1-2-3 Come Do Some More Pete The Cat Activities With Me
I'm back, with some more "Cool Cat" activities that will go nicely with any cat-theme you may have going on. The story element packet is also perfect for Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, or Pete the Cat's Rockin' School Shoes.
The packet includes a variety of activities to help review and practice story elements, and includes pocket cards for character, setting, and event.
Two graphic organizer options, help students write about the beginning, middle and end of the story.
There are 6 Venn diagrams as well, that will help introduce comparison and constrast to your students.
Venn diagrams are a quick, easy and fun way to visually show students similarities and differences.
Children can practice this form of writing, by comparing two different cat characters, 2 different cat stories, and/or compare their shoes with a friend, or even the cat's.
Practice graphing, by having children fill in the color shoe that they are wearing.
For more color practice, I've included a trace and color word worksheet too.
There are also four, "I Spy a Word" games, featuring 56 words. ( Most of them from the Dolch word list.)
All of these words appear in Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes story. The "I Spy a Word" worksheets, are a simple and quick way to whole group assess word recognition.
Choose students to call out a word. Children find that word and then cover it with the little tennis shoe card.
If you don't want to use the game each year, simply have students circle the word when they find it.
For more practice, have them write the words in alphabetical order on the back of their paper. You could also have students use the word in a sentence.
Finally, in keeping with the Pete the Cat stories, there are 3 posters (including a poster-definition of what "the moral of the story" means). So that students can practice reading the repetitive lines, hold a poster up when you come to that part of the story.
Click on the link to view/download the Cool Cat Story Elements and More packet.
Since all of the other "story sliders" that I've designed, have been such popular downloads, I couldn't resist making one for Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes.
To make one, simply run my cat pattern off on blue construction paper.
Students trim and add a bit of color for some pizzazz.
Run off the slider strips and sequencing pictures on white paper. Pre-cut slits on the cat. (I used an Exacto knife.)
Children color the pictures, cut them out and then glue them to their "slider" in the correct sequential order of the story.
When everyone has completed their cat creation, review the story, by retelling it, via the pictures on the slider, adding details when appropriate. Encourage students to share their cat slider with their families, so they can once again retell the story.
Click on the link to view/download the Pete the Cat Story Slider.
Thanks for visiting today. It's one of those perfect-weather days. My grandson is up from his nap, so it's time for a stroller ride. Wishing you a love-filled day.
"Believe you can, and you're half way there." -Theodore Roosevelt
1-2-3 Come Do Some Pete the Cat Activities With Me
The Pete the Cat series of children's books, is a new favorite of mine. Pete is a cool cat, and his positive up-beat attitude is refreshing. "Does he cry when things don't go his way?" "Goodness no!"
Pete is the brain child of James Dean, an illustrator, who in real life loves cats. Eric Litwin, is a "folksy songwriter" who helps create the stories and writes catchy little tunes to go with the books. Kids quickly catch on to the funky-repetitive lyrics. They stick in your mind like "It's a Small World" and if your kiddos are like mine, they'll be singing the little tunes through out the day.
Harper Collins is the publisher of the Pete the Cat stories. Click on the link to check out the entire collection. You can download a variety of FREEBIES there as well.
One of my personal favorites is Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes. You can hear it on YouTube by clicking on the link.
In this story, Pete has a brand new pair of white shoes. However, they change to the color red, as he steps into a pile of strawberries, and so the story goes, for Pete's shoes continue to change color, as he steps into blueberries and mud. Finally, all of the colors are washed away, because he steps into a bucket of water.
Oh no! His shoes are now wet! Does Pete cry? Goodness no! He just walks along singing his song, because it's all good.
Even though the story only involves four colors, I thought it would be fun to design some quick and easy activities to help reinforce 10 colors and their color words.
In the Cool Cat Colors: An Easy Reader packet, students read the sentence; correct the letters that should be capitalized and add end punctuation. They trace and write the color words, and then color the shoe(s).
For more teachable moments, be sure to reinforce the use of a variety of pronouns, as well as plurals in the sentences. The last page of the story, asks students what color shoes they are wearing.
Children color a picture of their own shoes to complete the story. Click on the link to view/download the easy reader: Cool Cat Colors.
Another fun way to reinforce colors and color words is by playing Memory Match and "I Have; Who Has?" games.
In the Cool Cat Shoe Color packet, I've included shoe cards that students match up with color words.
For students just learning colors and color words, use the full-color word cards for the game.
If you want to assess to see if your students can read and match the color words to their appropriate colors, use the set printed in black.
I've also included a mini-color booklet for them to make. They color the sneaker cards, then write the color word underneath in the matching color. There's a cover for them to add.
For even more practice, have students complete the color word matching worksheet.
Click on the link to view/download the Cool Cat Shoe Color packet.
Finally, for the Cool Cat Spinner Game, have students pick a partner and take turns spinning the color wheel.
Whatever color they land on, they color that sneaker on their recording sheet, and then trace and write the word in the matching color.
The first child to complete their bookmark with all of the colors, is the winner. I've included a certificate of praise for them. Click on the link to view/download the Cool Cat Colors Spinner Game.
Thanks for visiting today. Be sure and stay tuned, as I'll be busy designing more Pete the Cat activities for these sweet stories. Remember, according to Pete, "it's all good"... especially when it comes to FREEBIES!
"Elegance is not about being noticed; it's about being remembered." -Giorgio Armani
Getting-To-Know-You Via A Glyph! A Fun Icebreaker For Back-To-School!
During the first few weeks of school, I always tried to plug in quick, easy and fun little ways for my students to get to know their classmates. I felt it helped build community and a caring classroom. It's amazing the diversity we have in our schools today!
Even if you homeschool, this is an interesting activity to do with your kiddos. I'm always surprised at the answers my own children come up with when we're playing games or chatting. Just when I think I really know their tastes and what not, they toss me a curve.
A really fun way to get to know your students is via a Bio-glyph.
This is simply a glyph about oneself, and a great way to learn all sorts of information.
Completed projects make an awesome bulletin board or hallway display.
Here's how: Run off a copy of my masters. The girls will need an oval head, the boys a circle.
I've found that by providing a template for students to follow, things are easier. Little ones tend to draw small and write big ( Go figure...)
When everyone has the appropriate template, read each direction slowly, and then repeat once. Remind your students to listen carefully. Because this is a listening and following directions activity, glyphs provide "proof" that a child is or isn't doing that.
Draw the “kinds” of hair, noses, eyebrows, mouths, ears, and cheeks, on your white board as you read the directions for each one. This will help students know what the various shapes look like, or how curly hair can be drawn.
If you are doing this with older students who can read, simply run off a copy of my master glyph (it provides samples) and pass it out to them. You can also revamp my glyph to make this easier and simpler to fit the age of your students or the time that you have allowed.
Make sure you do one for yourself so that you have an example. I did one for me and one for my husband. He's a wonderful guinnea pig and good sport, who is great for bouncing ideas off of.
As a fun extension, you can number and post the completed bio-glyphs, along with the key, in the hallway so that they flip up. Have students write their names on the BACK of their glyph in such a way, so that when a person flips them up, they can read their name.
Later, for added fun, put a real photograph (1st day of school picture) of the student on the wall, under the glyph. You could also have children become detectives and turn this into a "solve the bio-glyph mystery game."
Set a timer. Give students a certain amount of time to ask questions of their new friends, to help them try and figure out which bio-glyph belongs to whom. They can write down their answers on the "Whose Glyph?" sheet provided.
Which person got the most correct? ( I've included a super-sleuth certificate you can give them.) How did you do? This is a fun way for students to learn about each other and a great ice breaker for back to school.
Or… you can simply have each child come up and share their bio-glyph with the class by explaining it. Click on the link to view/download the Bio-Glyph Packet.
Thanks for visiting. If you're looking for more glyphs, click on the link to pop over to that section of my site. I tried to dream up one for all of the seasons. The Cookie Glyph and Apple Glyph are great for September.
"The sure way to teach easily and successfully, is to awaken interest and kindle enthusiasm." -Tyron Edwards
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.
Here'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.
Simply 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.
As 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.
I'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.
If 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.
Finally, 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.
Thanks 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 Tweet With Me
Often teachers are so busy teaching, that sometimes they can miss important things that are happening in their students' lives.
Putting up a tweet board on a door, wall or bulletin board, helps you stay informed and builds community. A more caring classroom will also be created. Another bonus, is that this idea is also a quick, easy, and interesting way to get students writing.
Practicing writing sentences, that have appropriate capitalization, spacing, word choice and punctuation, can be tedious at times. Switch things up with a little creativity, and students will WANT to write.
Composing and dashing off a tweet, is a simple way to do that. Encourage students to write a tweet at least once a week about things that are happening in their lives.
You may want to include this as part of your Daily 5 writing activities. Taking a moment to read the tweets also fits in nicely with Daily 5.
To make your tweet board eye-catching, I've included tweet notes for students to write on. Run them off on a variety of different colors and keep them handy near your tweet board.
Explain to students that there are two kinds of tweets: "sweet tweets" are positive happy highlights, things that they are proud of, or what they are excited about -- something they are doing or involved in.
"Tweet talk" are notes about something that a student wants to share because they are feeling a bit down or blue, and would like some encouragement.
Perhaps a grandparent or pet passed away, or they didn't make the team. Maybe a friend is ill or they failed at something; parents are planning a move, or a divorce is pending, but no one made you aware of this.
The Tweet Board is a quick and easy way for students to share those feelings. Teachers need to know about the things that are affecting their students' moods, and having an impact on their ability to focus and learn. Knowing, gives teachers an opportunity to praise and encourage, as well as sympathize and give that extra TLC a child needs when their world is in upheaval.
With that in mind, I also included tiny tweets in the packet. These are little notes that you or students, can jot to someone and leave in their desk or locker. These fit in nicely if you're doing a "Bucket Filling" program as well.
For more writing practice, that is private and personal, have students keep a Tweet Journal. I've included 2 cover options for this. Students choose one, add some color and glue it to a notebook. (I always take advantage of the back to school doorbusters, when notebooks are as inexpensive as 15 cents.)
Implementing this idea is easy-peasy. Simply choose a tweet poster to showcase your tweet board. (There are 3 options.)
Run off copies of the sweet tweet notes, keep them in a basket or envelope by your tweet board (I've included labels for these) explain the board to your students, and then let the tweeting begin!
As part of your going-home or morning routine, you could ask students if anyone wants to share one of their tweets. At the end of the month, clear the board and start again.
Click on the link to grab your FREEBIE: Sweet Tweet Talk
Thanks for visiting today. It's a rainy day with lots of thunder. (I find the rumblings and sound of the rain splattering on my office window very soothing.) The perfect kind of day to read, color, cut, paste and play... Here's hoping you can make some time to relax too.
"Your attitude decides your altitude. Soar!" -Unknown
