1-2-3 come Do Some Winter Word Work With Me

Are you working on silent, or “magic” e word work with your kiddos? If so, I think they’ll really enjoy this Magic e Mitten packet.

Simply run the mitten pattern off on a variety of colors of construction paper.
I wanted mine to have a red mitten with a green cuff + a green mitten with a red cuff, so I ran off two of each page (one on red and one on green).

Laminate, trim and then cut the cuffs off so that you create puzzles for an independent center, or use for a “Magic e” Mitten Matching Game.  You could also use these for an “I Have; Who Has?” game too.

The packet also includes a Magic e Word Work journal. Students trace the word, add a “magic e” to the end (using a different color) and then write the new word that’s made.

Encourage students to look up words that they don't know and define them on the “new-word-to-me” definition worksheet, which can also go in their journal.

* There are also Mitten Math worksheets, where the word + an e ='s a new word,
* A magic e rules poster,
* Long & short vowel sorting mat, with matching worksheet,
* An alphabetical list of 86 magic e words, plus
* A pattern to make a magic e, mitten wand.

These make easy-peasy activities for your Daily 5 word work too. 

Another winter word work activity is the UG family of words.

There's nothing like a nice mug of hot chocolate when the wind is whipping up a winter chill, and since I like to have some sort of theme, when we work on a word family,  I thought it would be a fun to use a mug of cocoa.

This not only grabs my students’ attention, but makes the activities a bit more fun, and my kiddos seem to catch on more quickly, retaining the information better because of the graphic.

Since most mugs are also a 3D cylinder shape, I’ve incorporated this into the lesson, so that you can add a bit of math with literacy.
The packet includes:

* 2 Craftivities
* 5 worksheets
* A set of 6, pocket-chart sentence cards
* 3 Posters, plus
* 9, three-piece UG puzzles

Use the activities as a whole group activity, independent center, games, or something for early finishers, homework or your sub folder. 

When my kiddos have completed their lessons, they've earned a special treat for snack time, a cup of hot chocolate.  Mmmmm mmmmm good, especially after a chilly recess. 

Finally, I know a lot of teachers read The Mitten  by Jan Brett, so I designed a cute winter word work packet "Our Mittens" that reinforces verbs based on that story.

The packet includes two class-made books. Making a class book, is a quick and easy way to practice a variety of standards; contributing a page for a class book, is super-fun for your kiddos, and will grab their attention from the get go.

In the first book, Our Mitten, the teacher loses a mitten. As children find it, they tuck something inside. 

Here, I wanted my kiddos to take size into consideration, and think of something that could realistically fit inside a mitten.

On their page, students state their name and tell what they put inside their teacher’s mitten and why, adding an illustration.

The Animals In Our Mitten, is the next book. The cover and pages, are in the shape of a large mitten.  Children fill in the blank with an adjective, animal and action verb. i.e. “A slow, green turtle shuffled into our class mitten.”

I feel that even PK kiddos can come up with a descriptive word and action for their animal, and believe it’s not too early to have children practice writing a vivid and complete sentence, however, there’s also a simpler page, where they just name an animal and draw a picture.

I’ve tied the packet into Brett’s folktale,The Mitten, by including an alphabetical list of 39 of the action verbs in her story, along with a worksheet.

There’s also a verb-definition poster, plus 39 action verb cards, and 11 character cards, which you can use for several games and activities.      

I've also made a similar, classroom management packet that's a quick, interesting and fun way to build students' vocabularies, practice verbs, and reinforce synonyms, while improving dictionary & alphabetizing skills as well.

My students absolutely LOVE playing these games, and I’ve noticed nice improvement in their writing, as well as their verbal vocabulary.
 
The other portion of the packet, Ready! Set! Action! I use as a simple, yet highly effective classroom management tool, that reinforces verbs, while helping students “get the wiggles out” or transition to another activity.

Children enjoy the action of the activity, while you reinforce the grammar concept, at the same time easily & successfully managing classroom behavior.

The classroom management portion, includes several posters, student name cards, 45 action verb cards, plus a blank set to program with whatever.  

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, so there are two featured FREEBIES today because they both involve melted crayons.  

The first one is a melted crayon valentine. 

Completed projects are quite lovely and make a nice window display. 

The other one is using broken crayons to make an inexpensive, valentine gift for your students. 

Here's the link for the valentine crayons  FREEBIE.  

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by. 

Wishing you a warm and snuggly kind of day.

"Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face." -Victor Hugo

1-2-3 Come Study Shapes With Me!

This 40-page packet will help you review Common Core Standards: K.G.1, K.G.2, RF.K.1a, RF.K.3c, L.K.2a, L.K.2b, L.1.2b, RF.1.1a, K.MD.3, 1.MD.4, 1.G.1
with quick, easy and fun ways to review 2D shapes.

The packet includes:

• Easy reader pig shape booklet using over 40 Dolch words. Nice for Daily 5 Word Work.
• Attributes worksheet
• Matching shapes to shape words worksheet
• Spatial direction worksheet
• Graphing extension
• Craftivity: Nose Shape Matching Game or center activity
• Craftivity: Piggy shape paddles. Use as a manipulative for assessing, or make several sets, pass them out to students so they can show you the correct shape when you ask for it.
• Craftivity: Color shape mobile
• 10 color word cards with 10 "color me" piggy cards.  Use to make Itty Bitty booklets or play Memory Match or "I Have; Who Has?" games.
• Shape word cards with matching piggy shape picture cards in color and in black and white. Use to make Itty Bitty booklets or play Memory Match or "I Have; Who Has?" games.
• Craftivity: Feed the Pig assessment game.  Use the above cards, pass them out to students and then have them feed the pig as you call for the various shapes or colors.
• A certificate of praise

Click on the link to view/download the Pig Shape Packet.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think might be useful to others.

" To teach is to learn twice over." -Joseph Joubert

1-2-3 Come Make Silly Shaped Owls With Me!

Since the Silly Shaped Penguins were such a huge hit in January, I decided to whip together a packet of 2D shape activities using owls. 

I love owls, and lately, they seem to be all the rage.

You can quickly make these silly shaped owls and increase your students knOWLedge of shapes, shape words, attributes etc.

These activities make nice Daily 5 Word Work lessons, and will help reinforce Common Core State Standards: K.G.1, K.G.2, K.MD.3, 1.MD.4, 1.G.1

• Owl shape "craftivity".  Using the patterns, make the owls and laminate. 

• Use them as anchor charts, a shape bulletin board, oral assessments, or manipulatives for students to hold up during a shape story.
• Make an extra laminated set and cut them in half for an independent math center. 
• Choose 4 and suspend them from the ceiling in each corner of your classroom, so that you can play "4 Corners".  My kiddos absolutely LOVE this game and it's a quick, easy and super-fun way to reinforce the more difficult shapes.  When they've learned those, I hang up 4 other ones 'til they know them all.
  

• Students could also make one or several at a math center, perhaps choosing their favorite shaped owl(s).

Click on the link to view/download the Silly Shaped Owls packet.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find helpful.

"I shall pass this way but once. Therefore, any good that I can do or any kindness that I can show, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again."

1-2-3 Come Be A Word Wizard With Me

As you go through the year, you add lots of words to your word wall.  We sometimes take for granted that because we've covered a set of words for a while, that they will have stuck in our students' brains. 

This is not necessarily true for some children; that's why it's so important to review these words on a daily basis. 

To make this more fun, a few minutes before lunch, or just before we got ready to go home, I'd turn off the lights and choose a Popsicle stick with a child's name on it. 

They got to turn on my neon laser sword and read a group of words. Then they'd point to the words and everyone would say them together.

When they were done, they'd choose another student to do the same, 'til time ran out.

My students LOVED doing this.  I'd also play "flash a word" with a flashlight.  The room was dark and I'd suddenly flash the light on a word.  The first one who identified it, got the flashlight.

Being able to recognize words is a Common Core State Standard: (RF.K.3c)

I'd often use our word wall for Daily 5 Word Work activities.

When all of the office supply stores are having huge loss leaders in August, I'd buy a class supply of notebooks. Most of the time these were only 10 or 15 cents each.

My Y5's felt very "grown up" getting a notebook and enjoyed practicing all sorts of writing activities and recording them in their notebooks.

I had my students become word wizards, which helped them enjoy vocabulary-building activities even more.

In the Word Wizard packet, I've included a cover for your students to glue to their notebook.

They can give their covers more pizzazz, if they draw or glue a picture of themselves as the word wizard.

Have children think of 4-5 adjectives that describe themselves. They write those words around their wizard.

Every day assign a numbered activity for them to do, with words from your word wall, or give them a choice of what activity to choose.

I've included a list of 51 activities that can easily be repeated with different words on another day.

This packet is a quick and easy way to cover "word work" for your Daily 5 activities.

There's also a certificate of praise to hand out at the end of the year when students have completed their notebooks.

Click on the link to view/download the Word Wizard packet.

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"The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Figure Out Story Elements With Me

Making The Very Hungry Caterpillar Story Dangler is a fun way to help students reinforce their understanding of content, as well as the following Common Core State Standards: L.K.2a, L.K.2b, RF.K.3a, RF.K.3d, RF.1.1a, RL.1.2,W.K.7,SL.K.2, RL.K.2, RL.K.3

The "craftivity" is an interesting way for students to show their ability to retell a story, as well as a gauge for the teacher to see if anyone needs help with comprehension.

The smile is the title of the story, and the circle is about characters and setting. The leaf with the egg on it = the beginning of the story, the apple = the middle of the story, and the 3D butterfly = the end of the story.

After reading the story, review concepts of print with your students. Discuss who the characters are, where the setting takes place, as well as what happens in the beginning, middle and end of the story.

When students can identify the important events from the beginning, middle and end of a story, their reading comprehension and writing ability improves.

This knowledge helps a reader understand how organization, sequence, and plot make a good story, so they hopefully will include it in their own writing.  (It's been said that "Good readers are also good writers.")

Here's How To Make The Hungry Caterpillar Dangler:

Cut lengths of yarn for each child. So they don’t get knotted, fasten them to a paper plate with a bottom and top slit cut out. Lay the yarn between the slits.

Make the eye, nose and antennae templates by cutting out the patterns and tracing them on an old file folder.

Older students can trace and cut out their own pieces, but it really expedites things for little ones, if these are already pre-cut by a room helper.

Run off the body parts on construction paper. To save paper, each child gets one body part. To hang them together simply run a piece of yarn across the back and tape each section to it.

I like the more finished 3D look of giving children two of each body section. To attach, they flip their pieces over and put them in a line with ½ an inch of space between them.

Children rub glue on the back, lay the yarn on top and then glue the other half over it. I wanted the leaf to be 3D, so I only glued half of the leaf together, and let the other half stick out.

To represent a butterfly egg, I fastened a mini white pom pom to the right side of the leaf with a glue dot. I also wanted to make the butterfly 3D, so I folded the wings up on either side of the thorax.

Rub glue on just the thorax area and press the other thorax over it. Fluff the wings and they will look like the butterfly is flying.

Pass out the pieces to the children. They fill in the information and assemble their Story Dangler. Punch a hole in the top of the head and make a yarn loop.

If you want to cover even more standards, have students add another circle or make a heart to tell why they liked or did not like the story, or compare this story to another caterpillar or butterfly story and state which one they liked better.

These look adorable hanging from the ceiling (if you have front and back pieces) or hung in a row on the wall if you used Scotch tape.

Click on the link to view/download The Very Hungry Caterpillar Story Dangler.  Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.

For another Very Hungry Caterpillar activity, scroll down to take a look at the next blog article.

"Garbage in, is garbage out! Pay attention to what you read, listen to, and watch." -Unknown

Puzzled Over What To Do To Assess and Review the ABC's?

Are you looking for some fun ways to assess and reinforce the letters of the alphabet?

Well you’ve come to the right blog spot! It took me 3 days to complete the whopping  67 page Alphabet Puzzle packet . 

It's filled with goodies that will help review
Common Core State Standards: LK.1a, L.1.1a, RF.K.1b, RF.K.3c, RF.K.1d, RF.K.3a, RF.K.3b, RF.1.2a, L.K.2c, L.K.5a

The packet includes:

• 202 alphabet puzzles! (The initial set of 26) + lots of extras for students to mix and match.
• The 202 word cards come from word wall sight words as well as 56 from the Dolch Noun Word List.
• Cover to make a set of cards into an Itty Bitty booklet.

•  25 sorting mats so students can sort pictures, upper and lowercase letters, as well as words into a variety of different categories like seasons, themes, plural/singular, vowel/consonant etc.
• Activity mat for students to put the letters in alphabetical order.
•  Activity mat for students to choose 12 or 20 words and organize them alphabetically

• 3 pages of tips and games for what else to do with the cards besides use them as puzzles.
• Uppercase letter assessment activity + recording sheet.
• Lowercase letter assessment activity + recording sheet.
  

• Letter to word assessment activity and recording sheet.
• Letter home to parents about assessments
• Matching uppercase letters to lowercase letters activity and recording sheet.
  

• Trace and write uppercase skill sheet.
• Trace and white lowercase skill sheet +
• 5 different certificates of praise for students who have completed the above assessments successfully.

Click on the link to view/download the ABC Puzzle packet.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything on my site, that you think others might find helpful.

“Being happy doesn’t mean everything is perfect.  It means you’ve decided to see beyond the imperfections.” -Unknown

Let's Go! Let's Get Out In That SNOW!

Yesterday I updated and posted the ordinal number winter poster packet to rave reviews. (Thanks!  So glad you liked it. I guess lots of teachers & parents were in the same boat. )  This sort of “What goes on next?” always helped my Y5’s and expedited things, so we could waddle out for recess before the bell rang to come back in!

I decided to follow that up by updating an emergent reader booklet on the same subject, that will help you review Common Core State Standards: RF.K1a, RF.K1c, RF.K3c, L.K2a, L.K2b

Like the poster, the booklet helps your students identify winter clothing words and the order clothes should be put on. Students correct the sentences by adding ending punctuation and a capital letter to the beginning word.

They trace and then write the ordinal number, as well as the article of clothing that is put on.

Students use pictures as clues to read the sentences, as they cut and glue other pictures to the matching numbered boxes.  This packet is great for your Daily 5 word work activities.

There are 58 words in the booklet, 30 of which are Dolch sight words. I've included 58 traceable word cards to practice with, as well as worksheets involving contractions also found in the booklet, plus some word work with compound words.

Since the booklet is all about getting ready to go out to play in snowy winter weather, I thought it would be fun to see how many compound words starting with the word snow, I could come up with. 

Can you think up more than my 15?  I’d love hearing from you!  I still don’t understand why snow pants is not a compound word! Anyone have an answer to that?  diane@teachwithme.com or post a comment here.

The packet also includes:

• 58 traceable word cards + covers to make Itty Bitty Booklets.
• 8 matching picture cards (Great for playing Memory Match or "I Have; Who Has?" games.)
• A graphing extension
• + 4 skill sheets, which include: Match the word from the story to the picture.
• An alphabetizing worksheet
• A compound word worksheet. (Trace and write 15 new words that begin with snow.) and
• A contraction worksheet +
• A certificate of praise when students can read the booklet independently.

Click on the link to view/download the Let’s Go! Let’s Play In The Snow Easy Reader Booklet Be sure to scroll down for yesterday's article "This Is How We Get Ready" if you missed it, and grab the matching FREEBIES.

Thanks for visiting. My feet have hit the floor running today, as my Christmas decorations need to be taken down and packed away, along with a myriad of other things.   Anyone else hate that job? 

“Leave as little to chance as possible.  Preparation is the key to success.” –Paul Brown