1-2-3 Come Color With Me

I'm always looking for quick, easy and fun ways for my Y5s to practice writing their names, so I designed this crayon-themed name writing packet where children can reinforce identifying colors at the same time. (Multi-tasking time saving bonus! Woo hoo.)

The packet includes a booklet with enough room so that students can write their name as many as 3 times.
This can be done all at once, or over a period of time, so that the booklet shows added improvement. Great for sharing at conferences!

There's also a set of name cards. Write your students' names on the unlined card so they can refer to it when they're making their booklet.

For added practice, laminate the lined cards, so students can practice writing their name with a dry erase marker.

I've included pocket chart-size color cards too. Use them as flashcards and post so that children can refer to this "anchor chart". Nice for your word wall.

There's a matching bookmark- size with 6-on-a-page to give your students. The "My Favorite Color Crayon Is . . ." worksheet provides another name writing opportunity as well.
Completed projects make a sweet bulletin board.

My kiddos absolutely love "spying" their name, so I've included an "I spy my name" color-me worksheet, as well as a certificate of praise kiddos can color after they've finished their name booklet.

Today's featured FREEBIE also has a crayon theme.  The saying, "For 'crayon' out loud!" was the "pinspiration"  behind this  20-page, classroom management  For Crayon Out Loud packet  that I hope you'll enjoy. 

There's a lot you can do with it, from a simple reminder poster hung on a bulletin board, to games and behavior management.

The packet includes:

* A For "crayon" out loud please raise your hand! Reminder poster

* A For "crayon" out loud class rules poster

* Crayon bookmarks

* A blank poster with a crayon border,  for you to use as stationery or fill in your own rules

* Crayon badges, perfect for name tags. 

* A behavior modification checklist (A quick and easy way to communicate with parents at the same time having students  be accountable, and take responsibility for their actions.

* Behavior traffic light crayon boxes. A little something different than the popular traffic light classroom management technique.

*Student crayon (Use with the traffic light program or as a bookmark, or run off on different colors of construction paper and write in the matching color word, then put up on your word wall.)

* 3 dot-to-dot behavior modification crayon sheets.  These are a quick and easy way to help students stay focused and on task. And finally...

* A set of crayon color cards, which you can use for labels and games.

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

Wishing you a rainbow bright and stress free day.

"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." - Unknown

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 Do Some Elf Craftivities With Me

The Elf on a Shelf book is so popular, that it’s found it’s way into the classroom, as a super-cute classroom management tool.  

Even if your kiddos don’t believe in Santa anymore, it’s still fun to have a mischievous elf “spying” on them.

An elf provides loads of writing prompt ideas. Use him to launch creative writing prompts.  "Write a note to the elf today about..." plus the "elf antics" you can do to add a bit of "elf fun" to December are endless.

You can also use him to practice spatial directions ("Where's the elf?" on, in, over, under, beside...) 

If you don’t have an elf, you can make this one.
He’s also a wonderful craftivity that your kiddos will enjoy making too.

I purchased some heavy-duty, Christmas-print bags, from Hobby Lobby.  The Dollar Store and other craft supply stores like Michaels, also have a nice selection.  

Because we recycle paper in our school, I had a supply that children could crunch up to stuff their elf with.  

Crunching, snipping, accordion-folding paper, are super-fun fine motor practice for your kiddos, that will help strengthen finger muscles.

If you don’t have access to recycled paper, ask for some newspaper donations from parents.

When the belly is stuffed, fold over the top and staple.  The bag sits nicely.
Children will glue their head to the top of the bag and the legs underneath.
You can also staple the body parts, to make sure they stay on.

Run the patterns off on construction paper and rough cut. Children color the face, trim and glue to their bag.   I had my children color an ABAB pattern on the arms and legs, but these also look good as solid strips of red and green.

For a splash of pizzazz, I pulled cotton balls, then glued the “fluff” to the hat brim, as well as the cuffs of the mittens and shoes. Pom poms and a bit of glitter, also add those finishing touches.

If you have room for a class set of elves to sit, I’ve included a behavior management “Tally Time” tummy label, students can glue to the belly of their elf. 

Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to see. Lunch bag Elf on a Shelf Craft

Be sure and have a look around, especially if you've started a wish list, as TpT is holding their annual Christmas sale. 

Most shops are at least 20% off, and if you plug in the sale code: SMILES, you'll save an additional 10%. The sale is going on today, (November 30th 2015 to midnight December 1st).

The featured FREEBIE today is "Tweet Talk".  It's a quick, easy & fun way to practice those writing skills, at the same time being aware of what's going on in your students' lives.

Well that's it for now.  Thanks for stopping by.  I sure could use some "elf help" for all I'd like to get done today! 

First up though is to sort through my TpT wish list.  I have way too much clip art listed to buy it all.  Wishing you a holly jolly day. 

"Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping." -Bo Derek

1-2-3 Come Implement A Classroom Management Technique With Me

If you'd poll teachers on what is one of their top classroom management problems, I think you'd find "chatty kiddos" and a "too noisy classroom" high on the list.

Young children need to be trained about voice volume. To them, it's simply loud or soft.  Little ones are just learning that there are varying degrees to those, and that they will be required to adapt their volumes and voices when inside the classroom.  

There are plenty of "Volume" posters on the internet; but I wanted to design my own, to go a bit farther, to not only explain things to your kiddos and remind them of voice levels, but offer up some real classroom management that made a world of difference with my Y5's.

I truly believe that if a parent or teacher, raises their voice and starts yelling, that they will escalate the craziness and increase the volume. 

Some of the tips I offer in my voice choice packet, give you absolute peaceful and calm control, by whispering or not saying a word! 

The entire key is that you've trained your students ahead of time, and you offer these techniques up as a challenge.  Believe me they'll rise to the occasion.

The class will actually self-monitor, as they truly desire to be successful. Your challenge has made this a sort of game.  They want to win.  Rather than be a chore, it's now more fun for them to be quiet!  Woo hoo; win-win.

Here's an example: "Zippy" is a poster that simply says: "Please zip your lips."  He's in the packet and is also the featured FREEBIE today.

 Without saying a word, hold up "Zippy".  As students notice, they make the silent motion of zipping their lips & raise their hand.  Eventually everyone has their lips zipped & their hands raised.  Even the stragglers get the message. 

They too copy the appropriate behavior, because everyone is doing it; they don’t want to be left out, so they conform because of their desire to fit in and be a winner too.  
This positive peer pressure is a powerful motivator. You are in control and it is blessedly quiet. 

Simply train your kiddos that this is what you want them to do when you hold up Zippy, then challenge them to see who can be the first to notice. 

Also challenge them to shorten the amount of time it takes them to have everyone participating.  

Actually time them, then jot down the number on the board where Zippy is conveniently located.  No need to offer prizes, beating their last time is incentive enough.  Your kiddos will LOVE this!

Everyone is working as a team, without you having to do a thing but stand there and enjoy the absolute joy of being quietly in control.   

There are several options in the Voice Choice packet. You can display the cards in a pocket chart and go through them with your students or hang them on your white board and put a magnet next to the level you want your students to be at. 

Simply gluing a smilie face to the back of a large, glass flat-backed "marble" and attaching a magnet, is a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to make one. 

If board space is limited, hang up the mini poster and then clip a colored clothespin to the appropriate voice level.

You can also explain things via the large posters. Show each one to your students and read the examples for when they should be using that voice. 

You can begin by showing them the picture and reading the name of each voice level, in the appropriate volume.

i.e. If you are showing them the volume level 1 Whispering poster, whisper to your students: "When do you think you would use this kind of voice?" 

After they have shared their thoughts, read the list and add anything else that's appropriate for your class.  Finally, reinforce the sound of this level, by having students model the volume of that voice, as they too "whisper" the name and number of that level.

As a review, after you explain the voice choice concept, put the number cards in a container, and have students pick one.  They share when they would use that number voice level. 

Another way to play this game, is to have students say the words “Voice Choice” in whatever number level that's on their card and have the other children guess what number they are modeling.

You can also use these voice-level number cards to remind students what level they should be on. Without saying a word, quietly place the appropriate number on their desk or group table. 

They notice & adjust their volume, flipping the card over, so you can pick it up and re-use it when necessary.

Another thing you can use the voice-level number cards for, is to make a class book.  (Templates provided.) Whatever number a student picks, is the voice level that they write about and then draw a picture. 

Collect and collate the pages and add the cover, then read as a whole group with the entire class.  Each child comes up and shares their page using the #4 sharing voice level.

Besides the number cards, I also made several designs for "Quiet Cards."  Print, laminate and trim the cards and keep them in a narrow basket on your chalk sill, under your voice choice poster. 

As with the number cards, without a word, you place the appropriate card on a child's desk or group table.  This is a great way to silently encourage students, as well as have children adjust their behavior or voice levels, without disturbing the class or bringing negative attention to someone.

Another quiet way to remind your students to adjust their voice level, is with the paper STOP sign.  Simply run off the pattern on red construction paper; fill in the letters with white crayon or paint; laminate; trim and put on a craft stick.

Silently, and with a grand flourish, (they'll spot the movement) hold up the sign when students are not at the appropriate voice level.  With your other hand, hold up the appropriate number of fingers to show what voice-level number students should be using. 

Unfortunately, there always seem to be a few stragglers, who need a bit more reminding.  Self control was probably one of the top reasons I always had more boys than girls in my Y5's classes.  With them in mind, I designed some positive reinforcement voice control activities for you and included them in this packet.  

Z is for zipper and  ZIPPING your lips.  You can send one of the "I'm having trouble zipping my lips" poster-notes home to a child's parents, or have them color it while they sit in your Time Out or Think chair. This is an easy way to communicate with parents and enlist their help.

Every year I had at least one child with ADHD. An effective behavior modification technique with them, was to earn the right to connect a dot on their paper to make a mystery picture.  Whenever they modeled the appropriate behavior that we were working on, they got to connect another dot. 

This was super-simple, quick and easy for me.  If they completed their picture that day, they received the agreed upon "prize."  If not, they could continue the next day. 

Thus, I also made the "Z is for zipping" paper,  into "color a star and connect it to the next one" -- voice control worksheet. Besides encouraging kiddos to adjust their volume, you can also work on interrupting, and not blurting inappropriate things out. 

Click on the link to get my Voice Choice Classroom Management packet.  This sanity-saving, stress-buster is just $2.95.

Besides Zippy, I have another FREEBIE for you today. It's a set of "Signal Me!" posters.

Going hand-in-hand with quielty managing your classroom, is dealing with the constant interruption of "Can I go to the bathroom, sharpen my pencil or get a drink of water?" requests. 

I solve this problem, by again training my kiddos, and hang up the "Signal Me!" poster as a reminder. Students simply hold up the appropriate amount of fingers.

I can see at a glance who needs what; make eye contact and nod yes or no.  If it's no, to alleviate a disgruntled response, I mouth "later" or a designated amount of time, like 5 minutes.  

I truly hope that these techniques that have worked so successfully for me, in effectively  managing my classroom, will also work for you. 

There’s nothing better than having a well-behaved class, where teaching and learning can truly be enjoyed.

The satisfaction and peace that brings, is priceless.

"One who smiles, rather than rages, is always the stronger." -Old English Proverb

1-2-3 Come Pair Up With Me

Welcome to another one of Diane's Dollar Deals.  This cutie-patootie, Pair Pears Packet is packed with versatility.

At the beginning of the year, when children are learning their classmates' names, glue a photo on the top of the pear, and write students' names on the bottom half.

Children can match their friend's photo to their name in an independent "get to know you" center.

Use the puzzle pair pears as a classroom management tool for a fun way to have children partner up.

Use them to play games like Memory Match & "I Have Who Has?"

I have included pairs that review shapes/shape words, numbers/number words, and uppercase/lowercase letters etc.

You can also run the templates off so that each student can make either an alphabet, number or shape booklet.

Covers are included, as well as blank pears for you to program with whatever.

Be sure and grab the "teachable moment" to discuss homonyms. 

Click on the link to grab this super-fun Pair Pears Dollar Deal.

The featured FREEBIE for today, includes another fun way to pick a partner.

"It's Partner Time!"  is an "oldie but goodie" that I made years ago, before all of the cool graphics programs, fonts & clipart that I now use. 

Yet it's still popular & a fun way to practice colors, shapes & numbers while picking a partner.

Well that's it for now.  Thanks for visiting.

I'm busy working on the rest of my letter packets. Wishing you a peaceful & productive day.

 "In the past a leader was a boss.  Today's leaders must be partners with their people...they no longer can lead solely based on positional power." -Ken Blanchard

1-2-3 Come Make Some Snail Mail Folders With Me

I posted my first Diane’s Dollar Deal item in my TpT shop this week, and it seems like I'm not the only one out there addicted to The Dollar Store.  I rarely get out of one for less than $20.

Enjoying the contented and excited feeling I get, when finding goodies for my kiddos at bargain prices, I decided to add Dollar Deals to my shop, and will continue to add items and offer FREEBIES to lighten the load.

The newest addition to Diane's Dollar Deals, is a Snail Mail folder.

Snail, is an acronym for schoolwork, notes, assignments, important, letters; or for younger kiddos, the a stands for and instead of assignments.

These folders are my communication life-line with parents. 

Taking advantage of all of the back to school, loss-leader sales, that office supply stores have, I pick up a class set for about .15 cents each. 

I enjoy sprucing them up and thought the snail idea would be a nice way to add a bit of pizzazz.

The packet includes a variety of  Snail Mail label options that come in color, as well as black & white.  

I’ve included black line options, so children can really take ownership by coloring their folder. 

This also provides a “no brainer” activity to have children do during those hectic first days.

Simply choose the snail label that’s right for you, run them off, trim & glue to your students’ “take home” folders.

There are also 2 options for a “reminder note” to pin to children who forget to bring their folder back, as well as several posters.

Besides printing your students' names on their folders, number them. 

This will really save you time when you need to find a specific folder to add things to, or to figure out who's missing theirs.

I keep my folders in a basket; and have included a labe in the packet, to identify the container where you keep yours.
 

I hope you find this idea useful.  Click on the link to pop on over to my TpT shop to pick up the Dollar Deal: Snail Mail folder packet.

While you're over there, to make sure that you get all of the latest FREEBIES and Dollar Deals, click on the follow me button.

I know it sounds a bit corny, but I'm super-excited to hit 600 followers.  I have a sweet celebratory FREEBIE in the works, and can't wait to post it!

Speaking of FREEBIES, today's is also about classroom management. 

Over the years I added all sorts of ways to get my students' attention, so that they'd clean up, line up or simply be quiet.  

I compiled a list and came up with 175!  Click on the link to get your copy: 175 Transition tips

Would love to add 25 more to make an even 200, so if you have a favorite that works for you, would love to hear about it. 

Dianehen@teachwithme.com  or leave a comment below.  Thanks in advance.  

Well that's it for now.  It's a beautiful summer day and time to get some fresh air.  Wishing you a carefree day.

 "You are never too old to set a new goal, or to dream a new dream." - C.S. Lewis

1-2-3 Come Get Organized With Me

Using Absent Folders, is my all-time FAVORITE classroom management tip.

Three years ago I blogged about this, and shared a few covers.  Today, I revamped this idea, and 76-pages later, am happy to present my latest classroom management packet: The Absent Folders & Notes packet.

You will LOVE this idea, as it's so easy to implement & such a hassle-free time saver!

Simply choose the folder cover(s) you like, print, glue to a file folder & laminate. You're done! Use them every year.

When a child is absent, put a folder on their desk. When you pass out a worksheet, the student who sits in front of them, puts a copy inside the folder.

If you're working in a workbook, tear out those sheets & include them. (No more writing down a list of what pages, in what workbooks they need to do.)

Any notes being sent home that day also get tossed inside. The folder remains on their desk 'til they return, with each day's work paper clipped.

Now if a sibling pops in at the end of the day, or the office calls at the last minute that a parent has come to pick up assignments, you just take the "stuff" out of the folder, add a little get well note (I have 14 to choose from) & you're done!

No more frantic craziness at the end of the day when you're busy getting your kiddos ready for dismissal.

The packet includes:

* 34 cover options (Some cutesy & some for older grades)
* 14 "get well" plus "we miss you" notes. (Because children are absent for lots of reasons. I included these because there were many times I wanted to include a little note or card to make an ill child smile, but just didn't have the time or resources.)
* labels for your basket.
* cover for your notes.
* several options for "due date" notes 

Click on the link to pop on over to my TpT shop forThe Absent Folders & Notes packet.

To celebrate back to school, I've knocked a dollar off for a limited time, so this super, stress-buster, is only $2.95.  I sincerely hope you like this time saving tip as much as I do. 

Even tho' I've up-dated this idea, I've left my initial FREEBIE on my site. It includes 4 file folder covers, simply click on the link to grab them. 

Well that's it for today.  Feels good to get another thing checked off my to do list.  I hope you find it useful.  

It's a beautiful summer night.  Temperatures have cooled way down, and there's a hint of fall in the air. 

Great to have all of the windows open again.  Wishing you a star-filled evening. 

"I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night." - Sarah Williams

1-2-3 Come Make Some Voice Choice Things With Me

I think if you'd poll young children about voice volume they'd say loud or soft.  Little ones are just learning that there are varying degrees to those, and that they will be required to adapt their volumes and voices when inside the classroom.  

If you Google voice level posters, you'll get a huge assortment that are very similar and basically agree.  I also designed one of my own, but wanted to go a bit farther to not only help explain things to your kiddos and remind them of voice levels, but offer up some real classroom management that made a world of difference with my Y5's.

There are several options in the Voice Choice packet.  You can display the cards in a pocket chart and go through them with your students or hang them on your white board and put a magnet next to the level you want your students to be at.  Simply gluing a smilie face to the back of a large, glass flat-backed "marble" and attaching a magnet, is a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to make one. 

If board space is limited, hang up the mini poster and then clip a colored clothespin to the appropriate voice level.

You can also explain things via the large posters. Show each one to your students and read the examples for when they should be using that voice. 

You can begin by showing them the picture and reading the name of each voice level, in the appropriate volume.

i.e. If you are showing them the volume level 1 Whispering poster, whisper to your students: "When do you think you would use this kind of voice?" 

After they have shared their thoughts, read the list and add anything else that's appropriate for your class.  Finally, reinforce the sound of this level, by having students model the volume of that voice, as they too "whisper" the name and number of that level.

As a review, after you explain the voice choice concept, put the number cards in a container, and have students pick one.  They share when they would use that number voice level. 

Another way to play this game, is to have students say the words “Voice Choice” in whatever number level that's on their card and have the other children guess what number they are modeling.

You can also use these voice-level number cards to remind students what level they should be on, by quietly placing the appropriate number on their desk or group table. 

Once they read it, hopefully they will make the appropriate volume adjustment and flip the card over, so you can pick it up and re-use it when necessary.

Another thing you can use the voice-level number cards for, is to make a class book.  (Templates provided.) Whatever number a student picks, is the voice level that they write about and then draw a picture. 

Collect and collate the pages and add the cover, then read as a whole group with the entire class.  Each child comes up and shares their page using the #4 sharing voice level.

Besides the number cards, I also made several designs for "Quiet Cards."  Print, laminate and trim the cards and keep them in a narrow basket on your chalk sill, under your voice choice poster. 

As with the number cards, without a word, you place the appropriate card on a child's desk or group table.  This is a great way to silently encourage students, as well as have children adjust their behavior or voice levels, without disturbing the class or bringing negative attention to someone.

Another quiet way to remind your students to adjust their voice level, is with the paper STOP sign.  Simply run off the pattern on red construction paper; fill in the letters with white crayon or paint; laminate; trim and put on a craft stick.

Without a word, and with a grand flourish, (they'll spot the movement) hold up the sign when students are not at the appropriate voice level.  With your other hand, hold up the appropriate number of fingers to show what voice-level number students should be using. 

Keep holding up the sign and fingers ’til everyone has their hand up with the correct number of fingers showing. If they should be at zero, with their lips zipped, put your index finger on your lips as if saying Shhhh, and stare at specific noisy students with your best “teacher look.”   I also made matching "quiet cards" that you can use as well. 

I've included a "Please zip your lips" and a "Shhhhhh!" poster.  These could also be mounted on a large Popsicle or paint stick.  If students don't notice your "grand flourish" as you hold one of these up, and are not adjusting their volume, you can signal them with the tinkling sound of a bell, or flicking the lights off and then on. 

These were a few more quiet ways I got my students' attention. I also hung a lovely sounding wind chime, next to my reading chair to signal story time.  You could use one for your volume adjustment bag of tricks. 

Clapping out a pattern and having students repeat it, was also a successful sound signal for me.  Make sure you explain these sound signals to your students, so they know what you're expecting from them.  Equally important, is having a consequence if they don't make changes. 

If most of your students are doing a wonderful job with their voice choices, you can reinforce their great behavior by giving them a praise bookmark.  They come in full color, as well as black line. 

Unfortunately, there always seem to be a few stragglers, who need a bit more reminding.  Self control was probably one of the top reasons I always had more boys than girls in my Y5's classes.  With them in mind, I designed some positive reinforcement voice control activities for you and included them in this packet.  

Z is for zipper and  ZIPPING your lips.  You can send one of the "I'm having trouble zipping my lips" poster-notes home to a child's parents, or have them color it while they sit in your Time Out or Think chair. This is an easy way to communicate with parents and enlist their help.

Every year I had at least one child with ADHD. An effective behavior modification technique with them, was to earn the right to connect a dot on their paper to make a mystery picture.  Whenever they modeled the appropriate behavior that we were working on, they got to connect another dot. 

This was super-simple, quick and easy for me.  If they completed their picture that day, they received the agreed upon "prize."  If not, they could continue the next day.  Thus, I also made the "Z is for zipping" paper,  into "color a star and connect it to the next one" -- voice control worksheet. 

Besides encouraging them to adjust their volume, you can also work on interrupting, and not blurting inappropriate things out.  I hope you find these techniques helpful, and that you are able to use a few of them to make life in your home-away-from home less hectic.   

This packet will be FREE for an entire year, after which time it will be up-dated and put in the Classroom Management section of my TpT shop. Voice Choice Packet.  

Well that's it for today.  The sunshine is calling me!  As always, thanks for visiting and feel free to PIN away. 

Summer: "Hair gets lighter; skin gets darker; water gets warmer; drinks get colder; music gets louder; days get longer; life gets better!" -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Play I Spy With Me

You can show a child or tell a child, where something is and hopefully they’ll remember.   Taking into consideration their short attention spans and roving thoughts, young children may look like they’re listening, but in reality they’re somewhere else. 

However, if you involve them, with some sort of hands-on activity, chances are you'll not only have their attention, but the information will be solidified.

Put yourself in a 4-year-old's place.  It's warm, you're tired and some big person is droning on showing you where "stuff" is.  Yawn.... Instead:  "How would you like to become detectives and go around the room spying stuff?"   Yippee! A game; movement to get the wiggles out.  Wahoo!

With this in mind, I designed a sort of scavenger hunt for the important things in your classroom.  It's a quick, easy and fun little "find it now, before you really need to..." activity.  

 I tried to think of the things that were important for my Y5's to know where they were located and then searched for clip art to make a map of sorts. 

So that you can clarify things, show the paper to your students and point to the pictures asking "What's this?"  Hearing the vocabulary will also help any ESL students that you might have.  Explain what you want them to do (find the things and zap them with an X, or color them.) 

Pass out the papers and turn them loose.  I had a class set of clipboards that made students feel especially official and important.  You can buy them at The Dollar Store; they are well worth the investment.  I used them for read & write the room, science data collection, games, and interview writing, to name just a few ways I incorporated them.

If you are NOT lucky enough to have a bathroom and sink in your room, take your kiddos down the hall to your restrooms, to complete the activity and have a potty break at the same time. 

Click on the link to view/download the "I Spy Important Classroom Stuff" scavenger hunt activity. Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away. 

I hope you found something here to make your life a bit easier.  Be sure and pop by tomorrow for another back-to-school FREEBIE. 

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone!" -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Get Organized With Me!

Well it's already the middle of June and the days are flying by me.  I wish summer would slow down to the pace of those too-long winter days that seem to drag on.  Some of my friends still have a few more days of school, and others have been out a week or more. 

Summer doesn't officially start til June 21st, so there's plenty of time left for relaxing, before our brains begin gearing up for back-to-school and we have to undo the cruise-control mode. 

For lack of something else to blog about, I decided to start designing new things for the fall. This is the first of many articles featuring a back to school FREEBIE.

My husband thinks I'm a bit crazy, but by the looks of what teachers have been pinning and downloading this past week, I am certainly NOT alone.  I truly believe that if you have a passion for education, your "teacher hat" never really comes off, and all it takes to get us excited all over again, is to see a school supply display, smell a box of brand new crayons, or find some books and classroom treasures at a garage sale.

I was always reinventing the wheel trying to make my classroom decor more inviting, organized and just plain cool! After all, this is our home-away-from home! I absolutely love looking at photographs of teacher's rooms.  If you do too, click on the link to come visit mine.

I think teachers look forward to decorating their classrooms, like children start planning their next Halloween costume on November 1st!  Any hoo, even if you have banned yourself from working on "school stuff" for an appropriate amount of down-time, you can still catch up later on all of the great FREEBIES I will be making and posting through out the summer.

The little ditty I put together today, while a warm summer breeze wafted through my office window, is a cute boo-boo book basket.  (Try saying that 3 times!)

Easy, simple and quick; it will help you on the road to getting organized and hopefully make life a bit easier.  The Dollar Store sells a variety of these plastic baskets in all sorts of colors.  So that things looked less cluttered, I used a primary color theme and tried to have all of my basket styles look the same.  

Print off my signage; mount on construction paper; laminate and you're good to go.  Place the basket in your reading area or classroom library section. 

When students are reading one of your books and discover that it needs some repair work to avoid further damage, have them fill out an Rx form of what's wrong with the book and how you can fix it. They tuck the note on the page that needs repair, so that the end sticks out and then drop the book in the "hospital" basket.  

I made up the notes, so that students can get in some extra writing practice, as well as a time saver for me.  No need to figure out what's wrong and where the book needs to be repaired.  If you teach preschool, where children aren't able to write, they simply use the slip of paper as a bookmark for each page that needs fixing.  

Run off a bunch of copies, trim and keep in an envelope.  I taped a Popsicle stick to the back of the envelope and then taped it to the back of the basket, so that it would stick up over the top of the books.  Repairing books is a great job to delegate to a room helper.

There are two signs on a page for easy printing, so why not make one for a fellow teacher or your librarian, as a "Hope you have a great year!" surprise.  If they happen to be your BFF, get them a basket and make up the whole thing for them.  This is also a sweet and inexpensive gift, along with a book, if you're planning on having a student teacher. 

Click on the link to view/download the book hospital basket packet.  Feel free to PIN away. 

I'm off to put on some suntan lotion and play in my garden.  Blessings to you and yours, from me and mine. :-)

"A life without love, is like a year without summer." -Unknown