alphabet assessments,

60 pages!

This packet is extremely versatile.  You can do these as a whole group activity, as an independent center, for a bulletin board, for a class-made book (each student contributes a letter) or have each child do all of the letter booklets and keep them in a "portfolio" file folder.

23 pages

Looking for some Common Core lessons for Halloween?  This haunted house-themed packet includes alphabet activities, adjective practice, vocabulary building, plus writing prompts. 

1-2-3 Come Do Some Alphabet Activities With Me

Lorraine, over in Texas, has 3 cats.  Her love for them spills over into her preschool classroom, as she has a cat theme going on.  Pete the Cat stories are some of her favorites.  She also collects the seasonal alphabet cards I design, using them in her ABC center. Mrs. K wondered if I had time to make some alphabet cards with cats

pete the cat activities, alphabet activities, alphabet games, alphabet assessments, alphabet worksheets, CCSS alphabet, common core alphabetSince I was already putzing with the "Cool Cat"  packets, it was perfect timing! Do you decorate your room with a cat-theme?  Do your kiddos enjoy Pete the Cat stories?  If so, I think you'll like this alpha cat packet.

The packet includes separate upper and lowercase letters that are purr-fect for Memory Match and "I Have; Who Has?" games. 

There's also a set of cards with both the upper and lowercase letter on them.  Cut them up to make puzzles, or run off a set for each student.  They color, trim, collate and add a cover to make an Itty Bitty ABC booklet.

pete the cat activities, alphabet activities, alphabet games, alphabet assessments, alphabet worksheets, CCSS alphabet, common core alphabetThe packet also includes an upper and lowercase letter assessment mat, recording sheets, plus matching upper to lowercase letter worksheets. 

For easy printing, there are 2 different worksheets on a page.  Simply cut them in half to use for table top lessons, morning work, something for your sub folder, or for "early finishers" to work on.  Send them home with struggling students for extra practice, or as homework if your district requires that.

pete the cat activities, alphabet activities, alphabet games, alphabet assessments, alphabet worksheets, CCSS alphabet, common core alphabetI've also included 2 trace and write the letter worksheets. (One for uppercase letters, the other for lowercase.)  There's a 3-page tip list of ideas for using the cards, plus a Kaboom game as well.

Click on the link to view/download the Alpha Cat packet.  Thanks for visiting today. 

pete the cat activities, alphabet activities, alphabet games, alphabet assessments, alphabet worksheets, CCSS alphabet, common core alphabetI'm off to a huge "It's all about kids" consignment sale.  With 4 wonderful grandsons and a baby girl on the way, I'll be in search of "pinkalicious" stuff, toys, books and whatever else I just have to have...  Hope your day is as exciting. 

"Think less. Do more." -Unknown

 

 1-2-3 Come Make Two Apple Games With Me

Do your students do centers or stations?  Are you looking for some easy-peasy ones to whip off? LaVonne from New York, and Kathy from Wisconsin, were. 

They e-mailed me and asked if I had any independent centers with an apple theme.  LaVonne was looking for an alphabet one, and Kathy needed one for number words.  It was fun designing their requests.  I hope you enjoy them too.

apple activities, apple games, apple crafts, alphabet games, alphabet assessment, alphabet activities, alphabet crafts, CCSS for K, CCSS for 1stHere's a quick, easy and fun ABC game that you can make for an independent alphabet center, which will help reinforce upper and lowercase letter recognition.

apple activities, apple games, apple crafts, alphabet games, alphabet assessment, alphabet activities, alphabet crafts, CCSS for K, CCSS for 1stSimply run off the uppercase letter apple templates on red, yellow and light green construction paper; add a bit of color, laminate and trim. 

I used these three colors, because my Y5's are learning that apples come in 3 colors.  Students can also sequence the apple cards and see the ABC color pattern.

So that students can insert the matching lowercase worms, use an Exacto knife to cut a slit to the right of each letter.

apple activities, apple games, apple crafts, alphabet games, alphabet assessment, alphabet activities, alphabet crafts, CCSS for K, CCSS for 1stAs with the apples, run the lowercase letter worms off on (green) construction paper; add a bit of color, laminate and trim.

Students insert the lowercase worm into its matching uppercase apple. 

Keep the apples and worms separate, in small Ziplock Baggies, and then put both Baggies in one larger one.  Place in your alphabet center. 

To make this self-correcting, write the lowercase letter on the back of the apple, or the uppercase letter on the back of the worm. 

apple activities, number word matching, number games, apple games, apple crafts, alphabet games, alphabet assessment, alphabet activities, alphabet crafts, CCSS for K, CCSS for 1stI've included a certificate of praise that you can give to students when they have successfully completed the center.  They can color and take it home to share with their family.

Make a few extra copies of the game to send home with struggling children, to be returned when they have mastered the standard. 

alphabet activities, alphabet games, alphabet centersIf you have the time, you can also use this activity as an interesting option when assessing a child. 

This Wormy Apple Alphabet Matching Game will be FREE for an entire year, after which time it will be up-dated and put in Diane's Dollar Deals in my TpT shop. 

apple activities, number word matching, number games, apple games, apple crafts, alphabet games, alphabet assessment, alphabet activities, alphabet crafts, CCSS for K, CCSS for 1stFinally, the other center game I made reinforces numbers 0-10 and their matching number words. 

There are several ways to play the game, as well as some worksheets to further reinforce number to word recognition. Click on the link to view/download the Apple Number Word Fun packet.

apple activities, apple games, apple crafts, alphabet games, alphabet assessment, alphabet activities, alphabet crafts, CCSS for K, CCSS for 1stThanks for visiting today.  It's rather hot and muggy outside so I'm enjoying the air conditioning.  Time to work up a sweat doing a bit of housework and laundry, or not...

I'm wishing you a refreshing day.

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Back To School Activities With Me

assessing kids the first week of school, back to school activities, alphabet activities, assessments, games, As children head back to school, it's helpful if you can do some early assessing with your kinders and firsties to see where everyone's at, yet that can be time consuming and really not all that fun for your kiddos the first week of school, when they're already antsy sitting through rules, regulations and procedure talks. 

assessing kids the first week of school, back to school activities, alphabet activities, assessments, games, With that in mind I designed the puppy packet using the adorable clip art of DJ Inkers

It's a wonderful back to school packet that you can use for a variety of activities. 

Fill in your students' names on the "Look who's been spotted" worksheet.  I've included templates for preschool, kindergarten and 1st grade, plus a blank one to write in whatever you're teaching. 

assessing kids the first week of school, back to school activities, alphabet activities, name activities, assessments, games, Students find their name and color the circle their favorite color.  Be sure and include your name on the heart. 

Having simple worksheets like this gives your students something to do, and allows you a few minutes to work one-on-one with them.

assessing kids the first week of school, back to school activities, alphabet activities, name activities, assessments, games, To quickly and easily whole group assess where your students are at, play the "I spy" games for numbers, shapes, plus upper and lowercase letters. They'll have fun and you can see at a glance who's having difficulty.

assessing kids the first week of school, back to school activities, alphabet activities, name activities, assessments, games, The packet also includes 2 writing prompt activities.  I've designed these as extra large bookmarks, with 2 on a page. Students can choose one, color it and complete the prompt.

assessing kids the first week of school, back to school activities, alphabet activities, name activities, assessments, games, It's a quick home-school connection that lets parents know what their child did that day. 

I've included completed samples for you to share as well.

assessing kids the first week of school, back to school activities, alphabet activities, name activities, assessments, games, Another writing activity is D is for dogStudents can roam the room and spot items and words that start with the letter Dd

If you do Daily 5 this is a nice option.

assessing kids the first week of school, back to school activities, alphabet activities, name activities, assessments, games, The packet also includes a Whose Name Is On The Bone? activity.  Because my Y5's were learning how to recognize their name, I filled a dog dish (I bought mine at The Dollar Store) with paper bones that I had written their names on. 

For a few minutes each day, I'd hold up a bone and the child who recognized their name would bark.  I know it sounds silly, but they absolutely LOVED this.  As time permitted, we'd do 3-6.  To help get the "wiggles" out, after they had sat through whatever else I had planned for carpet time, I'd play the song Who Left The Dogs Out?  

They'd pretend to be puppies and crawl around on all fours singing and barking 'til the song ended.  I'd reign them in and we'd transition to our next activity. (Too cute and rather hilarious!)

Click on the link for a nice YouTube video featuring the song and cute dog animation.  Who Let The Dogs Out?  For a shorter version, sung by kids and showing some nice dance moves for them to imitate, click on this link: Who Let The Dogs Out?

assessing kids the first week of school, back to school activities, alphabet activities, name activities, assessments, games, As another simple fill-in, I've also included 4 dog-themed bookmarks in color as well as black and white, plus one you can give for good behavior.

assessing kids the first week of school, back to school activities, alphabet activities, name activities, assessments, games, Click on the link to view/download the Back To School Puppy Packet. Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  

assessing kids the first week of school, back to school activities, alphabet activities, name activities, assessments, games, Work's done for today, so I'm off to play.  As always, summer is flying way too fast!!!

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." -Scott Adams

 

1-2-3 Come Do An Alphabet Craftivity With Me

So that I could get a handle on the ability of my  new students, I always liked to do some fun assessing of my first graders the first week of school.  

alpha bird, alphabet activities, alphabet assessments, alphabet games, bird crafts, bird activities, common core alphabet, common core state standards kindergarten, common core state standards first grade, bird crafts, alphabet crafts, alphabet assessmentsTesting and assessing students can be tedious and overwhelming for young children, as well as time consuming for you.  Keeping that in mind, I designed Alpha Bird.

Precut "Alfie's" body parts from a variety of colors of construction paper.  Students choose the pattern pieces that they want, and glue them to their paper plate bird body. 

alpha bird, alphabet activities, alphabet assessments, alphabet games, bird crafts, bird activities, common core alphabet, common core state standards kindergarten, common core state standards first grade, bird crafts, alphabet crafts, alphabet assessmentsTo expedite things, I'd fold the paper plates and staple them shut ahead of time, leaving the bottom middle open so that students can insert their alpha-bird legs.  

For extra pizzazz I added several feathers for a tail.  You can buy a bag full at The Dollar Store.

alphabet gameStudents cut and glue the alphabet strips to make Alfie's legs. When everyone has completed their alpha bird, play "I Spy" by calling out a letter. 

Students find and trace both the upper and lowercase letters.  When they  have done so, children raise their hand, so that you know that everyone is done. 

With just a glance, you can see who is struggling.  Call on a child to choose the next letter.  Play 'til all of the letters have been traced.

Alfie offers a simple, quick and interesting way to whole group assess, while providing a nice review of upper and lowercase letters.  The birds also make a stunning hallway wall border.  Simply tie a yarn loop at the top and suspend from the ceiling.  Caption: "We know our letters and that's something to TWEET about!"

alpha bird, alphabet activities, alphabet assessments, alphabet games, bird crafts, bird activities, common core alphabet, common core state standards kindergarten, common core state standards first grade, bird crafts, alphabet crafts, alphabet assessmentsClick on the link to grab a copy of this fun FREEBIE: Alfie the Alpha Bird. 

"If plan B doesn't work, don't give up; the alphabet has 25 more letters!" 

51 pages.

Make Polly the parrot and have your students "feed" her upper and lowercase letter "cracker" cards.  Packet includes an ABC booklet, upper and lowercase letter worksheets, assessments, a tip list of alphabet card ideas, plus an alphabetical list of over 700 pirate-related words and phases, as well as a certificate of praise.

1-2-3 Come Do Some More Spider Stuff With Me!

The spider shape activities are popular downloads, so I decided to do a few more spider-themed things.  All of these lessons will help your kiddo's practice upper and lowercase letters.  (To see the spider shape activities, scroll down for that blog article.)

spider activities, spider math activities, common core spiders, spider crafts, spider arts and crafts, spider cards, alphabet lessons, alphabet games, spider games, spider centers, alphabet centers, alphabet assessments, common core assessments, alphabet worksheets, free alphabet worksheets, spider alphabet cards, Since the apple and pumpin clothespin "craftivities" were also very popular, I thought it would be fun to design a spider one too.  I named him Alphie.  Use my patterns to make templates; and then trace, cut and glue your spider together.  I added wiggle eyes and black pipe cleaner legs for that extra pizzazz. 

aSo that students can self-check, I've included a spider ABC chart.  For more letter practice, I designed a match the uppercase letter to the lowercase letter worksheet as well.

Alphie makes a wonderful independent center, or something for early-finishers to do.   You may want to make a few extra spiders to send home with children who are struggling.  I've included a note home, + a reminder note incase a family "forgets" to send Alphie back.  Click on the link to view/download the spider alphabet matching game.

spider activities, common core spiders, spider crafts, spider arts and crafts, spider cards, alphabet lessons, alphabet games, spider games, spider centers, alphabet centers, alphabet assessments, common core assessments, alphabet worksheets, free alphabet worksheets, spider alphabet cards, I had a request for some spider alphabet cards.  If you collect ABC cards so you can change them each month, I have lots of themes available, and am always open to any requests visitors have for others. (diane@teachwithme.com). 

I've also included a BLANK color, as well as a black and white set of cards, for you to program with whatever + a 3-page tip sheet of ideas for games and other activities that you can do with the cards.   Click on the link to view/download the spider alphabet cards.

spider activities, common core spiders, spider crafts, spider arts and crafts, spider cards, alphabet lessons, alphabet games, spider games, spider centers, alphabet centers, alphabet assessments, common core assessments, alphabet worksheets, free alphabet worksheets, free spider bookmarks, free alphabet bookmarks,spider alphabet cards, Because assessing can be overwhelming for little ones, I like to dream up fun ways I can do that.  Assessing is time consuming too, so I did a lot of whole-group assessment to weed out the strugglers.  

Playing "I Spy" is a fun game that enables you to see at a glance who is having difficulty.  I designed a spider upper and lowercase letter bookmark that's perfect for an "I Spy" game. 

Run off the spider bookmarks and give each child a spider ring or piece of candy corn to use as a manipulative.  Whenever I'm using candy as a marker, I always allow students to eat one at the beginning of the activity. 

It saves a lot of time reminding students that they cannot eat the candy 'til the game is done, and helps them enjoy the game and stay focussed better. 

The teacher starts by calling out a letter, children move their marker to that letter and raise their hand to signal that they have "spied" it.  The teacher then calls on a child to choose the next letter.  Play continues 'til all of the letters are called.  If you don't want to reuse the bookmarks each year, students can also circle the letters and then take their bookmarks home.  

spider activities, spider math activities, common core spiders, spider crafts, spider arts and crafts, spider cards, alphabet lessons, alphabet games, spider games, spider centers, alphabet centers, alphabet assessments, common core assessments, alphabet worksheets, free alphabet worksheets, spider alphabet cards, If you are doing an individual assessment, circle the letters the student does not know, write a note on the back asking parents to work on those letters and send it home with the child.  There are also 6 alphabet worksheets for even more practice.  Click on the link to view/download the spider alphabet activities.

Finally, if you're looking for a bit more, you may enjoy an older Spider packet that has a few alphabet activities in it, as well as lots of math fun.  My kiddos especially enjoyed working with the paper flies and spider web sorting mats. 

If you want to see all of the other spider freebies I offer, click on the link.

spider activities, common core spiders, spider crafts, spider arts and crafts, spider cards, alphabet lessons, alphabet games, spider games, spider centers, alphabet centers, alphabet assessments, common core assessments, alphabet worksheets, free alphabet worksheets, free spider bookmarks, free alphabet bookmarks,spider alphabet cards, Thanks for visiting today.  I hope you found something you can use for your spider studies.  I'm off to check the basement after a ton of rain.  Hopefully there are no disasterous puddles down there, or spiders for that matter. :-)

"Children don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Review Upper and Lowercase Letters With Me!

I liked to make up a summer fun packet for my students to take home at the end of the year.  It was a nice review of everything we had learned.

This packet was also handy for parents to have their child work on, if they complained of being bored, or an easy thing to give children when they wanted to play "school," while on vacation.

I designed this KnOWLedge Owl "craftivity" with that in mind. You could also make it at the beginning of the year, so that students can practice their letters, with their families at home.

owls, alphabet activities, owl lessons, owl crafts, owl art projects, alphabet lessons, alphabet assessments, common core for kindergarten, common core for 1st grade, free common core lessons, Here's How To Make Them:

 Run off masters on a variety of construction paper. I chose funky color combinations, but you could also do more realistic owls in various shades of brown.

 Rough cut so that students can get their pieces and trim.

 You may want a room helper to cut the beaks and feet, just to expedite things.

 If you’re having someone cut these for you, it’s easier to trace a template on an old file folder. The helper traces once and then cuts 3-6 at a time.

 Pre-cut long envelopes so that students have a pocket to put their extra letter wheels in.

 Set up this “craftivity” as a center. When students are done with other work, they can come up and get the color owl pieces of their choice.

 Students glue the wings to either side of the owl. They can add some crayon details for more pizzazz.

 Student glue the feet to the bottom of their owl so that the tops are glued to the back. I also added crayon details here and then traced the belly of the owl with a white crayon so that the writing “popped.”

 Students cut out their white alphabet wheels. Older students can cut and poke their own holes in the eyes; younger students will need this done for them.

 To expedite things, I used a circle paper punch to make the letter “windows.”

owls, alphabet activities, owl lessons, owl crafts, owl art projects, alphabet lessons, alphabet assessments, common core for kindergarten, common core for 1st grade, free common core lessons, Poke a hole through the owl’s head and attach whatever wheel you want your students to work on; fasten with brass brads.

 Students glue their beak on, after their eyes are in place.

 If you want the beaks to be 3D, simply cut a 4-inch wide strip of yellow construction paper, and fold it in half. Trace the triangle template so that it butts up against the fold, then cut the triangles out

Students glue their envelope half to the back of their owl and write their name on it.

 Close the open side with a piece of Scotch tape.

 This is a safe place where students can keep their extra wheels, so that they don’t lose them.

 There are lots of activities you can do with the KnOWLedge owl.

 Use as a review game. Choose a quiet child to call out a letter from a-j, k-t, or u-z.

 Students spin the top eye wheel ‘til they find those letters. You can also have students partner up and play this game with each other.

 You can play “I’m Thinking Of A Letter.” Give clues about the letter and students spin the wheels ‘til they find it. i.e. “I’m thinking of a letter that is a vowel. It comes after the letter N and before the letter P.”

 Play “Speed.” You call out a letter and see who can find the upper and lowercase letters the quickest.

 Use as an alternative or additional fun way to assess upper and lowercase letters.

 These are terrific sent home at the beginning of the year, so that students can practice with their parents.

 alphabet activities "Owl-phabet"They also make a nice end of the year activity, so that students don’t forget what they learned over the summer, or preschoolers can practice before they come to kindergarten in the fall.

Ollie, the "Owl-phabet Owl" will be FREE for an entire year, after which time, he'll be up-dated and put in Diane's Dollar Deals in my TpT shop.

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

"Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn." -Unknown

I Spy A Letter!

common core lessons for kindergarten, common core lessons for 1st grade, letter activities, letter lessons, alphabet activities, alphabet lessons, letter identification, letter assessments, traceable alphabet cards, alphabet flashcards, alphabet bookls, upper and lowercase letter identification activities, traceable alphabet worksheets, I spy upper and lowercase letter activities, alphabet letter sliders, alphabet games, My Y5's really enjoyed playing games.  It was a hands-on fun way to get all sorts of life-skills and standards covered in a short amount of time.

I designed "I Spy A Letter." with those concepts in mind, as they will help teach: Common Core State Standards:RF.K1d, L.1.1a

I Spy A Letter is a very versatile packet. Although the picture shows lowercase letter samples, the packet also works on recognizing and practicing uppercase letters in an interesting way as well.

Your students will enjoy becoming ABCDe-tives as they spy letters and then trace them.

They will also like making a slider. Sliders are simply the upper and lowercase letters of the alphabet, listed vertically on two separate strips of paper.  Students slide their strip through two slits that make a viewing "window".

You can use this packet for table top worksheets, Speed games, or even as an interesting and less stressful assessment tool.

I've also included traceable upper and lowercase letter flashcards with a cover, so students can make Itty Bitty booklets, a tip sheet of what else you can do with the traceable cards, + "kaboom" bomb cards to make games even more fun.

common core lessons for kindergarten, common core lessons for 1st grade, letter activities, letter lessons, alphabet activities, alphabet lessons, letter identification, letter assessments, traceable alphabet cards, alphabet flashcards, alphabet bookls, upper and lowercase letter identification activities, traceable alphabet worksheets, I spy upper and lowercase letter activities, alphabet letter sliders, alphabet games, There's an upper and lowercase  trace and write worksheet; an upper and lowercase "I Spy!" tracing game sheet, that can double as an assessment tool; + the "craftivity" upper & lowercase letter slider for girls and 1 for boys. 

These too can be a fun "I Spy!" game, or used as an assessment tool.  Finally, I've also designed an ABCDe-tective certificate of praise.

Click on the link to view/download the "I Spy A Letter" Packet.

Thanks for visiting. Feel free to PIN anything from my site. (Create, teach, SHARE!)

common core lessons for kindergarten, common core lessons for 1st grade, letter activities, letter lessons, alphabet activities, alphabet lessons, letter identification, letter assessments, traceable alphabet cards, alphabet flashcards, alphabet bookls, upper and lowercase letter identification activities, traceable alphabet worksheets, I spy upper and lowercase letter activities, alphabet letter sliders, alphabet games, Do you have an alphabet activity you could share with us? I'd enjoy hearing from you. diane@teachwithme.com or post a comment here.

"Worlds can be found by a child and an adult bending down and looking together under the grass stems or at the skittering crabs in a tidal pool." -Anonymous

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