Getting to the Core

1-2-3 Come Tell Digital and Analog Time With Me!

I was pretty happy; after I got done with the Whooo knows the time? owl clock. Everyone I showed it to thought it was cute.

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I know that some teachers might not have the time for their kiddo’s to create the larger ones, so I decided to make mini Whooo knows the time? owl clock PADDLES. My “coin paddles” are one of our most downloaded items, so perhaps these will be a winner too.

owl activities, owl clock template, owl lessons, telling time activities, telling time lessons, owl clock, owl crafts, digital time activities, clock paddles, free common core time, free common core for kindergarten, assessing time, time games, free common core for 1st, While frogging around gluing the analog owl to the Popsicle stick, I thought why not put a digital one on the back, so teachers could review both Common Core State Standards. (1.MD.3a) They can use the big one and call out a time. Using dry erase markers, children draw the hands on their clock, and the numbers on the digital side, and then hold it up. Does it match the clocks that the teacher is holding? You can whole-group assess in seconds!

Print off the colored ones, or run off the black and white template on white construction paper. Students color their owls any color they want. Laminate and return to them to cut and glue to a Popsicle stick, gluing the analog owl on one side and the digital clock on the other.

owl activities, owl clock template, owl lessons, telling time activities, telling time lessons, owl clock, owl crafts, digital time activities, clock paddles, free common core time, free common core for kindergarten, assessing time, time games, free common core for 1st, If you want to use your owls each year, instead of having students make their own, print off the colored owl template and laminate.

Mr. Clean Erasers do a nice job of cleaning dry erase, and even permanent marker off laminate! Students only need a small square of the eraser, so cut your Mr. Clean ones in 8 pieces.

You could also make a few of the big clocks and have students partner up. One plays the teacher, and the other shows their student-paddle.  This is a great way to pair up a strong student, with a struggler, for more one-on-one review time.

Click on the link to view/download the large owl analog clock, the owl clock paddles, and/or the large digital owl clock.

owl activities, owl clock template, owl lessons, telling time activities, telling time lessons, owl clock, owl crafts, digital time activities, clock paddles, free common core time, free common core for kindergarten, assessing time, time games, free common core for 1st, Thanks for visiting today. Feel free to PIN anything on my site. My “Pin it” button is at the top. To make sure that pinners return to THIS blog article, click on the title of the blog article, so that it turns black, then click the "pin it" button. It's maddening clicking on  pins, only to find yourself at some other blog article and then have to scroll around to find what you're looking for.  If you’d like to take a look at all of the other awesome things I fritter hours away pinning, (should I even admit that?) click on the “Follow me” heart on the right.

“There is no failure except in not trying.” –Elbert Hubbard     It’s also nice to remember and remind, that failure is NOT permanent!

1-2-3 Come Make Some 10 Frames With Me

Thinking about numbers using frames of 10, can be a helpful and easy way for students to learn basic number facts. A 10 frame is a simple graphic tool that allows people to  “see” numbers. They will help your students with number sense, place value, patterns and relationships, as well as subitizing.

10 frame templates, free ten frame templates, ten frame activities, 10 frame activities, apple lessons, apple activities, pirate activities, owl activities, themed 10 frame templates, subitizing activities, place value activities, number sense, common core math for kndergarten, free common core math for kindergarten, free CCSSWhile researching 10 frames, I found a wonderful 10 frame game your students can play.  There's no reading involved, a voice tells you what to do. The four games that can be played with their applet, help to develop counting and addition skills. Children can independently play: How Many, Build, Fill and Add.  Click on the above link to hop on over.

I also took a look at YouTube to see if I could find some quick explanations.  There's a  Ten Frame 4-minute video that does a nice job. Click on the link to pop over. For a 1 minute 10-frame explanation click on that link.

Since I planned all of my teaching around various themes each month, I decided to make 10 Frames featuring the most popular ones I could think of.   Working on the same procedures can get a bit boring, but if you switch things up with different 10 frame templates, students will get excited to continue practicing skills.

10 frame templates, free ten frame templates, ten frame activities, 10 frame activities, apple lessons, apple activities, pirate activities, owl activities, themed 10 frame templates, subitizing activities, place value activities, number sense, common core math for kndergarten, free common core math for kindergarten, free CCSSThere are a lot of ways to use these 10 frames.  They certainly enhance number sense.  They also help students subitize:recognize at a glance, domino and dice patterns without having to count the dots. 

Besides the obvious uses, I've also made a set of numbers, number words, and math symbols ( plus, minus, equals, greater and less than) so students can make equations and play a variety of other games. i.e.  Match the 10 frame to the number card, or number word, to play a Memory Match game, or play "I Have; Who Has?"  

Another game you can play that I call "Show Me The Number!" I've adapted from Mathematics Their Way (Baratta-Lorton,1976). Everyone arranges their ten frame so it shows the same number. The teacher calls out random numbers between 0 and 10. Children change their ten frame to show the new number.

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I'm in the process of making some for each month, and started with September.  I just finished apple 10 frames, owl 10 frames and pirate 10 frames.  Click on the links to zip on over to download these freebies.  I also have pumpkins, leaves, scarecrows, frogs, stars, bats, spiders, dinosaurs and bees in the works, to round out fall, before I begin ones for winter.  If there is a theme that you'd like 10 frames for, shoot me an e-mail and I'll add it to my list, and let you know when I've completed it. diane@teachwithme.com

10 frame templates, free ten frame templates, ten frame activities, 10 frame activities, apple lessons, apple activities, pirate activities, owl activities, themed 10 frame templates, subitizing activities, place value activities, number sense, common core math for kndergarten, free common core math for kindergarten, free CCSSThanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others might enjoy.  My "Pin It" button is at the top.  If you'd like to take a peek at all of the awesome-educational things I spend way too much time pinning, simply click on the "Follow Me" heart to the right.

"My mother said I must always be intolerant of ignorance, but understanding of illiteracy, because some people, unable to go to school, were more educated and more intelligent than some college professors." -Maya Angelou

1-2-3 Come End Your Day With Me.

see you later alligator after while crocodile good bye poem, going home transition ideas, going home transition activities, going home transition songs, going home transition ideas, how to end your day ideas, how to end the day activities, how to end the day transitions, going home songs, end of the day songs, good bye songs, leaving songs, going home songs, alligator crocodile good-bye song, alligator crocodile good bye poem, alligator crocodile good bye poem poster, good bye poster poem, I designed and posted this last summer, and it was such a hit, that I'm revisiting it again for a back-to-school tip.

Are you looking for an easy and fun way to end your day? One that  will grab your students’ attention, help you transition them to going home when everyone is exhausted, and hopefully something that they will look forward to, so that transition is not so difficult?

Try the popular “See You Later Alligator - After While Crocodile" poem.  It’s been around along time, so it’s kid-tested and teacher-approved.

I believe the original started with Dr. Jean.   I’ve provided a link to her page in the packet. Click on it now to check out her awesome site!

I’ve also provided a YouTube link to Bill Haley and the Comets rock and roll song version, complete with cool swing dancing.

Oh to be able to do that again! Yup, been there, done that, when the bones were not degenerating and I wasn’t shrinking like the Wicked Witch of the West,  after a thunderstorm.

This 23-page packet, is chock full of goodies that include:

1. An alligator poster. Print off 2, glue them back-to-back and suspend from your ceiling over the door as a reminder.

2. The revamped poster-poem.  I've included enough verses so each child can recite one as they line up to go home. They can say their verse, wave good-bye and get in line.  Hang a copy of the poem on the door, + enlarge a copy to have by your circle time where everyone can read it.

3. A traceable booklet so students can get used to reading, writing and learning the verses. Children cut and glue an animal to the matching numbered box.  They will enjoy taking this booklet home and sharing it with their families.

4. Traceable animal word cards with matching picture cards to help students learn these words + a cover to make an Itty Bitty booklet.  Make extra sets to turn into Memory Match Concentration games and an "I Have' Who Has?" game.  Toss the animal cards into a basket and have students select one.  That will be the phrase they get to recite.

They can quietly line up, walking and sounding like that animal, as they recite their verse.  i.e. a mouse would squeak their verse quietly, as they scampered on all fours to the door.

5. Finally, I’ve also included an additional Good-bye Song to the tune of Up On The Roof Top.  I found this on the Internet in several places so I don’t know who to give credit to.  If it’s yours, please dash me an e-mail so I can give you credit, and link to your site.  It’s adorable! 

I really think you and yours, will look forward to ending your day in this positive way!  see you later alligator after while crocodile good bye poem, going home transition ideas, going home transition activities, going home transition songs, going home transition ideas, how to end your day ideas, how to end the day activities, how to end the day transitions, going home songs, end of the day songs, good bye songs, leaving songs, going home songs, alligator crocodile good-bye song, alligator crocodile good bye poem, alligator crocodile good bye poem poster, good bye poster poem, Click on the link to view/download See you later Alligator good-bye poem packet

see you later alligator poemThanks for visiting! Feel free to PIN anything from my site.  I think sharing is so important.  If you'd like to see all of the wonderful things I spend way too much time pinning, click on my "Follow Me!" heart button to the right.

"Learning is NOT a spectator sport, so let's play!"

1-2-3 Come Read Chicka Boom With Me!

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A favorite book that many teachers read the first few weeks of school is Chicka Boom Boom.  I wanted to dream up some new ideas, as many teachers also make a Welcome bulletin board with that theme, and gear several days around letter activities as well.

The first FREEBIE is entitled Trunk Tricks and has a variety of activities based around the trunk of a coconut tree.

chicka boom activities, ideas for chicka boom, back to school ideas, ideas for the first day of school, apple art, apple ideas, back to school bulletin boards, I've seen others make painted handprints for fronds, which is cute, but sometimes messy and difficult, as well as time-consuming to do, especially if you're teaching a bunch of little ones all by yourself.

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I decided to trace my handprints to see how they would turn out and I really liked the effect.

Have a room volunteer do the tracing and cutting for you, or send the green paper home and have parents do this step. 

With the handprint portion out of the way, this adorable keepsake artwork can be whipped together in about 10 minutes.

chicka boom ideas, chicka boom bulletin boards, chicka boom art projects, back to school ideas, ideas for the first day of school, back to school bulletin boards, apple art, apple ideas, For extra pizzazz, I used brown textured wallpaper for the trunk of my tree.

Brightly-colored foam letters also add that bit of 3-D pop and the student photo on the coconut makes it all the more precious.

 back to school ideas, first day of school ideas, back to school bulletin boards, chicka boom ideas, chicka boom bulletin boards, chicka boom art projects, chicka boom actiivities, apple activities, apple art, In Trunk Tricks you can also make a Name Tree, a Vowel Tree, a Color Tree and a count by 10's to 100 Tree.

Any of these would make quick and easy bulletin boards: "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Look What The K's Did In Mrs. Henderson's Room!"

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Make A Chicka Boom Name Tag:

This idea comes from my other Chicka Boom Activity Book called Picka Chicka. 
 
It's called this, because there are lots of creative things to pick from, that are inside a student's file folder of fun!
 
Make a copy of my master, run it off on tan construction paper.
back to school ideas, first day of school ideas, chicka boom name tags, chicka boom activities, chicka boom bulletin boards, chicka boom art projects, apple art, apple activities, back to school bulletin boards, Students cut out their coconut and can either write their name with a variety of colored markers, or glue their school photo on the tag and write their name with an ink pen.
 
Below are some photos of a completed Picka Chicka file.
 
chicka boom activities, chicka boom art projects, chicka boom bulletin boards, back to school ideas, first day of school ideas, apple ideas, back to school bulletin boards, It's a wonderful project for the beginning of school and a great extension for the book. 
  back to school bulletin boards, back to school ideas, chicka boom ideas, chicka boom activities, apple activities, apple art, apple ideas, chicka boom bulletin boards,
As you can see by the photographs, many report card standards, subjects and skills are being reinforced.
 
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    • One of the things that I did everyday with my students for table top lessons, was play an I Spy game. 
    • I made these up by drawing circles on pictures of whatever theme we were studying and filling them with dashed letters and numbers. 
    • I would spy a number and my students circled it and then raised their hand to show they were done.
  • The first one to raise their hand got to spy the next letter/number. 
  • My students really enjoyed playing "I Spy". It's a wonderful whole-group assessment tool as well.  You can see in seconds, who is having difficulty spying letters and numbers, because they aren't able to recognize them. 
  • I jotted down a few notes and then worked with these students later, on a one-on-one basis.chicka boom activities, chicka boom name tags, chicka boom art projects, back to school ideas, ideas for the first day of school, back to school bulletin boards,
Make a graph & Venn diagram:
  • Since we study apples for one of our big back to school science themes, I thought it would be fun for students to compare apples and coconuts. 

 This comparison not only involves various math extensions, but you can toss in some science exploration as well, by having a discussion with your students about what they think is inside the coconut etc.

    • Once you break the coconut open, give everyone a taste of the liquid as well as the meat.  Graph whether students like apples or coconuts better. 
    • Make a Venn diagram to compare the two.  It's surprising how many things you can find that they have in common.  Picka Chicka lists several pages of very interesting facts + a 1/2 page of terrific links and You Tube videos, including how to open a coconut and climb a coconut tree!

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There's nothing like a game to help students learn lessons.  Children can play with a partner or in a group of 3. 

You can make a class set of Chicka Boom trees, or allow each student to make their own "Chicka Boom Name Tree".  Play the game several times in class and then let children take them home to enjoy with family.

Children glue construction paper to a sealed envelope making a trunk so that they can insert letters into the back of their tree's "pocket".  Students roll a dice to determine how many letters they put in their envelope. 

If they roll a 1 they take 1 letter out; if they roll a 6 they lose their turn. 

Chicka Boom Popsicle Stick Puzzle:

Chicka boom puzzle, chicka boom art projects, chicka boom ideas, back to school ideas, first day of school ideas, apple ideas, back to school bulletin boards, I love making Popsicle stick puzzles.  They are easy and inexpensive and fun for students to put together. 

  • Simply find the clip art you want to match whatever theme you're doing and enlarge it to 5 1/2 x 4 1/2.  Print it off and cut it out.
  • Number 6 large wooden Popsicle sticks from 1-6 on the back and then arrange them side by side. 
  • Smooth white glue over the top and then press your picture over the sticks. 
  • Flip the sticks over onto another sheet of paper, so that you can make a tiny space inbetween the sticks, so that you can cut them apart with an Exacto knife when they dry. 
  • Making a Popsicle stick puzzle out of your students' first day of school photo makes a nice keepsake as well. 
  • You can keep these puzzles for your classroom, or send them home with your students as a sweet back-to-school surprise!

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"80% of success is showing up!" -Woody Allen

1-2-3 Make a Denim Tote Bag With Me!

I don't know about you, but I tote all kinds of things back and forth from school and I can never find a bag big or strong enough.

denim tote bag, DIY projects, bag made out of blue jeans, blue jean crafts,When I want to take my bag to the park, so I can get some fresh air while working, my pens, pencils, scissors and other supplies get lost at the bottom of the bag and I'm forever wasting time rummaging around looking for them.

There have also been many times where I'm lugging books and the strap breaks because the bag's too heavy, or the bottom seam gives out.

My solution: a sturdy denim bag, and it only cost me a dollar (!) because I bought a pair of old blue jeans at a garage sale!

This is how you can quickly and easily make one for yourself:

  • Besides garage sales, you can also find a huge assortment of inexpensive jeans at Good Will or other thrift stores.  Look for the biggest pair of jeans that you can find. The one I bought is so big (20 inches wide) that it will hold one of those large big books, that I enjoy reading to my kiddo's.
  • One with lots of pockets and a side loop to hold scissors is a real find. You can see the loop on the right of the photo.
  • Cut off the legs and save them to make the strap.
  • Turn the "pants" inside out and sew up the bottom.
  • Cut a length that is wide and long enough for a strap. Make this from the pant leg. Mine was 5 inches wide, and then I simply folded either side over (so there are no ragged edges) and then folded it in half once more to make it extra sturdy.  I sewed several straight lines of stitches up and down the strap.  You can use a fancy embroidery stitch if you want to add a bit more pizzazz.
  • Sew the strap to the inside hip portion of the jeans. I sewed it triple, and used an embroidery stich, so it was really on there good.
  • Wahla! Instant extremely sturdy tote bag!
  • So that they are handy, I carry my scissors in the loop and all of my various supplies in the pockets.
  • You can embellish with puffy paint, or hot glue appliques on. I preferred to simply leave mine plain.
  • Happy DIY-ing.

denim tote bag, DIY projects, bag made out of blue jeans, blue jean crafts,Click on the link for a copy of the directions and the photo. Blue Jean Tote Bag

Thanks for visiting today.  As always, feel free to PIN anything you think others may find useful.   My "Pin It" button is at the top.  If you'd like to see all the terrific educational things that I spend way too much time pinning, simply click on the "Follow Me!" heart button to the right.

"Don't let the noise of other people's opinions, drown out your inner voice." -Steve Jobs

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