1-2-3- Have Fun Writing About Goals With Me

Pot of Goals is a fun "craftivity" March writing prompt, that reinforces Common Core State Standards: L.K.2a, L.K.2b, RF.K.3d,  RF.K.1c, RF.1.1a, L.1.2b

Simply run off the templates on construction paper. 

Students complete the "goal" coin sentences and add their reasons why.

Remind students to use appropriate capitalization, end punctuation and spacing, when they write their goals on the coins.

Lay out a selection of large construction paper, in the colors of the rainbow.  Only have enough paper so that all of it will be chosen, and you'll have a sampling of every color.

Students cut out their pot and coins, and glue them to the construction paper.

Hang the completed pots, in rainbow color order, on a large wall.  Your title can be: A Rainbow Of Wonderful Writing.

For a bit more pizzazz, have students write their names in rainbow colors, add a school photo + gold and silver glitter.

Click on the link to view/download the March writing prompt: St. Patrick's Day Pot of Goals.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything that you think others may find helpful.

"Learning is not a spectator sport, so let's play!" -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Make Some Spring Glyphs With Me!

When I think of spring I think of bunnies, eggs, and butterflies, so I designed some cute glyphs with those things in mind.

My Y5's really enjoyed making glyphs.  Completed projects make wonderful bulletin boards, and they are a quick, easy and fun way to whole group assess listening and following directions. 

This was a report card standard for my Y5's.   So that this is not just my "opinion" that was made through observing their child, a glyph provides nice "paper proof."

If a parent ever questions why you feel their child is not listening and following directions, or asks you for "proof", a file of incorrectly done glyphs is a terrific resource. 

After I took down this spring bulletin board, I kept completed glyphs in my assessment folder. 

I paperclipped incorrect ones together, and put them on the top. 

I also kept an answer key, so that I had a correct comparison for parents to peruse, as they looked at them side-by-side, and I pointed out problems.

After conferences, I'd send those glyphs home and start fresh.

The photographs are of completed glyphs.  As I stated above, each Glyph makes a sweet bulletin board on their own, but you could also combine them. 

Have students cut out their eggs and then use them as a border, scatter the bunny glyphs on the board, cut out and hang the butterfly glyphs back-to-back, and at different lengths from the ceiling, or "resting" on the wall. 

For a more 3D effect, fold the wings up, and just tack down the thorax portion.

Glyphs and graphing are also wonderful ways for your students to collect and analyze data, which will help you review the Common Core State Standard: 1.MD.4

Click on the link to view/download the egg glyph and/or the butterfly glyph and the bunny glyph

Thank you for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.

"It's OK to not know, but it's not OK to not try." -Unknown

1-2-3 Listen and Follow Directions, and Make a Shamrock Glyph With Me!

A glyph is a quick and easy way to whole group assess listening and following directions. 

The photo shows a completed glyph by a girl.

Glyphs are also a fun way for students to collect and analyze data.

When everyone has completed their shamrock glyph, hang them up on a bulletin board, or hallway wall.

Using the data collection sheet, students choose a partner and interview them.

They ask as many questions as they need to figure out their partner's glyph. 

To make the game more exciting, encourage students to use as few questions as possible, to see who can solve the mystery with the fewest questions.

The packet includes 6 graphing extensions + a data collection sheet.

Click on the link to view/download the Shamrock Glyph packet.

Thank you for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything from my site that you think others might find useful.

"The man who does not read good books, has no advantage over a man who can not read good books." -Mark Twain

 1-2-3 Come Fly Away With Me!

This adorable hot air balloon is a quick and easy writing “craftivity.” The 3 sides of the balloon each hold a different writing prompt, that your students will enjoy doing.

One side says, A place I’ve been is . . .  I like it because . . . Another side says: My favorite place to go is . . . because . . . Finally, the 3^rd balloon says,  A place I’d like to go is . . . because. . .

To make these cuties, simply run off the balloon templates on a variety of colored construction paper.  If you want the balloons to be of the same color scheme as the book, then you need to run off pink, powder blue, light green, orange, yellow and light purple.

Students take one of each writing prompt and complete it.  Remind them to have spaces between their words, use proper capitalization and include end punctuation, so that you're covering those common core state standards as well.

Afterwards, students fold the balloons and glue, ½ of each one, to the other, so that the balloon now has 3 sides.   This is a lot easier for students to do, if you demonstrate how it’s done.

If you look closely at the photograph I took in the mirror, you can see the green side of the balloon in the picture as well as the back of the basket.

Run off the basket on brown construction paper. Students need a right and left basket, so that when they glue it together they fit, so that you can also view the basket from the front or back.

Punch a hole at the top of the basket, on either side. Tie a piece of yarn on both sides. So they don't show, these ends will be tucked inside the rectangular opening of the balloon.

It's nice if students can have 2 of the same photo, so their "body in the basket" also has a front and a back.  Insert yarn ends INSIDE the base of the balloon. You may want to use a bit of Scotch tape.

Punch a hole in the top of the balloon, in the middle, and tie on a piece of yarn. These look wonderful suspended from the ceiling.  Click on the link to view/download the Oh The Places You’ll Go Writing Prompt Balloons.

Thanks for visiting today. Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find helpful.

“The task ahead of you is never as great as the power behind you.” -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do All Sorts Of Fun Activities With Elmer, Horton and Me!

I am so excited to share this 42-page Horton and Elmer activity packet with you.  I've been working on it all week, and it's finally done! Woo Hoo!

I've tried to design things around quite a few Common Core State Standards so you'll be able to review all sorts of things.

Since students have to compare and contrast, explain data etc.  I thought it would be fun for students to compare 2 of my favorite elephants: Horton and Elmer.

The packet includes:

• Horton 3 character, setting, event cards
• A Horton begginning, middle, and end graphic organizer or anchor chart
• Horton retell the story bookmarks
• Horton who, what, why, when, where, how anchor chart
• Horton who, what, why, when, where writing prompt craftivity
• 15 "Fix the sentence" (with capitalization and end punctuation) Horton cards.
• Label the Horton bookcover anchor chart activity.
• 2 Venn diagrams. 1 compares Horton Hears a Who with Elmer.  The other compares the character of Horton with that of Elmer.
• 2 Hexagon adjective practice activities.
• An Elmer Color Spin Game
• Black & White, and Color Spinners
• 4 graphing extensions
• An elephant mask craftivity
• A find the letters elephant craftivity
• Tally mark activity
• 30 elephant color cards + a cover so that you can make an Itty Bitty booklet. Great for playing all sorts of games.
• Rhyming-alphabetical order worksheets with 47 words that rhyme with who and
• A Horton-Elmer Lollipop certificate of praise.

Click on the link to view/download the Horton and Elmer Activity Packet.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  For more Horton FREEBIES scroll down to check out a sweet Horton writing prompt "craftivity."

"A person's a person no matter how small!" -Horton, from Dr. Seuss's book Horton Hears A Who

1-2-3 Eat Green Eggs and Ham With Me!

Get your kiddo's "obseussed" with Dr. Seuss by reading a variety of stories besides Cat in the Hat.  Green Eggs and Ham, is sure to be a favorite.

I always tried to design activities to go with favorite stories, so that after story time, my Y5's could transition to some sort of activity that would reinforce Standards.

With that in mind, I decided to make several activity packets with a Green Eggs and Ham theme, so that you would have a variety of fun things to choose from.

The Green Eggs and Ham packet is a walloping 65-pages long and covers all sorts of reading and math Common Core State Standards:L.K.2a, L.K.2b, RF.K.2a, RF.K.1d, L.K.1a, L.1.1a, K.CC.1, K.CC.3, K.CC.2, K.OA.5, K.CC.6, 1.NBT.1
There's a little bit of everything for a Seuss-filled day.

My personal favorite, is the 3D writing prompt craftivity pictured.  Students' completed projects make a dynamic bulletin board for March is Reading Month.

Children choose either the writing prompt where they LIKE green eggs and ham, or the one where they do NOT like them, and then complete the sentences.

They also illustrate 1/2 a paper plate with 2 things that they like, as well as a combo that is disgusting and that they wouldn't want to eat.

By folding up the edge of the plate, and inserting it through a slit in a sheet of brightly colored construction paper, the plate will appear like a ledge, once it is stapled in place.

The traced hand of the child, is holding up the plate, just like the iconic illustration in Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham book.  Add a photograph of the student for that finishing touch.  Click on the link to view/download the Green Eggs and Ham Activities Packet.

To round out your day, play the It's Time For Green Eggs and Ham spinner game.  Students can choose to play with clocks to the hour, or time to the half hour.   Click on the link to view/download the Green Eggs and Ham Telling Time packet. 

Review colors and color words in a fun way, with the Green Eggs and Ham Color packet.

Children spin the colored egg spinner.  Whatever color they land on, they color the matching color word egg that color.  There's also a recording sheet with no words, so really little kiddo's can also easily play the game. 

I've also included colored eggs with matching, traceable-color word cards. 

These are great for more games or to make an Itty Bitty booklet.  Click on the link to view/download the Green Eggs and Ham Color Packet.

Finally, we can't leave shapes out. Where Have My Green Eggs Gone? Is an easy reader shape mystery.

Students read the sentences, circle the capital letters and add end punctuation.  They also trace the shape word, write it, trace and draw the shape and then color the shaped egg yolk green.

This booklet reviews the circle, oval, triangle, rectangle, square, hexagon, pentagon and octagon shapes. Click on the link to view/download the Green Eggs Shape Booklet.

If you'd like to see a few more activities you can do with Green Eggs and Ham, simply scroll down for more Dr. Seuss FREEBIES.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.

"Never grow a wishbone, where a backbone ought to be." -Unknown