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 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 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

1-2-3 Come Make Some Letter Puzzles With Me

Woo hoo!  I just finished another alphabet packet.  I hope your little ones enjoy practicing letters with them, as much as I did designing the puzzles.

These letter puzzles are not only great as a center or word work activity, they make an inexpensive & fun gift for your kiddos for that special first day or week of school. 

Print off each child's initial in color and laminate.  Cut them apart, mix up the pieces and fasten with  a paperclip. While you're doing all of those busy 1st-day activities, children can be putting their personal puzzle together. 

Numbered strip-puzzles are a quick, easy & fun way to help your kiddos practice counting and sequencing numbers, as well as review lowercase letters and words that begin with that letter.

Each letter has a puzzle that counts by 1s to 10, counts backwards from 10 to 1 and skip counts by 10s to 100.

They are in color as well as  black & white, so that on another day, they can color and create a different letter puzzle.

Make a laminated, full-color set, to use as an independent center, or do as a whole group activity.

For more word-work practice, older students cut their puzzle into strips, have them write the words that are featured in the picture. 

After they have cut their puzzle into strips, they can write an additional word that begins with that letter, on the back of each strip.

For an interesting “craftivity” have students glue their puzzle to a sheet of brightly colored construction paper. 

Remind them to leave a little bit of a gap between each section for an especially cool mosaic effect. Completed projects make an awesome bulletin board.

Another idea is to make a student-made classroom border, by assigning a different letter to each child. These could also be used for the letters above your word wall. 

This jumbo letter puzzle packet is in my TpT shop.  It's a whopping 163-pages long and just $3.95.  Click on the link to pop on over.  As always, there's a FREEBIE.   I pulled the 6, lowercase letter "a" puzzles, so you can try them out.  Click on the link to grab them.

That's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.  Time to take a much-needed break and go kayacking with my hubby. Such a peaceful activity once you hit the water.  Wishing you a lovely day.

"Summer: If you're not barefoot, you're over-dressed." -Unknown
 

7 pages. Number puzzles are a quick, easy and fun way for children to practice sequencing numbers from 1-10, counting backwards from 10 to 1, and skip counting by 10s to 100.

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

I had a few requests for some black line letter posters, to use as alphabet anchor charts. Woo Hoo! After a lot of work they are finally done!  Click on the various links to grab them.

I made a set of separate uppercase letters and enlarged them to take up the entire page. You can use them as posters or for a variety of other fun activities.

These are perfect for running off your students' initials and then having them decorate however they wish, or reinforce that letter and sound, by having students decorate the letter with words and pictures that begin with that letter. 

Encourage them to use stickers, clip art, pictures cut from magazines, photographs and even drawings.  This idea makes an interesting and fun homework assignment, or something they can work on for their Daily 5 word work.  Click on the link to view/download the Uppercase Letter Posters

If you read the book Chicka Boom, run the letters off on a variety of colors of construction paper, laminate and then cut out.  Scatter them on your classroom Chicka Boom palm tree.

I also made a set of large lowercase letters as well.  To strengthen upper body muscles, run off several sets and have students lie on their tummies and make up words. These too, are great for your Chicka Boom activities.  

I've included a tip list of ideas of all sorts of fun things you can do with these letter sets, including games like a giant Memory Match or "I Have; Who Has?" + a Kaboom game. 

Because the letters are easy to see, choose 4 posters and put one in each corner of your room.  I dangle mine from the ceiling. 

You can then play the game 4-Corners.  Each week choose another 4 letters 'til you have reinforced and reviewed them all.   Click on the link to view/download the Lowercase Letter Posters.

To make an awesome class alphabet book, use the letter posters that show both the upper and lowercase letter together.  Glue them on a variety of colors of construction paper.  

Scatter them on the floor face down and have students pick a letter that they will decorate for your class book.

I made a sample page of the letter Aa, where I used words and pictures that started with that letter.  This is a photo of my completed page. 

I also included this as a non-colored pdf, so that you can easily make a sample of your own to share with your kiddos.  

I've included two covers for you to choose from for your ABC class book as well.  

Click on the link to view/download the Alphabet Book Poster Packet.

Finally, since all of the number puzzles have been such popular downloads, I thought it would be fun to make some alphabet ones.  I purposely made them using both upper & lowercase letters, because I think it's very important for little ones to see both letters together. 

By immersing them with "matches" the light bulbs start going on.

If you want a set in color, have your students help you decorate them, then laminate and trim.  Keep each puzzle in its own Baggie. 

Use them as an independent center, or have students work on them as a whole group activity.

You could also run off the initials of your students and have them make a personal letter puzzle. 

Once they've diddled around with their creation as a puzzle, have them glue it to a sheet of construction paper, leaving a small gap in between the pieces to create an interesting mosaic. 

These look wonderful on a bulletin board. The alphabet number puzzle packet, will be FREE for an entire year, after which time they will become part of Diane's Dollar Deals in my TpT shop. 

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  I'm a firm believer in creating, teaching and sharing!

"Don't ever take a fence down, until you know the reason it was put up." - G.K. Chesterton