1-2-3 Come Make A Graduation Memory Book With Me

If you teach preschool or kindergarten and your kiddos are graduating, you might enjoy making this adorable Graduation Memory book, that's sure to become a cherished keepsake.

Here's How: Run off the mortarboard (graduation cap) pieces on a variety of colors, or give just 2 school color choices to your students.

They cut and glue together to make the back cover. Another cap makes the front cover.

Students could choose both of your school colors to make their cover.  One color for the back and the other one for the front.

To add a bit of 3D pizzazz, poke a hole in the center, insert a brass brad and tie with a yarn tassel.

If you have the budget, there are many companies that you can buy real tassels from that include a year charm.

Choose which master pages you want to include in your booklets; run off the pages on white copy paper and distribute one at a time to them.

Students complete their pages, cut them out, collate in whatever order you want them to, and then add their cover. 

Make sure you make a sample and then display each page on the board in the order you want them to assemble them.

Staple the pages together at the top point, so the booklet flips up.

To expedite things, for the "classmate" autograph page, have each student sign one page the day before, and then run it off. 

Do the same thing with the "special" autograph page, by having the principal, secretary, librarian etc. sign one page.

For the "High five's!" page, you can paint your students' hand and then press it on their page, or have a room helper trace their hand on a sheet of construction paper and cut them out, so students can glue it to their page or have students choose a partner and have them trace each other's hand.  When they are done, they can color their print.

I think the self-portrait page, as well as including a graduation photograph, will make this booklet even more special.

The last page is a short graduation poem, that was inspired by over a dozen others, that I found while Pinning away.

I hope you enjoy my version, and have as much fun making these memory books, as I did designing them.  I wish you a wonderful graduation day.

Click on the link to view/download the Kindergarten/Preschool Graduation Memory Booklet.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  There's a "Pin it" button at the top.

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.  Anyone who keeps learning stays young." -Henry Ford

1-2-3 Come Write With Me!

If your students are like mine, they'll enjoy sharing things about themselves and giving their opinion, so making a bio-writing prompt "craftivity" will be interesting and fun for them.

I've included a mortarboard (graduation cap) template, so if you teach kindergarten or preschool and your kiddo's have a graduation ceremony, this makes a wonderful keepsake.

You can give students a variety of color choices or run the template off on just your school colors.

If you don't need the mortarboard, simply give students skin-tone colored construction paper and have them draw a large self portrait of just their head and neck.

Showing them a sample you made, will help them follow the directions of drawing just their head and making sure that they use the entire paper. 

My Y5's had a tendency to draw stick figures or too small of a circle for their face.  Children color and cut their portrait out and glue the bio writing prompt template at the bottom.

To make this "craftivity" even more of a keepsake, as well as add some 3D pizzazz, students pick a partner and trace their hand on a folded sheet of skin-tone colored construction paper.

This way they can cut once, and have 2 hands.  You may want this step done by a room helper to expedite things for preschoolers.

Show them your sample and explain that they glue the base of each hand to either side of their bio page, and then gently fold their fingers forward, gluing the tip of one finger to the front.

Completed projects make an adorable end-of-the-year bulletin board.  For that extra finishing touch, use wiggle eyes and fasten them with glue dots.

Adding a tassel to the center of the graduation cap also adds pow.  I made mine out of yarn, but you can also buy "real" tassels from a party store.   Some even have a little year charm on them.  If you have time, have students share their work with their classmates.

If you've already got enough end of the year activities, these bios are wonderful for a  "getting to know you" icebreaker for the beginning of the school year as well.

To expedite things, include the writing portion in your "welcome to school" letter or open house packet.   Parents can then help little ones fill in the information; children bring this to school the first day, where they'll make the head and hands and attach the bio paper.

For teachers who want to skip the "craftivity" portion, I've also included a bio-writing prompt sheet that has a small space for students to simply draw a mini self-portrait. 

Another idea is to have students fill this out at the beginning of the year, and then do it again the last week of school to see how things have changed.  In the past, I've seen a ton of growth in their self-portraits!

This page could also be included in whatever memory book you are making for your students' last day, or collect and collate the pages to make a class book during the first week of school.

Click on the link to view/download the Bio-Writing Prompt Craftivity.  Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  My "pin it" button is at the top of the page.

"If the heavens were all parchment, and the trees of the forest all pens, and every human being were a scribe, it would [still] be impossible to record all that I have learned from my teachers." -Jack Zakkai

1-2-3 Come Make A Puppy Pal With Me

This puppy "craftivity" is really versatile. 

You can use the slider template and review upper or lowercase letters, 2D flat shapes, counting to 30, or skip counting by 2's, 3's 5's, or 10's, by cutting slits and inserting the appropriate strip of paper (slider).

These make a nice end-of-the-year activity, to send home with students as a fun way to review and practice over the summer, so they don't forget what they've learned.

Likewise, they are a terrific way to introduce your new students to these concepts at the beginning of the year as well.

Sliders are an easy way to whole-group assess and a fun way to review standards via playing "I spy" games.

Children can also make a keepsake card for Father's Day or Mother's Day, or to give to anyone else, by simply writing the recipient's name on the bone.

What makes this puppy extra special, is that you trace a student's foot with their shoe on, to make the puppy's ears.

Add a school photo for even more pizzazz.

I made the card on the right for my daughter, from baby Kaiden.

Finally, you can also use the Puppy Pal as a topper for a variety of writing prompts.

I've made writing prompt "bones" for the beginning of the year as well as the end. i.e. "I'll have a dog-gone great school year because ..." or I had a dog-gone good school year because..."

Click on the link to view/download the Puppy Pal Writing Prompt Card

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything that you think others may find helpful.

"The best teachers teach from the heart, not the book." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Review Upper and Lowercase Letters With Me!

I liked to make up a summer fun packet for my students to take home at the end of the year.  It was a nice review of everything we had learned.

This packet was also handy for parents to have their child work on, if they complained of being bored, or an easy thing to give children when they wanted to play "school," while on vacation.

I designed this KnOWLedge Owl "craftivity" with that in mind. You could also make it at the beginning of the year, so that students can practice their letters, with their families at home.

Here's How To Make Them:

 Run off masters on a variety of construction paper. I chose funky color combinations, but you could also do more realistic owls in various shades of brown.

 Rough cut so that students can get their pieces and trim.

 You may want a room helper to cut the beaks and feet, just to expedite things.

 If you’re having someone cut these for you, it’s easier to trace a template on an old file folder. The helper traces once and then cuts 3-6 at a time.

 Pre-cut long envelopes so that students have a pocket to put their extra letter wheels in.

 Set up this “craftivity” as a center. When students are done with other work, they can come up and get the color owl pieces of their choice.

 Students glue the wings to either side of the owl. They can add some crayon details for more pizzazz.

 Student glue the feet to the bottom of their owl so that the tops are glued to the back. I also added crayon details here and then traced the belly of the owl with a white crayon so that the writing “popped.”

 Students cut out their white alphabet wheels. Older students can cut and poke their own holes in the eyes; younger students will need this done for them.

 To expedite things, I used a circle paper punch to make the letter “windows.”

Poke a hole through the owl’s head and attach whatever wheel you want your students to work on; fasten with brass brads.

 Students glue their beak on, after their eyes are in place.

 If you want the beaks to be 3D, simply cut a 4-inch wide strip of yellow construction paper, and fold it in half. Trace the triangle template so that it butts up against the fold, then cut the triangles out

Students glue their envelope half to the back of their owl and write their name on it.

 Close the open side with a piece of Scotch tape.

 This is a safe place where students can keep their extra wheels, so that they don’t lose them.

 There are lots of activities you can do with the KnOWLedge owl.

 Use as a review game. Choose a quiet child to call out a letter from a-j, k-t, or u-z.

 Students spin the top eye wheel ‘til they find those letters. You can also have students partner up and play this game with each other.

 You can play “I’m Thinking Of A Letter.” Give clues about the letter and students spin the wheels ‘til they find it. i.e. “I’m thinking of a letter that is a vowel. It comes after the letter N and before the letter P.”

 Play “Speed.” You call out a letter and see who can find the upper and lowercase letters the quickest.

 Use as an alternative or additional fun way to assess upper and lowercase letters.

 These are terrific sent home at the beginning of the year, so that students can practice with their parents.

 They also make a nice end of the year activity, so that students don’t forget what they learned over the summer, or preschoolers can practice before they come to kindergarten in the fall.

Ollie, the "Owl-phabet Owl" will be FREE for an entire year, after which time, he'll be up-dated and put in Diane's Dollar Deals in my TpT shop.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find helpful.

"Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn." -Unknown

1-2-3 Celebrate Mother's Day With Me!

I'm so excited.  My mom and twin are coming from Wisconsin for Mother's Day weekend.

Since I live in Michigan, and they don't get to visit very often, it's a big deal for me.

That said, I just wanted to post a note to let you know that I'll be taking the weekend off, so I won't be designing anything new, answering e-mails, or blogging 'til later on Monday.

I hope all of you moms and moms-to-be, and teachers who are like an extra mom for little ones, have a wonderful weekend.

See you Monday.

As always, thanks for visiting.

"You are never too old to set another goal, or to dream a new dream." -C.S. Lewis

1-2-3 Come Work With 10 Frames With Me!

My Ten Frame templates, 10 frame booklets and activities have been top downloads since I designed them, so I wanted to make a set of 10 frame cards that you could easily cut into puzzles, for a fun way to review a variety of Common Core lessons.

You can also use the bottom set of cards for assessments or a math center.  Simply print, laminate and have students fill them in with a dry erase marker. 

Run off copies and do a number a day.  Students keep their work and when all 20 number "worksheets" have been done, they collate them and have a nice review booklet to take home and share with their families.

The completed top cards can be used as flashcards, an anchor chart-border, and quite a few games. 

There's a 2-page tip list of what else you can do with the 10-frame cards, and I've also included a page of greater and less than cards, as well as "kaboom" bomb cards to play even more math games.

Click on the link to view/download the 10 Frame Puzzle Packet.

If you're looking for more 10 Frame Activities click on the link to zip on over to that section of my website.

You'll find 30+ ten frame 1-2-3 Count With Me booklets, a whopping 101-page Ten Frame Monthly Packet, lots of ten frame templates, and a super helpful set of number posters that include ten frames.

Simply scroll down to see everything that's offered and choose whatever helps you.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find worthwhile.

"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong." -Joseph Chilton Pierce

1-2-3 Come Appreciate A Teacher With Me!

During teacher appreciation week, I liked to give my grade level and other teacher friends a little something in their mailboxes to make them smile.

I designed this particular "I've Got Everything Done!" poster, with that idea in mind. 

Any teacher can certainly relate and hopefully chuckle.

Click on the link above, to view/download the poster.

I just want to say thank you to all of the teachers and teacher-parents who have visited my site. 

I appreciate the fact that you are on the Internet trying to find fun, yet standard-based lessons for your kiddo's, and I'm delighted you stopped here.

Thanks for all of the energy, enthusiasm, and effort you put into helping a child learn.

Happy Teacher Appreciation Day, Week, Month.

Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find helpful.

I also have over 100 other classroom posters and anchor charts available.

Click on the link to zip on over to those FREEBIES.

"The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas, as in escaping from the old ones." -John Maynard Keynes

1-2-3 Come Make A Mother's Day Card With Me

Mother's Day will soon be here.  I designed this sweet tweet writing prompt which makes an adorable card.

Here's how to make one: Run off templates on construction paper.

Cut yellow strips for the legs, the length of the construction paper. I made mine half the width of a ruler.

Make a template for the beaks from an old file folder. Trace and cut out 6 at a time. Set up the various pieces on a table.

Students come to the center and choose their bird color and other pieces. They return to their desk to cut out and assemble the pieces.

Students accordion fold the legs and glue them to the back of their bird.  They cut on the tail lines and fold a few “feathers” up, and glue the beak to the head, drawing a smile and nose dot.

Children fold the left edge of their wing and glue it to the center of their bird. The wing says: "My mom is special and that's something to tweet about!"

So they don’t write outside the wing, children can trace around the wing before they write I love you and sign their name under the wing.

To expedite things, pre-cut the Happy Mother’s Day hang-tags and punch a hole in them. I ran then off on white construction paper and then for more pop, glued them to pink construction paper. You could save the extra steps, and just run the tag off on different colors of construction paper.

Cut lengths of yarn, ribbon or jute to tie the tags to the birds.  Before hand, brainstorm with students why their moms are special.  List these on the board to help with spelling.

Students write why their mom is special on the back of the bird. I ran off an extra template for this so that it looks more finished, as it stands out and also covers the leg tops.

Print off your class composite. Cut students’ photographs in an oval, so that they can glue them to the head on the back of the bird.

When students have completed their prompt, tie their tab to the bird and finish with a bow.  If you have time, have students share their work with their classmates, by reading what they wrote.

Click on the link to view/download the Mother's Day Writing Prompt craftivity. Thanks for visiting today.  I hope your day is something to tweet about!

"Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Make Some "Fin-tastic" Treat Bags With Me!

If you're looking for a quick, easy and inexpensive little something to give your students the last day of school, I think you'll enjoy whipping these together.

You can buy Goldfish Crackers at Sam's or Costco for $9, and have more than enough to fill 20-30 Snack Baggies.

Simply run off the "I hope you have a 'fin-tastic' summer!" template on yellow or orange construction paper. Lime green, hot pink, turquoise and purple also look great.

Cut them out, add each child's name to the top and then sign the fish at the bottom. For a bit more pizzazz add a wiggle eye with a glue dot.

Fill the Snack Baggies and stick the fish to the top with a piece of tape, (I don't like using staples on snacks.) and you're done!

I've also included a sweet bookmark you can clip to the baggie as well.

This packet includes templates for a back-to-school fishy treat bag as well as a bookmark for the fall.

Click on the link to view/download the "Fin-tastic" Fishy Cracker Snack Bag and bookmark packet.

Do you have an end of the year gift you could share with us? I'd enjoy hearing from you: diane@teachwithme.com or simply post a comment or link here.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find helpful.

"Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten." -B.F. Skinner

1-2-3-Come Write With Me!

Are you looking for some quick, easy, and fun writing prompts for the end of the year, or perhaps a sweet bulletin board to end with a bang?

If so, I think you'll really enjoy this "Fin-tastic" End of the Year Writing Prompt packet.

Run off the large fish on a variety of colored construction paper.  Students choose one and cut it out. 

They can glue it to the top of a sheet of writing paper, or add more pizzazz by letting them choose a strip of colorful construction paper to write on.

Before hand, brainstorm with students why they think they will have a fantastic summer vacation. 

To help with spelling, make a list of things they are going to have fun doing and list them on the board.

For more "pow" have students add a wiggle eye and include their school photo on the fin.

Sprinkle their "fin-tastic" work on a bulletin board covered with blue paper.

To make it 3D add twirled creape paper "seaweed" in a variety of lengths and shades of green, to the bottom of the board.

Your caption can be: "We're Wishing You a Fin-tastic Summer!"

I think your students will also enjoy making the other fish and writing about why they had a "fin-tastic" school year. 

This prompt can also be brainstormed.  It's quite gratifying hearing all of the reasons why students enjoyed the year.

This "craftivity" can be hung back-to-back from the ceiling.

Finally, have students choose a partner to make a special card for. 

They write that child's name in the blank and then write why they think they have been a "fin-tastic" friend, classmate, student etc.

When they are done, they give it to their partner. Add a photo and wiggle eyes to make it even more special.

Click on the link to view/download the Fin-tastic Summer Writing Prompt Packet.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find useful.

Do you have an end of the year activity you enjoy doing with your kiddo's?  I'd love hearing from you! diane@teachwithme.com or simply leave a comment here.

"It is not the IQ, but the I Will, that is most important in education." -Unknown