Let's Pattern And Graph Today!

Do you need a pattern or a graph for some tabletop activities for morning work?

Looking for a pattern or a graph that fits a season or monthly theme that you are doing?

Are you in need of a center activity that relates to your report card standards?

Do you need to assess patterning and graphing skills and can’t find an assessment?

No worries!  You’ve landed in the right place.

I have 2 wonderful books for you that are chock full of activities!

The 52-page Pattern Book has  “complete the pattern” skill sheets that fit a variety of themes. There's one for every month of the year.

They also reinforce fine motor skills, as they are a cut and glue activity, which I feel is especially important at the early elementary level.

Click on the link to view/download Patterning.

Feel free to PIN anything from my website or blog.  I believe in sharing and helping others; that's precisely why I have this website.

The 140-page Graphing Book has a variety of different graphs for lots of different monthly themes as well.

Click on the link to view/download the Graphing Book.

If you’re still in need of a graph or pattern for something special you’re doing, feel free to shoot me an e-mail and I’ll see what I can whip together.

I design every day and enjoy hearing from teachers. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  You can also leave a comment here.

I’m working on a second edition for both patterns and graphs and will add to these until they are “full” enough to put on the cart.

Have fun and happy spring!

Up Up & Away With This Springtime Review "Craftivity"!

The windy days are here to stay for a while, so making a kite seems to continue to be an appropriate and fun way to review report card standards.

Review the basic shapes by using them as “tail ties” and have students glue them to a piece of yarn that’s attached to their kite.

Reinforce colors and a pattern as well, by making them in bright rainbow colors and have students glue them in that order.

To add a bit more pizzazz, I typed my students’ names in the WordArt program on my computer. This is super easy, so it would also make a nice computer activity for your kiddo's to do themselves.

They cut their name in a cloud shape while we reviewed some wind facts as they snipped away.

You could have students journal a writing prompt on the back or list some springtime - weather word-wall words,

This kite “craftivity” can be found in the 133-page Spring Art & Activity Book.  Click on the link to view/download it for lots more fun ideas.

Be sure and pop back tomorrow for more teaching tips.  Do you have one 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 or feel free to comment here especially if you use one of my ideas.

Feel free to PIN too.  I truly believe in sharing.  Thanks for visiting.

Will March Go Out Like A Lion Or A Lamb?

The end of March is drawing near and I have some SHEEP and LION activities to help you end the month in a fun way.

-eep and –eap word endings can be confusing for students.  Help clear things up by making this “hands-on” sheep slider.

Run off the sheep template on white construction paper and have students jazz them up with wiggle eyes and 2 cotton balls.

If you have students pull apart the cotton balls into a nice fluffy pile, the sheep fleece will look more realistic, be a great fine motor skill and avoid the problem of having students simply glue whole cotton balls to their work.

I’ve included a Trace & Write – Sheep Rhyming ABC Order Worksheet as well as the traceable word cards.

Click on the link to view/download the Sheep Slider Activities.

I never have enough time to cover nursery rhymes as a separate unit, so I plug them in with whatever theme I’m doing, whenever they fit, as an added genre during story time.

Click on the link to view/download 4 sheep nursery rhymes including a nursery rhyme bookmark.  I’ve also included YouTube videos that are perfect for Smart Boards.

If you’re looking for some easy readers your students will enjoy:

The Shape Of My Sheep, which reviews the 6 basic shapes.

Where Have All The Sheep Gone? and Where’s The Lion? which reinforce simple subtraction skills.  Click on the links to view/download them.

A fun writing extension  asks your students “Are you more like a lion or more like a lamb? Why? This March writing prompt is turned into a class book and can be found in March Class Books. Click on the link to view/download it.

Make another class book by having your students guess whether they think that March will go out like a lion or a lamb and complete a page for the book by finishing the prompt, illustrating it and gluing their school picture to the page.  

If you'd like to include a "craftivity" with writing, have students make a lion or lamb paper holder and display their work on a bulletin board, before you collate their work into a book.

Keep things simple and merely use construction paper, or make students' work pop and have them add spiral noodles for the lion's mane and pulled cotton for the sheep's fleece.

Adding a pair of funky glasses and wiggle eyes also adds a cute 3D effect.  I printed the ones in the picture from Lee Hansen's graphic website where you can download free clip art, paper crafts, and scrapbooking items.  Click on the link to check out this interesting site.

There’s a graphing extension included to record the results.

Besides this writing prompt, there is also one that's a great activity after you read the above Mary Had A Little Lamb Nursery Rhyme.  Ask students what animal they'd like to bring to school if they could bring any animal.  Encourage them to think outside the box and not just think of the usual "show & tell" pet like a puppy or cat.  Students complete the sentence with their animal and illustrate the page.

Click on the link to view/download this March Lion or Lamb activity packet.

If you want some spring art activities like a lion and lamb puppet or mask made out of a cereal box, you'll find them in the 133-page Spring Art & Activites book and if you want some quick & easy table top worksheets or centers the 88-page Lion & Lambs unit will certainly have something.

Be sure and pop back tomorrow for more springtime tips.

Learning Is A Sweet Treat

I LOVE jellybeans.  Like Fishy Crackers and Candy Hearts they are a “must have” manipulative in my classroom.

I’m a firm believer that “hands-on” learning is the best way for little ones to learn.

Because of that, I just finished designing lots of interesting activities that will help turn the light bulb on for your students and reinforce report card standards in a fun way!

The Jellybean Counting Booklet is an easy reader that reviews number words and counting to 10.  Students trace and then write the numbers and number words, circle the number in its sequence and then circle that many jellybeans in the group/set.

I’ve also included a “count to 30” “trace & write” skill sheet and a certificate of praise bookmark.

When everyone is done, read the booklet as a whole group to reinforce concepts of print.

Click on the link to view/download the Jellybean Counting Booklet.

The Jellybean Color Booklet is also an easy reader that reviews colors and color words.

Students trace and then write the color word and then color the jellybean the appropriate color.

This booklet includes 2 graphing extensions and 10 traceable color word flashcards with jellybean cards to color + a cover so students can turn the cards into an Itty Bitty booklet.

Click on the link to view/download the Jellybean Color Booklet.

These booklets make nice plug in’s for your writing/math centers or Daily 5 activities.

The 53-page Jellybean Activities packet includes:

• A letter home asking for jellybean donations
• Templates to make jellybean sorting mats
• 3 graphing extensions
• A tally skill sheet
• A class book writing extension
• A patterning page + 5 other skills sheets
• Traceable upper and lowercase flashcards perfect for Memory Match games as well as Itty Bitty booklets
• Traceable number flashcards, including skip counting cards by 2's, 3's, 5's and 10's with covers to make Itty Bitty counting booklets
• An Easter Jellybean poem
• A guest-imation Jar poster and guessing forms
• Honey-Bunny cards to make CVC words
• A jellybean bibliography and
• A certificate of praise bookmark

Click on the link to view/download the Jellybean Activities Packet

Whatever you’re doing with jellybeans I hope you have a sweet time!

Be sure and pop back tomorrow for more springtime teaching tips!

Egg-sactly What Time Is It? It's Time For FUN!

Looking for a seasonal game to reinforce time?  You’ve come to the right place.

What’s the Eggs-act Time packet is filled with some fun activities just in time for spring.

Your students will have fun making the large egg manipulative clock and teachers can easily whole group assess by asking students to show them the “egg-sact” time when they hold up their clock.

I’ve also included an egg spinning game as well.  Children play in groups of 2-4 and take turns spinning.

Whatever number they land on, they trace and then write the time to the hour.  The student who fills up their time card first is the winner.

There are also digital and analog traceable time cards so you can make Memory Match games as well as Itty Bitty booklets, or play the game “I Have Who Has?” i.e.

The child with the analog 2:00 O’clock card, asks for the digital 2:00 time card.

Students can also sequence these cards.

Play “Speed-Flash” where the teacher flashes a time card and students show that time on their egg clock.

The child who shows the correct time the quickest, by holding up their clock, earns a sticker for the back of their egg.

Match Three is yet another game with 3 matching time cards to the hour: an analog clock, a large digital time and a written out time.

Students can play a Memory Match game with these by finding all 3 matches, or play a card game with another partner that works like Go Fish.

This game is called, Do You Have The Time?  Deal out 5 cards and put the rest face down.

Students match their groups of 3 with the cards they have.  When it is their turn they may take a card from the pile or ask their partner “Do you have 2:00 0’clock? “

If their partner has any time card that is 2 O’clock they give it to them etc.  Play continues ‘til all of the cards are matched or when the timer rings.

The student with the most matches of 3 is the winner.

When you are done with the various activities, you can reward your students with a time praise bookmark.

Click on the link to view/download Eggs-actly What Time Is It? packet.

Be sure and pop back tomorrow for more springtime activities and feel free to PIN anything from my blog or shopping cart. I'm all about sharing.

Do you have a teaching tip you'd like to share with us?  I'd enjoy hearing from you. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

or feel free to leave a comment here especially if you use one of my ideas.  Thanks in advance for your time.

Fun With Plastic Eggs!

Eggs are an easily recognized symbol for spring; you see them everywhere.  The plastic eggs are also an inexpensive manipulative.

I use them in a zillion different ways in my classroom.

IDEAS:

• Put part of a contraction on one side of the egg, put the other part of the contraction on the other and have students match them up.
• Have students find a half and then locate their partner with the matching half.
• Sort them by color.

• I have now collected eggs that are small, medium, large and jumbo and have students also sort by size.  They enjoy hiding them inside each other as well.
• Put a number on one side and a specified number of dots equaling that number on the other side and have students find the matching set.
• After they have found all the numbered eggs, have them sequence them.

• Put the eggs in rainbow color order.
• After my students have completed their tabletop work, they may choose a prize-filled egg from the Easter basket to take home.
• I fill them with jellybeans for jellybean sorting & graphing activities.

• Put math equations inside for students to solve.
• Put a writing prompt inside for students to write a sentence or a 1-paragraph story about.
• Put 3 stickers inside that students have to use, when writing 3 sentences or a 1-paragraph story.

• Hide them around the room and allow your students to find 1 to 2 to keep.

• Put an uppercase letter on one half and the lowercase letter on the other half. Break the eggs apart and sprinkle them around the room.  Set a timer and have students find the matches.  After they have found and put together all of the eggs, have them put them in alphabetical order and sing the ABC song.

• Make a set of eggs for all of the skip counted numbers that you have learned. Have students sequence them.

• 
• Put CVC words on the eggs as well as some word wall words so that students can choose 5-7 eggs and write sentences for Daily 5.
• Challenge students to learn a new word for the week.  Write a different new word in each egg and have students pick an egg out of the basket.  They crack open their egg and share it with the class.  This will be their bonus word on their spelling test and the one that they use in their work during reading and writing block time.
• Have students make long lines with the eggs and measure how long their line is.  Then have them take them apart and make a tower.  How tall can they build a tower before it topples?
• Have students make ABAB, ABCABC etc patterns with the eggs. How many patterns can they think of? 
• Use half an egg to make a circle stamp art picture by dipping the circle shape into paint and pressing it on paper or tracing it.
• Put pictures of flat and 3-D shapes inside the eggs.  Have students sit in a circle and choose an egg out of the basket.  They crack it open and identify what shape is inside their egg.  If they can identify it, they get to keep the egg.  If they cannot, the egg goes back in the basket.
• You can put anything inside an egg that you want to review.  Students choose an egg.  Play “I Have Who Has” with the contents of the eggs.  i.e. “I have uppercase letter A who has lowercase letter a? “Lowercase letter a asks “Who has the a ah apple word/sound?”etc.
• Play Doggy Doggy Who Has Your Bone? with a plastic egg and call it, Hen Hen Who Has Your Egg?
• Play Hot Potato and call it, Hot Egg

Use them for a quick and easy art activity and make a fat bumble bee, owl, bunny or pig (my personal favorites!)

Or simply add some wiggle eyes and a smile to make an egg creature.

Children can insert an "I love you!" note inside and give them to a family member or friend as a sweet Easter or springtime gift.

• Click on the link to visit Designs That Inspire for the directions for these cute animal "craftivities".

Have you thought of ways to include plastic eggs in your day? I'd enjoy hearing from This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or leave a comment here.

Thanks in advance.  Be sure and pop back tomorrow for some more fun "Spring Has Sprung" teaching tips!

Show Me A Pattern

A quick way to whole-group assess patterns is with these “High Flying” kites.

Run them off on a variety of brightly colored construction paper.

Students cut them out, punch a hole in the bottom and tape on a yarn tail.

Pre-cut a variety of brightly colored “tail” strips so that students can show you ABAB, ABCABC, AABBAABB, ABBA, AABAAB etc patterns.

Students raise their hand when they have completed placing a pattern on their kite string.

Afterwards children can choose a particular pattern that they like, write it on their kite and glue the strips to the string.

Mount them on a bulletin board, or hang them back-to-back from the ceiling for a super spring decoration in the hallway.

They look great hung in a row at the top of the wall as a pretty border as well.

Make it a special keepsake by having students glue their school photo to the kite.

You can also turn this into a partner game by using the pattern cards.

Students choose a partner, flip over a pattern card and see who can make that pattern the fastest. 

The one who does so, gets to keep that pattern card. When all of the cards are gone, or when the timer rings, the one with the most cards is the winner.

Click on the link to view/download Pattterning With Kites

Be sure and pop back tomorrow for another teacher tip.

Do you have one you can share?  I’d enjoy hearing from you! This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Or…feel free to leave a comment here, especially if you use one of my ideas!  Thanks in advance for your time.

Smooth Sailing

There’s nothing like a game to get students interested in learning.

I try to incorporate several subjects when I design a game so I get more “bang for my time-buck” so to speak.

Smooth Sailing does just that.

It involves the science of weather and the math concept of skip counting + those valuable life skills children learn when they play games with other classmates and learn patience and cooperation etc.

4 different game boards have students skip count by 2's, 3's, or 5's.

I’ve also included a board for counting by 1’s for younger students.

The object of the game, is to get a sailboat safely through the various weather to the port.

There are 24 different sailboats to choose from, directions for the various games and 2 certificates of praise.

Encourage older students to skip count as they move their sailboats around the board.

Laminate the game boards so you can use them each year, or run them off so students can trace the skip counted numbers, take the board home and play with their families to reinforce lessons.

Click on the link to view/download Smooth Sailing Weather-Skip Counting Science-Math Game

Happy sailing!

Be sure and pop in tomorrow for some more teaching tips!

Look Out The Window! What's The Weather Like?

Studying the weather offers a nice chance to plug in a bit of science along with math-graphing skills.

I designed the easy reader booklet What’s The Weather so that students would become familiar with the various kinds of weather as well as those weather words.

To help in that endeavor, I’ve included 10 traceable weather word cards + matching picture cards and a cover, so students can make an Itty Bitty Weather Word booklet.

This weather packet includes a data collection sheet where students record the date and type of weather that’s taking place, as well as a graphing extension to see what everyone’s favorite kind of weather is.

Students trace and then write the weather words, and then cut and glue the matching picture to the appropriate page.

When everyone is done, read the book together as a whole group to reinforce concepts of print.

Click on the link to view/download What’s The Weather booklet.

Be sure to pop back tomorrow for more teaching tips.    

Having A Blast With Wind!

There just never seems to be enough time in the day to get everything done that has to be done and then try and include some science too.

Then if you manage to make the time, there’s always the problem of where can you go to get some quick and easy things to plug in, that will interest the students and be grade-level appropriate!

This was a dilemma that I had with every grade I taught. I wasted tons of time on the web searching for who knows what.

Now I just design my own mini science lessons to match the theme I’m doing for that particular month.

By including some math skills and writing activities in the process, I get lots of bang for my “time buck”.

Wind is a terrific theme for March and can easily be tied in with clouds.  Both offer lots of opportunities to learn a little science.

In my Wind Packet I’ve included several hands-on “craftivities” that make a great incentive center.  i.e., complete the required lessons for the morning and then you get to visit this special center and make a pinwheel, wind cloud, or wind-fact tinsel cloud!

Pinwheels are a fun way to show the movement of wind.

I’ve included 5 patterns for you to choose from, or simply run off the plain pinwheel on a variety of brightly colored construction paper.

Having students pretend to be the wind and blow paint around on a cloud using a straw, reinforces the colors of the rainbow and makes a pretty pattern.

Your students will enjoy making a Wind Facts - Tinsel Cloud, which gives a list of facts about the wind answering questions like: What is wind? , What makes wind? and What is the record for the fastest wind?

There’s a writing prompt on the back that gets students to think at a higher level and is a nice introduction to metaphor or simile.

I’ve also included 4 quick and easy wind experiments sure to knock your students socks off and add interest to your science time.

Will The Wind Blow It? Has students become little scientists. They make predictions and record data and then analyze the data and come to  conclusions about the results.

Wind Chill uses hand sanitizer for a fun “hands on” evaporation and wind experiment that takes just a few minutes.

Up Up And Away involves a balloon race and incorporates measuring and comparison skills.

The Egg In A Bottle looks into wind pressure and is my personal favorite.  It will have your little ones in awe!

If you do all of the experiments do the graphing activity and then have students make the class wind book writing about which one was their favorite. 

I've also included the nursery rhyme "Rock A Bye Baby" with links to several YouTube videos. I try to include this genre into my story time whenever it fits in with a theme that I'm doing.

I hope these ideas add delight to your day.

No one will ever think that you’re a boring wind bag when you spice things up with a little scientific fun!

Click on the link to view/download the Wind Packet

Be sure and pop in tomorrow when I’ll some weather activites!