1-2-3 Come Do Some Name Writing Activities With Me
Put some fun into “name writing” practice.
This important skill can be daunting for little ones just learning how to hold a writing utensil.
Likewise, “practice makes perfect” can become tedious and boring.
With these things in mind, I designed this “kid topper” name craftivity.
There are a variety of ways you can use this packet.
The first way is to use as a worksheet with a “child topper”.
Run off the boy & girl patterns on copy paper, or to make them sturdier, use white construction paper.
There are 18, BW girl options, as well as 18 boy options. Children color the child, then trim and glue to the top of one of the worksheets.
There are 4 “I can write my name" worksheets. Choose which is most appropriate for your students.
To add variety & make things more fun, students write their name with a crayon, pencil, marker, pen & piece of chalk.
If your kiddos are like mine, this is a “big deal” that meets with lots of enthusiasm.
Another option, is for students to simply write with one utensil. My kiddos’ favorite is markers.
They can do this all at once, writing their name six times, or do this once each day for the first week of school.
IDEA: Have students choose two different colored markers, then show an ABAB color pattern to cover yet another report card standard.
Completed projects make an adorable bulletin board. I’ve included 2 posters to add extra pizzazz.
IDEA: After you take your bulletin board down, save your students’ work, then have them repeat the assignment, the last week of school.
You should see wonderful improvement in coloring, as well as writing! What a great keepsake too.
The other option is to make a “strip booklet”.
To make one, staple X number of pages together, add the cover, then staple to the base of each students’ “kid topper”.
Children write their name on the first day, then again, once each month.
This is great to share during parent-teacher conferences, and also makes a wonderful keepsake at the end of the year.
I've also included 3, "bookmarks of praise" for boys, and another 3 for girls, which you can hand out when they pass this report card standard.
Today's featured FREEBIE is a "Getting to know you!" name map.
Well that's it for today. Thanks for popping in.
It's summer; it's Friday, and I'm feelin' oh so fine!
Time to don my straw hat & flips flops. Hoffmaster Beach here we come.
"A little sand between your toes, is a simple way to take away your woes. " -Unknown.
1-2-3 Come Do Some More Pete The Cat Activities With Me
Are your kiddos crazy over Pete the Cat? If you’re a fan, then these packets are for you! Today I'm featuring 2 of my newest creations featuring a cool blue cat.
Since my other name activities have been such a hit, I decided to make some with a cat-theme. These keepsake, name writing booklets enable me to assess my students’ abilities from that first day on to the last.
They are not only a quick, easy and super-fun assessment tool, but a great way to keep interest high as children continue to practice.
The booklets also provide me with something easy that I can share during conferences to show progress, and at the end of the year, with no added work on my part, children will have an awesome keepsake to take home.
They’ve also worked as a wonderful “stress buster” when I’m ill, or if an emergency arrises, as I’ve easily plugged them into my sub plans with no extra work or running things off.
My kiddos are also familiar with doing them, and where they are located, so it’s a real win-win.
The packet includes:
* 3 different keepsake writing booklets to choose from.
However, I specifically designed them all differently, so that you can make all of them for your students if you want.
All of the templates have 2 pages on one, so that the booklets are half size, which is less overwhelming, expedites coloring and ensures good effort, as well as saves on paper.
The first one is short. “My seasonal name writing booklet”, which features a page for fall, winter, spring and summer.
It’s perfect for when you need a “fill in” or have a sub.
The second booklet “I Can Write My Name With Different Stuff!” gives children an opportunity to write with different things: pencils, crayons, markers, pens and chalk.
They also have a picture to color.
Finally, the “My Monthly Writing Booklet” is a real keepsake, as it shows how children wrote their name on the first and last days of school, as well as each month.
The cat-themed graphic depicts something appropriate for that month, with several options for some of them. Mix and match to make a booklet just right for you.
Next up are my ever-popular "sliders". I gave them that name because children “slide” a strip of paper through a “window” in a crafty little graphic, that displays numbers, letters, or 2D shapes.
The cutting & sliding are great for strengthening finger muscles too.
There are 5 cat graphics in this packet, (full-page & 2-on-a-page) as well as 3 different sizes for the sliders, so you can make more than one.
If you’re a big “Pete the Cat” fan, have children color their cats various shades of blue, or if you want your students to get in some cutting practice, run off the patterns on blue construction paper.
I’ve included shoe patterns as well. All of the cat patterns come with and without shoes.
There are “sliders” (number strips) for sequencing numbers from 0-10 as well as 1-30; plus a strip for counting backwards from 10-0 or 20-0, as well as strips for skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s, & 10s.
There’s also a slider for uppercase letters, as well as lowercase letter strips, plus a strip of 2D shapes as well as a “shoe slider” that reviews colors/coloUrs.
Students trace the numbers/letters and color the 2D shapes/shoes on their slider strips.
If you’re working on patterning, have children choose 2-3 colors to show an AB-AB, ABC-ABC color pattern.
My favorite thing about sliders is that they are a quick, easy and interesting way for me to review, as well as whole-group assess a variety of standards, by playing a “Show me the number, letter, color or shape” game.
Today's featured FREEBIE is a sweet treat idea. It's perfect for your students' first day/week of school, or something you can give them during those grueling tests, or whenever you need a little surprise treat.
Print off the star template (2 to choose from) and attach Starburst candy with glue dots.
While they're chomping away, have them write "I AM a star!" on the back and sign their name, then hang up as a positive "you got this" happy space.
Well that's it for today. My grandchildren are coming over, so it's time to change hats.
We'll for sure be coloring some Pete pictures! Wishing you a super-groovy kind of day.
"A good day is a good day. A bad day is a good story. At the end of the day it's all good." - Glennon Melton
1-2-3 Come Do Some Name Writing Activities With Me
“Elmer” by David McKee, is a wonderful story about the beauty and importance of diversity. This colorful, patchwork elephant, enjoys making others happy and is an instant favorite of my students.
Inspired by this heartwarming character, and because I’m always looking for quick, easy and fun ways for my students to practice writing their names, I designed some name writing activities featuring a patchwork elephant.
The packet includes:
* Several posters
* 5 worksheets
* 3 different name cards as well as . . .
* Colorful name tags
* Several games plus . . .
* 3 super-cute craftivities
The mosaic letter craft is a personal favorite.
Children color the squares inside their initial then cut it out. On another day, they color the patchwork elephant and complete the worksheet.
When everyone is done, children choose their favorite color to glue their creations on. Completed projects make a sweet bulletin board.
When you take your display down, collate the pages in alphabetical order and add the cover for an awesome class book.
My Y5s absolutely love painting with watercolors. It's an easy-peasy center for me, so I created an elephant watercolor craft using a coffee filter.
Students can write their name around the circle, or cut out the elephant, mount it to a paper "blackboard" and write their name with colored chalk.
Writing their name with sidewalk chalk outside the school, is also a super-fun activity for your students.
The other name craft is a "so proud pennant". Children write their name on the pennant color of their choice.
They color the patchwork elephant however they want, then attach the pipe cleaner "staff" around his nose.
The pipe cleaner can be bent up a bit so that this is a free-standing place marker, or keep them flat and scatter them on a bulletin board.
Besides these craftivities, the packet also includes . . .
* 5 options for a class-made name booklet with inside pages plus covers.
There are two, 2-on-a page booklets. The one pictured in the mosaic craft, as well as this one, which features a child's favorite color as well.
My personal favorite is the big "color me" elephant featuring a child's initial. And finallly, I've also included ...
* A mini certificate of praise.
For more name writing practice, check out this other name writing packet in my TpT shop which makes a super keepsake.
As long as my students were learning to write and recognize their names, I decided to make practicing especially fun, with this assortment of activities.
Since some of my kiddos came in with just a scribble, I also wanted to show their progress and how much they had improved by the end of the year.
I needed a simple assessment tool for the beginning of the year as well, to see where my students were at, that was also fun for them and easy for me.
With these things in mind, I designed several monthly keepsake booklets specifically for name writing practice.
Finally, I created a "color-me" name writing practice packet too, because my kiddos are simply too young to keep track of a portfolio, and I don't need more work collecting and filing "stuff" for it.
Because coloring is great for strengthening those weak finger muscles, I drew "color me" pictures for each month and put 2-on-a-page to make a "just the right size" booklet.
At the end of each month, they write their name on the appropriate page and give their best effort coloring the seasonal picture.
The booklet provides a wonderful look at the progress children are making, and is perfect to share during conferences.
At the end of the year my students have a wonderful keepsake to take home.
Today's featured FREEBIE is from my Name Writing Activities With An Elephant packet mentioned above.
I've pulled the reminder poster, the "Don't get behind practicing" name cards, plus the 2 "trace me" alphabet bookmarks (one with uppercase letters, the other with lowercase). Use them for practice, then later as an assessment tool.
Click on the picture to zip on over to grab today's FREEBIE: Name & Letter Practice With An Elephant.
Well that's it for today. I'm happily snuggled in my office creating new stuff, as a storm rages outside my window.
We so needed the rain and I love the sound of the thunder. Wishing you a refreshing and relaxing day.
"An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest." -Unknown
1-2-3 Come Do Some Chrysanthemum Activities With Me
One of my students’ all-time favorite back to school books is “Chrysanthemum” by Kevin Henkes.
It provides the perfect introduction to name activities, as well as reinforces the importance of speaking kind words.
With that in mind, I designed this jumbo Chrysanthemum literacy packet, which is chock full of a huge assortment of activities for you to choose from.
The packet includes:
* A variety of Worksheets
* An assortment of super-fun writing prompts
* Lots of posters
* Non-fiction: Interesting facts about chrysanthemum flowers, with follow up research challenge & poster to record their personal “fact finding”.
* “Bio Blip” for Kevin Henkes, an author activity
* “Let’s Text!” Making Connections activities: (text to self, text to text, text to world).
* Word work booklet with vocabulary-building activities, plus 30 word cards from the story.
* Cause & Effect activities
* Comparison - Contrast activities with Venn diagrams plus a personal favorite of mine the . . .
* Chrysanthemum “Promise Pledge” Bulletin board display and writing prompt activity with . . .
* 30 “I Promise” photo name cards.
If you enjoy crafts, then I think you'll really like the . . .
* Simple paper chrysanthemum flower craft, which you can do at the beginning of the year for back to school, or save for Mother’s Day.
I've included a pattern with a leaf that says: "A mum for my mom" as well as "A mum for my mum."
As you can see by the photographs, the results are truly awesome.
Even if you don't do them as a whole-group craftivity, make some up to add extra 3D pop & pizzazz to your bulletin board display of students' Chrysanthemum work. There's also a . . .
* “Color Me" Flower Petal Power name poster plus . . .
* Mazes, Word Finds, “How Many Words Can You Make?” and “I spy my name!” game sheets, as well as . . .
* An alphabetical list of 300 words in Chrysanthemum's name!
* Bookmarks
* Name writing-coloring pages
* “Sticks & stones may break my bones…” posters, discussion & writing prompt activities and finally . . .
* 4 real photograph posters of delphiniums, plus 30 picture posters of chrysanthemum flowers.
Use them to introduce the story, for descriptive writing prompts, or adjective practice, and for your bulletin board or hallway display.
Whew! that's a whole-lotta literacy--in all, over 100 fun-filled pages!
Today's FREEBIE also features this sweet little mouse as well as a raccoon named Chester.
The worksheets are based on 2 of my favorite back to school books: "The Kissing Hand" by Audry Penn and "Chrysanthemum" by Kevin Henkes.
Since the first week of school, especially that 1st day, can be exhausting, I designed these 2 "color me" worksheets, as a fun, quiet and independent little something children can do at the end of the day.
They're a real sanity saver, as kiddos are happily engaged coloring and writing their names, while you have a few peaceful minutes to get things ready for dismissal. I hope you find them useful.
Well that's it for today. Not really complaining about summer weather, but these 90+ degree days have me seeking air conditioning, so I'm missing being active in my garden.
That being said, I am getting a lot of designing done. Wishing you a fun-filled day.
"When the weather is hot keep a cool mind; when the weather is cold keep a warm heart." -Ajahn Brahm
1-2-3 Make A Keepsake Name Booklet With Me
My Y5s were simply too young to keep track of a portfolio, and I didn't need more work collecting and filing "stuff" for it, so instead, to show my students' awesome progress, I designed what I call "monthly keepsake booklets".
Today's blog features two name writing activity packets. First up, is a very simple "color me" booklet.
Because coloring is great for strengthening those weak finger muscles, I drew pictures for each month, and for quick printing, put 2-on-a-page to make a "just the right size" booklet.
At the end of each month, students wrote their name on the appropriate page and gave their best effort coloring the seasonal picture.
The booklet provided a wonderful look at the progress children were making writing their name, as well as coloring.
It was perfect to share during conferences, and then at the end of the year, my students had a wonderful keepsake to take home.
In celebration, the last page of the booklet is a certificate of praise.
The other name writing packet, has 3 keepsake options for you to choose from, along with a variety of other name writing activities to make practicing especially fun.
The 1st option, is simply a 2-pager in both color as well as black and white.
Simply staple them together & have your kiddos write their name at the end of each month & then color the small picture.
Keep these in their writing folder or journal.
The 2nd option, is also a two-pager, but has 6 page strips on one page that children cut apart to make an Itty Bitty pencil keepsake name booklet.
Finally, the 3rd option is a bit like the "color me" name booklet I first discussed, as this one has monthly-themed pages to color as well.
However, I’ve also added quite a few extra pages to work on later in the year, that involve a variety of math & language arts skills appropriate for kindergarten.
Such as vowels, syllables, counting, comparing, word work, greater & less than, as well as simple addition.
Besides the keepsake booklets, there are also a variety of name-related worksheets.
Such as the three "find your name" worksheets, where teachers write everyone's name on a heart, gum ball, and star.
For another activity students "rainbow write", "stamp" & "cut and glue" their name. I've included a set of letter tiles to make this easy.
To get in a bit of ABC order practice, there's also an "alphabetize your classmates' names" worksheet.
My personal favorite worksheet, is the "I can write my name with a ...." (crayon, pencil, marker, pen, and piece of chalk).
Since apples are a big theme in September, I've also included several apple craftivities.
In the first activity, students find their name then give the apple 3 layers of "skin" to reinforce the fact that apples can be red, yellow & green.
I also made matching apple cards. Glue a student photo on one, and write their name on another to make Memory Match & "I Have; Who Has?" games, as a fun way for students to learn their classmates' names as well.
I do the other apple craftivity after we read Dr. Seuss's story "10 Apples Up On Top".
Students count how many letters they have in their name, then place that many apples on top of their head, which is either a photograph or self portrait.
The apples spell their name, and show either an AB-AB or ABC-ABC pattern. Older students can cut out the larger apple pattern, while younger kiddos cut squares & color them.
Children share their creations with the class, then color in the appropriate number box on the "How many letters in your name?" apple graph.
Completed projects make a sweet fall bulletin board.
The "Build your name" activity, where students color the construction bear and glue the letters in their name to the worksheet, as well as the "puzzle name" also make cute bulletin boards too.
Finally, another fun way for your kiddos to learn how to recognize & write their names, is my Spill & Spell game.
I write the letters of each students' name on colored Popsicle sticks & put them in a Snack Baggie. They spill them out & put their name puzzle together.
This simple game reinforces colors & counting too. Children can also pick a partner and compare their names.
I also pass out extra sticks so that everyone has 6; then I call out a shape and students arrange the Popsicle sticks to create whatever shape I ask for. It's a quick, easy & fun way to whole group assess.
Students can also practice making a variety of capital letters with their sticks as well.
This 50-page packet is just $2.95 in my TpT shop. Click on the link to pop on over: Name Activities & Keepsake Monthly Name Booklets.
While you're there, I'd so appreciate it if you'd follow me. I only need 30 more followers to hit 600 then I'll post a celebration FREEBIE. I know it seems silly to get all excited about reaching this goal, but that's just me. Thanks in advance.
I have two featured FREEBIES today. Both of them come from this packet. They are the "Apples Up On Top" craft, as well as the "Find Your Name" apple worksheet. Click on the links to grab them.
Well that's it for today. Mother Nature has decided to pitch a fit, delivering 40 degree temps today.
Brrrrr! I'm so not ready to give up the warmth of summer. Wishing you a snuggly day.
"There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been!" -Percy Bysshe Shelley.