1-2-3 Come Do Some "SH Word Blend" Shamrock Activities With Me

Since shamrock begins with the SH word blend, I thought it would be fun to design some March word activities with them . 

I had so much fun, that one thing led to the next 'til I had a whopping, 112-page, "Shhh! It's a Shamrock" packet, filled to the brim with a huge variety of activities for teaching and practicing the SH blend.

The packet includes:

* A “Shhhh! It’s A Shamrock” slider craftivity. There's one for beginning SH blend words, as well as one for words ending with the blend. 

* A “Riddle Time” leprechaun poster that challenges students to guess the 2 words that “begin and end with the SH blend”, with matching shamrock "guessing cards", and a definition answer key poster.

(Want to know the answer? Shhhh!  It's a secret.)

* 9 worksheets
* A graphing activity

* A “Blend to the End” worksheet board game.  This is my personal favorite. 

I designed the game board in the shape of an S, and incorporated a bit of math with literacy. 

So that my students can quickly do the calculations, I have them use two different color markers to write down beginning & ending SH blend words.

They have the option to roll a dice or flip a coin to see which type of word they'll write down.  I've also included . . .

* A beginning & end sorting mat.
* 18, SH blend picture cards in color for a center activity, plus black & white, so that students can make their own game, with 2 size options.
*18 matching shamrock word cards to play a variety of games

* The super-fun “Shhh!” whole group word game, where the teacher reads the beginning sound and students complete the word by saying shhhhhh! "fishhh fish!".

* An alphabetical list of 43 beginning sh blend words.
* An alphabetical list of 68 ending sh blend words.
* A 4-page tip list of things you can do with the “trace & write” word cards, including the “Kaboom!” game.

* A “What Word Card Is The Leprechaun Hiding?” flip the flap poster game.

*  38 “trace & write” ending SH word blend cards, with 40 for beginning SH blend words, along with an “Itty Bitty” book cover for both the beginning and ending word cards.

Before my kiddos turn these into an Itty Bitty Blend booklet, we do a variety of activites with them.  So the cards don't get lost, my students make ...
* A cute mini envelope craftivity to keep the word cards in. (My kiddos absolutely LOVE this!) 

I have a theory that if children make something, instead of just giving them an envelope, they truly appreciate it more, which results in them taking better care of their word cards.  I've also included . . .

* A set of beginning and ending SH blend picture puzzles .
These are number “strip” puzzles for sequencing numbers from 1-10, counting backwards from 10-1, plus skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s and 10s.

They come in color, so you can use them as a center, plus black & white, so students can make their own.

Click on the link to zip on over to see my latest packet of fun:  Shhh!  It's A Shamrock.

Today's FREEBIE also features shamrocks.

It's a set of 10 Frames, with math symbol cards and manipulatives for playing a variety of math games. I hope you find them useful.  

Well that's it for today.  I have a few more Saint Paddy's Day things to finish up, them it's on to kites. 

Wishing you a day filled with the luck of a leprechaun.

"Christ beside me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me." - Saint Patrick

1-2-3 Come Do Some Horton The Elephant Activities With Me

The first week of March we do a lot of Cat in the Hat activities to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday. For the rest of March is Reading Month, I sprinkle in activities for some of his other popular stories, like Horton Hears A Who.  This blog article features 4 of my new packets. 

First up is "Hangin' Out With Horton".  Since so many teachers have the 5 senses as one of their science standards, I decided to make this sweet flip booklet featuring Horton because he HEARS a Who.

The pages of the booklet act like a "stem" for the clover that Horton is holding. Each page features one of the senses.
Students complete the simple writing prompts by filling in what Horton sees, hears, tastes, smells, and feels.

This can relate to the story, or be whatever they imaginations dream up. 

The last page is also up to them, as they finish the sentence: "Horton...

For that finishing touch, have them glue their school picture to the clover. They are now an official member of "Whoville". 

Next up is Horton Hears, which also reviews the 5 senses and matches the above packet.  

The packet includes . . .
* An alliterative and "tongue twisting" writing prompt craftivity
* Alliteration and tongue twister definition posters
* A class mini book: “Horton Hears A Who. How About You?”

* “We spy an elephant’s eye and these Ee words:” posters, with matching worksheet
* Horton’s senses whole group activity, with matching individual worksheet

* Label the elephant poster, with matching worksheets
* 5 photo-posters of elephants, featuring one of the 5 senses

* “My favorite sense” writing prompt with a “What’s Your Favorite Sense?” graphing extension
* “If I had to give up one of my senses it would be . . .” writing prompt with graphing extension plus a ...

* “Where might an elephant walk?” photo-poster, with matching writing prompt. 

An elephant is my favorite animal, so I'm also big on the Elmer stories by David McKee. 

I thought it would be fun to design a packet with both pachyderms , and just finished up-dating Horton & Elmer Fun.  This 102-page jumbo packet includes:

* 4 “Craftivities”
* Games
* Pocket chart cards

* Worksheets
* Posters
* Writing prompts

* Graphing activities
* Venn diagrams
* Itty Bitty color booklet

* Rhyming activity
* Lollipop certificate of praise plus
* Bookmarks.   

Finally, I just finished the "I Saw An Elephant" packet today. 

I designed these color activities specifically to go with Horton, but I kept this packet generic, so that it would work anytime of the year, and fits in nicely with a zoo or animal theme as well.     

It's differentiated for PK-1st grade, plus I've also included the UK "colours" and "grey" spelling options.

The packet includes a variety of posters, games, writing prompts, pocket chart cards for 12 colors, with a matching bookmark.
My students keep theirs in their writing journals.

There's also an emergent reader, “Elephant Colors” booklet, filled with lots of Dolch sight words, plus  a "favorite color elephant" graphing extension, with matching “color me” worksheet.

Besides the Memory Match games, there's also 2 options for a “Roll and Color” dice game, with numbers 1-6 for PK children, plus a game sheet for numbers 1-12 with addition practice and two dice, for older kiddos.

To mix math with literacy, there are full color, plus black and white number puzzles (sequencing numbers from 1-10 for PK kiddos, plus skip counting by 10s to 100 for older students.

There's also a set of Color mixing (primary to secondary colors) pocket chart cards, with a matching black & white template for students to color, which I staple together as a flip booklet.

The “mixing colors” elephant craftivity will be a big hit. My students absolutely LOVED mixing colors with finger paints.

They got so excited when a new color appeared as if by “magic”. The results are awesome and make an interesting bulletin board. A caption could be: “Mixing It Up In (Kindergarten)”. 

Today's FREEBIE also features Horton. It's a sweet writing prompt craftivity, that includes the puppet craft, plus 22 writing-prompts!

Well that's it for today.  I hope you still have some time left in your busy March schedule to fit in some fun with Horton. 

The weather's hit 60 today, so the dreary snow is finally melting like crazy!  Woo Hoo; I can smell spring in the air.  Wishing you a wonderful day. 

"Life stands before me like an eternal spring with new and brilliant clothes." - Carl Friedrich Gauss

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

Today I'm featuring 4 of my newest vowel packets.  I hope your students enjoy them as much as mine did. 

First up are my word wheels and puzzles. They are my way of grabbing students’ attention, so they’ll want to practice vowel pairs, which can be a bit tedious on the road to fluency.

The crafty little twist of a wheel, and game-like aspect of making a puzzle, is a fresh alternative to a worksheet, which students really enjoy, and has been extremely successful in improving fluency, while building their vocabularies as well.

Both the wheels and puzzles come in color, so you can use them for an independent center, as well as black & white, so children can make their own.

I’ve also included a “Trace, Write & Alphabetize” worksheet, if you want your kiddos to show that they’ve worked on those center activities.

There are puzzles and wheels for ai, ay, ea, ee & oa vowel pairs. Some have six sections, others 10. 

Next up is a "Vowel Owl" packet.    It's stuffed with a variety of super-fun ways to practice those tricky vowel pairs: ai, ay, ea, ee, & oa, which help build vocabulary & fluency.

There are games, sorting mats, worksheets, puzzles, posters, an “All Aboard the Vowel Train” booklet, as well as a paper chain and “flip up” craftivity, plus an emergent reader, 1-page story, which includes 80 Dolch sight words!

We all know that “Practice makes perfect”, but simply reading and writing words can become a bit tedious.

So, if you want your kiddos to get them excited to practice their word work, tell them they’re going to get to make a paper chain, where they trace and write the vowel pair words, color the pictures, then link them all up.

Working in an independent center, putting together a puzzle, then recording the results, or playing a word game with a partner or as a small group, also creates interest, and helps improve fluency.

Whenever I could, I also tossed in a bit of math practice (Tally marks, counting, adding, and analyzing data.) Mixing math with literacy gives you more bang for your time too! 

The vowel-pair number puzzles, also mix math with literacy, as they practice sequencing numbers from 1-10, counting backwards from 10-1, plus skip counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s.

The puzzles come in full color to use for an independent math center, as well as black & white, so that students can color and cut to make a puzzle of their own.

For an interesting bulletin board, have children glue the pieces of their puzzle on a sheet of construction paper, leaving a small gap in-between, creating a mosaic effect. 

Finally, since I'm celebrating Seuss for the entire month of March, I decided to make a Seuss-themed vowel packet, and came up with "Vowel Prowl" with the Cat in the Hat. 

Even though I designed this packet with Seuss's crazy cat in mind, it also works "purr-fectly" with any other cat, like Pete! Simply color the patterns blue for you know who.     

The packet includes:

* 2, "We are on the prowl for a vowel” posters
* Vowel song-poster to the tune of BINGO, with matching AEIOU letter cards

* 4 vowel worksheets
* A “tally time” listening & following directions activity
* 3 options for a “Popsicle stick “long or short” puppet pal.

* 3 options for “long or short” vowel “header” cards to put in sorting cups
* 60 mini word cards for sorting
* 2 sorting mats

* 10, alphabetical lists of long and short vowel words
* 2, “I’m On The Vowel Prowl” word journals, with 10 pages. (2-on-a-page patterns to conserve paper.   

Just in time for your March is Reading Month activities, today's featured FREEBIE is aSeuss-themed reading log.  I hope you find it useful.

Well that's it for today. I can't believe it's snowing again! That lion continues to roar here in Michigan. 

Oh well, since I'm cooped up like the kids in the Cat in the Hat story, I may as well design some Horton "stuff".  Wishing you a heart-full of springtime.

"Step with care and great tact, and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act!" -Dr. Seuss

1-2-3 Come Do Some Seuss Hat Craftivities With Me

Since Seuss's hat is so iconic, with the stripes making it an easy vehicle to cover an assortment of standards, I decided to design a few more activities featuring the cat's hat to celebrate Seuss.

First up is a Seuss-hat, “flip the flap” ABC booklet. My kiddos absolutely LOVE making these emergent readers. I enjoy the versatility.


The packet contains a booklet for each letter of the alphabet. 

You can make these as a whole group activity, as an independent center, for a bulletin board, for a class-made book (each student contributes a letter) or have each child do all of the letter booklets as a “letter a week” activity, and keep them in their ”portfolio" file folder.

Students trace and write the upper and lowercase letters, as well as the words that begin with that letter.  They read the sentence and add end punctuation.

I have used almost all of the words from the Pre-Primer, Kindergarten and 1st Grade Dolch word lists, plus many of the Dolch nouns!

There are covers for the class book, as well as the file folder, and I’ve also included a mini, set of letter cards that you can toss into a Seuss hat.

Children choose one, and that’s the letter they will contribute to the class book.

The packet also includes upper & lowercase letter assessments, plus "trace and write" upper and lowercase letter worksheets, plus a "Hats Off To Wonderful Work!" poster.  

From letters let's go to numbers with “I’ve Got Your Number!” Seuss hat booklet.

This is super-fun for your kiddos and easy-peasy for you to "print & go". 

The booklet helps review quite a few math standards as you flip from left to right, and then again, with another section, of "flip the flap" pages, from right to left, to show a group/set of apples.

I chose apples as the object because of Seuss’s story: 10 Apples Up On Top

You don’t have to add that extra flap to make it simpler for PK kiddos, but it’s really not hard at all, and provides great fine motor cutting practice.

I've also included a pattern without clocks for them, as well as completed teacher samples in full color, to expedite making a sample to share.  

For more math practice, I designed a simple "print & go", "Show Me The Number!" worksheet that covers a variety of math standards.

Teachers can choose a number, give children a choice or have them roll dice to figure out what number they will use to fill out their worksheet.

Interest remains high, even though you can use the worksheet for an entire week or even all of March, because the number changes daily.

Students look forward to working on their Cat Hat Math Mat, because they know what to do, which empowers them.

They can get right down to business, without waiting for directions., which is a real time saver.

Use the large template to explain and demonstrate what you want your kiddos to do.  To conserve paper, I created a 2-on-a-page worksheet for students.

I’ve also included a completed sample. Laminate & hang up as an anchor chart poster, which will help remind children of the directions.

The beauty of this worksheet, is that you can use it for any number. Younger students can work on numbers less than 10, kinders can work on those toughie teens, while older kiddos tackle bigger numbers.

The worksheet is also an easy way to whole-group assess, is great for early finishers, homework or a sub folder too.

Laminate several large worksheets and keep in your math center. Children fill them out with a dry erase marker.

The packet also includes a helpful cat’s hat bookmark with math symbols, which my kiddos keep in their math journals.  

Finally, "You Can Count On Seuss" can be a worksheet or a workbook.   I absolutely LOVE making “print & go” workbooks for my kiddos.

I become queen of the copy room for a bit, which is well worth the effort because after I’ve got them done, I’m free and have reduced my stress level a ton!

My students enjoy working on a page a day, and I have a little lesson for 10 days! Woo hoo. 
There are full-page, large templates to make a worksheet, poster, bigger booklet, and teacher’s edition.

I’ve also made 2-on-a-page worksheets to conserve paper, plus a cover if you’d like to make a workbook like I do.

When my students complete their booklet, they earn a “Hats off to you!” bookmark. These come 5 on-a-page, as well as 12-on-a-page.

I also laminate a set of the large patterns and put them in my math center.  Children use a dry erase marker to do X number of pages.

I complete a set using Seussical colored markers, mount them on turquoise and red construction paper, laminate, and hang them up as posters.

1-2-3 Come Do Some Dr. Seuss Activities With Me    

 Seuss is on the loose and I'm celebrating with some super-fun Seuss-themed activities. Today's blog features some of my favorite ways to practice standards using a Seuss hat.

First up, word families. The "Stackin' Up Word Families With A Seuss Hat" packet includes 39 word families! Not surprisingly, a lot of these words appear in Dr. Seuss’s stories!

Simply choose the word families that your students are working on.  

Use them for a bulletin board display, your word wall, centers, games, assessing and worksheets! 

Next up are the "Flipping Over 2D and 3D Shapes!" emergent reader booklets.   

Students read the simple sentences, underline the capital letters and add end punctuation.

They trace and write shape words, then trace, color and draw the various shapes.

Gluing the top square to their cat’s hat, then snipping on the lines, creates a "flip the flap" booklet.

I really think it’s important for students to not only be able to identify the various shapes, but pick them out in real life and give examples. 

With that in mind, I designed both booklets with graphics of real life things.

When everyone is done, read the booklets together as a whole group, to reinforce concepts of print.

I specifically used lots of Dolch word pronouns for more teachable moments. I’ve also included a graphing extension.

Finally, I created some Seuss-hat, telling analog & digital time to the hour and half hour activities for the "It's Time For Seuss!" packet.

There are dice games, worksheets, an anchor chart, cat clock craftivity, clothespin clip game, sequencing time "Speed" game, pocket chart digital & analog time cards to the hour and half hour, an Itty Bitty Time booklet, praise certificates and an assessment!    

The featured FREEBIE today is a Seuss hat writing prompt with a "Seussism" quote poster. 

Use the poster to introduce the lesson, then display it in the center of your bulletin board display, surrounded by your students' completed hats. 

Simply run off the template. Students write the things that they enjoyed doing the most during their day at school, writing something on each stripe of the cat's hat.

They write their name in the oval on the bottom.  Add a school photo for that finishing touch.

Since a lot of teachers decorate with Seuss for back-to-school,  I’ve also included a template for that special first day.  

Well that's it for today. Time to get busy with Horton and Green Eggs & Ham stuff!  

Wishing you a non-crazy, carefree day!

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go!" -Dr. Seuss

1-2-3 Come Do Some Dr. Seuss Lorax Activities With Me   

Ever since the movie came out, my students absolutely love the Lorax. He's such a cute little fluff ball, and the inspiration behind my "Shapin' Up With The Lorax" packet.   

This craftivity is quick, easy & super-fun and includes a variety of game options.

There's also an emergent reader, which practices capitalization and end punctuation as it reviews shapes.

I’ve provided 2D shapes (circle, oval, square, rectangle, triangle, hexagon, pentagon, octagon, trapezoid, rhombus, heart, star & crescent), as well as the four, 3D ones: cone, cube, cylinder andsphere. 

Make a set to use for a bulletin board display.

Make an extra set; cut them in half, and use as puzzles for an independent math center and an interesting way to review symmetry.

Play 4-Corner FREEZE; a game that practices a variety of life skills, like listening and following directions, as well as the 2D/3D shape vocabulary, plus recognition, and counting backwards from 10 to 0.

My kiddos absolutely LOVE this game. Easy-peasy for me, and only takes a few minutes, so it’s perfect for the end of the day. I’ve included directions in the packet.

You can also use the Lorax shapes as big flashcards. Hold one up. Children call out what shape it is, along with its attributes, like the number of vertices.

Play “Who’s Missing?” Display a set on the wall. After children leave, take one away. In the morning, children guess which one is missing.

I’ve also included a 2-on-a-one-page template, so children can pick their favorite shape and create their own Lorax.

There are 2 mustache options: “I ‘mustache’ you a question. What shape am I?” is written on one, the other is blank.

For a cute keepsake idea, students can use their hand prints as the mustache, and add accordion-folded legs and arms. (Super fine motor practice!)

Have older students write attributes on the back. 

Next up is a Telling Time With The Lorax Game, which practices analog and digital time to the hour.

There are several ways to use the packet.  Make a large Lorax teacher’s clock to use as a whole-group assessment tool. 

You can also have children make their own, mini (4-on-a-page pattern) Lorax clock, to whole group assess in another way.

Ask children to show you 11:00 or whatever time. Sitting at their desk/table, they manipulate their paperclips to display that time.
You walk around the room making sure children have the correct time.

Another option: Instead of using paperclips, children can use a dry erase marker to draw hands on their clock, to show you the time, then erase it with a tissue.

The “clocks” can also be used as spinners to play the “It’s Truffula Tree Time!” game.

To use for a math center activity, laminate the full-size truffula trees, and medium-size spinners, and attach a large paperclip with a brass brad.

Using a dry erase marker, children play with a partner, spinning the paperclip to see what time they will trace on the truffula tree trunk.

The winner of the game, is the first one to fill in all of the times, or who has the most times traced when the timer rings.

So that children practice numbering a clock, I’ve also included mini-blank clocks without numbers. 

When students spin, they not only trace the time on their truffula tree, they also write that number on their mini clock worksheet.

I’ve included 2-on-a page templates of the game, so that you can play this as a whole group activity too. 

Children can play with a partner or in a group of 3-5.  Each student makes their own truffula tree, has their own blank clock, and shares the spinner. 

Today's FREEBIE also features Seuss's Lorax.  It's a super-cute writing prompt. Making a mustache to launch a writing prompt, is an interesting and "Suessical" way of doing things. I think your students will enjoy it.

For an adorable bulletin board, take everyone's photograph wearing their mustache and put it next to their writing.  Your bulletin board title could be the same question you are asking: "We mustache you, would you save a truffula tree?" 

Flank the board on either side, with 2 colorful truffula trees, made out of strips of neon-colored tissue paper, and rolled up green bulletin board paper for the trunk. Stripe it with brightly colored boarder.

Well that's it for today.  I can't believe spring is just around the corner, as it's bitter cold today and the bleak view out my window is still snow covered! 

Wishing you a wonderful week!

"Life is like a mustache.  It can be wonderful or terrible, but it always tickles!" -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Cat in the Hat Craftivities With Me 

Seuss's birthday is on March 2nd, so my school kicks off our March is Reading Month with a super-fun Cat in the Hat Day. 

With that in mind, I designed a plethora of Seuss hat-themed activities.  Here are 3 of my kiddos' all-time favorites.  

First up  is a place value  “Cat in the Hat” game. I print and laminate a class set so that we can play a whole-group place value game.

Students take turns calling out a 2 or 3-digit number.  Using a dry erase marker, students write the number on the hat brim and then place that many number tiles in the appropriate columns.

This is also a quick and simple way to whole-group assess. When students have filled in their mat, they raise their hand. You can see at a glance who is having difficulty.

The hat and number tiles come in a large, full-page size, as well as a smaller, 2-on-a-page pattern to conserve paper.

I’ve also included a 3D “Cat in the Hat” place value craftivity, that makes an interesting manipulative for an independent center, assessing, or playing a game with a partner.    

Next up is a quick, easy and super-fun, Cat's Hat AT Word Family packet, filled with a variety of interesting activities to help practice the at family of words.

The packet includes:

* An at word family poster.
* A “My Cat Pat” emergent reader flip booklet with a full-color teacher’s edition.
* A set of “Pat the Cat” pocket chart cards

*An at family, “Cat in the Hat” slider craftivity, featuring 16 words.
*4 worksheets.

* A “My Itty Bitty Book Of at Family Words” booklet.

* Picture and word cards to use as an independent center.

* You can also use the cards for a Memory Match or “I Have; Who Has?” game. 
* I've also included black and white “Trace, Write & Color” puzzle cards, with a matching set in full color for a center activity. 

Finally, the next cat hat craftivity is very versatile, as the "Classmate Hat" can be used as a game, independent center, whole group activity, bulletin board, writing prompt or reading log.

There are "brim" options for preschool to 2nd grade, as well as several generic ones to fit whatever.

Besides the “Alphabetize Your Classmates” game, the packet also includes a mini cat hat craftivity, with a variety of brim options for that too.

Students choose to put their hat on a cat pattern, an enlarged photo of themselves, or they can pick a head pattern and draw a face on it.

I’ve included 9 faceless head templates they can pick from, as I find this helps little ones with size, however you can always opt to have children draw their own.

Students color, trim and glue their hat on top of their head.  Completed projects make an adorable bulletin board.

I've included a worksheet for alphabetizing practice, plus a "Speed" game challenge, recording sheet.

Since the hat templates are blank, you can also have students write a list of their favorite Seuss books. Older students can put their list in alphabetical order.

Another idea is to “Stack a Hat” using the stripes as a reading log to jot down each book they read during March is Reading Month or the number of pages they’ve read each week.

You can also use the blank hat for a writing prompt of your choice, or have students list the reasons why they like to read, or specifically why they enjoy reading Dr. Seuss books. 

Patterns come on a full-page, as well as a smaller, 2-on-a-page size, to save on paper. 

The FREEBIE today also features Seuss. It's a set of silly Dr. Seuss songs that I made up.  I hope you find them useful. 

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.  As much as I've up-dated, tweaked and designed, I still have a huge "to do" pile sitting on my desk. 

So I'm certainly happy that March has 31 days in it, providing more time to cram in some extra-fun spring themes.  Wishing you a sunshine-filled day.

"The beautiful spring came; and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also." -Harriet Ann Jacobs

1-2-3 Come Do Some Dr. Seuss Activities With Me 

Seuss's birthday is March 2nd, so I'm featuring 3 of my all-time favorite writing prompt "Seuss-tivities" that have recently been up-dated. 

First up is the perfect "go-along" to Dr. Seuss's book, "Oh The Places You'll Go". This packet features 3, quick, easy and fun writing prompt craftivities.

On the large bucket, students think of 5 places they want to go, then write the place, followed by what they want to see there, or what they want to do while they are there.

There’s also another writing prompt option of “Oh the top 5 things I want to do are…” 
I’ve included a full-page pattern, as well as a smaller, 2-on-a-page template to conserve paper.

The 3rd prompt is a mini-bucket “slider", where students think of all of the things they'd like to do, and jot them down on a strip of paper.

This can be for the month, year, in 5, 10, 20 years, or a list of all they want to do before they die. They include this time commitment on their hat.

Students can color their large bucket to look like an upside down Seuss hat, or color the stripes however they want.

Some of my students used the color scheme featured in the “Oh The Places You’ll Go” story: pink, powder blue, purple, light green, orange and yellow.

Completed projects make sweet bulletin boards for March is Reading Month or a Dr. Seuss celebration. 

Another writing prompt craftivity to also go along with this book, is my hot air balloon, which turns out absolutely "awww-dorable" making a wonderful keepsake.
Completed projects look terrific suspended from the ceiling, swirling and twirling.

I've designed it with 3 different writing prompt balloons, so that it's 3 dimensional; however, you can simply do just one with your PK kiddos, and display them on a cloud-filled bulletin board.

I do this during my "Celebration of Seuss" week, but it's also a super-fun activity for the end of the year when students will be "sailing into the next grade".

With that in mind, I've also included a set of posters for your display.  There's one for preschool-4th grade, with several generic and blank options for anything else.

I've also included blank balloon patterns, so that you can program with a different writing prompt, making it suitable for back-to-school as well.

There's a large, full-page pattern, as well as a smaller, 2-on-a-page template to conserve paper. 

Finally, "If We Ran The Circus" packet, is based on Dr. Seuss's book "If I Ran The Circus".   

After reading Dr. Seuss’s If I Ran The Circus, have students transition to either of these interesting writing prompts.

One is a class book. There are two writing prompt options, plus a blank page for you to program with whatever.

Students complete their page and illustrate it.  Collect and collate the pages and add the cover. There are two options.

Read your class book aloud by having each student share the page that they wrote. I keep our class-made books in a basket in our classroom library.  It’s one of my students’ favorite “go to’s”.

Remember to display your class-made books for conferences too. They are a great resource to show improvement.

The other writing prompt is a circus tent “craftivity” with 3 tent options in black and white.

Students color and cut out their tent and attach their "If I ran the circus..." paper to the edges, bending it so that their tent is now a 3D cylinder. (Don't forget to review that shape.)

For that finishing touch, students glue their photo to the face of either a clown or a ringmaster. Punch holes on either side, add a yarn loop and suspend from the ceiling.

You can also opt to simply have students use the tent as a “header” gluing their writing prompt underneath.  Completed projects make a cute bulletin board.

I’ve included a circus clown poster to use for your display, as well as full-color tents, plus my 2 completed writing prompt samples, so that you can quickly & easily make examples to share. 

The featured FREEBIE today also has a Seuss-theme. 

I bought some darling clip art on etsy an made a set of Dr. Seuss Number Puzzles.  I hope your kiddos enjoy them!  

Well that's it for today.  Time to go throw some salt on my sidewalk, so I don't break my neck taking the dog out. 

Looking at all this snow, one would never guess that it's the tail end of February here in Michigan!

Wishing you a warm and cozy day.

"As he approached his 28th birthday in February 1840, Dickens knew himself to be famous, successful and tired. He needed a rest, and he made up his mind to keep the year free of the pressure of producing monthly installments of yet another long novel." -Claire Tomalin

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

2016 is a leap year, and it falls on a Monday.  With that in mind, I designed some quick, easy & fun activities that your kiddos can do on leap day and still practice standards.

First up is a set of 60, Leap Day Number Puzzles, which sequence numbers from 1-10, count backwards from 10 to 1, as well as skip count by 2s, 3s, 5s & 10s.

There are over 60 in all. Some are vertical, while others are horizontal. 

Print, laminate & trim the full color options and use as an independent math center.  Use the black & white ones, so that students can color & cut up their own puzzle.

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

Remind them to leave a little bit of a gap between each numbered strip, to create an especially cool mosaic effect. Completed projects make a cute bulletin board.

To mix math with literacy, have students choose either the horizontal or vertical writing prompt puzzle.

Children complete the “If I could do anything on leap day I would...” writing prompt, then cut and glue their “poster prompt” to a sheet of construction paper, creating the mosaic picture mentioned above.

Besides the full-size puzzles, I’ve also designed a set of “Happy Leap Day!” 4-on-a-page mini puzzles, as an inexpensive little surprise that you can give your students.

There are two picture options, plus one is horizontal, the other vertical.

Choose the number 1-10 puzzle for PK kiddos and use the skip counting by 10s to 100 for K-1st. 

Print, trim, and put in a Snack Baggie, then attach one of 3 “Happy Leap Day” header options.

The “headers” can also double as a bookmark.  

Speaking of bookmarks, I've also designed some that are a super-fun math “craftivity”.

The Leap Year Bookmark Mathtivity, a “growing” packet. So that you can continue to use it each leap year, I’ve included center bookmarks through the year 2028, and will continue to up-date.

Run off the middle bookmark section on a variety of colors of construction paper.  There are full-color as well as black and white "color me" picture options for the top and/or bottom of the bookmarks as well.

Have students analyze the list of leap year dates that are listed in that middle section. Do they see a mathematical pattern?

Using that data, ask them to venture a guess as to when they think the next leap year will be.

I’ve included necessary background information for you to use, as well as an answer key through the year 2400, should you want to do more math extensions and data analysis.     

I designed The "Leapin' To 29" money-math game specifically for leap day, but you can really use it any other time as well.

The object of the game is to be the first one to spin all of the coins needed in your column, that will add up to 29.  The strategy comes in with the column children choose.

Students can play with a partner or in small groups of 3-5.  For more math practice, and a fun data analysis activity, I've included 2 graphing options. 

Another game that you can play on leap day is "Leapin' Lizards!", which reinforces telling time to the hour & half hour with Lizzy Lizard.  As with the game above, this is also suitable anytime, but especially cute for leap day.

The packet includes a large and small set of 48-traceable time cards + a blank set to make additional times, or program with whatever.

I’ve also included covers and blank clocks if you’d like to make an Itty Bitty Time-Telling booklet.

Children can play as a math center activity with a partner, or you can use this as a whole-group game in small groups of 3-5. 
The cards are also suitable for Memory Match and “I Have; Who Has?” Games.

There’s a blank-clock worksheet that you can use for an individual or whole-group assessment. Simply fill in the template with whatever times you want to practice/evaluate.

You can also use the lizard clock like a flashcard. As a whole group game, show a time and have children raise their hand to tell you what time you’ve displayed.  The clock also words as a one-on-one, manipulative assessment tool. 

Today's featured FREEBIE also has a leap year theme.  It's a set of 5 Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme Posters that have to do with leaping and jumping. 

As a quick, easy & fun way to get the "wiggles" out, read them to your kiddos and have them leap and jump when that happens in the rhyme. 

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by. We are having a flurry of winter weather right now, and it's snowing to beat the band outside my window.

So much for spring coming early! You just can't depend on those groundhog prognosticators!

"The trouble with weather forecasting is that it's right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it." ~Patrick Young

1-2-3 Come Do Some Dental Hygiene Activities With Me

With so many things to celebrate in February, I save Dental Hygiene for the end of the month.  Today I'm featuring 3 of my students' favorite tooth-themed activities, plus our featured FREEBIE of course.    

First up is the cute, quick, easy & fun  "Snip & Flip" writing prompt craft.

Students think of 6 ways that they take care of their teeth and write one on each of the "bristles".

The top portion flips up to reveal their answers underneath.

I've also included a traceable, completed "bristle box" for PK kiddos to trim and glue to their toothbrushes.

Besides being an interesting way for students to review their dental hygiene knowledge, this craftivity provides great, fine motor-cutting skill practice too.

Simply run the toothbrush "handle" portion off on a variety of colors. Children choose one, then write their name in the blank, complete their "bristle box" prompt and glue it to the end.

Completed projects make a sweet February bulletin board.

Next up, is a "Timothy Tooth" emergent reader and math center game, perfect for February's Dental Hygiene Month.

Students read, trace and write the numbers and number words, and then draw that many teeth inside Timothy's mouth.

There's a full page, as well as a smaller, two-on-a-page option for the booklets.

I've also included a math center activity where students practice addition and subtraction.

Younger kiddos can simply fill the mouth with "tooth tiles". There's a large and small version for these patterns as well. 

The featured FREEBIE today also has to do with teeth.

It's a set of Dental Hygiene Alphabet Cards, and includes a 3-page tip list of things you can do with them, including the "Kaboom!" game.

Well that's it for today.  I'm running out of days in February to get everything in that I want to! 

However, the sun is shining, the snow has melted and it's time for a walk. Wishing you a stress-free afternoon.

"Life is short, so smile while you still have teeth!" -Unknown