1-2-3 Come Write About Summer With Me!

If you visit often, you know I enjoy dreaming up things with an interesting "play on words."  "Orange you glad it's almost summer?" "I am because..." seemed a perfect fit for a fun writing prompt that I think your students will enjoy.

Make your own sample, so that you can share it with your students.  Mine always enjoyed hearing a bit about me and my life, and the example was a quick and easy way to explain what I wanted them to do. 

Afterwards, brainstorm with them about all of the things that they are looking forward to doing during summer vacation. 

During our brainstorming sessions, I jotted their ideas on the board to help my kiddos with spelling.

Here's What To Do:

Run off the orange slices on orange construction paper. Rough cut them so that each student gets a "topper" to trim.

To add a bit more pizzazz, students can color the outside edges with a dark orange crayon, or add some sparkle with orange glitter glue.

Students glue the oranges to the top of their writing prompt paper and write about what special things they can do during the summer.  Completed projects make a nice end-of-the-year bulletin board, especially if you add a school picture. 

They also look nice hung back-to-back from the ceiling. Click on the link to view/download the "Orange you glad?" summer writing prompt.

Looking for more summer writing prompts and summer bulletin boards? Click on the link to view/download a very popular packet.  Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others might find helpful.  My "Pin it" button is at the top of the page.

While diddling with the "orange you glad" idea, I thought it would also make an easy and rather inexpensive end of the year gift for your students.  To see what I did, scroll down to the next blog article. 

"The purpose of life, is a life of purpose." -Robert Byrne

1-2-3 Come Make A Puppy Pal With Me

This puppy "craftivity" is really versatile. 

You can use the slider template and review upper or lowercase letters, 2D flat shapes, counting to 30, or skip counting by 2's, 3's 5's, or 10's, by cutting slits and inserting the appropriate strip of paper (slider).

These make a nice end-of-the-year activity, to send home with students as a fun way to review and practice over the summer, so they don't forget what they've learned.

Likewise, they are a terrific way to introduce your new students to these concepts at the beginning of the year as well.

Sliders are an easy way to whole-group assess and a fun way to review standards via playing "I spy" games.

Children can also make a keepsake card for Father's Day or Mother's Day, or to give to anyone else, by simply writing the recipient's name on the bone.

What makes this puppy extra special, is that you trace a student's foot with their shoe on, to make the puppy's ears.

Add a school photo for even more pizzazz.

I made the card on the right for my daughter, from baby Kaiden.

Finally, you can also use the Puppy Pal as a topper for a variety of writing prompts.

I've made writing prompt "bones" for the beginning of the year as well as the end. i.e. "I'll have a dog-gone great school year because ..." or I had a dog-gone good school year because..."

Click on the link to view/download the Puppy Pal Writing Prompt Card

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

"The best teachers teach from the heart, not the book." -Unknown

1-2-3-Come Write With Me!

Are you looking for some quick, easy, and fun writing prompts for the end of the year, or perhaps a sweet bulletin board to end with a bang?

If so, I think you'll really enjoy this "Fin-tastic" End of the Year Writing Prompt packet.

Run off the large fish on a variety of colored construction paper.  Students choose one and cut it out. 

They can glue it to the top of a sheet of writing paper, or add more pizzazz by letting them choose a strip of colorful construction paper to write on.

Before hand, brainstorm with students why they think they will have a fantastic summer vacation. 

To help with spelling, make a list of things they are going to have fun doing and list them on the board.

For more "pow" have students add a wiggle eye and include their school photo on the fin.

Sprinkle their "fin-tastic" work on a bulletin board covered with blue paper.

To make it 3D add twirled creape paper "seaweed" in a variety of lengths and shades of green, to the bottom of the board.

Your caption can be: "We're Wishing You a Fin-tastic Summer!"

I think your students will also enjoy making the other fish and writing about why they had a "fin-tastic" school year. 

This prompt can also be brainstormed.  It's quite gratifying hearing all of the reasons why students enjoyed the year.

This "craftivity" can be hung back-to-back from the ceiling.

Finally, have students choose a partner to make a special card for. 

They write that child's name in the blank and then write why they think they have been a "fin-tastic" friend, classmate, student etc.

When they are done, they give it to their partner. Add a photo and wiggle eyes to make it even more special.

Click on the link to view/download the Fin-tastic Summer Writing Prompt Packet.

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

Do you have an end of the year activity you enjoy doing with your kiddo's?  I'd love hearing from you! diane@teachwithme.com or simply leave a comment here.

"It is not the IQ, but the I Will, that is most important in education." -Unknown

1-2-3 Make a Memory Book With Me.

I LOVE owls and that cute little saying: "Owl" miss... (you fill in what) so I designed an end-of-the-school-year packet with an owl theme using that play on words.  

I'm posting this a bit early, as there is so much to get done towards the end of the school year, that May  was always the month that flew the fastest for me.   If you've been contemplating making some sort of memory booklet, hopefully this will help you out. 

The packet includes several writing prompts for students to write about what they'll miss. 

Run off the cover and student page. Children complete the thought: "Owl" miss... and then illustrate their page.

Collect and collate the pages and bind them into a class book. 

When you share the completed story with your students, have each child read their own page.

Make a copy of your school composite and give each child an oval of themselves to glue on the tummy of the owl.

I've also included a note from the teacher if you're looking for just a little something.  Tuck it in their backpacks for them to discover when they get home.   You can add slits to the page and insert a lollipop if you want. 

"I learned a lot of knOWLedge this year.  Here's a list of my favorites:" is a simple and quick writing prompt bookmark students can color.  This too makes a nice keepsake, and works well for a Daily 5 activity.

There's also a class memory booklet, complete with autograph page, where friends can sign their name on the owl's tummy. 

The beauty of this, is that students can work on their memory book writing prompts for several days, finally finishing the last week of school.  It's a great "something to do" while you get one-on-one assessing done with your students.

I don't know about your state, but Michigan had the worst winter on record and schools all over have quite a few snow days to make up.  My grandsons' last day is June 19th.  Having some copy-ready activities to do can help save your sanity.

You can make their memory book even more special, by taking a last week of school photo of each child doing their favorite subject, activity, or at play during recess; and then have them include it somewhere in their booklet.

Click on the link to view/download the Owl Miss School Packet

To take a look at another FREE end-of-the-year memory book click on the link.  I've included a cover page for preschool, kindergarten, first grade, second grade and a generic one to fill in something else. 

If you run out of time, you can always send the booklet home for a parent to help their child fill out, especially if they complain: "I'm bored!"

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find helpful. My "pin it" button is at the top.

If you teach preschool or kindergarten and are looking for a graduation memory book FREEBIE, scroll down to the next article to take a look.

"A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings becasue it has a song." -Lou Holtz

1-2-3 Come Read With Me

Are you looking for some easy readers with a summer theme?  Well, you’ve come to the right place.

My Summer Senses is a great way to review the 5 senses as well as the 4 seasons!

Students get practice tracing and writing words and use picture clues to read the sentences.

Children also get cutting and gluing fine motor reinforcement by matching the numbered picture to the box in their booklet.

There's a graphing extension and a set of 10 word-wall word flashcards for the seasons and senses as well as a certificate of praise.

Click on the link to view/download the My Summer Senses easy reader booklet.

At The Beach is another easy reader where students enjoy cutting and gluing the various things that they can do at the beach, matching the pictures to the sentences.

When everyone has completed their booklet read it aloud as a whole group, to review concepts of print.

I’ve also included a certificate of praise, 36 word-wall word cards that can be turned into an Itty Bitty booklet, and an Our Class Beach Book writing extension.

Click on the link to view/download the At The Beach easy reader booklet.

In The Colors of Summer easy reader, students trace, write and color the color words as they use picture clues to read the words.

They practice their cutting and gluing skills by matching the numbered pictures to the appropriate boxes in their booklet.

There's a math-graphing extension, 40-word wall word flashcards, and a certificate of praise + two color-word worksheets.

Click on the link to view/download The Colors Of Summer easy reader booklet.

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

"When you look at a field of dandelions you can either see 100 weeds, or 100 wishes." -Unknown