A Picture Is Worth A 1000 Words
I continue to have a great time making word art with Tagxedo.
I had written an article about this wonderful site last month and I’m once again happily fooling around with it today, making anchor chart shape posters.
I figure if we expect students to learn the shapes, as well as recognize the words for them, why not make a word shape poster!
If they see the words written right in the shape, that should help right?
I made the time to do this so you wouldn’t have to! Woo hoo!
I chose different colors for the various shapes and included the star, crescent, diamond, heart to the mix of standard flat shapes.
I’ve noticed on chat rings, that some poor teachers actually have to teach the hexagon as well as the pentagon shapes!
What rocket scientist decided a 5-year-old could wrap their head around those shapes?
Honestly, at least when they threw the octagon our way we could explain it with the stop sign! I’ve included them + the octagon, in case you need the help.
I’ve also made posters for the 3-D shapes, since the same ivory tower fella’s felt those shapes would be age-appropriate for Y5’s and Kindergarten kiddo’s too.
What next the Einstein theory? I think it’s time they asked some teachers to be part of the committees. What say you?
Any hoo, hopefully this will help turn a few light bulbs on!
Since the 3D shapes are a bit harder to distinguish in word art, I've also included a picture of a "real" 3D object on the poster.
I feel when you're teaching shapes it is easier for students to understand them if you can put them in real world context and have children spy the shapes they see around them.
i.e. This is a rectangle. A door is a rectangle.
Besides using them as anchor charts to help students remember the shapes and associate that particular shape with that word, you can also use them as jumbo flashcards; or shrink them to make Concentration Memory Match games for students.
Another way to help children remember shapes is to show how they are different. Put 2 posters next to each other and have students compare and contrast them.
I like doing this with a Venn diagram and often use hula hoops to start.
Play what's the shape? Each day put one of the shape posters face down on the board.
Give clues about the shape and have the students guess which one is the mystery shape of the day that is "hiding".
Make a shape bulletin board and display all of them there. Take one away and ask students which one is missing.
Pass the posters out to students and play I have; Who has? "I have the circle shape. Who has the triangle shape?"
Play "I'm Thinking Of A Shape." Start giving clues and have students guess which shape you are describing.
Finally, reveal which one it is by showing them the poster.
Click on the link to view/download Word Art Shape Posters
For those of you who are still in school, I hope things are really shaping up with your little ones, and that you are having a great end-of-the-year winding down time.
Feel free to PIN anything you think might be interesting or helpful to someone else.
Hope you can visit tomorrow for an adorable summer writing prompt to see how to make a quick and easy creative writing "craftivity"kid.
It's Time To Mouse Around
As I’ve stated in other articles, I try to plug in a nursery rhyme whenever it seems to fit in with whatever else I’m doing, so at the start of learning about telling time, it just seems appropriate to read Hickory Dickory Dock to children.
When looking into the background of this nursery rhyme, I discovered that it was indeed intended to teach about counting.
Who knows, maybe that led to the possibility of a little bit of time telling thrown in, as the reason why numbers were so important.
Hickory, dickory, and doc, is believed by some to mean, 8,9,10. How we got to one and why a mouse is running around the clock, remains a mystery, but makes a wonderful writing prompt.
In my packet, Hickory Dickory Clock, I’ve included 2 such writing prompts that turn into what could be hilarious class books: Hickory Dickory Dock: Who Else Went Up The Clock and Why? Helps students use their imaginations and work on verb skills.
I’ve written an extension of the poem to help jumpstart their imaginations, as well as review all 12 numbers, where a duck waddles up the clock at 3, followed by a rabbit who hops up at ten only to do it over again, culminating with my favorite, the cow, who of course jumps over the clock at noon, hoping to later jump over the moon.
A trace and write the verbs worksheet is also included.
The other class book is entitled: Why Did The Mouse Run Up the Clock? Did he have a secret meeting with his girlfriend; was there a piece of cheese hidden up there; was he running away from the cat? Your students will have fun solving the mystery on their page and illustrating it.
There’s an anchor chart poster of the modern version of the rhyme, as well as one of the 1901 Mother Goose version that uses the intro line “Hickety Dickety…”
Also included are two “craftivities” and a spinner game, which help reinforce telling analog time as well as digital time.
Hickory Dickory Dock Clock Game:
Hickory Dickory Dock Glue the Numbers on Your Clock, is a spinner game that is played with 2 to 4 players.
Students twirl the spinner. Whatever number they land on, they snip & glue to their clock and trace the digital time on the pendulum area.
The first child to complete all 12 numbers is the winner and receives a mouse for the top of his clock as well as a mini-certificate.
The rest of the children glue their numbers on their clock to earn their mouse sticker as well.
Teachers can have students add a brad and paperclips for clock hands to make this game into a “working” clock to whole-group assess the students, if they want to take this one step farther, or stop there and make the paper plate mouse clock.
Paper Plate "Mousin' Around" Clock:
Here students cut out their clock face and glue it to a colored paper plate. I used multi-colored Halloween plates that I got on sale and then ran off the mice on neon green construction paper for a nice pizzazzy complimentary color.
Pre-cut small strips of black paper. Students will snip these into a point and glue one to the back of their mouse. If you want the ears to be 3-D have them cut on the lines and bend back. This will help them move the mouse to the different times, as they can gently tug on an ear.
Poke a hole through the mouse, add a brad and fasten it to the back of the plate.
Whole group assess to the hour, by calling on students to give you a time. Children move the mouse’s tail to show that time and then hold up their clock.
Cat Got Your Tail? Time to the hour mouse slider:
Finally, “Time to Pull the Mouse’s Tail” also reviews time by the hour.
Students glue their two "clock tail” strips together and make hands to show the time from 1 to 12.
Teachers cut slits with an Exacto knife in their mouse and slip their “clock tail” into the mouse.
Using glue dots, I’ve added wiggle eyes and a small pom-pom nose for that extra touch of pizzazz.
The teacher calls on quiet students to call out a time. Children slide the mouse’s “tail” to reveal that time and hold up their mouse.
Play continues ‘til all 12 times have been shown.
I’ve also included traceable word flashcards for analog as well as digital times + covers to make an Itty Bitty booklet.
A sample of each one of the activities makes a sweet bulletin board: "Time to see what's up in ____________'s classroom!" or... Hickory Dickory Dock What's Going On On Our Side Of The Block?
Click on the link to view/download the Hickory Dickory Clock Packet
I hope this idea comes just in TIME to be a nice fill-in for whatever you’re doing right now.
I’d enjoy hearing about how you use it. diane@teachwithme.com
Feel free to PIN away if you find anything on my site worth sharing!
"Don't put a question mark, where a period should be." -Unknown
Math Games That Teach
My Y5’s really enjoyed Tummy Time and hauling out a tub of manipulatives to “play” with.
I put that word in quotations because they thought they were playing, but in reality, they were reinforcing a huge number of math skills as well as strengthening their upper body, by being on their tummies and working on exercising those fine motor skills as well, which helped to strengthen their finger muscles, that is so important in developing their ability to write.
One of their favorite tubs was the tanagram pattern blocks. I had a variety of puzzle-sheets for them to fill in , by placing the colorful tanagram blocks on them, as well as a variety of patterning strips for them to complete.
I like making up monthly activities that follow the same format, because it empowers students, as once they’ve played a game, or learned the directions, they can get down to business to practice the skill.
This builds their self-esteem, they get better at the activity, and the teacher is freed up to work one-on-one with struggling students, or do assessing, because other children can work independently because they know what to do.
I decided to make some monthly tanagram pattern block sheets that involved dice, as number recognition is a skill that the Y5’s needed to acquire.
Students can play independently, with a partner, or in groups of 2 to 4.
Whatever number they roll, they trace that tanagram piece, the tanagram’s number, and then place the tanagram over that piece.
You can also have students color their papers to match the real tanagrams.
The first child to complete their seasonal tanagram picture, by rolling all of the numbers and covering them, is the winner.
Click on the link to view/download Pattern Block Tanagrams on a Roll Dice Game
I hope you enjoy adding this game to your bag of tricks.
Do you have one you can share with us? I’d enjoy hearing from you. diane@teachwithme.com or feel free to leave a comment here, especially if you use one of my ideas.
You may also PIN anything on my site that you think will help others. I truly feel life is all about sharing. Just think how easy our teaching would be, if everyone took the time to post just one thing on the internet that turned the light bulb on for kids!
Have a great day and may all your puzzles be fun to solve!
Word Power!
I know the year is at an end, but I just dreamed up Bird Words and am so excited. Hopefully you will be too, and can implement this program for next year.
I just had to blog about it today, because this 93-page packet, makes teaching word families simple and easy for you, and lots of fun for your kiddo's!
The Toucan will help make your students Can-Do Word Wizard Kids. These lessons plug in perfectly with your Word Work for Daily 5 activities too.
Students stay organized and keep everything in a neat folder for easy access!
The packet includes:
Click on the link to view/download Word Family Word Bird Packet
A perfect compliment to this packet is the Word Family Letter Wands!
Your students will have fun making "magic wands" out of 5 Popsicle sticks by simply putting a consonant on the front and back of each tip.
Words will "pop" out as they place the point in front of the words on their paper.
Click on the link to view/download Magic Word Family Wands
Be sure and pop in tomorrow for more teaching tips.
Do you have a word family activity you'd like to share? I'd enjoy hearing from you. diane@teachwithme.com or feel free to post a comment here, especially if you use one of my ideas.
PIN away if you find something you feel would be helpful to others. I think sharing is so important.
May all your days be magical!
Building Self-Esteem By Giving Achievement Awards!
Are you looking for end of the year awards for your kiddo’s, certificates, candy bar wrappers etc.?
Do you want a nice end of they year note home to parents or a poem?
To same you time and energy, I’ve designed some, and then did some surfing so you don’t have to!
I found several poems and notes, and revamped them to come up with two of my own.
Click on the links to view/download them: End of the year poem: Adieu To You, End of the Year Note Home to Families
Here are some great links:
For candy wrappers I made an "Owl miss you!" packet complete with activities and a candy bar wrapper. click on the following links for other candy bar wrappers:
For certificates: I've designed a graduation packet filled with 16 certificates for a variety of awards, + over 100 certificates in my certificate packet.
Other sites with more certificates can be found by clicking on the following links:
Innovative classrooms offers 30 certificates!
Family education has 19 certificates
KidBibs can even send your award via e-mail! How cool is that.
dltk kids helps you create your own portrait or landscape awards using their software program and clip art. Click on the link to check it out.
I hope you find something that suits your needs. It doesn't take long to make a lasting impression on a child. A simple certificate does wonders for their self-esteem. Put a smile on a little one's face today!
Do you have a certificate or helpful website that you'd like to share?
If we all take a moment to add to everyone's bag of tricks, how easy our lives would be. diane@teachwithme.com or feel free to post a comment here.
PIN away if you think anything on my website would be interesting to someone else!