1-2-3 Come Do A Few More Apple Activities With Me...

I know that I said I was done designing apples for awhile, but I found a few more notes while cleaning off my desk, and one thing led to another, 'til 4 mini apple packets were knocked off.  I hope you enjoy them.  The desk is cleared and just waiting to be filled with all sorts of other fall fun . . . where to begin?

I always get a few requests for some worksheets that connect-the-dots for a variety of things.  Raesha, from Arizona, wondered if I had any connect the dots with skip counted numbers. 

She's reviewing skip counting by 5's and 10's with her firsties and thought these would be fun. 

I chose an apple theme for my template and included numbers from 0-10, as well as numbers from 0-30, plus apples for skip counting by 5's and then 10's. 

Since I had the template designed, I also made a connect the dots for uppercase letters and another for the lowercase letters.  Click on the link to view/download the Apple Connect The Dots packet.

Another request came from Rachel, over in Wisconsin.  She wanted a quick and easy way to whole-group assess a variety of standards, to see where her kinders are at. 

My favorite way to whole-group assess is with an "I Spy!" game.  I designed these with an apple theme.  Students spy uppercase letters, lowercase letters, shapes, and numbers. 

They trace the letter/shape/number called, and then raise their hand.  You can see at a glance who is having difficulty. 

Students enjoy this form of assessment, and you know where the majority of your students are, without a whole lot of time invested testing. 

Another plus for these worksheet-games, is that students can take them home and use them several more times, as they play with their parents, continuing to reinforce standards in a fun way.  

Click on the link to view/download the Apple-Themed "I Spy" packet.

I continued to reinforce name recognition with my Y5's through October, and tried to think of a variety of ways for them to practice finding and writing their names.  With a big apple unit in September, it seemed only fitting to do something with apples.

Print a copy of the apple name game template and then write your students' names on the inside. 

I also include my own name, so that I had a sample to share and show, as I explained what I wanted my kiddos to do. 

Every year some of my little ones were amazed that I had a first name (Diane). They simply thought of me as their teacher Mrs. Henderson. 

I guess it was sort of like asking the question: "What's your mom's name?"  To which most of them would reply: "Mommy." :-)

Students find and circle their name, write it on the bottom and then, because I was teaching them that apples came in three colors, I'd have them trace their apples with those 3 color markers or crayons.  Completed projects make a cute bulletin board. ("The Apples Of Mrs. Henderson's Eyes!" )

I've also included an apple card template for you to use as name tags and/or games. Print a few copies of the apple card master; write your students's names on one set and then run off on yellow construction paper. 

Print another set on white card stock and trim.  Each child colors their own apple and then glues their photo in the middle.  Collect, laminate and trim.  Use the photo apple cards with the name apple cards, to play Memory Match or "I Have; Who Has?" games. 

You could also put both sets of apple cards on a split ring and use them as flashcards, to help your students learn the names of their classmates, as well as how to read their names.   Click on the link to view/download the Apple Name Game packet.

Finally, I made some apple puzzles, that make an easy and inexpensive little gift for the 1st week of school, or whenever. 

I've included 3 different header cards for your treat Baggies, as well as a black and white template, so that your students can color their own puzzle. 

When they are done, have them cut out their puzzle, mix up the pieces and challenge them to be the first one to complete their apple puzzle. 

I've also included a blank template to help young students easily put their puzzle together.  Click on the link to view/download the apple puzzle packet.

Thanks for visiting today.  The sunshine is calling and I'm happily answering.  See you later apple-gator.

"We can teach from experience, but we cannot teach experience."  -Sasha Azevedo

1-2-3 Come Practice Letter Recognition With Me!

The more you emmerse your kiddo's with letter activities, the more likely the light bulb of understanding will easily come on.  Although important, trace and write worksheets, can become tedious and boring after awhile. (skill-drill & kill) It's important to give little learners a variety of hands-on activities.

I try to think up ideas that involve some sort of crafty aspect.  Children LOVE these; they provide fine motor skill practice, and completed projects make great bulletin boards and wall displays, that help build a child's self-esteem.  I call today's quick and easy letter "craftivity" Search & Find. I strived to do at least one activity a month that recycled something, so using old newspapers to trace on, fit the bill and the results look terrific.  These are wonderful for a seasonal Daily 5 activity too!

Here's what to do:

• Print off the fall-themed templates.
• Cut out; trace onto an old file folder and then trim. 
• Make several templates to expedite tracing by students.
• Allow children to choose a shape and trace it on a page of the newspaper, that has plenty of writing on it. I try to include several standards when I design an activity, so I made a prediction page to practice some math skills. 
• Students cut out their shape, and fill out the prediction part of the data on the matching worksheet. (Common Core State Standard: 1.MD.1)

Students find and circle the upper and lowercase letters that the shape starts with.  i.e. If a child chooses an apple, they will search for Aa’s. I tried to think up themed-shapes for fall, and added a football, to help excite the boys in your class.  To make this a bit more difficult for older students, have them search and circle all of the letters that are in the WORD and then tally or total, how many of each letter they found.  

When they are done, students color their newsprint craftivity, with a watercolor marker or highlighter, so that the newsprint still shows through.

Students glue their work to the matching worksheet and fill in the data. Older students can use the greater, less than, or equals symbol, to show THEIR answer, to the correct answer.

When everyone is done, you can graph how many of each beginning letter, that your class found, counting by 10’s.  Write each child’s amount on the board and show the addition, one step at a time, to get to a grand total.

Before graphing, have students predict which letter they think they will find the most of, and why. Click on the link to view/download the Search & Find Alphabet Craftivity packet. For more Alphabet FREEBIES, click on the link, to pop on over to that section of my site. Enjoy!

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"Those with a lively sense of curiosity, learn something new every day of their lives." -Unknown