Is It On Your Left Or Is It On Your Right?
Learning spatial directions is a Y5 report card standard. One of the most difficult ones for my kiddos to learn was left and right.
I designed the easy reader Left or Right? with an October theme, to help my students learn this standard, in a fun way, while also reinforcing other skills.
This packet is filled with fun activities to help your students practice their fine motor, listening and following direction skills, as well as help reinforce this rather difficult spatial direction, in an interesting way.
Students read and trace a sentence, deciding whether things are on the left or right side of the page.
Point out the fact that the first word is capitalized and that the sentences have ending punctuation, as well as the fact that they have spaces between words and that they are reading from left to right and top down and you’ll be reinforcing 4 Common Core State Standards as well.
Children also practice their cutting and gluing skills as they follow directions.
The last page has a play on words and offers 2 alternatives, depending on the age of your students.
I’ve also included a skill sheet and pumpkin paddle art activity, where students flip their pumpkin Popsicle stick to show left or right, so that you can whole group assess.
There’s left and right hand posters and a certificate of praise too.
Click on the link to view/download Left or Right?
Thanks for visiting today. Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find helpful.
Do you have a spatial direction tip you could share with us? I’d enjoy hearing from you.
diane@teachwithme.com or leave a comment here.
“It is a happy talent to know how to play.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
This Old Man Is A Scarecrow!
One of my favorite themes in the fall was scarecrows. It’s a great non-Halloween theme for those schools that don’t celebrate that holiday too.
I liked to involve music and gross motor movement whenever I could, to help make learning extra fun and get the wiggles out at the same time.
Incorporating rhyming songs via music with a beat, helped children get the hang of things quickly.
This Old Man is a terrific vehicle to introduce counting. After reading that story, and playing the CD, I told my Y5’s that they were going to pretend to be scarecrows.
I showed them how a scarecrow would stand, and pointed out the 2 scarecrows we had propped in the corners of our room.
I demonstrated how to slap, clap, and snap and asked them if these words rhymed.
After passing out the manipulatives I read the teacher's edition of This Scarecrow; the students did the movements.
Afterwards, children transitioned to their desks to read, trace, write, count and spy numbers of scarecrows completing their own booklet.
Once everyone was done, we read the booklet as a whole group to reinforce concepts of print.
Click on the link to view/download This Scarecrow
Something Extra:
My favorite scarecrow "craftivity" I did with my Y5's was the "Personal Scarecrow"
I pre-cut large sheets of construction paper into the various shapes.
Students cut and glued smaller shapes to the body portion of the scarecrow.
We reviewed them as they assembled their scarecrow.
For the head, I enlarged their school photograph on the copier.
When you enlarge to that size, it becomes pixilated so their face really does take on a burlap-scarecrow kind of appearance!
For great fine motor practice, have students snip yellow pieces of construction paper so that they look like straw.
Children glue these behind the end of the sleeves and pant legs.
I used brass brads so that the arms and legs were "jointed." The scarecrows could dance and prance down the hallway wall.
I wrote a poem for Mailbox Magazine that I posted under the scarecrows. You can imagine all of the cool comments we received.
Click on the link to view/download the Personal Scarecrow
Thanks for visiting today. Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find helpful.
Do you have a scarecrow idea you could share with us? I’d enjoy hearing from you! diane@teachwithme.com or leave a comment here.
“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” –Mark Twain
Spring Into The Garden and Reinforce Color and Number Words
In My Garden is another easy reader that’s great for your writing center or Daily 5 activities too. Once students get used to these little booklets they feel empowered and it builds their self-esteem as well as their skills.
This booklet reinforces number and color words and touches on a little science as it involves insects, which can lead to a discussion of what might go on in a garden.
I’ve included 2 graphing extensions to nail that core standard as well.
Besides the graphing extensions, the booklet also offers a variety of other discussion opportunities
All of the things in the garden are seen doing something. Do they all do the same thing?
The last page asks students how high they can count to. Which student in your class can count the highest? How high is that?
When everyone has completed their booklet, read it as a whole group to reinforce concepts of print and so students can take it home and enjoy sharing it with their families.
Click on the link to view/download In My Garden
You may also want to teach or read the nursery rhyme Mary How Does Your Garden Grow? I never had enough time for my nursery rhyme unit at the end ot the year, so I tried to plug in nursery rhymes throughout the year, whenever they seemed to fit with other themes.
Click on the link to view/download this nursery rhyme. (2 anchor chart-posters)
I hope your day is filled with sunshine and flowers and that you can flutter on over tomorrow for some more tips.