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 Make Some Mother's Day Keepsakes With Me

I really enjoy designing things that incorporate standards at the same time creating a keepsake that moms will like.  With that in mind, I came up with a "berry" special packet.

Strawberries are one of my favorite fruits, and were also popular with my Y5's.  They are fun and easy to draw and provide a great play on words. 

In the "Berry" Special Packet, I've included templates for both a mom and dad, so you can use this "craftivity" for Mother's Day or Father's Day.  There's also a generic one that says: "You are 'berry' special" so students can make this for another significant other as well.  This would be fun for Grandparents' Day too.

I've included a pattern to make the leafy portion.  Add a bit more pizzazz by making the leaves 3D.  Have students cut out two and then fold one in half.  Match up the leaves and glue only one section on top of the other. 

If you look closely at the photo you'll be able to see how the leaves pop up.  Adding a stem and strawberry blossom, gives the card that finishing touch.

Older students can add a second strawberry and "hinge" their card with a small piece of Scotch tape.  Children complete the writing prompt, add a bit of color, trim and glue to the inside.  Younger students can simply complete just the sentence on the front.

To make things extra special, have students glue on their school picture and make a heart using their thumbprints (see photo).

Leaves can also be made by tracing a child's handprints.   I made an example of both, so you can see how they turned out.   Click on the link to view/download the "Berry" Special Craftivity.  

While I was making my sample, I thought that a mini version of this would make a quick, easy and inexpensive end or beginning of the year gift for students.  

Turn this into a sweet treat by attaching your card to a berry-flavored juice box, or package of Wild Berry Skittles and you're set! 

Click on the link to view/download the "Berry Special Summer/School Year Gift. 

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  To see another fun keepsake craft for Mom, scroll down and take a look at a cute "horseshoe."

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous.  It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside of your body." -Elizabeth Stone

4 pages.

I've included a template for the end of the year: "I hope you have a 'berry' special summer, just like you"  as well as one for the beginning of the school year: "I'm wishing you a 'berry' special school year."   For a sweet treat, attach your note to a berry-flavored juice box, or some Wild Berry Skittles.

Let's Get To The Point: Edible Pencils!

Even easier than the “Owl Miss You” gift for students, is this pencil treat.

I first saw it last September on Pinterest as a back to school lunch box tuck in, as well as a teacher gift.

So if you are looking for a teacher appreciation gift, or wanting to make something for all of the volunteers that helped you, this would fit the bill for that too.

Again, I saw it pinned about a dozen times, tweaked in different ways, by different people, being used for different things, so if this was your original idea, please let me know and I will give you credit and link to your site.

I too, am tweaking it, to be used as an end-of-the-year gift for your kiddo’s, and adding a poetic note that you can attach.

The above people all used Rolo’s, but I found that there are several other rolls of things that you can wrap with yellow construction paper to make the pencil.

I used Sweetarts, because I found them at Walgreens on special 2 for $1.

You can buy the 2 different flavors of Mentos as well as Rolo’s by the box at Sam’s Club too.

If you use card stock instead of construction paper and pre-make the rolls instead of wrapping a candy roll, you can really cut down the cost, by dropping 7-8 Hershey kisses down the tube, or bubble gum or whatever other candy you find on sale.

If you do use a roll of candy, measure your candy roll so that you can wrap it.

Leave enough room at the “pencil writing end” to insert a Hershey’s kiss.  The eraser end will simply remain open.

Cut strips of pink construction paper for the eraser part and glue the strip to the end of the pencil BEFORE you wrap the candy.

Snip off the flag of the kiss and put it at the other end of the pencil.

Just an FYI, when you are making your rolls, make sure that you are not wrapping them too tightly around the roll of candy, otherwise the kiss will not fit in the end.

I had a hard time shoving my kiss into the point after I wrapped the sweetarts.

The Mentos were a bit wider, but still not as wide as a kiss.  You also don’t want it too loose, or the kiss will drop out.

I ended up adding a glue dot to the end to make sure the kisses stayed put.

For a bit more pizzazz, print off the U R Sharp! labels.  Put a sheet of Avery (30-on-a-page) labels in your printer.  Trim and press on the pencils.

Run off the notes, sign them and tuck everything in a Baggie.  You may even want to include a real pencil. 

I also made "You're sharp!" 10-on-a-page praise cards that you can cut 2 slits in and insert a pencil.  This is the sweet clip art of Laura Strickland from My Cute Graphics.

Click on the link to view/download U R Sharp Candy Pencil Gift

Do you have an end-of-the-year gift that you give your students?  I’d enjoy hearing from you! diane@teachwithme.com or post a comment here.

Feel free to PIN anything you think others might enjoy or find useful.

Thanks for visiting; hope you can pop in tomorrow for more interesting teaching tips.