1-2-3 Come Practice the Alphabet With Me

In a world where even young children have to be assessed, it is no wonder that little ones become apprehensive & a bit worried about doing well.

With that in mind I designed this cute scarecrow that’s holding a big sunflower.

It’s an alphabet wheel and will help make learning to match lowercase letters with their capital counterparts fun.

I’ve included two wheels.

One has the lowercase letters in alphabetical order, while the other one shows them jumbled up, making it a super-fun way to whole group assess.

After students have colored, cut & assembled their scarecrow, call out the letter A.

Students turn the smaller wheel ’til the lowercase letter a matches up. Afterwards, they hold up their scarecrow.

Teachers can see at a glance who is having difficulty. Play continues with another child calling out the next letter. 

Add to the fun, by having your kiddos name their scarecrow. Mine is Sebastian.

Since snipping a sunflower can be a bit challenging, I’ve also included an easy-peasy pattern, where students simply cut on the dashed lines.

I use a protractor to poke holes in the center of the circles, then attach with a brass brad.

Besides the scarecrow manipulative, I’ve also included a variety of “color me” worksheets to help practice upper & lowercase letters in quick, easy & fun ways.

These “print & go” activities are great for early finishers, homework, extra help for strugglers or a sub tub.

I've also included an upper & lowercase assessment mat, plus my recording sheets, which you can use for 4 different evaluations.  They are super-simple to use & save time filing.

Another fun way that I practice and easily whole group assess upper & owercase letters, is with “I Spy” game sheets.

The same worksheet can be used multiple times and my Young Fives absolutely LOVE playing this game. I’ve included four game sheets in the packet.

There's also a colorful collection of alphabet cards.There's a set for upper, as well as lowercase letters. The shape and size of each set is different, making them perfect for "Memory Match" games.

Use in a variety of games, such as “What’s Missing?” “Flipped” and “Kaboom”. I’ve included a tip list of all sorts of simple ways to use the cards, with directions for the games, which will help make learning especially fun.

There’s also a mini-certificate of praise, which is an easy way to reward your students’ efforts. Patterns come in color as well as black & white, with 8 certificates on a one-page pattern.

Today's featured FREEBIE is a Thanksgiving placemat your students or own children can color.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for popping in.

It's another snow-covered, cold and dreary day. 

A fire in our fireplace adds a warm & cozy atmosphere though, making it a  great day for designing some turkey crafts.  Wishing you a turkey-rific November.

Reflect upon your present blessings---of which every man has many--not on your past misfortunes, of which every man has some. -Charles Dickens

1-2-3 Come Do Some Spider ABC Activities With Me

Although I really don’t care for spiders, it’s one of my students’ favorite themed-units.

I keep things non-creepy with nursery rhymes, fun stories and interesting crafts. Spiders are also a fun fall theme, if you don't do Halloween; or if you do, these spider activities are a fun educational activity for Halloween week or party day.

Each month I switch up my center and table top activities, with whatever theme we have for that week. Just a few simple tweaks and everyday practice becomes exciting and fresh. 

With that in mind, I designed these spider-themed activities to help my students practice upper & lowercase letters.

Each year my Y5s are super-excited to “get their turn” to visit these "new" October centers, and play the games; which make letter practice a lot of fun for them.

The Packet Includes:

*  Large and small patterns to make “Clippy the spider” an alphabet clothespin game. Use for a center, assessment, whole group craftivity, game for struggling students, or fun homework assignment.


This is an inexpensive game to make, as The Dollar Store sells packs of "hinged" clothespins. Students clip the lowercase letter clothespin, to the matching uppercase letter on the spider. 


Younger kiddos can simply practice one-to-one correspondence and match UC to UC or LC to LC letters. 


I've included a smaller pattern, as a super-fun way to practice as a whole group, which is also a quick and easy way to whole group assess. My Y5s love making their own spider and even name them!

Children get just one clothespin. Teacher calls out a letter, students find it and clip their clothespin, then hold up their spider.  You can see at a glance who is having difficulty. 
 You can use pipe cleaners or paper strips to make the spider's legs.  The packet also includes...

*  Spiderweb letter cards (separate upper & lowercase sets) to play a variety of games with: “What’s the Mystery Letter?”, “Kaboom”, “Memory Match”, “I Have; Who Has?” and “Flip It!”

 I’ve included a 4-page “tip list” filled with ideas of how to use the ABC cards + directions for the games that I know your students will really enjoy. 

There are also a variety of worksheets...

* 5 “trace & write” worksheets are a simple way to practice both upper and lowercase letters

*  “I spy!” is another whole group game that practices upper or lowercase letters, which I use as a quick, easy and super-fun way to whole group assess too. One student game sheet, can be used 5 times! 

*  The 3 “Spin to Win” worksheet games are especially fun for students. For your convenience I've also included an ...

* Assessment worksheet, where students match the lowercase letter to the matching uppercase letter, plus 2 individual assessment forms, one for uppercase and another for lowercase letters. You can assess 4 times with one recording sheet.

* The “Spider Slider” craft is one of my students' favorites. It's another fun way to practice and whole group assess upper or lowercase letters, as there is a "slider" strip for each.

To practice patterning, have students choose 2 or 3 different color crayons or markers, then trace the letters in an AB-AB or ABC-ABC color pattern.

You can do "double duty" by using the "Clippy" spider pattern as a slider too. 

Simply glue the upper or lowercase letter circle to the back, then cut slits in the spider's body on the front and insert the uppercase slider! 

When students are done "sliding" they can use a paperclip and fold up the strip, then clip away for the other game.

Finally...
* There's a “spiderific” certificate of praise (4 on a page) bookmark, which students can color.

Today's featured FREEBIE also has a cute little spider theme. "Shapin' Up With Spiders" will help your students practice 2D shapes.

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

It's October and temps hit 79 in Michigan today! (What?) I just turned the heat on yesterday when it was 47 outside.  No complaints though...

Time to go take my poodle pup Chloe for a romp.  Wishing you a blessed day.

"Education is the kindling of a flame; not the filling of a vessel." - Socrates

1-2-3 Come Do Some Alphabet & Number Activities With Me

Make learning letters & numbers especially fun with this “something different” packet.

While waiting for “my turn” at the ophthalmology office, I was staring at a framed print of an old-fashioned eye chart, wondering how I could use that in my classroom. The result of that long wait, is this “ABC the letters & numbers” packet, with C (see) being a play-on-words.

It took some time to design the eye charts, so that they not only looked like the “real deal”, but included all of the uppercase letters, so they can be used as a unique teaching tool, plus help practice letter identification & recognition. Easy-peasy for you & fun for your students.

You can use the traditional “E at the top” chart, or the one that says “I Spy!”

Besides the eye charts, the packet also includes a variety of “Eye Spy” alphabet & number worksheets & games, plus 26, mini puzzle glasses, where students match the uppercase letter to the lowercase one, along with 21 matching numeric puzzles, which help practice numbers 0-20, sequencing, subitizing & simple addition.

I’ve also included an assessment mat & recording sheet for both upper & lowercase letters. 

A set of upper & lowercase "eyeball" cards, can be used in a variety of activities and games.  I've included a 3-page tip list of what you can do with them.  

There's also a set of "I Spy My Name" color-me worksheets, if your students are learning to write their names and identify those letters.

There are 4 boys & 4 girl options children can choose from, plus a colorful pattern you can use to quickly & easiy make a sample to share.

About the CHARTS:

My Y5s absolutely love pretending, and talking about what they want to be when they grow up, so “becoming” a real eye doctor is right up their alley.

Print and laminate the eye chart so it can become a part of your pretend play area. I keep a copy in our “doctor kit” tub.

If you don’t have an “imagination station” set up in your classroom as part of your daily routine, that’s fine too, as being able to “play eye doctor” will be even more exciting, as children don’t normally get to have this as a center activity.

Pair up a strong student with a struggler, so that they can each take turns being the patient, as well as the eye doctor. If you have older reading buddies that come in to help with your youngsters, this is also a fun activity for that time slot.

The “doctor” asks the “patient” to read the various lines. My kiddos use a “pencil pointer”, so they are specifically pointing to each letter. Having a pointer is also a “cool tool” and adds to the fun.

Besides the “Partner Pretend” practice game, you can also use the eye chart poster as an alternative assessment tool, where students point to each letter and say it.

The eye chart also works as a fun ”I spy!” worksheet game. Run them off, then choose a student to call out a letter. Children find it and circle it. You can see at a glance who is having difficulty.

Another idea for the eye chart is using it for a “whole group” activity. Using a dry erase marker, have a child come up and circle a letter that you ask for. You could also point to a letter and call on children to tell you what that letter is.

The numbered lines are also helpful, so you can reinforce number recognition as well. i.e. “Please read the letters on line 5” or point to a number and ask the name of it; or “Please show me the number 3”

The chart can also be used for ordinal number practice. “What is the third letter on line 2?”  I love it when I can use a visual for more than one thing, and thought you’d appreciate that too. 

Today's featured FREEBIE is a versatile "Fan Sailboat Craftivity" that's suitable for the end of the year: “Have fun sailing into summer. I hope it’s fantastic!”, as well as for back-to-school: “Have fun sailing into a new school year. I hope it’s fantastic!”

Inserting a pencil, pen, marker, glow stick or Pixie candy stick for a mast, is an inexpensive little gift you can give your new or departing students as well. 

That's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by. 

Time to go soak up some sunshine as I water my garden.

Wishing you a carefree day.

"Like a welcome summer rain, humor may suddenly cleanse and cool the earth, the air, and you." -Langston Hughes

1-2-3 Come Do Some "It Looked Like Spilt Milk" Activities With Me

Do you read "It Looked Like Spilt Milk"  by Charles Shaw?

It’s a terrific, springtime story for introducing your study of clouds, and helps children stretch their imaginations. 

Because my Young Fives really enjoy this story, I designed several cloud-themed activities for them to transition to, after we read the tale.  They are both featured on the blog today, along with an awesome FREEBIE.

Since "It Looked Like Spilt Milk" is perfect for practicing the “sequencing and retelling a story” standards, I designed a quick, easy and fun slider craftivity, which will help your students retell the story in the proper order.

There are 2 outside slider options to choose from.

One features a cloud, the other a square with a spilled milk "splat". 

I chose blue construction paper, to resemble the story as well as the color of the sky.

Pick your favorite or give children a choice.

Students color the story elements on the “slider strip” then cut and glue it together.

There are 2 "storytelling slider strip" options as well.
One, for beginning readers, has the pictures labeled, while the other strip's graphics are blank.

As they pull on the end of the “slider-strip” the various “cloud” pictures go through the “window”, so that children can take turns retelling the story to a partner or reading buddy, then take their craftivity home to share with their family, once again practicing these standards.

I introduce the lesson by reading the book ”It Looked Like Spilt Milk”, then share my completed "slider craft” with my students.

After I read the story, we retell the tale together, using the picture prompts on my slider.

I have them guess which story element they think comes next, before I pull the picture through the “window”.

My students now know what’s expected of them, and are very excited to transition to making an “It Looked Like Spilt Milk” storytelling slider of their own.

Storytelling sliders are also an easy & interesting way to assess comprehension.

I’ve included a “Let’s “sequence the story” activity for this, where students color and trim the picture “windows” then glue them in the correct order on their worksheet.

There’s also a “Here’s What Happened…” writing prompt worksheet, as another way to check comprehension, plus practice sequential writing, hopefully using a variety of ordinal numbers and other transitions. 

Finally, I thought it would be fun to practice upper and lowercase letters with a "cloud alphabet", which also includes an "animal cloud" for each letter as well.

The "Cloud-Themed Alphabet Packet" includes:
* An “Alpha Clouds” (color, trace & write) booklet.

With 4 pages on one, to make a "just-the-right-size", mini booklet.

*An “ABC Animal Clouds” booklet, with the same above format.

* A boy & girl “Look at my cloud name” worksheet craftivity.

* 3 sets of alpha-cloud cards for upper & lowercase letters.

* 2 sets of animal cloud cards. There is a “cloud animal” for each letter of the alphabet.

* There are also matching animal word cards, which will provide more ways to play “Memory Match” and “I Have; Who Has?” games.

* Children can also pick a picture card and describe the animal using 1-3 adjectives OR…
* Pick a word card and use it in a sentence. OR…
* Students can arrange the letter and/or word cards in alphabetical order.

-Use the “Kaboom!” cards to add to the fun.
-Use the cover to make an “Itty Bitty” booklet.

* I’ve also included a 5-page, tip list of other games and things you can use the cards for.

* 2 poster poems to introduce the lesson

These activities can be used for independent centers, whole group activities, Daily 5 word work, early finishers, homework, or tossed in a sub tub.

Today's featured FREEBIE is a set of number posters.  

These anchor charts are perfect for a math bulletin board that you can refer to daily and review:

* fractions, colors, patterns, telling time, fact families, money, tally marks, ordinal numbers, measurement with a ruler, +1 addition, sequencing numbers, counting groups and sets of objects, and using a ten frame for addition or subtraction.

Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by. My feet have hit the floor running, as I'm watching 3 of my grandchildren today.

They are age 4, 2 and 1, so it will be a busy day of play, filled with lots of fun and giggles.   Wishing you a love-filled day.

"Becoming a grandmother is wonderful. One moment you’re just a mother. The next you are all-wise and prehistoric." ~Pam Brown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Snowflake Alphabet Activities With Me    

Because my Y5s need to review letters throughout the year, I thought it would be fun to design some snowflake-themed alphabet activities; thus this snowflake letter craft was born.

It's very versatile, as younger kiddos can simply snip & glue their initial.

For added pizzazz have children glue their school photograph inside the small snowflake and write their name on the larger one, then arrange and glue them to their letter craft. 

If your kiddos have lockers, laminate and display there.

I've also included 3 writing prompt worksheet options for older children.

Choose which one is most appropriate for your students, or give them a choice.They attach the worksheet to their initial. 

One option practices the vocabulary associated with letters. "Cc is for Cody and cat, crayon, clown, circle, crown & car."

So that the letter "pops" out, have children choose 2 colors to write their words.

For added pizzazz have them draw and color a picture of one of the words. 

Another writing prompt option, "I am unique like a snowflake!" helps students get to know a bit more about their classmates.

I find that children really enjoy sharing about themselves, so filling in the blanks on this worksheet (favorite color, food, animal etc.) is an especially fun activity for them.  When everyone is done, have them "show & share" their completed project.  

The 3rd writing prompt option, is also a fill-in-the-blank worksheet which revolves around their letter and name, and practices counting.  

Since all of the worksheets are so different, you could easily stretch this activity over several days doing all 3 prompts.

Completed projects make interesting & awesome wintry bulletin boards too.

I've included a "Letters are 'snow' much fun!" poster for the center of your display.

Teachers can also assign a letter to each student then hang the completed alphabet cards up as a winter border, or use them as large flashcards. 

These could also be collected, collated and made into a class-made, wintry alphabet book.

Introduce the craftivity with my snowflake “Hush!” poem. So that the poem easily transitions into the activity, I added another stanza on a separate poster: "We made our time together, snowing blowing better, making a snowflake letter!"

I’ve provided one in color, which can also be part of your bulletin board display, as well as a BW version for students to color, take home and read to their families.

The poem is packed with Dolch sight words and offers a nice rhyming review and easy way to include the poetry genre into your lessons.

* Besides the snowflake letter writing prompt craftivity, there’s also a Venn diagram compare & contrast activity, and a set of lovely snowflake cards perfect for sorting, patterning, or playing a Memory Match game with.

* For more letter practice, I’ve included 2 sets of snowflake-themed, upper & lowercase letter cards, along with a 4-page tip list of what you can do with them, including games like “What’s Missing?”, “Hidden Letter” and “Kaboom!”.

* There’s also a set of snowflake alphabet puzzles, plus a “How many words can you make using the letters in snowflake?” worksheet, with a 111-word answer key.

* The “I Spy a Letter!” game sheets are a quick, easy & fun way to whole group assess upper or lowercase letters.

* The 6 bonus worksheets are nice for early finishers, homework or a sub tub.

* Another super-fun way to practice letters and whole group assess, is with the snowflake slider craftivity.

There’s a strip for uppercase letters, and another for lowercase.

I have my students choose 2 different color highlighters, so that they can trace the letters in an ABAB pattern.

To play the assessment game, call out a letter.  Students pull their slider strip up or down 'til they locate that letter in the "window" of their snowflake, then hold it up. 

You can see at a glance who is having difficulty.  My students absolutely LOVE making and collecting sliders, so we do one each month featuring a seasonal theme that practices a variety of standards.

Woo hoo! There are two featured FREEBIES today. The first one is a quick, easy & fun snowflake craftivity that your kiddos will really enjoy doing with their families. 

Completed projects make an awesome bulletin board.  My students love pointing out their family's picture, which is especially nice for preschoolers who often miss their moms during the day. 

The next one is a "Shapely Snow Angels" emergent reader booklet featuring 2D shapes.  I hope you find it useful. 

Well that's it for now. Today's the perfect day to putz with more snowflake activities, as zillions of them are dancing in the breeze outside my office window. 

Wishing you a snuggly day, filled to the brim with fun.

           "Snowflakes may be delicate and fragile, but look what they can do when they stick together!"

1-2-3 Come Have Some Fun With Chrysanthemum And Me

I thought I had finished up designing some quick, easy and fun activities to go with the story "Chrysanthemum", 'til I had a request from Erin in Idaho.

Her preschool has adopted the "Bucket Filling" program and she wondered if I could tie that concept in with the "Chrysanthemum" story. 

Great idea Erin, and easy-peasy to do, as the theme of "Chrysanthemum" is all about being kind, and careful with the things you say.  Thus "Bucket Filling With Chrysanthemum" was born. 

After reading the story, children transition to making a list of “bucket dipping” moments in the story, as well as “bucket filling” times on the 2 worksheets.

I’ve also included color copies so you can do this as a whole group activity as well.

The packet also includes several posters: “We are a bucket-filling classroom”, “Easily Fill A Bucket By . . .” plus a “Please Don’t Be A Dipper”.

The “Chrysanthemum’s ABCs of Bucket Filling” worksheets help build vocabulary while practicing letter sounds.

These can be done individually, or use the colorful ones with a whole group.

I’ve included answer keys with lots of alliterative options: “Aa: aid, applaud, ask, award, advise, affirm, acknowledge…”

Finally, students can use the little Chrysanthemum "bucket cards" to encourage each other.  There’s a set in color so that you can leave your students a compliment or note as well. 

I was now in the Chrysanthemum mode again, so I also designed some Chrysanthemum-Themed Alphabet Number Puzzles.

Because the story is all about this little mouse’s name, I like to transition my kiddos to some name writing activity afterwards.

These puzzles provide a super-fun way to do that, plus children get in some uppercase alphabet practice too.

They're a real “sanity saver” as children are happily engaged coloring, cutting, then putting their puzzle together.
While they work independently you are freed up. Woo hoo!

The puzzles mix math with literacy, as they help practice sequencing numbers from 1-10, working on those toughie teen numbers, as well as skip counting by 10s.

Simply choose which number concept is most appropriate for your students.

For a fun back to school bulletin board, have children mount their puzzle to a sheet of construction paper leaving a little gap between each strip, which will create an interesting mosaic effect.

I’ve included 2 “ABC 1-2-3 Look Who’s In The Class With Me!” posters to use for the center of your display. (Plus preschool, kindergarten and 1st grade as well).

There’s also a colorful Chrysanthemum puzzle (1-10, 11-20, & counting by 10s) to use as an independent math center, plus an additional name writing worksheet where children finish drawing Chrysanthemum.

Finally, while I was putzing with this, another name activity popped in my head, so I created a quick, easy & fun "color, cut & glue" name craft, which provides wonderful fine motor practice, plus assists children in learning how to spell their name as they begin to recognize those letters.

Completed projects make a sweet back to school bulletin board too.  Besides the name craft, the packet also includes:

* Separate upper & lowercase letter cards, as well as a set of cards with both the upper and lowercase letter on one card.

Use them for Memory Match and “I Have; Who Has?” games. 

I’ve also included a 4-page tip list of other ideas for the cards, including the “Kaboom!” game as well as . . .

* A variety of letter worksheets plus…
* Some simple letter games like "What Letter Did Chrysanthemum Hide Today?" and "What's Missing?", as well as several dice worksheet games.

Today's featured FREEBIE is a set of 10 Classroom Management Posters.  I hope you find them useful.

Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by. Time to move on to another theme. 

Hmmm... shall I start working on "Chicka Boom" or "If You Take A Mouse To School" stuff? Stay tuned.  I'll be doing both before August disappears.

 Wishing you a carefree, happily lazy kind of relaxing day.   

"Children must be taught how to think, not what to think."-Margaret Mead

1-2-3 Come Do Some Alphabet Activities With Me

I'm working away at the ever popular alphabet wheels. I featured Aa is for Apple in September, and Pp is for Pumpkin in October.

For November, I just completed Ll is for Leaf, Tt is for Turkey and Vv is for Veterans.

Since we continue to work on the alphabet throughout the year, it's nice to add something new to my Alphabet Center activities each month.

Because of the seasonal themes, the Alpha Wheels are  a perfect addition, and my kiddos LOVE making them.

I enjoy them, because they are a quick, easy & fun way to practice letters, and build the vocabulary needed to give an example of a word, with that beginning sound.

They feature 6 nouns that begin with that letter, and come in black & white, as well as full-color.

Use a colorful one for an independent center and use the black & white pattern for a whole-group or individual word work activity, where kiddos make their own.

You'll find that your students will look forward to making and collecting them. 

For writing, vocabulary building and alphabetizing practice, I've also included a worksheet where students trace & write the words then put them in alphabetical order.

Click on the pictures or hot links above, to zip on over to my TpT shop to have a look.

I sincerely hope these alpha-wheels make letter practice more fun for your kiddos. 

Fittingly, the featured FREEBIE today, is an alphabet packet, with a set of alphabet cards & poster which you can play games with.  I hope you find it useful.

That's it for today. A work crew is coming in to put a new window in my office, so I don't get to "play" today, but it's time and money well-spent, as I won't be freezing all winter!

Wishing you a relaxing day.

1-2-3 Come Read With Me

Hooray for Dollar Deals from Diane.
Here’s another emergent reader “just the right size”alphabet booklet. 

I hope your kiddos are enjoying them as much as mine did. You know you've got a winner when your students ask for another one!

They're truly a quick, easy and fun way to reinforce a variety of standards.

Besides the 4-on-a-page template, I’ve also included an 8-on-a-page pattern, so that you can make an “Itty Bitty Alpha-bits” booklet if you want.

Using the pictures as a guide, children read the page, trace the letters, write the letters, then color the picture. 

Afterwards, they cut the pages into 1/4ths (grab that teachable moment to review fractions if you're studying them) collate the pages and then staple their booklet together.

When everyone has completed their booklet, read it together as a whole group to cover concepts of print, and reinforce the repetitive text.

Even though my Y5's were technically not really "reading", they "got it" because of the repetitious sentences and picture clues. 

I think one of the reasons they loved making these little booklets was because they could share them with their family.  They were really proud of themselves.

There’s also a "Color Me" alphabet poster, which comes on a full page, as well as 2-on-a-page, and is the featured FREEBIE today.  Click on the link to grab your copy.

Children can color their poster all at once, or keep the poster in their writing journals, and color only the letters that they have studied & mastered. 

This is a wonderful visual way for kiddos to see how much they are learning in a short amount of time--a real self-esteem builder.

You can also use the poster to play an “I Spy a Letter” game.
Give children an M&M or other manipulative.
Call out a letter; children cover it with their playing piece.

You can see at a glance who is having difficulty, which makes this a quick, easy & fun way to whole group assess.

Click on the link to pop on over to my TpT shop for this latest Emergent Reader Dollar Deal.  While you're over there, I would so appreciate it if you'd follow me; you'll know when I post more Dollar Deals & FREEBIES that way. Thanks in advance. 

Well that's it for today. I need to get going on apple stuff before it's pumpkin time!  So LOVE fall.  Wishing you a day filled with giggles.

"In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed." -Khalil Gibran

1-2-3 Come Practice the "Owl-phabet" With Me

I’m delighted to post anotherDollar Deal from Diane.
This “owl-phabet” craftivity is a super-fun way for students to practice upper & lowercase letters .

Look closely at Ollie the owl’s eyes.  You will see an uppercase letter in one, and a lowercase letter in the other.  Ollie is one of my "Turn & Learn” alphabet wheels.

Play "I Spy” a letter & have children turn the "eye wheels" 'til they've found both.

They hold their owl in the air, and you can see at a glance who is having difficulty.

You can also play “Whoooo has a clue?” Call on a child to choose a letter, then give 3 clues to the class. For example: “My letter is a vowel; it comes before P and after N. What’s the ”mystery letter?”

Children turn the owl’s “eyes” ’til they’ve found it. “Whoooo was the first? Is that person correct?”

I've also included a few owl-themed worksheets and a "color me" bookmark in the packet.

Besides playing games with Ollie, use it as a non-threatening way to assess.

Turn Ollie into an “Owl” miss you!” activity at the end of the year, so that students can review letters over the summer, lest they forget all you’ve crammed into their heads.

For a quick & easy way to make the letter “windows” in the eye, I used a circle paper punch. 

I set Ollie up as a center/station activity that children get to do after they have completed their morning table top work. 

All of the pieces and parts are on a table, with a variety of colors to choose from.  They pick out their parts & return to their desks to put Ollie together. 

You can also do this as a whole-group "monkey see-monkey do" activity, where you demonstrate the assembly step-by-step & children copy what you are doing. 

Click on the link to pop on over to my TpT shop to grab Ollie for just a dollar.  I hope your kiddos enjoy their owl-phabet pal as much as mine did. 

The featured FREEBIE for today is a set of owl alphabet cards.  Click on the link to get your set today.  There are 3 sets in the packet. Owls showing both the upper & lowercase letters, as well as separate sets of each, so that you can play Memory Match, Speed, and "I Have; Who Has?" games. 

Well that's it for now. Thanks for visiting.  It's still chilly out, so time to grab my jacket and take my poodle pup Chloe for a walk. 

Right now she's asleep under my desk.  Maybe she thinks it's a bit too nippy today too. 

"I  don't know what my path is yet.  I'm just walking on it." - Olivia Newton-John

1-2-3 Come Pair Up With Me

Welcome to another one of Diane's Dollar Deals.  This cutie-patootie, Pair Pears Packet is packed with versatility.

At the beginning of the year, when children are learning their classmates' names, glue a photo on the top of the pear, and write students' names on the bottom half.

Children can match their friend's photo to their name in an independent "get to know you" center.

Use the puzzle pair pears as a classroom management tool for a fun way to have children partner up.

Use them to play games like Memory Match & "I Have Who Has?"

I have included pairs that review shapes/shape words, numbers/number words, and uppercase/lowercase letters etc.

You can also run the templates off so that each student can make either an alphabet, number or shape booklet.

Covers are included, as well as blank pears for you to program with whatever.

Be sure and grab the "teachable moment" to discuss homonyms. 

Click on the link to grab this super-fun Pair Pears Dollar Deal.

The featured FREEBIE for today, includes another fun way to pick a partner.

"It's Partner Time!"  is an "oldie but goodie" that I made years ago, before all of the cool graphics programs, fonts & clipart that I now use. 

Yet it's still popular & a fun way to practice colors, shapes & numbers while picking a partner.

Well that's it for now.  Thanks for visiting.

I'm busy working on the rest of my letter packets. Wishing you a peaceful & productive day.

 "In the past a leader was a boss.  Today's leaders must be partners with their people...they no longer can lead solely based on positional power." -Ken Blanchard