1-2-3 Come Skip Count With Me

Do you read the story “How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin” by Margaret McNamara?

If you haven’t heard of it, click the LINK to see it on YouTube.

It’s not only an interesting read aloud that your students will really enjoy, but it’s absolutely perfect for exploring estimation and skip counting by 2s, 5s & 10s.

In the story, this is done via a small, medium & large pumpkin experiment, that Mr. Tiffin’s students take part in.

Skip counting is a standard most of us have on our “To Do” list, but finding interesting activities for practice can be challenging.

With that in mind, I designed a variety of fun, pumpkin-themed, skip counting activities; which will keep your students happily engaged, while they practice skip counting by 2s, 5s & 10s.

I use the story “How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin” as an excellent introduction to skip counting, then transition to the activities.

There’s a nice variety of pumpkin-themed worksheets.

These are great as table top activities, for early finishers, a homework assignment or a sub tub. 

I've included "trace & write" skip counting worksheets, as well as "What's Missing?", where students fill in the missing skip counted number.  (These are simple & quick assessment tools too.)

My students love the "Skip Count While You Connect the Dots" and the Bingo-dot worksheets.

They enjoy visiting this center, which I set up on a wooden TV tray.

My kiddos use an orange & yellow bingo dauber (you can buy them at The Dollar Store) to make an AB-AB color pattern, as they skip count and dot each numbered circle.

They also enjoy the puzzles. I've included colorful ones, so you can print, laminate & trim. 

I keep mine in our math center and use them every year in October.

There are also black & white puzzle patterns, so children can color and make their own.

Finally, there is also a variety of games that your students will enjoy, while they learn & practice the various skip counting standards.

On the craftier side, I’ve also included a pumpkin slider craft; if your students are like mine, they will absolutely love making one. 

To save time, run the pattern off on orange construction paper, then have students add a bit of green crayon to the stem & vine.

They then cut out their pumpkin & insert the "slider" strip, with whatever set of skip counted numbers you want to work on.

If you want a bit of 3D pop, give kiddos a piece of green pipe cleaner to wrap around a pencil then poke into the stem and attach with a piece of Scotch tape. 

I've also included an easy-peasy, square pattern, which is simpler for little ones to cut out.

There's also a variety of posters, including a "Look Who Can Skip Count By..." poster, which students get to sign, once they have mastered skip counting.

Trust me on this one, this is a "big deal" to my students, and helps build their self-esteem as well.

It takes less than a minute to count together as a class.

I cover the next number with the "Count with me" strip, then move it as children skip count aloud. 

Hang a set in the hallway, outside the bathroom, so when you're lining up waiting for children, you can practice!

You can also give children a mini certificate of praise for their accomplishment. They come 4-on-a-page, in black & white as well as color.

As with the posters, there's a different one for skip counting by 2s, 5s & 10s.

There are two featured FREEBIES today. Both have a pumpkin theme.

The first is a sweet little "Welcome to our patch!" poster you can hang on your classroom door.

The other is a "Just For Fun" trace & color worksheet I designed after reading "Pete the Cat's 5 Little Pumpkins" story. Hope your kiddos enjoy it.

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

It's really a gray, overcast day, so no Mr. Sunshine to energize me; however, it makes for a great time to check a few things off my too-long "To Do" list. 

Wishing you a terrific day filled with lots of fall fun.

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

1-2-3 Come Practice Place Value With Me

Today I'm featuring two quick, easy and interesting ways to practice math skills and standards.

The first is a super-fun way for your students to practice place value.

It's perfect for November, as I use a Pilgrim hat for the place value mat. 

The game is also a quick & easy way to whole-group assess.

Make a few Pilgrim hats for an independent math center, or make a class set, so that you can practice together.

If you're short on time, send the hats home with a parent volunteer to assemble, then laminate & trim, so that you can use every year.

Here's how to play:

* Students take turns calling out a number.

* Children count out the appropriate amount of number tiles and place them in the corresponding place value columns on the Pilgrim hat, raising their hand when they are done.

* You can see at a glance who is having difficulty.
* Jot yourself a note, so that you can work with struggling kiddos later.

Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to have a look: Place Value Pilgrim Hat packet. 

The other math activity is "Turkey Battle".  I designed it after the ever-popular game of Battleship.

It's played in a similar way, and practices strategy, skip counting by 2s, 5s and 10s, as well as addition, ordered pairs, data collection & analysis.

However, the game can be simplified for PK kiddos as well, so they can practice all those life skills involved in playing a game.

The packet includes everything you need to play the game, with large, as well as small "battle boards" & pieces.

Make several games for a partnered math center, or a class set, so that everyone can play.

There are several ways to win the game. Children decide which rules they want to follow, then the teacher sets a timer for 5-10 minutes. 

Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to take a look: Turkey Battle.

Today's FREEBIE is a sweet, turkey craftivity made from a family's hand prints.  I

t's sure to become a cherished keepsake. Click on the link to grab your copy: Turkey Prints

Well that's it for today.  I hope you and your little turkeys enjoy these activities. 

It's chilly this morning, so time to toss another log on the fire. 

Hopefully the colder weather has set the sandhill cranes in motion. 

We're going to the bird sanctuary to see literally 1,000s make a stop over, as they migrate south.  Wishing you a memory-making day. 

"Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark." - Rabindranath Tagore

1-2-3 Come Do Some Common Core Activities With The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Me

Happy TBT (Throw Back Thursday.) Today I'm featuring a popular download to go along with your butterfly studies.  The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats 100 Things! is an emergent reader packet, that makes for a wonderful extension activity after reading Eric Carle's book. 

I enjoy covering at least 3-5 Common Core State Standards when I design a lesson.  This one covers quite a few CCSS: RF.K1a, RF.K.1c, RF.K.3a, RL.K.10, RF.K.4, L.K.2a, L.K.2b,L.K.5a, K.OA.1a, K.MD.3 K.CC.1a, K.CC.5, 1.NBT.2c, 1.NBT.5, 1.MD.3

Since the original Very Hungry Caterpillar goes through the days of the week, I decided to have this starving caterpillar eat through the hours in a day, so that I could cover telling time, while also covering end punctuation, skip counting by 10s, addition and the life cycle of a butterfly.

The packet includes

• The Hungry Caterpillar Eats 100 Things emergent reader, 2 caterpillar craftivities, a food sorting idea, + 64 circle pictures of food.

Children choose 10 to make a cute "very full" caterpillar.  Completed project make a cute bulletin board, as each one is different.

Students trace and write numbers & number words, as well as the time.  They draw the appropriate hands on the clock as well.

Children circle the capital letters and add end punctuation to the simple sentences.  I've used as many sight and Dolch words that I could fit in, that still sounded appropriate.

Students cut and glue the groups of 10 pieces of food to their matching numbered boxes, as they count by 10's to 100.  When everyone has completed their booklet, read it together as a whole group to reinforce concepts of print.

Click on the link to view/download The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats 100 Things.

Thanks for visiting.  It's another rainy and chilly day; perfect for snuggling by the fire with a good book.  Wishing you a cozy-stress free day.

"Let the rain kiss you.  Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid ddrops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby." -Langston Hughes