1-2-3 Come Do A Few More Fire Safety Activities With Me

I think one of the most important things that I teach my Y5s is fire safety; however, with all of our discussions about not playing with matches, houses burning down, and people getting hurt, I discovered that my students were coming away with the idea that fire was bad.

Simply ask for a thumbs up or down whether your kiddos think fire is good or bad; and I think you’ll find like I did, that most, if not all of your students will give you a thumbs down, emphatically believing that fire is bad!

Since fire is truly beneficial and a necessary part of everyday life, I feel there’s a need to explain this to young children.

It’s important that they learn to respect fire without fearing it. Children need to understand the difference between good fires and bad fires, as well as fire’s beneficial and harmful effects.

With these things in mind, I created this “Good Fire-Bad Fire” packet. These quick, easy & fun activities will help children develop a healthy understanding of fire, so they are able to identify fire as a necessary part of their lives and an essential tool.

The packet includes:

* A simple way to help students realize that fire can be good is to show them pictures, so I've included 65 real photographs of fires which can be categorized by children as good or bad.
Choose a dozen or so and use them for . . .

* flashcards, where students give you a thumbs up or down,
* discussion
* an independent center where children sort the photographs into the 2 “good/bad fire” file folders

*a puzzle center (Cut the photographs in half or in quarters).
* writing prompts (There are 4 graphic organizers, plus 6 “complete the prompt” worksheets for this)
* a bulletin board displaying the pictures under the “good fire/bad fire” header cards.

* I’ve also included a “Flip the Flame” craftivity, where students color, cut and glue the “happy” good flame and the “angry” bad flame back-to-back on a Popsicle stick.

You show a photograph asking “Is this a good or bad fire?” Children flip their flame and hold up their answer.

After sharing and discussing the photographs, children will be able to see that each type of fire has common denominators: good fires are planned, desired, beneficial and supervised by an adult; bad fires are not.

* Two, writing prompt craftivities are a fun way for students to show this understanding, and allow you to check comprehension. 

The first one is a 3D flame "dangler" in two colors. (One with characteristics of good fires, the other bad.) 

The other craftivity is a side-by-side comparison.

Completed projects make a terrific bulletin board or hallway wall display too. 

Younger kiddos can show this knowledge with several worksheet options.

I've included full color patterns, so you can easily make a sample to share, or use for further explanation.

The good fire-bad fire sorting worksheet (see photograph) could also be made into an independent center.

Simply laminate and trim the pieces.  To make this self-correcting, put a G or B on the back of each picture.

* The packet also includes a graphing activity, several other worksheets, posters and a bookmark. 

Besides being able to differentiate between good and bad fires, I wanted another way to review all of the fire safety rules my students were learning. 

As with many of my activities, I like to "kill two birds with one stone",  so I designed these "Fire Safety Fix the Sentence" cards. 

These 36, fire safety-themed sentence cards, are a quick, easy and fun way to review a variety of fire safety related facts, while practicing capitalization and end punctuation.

Read the cards together as a whole group to practice a lot of Dolch sight words.
Choose a student to come up and using a dry erase marker, circle letters that should be capitalized and then add end punctuation. (period, question mark & exclamation point).

For more practice, as an individual activity, have students choose X number of mini cards and rewrite the sentences correctly on the worksheet provided. 

One of the most important fire safety rules that I teach my students, is about dialing 9-1-1 in an emergency. So today's FREEBIE features a 9-1-1 song to the tune of "This Old Man".

There are 3 poster options for you to choose from.  I hope your kiddos enjoy it as much as mine.

Well that's it for today. I'm still in a daze that September is over and we are now in October!

My grama Lydia always said "The older you get the faster time flies." Now that I'm in my "sexy sixties" I find that to be especially true! 

Wishing you a day filled with sunshine and laughter for a happily-ever-after.

"Time is free, but it's priceless; you can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it, and once you've lost it, you can never get it back." -Harvey Mackay

1-2-3 Come Do Some Fire Safety Activities With Me  

October is Fire Safety Month.  I truly believe fire safety is some of the most important information we can share with our students. 

With that in mind, I designed some quick, easy and fun activities that will help reinforce those skills.  Today's blog features 3 of my new packets.

First up, is some fire safety word fun. Studying fire safety provides a real opportunity to build important vocabulary.

Words like fire drill, smoke detector, hydrant, and fire extinguisher  may all be common for us, but they are brand new for most young children; so I designed this fun word work packet, which is appropriate for preschoolers through 2nd grade.

This diversity will also help you differentiate lessons for those who are struggling, those who are right where they should be, as well as having the ability to challenge others who are ready to advance.

You can use the pocket chart-size word cards in a pocket chart, or attach magnets and use them on your white board. You can also attach Velcro dots and use them on a flannel board.

Later, reinforce the vocabulary by using them as flashcards, then adding them to a “fire safety” word wall. I’ve included a “header” poster for this.

I’ve also made a template where the cards are grouped into 3 columns of word cards.
Print, laminate and trim. Toss them in a fire hat or other container and have your students pick X number of cards, which they can alphabetize on the ABC worksheet, or use to make sentences, using the “I can write sentences!” worksheet.

Students can also sort these mini word cards on the “Syllable Sorting” mat.  There’s a matching bookmark of the words, which children can keep in their writing journals.  For more practice, there are 2 word finds, along with an “ABC Me” worksheet.

Another way to practice vocabulary is choose whatever words are appropriate for your kiddos, write them on the board, and have them copy them into their “fire safety vocabulary booklet”, which fits in wonderfully for “Daily 5 word work” or your writing block. (There are 4 cover options).

Use the 24-colorful picture cards for Memory Match or “I Have; Who Has?” games.
Younger children can match picture to picture, while older children can match a picture card to a word card.

The packet also includes a “My Itty Bitty Word Booklet” as another fun way to build vocabulary. Children color the pictures, trace & write the words, then cut and collate the squares into a just-the-right-size booklet.  

Music is a super-fun way to build vocabulary as well.  Since my kiddos love singing "The Wheels On The Bus", I used that tune and made up "The Wheels On The Fire Truck" which also helps reinforce some fire safety rules. 

The packet includes . . .

* A song poster with the words.
* Colorful pocket chart cards you can refer to while you’re singing.  Later pass them out to see if children can sequence them in the correct order.
* To build vocabulary and practice writing skills, I’ve also included a flip booklet where students trace, write, color, cut and collate.

Finally, this fire truck "slider" craftivity, features some of the basic rules of fire safety.  

So that you can quickly and easily make a sample to share, I’ve included templates in full color.

There are also 2 black and white “slider” options for your kiddos. One without words for little ones, the other with a few words for students who are learning to read.

Children color the graphics, cut and glue their slider together, then slip it through the pre-cut slits on their fire truck.

Trucks can be run off on white paper so that children can color them, or to expedite things, give children a choice & run off on red and yellow construction paper. Students simply add some accent colors with crayons.

There’s also a set of 5 colorful posters to help explain the fire safety rules, which can later be used for a bulletin board or wall display.

I’ve also included a letter home to parents, should you want to have your students make and share their fire escape plan.

(Why teach rules, when there’s no follow through at home?)  

Because I think this is so important, I made the Fire Safety Escape Plan Letter today's featured FREEBIE.  Click on the link to grab your copy.

One never knows when this simple homework assignment might save a life. 

Well that's it for today.  I hope you found something useful. 

It's an absolutely gorgeous fall day, so it's time for a much-needed brain break.  Wishing you a carefree day. 

"Education is the passport to the future. For tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today."

1-2-3 Come Do Some More Fire Safety Activities With Me    

I do a variety of themes each month, so I like to design some basic activities that practice the standards using that particular theme. 

With that in mind, since October is Fire Safety Month, I designed this jumbo fire safety packet, filled with a variety of activities, worksheets, and games that will PRACTICE ...

* upper and lowercase letters,
* alphabetical order,
* counting by 1s to 120,

* skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s, and 10s
* ordinal numbers
* odd & even numbers

* addition & subtraction
* greater & less than
* making groups/sets

* using 10 frames
* recognizing numbers & number words
* using a 100 chart to find a hidden letter

* graphing
* 2D shapes
* rhyming words
* plus writing; along with this Fire Safety “Stuff”...

* Fire “Can, Is, Has” plus Firefighters & Fire Trucks “Can, Are, Have”
* Label a fire truck

* Fire safety word work
* Fire safety KWL
* Fire Safety Poster

* Our School’s Fire Safety Rules
* "Stop Drop & Roll" coloring page
* Venn Diagram comparing a firefighter with a police officer

* “What’s Hot What’s Not?” Sorting activity
* “Will It Burn?” Sorting activity
* “If a fire truck could talk what might it say?”
* Words that describe a fire truck & firefighter graphic organizers plus a ...

* Fire safety “slap bracelet”
* Get the firefighter to the fire! Maze Craze
* "How many words can you make using the letters in fire truck?" challenge, as well as ...

* A "Trace and Snip" your way to the fire trucks worksheet,
* A “Place the rungs on the ladder” fine motor practice activity
* A Fire Fighters and Fire Trucks "On a Roll" dice games and finally ...
* “The Wheels On The Fire Truck” upper & lowercase letter alphabet game.

Besides this jumbo fire safety-themed packet that covers a variety of standards, I also designed a "Thank You Firefighters"  packet.   

Our local fire department comes with their truck,  to show and explain things to our students.

Afterwards, my kiddos are always eager to share what was their favorite thing that they saw/did, so it’s a perfect time to dive into some fun writing prompts.

They also want to make a card to thank the firefighters for coming and all that they do for us.

With that in mind, I designed this “Thank You Firefighters!” packet which also includes:
* A “Fire drill procedures” poster you can hang above your school’s instruction list and map.

* A Venn diagram comparing a fire drill with a severe weather drill.
There's a color copy to do as a whole group activity, as well as a BW version so you can check comprehension when students fill in their own.

* A colorful “Thank you!” poster every one can sign
* A boy and girl firefighter “color me” poster, where children write a thank you note in the box

* A colorful fire truck “Thank You!” card cover. Simply attach the blank paper and have everyone sign their name, which is great practice for little ones working on that skill.
* A “color me” fire truck thank you note

* A whole group discussion “Things We Learned Today:” poster, with a matching BW one if you want older students to make their own.

* A "Hats Off To Firefighters!” writing prompt craftivity, plus the following writing prompt worksheets:

* A boy and girl “color me” firefighter "Here are a few things that I learned from the firefighters..." 
* “Would you like to be a firefighter?
* “My favorite thing about today was…”

* “Your clothes are on fire! What should you do?” 
* “Your house is on fire! What should you do?”
* “My family has a fire plan!” 
* “It’s a fire drill! Here’s what we do . . .” 

* Transitional writing: “What to do during a fire drill” (First, then, next, last) worksheet.

Any of the above completed projects make a sweet fire safety bulletin board too.

Finally, I truly believe that if students write fire safety rules down, they are reinforced so much better than when they just hear them, plus in so doing, it’s also a great way to send that information home, so children can share it with their families. With that in mind there’s also a “color me” fire safety writing prompt worksheet as well.

Today's featured FREEBIE also has a fire safety theme. It's a "Hands Off Fire!" craftivity, which is a quick, easy and fun writing prompt.

Adding the interesting hand print “fire” at the top will get students excited about doing this project, and completed prompts will make an awesome bulletin board.

Have your students sign the “We promise to keep our hands off fire” poster, and display it in the middle. 

There are two different writing prompts to choose from, plus a blank page to dream up your own.

I've also included a "Never Ever Play With Fire" song poster.

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

It's a breezy day, but perfect for a nice long walk with my poodle pup Chloe. Wishing you a relaxing and fun-filled day.

"Hoodies, bonfires, colorful falling leaves, apple cider and cuddling; autumn is here!"

1-2-3 Come Do Some Fruity Fun With The  5 Senses Activities With Me  

Apples are a big deal here in Michigan, so it's one of my first fall themes. As part of our science standards, students need to learn about the 5 senses as well, so  I thought it would be fun to teach the 5 senses using an apple theme. 

I had so much fun designing these activities, that I made 3 different packets for you to choose from, and am featuring them on the blog today.

First up is the 5 Senses With An Apple Head packet. Completed projects turn out absolutely adorable; and are rather hilarious, so if your kiddos are like mine, you'll hear: "Can I please make another one?!"

Suspended from the ceiling, or use as a border for the top of a hallway wall. I’ve included a “Fun With The Five Senses” apple head poster for your display.

There's a huge assortment of facial feature options. Simply pick a few of your favorites.

Children select a nose, mouth, and some ears & eyes, then glue them to their apple head. (There’s also a pattern for a stem and leaf).

Besides the facial features, I’ve also included patterns for a hair bow/bow tie, glasses, a mask, and a selection of mustaches.

I give the option of adding dangling legs with cute sneakers. (Accordion-folding paper, is a great fine motor skill, which will help strengthen finger muscles.)

To reinforce the 5 senses, there’s a set of labels students cut and glue to their apple head as well; or they can simply label their creation.

Besides the craftivity, laminate a set of apples, along with 3 or 4 facial feature options, plus a set of labels, to be used as a “design an apple head” independent center activity.

Allow children to take a photo of their completed creation, then make small thumbnails of each child’s apple head and put them in a class-made, picture booklet. I’ve provided a cover and album page for this as well.

Because there’s such a huge variety of facial feature options, laminate some and have little ones sort them according to which sense they go with.  I’ve included a colorful sorting mat for this.

Children can also use the pieces to create patterns: AB-AB, ABC-ABC etc.

For more practice, there's a BW worksheet, where children cut & glue the facial feature to one of the matching 5 senses, which makes a quick assessment tool.

One of the nice things about these activities, is that even if you don't have time to plug them into your apple unit, they easily fit in during October and November with a harvest theme as well. 

Next up is an Itty Bitty Booklet: "The 5 Senses With An Apple."   There are 4 pages, on a one-page template, for an easy-peasy, "print & go" activity.

I started out with a simple little apple graphic, but then started diddling around with the idea of making the apple look sort of like a “Mr. Potato Head”.

The result made me laugh.  I thought your students would find this silliness fun too; thus there are 2 options for the booklet.

For one use the realistic apple or go a bit wild and crazy with the "apple head" option. You could also give your kiddos a choice.

I’ve included a full color sample of both booklets, so that you can easily make an example to share with your students, to help explain what you want them to do.

Remind them, to not only complete the sentence by thinking up an adjective, but remember to add the end punctuation as well. (Woo hoo for extra teachable moments!)

For more reinforcement, I’ve included a set of Memory Match cards, which you can also use to play the whole-group game “I Have; Who Has?”

There’s also a set of “label me” worksheets, which come in full-color, for you to use as a sample to help explain what you want children to do, then later, hang up for a poster that students can refer to.

There are 2 options for the BW student worksheet. For one, students cut and glue the labels to the matching section of their apple head. For the other worksheet they write in the words.

If you’d like to whole-group assess the 5 senses, have students do the cut and glue one first, then later, as an assessment tool, use the worksheet where they write in the words.

To heighten the experience of using all 5 senses, give each student an apple, or at least a slice of one. They examine it as they complete each page.

Finally, I thought maybe there are some teachers out there who'd like more of a variety than just apples, thus the Fruity-Faced Friend Five Senses  packet was born, which is my personal favorite.

Designing one is really quite addicting, so be prepared when your kiddos ask to make another one!

Besides apples, there are 15 black & white fruit head options, plus a huge assortment of fruit-themed facial features to depict the 5 senses.

Completed projects look adorable suspended from the ceiling, or used as a border for the top of a hallway wall. There are 9 posters for your display.

Children look over the options, then snip one from the pattern page.
This way, all you have to do is run off the templates, while children get practice cutting, coloring and gluing together a 5-senses “fruity-faced friend”.

I’ve included “gloved hands” (like Mickey Mouse) for the “touch/feel” sense, but children could also trace one of their hands on a sheet of folded paper, then cut once to make two hands, which they glue (thumbs up) to the sides of their fruit head.

To reinforce the 5 senses, there’s a set of labels students cut and glue to their fruity face as well; or you can simply have them label each sense with a marker.

Besides the craftivity, there are templates for a “Design A Fruity-Faced Friend” independent center.

Choose from 20, colorful fruit head posters, along with 5 sheets of facial feature-fruit options, and colorful hands.

Children arrange the various fruits ’til they come up with a “fruity-faced friend” that they really like. (This activity is also quite addicting, as it’s so much fun mixing & matching to create hilarious fruity little friends!)

Even if children use the same "feature" cards, just by tweaking how you "arrange" them, changes the character entirely.  I diddled around to create 6 different fruity-faced friends, then took a photograph to show you what I mean.

Allow students to take a photo of their completed creation, then make small thumbnails of each child’s fruity friend and put them in a class-made, photo album.

I’ve provided a cover and album page for this. Students color the picture, write their name in the blank, as well as the name of their “fruity friend”.

Laminate the pages, collate & put in your center. Keep your collection of photo albums (as you collect them each year) in a basket in this center to give students ideas.

For another center activity, there’s a set of “label me” fruity-faced friend posters.  Children place the word labels for the five senses, on the posters.

For further reinforcement, I’ve also included 5 worksheets.  Do a “cut & glue” version first, then later, to whole-group assess, do one of the “fill-in-the-blank” worksheets. 

As always, there's a FREEBIE in each blog.  Today's featured FREEBIE is an apple math mat game.

This apple "craftivity" is a super-fun way to reinforce addition and/or subtraction. If you teach older students, I've also included a template to make a multiplication apple game. 

Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by. Our son is getting married this Saturday so my feet have hit the floor running this morning. 

Still some fun little things to accomplish, as we have family staying with us from out-of-state.  Wishing you a love-filled day.

"The best thing in life that you can hold on to, is each other." -Unknown

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Fire safety is one of the most important life skills teachers can share with their students. 

1-2-3 Come Do Some Apple-icious Activities With Me 

Studying apples is a great way to plug in some science and interesting math activities into your day.

Today's blog features 3 of my newest apple packets that are a quick, easy and fun way to do that.

First up is Apple Fraction Action. 

I had a request for some easy fraction activities for kinders, so I thought I'd use apples because you can easily cut them in half and then quarters to show children. An apple pie is also a perfect example of this math concept.   

The packet includes:
* games

* worksheets, which can also double as whole-group assessments

* 4 craftivities
* lots of posters plus . . .

* puzzles
* graphing activities

* pocket chart cards
* 2 emergent reader flip booklets and...

* 2 “Itty Bitty Fraction Action” booklets, all with an apple or apple pie theme.

Use the numerous sets of (12-on-a-page) apple & apple pie cards, for explaining, sorting, sequencing and playing games like Memory Match and “I Have; Who Has?”

The bulk of the packet reinforces whole, half and quarter fractions; however, there are a few items which also include higher fraction options (up to 8ths & 12ths) to challenge students and add diversity.

Next up apple-themed "Fix the Sentence" cards.

These 39, pocket chart-sized cards, are a quick, easy and fun way to review a variety of apple related facts, while practicing capitalization and end punctuation.

Read the cards together as a whole group to practice a lot of sight words. This activity not only helps improve students writing (proofing & editing) skills, but recognizing those Dolch sight words as well.

Choose a student to come up and using a dry erase marker, circle letters that should be capitalized and then add end punctuation. (period, question mark & exclamation point).  You can do this on a whiteboard, with a pocket chart, or pass a card out to each child to correct.

For more practice, as an individual activity, have students choose X number of mini cards and rewrite the sentences correctly on the worksheet provided.  I've included 2 sizes of mini "fix the sentence" cards for this, which makes a nice Daily 5 word work activity too. 

Finally, my simple and fun Apple Investigation packet covers a variety of math standards (particularly measurement), with a splash of science, as children use all 5 senses to learn about apples and record their findings.

To make this easy-peasy, I’ve purposely set up the 9, “print & go” pages of the booklet, so that they act as a single worksheet for that particular skill/standard/vocabulary, which students can do independently, with a partner, in small groups, or as a whole group.

For beginning or non-readers, complete each page as a whole group as a “monkey see-monkey do” activity.

Teacher reads the sentence of a numbered activity, demonstrates it, then pauses for students to complete the task with their apple, and record that information in their workbook.

To use with preschoolers, have one investigation booklet, which you work on together using one or two apples, then call on children to participate, as you investigate and do the activities on each page.

I’ve included a KWL to introduce the lesson.  There’s a template in black & white for students to fill out, as well as one in color to use as a whole group to list your findings.

The booklet is a great way to teach a variety of measurement vocabulary and how to find out height, weight, width, circumference, as well as the tools used to do that. (ruler, scale, measuring tape), along with non-standard units of measurement (blocks & apples).

Children use guess-timation while analyzing their apple, then investigate to find the result, then compare their guess with the correct answer, using more math vocabulary (equals, less than & greater than).

They also use observation & comparison techniques as they study the outside as well as the inside of their apple.
Students trace and write vocabulary-building words, predict, answer questions, + collect & analyze data.

Grab that teachable science moment, to discuss the 5 senses, as students use all of them while completing their apple investigations.

The “pick a partner” and find out "how many apples tall" you are, as well as the “Does my apple sink or float?” are 2 of my students’ favorite activities.

Finally, there are 5 whole-group graphing extensions for more math practice, which you can do after children finish their booklet.
I've also included a mini-certificate of praise children glue to the back of their cover. 

"I Spy a . . ."   is today's featured FREEBIE, which also has an apple theme. 

Teach, review, practice and whole-group assess with these game sheets. 

The packet includes worksheet-games for uppercase letters, lowercase letters, shapes, numbers 0-10, numbers 0-20, plus a blank template to fill in with higher numbers. 

Students enjoy playing the game and you can see at a glance who is having difficulty. 

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

Fall is in the air here in Michigan, and I've really been enjoying the cooler, sweater weather.  Wishing you a fun-filled day. 

 "Use your imagination to not scare yourself to death, but to  inspire yourself to life." - Adele Brookman

1-2-3 Come Do Some Apple Activities With Me!

Learning about apples is one of my students' favorite units.  It's a great way to plug in all sorts of science too. Today's blog features 3 of my newest apple packets. 

First up is "Life Cycle Of An Apple Activities". This packet includes a variety of quick, easy & fun, “Print & Go” activities that will help your students learn about the apple's life cycle.

Choose which one is appropriate for your kiddos, or give them a choice.
They are different enough so that you can do several: one to introduce your lesson, another to reinforce it, then later to assess.

You could also do one in class, then tuck another in backpacks for homework. They are great for early finishers and a sub tub too.

The packet includes:

* A Life Cycle of an Apple Wheel, which comes in full color so you can explain the science, then use as an independent center.
There’s also one in black and white, so that students can make their own.

* For a center, there’s a Life Cycle of an Apple “puzzle pie”, as well as…

* A Life Cycle of an Apple worksheet-poster, with a variety of options, plus 2 completed teacher samples you can use to explain what you want your students to do, or leave in your center so students can self-check their work.

Completed projects make a sweet bulletin board.  I’ve included a poster for the center of your display.

* There's also a set of sequencing cards for the apple’s life cycle. These can also be used for a Memory Match or “I Have; Who Has?” game.

* Create more games by using the life cycle word cards, ordinal number cards and the ”Kaboom!" cards, plus you can add the cover to make an "Itty Bitty" Life Cycle of an Apple Booklet.

* Finally, use the colorful life cycle of an apple bookmarks, as a mini- certificate of praise, which students can refer to as they share what they've learned with their families.

Next up is an apple-shaped “flip” booklet, which is a quick, easy and fun way to teach the life cycle of an apple as well.

I’ve included full-color patterns so you can quickly & easily make a sample to share, as well as a BW version for students.

Simply run off the whole apple “cover” on red, yellow & lime green construction paper.  (There are 2 options: One with graphics, the other with just words.)

The inside life cycle “pages” are 2-on-a-page to conserve paper.

There are adorable boy & girl graphic options to make the booklet more personal.

I purposely made the booklet just 2 pages long, so this would be a simple activity that can be done in a short amount of time.

Children color, trim, and glue their pages to the right hand side of the apple base, then add the cover.

When everyone is done, read the picture booklet as a whole group to review the science vocabulary, and solidify the life cycle's sequence. 

Finally, I think you will really enjoy the versatility of The "Itty Bitty" Apple Booklet packet.

My kiddos absolutely love “Itty Bitty” booklets.

I call them that because my pattern has 4 small pages on a one-page template, making the completed booklet “just the right size” for my students.

Because the booklet is little, children are not overwhelmed with a lot of worksheets, but instead, enjoy working on the mini pages.  It's a super-fun alternative to the "same old-same old worksheet".

Even though I just assign a few pages, many of my students ask if they can do more! The booklet keeps everything nice, neat and organized too, plus printing’s a breeze conserving paper and ink.

Another advantage of this packet is that you get to design your own booklet to suit your students’ levels and reinforce the skills you want them to practice.

It’s also super-simple to diversify which helps slower learners feel comfortable, while choosing other pages to challenge your brighter kiddos.

I’ve included 80 different options ( ! ) so your kiddos can practice a variety of math & language arts standards.
Assemble a “big” Itty Bitty booklet, with a variety of pages, or make several for the different subjects.  

They can be used for morning work, Daily 5 word work, a math center, for homework, early finishers or tucked in a sub tub.

Today's featured FREEBIE also has an apple theme, which will help you explain the 4 seasons by using a seasonal apple tree poster and worksheet. 

It's a great activity to transition to after reading the story, "The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree" by Gail Gibbons.  I hope you find it useful. 

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

Gotta dash, getting my haircut in an attempt to beautify myself for an upcoming wedding. Wishing you a stress free and relaxing day.

"Just because you find one bad apple, doesn't mean you should give up on the whole tree." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Constitution Day Activities With Me 

I'm all for easy, when the administration throws these "According to the law, everyone has to teach something about the Constitution on April 17th..." zingers at us.

With that in mind, and because I couldn't find an emergent reader that simplified the Constitution for PK-K, I decided to make my own.

This little, non-fiction Constitution booklet, is filled with basic facts, in easy to understand, kid-friendly terms, which help explain what the Constitution is all about.

So...Woo hoo! Simply "print & go" and you're all set with a quick, easy, and interesting little something to plug in for Constitution Day.

Students "read" the simple sentences (I used plenty of words from the Dolch lists) then trace and write the main idea word.  Doing so, will help build vocabulary and reinforce comprehension.

Besides the "kiddy" emergent reader version, I also added more factual information to make a non fiction booklet which is suitable for 3rd & 4th graders.

For quick printing, there are two pages on one template.  The booklet for older kiddos has 5 more pages. 

This 16-page packet is just $1.95 in my TpT shop.  Click on the link to pop on over.  Emergent Reader Constitution booklet.

I turned the last page of the booklet into a Constitution Day coloring page.  It's one of today's featured FREEBIES. Click on the link to grab a copy. 

Another quick, easy & fun little something to do on Canstitution Day, is play games with a set of Constitution themed Memory Match cards.

They match my Constitution Day Number Puzzles, which makes for a nice coordinated center/station.

Students can match the picture to the picture or the picture to the word card.  I've numbered them, so children can self-check.

You can also play an "I Have; Who Has?" game. "I have George Washington. Who has his name card?"

Use the picture cards to build vocabulary and explain a bit about the Constitution.
"The men on these cards are some of the "Framers" that worked on the Constitution." etc.

Use them as flashcards to see who can tell what's on the card and how that person or thing relates to Constitution Day.

Later in the year, bring the game out again in February for Presidents' Day, posing the question: "Which of these men became President? Who was the first?" 

My other FREEBIE for today is one of the puzzles from the 25 Patriotic Number Puzzles packet.

Click on the link to grab your copy today. "Hip Hip Hooray For the USA!"

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for visiting.  It's pouring rain so a perfect day to tackle my too long "To Do" list.

"The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself." - Unknown

1-2-3 Come Make An Alphabet Wheel With Me  

Alphabet Wheels 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 7 nouns that begin with that letter, and come in black & white, as well as full-color, so that you can 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.

Alphabet wheels are perfect for letter of the day/week activities. 

I've also tried to use popular themes so that you can revisit the wheels or feature them with your apple, leaves, gingerbread, turkey and snowmen etc. themes.

Another idea, after children have gone through the entire alphabet, is to have them make their own alphabet wheel that starts with the first letter of their name.

On the back of the wheel they can write the other picture words along with their name: “Kk is for kite, key, kangaroo, king, koala and Kaiden!”

I've also included a worksheet where students trace & write the words then put them in alphabetical order. 

So that you can give them a try, the first alphabet wheel, "A is for Apples and..." is FREE.  It's today's featured freebie as well.

I had a request for "bundling" the alphabet wheels.

I’m always happy to bundle up packets particularly for the alphabet, so you can get a nice price break and save more.

I’ve bundled 13 alphabet wheels A-M together, then another bundle for the rest of the letters N-Z., so instead of being a dollar each if bought separately, they are now only .50 cents.

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

We've been having some chart-topping temps again for September, so it's time to go water my garden.

Wishing you a happy-go-lucky kind of day. 

"Be a rainbow in someone's cloud." - M. Angelou

1-2-3 Come Make Some Storytelling Sliders With Me 

Since the "Brown Bear What Do You See?" and Pete the Cat's "I Love My White Shoes" storytelling sliders that I designed this month, have been so popular, I decided to make one for"Polar Bear What Do You Hear?"

Special Note: If you're interested in purchasing the Pete Slider for $2.50 clink the link to e-mail me, as he is no longer available in my TpT shop.

While working on the polar bear this week, I had a request from Enadia in Michigan, for a sequencing craft for "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie". 

When I told her about the storytelling sliders, she loved the idea, and thought it would be perfect for her "kinder kids", thus "Cookie Mouse" was born. 

Today's blog features my newest sliders, along with a fun FREEBIE. 

First up is the "Polar Bear What Do You Hear?" storytelling slider.  It’s one of my students' all-time favorite stories and perfect for practicing the “sequencing and retelling a story” standards, or introducing verbs and onomatopoeia to older students, as animals roar, hiss, snort and snarl.

I also use “Polar Bear What Do You Hear?” and “Brown Bear What Do You See?” when we’re studying the 5 senses.

If your kiddos are like mine, I know that they will enjoy making this hands-on craftivity, that will help them retell the story in the proper sequential order.

There are several bear options. I’ve included a large, full-page pattern for teachers, as well as a smaller, 2-on-a-page pattern for your students.

Children color the story characters on the “slider strip” then cut and glue it together.

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

Storytelling sliders are also an easy & interesting way to assess comprehension. 
I’ve included a “sequence the story” slider worksheet for this, where students color and trim the picture “windows” then glue them in the correct order on the blank strip.

I introduce the lesson by reading ”Polar Bear What Do You Hear?”, then share my completed "slider craftivity” with my students.
So that you can quickly, and easily make an example, I’ve included a full-color slider pattern.

After I read the story, we retell the tale together, using the picture prompts on my slider.
I have them guess which animal 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 a Polar Bear story slider of their own.

I’ve also included 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 or other transitions.  

"Cookie Mouse"  follows the same format as the polar bear slider packet, but I've also inlcuded another idea, that will be included in any new story telling sliders that I create. 

Besides assessing comprehension via making the "color, cut & glue" slider, or completing the "Here's What Happened" writing prompt, I designed a "Sequence the Story" worksheet. 

Children simply color, cut and glue the story element pictures to their worksheet in the correct order.  This way, teachers can read the story, have children make their slider, review the sequence with the craft, then assess comprehension with the worksheet.  

I'm currently working on a storytelling slider for The Very Busy Spider, and will be making one for "The Jacket I Wear In The Snow" as well.  I welcome requests for any other stories you'd like a slider for. They really are a super-fun way for students to practice those sequencing and retelling a story standards. 

In case you weren't aware of it, whenever I put something new in my shop, it's on sale for 40% off for the first 48 hours. Since most of my packets are just $3 this is a huge savings.

Today's featured FREEBIE is a sweet "My Selfie" packet.    Do you have your kiddos draw a self portrait during the first week of school?  Do you take a photograph of their first day?

Why not hop on the "selfie" rage and use these cute worksheets for your kiddos to do their work on.  They're sure to become a keepsake. Completed projects make an adorable bulletin board too.

Well that's it for today. I have a very long "to do" list of errands, so time to put my zoom-zoom hat on and get cracking!  Wishing you a productive day.

"The best way to predict your future is to create it!" -Abraham Lincoln