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

The writing prompt, “Driving My 5 Senses Batty” is an interesting way to reinforce the 5 senses, which in turn helps students be more descriptive in their writing.

Because this is a topic students easily identify with, they will be excited to get down to the business of writing!

You’ll love the versatility of this bat packet; as a variety of options make it easy to diversify your lessons for various abilities, grades & skill levels.

As always, patterns come in black & white for students, as well as full-color, so that teachers can quickly & easily make an example to share. I’ve also included my completed worksheets as a real time saver.

Samples not only help explain things, but act as a catalyst for excitement.

Anytime I add a bit of craftiness into our writing block, my students are engaged and focused from the get go, which is why I designed a “cave topper” as well as a “bat dangler” to add extra fun & pizzazz to their writing worksheet.

Younger kiddos can simply write or dictate a one-word answer to a classroom helper, or assign this as homework to be done with parental help. 

If you have older "reading-helper buddies" you can also do this activity with their assistance. 

My kiddos absolutely love working with our 5th grade friends, and the feeling is mutual.

Encourage older students to write in complete sentences, giving several examples. 

Completed projects make a striking bulletin board or hallway display, so I’ve also included 2 posters to enhance things.

Use the "definition poster" to introduce your lesson,

The Packet Includes:

• A bat cave with & without text, with 2 patterns to choose from for different cutting abilities. This graphic is glued to the top of their writing prompt paper.

• A bat “dangler” which will be glued to the bottom of their worksheet.

• A “Five Senses” writing prompt worksheet, which come with & without lines, as well as with and without labels ( hear, smell, see, touch & taste ).

• A “definition poster” to introduce your lesson.

• A “Going ‘Batty’ Over Great Writing!” poster.

• For additional writing, I’ve also included 3 different “bat papers” to choose from, which you can use to assign other writing prompts for, or perhaps use for an acrostic poem, bat facts, bat vocabulary or whatever else you think of.

• A bonus extension about the positive & negative connotations for the word “batty”, with an extra writing prompt, which can be done as a whole group, with a partner or as an individual assignment. Great for early finishers or homework too.
• These activities would be fun for the week of Halloween or that "something different" on party day too.

Today's featured FREEBIE also helps practice descriptive writing, as students describe fall.

Including adjectives, enhances students' writing, so I designed 10 fall-themed describing worksheets that will help your students practice this skill. 

Students write  a "describing" word in each of the boxes on the themed worksheet, which include bats, school, apples, pumpkins,spiders, leaves, sunflowers, scarecrows, turkeys, and pilgrims. 

These worksheets make a nice Daily 5 fall writing activity, and can also be inserted into a writing folder or journal. 

I've also included an adjective definition anchor chart.

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

I’m Diane from Teach With Me, hoping you & your students will go batty over learning.

Wishing you a fun-filled time of it.

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"Try to learn something about everything and everything about something." -Thomas H. Huxley

1-2-3 Come Make A Haunted House Craftivity With Me

Flick off the lights to set the mood, then all you have to do is quietly & slowly say the words, “Haunted House” , and you will have everyone's attention.

No matter what grade I taught, I loved going for that “Gotcha!” moment, to get people excited about writing.

I truly believe that students will be enthusiastic about “getting down to the business of writing”, if you simply give them something interesting and fun to write about.

It’s that simple. Find their “hot button”.  If your students are like mine, then a haunted house, is that catalyst in motivating them to WANT to write. Woo Hoo!

With that in mind, I set to work to design two crafty packets involving a haunted house.

First up, 6 writing prompt craftivities for the “Haunted House” packet.

They are all different enough, so that you can easily do several; one in class, one as a fun homework assignment, one for extra credit, a sub tub, or for early finishers etc.

You could also give students a choice.

You may be surprised that they want to do them all.

One of my personal favorites is "Haunted Houses ARE..." and "Haunted Houses HAVE". 

Student can choose which they want to write about, or you can make this a two-part assignment.

Kiddos can write the ARE portion on one day, and finish up the HAVE prompt the next day. 

You could also do one in class, and do the other as homework.

Completed projects turn out "terror-rific"!

This project can be displayed flat on a bulletin board, or suspended back-to-back from the ceiling.

I've included several posters to enhance your display.

I think it's very important to not overwhelm beginning writers.

For example, asking students to write a "spooky story" can be a bit daunting for even a seasoned writer.

To experience this, put yourself in the assignment. Would you want to write an entire story, or would you be more excited to develop a list of things that a haunted house has? 

Because it's a smaller chunk of writing, and children can draw from experience, they know the "answers" and feel empowered; so they can get right down to writing; and often very excited to do so! 

With that in mind, all of the activities in both packets are "bite size". 

Because it's simple yet thought provoking, I think your students will also enjoy "If a haunted house could talk, what might it say?"

This is a super-fun way to have students really use their imaginations & "think outside the box". Becoming a haunted house, is an interesting way to practice point of view too. 

There are 5 diffferent "speech bubbles" to add variety to your display, as well as several posters you can use to introduce the lesson, then sprinkle on your bulletin board.

"If I bought a haunted house..." as well as "If I lived in a haunted house..." are also thought provoking.

As always, patterns come in black & white as well as color, so that teachers can quickly & easily make an example to share.

Besides the different posters to help you introduce the lesson, as well as several more to enhance your various displays, I've also included spiderwebbed letters that spell LOOK!

If you're a fan of The Dollar Store, you'll be happy to know that they now carry huge wiggle eyes!

They are 4 1/2 inches & come in 3 styles. (Oh the possibilities...)

I substituted them for the O letters in LOOK.

To expand the lesson, and practice yet another standard, I’ve also included a whole-group graphing extension in both packets.

Next up is the "Trick or Treating at a Haunted House" packet.

To get more bang for my “time” buck, I like to cover a variety of standards with one activity.

“Trick or Treating at a Haunted House”is not only a super-fun writing prompt craftivity, but it also reinforces the 5 senses, and the importance of using them to enhance writing.

The scenario:

Students are trick or treating and they visit a haunted house.

What do they see, hear, feel, taste & smell?

After writing their rough draft, then editing, they fill out a rubric checklist, then write their final draft on the writing prompt worksheet. (I've included RUBRICS in both packets.)

There are 4 different haunted houses for students to choose from, with a TOP & BOTTOM pattern for each. as the 5 senses writing prompt is glued to the center.

These too, make an awesome bulletin board, so I've also included posters in this packet as well.

There's also a “5 Senses” poster, plus one that defines “Adjectives”.

Use them to introduce your lesson, then add them to your display.

Toss some “cobwebs” in each corner, and you have a “WOW!” bulletin board, sure to get lots of compliments.

I’ve included pictures of my completed
samples, as well as BW copies of the text, so that you can quickly make examples to share with your students.

Examples not only help easily explain what you want them to do, but are a catalyst to creating excitement, so students will be eager to make a haunted house of their own. 

As you can see by my samples, "answers" can be a simple sentence for younger students, as well as a more in-depth use of descriptive word choice for older students.

I've also included a "side-by-side" photo of a sample that's very simple, then another that was worked on.

Use this as a whole group discussion of how to "expand" your description and details to make your writing "come alive" for the reader.

I always try to make time for students to share their work with their classmates, so we popcorn around the room and everyone shares one of their "5 senses sentences" before displaying them in the hallway. 

Since October is Fire Safety Month, and a lot of people burn leaves & have bonfires in the fall, today's featured FREEBIE is a "Hands Off!" fire safety craft, which is also a fun writing prompt. 

A child's handprints become the "fire" at the top.

I've included a "We promise" pledge poster for children to sign, which helps make students accountable for not playing with fire.

Well that's it for today. Thanks for dropping in. 

Autumn is in it's full splendor here in Michigan, so even though it's rather chilly today, I want to grab some fresh air.

Wishing you a fun-filled day.

“I don't know that there are real ghosts and goblins, but there are always more trick-or-treaters than neighborhood kids!" -Robert Brault

1-2-3 Come Do A Seuss Craft With Me

It's "March is Reading Month" and Seuss is on the loose!

"You may have heard of Thing 1 and Thng 2.  They are a bit silly and a pretty bright blue.

I wonder though, if you've heard of Thing Three.  I doubt that you have because that would be me!"

And so begins the introductory poem that I wrote for a super-fun, Seuss inspired, writing prompt craft that I feel confident your students will really enjoy!

An added bonus is that completed Thing 3 projects make an amazing bulletin board.
I’ve included 2 posters for the center of your display.

This is easy-easy “print & go” prep for you, with a lot of bang for your time.

The packet is very versatile so that you can easily diversify your lessons.

Pre K kiddos can make their “Thing 3” and leave it at that, or dictate their answer to one of the writing prompts.  

Students can color my Thing 3 pattern, or use the blank-face pattern and draw their own. 

I made matching turquoise hair for my example, but for more variety, give children a choice of rainbow bright or neon colors, which make for an especially vibrant display.

You don’t have to, but to make it even more of a keepsake, have students trace one of their hands on a folded sheet of complimentary-colored construction paper, then cut once to make two hands.

Glue them to the sides of the back of Thing 3’s “belly” circle. Bend them a bit forward for some 3D pop.

For beginning or advanced writers, there are 11 writing prompt pages.
Pick your favorite or give children a choice. 

Another option is to make a “Things Journal”, doing all of the writing prompts.

Students can create their booklet on one day, then each day afterwards, complete a writing prompt page. 

Time constraint? Making & assembling the booklet can be done as a homework assignment, then returned to complete the writing in class.

Finished booklets make a nice keepsake and your “Writing Block” is taken care of for several weeks! Woo hoo.

I’ve found that when students get to share things about themselves, they are excited to get right down to the business of writing.

These interesting prompts not only do that, but they are also thought provoking.
I’ve actually had students who have no clue what they’d like to be, or places they’d like to go. They simply have never really thought about it.
When I tell them “The sky’s the limit” imaginations take flight.

How much you want students to write is up to you; share one “thing” or as many as three per prompt, leaving enough room on the bottom to illustrate one of their thoughts.

I chose 3 examples to go along with the "Thing 3" theme.
Be prepared for some enthusiastic writers to ask if they can list even more “things”!

As a fun way to get to know their classmates better, have a time of sharing when everyone has completed that prompt for the day.

Another booklet option reviews the 5 senses.
You can do this “instead of” the writing prompt pages or in "addition to"; creating a journal that will now last 3 weeks!

Using your five senses to describe things you like seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching, makes for some wonderful descriptive writing too. Remind students to use plenty of adjectives.

As with some of the writing prompts, I’ve included my completed "5 senses" example pages, so that you can quickly & easily make a sample to share.

The student pages include a graphic for each of the 5 senses that they color.  Have them illustrate one of their thoughts on the bottom as well.

Today's featured FREEBIE also has a Seuss theme.  I designed this word work packet to go along with his book Green Eggs and Ham.

Did you know that Dr. Seuss wrote Green Eggs and Ham on a bet that he couldn’t write a book with fifty or fewer distinct words? 

After doing some checking, I discovered that the bet was made in 1960 with Bennett Cerf, the co-founder of Random House, and was for $50.  Ironically, even though Seuss wrote Green Eggs and Ham using EXACTLY 50 words, it's been reported that Cerf never paid up.

Green Eggs and Ham ranks in the top 3 best-selling Seuss books, so it's definitely worth reading.  I painstakingly found all 50 words in my copy, then alphabetized them in a handy list, as well as on an anchor chart poster. All but 8 of these words, appear on the Dolch word lists (6 of the 8 are nouns; the other six nouns in the story ARE on the Dolch noun word list!)  

Use the 50 word cards to play a variety of games like "Speed", Memory Match and "I Have; Who Has?". Students could also pick a partner, and play "Speed" against them, to see who can arrange their set of cards in alphabetical order first. The packet also includes a 2-page tip list of ideas, like Kaboom!

For writing practice, print, laminate and trim the cards.  Toss them into a Seuss hat and have students choose 2-3 and incorporate those words in sentences.  Remind them to use proper spacing, capitalization and end punctuation. 

So that children can practice long and short vowels, I've included two green eggs vowel sorting mats.

For some rhyming practice, run off the two "trace, write and alphabetize" worksheets, which use words that rhyme with Sam and green.  All of these activities are perfect for your Daily 5 word work block. 

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

March has roared in like a lion here in Michigan, so it's time for a cup of hot chamomile tea and a little reading by the fire. 

Wishing you a carefree, lamb kind of day.

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather, mixed with a positive attitude." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Fruity Fun With The  5 Senses Activities With Me  

Apples are a big deal here in Michigan, so it's one of my first fall themes. As part of our science standards, students need to learn about the 5 senses as well, so  I thought it would be fun to teach the 5 senses using an apple theme. 

I had so much fun designing these activities, that I made 3 different packets for you to choose from, and am featuring them on the blog today.

First up is the 5 Senses With An Apple Head packet. Completed projects turn out absolutely adorable; and are rather hilarious, so if your kiddos are like mine, you'll hear: "Can I please make another one?!"

Suspended from the ceiling, or use as a border for the top of a hallway wall. I’ve included a “Fun With The Five Senses” apple head poster for your display.

There's a huge assortment of facial feature options. Simply pick a few of your favorites.

Children select a nose, mouth, and some ears & eyes, then glue them to their apple head. (There’s also a pattern for a stem and leaf).

Besides the facial features, I’ve also included patterns for a hair bow/bow tie, glasses, a mask, and a selection of mustaches.

I give the option of adding dangling legs with cute sneakers. (Accordion-folding paper, is a great fine motor skill, which will help strengthen finger muscles.)

To reinforce the 5 senses, there’s a set of labels students cut and glue to their apple head as well; or they can simply label their creation.

Besides the craftivity, laminate a set of apples, along with 3 or 4 facial feature options, plus a set of labels, to be used as a “design an apple head” independent center activity.

Allow children to take a photo of their completed creation, then make small thumbnails of each child’s apple head and put them in a class-made, picture booklet. I’ve provided a cover and album page for this as well.

Because there’s such a huge variety of facial feature options, laminate some and have little ones sort them according to which sense they go with.  I’ve included a colorful sorting mat for this.

Children can also use the pieces to create patterns: AB-AB, ABC-ABC etc.

For more practice, there's a BW worksheet, where children cut & glue the facial feature to one of the matching 5 senses, which makes a quick assessment tool.

One of the nice things about these activities, is that even if you don't have time to plug them into your apple unit, they easily fit in during October and November with a harvest theme as well. 

Next up is an Itty Bitty Booklet: "The 5 Senses With An Apple."   There are 4 pages, on a one-page template, for an easy-peasy, "print & go" activity.

I started out with a simple little apple graphic, but then started diddling around with the idea of making the apple look sort of like a “Mr. Potato Head”.

The result made me laugh.  I thought your students would find this silliness fun too; thus there are 2 options for the booklet.

For one use the realistic apple or go a bit wild and crazy with the "apple head" option. You could also give your kiddos a choice.

I’ve included a full color sample of both booklets, so that you can easily make an example to share with your students, to help explain what you want them to do.

Remind them, to not only complete the sentence by thinking up an adjective, but remember to add the end punctuation as well. (Woo hoo for extra teachable moments!)

For more reinforcement, I’ve included a set of Memory Match cards, which you can also use to play the whole-group game “I Have; Who Has?”

There’s also a set of “label me” worksheets, which come in full-color, for you to use as a sample to help explain what you want children to do, then later, hang up for a poster that students can refer to.

There are 2 options for the BW student worksheet. For one, students cut and glue the labels to the matching section of their apple head. For the other worksheet they write in the words.

If you’d like to whole-group assess the 5 senses, have students do the cut and glue one first, then later, as an assessment tool, use the worksheet where they write in the words.

To heighten the experience of using all 5 senses, give each student an apple, or at least a slice of one. They examine it as they complete each page.

Finally, I thought maybe there are some teachers out there who'd like more of a variety than just apples, thus the Fruity-Faced Friend Five Senses  packet was born, which is my personal favorite.

Designing one is really quite addicting, so be prepared when your kiddos ask to make another one!

Besides apples, there are 15 black & white fruit head options, plus a huge assortment of fruit-themed facial features to depict the 5 senses.

Completed projects look adorable suspended from the ceiling, or used as a border for the top of a hallway wall. There are 9 posters for your display.

Children look over the options, then snip one from the pattern page.
This way, all you have to do is run off the templates, while children get practice cutting, coloring and gluing together a 5-senses “fruity-faced friend”.

I’ve included “gloved hands” (like Mickey Mouse) for the “touch/feel” sense, but children could also trace one of their hands on a sheet of folded paper, then cut once to make two hands, which they glue (thumbs up) to the sides of their fruit head.

To reinforce the 5 senses, there’s a set of labels students cut and glue to their fruity face as well; or you can simply have them label each sense with a marker.

Besides the craftivity, there are templates for a “Design A Fruity-Faced Friend” independent center.

Choose from 20, colorful fruit head posters, along with 5 sheets of facial feature-fruit options, and colorful hands.

Children arrange the various fruits ’til they come up with a “fruity-faced friend” that they really like. (This activity is also quite addicting, as it’s so much fun mixing & matching to create hilarious fruity little friends!)

Even if children use the same "feature" cards, just by tweaking how you "arrange" them, changes the character entirely.  I diddled around to create 6 different fruity-faced friends, then took a photograph to show you what I mean.

Allow students to take a photo of their completed creation, then make small thumbnails of each child’s fruity friend and put them in a class-made, photo album.

I’ve provided a cover and album page for this. Students color the picture, write their name in the blank, as well as the name of their “fruity friend”.

Laminate the pages, collate & put in your center. Keep your collection of photo albums (as you collect them each year) in a basket in this center to give students ideas.

For another center activity, there’s a set of “label me” fruity-faced friend posters.  Children place the word labels for the five senses, on the posters.

For further reinforcement, I’ve also included 5 worksheets.  Do a “cut & glue” version first, then later, to whole-group assess, do one of the “fill-in-the-blank” worksheets. 

As always, there's a FREEBIE in each blog.  Today's featured FREEBIE is an apple math mat game.

This apple "craftivity" is a super-fun way to reinforce addition and/or subtraction. If you teach older students, I've also included a template to make a multiplication apple game. 

Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by. Our son is getting married this Saturday so my feet have hit the floor running this morning. 

Still some fun little things to accomplish, as we have family staying with us from out-of-state.  Wishing you a love-filled day.

"The best thing in life that you can hold on to, is each other." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Apple-icious Activities With Me 

Studying apples is a great way to plug in some science and interesting math activities into your day.

Today's blog features 3 of my newest apple packets that are a quick, easy and fun way to do that.

First up is Apple Fraction Action. 

I had a request for some easy fraction activities for kinders, so I thought I'd use apples because you can easily cut them in half and then quarters to show children. An apple pie is also a perfect example of this math concept.   

The packet includes:
* games

* worksheets, which can also double as whole-group assessments

* 4 craftivities
* lots of posters plus . . .

* puzzles
* graphing activities

* pocket chart cards
* 2 emergent reader flip booklets and...

* 2 “Itty Bitty Fraction Action” booklets, all with an apple or apple pie theme.

Use the numerous sets of (12-on-a-page) apple & apple pie cards, for explaining, sorting, sequencing and playing games like Memory Match and “I Have; Who Has?”

The bulk of the packet reinforces whole, half and quarter fractions; however, there are a few items which also include higher fraction options (up to 8ths & 12ths) to challenge students and add diversity.

Next up apple-themed "Fix the Sentence" cards.

These 39, pocket chart-sized cards, are a quick, easy and fun way to review a variety of apple related facts, while practicing capitalization and end punctuation.

Read the cards together as a whole group to practice a lot of sight words. This activity not only helps improve students writing (proofing & editing) skills, but recognizing those Dolch sight words as well.

Choose a student to come up and using a dry erase marker, circle letters that should be capitalized and then add end punctuation. (period, question mark & exclamation point).  You can do this on a whiteboard, with a pocket chart, or pass a card out to each child to correct.

For more practice, as an individual activity, have students choose X number of mini cards and rewrite the sentences correctly on the worksheet provided.  I've included 2 sizes of mini "fix the sentence" cards for this, which makes a nice Daily 5 word work activity too. 

Finally, my simple and fun Apple Investigation packet covers a variety of math standards (particularly measurement), with a splash of science, as children use all 5 senses to learn about apples and record their findings.

To make this easy-peasy, I’ve purposely set up the 9, “print & go” pages of the booklet, so that they act as a single worksheet for that particular skill/standard/vocabulary, which students can do independently, with a partner, in small groups, or as a whole group.

For beginning or non-readers, complete each page as a whole group as a “monkey see-monkey do” activity.

Teacher reads the sentence of a numbered activity, demonstrates it, then pauses for students to complete the task with their apple, and record that information in their workbook.

To use with preschoolers, have one investigation booklet, which you work on together using one or two apples, then call on children to participate, as you investigate and do the activities on each page.

I’ve included a KWL to introduce the lesson.  There’s a template in black & white for students to fill out, as well as one in color to use as a whole group to list your findings.

The booklet is a great way to teach a variety of measurement vocabulary and how to find out height, weight, width, circumference, as well as the tools used to do that. (ruler, scale, measuring tape), along with non-standard units of measurement (blocks & apples).

Children use guess-timation while analyzing their apple, then investigate to find the result, then compare their guess with the correct answer, using more math vocabulary (equals, less than & greater than).

They also use observation & comparison techniques as they study the outside as well as the inside of their apple.
Students trace and write vocabulary-building words, predict, answer questions, + collect & analyze data.

Grab that teachable science moment, to discuss the 5 senses, as students use all of them while completing their apple investigations.

The “pick a partner” and find out "how many apples tall" you are, as well as the “Does my apple sink or float?” are 2 of my students’ favorite activities.

Finally, there are 5 whole-group graphing extensions for more math practice, which you can do after children finish their booklet.
I've also included a mini-certificate of praise children glue to the back of their cover. 

"I Spy a . . ."   is today's featured FREEBIE, which also has an apple theme. 

Teach, review, practice and whole-group assess with these game sheets. 

The packet includes worksheet-games for uppercase letters, lowercase letters, shapes, numbers 0-10, numbers 0-20, plus a blank template to fill in with higher numbers. 

Students enjoy playing the game and you can see at a glance who is having difficulty. 

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

Fall is in the air here in Michigan, and I've really been enjoying the cooler, sweater weather.  Wishing you a fun-filled day. 

 "Use your imagination to not scare yourself to death, but to  inspire yourself to life." - Adele Brookman

1-2-3 Come Do Some Horton The Elephant Activities With Me

The first week of March we do a lot of Cat in the Hat activities to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday. For the rest of March is Reading Month, I sprinkle in activities for some of his other popular stories, like Horton Hears A Who.  This blog article features 4 of my new packets. 

First up is "Hangin' Out With Horton".  Since so many teachers have the 5 senses as one of their science standards, I decided to make this sweet flip booklet featuring Horton because he HEARS a Who.

The pages of the booklet act like a "stem" for the clover that Horton is holding. Each page features one of the senses.
Students complete the simple writing prompts by filling in what Horton sees, hears, tastes, smells, and feels.

This can relate to the story, or be whatever they imaginations dream up. 

The last page is also up to them, as they finish the sentence: "Horton...

For that finishing touch, have them glue their school picture to the clover. They are now an official member of "Whoville". 

Next up is Horton Hears, which also reviews the 5 senses and matches the above packet.  

The packet includes . . .
* An alliterative and "tongue twisting" writing prompt craftivity
* Alliteration and tongue twister definition posters
* A class mini book: “Horton Hears A Who. How About You?”

* “We spy an elephant’s eye and these Ee words:” posters, with matching worksheet
* Horton’s senses whole group activity, with matching individual worksheet

* Label the elephant poster, with matching worksheets
* 5 photo-posters of elephants, featuring one of the 5 senses

* “My favorite sense” writing prompt with a “What’s Your Favorite Sense?” graphing extension
* “If I had to give up one of my senses it would be . . .” writing prompt with graphing extension plus a ...

* “Where might an elephant walk?” photo-poster, with matching writing prompt. 

An elephant is my favorite animal, so I'm also big on the Elmer stories by David McKee. 

I thought it would be fun to design a packet with both pachyderms , and just finished up-dating Horton & Elmer Fun.  This 102-page jumbo packet includes:

* 4 “Craftivities”
* Games
* Pocket chart cards

* Worksheets
* Posters
* Writing prompts

* Graphing activities
* Venn diagrams
* Itty Bitty color booklet

* Rhyming activity
* Lollipop certificate of praise plus
* Bookmarks.   

Finally, I just finished the "I Saw An Elephant" packet today. 

I designed these color activities specifically to go with Horton, but I kept this packet generic, so that it would work anytime of the year, and fits in nicely with a zoo or animal theme as well.     

It's differentiated for PK-1st grade, plus I've also included the UK "colours" and "grey" spelling options.

The packet includes a variety of posters, games, writing prompts, pocket chart cards for 12 colors, with a matching bookmark.
My students keep theirs in their writing journals.

There's also an emergent reader, “Elephant Colors” booklet, filled with lots of Dolch sight words, plus  a "favorite color elephant" graphing extension, with matching “color me” worksheet.

Besides the Memory Match games, there's also 2 options for a “Roll and Color” dice game, with numbers 1-6 for PK children, plus a game sheet for numbers 1-12 with addition practice and two dice, for older kiddos.

To mix math with literacy, there are full color, plus black and white number puzzles (sequencing numbers from 1-10 for PK kiddos, plus skip counting by 10s to 100 for older students.

There's also a set of Color mixing (primary to secondary colors) pocket chart cards, with a matching black & white template for students to color, which I staple together as a flip booklet.

The “mixing colors” elephant craftivity will be a big hit. My students absolutely LOVED mixing colors with finger paints.

They got so excited when a new color appeared as if by “magic”. The results are awesome and make an interesting bulletin board. A caption could be: “Mixing It Up In (Kindergarten)”. 

Today's FREEBIE also features Horton. It's a sweet writing prompt craftivity, that includes the puppet craft, plus 22 writing-prompts!

Well that's it for today.  I hope you still have some time left in your busy March schedule to fit in some fun with Horton. 

The weather's hit 60 today, so the dreary snow is finally melting like crazy!  Woo Hoo; I can smell spring in the air.  Wishing you a wonderful day. 

"Life stands before me like an eternal spring with new and brilliant clothes." - Carl Friedrich Gauss

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

Since the story Elf on a Shelf continues to be very popular, I wanted to make a few new elf-themed activities.

I think you'll really enjoy how many skills & standards you can cover with this cute Little Elf emergent reader packet!

The book incorporates 34 Dolch sight words, rhyme, end punctuation (period, question mark & exclamation point), descriptive writing, use of adjectives, plus the five senses.

To spice things up with a little math, I’ve also included 5 graphing extensions as well as...

An interesting and super-fun rhyming activity that matches the 5 pairs of words that rhyme in the story. I’ve included answer keys.

This can be done independently on the worksheet provided, or students can work in teams.

As another option, do a different set of words orally, by having students stand up.

You start the game by saying the word go. (I chose this word for the oral competition, because I found 135 words that rhyme with it.)

The first student gives a word; you write it on the board so there are no repeats.
If a child can’t think of a word, they’re out.

Play continues ’til there are no words left, or whoever is left can’t think of another word.

There's a teacher's edition in full color, as well as black line masters, with 2, as well as 4 pages, on a one-page template.

To further reinforce the 5 senses, I've also included boy & girl elves to color and label.

There's also a mini "cut & glue" similar version. It's an Itty Bitty booklet where children read, add end punctuation, circle the capital letters, underline the adjectives, trace & write the 5 senses words; then color, cut and glue the matching picture. 

Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop, where the 40-page, Little Elf packet is a dollar off for a limited time.

The featured FREEBIE today is the Santa's List packet.  Students write why they think that they should be on Santa's "nice" list. 

After students share their page, collect, collate, add the cover and make into a class book.

Includes a Santa's List poster to use as a good-behavior motivator, as well as a template for students to write a note to their Elf on a Shelf or to Santa.  These make fun Daily 5 writing activities.

Well that's it for today. My brain is on overdrive, brimming with all sorts of things I want to design.

I LOVE December and all of the themes.  My little ones make it even more magical. Wishing you a fun-filled day.

“Christmas gift suggestions: to your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.”  - Oren Arnold

1-2-3 Come Do a Brown Bear Activity With Me

Do you read the story Brown Bear What Do You See, by Bill Martin & Eric Carle? It’s one of my all-time favorite stories about colors.

With that book in mind, I designed this sweet “just the right size” Brown Bear booklet, as a fun way to reinforce the 5 senses.

Brown Bear not only sees things, but he hears, feels, smells, & tastes them too!

Children color their cover, complete the prompt by writing one or two words of what their bear saw, heard, tasted etc. then draw a picture.

Encourage older students to write short, but descriptive sentences and turn this activity into an emergent reader.

When students have completed their worksheet, they cut out the pages, put them in any order they want, then staple them to the “pencil” on the cover of their booklet.

There are pages with word prompts for K-1, as well as pages with picture prompts for PK kiddos. (See photo).

Besides the Itty Bitty booklet, the packet includes a Brown Bear 5 senses poster for reviewing the 5 senses.

I’ve also included a “Label the bear’s senses” worksheet, with a write-in, or cut & glue option. There are 2 size choices as well.

In addition to the booklet, students can also think of one more thing their bear could see, hear, smell etc. and write those answers on the bookmark-size worksheet.

As with all of my products, I include a completed sample, so that you can quickly & easily make an example of your own, to help explain what you want your students to do.

This activity packet is just $2.95.  Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to check it out. Brown Bear's 5 Senses.

The featured FREEBIE today also has a bear theme.  It's a set of 12 pocket chart cards that practice beginning capitalization & end punctuation. 

Besides the cards, the packet also includes a worksheet and certificate of praise.  I designed these around another favorite bear story: Goin' On A Bear Hunt.   Click on the link for an awesome telling of the tale by Michael Rosen, the author. 

Well that's it for today. I'm anxious to finish the matching "Color Bear" emergent reader that will reinforce these word wall words.

I'll hopefully have it completed by the end of the day, so do pop back tomorrow for a look see. Wishing you a wonderful week.

"You can always tell about somebody by the way they put their hands on an animal." - Betty White

1-2-3 Come Do Some "Sense-sational" Writing Activities With Me

I'm so excited about my latest creative writing packet (Seasons & Senses) that I just finished. Part of the "yippie yahoo" is that it's so versatile!

PK kiddos on up through middle school will enjoy “Savoring the Seasons” by using their 5 Senses. 

Younger kiddos can simply jot down single words and draw a picture.

Older students, can practice using adjectives to really make their writing stand out & come "alive".

There's a "flip-flap" booklet for the 4 seasons, plus one for the 5 senses.

At the start of school, choose the autumn one, then later, repeat this activity throughout the various seasons, to show improvement!

Great for portfolios, and you’ve empowered your students because they know what to do & can get right down to business; and you can share these with parents at conferences!

These craftivities are quick, easy & fun; plus, you're incorporating literacy AND science, getting more bang for your "time buck." (Another yippie yahoo!) AND ...

Completed projects make an awesome, easy-peasy bulletin board or hallway writing display entitled: "Sense-sational" Writing! 

Use the "Savor the Seasons" poster (pictured at the top) for the center of your board. (May I yell yippie for a 3rd time?)

I've included completed samples, so that you can quickly and easily make an example of your own to share with your kiddos, to help explain things.

Besides the flip-flap booklets, I’ve also included full-page writing prompt worksheets perfect for older students.

So if you teach older grades and stumbled here, you too can use this concept because...

To reinforce the use of adjectives, I had my college comp students choose a season and sense.

They did a great job and seemed to really enjoy it!

Younger students can also practice adjectives by filling in the 4-seasons graphic organizers. This is a great activity to do before they make their flip-flap booklet.

Another option, is to have sudents get into groups of 3-5 and complete the worksheets together. 

You could also collect and collate them to make a class-made 4-seasons booklet.

Sooo, can I get a "Woo hoo" for an activity that’s appropriate for multiple levels & ages?!

The packet also includes pocket chart cards for the 4 seasons, as well as 5 senses. I also use these as "header cards" on my whiteboard. 

To introduce the activity, discuss the 5 senses. Choose a season, and have students brainstorm a list of things that they "see, hear, feel, taste" etc. at this time of year; jot them down in the appropriate column. 

Children can refer to the board while they're writing.  You'll find the anchor chart posters helpful too. 

There's a full-color set to hang up, as well as black & white, so students can reinforce the information, by making their own. 

This 44-pager is just $3.50.  Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to check it out: Seasons & Senses

Today's FREEBIE comes from the packet, and is the wise owl adjective anchor chart poster. Use it as a reminder for students to use plenty of descriptive words in their writing.  

Well that's it for today.  My head has that "over-stuffed, too much computer" feeling; so it's time to get some fresh air. 

It's beautiful out; the sun is shining, but there's a definite chill in the air. A reminder that winter is not far off, so enjoy these awesome autumn days while you can.  Wishing you an energizing one!

"Now Autumn's fire burns slowly along the woods and day by day the dead leaves fall and melt." - William Allingham

1-2-3 Come Do Some Apple Craftivities With Me

Yippie Skippie!  I just finished a brand new apple packet.  You will LOVE covering all sorts of standards, in one fell swoop of fun.

Make writing more interesting, by adding a bit of craftiness to students’ work, with one of 3 options to choose from. They both fit lots of levels & ages. 

One of my teacher friends is going to do 2; another is giving her kiddos a choice of all 3.

When you simply add a crafty aspect to writing, children are excited to get down to business, and give you better effort. Bonus: completed projects make an awesome easy-peasy bulletin board.

You can reinforce a variety of standards with these super-fun “apple sense” craftivities: practice descriptive writing, with the use of adjectives, while teaching the 5 senses, using an apple!

For more apple science, skip labeling an apple on a different worksheet. Instead, kiddos simply label their completed writing prompt!

Now that’s the time-saving I’m talking about; building vocabulary, reinforcing writing skills, & covering the 5 senses & apple science, all at the same time! Woo hoo!

The first "craftivity" features a top & bottom apple, with the core in the middle as the writing prompt.

For that finishing touch, add a school picture. For extra pizzazz, make the leaves 3D.

I've added a larger teacher template, plus a completed sample, so that you can quickly & easily make an example to share with your students to help explain what you want them to do. 

The other writing prompt craftivity is a "flip the flap" apple.

The "skin" is the outside that's slit up the middle, so that the flaps, flip open to reveal the inside "flesh" of the apple, with the finished writing prompt on it. 

I've also included a completed teacher sample for this project too. 

Finally, to simplify things, you can skip the flaps & have students just complete the prompt, then color their apple.

Personally, I love the addition of the flaps & I think your kiddos will too.

The packet also includes:

* A “parts of an apple” poster.

* A 5 senses poster
* A 5 senses worksheet

* An apple cider opinion writing prompt worksheet

* A “Definition of an adjective” poster &
* An adjective graphic organizer worksheet

* As always, directions, photographs & completed samples, so you can quickly & easily make an example of your own.

This 30-page, packet of fun, is just $2.95.  Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to take a peek: Apple Sense Science & Writing Craftivities.

While you're there, I'd so appreciate it, if you'd follow me; that way you'll always know when I post new things, Dollar Deals & FREEBIES too.  

The featured FREEBIE today, is also an apple activity. I hope you find it useful.

In celebration of 600 TpT followers, here's a set of 7 apple-themed number puzzles. They reinforce numbers 1-10, as well as skip counting by 10s to 100. 

Well that's it for today.  Blogging took much longer than expected, so I'm bookin' outta here to get a zillion and one other things accomplished, before the weekend's over!

Wishing you a stress-free and relaxing afternoon, filled with all that makes you happiest. 

"Education is the most powerful weapon that you can use to change the world." -Nelson Mandella