1st grade dolch word list, 1st grade dolch word cards, 2nd grade dolch word list, 2nd grade dolch word cards, 3rd grade dolch word list, 3rd grade dolch word cards, Dolch noun cards, Dolch picture cards, Dolch word games, Dolch word bingo cards, Dolch word certificates, teaching Dolch words, Dolch word activities, Dolch word lessons,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!

Dolch word certificates, Dolch word cards, Dolch word nouns, Dolch word picture cards, Dolch word games, Dolch word Bingo, Dolch word bingo cards, Dolch word lists, pre-primer Dolch word list, pre-primer Dolch word cards, kindergarten Dolch word list, kindergarten Dolch word cards, 1st grade Dolch word list, 1st grade Dolch word cards, 2nd grade Dolch word list, 2nd grade Dolch word cards, 3rd grade Dolch word list, 3rd grade Dolch word cards, dolch word certificates, dolch word cards, dolch word lists, dolch word games, dolch word bingo cards, dolch word bingo game, pre-primer dolch word list, pre-primer dolch word cards, kindergarten dolch word list, kindergarten dolch word cards, 1st grade dolch word list,1st grade dolch word cards, 2nd grade dolch word list, 2nd grade dolch word cards, 3rd grade dolch word list, 3rd grade dolch word cards, 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.

dolch word list, pre-primer dolch word list, pre-primer dolch word cards, kindergarten dolch word list, kindergarten dolch word cards, 1st grade dolch word list 1st grade dolch word cards, 2nd grade dolch word list, 2nd grade dolch word cards, 3rd grade dolch word cards, 3rd grade dolch word list, Dolch word nouns, Dolch picture cards, Dolch word certificates, Dolch word games, Dolch word lessons, Dolch word activities, Dolch word bingo cards, Dolch word bingo game,  Pre-Primer Dolch Word Bingo Bonanza,

Kindergarten Dolch Word Bingo Bonanza,

1st Grade Dolch Word Bingo Bonanza,

2nd Grade Dolch Word Bingo Bonanza,

Dolch word list, Dolch word help, Dolch word games, Dolch word bingo, Dolch word cards, Dolch word picture cards, Dolch word lessons, Dolch word activities, Dolch word ideas, Dolch word certificates, pre-primer Dolch word list, pre-primer Dolch word cards, kindergarten Dolch word list, kindergarten Dolch word cards, 1st grade Dolch word list, 1st grade Dolch word cards, 2nd grade Dolch word list, 2nd grade Dolch word cards, 3rd grade Dolch word list, 3rd grade Dolch word cards3rd 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!

Published in Getting to the Core
Wednesday, 23 November 2011 22:41

Teaching CVC Words Part 4

CVC Words On A Roll-Another FUN Way To Teach CVC Words!

CVC certificates, CVC word cards, CVC picture cards, CVC word list, CVC games, CVC bingo cards, CVC lessons, CVC activities, CVC ideas, teaching CVC words, Run off copies of the game boards on card stock and laminate them.

Click on the link to view/print a copy of the CVC Game Boards. 

There are 5 different game boards using 222 different CVC words!

For a nice group activity, print off a double set, so that all of your students can play with a partner at the same time.

You’ll also need dice and tokens.

Students choose a partner.  Give each child some sort of token to use to move around the board, a mini racecar is fun even for girls.

I sometimes use a Skittle or M&M and then let students eat it at the end of the game as a sweet treat.

I like to use large foam dice to keep the noise level down.  They also stay on the table better.

There are five different game boards.  Have students swap if they finish before the timer rings, or make the game last longer by taping two game boards together.

Children take turns rolling the dice. Whatever number they roll they move their token that many spaces.  When they land on a word they must read it. If they can’t, they move back that many spaces.

Just a “heads up” to remind students NOT to pick up the dice until their partner has READ the word, or they might forget what number they rolled and not know how many spaces to go backwards, if they are unable to read the word.

If their partner lands on the same word square that they do, that player must go back 3 spaces.

If they can read the word they land on, they can move ahead 1 space as a reward.

CVC certificates, CVC word cards, CVC words, CVC picture cards, CVC bingo cards, CVC games, CVC lessons, CVC word list, CVC activities, CVC ideas, You can make the game more difficult by telling students that if they roll a 5 they lose their turn.

The game can get more interesting and even silly if you add the rule that if they roll a 6 they yell “Six & Switch!” and they take their partner’s place if it is to their advantage. i.e. their partner is ahead of them.

Show students that there are "short cuts" on the game board, so that if they land on a word that has another path under it, depending on the number they roll they can opt to take the "short cut" to get to the finish line quicker.

Play continues ‘til one child lands on the smilie-finish line or when the timer rings the child who is closest to the finish line wins the game.

CVC certificates, CVC word cards, CVC games, CVC bingo cards, CVC lessons, CVC activities, CVC ideas, teaching CVC words, CVC word listTo make the game last longer, you can tell the students they have to roll an exact number to finish.  i.e., if they have 1 space left to go out, they must roll a 1.

Give everyone a sticker for participating and a CVC Champion bookmark to the winners.

If you missed the FREE 101-page CVC Word Bingo Bonanza or the 338 traceable CVC word cards in past articles, simple scroll down to check them out.  

Since the CVC Bingo cards were such a tremendous hit, check back tomorrow, for 60 FREE Dolch Word Bingo cards for each of the 5 Dolch word lists from Pre-primer through 3rd grade!

Published in Getting to the Core
Wednesday, 23 November 2011 16:55

Teaching CVC Words Part 3

More CVC Word Tips

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

As promised, I just finished some more fun activities to help your students learn CVC words.

Cutting & Gluing:

Cut and Glue CVC words, CVC word list, CVC certificates, CVC word cards, CVC games, CVC activities, CVC ideas, CVC lessons, CVC picture cards, I like to have my Y5’s cut and glue things every day. This fine motor activity strengthens their finger muscles and helps prepare them for those sorts of “testing” activities in kindergarten and first grade.

Thus, Cut & Glue Letter Tiles For CVC Words was designed.  It’s a great way to reinforce consonants and vowels, as well as spelling.

Encourage your students to guess the CVC word by looking at the picture clue, then have them say each letter as they spell, cut and glue the tiles to the word boxes next to the appropriate pictures.

After they are done, have them read and repeat the word.  What a fun way to reinforce a variety of concepts.

CVC word cards, CVC word list, CVC picture cards, CVC certificates, CVC bingo cards, CVC games, CVC cut and glue activity, CVC activities, CVC lessons, CVC ideas, teaching CVC wordsHave your students TRACE the letters with a variety of colored markers to make things even more interesting and enjoyable.

Click on the link to view/print a Cut & Glue CVC free sample skill sheet.   

Click on the bolded book to check that out.  Cut & Glue CVC Words

CVC word cards, CVC picture cards, CVC certificates, CVC bingo cards, CVC games, CVC word list, CVC activities, CVC lessons, CVC ideas, CVC worksheetsThere's also a certificate of praise included in this booket. 

If you missed the FREE 101-page CVC Bingo Bonanza Game Book or the 338 FREE traceable CVC word cards in Teaching CVC Words part 1 and CVC Words part 2, simply scroll down to check these articles out! 

Be sure to pop back tomorrow for 5 FREE CVC board games (CVC Words On A Roll!) including a championship bookmark to give to the winners. 

 

Published in Getting to the Core
Wednesday, 23 November 2011 10:31

Teaching CVC Words Part 2

More Fun With CVC Words

As promised, here is another creative way to get CVC words into your students' heads! Play BINGO with them.  I’ve made up 9 sets of word cards with 20 different cards in each set, using 225 CVC words.CVC bingo cards, CVC word cards, CVC word list, CVC ideas, CVC activities, CVC lessons, CVC games, CVC certificates,

CVC bingo cards, CVC word cards, CVC word list, CVC games, CVC certificates, CVC words, CVC ideas, CVC lessons, CVC activities, teaching CVC words, 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.

To give your cards more pizzazz, add a star or smilie sticker to the center “free” space.  The stickers you choose for each set could also vary.

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 CVC 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 CVC bingo cards.

Each week play with a different set of words.

Dried beans are an inexpensive “marker”.

CVC bingo cards, CVC word cards, CVC games, CVC word list, CVC certificates, CVC lessons, CVC activities, CVC flashcards, CVC ideas, teaching CVC wordsOther fun things to do with the cards:

Run off an individual page (two cards per page) to send home with each child so they can play at home with a parent.

Child can cut up one card and play with the other.  The object here is simply to look for the word and put a marker on it, filling up their entire card as a great review of those words.

Another fun game to use the cards with:

CVC bingo cards, CVC word list, CVC certificates, CVC lessons, CVC ideas, CVC letter tiles, CVC activities, CVC games, CVC word cards, teaching CVC wordsPlay “Cover & Match”. Run off a set of words on two different colors of copy paper.

CVC certificates, CVC word cards, CVC lessons, CVC activities, CVC games, CVC bingo cards, CVC ideas, CVC certificates, CVC word list, teaching CVC words, CVC word flashcards, Laminate the paper and cut out the words.

Put the set of colors in two different Snack Baggies.

Children choose a partner and take turns rolling a dice.

If they roll an even number they get to take a CVC word tile out of their bag, read it and find the matching word on their bingo card, which they cover with the tile.

If they roll an odd number they lose their turn.You could also play that if they roll an even number they get to place 2 CVC word tiles on their bingo card.  If they roll and odd number, they get to place 1 CVC word tile on their bingo card.

To make things even more interesting, you could add that if students roll a 6, they have to remove 1 of their CVC word tiles from their Bingo card.

Top it all off by awarding certificates.  I've included 2 kinds. CVC certificates, CVC bingo cards, CVC games, CVC lessons, CVC activities, CVC ideas, CVC word list, CVC word cards, CVC games

Take a few seconds and register, so you can print or download this 101-page FREEBIE. Afterwards...

click on the link to zoom to the shopping cart to view/print/or download.

If you're already registered, or a subscriber, simply login and click on the link CVC Bingo Bonanza

More CVC Stuff...

If you missed the previous blog article with 338 CVC word cards and more ideas, simply scroll down to check it out!

As always, if you have any ideas you'd like to share,  I'd enjoy hearing from you. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

I design a lot of things around what my readers and subscribers need help with, that's why I went to work on CVC words, so if there is something you've been searching for, or need help with, feel free to contact me about that too!

Published in Getting to the Core
Monday, 21 November 2011 07:28

Teaching CVC Words

Fun Things To Do With CVC Words

CVC certificate, CVC word cards, CVC picture cards, CVC games, CVC worksheetsSeveral of my subscribers asked me to design some things involving CVC words.

The first thing I wanted to do was compile a list of CVC words.

CVC words, CVC word cards, CVC certificates, CVC games, CVC booklet, CVC lessons, CVC ideas, CVC worksheetsCVC Helper Books:

I wanted to come up with at least 100 words, but once I was on a roll the list topped 300!

They are in an alphabetical list entitled 338 CVC Words complete with traceable word cards, 21 letter cards, a student’s personal word checklist and a certificate of praise.

Click on the link to view/print this fun CVC word helper book.

CVC picture cards, CVC word cards, CVC certificates, CVC games, CVC activities, CVC lessons, CVC booklets, CVC tips, CVC word cardsI thought it would be fun to make picture cards for as many of the CVC words that I thought would appropriately trigger a response from a child, so CVC Picture-Word Cards was born.

Students can play Memory Match games with them, a “Flip” card game and “Go Gar” (Go Fish).  They also make an adorable Itty Bitty Booklet of CVC Words.

Directions, tips, and a certificate of praise are also included with the 87 picture cards and 79 word cards.

Click on the link to view/print this fun addition to your CVC bag of tricks.  CVC Picture-Word Cards.

CVC word finds, CVC word cards, CVC picture cards, CVC certificates, CVC games, CVC pictures, CVC booklets, CVC list of words, CVC lessons, CVC ideas, CVC activities, CVC tips, teaching CVC wordsHave your students become ABCDe-tectives:

CVC word cards, CVC picture cards, CVC pictures, CVC games, CVC activities, CVC booklets, CVC lessons, CVC ideas, CVC certificates, CVC worksheets, CVC tips, teaching CVC wordsBecause my Y5’s LOVE becoming ABCDe-tectives, and searching for words, I made CVC Word Finds  as yet another enjoyable way of reinforcing CVC words.  Click on the link to see this fun-filled 35-page book complete with and ABCDet-ective CVC certificate of praise.

CVC word cards, CVC picture cards, CVC pictures, CVC activities, CVC lessons, CVC ideas, CVC tips, CVC games, CVC word list, CVC certificates, CVC worksheets, CVC wordfinds, CVC stuffWord Scramblers is another way my students continue their detective roll. This CVC book has 19 skill sheets where the letters are mixed up.

Students enjoy unscrambling them.  Click on the link to take a look at this interesting way for your students to have fun learning CVC words.

CVC certificates, CVC word cards, CVC picture cards, CVC word list, CVC games, CVC games, CVC activities, CVC worksheets, CVC word finds, CVC lessons, CVC ideas, Keeping with the detective theme, children enjoy de-coding the “secret” letters by solving the number codes that reveal a CVC word.  There are 56 words in this “way cool” CVC word cards, CVC picture cards, CVC word finds, CVC worksheets, CVC booklet, CVC activities, CVC lessons, CVC certificates, CVC sentences, CVC games, CVC stuff CVC De-Coder Skill Sheet Book. Click on the link to take a look.

Read & Write CVC Word Sentences:

If you want to work on reading and writing skills along with CVC word recognition, then CVC Reading and Writing with 70 simple sentences, using 140 CVC words, including “write a sentence using a word bank”, is something you’ll want to check out.

 

CVC word cards, CVC picture cards, CVC games, CVC word list, CVC games, CVC booklet, CVC certificates, CVC lessons, CVC activities, teaching CVC words, CVC worksheets,I also have 2 fun CVC skill sheet booklets available as well.  CVC Volume I has students fill in a CVC word to match the picture. Click on the link to view/print a copy.

CVC worksheets, CVC games, CVC word cards, CVC picture cards, CVC certificates, CVC word list, CVC worksheets, CVC activities, CVC lessons, CVC stuff, CVC bookletCVC Volume II has students match the word to the picture. Click on the link to see a copy.

Finally, if you’d like to build vocabulary and stretch your students CVC word bank, I’ve made up a list of unique and unusual CVC words that your students might not be familiar with.

This book includes a checklist, 136 word cards and definitions.  Who knows, there might be a few on here that may be new to you as well!

CVC word cards, CVC picture cards, CVC certificates, CVC games, CVC booklet, CVC worksheets, CVC lessons, CVC activities, CVC stuff, CVC ideas, CVC pictures, CVC word list,Click on the link to view/print Unique CVC Words

Coming Soon:

Stay tuned for CVC picture puzzles, crossword puzzles, and two board games coming this week!

Why not become a subscription member and be able to get all of these CVC materials + all of the TeachWithMe products for an entire year? Click on the link to find out how.

As always, if you have a tip to help teach CVC words, we’d enjoy hearing from you! This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Published in Getting to the Core
Sunday, 20 November 2011 07:02

Vowels and Consonants

Teaching the Difference Between Vowels and Consonants

vowel song, teaching vowels, vowel activities, consonant activities, CVC wordsDiscovering that letters are divided into vowels and consonants are fun for my students to learn about.

I teach them a vowel song to the tune of B-I-N-G-O so they have that concept nailed by the end of the day.

Click on the link to view/print a copy of the Vowel Song.

vowel posters, vowel song, teaching vowels, vowel activities, teaching consonants, consonant activities, vowel games, consonant games, CVC wordsI also hang up a set of vowel posters and then let them sort tubs of plastic letters, and numbers that I have collected over the years. 

Click on the link to view/print a copy of the Vowel Posters. 

They enjoy sorting them into two piles: one for numbers and one for letters.  When I’m sure they aren’t confusing them, I’ll have them sort the vowels from the consonants.

 

Speed Games: 

My Y5’s enjoy “Speed” games.  This is when I have them do a skill sheet as fast as they can.  Some take the full minute, others are done as quickly as 15 seconds.


 

Playing in this game-like fashion relieves tension and anxiety and prepares them for future timed-tests that the state mandates as they get into higher grades.

I reward everyone with a sticker.  The first 3 done correctly, get to choose their stickers.

vowel song, vowel posters, vowel certificate, vowel games, vowel activities, vowel lessons, vowel booklet, long vowels, short vowels, consonant activities, consonant games, alphabet activities, alphabet letters cards, One of their favorite “Speed” games is to circle the vowels and underline the consonants in a themed drawing.

I have a booklet: Vowel & Consonant Help, filled with 10 (One for each month from September through June).

These skill sheets also double as “I spy an upper or lowercase letter” that your little ones will enjoy playing, when your students are working on letter recognition.

consonant search, vowel search, vowel song, vowel posters, vowel cards, vowel activities, vowel games, vowel booklet, long vowels, short vowels, vowel puzzles, consonant activities, consonant games, alphabet cards, Click on the link to look at the bookletThe book also includes an upper and lowercase bookmark where students trace the vowels in one color and the consonants in another. 

Afterwards, these can be laminated and used as “I Spy” game strips as well. You'll also find a certificate of praise to reward your students with after they have learned their vowels!

More Fun and Games:

bingo dot consonants, vowel song, vowel posters, vowel cards, vowel activities, vowel lessons, vowel certificate, vowel games, consonant activities, consonant lessons, consonant games, Another helpful booklet is entitled A Little Bit Of This and a Little Bit Of That

It's FREE and 136-pages long!

Chock full of interesting vowel and consonant help, your students will enjoy vowel puzzles, vowel song, vowel certificate, vowel booklet, vowel games, vowel posters, vowel activities, vowel lessons, consonant games, consonant activities, consonant lessons, vowel and consonant "searches", Bingo Dot the consonants or vowels, letter puzzles, alphabet wheels, a long and short vowel booklet + long and short vowel writing skill sheets

rip and tear alphabet, vowel lessons, vowel activities, vowel games, vowel booklet, vowel song, vowel posters, vowel certificate, consonant activities, consonant lessons, consonant games, My Y5's really love making a rip and tear vowel booklet, or pinching a golf tee and poking holes around a letter (Pinch & Pokes) to not only help with letter recognition in this fun way, but strengthen their finger muscles at the same time. 

All of these vowel/consonant and letter activities are included in this FREE book. Click on the link to view/print this booklet.  


Be sure and stop in tomorrow for tips on teaching CVC words with lots more freebies!
As always, if you have a teaching tip that works for you when you're teaching about this concept, we'd enjoy hearing from you! This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it


Published in Getting to the Core
Monday, 14 November 2011 09:39

Teaching Patterns

Nature Pattern Strips

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milkweed art, pattern project, pattern activities, pattern lessons, pattern ideas, pattern bookletBefore the snow starts to fly and everything is gone with the wind or buried, get some exercise and fresh air with your class or send a note home to parents to take a nature walk with their child.

While out and about have students spy patterns on their journey, i.e., leaf-twig-leaf, mum-tree-mum etc.

mums, nature patterns, pattern project, pattern activities, pattern ideas, pattern lessons, pattern bookletArm each child with a large baggie and have them collect 3 of a kind of two different things, so they can return and make an ABABAB nature pattern.

I glued mine to 5 ½ x 12 strips of fall-colored scrapbook paper that was cardstock stiff.  You could also cut strips of colored tag board, use bulletin board border or sentence strips.

pods, pattern projects, pattern activities, pattern ideas, pattern lessons, pattern activities, pattern booklet, nature walk, nature activitiesUsing tacky glue, students arrange their treasures in a line in an AB pattern.  Let dry over night and then collage on a bulletin board.

This activity is lots of fun for them, so be prepared for your students to want to do more than one.

For cut and glue pattern activities take a look at my Pattern Booklet.

Published in Getting to the Core
Sunday, 13 November 2011 20:51

Learning To Count Backwards

Come Blast Off With Me!

blasting off worksheet, blasting off certificates, blasting off ideas, blasting off activities, blasting off lessons, counting backwards from 20 to 0, counting backwards ideas, counting backwards certificates, counting backwards lessons, counting backwards ideas, counting backwards activities, counting backwards booklet, countdown activities, counting backwards form 20 to 0, counting backwards from 10 to 0, counting backwards activities, counting backwards ideas, counting backwards lessons, counting backwards booklet, counting backwards certificates, counting backwards games, blast off games, blast off certificates, blast off booklet, blast off ideas, blast off lessons, blast off activities, blast off rocket art projects, My Y5 standards have students learning to count from 10 to 0; other states have kindergartners needing to count backwards from 20.

No matter what number you have to start from, here are a few tips to help you make that easy and fun!

Transitions:

I use counting backwards as a way to transition.  Whenever I need my students to go from point A to point B, I tell them, “Let’s do it before I get to zero.  Count down with me: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0!” They enjoy this, and scamper to achieve.

We countdown every time I have them line up.  I also have my students countdown while we wait for children to finish up in the bathroom.  We’ll countdown and clap, countdown in a whisper voice, countdown in a deep-monster voice, countdown and hop, countdown and balance on one foot, or countdown slowly and finish really fast.

Blast Off!

Their favorite way to countdown is when they are gathered on the carpet.  I have them pretend that they are rockets.  They crouch down and then when we get to zero, they yell, “Blast off!” jumping as high into the air as they can.  I tell them I’ll be watching for who jumps the highest.  They are highly competitive and really want to be the highest “blaster rocket”.

blast off art project, blast off rocket, blasting off activities, blasting off ideas, blasting off lessons, counting backwards art project, counting backwards from 20 to 0, counting backwards from 10 to 0, counting backwards certificates, counting backwards booklet, counting backwards ideas, counting backwards rocket art project, counting backwards from 20 to 0, counting backwards from 10 to 0, counting backwards activities, counting backwards ideas, counting backwards lessons, counting backwards certificates, blast off ideas, blast off certificates, blast off booklet, blast off lessons, Activities: Rocket Art Projects:

Since my students are also learning to identify and write numbers, as well as learning to count backwards, I combine learning all of these standards with 2 quick and easy rocket art projects.  They can be found in my 50-page Fun Activities Countdown Booklet.

Blast Off Skill Sheets:

I also have them do several tracing countdown skill sheets, and “Zap” the numbers in sequential order in I Spy the number games as well.  After we’ve traced/zapped all of the numbers, we countdown together and they “blast” out of their chairs.

To change things up a bit, they do a similar activity with bingo dot markers in an ABAB pattern.  These countdown skill sheets are also found in the  Fun Activities Countdown Booklet.

Blast Off Bookmarks:

I’ve also made horizontal countdown number line bookmarks for them.  After students have traced the numbers, countdown as a whole group and blast off.  Click on the link to view/print the Blast Off bookmarkcounting backwards from 20 to 0, counting down from 10 to 0, counting backwards ideas, counting backwards lessons, counting backwards activities, blast off ideas, blast off activities, blast off lessons, blast off booklet, blast of certificates, counting backwards booklet, counting backwards certificates, counting backwards art project, counting backwards games, s

 

counting backwards from 20 to 0, counting down from 10 to 0, counting backtwards activities, counting backwards ideas, counting backwards, lessons, counting backwards games, counting backwards certificates, counting backwards booklet, blasting off ideas, blasting off games, blasting off certificates, Use these number strips and have students glue them to party tweeters.  I purchased jumbo ones at The Dollar Store. 

It’s just another fun way to have students working with, and recognizing this number sequence.

You can also use these strips as an "I Spy!" game and give children a token or M&M to move down the line as they countdown. They can eat their treat to fuel their rockets, after they finish blasting off.

blast off spinner game, counting backwards, blast off activities, blast off lessons, blast off ideas, learning to count backwards, counting backwards from 20 to 0, counting backwards from 10 to 0 Blast Off Games:

Blast off game, learning to count backwards, counting backwards from 20 to 0, counting backwards from 10 to 0, blast off activities, blast off ideas, blast off lessons, blast off booklet,  Blast Off! Is a spinner game using a brass brad and paperclip.  Children play with a partner and take their rocket to the moon counting down as they go.  This game is also in the Fun Activities Booklet.

Another fun game your students will enjoy playing is Sequence Yourself. Print off and laminate the “Blast Off” cards.

Cut them out and pass out numbers 20 to 0 or 10 to 0 depending on your standard.  Since children enjoy picking a card and holding it, I’ve included “Blast Off!” cards as well as rocket cards.

Set a timer for 5-minutes and instruct your students to get into “Blast off” order starting with 20 or 10.

Everyone else remains seated holding their blast off or rocket card.  Children are all in a crouching position.

Begin the countdown.  The student holding that card bounces up, then the next, ‘til you get to zero and then everyone still remaining crouched, jumps up as everyone yells “Blast off!”

Click on the link to view/print the Blast off cards.

blast off with me booklet, blast off activities, blast off lessons, blast off ideas, counting backwards ideas, counting backwards lessons, counting backwards activities, counting backwards certificate, counting backwards games, countdown_cards, blast off games, counting backwards activities, counting backwards lessons, counting backwards ideas, counting backwards certificates, counting backwards from 20 to 0, counting backwards from 10 to 0, blast off ideasBlast Off Booklets:

I’ve included covers for the cards incase you want to run off copies so that your students can make an Itty Bitty Blast Off book.  Click on the link to view/print a copy of the traceable Blast Off cards.

These cards come from the 25-page Come Blast Off With Me! booklet packet.  It’s an adorable easy reader that students enjoy making. They choose a rocket, fellow astronaut friend, planet, and even a new alien friend!  It also includes 6 graphing extensions for math fun.

Blast Off Certificate:

blast off certificate, counting backwards certificate, counting backwards ideas, counting backwards lessons, counting backwards booklet, counting backwards from 20 to 0, counting backwards from 10 to 0, blasting off ideas, Finally, give everyone a certificate of praise to encourage their efforts.  Click on the link to view/print a copy.

Why not become a subscriber and be able to download all of these activities. Click on the link to see how.

As always if you have a tip for teaching your students how to count backwards, I’d enjoy hearing from you.  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Published in Getting to the Core
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