The Silly Shaped Penguins Family Has GROWN!

Do you remember the Silly Shaped Penguins I packet I made a while back?

It features 2D shaped penguin craftivities + an easy reader with a surprise ending, where the last penguin is in the shape of a child’s shoe, thus making the booklet a special keepsake.

It has been THE most popular download in January and has been pinned a zillion times.

Many requests have come in for an additional page with penguin patterns for the newer shapes: pentagon, hexagon and octagon, that have since become standards for some teachers.

Well, you asked for them, you got them.  Here is the Silly Shaped Penguins 2 packet.

It contains the patterns for the pentagon penguin as well as the hexagon and octagon penguins.

I’ve also included these as an additional page in the booklet.

If you don’t teach those shapes, simply don’t add that page, or you could “raise the bar” and challenge students to learn some new ones!

Click on the link to view/download Silly Shaped Penguins 2.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others might enjoy.

“Write it on your heart, that every day is the best day in the year.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

How Much Are Those Mittens In The Window?

Do you do activities with mittens? Are you studying money with your little ones?

I just combined the 2 themes to make the easy reader booklet: Mitten Money.

It reviews the penny, nickel, dime and quarter coins as well as all of the 2-D shapes including the newer pentagon, hexagon and octagon, that many now have as new standards.

Students read the simple repetitive sentences, that include Word Wall and Dolch words. They trace and write the shape words, and amount of money, and then trace the shape and draw it on the mittens.

Students also find the appropriate coins for the amount listed and then cut and glue the matching numbered picture to the square. I’ve printed 2 pages on one, for easy printing.

Click on the link to view/download the Mitten Money Easy Reader.

If you enjoyed this booklet and would like one to use in February, click on Money For My Valentines.

Thank you for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything that you think others will enjoy.

Do you have a coin activity you could share with us? I’d enjoy hearing from you: diane@teachwithme.com or post a comment here.

“This is the New Year, the new you.  You can pass through another year coasting on cruise control, or you can step out of your comfort zone, trying things you have never done before, & make [this] the year that you elevate from where you are & soar high!  Make it happen!” -Pablo

1-2-3 Count To 100 and Past With Me!

Just in time to help you with some math activities for 100 Day, is this 40-page alligator-themed math packet.

The packet will help you reinforce Common Core State Math Standards: K.CC.1, K.CC.2, K.CC.3, K.CC.4a, K.CC.4b, K.CC.4c, K.CC.5, K.CC.6, K.OA.1, K.OA.4, K.OA.5,1.OA.1, 1.OA.4, 1.OA.5, 1.OA.7, 1.NBT.1,1.NBT.3

This is a wonderful packet to help students review and practice a variety of the above standards in a fun way.

The packet includes:

• Greater and less than activities including alligator jaw manipulatives
• Traceable 100 grid
• Traceable 120 grid
• Counting activities to 100 and 120
• Skip counting activities by 2's, 3's, 5's and 10's
• Medium alligator number cards from 1-120
• Small number cards from 1-120
• "I Spy" activities from 1-120.
• 2 blank number grids to program with whatever you want like upper and lowercase letters or equations.
• 2 kinds of alligator manipulatives for addition, subtraction, counting, sorting and patterning. (48 on a page.)
• Math sign cards ( + -- = ) so students can make equations and solve problems
• Skill sheets
• + 6 different certificates of praise.

Click on the link to view/download Alligator Answers Math Packet. For more 100 Day activities, scroll down to view 6 more articles featuring 100 Day ideas.

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

""Finish each day and be done with it.  You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can.  Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

What Are You Doing For Martin Luther King Day?

If you plan on celebrating Martin Luther King Day with your students, you may want to take a peek at the 40-page MLK mini unit I’ve put together.

It includes several “craftivities” that are quick, easy and make lovely bulletin boards or hallway decorations.

The 1^st is a stained glass window, where students  can glue colored tiles in a pattern or simply keep it random.

I’ve included one of my favorite Langston Hughes poems on the back.

I chose a dove to top off this “dangler” because I feel that Martin Luther King's beliefs are synonymous with peace, which the dove is a symbol of.

My Y5’s enjoyed accordion folding paper, to make the 3-D wings, which was a great fine motor activity for them.

The MLK  Letter Dangler, allows students an opportunity to express what their dream is, and is a nice review of those capital letters as well.

Click on the link to view/download the Martin Luther King mini unit.

Snowflakes are a huge theme for me in January, so I combined making a strip snowflake for a Martin Luther King activity.

If you cut strips in a variety of colors, your students will create a rainbow blizzard for you, that looks truly awesome on a bulletin board. 

Use aluminum foil for the background for that extra bit of pizzazz and suspend cardboard or plastic snowflakes from the ceiling , so that they dangle just in front of the top of your b. board.

Click on the link to view/download the Martin Luther King snowflakes.

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

“Your success and happiness lies in you.  Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you, shall form an invincible host against difficulties.” –Helen Keller

Waddle You Do, To Help Students With Letter Recognition?

Are you studying penguins with your students?

This was one of my Y5’s favorite themes.  I think they are so adorable and enjoy designing with them.

I just finished Penguin Letter Puzzles

Since putting together a puzzle as well as identifying  letters were report card standards, I decided to combine the 2 activities.

Print, laminate and cut out the puzzles.  Store them in a file folder or manila envelope.

Students spill them out at a center and work on matching the lowercase letter on the heart to the uppercase letter on the balloon.

You can also pass them out and play “I Have; Who Has?” “I have the uppercase letter A.  Who has the matching lowercase letter?

Students enjoy these reinforcement games because they are easy and fun, and you have a chance to whole-group assess to see who is having difficulty and needs extra help.

When children can do these activities successfully, you can give them the two certificates of praise.

I’ve also included a set without the puzzle lines, so you can put them on the wall for a December or January ABC border.

There’s a blank page as well, so you can program the penguins with numbers, names, words, equations etc.

Click on the link to view/download Penguin Puzzle Pals.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think might be useful to others.

“Learn from yesterday; live for today; hope for tomorrow.” –Albert Einstein

30 Days Hath September, April, Jume and November!

If you’re looking for something that will help your students learn the months of the year, you’re certain to enjoy From September to August: An Easy Reader Story Poem.

This 12-page booklet will help reinforce the Common Core State Standards: RF.K1a, RF.K1c, RF.K2a, RF.K3c, L.K2a, L.K2b

Helped by picture clues, children read the story which includes 58 sight words (Many from the Dolch word list.)

Students trace the month word and then write it. They also color, cut and glue the matching numbered pictures to the page.

In order to cover the above standards, have students circle the beginning capital letter as well as identify and circle the ending punctuation.

When everyone has completed their booklet, read it aloud as a whole group, so you can cover concepts of print, as well as review aspects of rhyme.

Whenever I'm reading a rhyming story, I ask students what other words rhyme with those words, to make sure they understand.

I’ve also included an additional writing-discussion prompt + a certificate of praise.

Click on the link to view/download the booklet From September to August

Thank you for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others will find helpful.

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering it will be happier.” –Alfred Lord Tennyson

Ring In The New Year With ABC's and 1-2-3's

Sliders are a fun way for your students to review upper and lowercase letters, counting by 1's to 30, skip counting by 2's, 3's, 5's and 10's, plus counting backwards from 10-0 and 20-0.

Students trace the letters and numbers and make a snowman or penguin slider to insert their strips into.

I've included a colorful snowman and penguin as well as ones that are plain, so students can color their own.

You can jazz them up even more by mounting them on construction paper, as I did the snowman. 

Give students a glue bottle or for little ones, put a dollop of glue on a small paper plate and have them use a Q-tip to make X number of dots as they count, then sprinkle with silver glitter after you have finished working with the sliders and have reviewed whatever lessons you wanted to.

Students set their sliders some place safe 'til they are dry and can take them home.

How do you make a slider?

Simply run off the templates, (I use white construction paper so they are more durable) and rough cut them, so that students can practice their own cutting skills, which will exercise and strengthen hand muscles.

You may want to slit the lines in the slider's body before hand.  This is difficult for little ones to manage with safety scissors.  I use an X-acto knife.

Students trim, color and trace their slider and then insert whatever strips you want them to review.

Have students fold down their long ABC strip to manage it better and for ease of taking them home.

Encourage parents, via a newsletter to reinforce these lessons at home.

You can sing the Alphabet Song while pulling letters through the window.

You can play "I Spy" and have a student call out a letter or number.  Everyone pulls their strip through til they find it and then raise their slider, so that you see at a glance who has what so that you can whole group assess and help those who are struggling.

Laminate a set for yourself and use as a fun way to assess individuals as well.

Click on the link to view/down load the Snowman Alphabet and Number Slider or The Penguin Slider.

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

"Tomorrow [January 1st] is the first blank page of a 365-page book.  Write a good one!" -Brad Paisley

1-2-3 Come Blast Off With Me!

Are you looking for a fun new way to review counting backwards from 10 to 0 or 20 to 0?    

I’ve got just the thing!  As I was watching the glittering ball drop in Times Square, I thought what a fun slider to make for “blasting off.”  

I just finished designing the Happy New Year Glitter Ball and hope your students enjoy the new way of reviewing this standard. 

Run off the ball templates.  Rough cut them apart so that students can practice cutting out the circle.  You might want to pre-slit the lines so that students can easily insert their number strip.

Run off the number strips and cut them out on the paper cutter so that all students have to do is cut on the lines to separate them.  

Students glue the strips together and then trace the numbers and insert their strip into the ball.  Demonstrate how this is done, or some students will have difficulty.

Make sure to remind them to write their name on the back of their ball.

When everyone has completed their ball, have them crouch down, read the numbers together slowly, as students slide their strip through their balls counting  backwards with you.

When students have reached 0 they pull their strip 1 last time to reveal the words.  Children jump into the air and yell “Happy New Year!”

Afterwards, you can have them play “I Spy” with a partner or as a whole group.  Call on a child to spy a number.  They call out a number and everyone slides to reveal it.

Students hold up their ball so that you can whole-group assess to make sure everyone has the correct number. Click on the link to view/download New Year Countdown Glitter Ball

Thank you for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find useful.  For a snowman and penguin alphabet and number slider, scroll down to checkout the next article. 

“A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.” -Unknown

Come ABC With Me!

Boy do I have a terrific alphabet packet for you today!

It’s a whopping 90 pages long and took me a zillion hours to complete!

It was worth it though, because you can do so many things with it!

The packet is an outstanding way to help your students match letters and pictures to words and their sounds  and incorporates a variety of standards.

The packet includes:

• 439 picture cards with matching word cards.
• I've included CVC words, sight words + 65 Dolch nouns
• 6 different sets of uppercase letters + a lowercase set
• A blank set of picture cards so you can program your own
• A blank set of word cards so you can program your own
• 8 shape cards with matching word cards
• 11 number cards (0-10)
• ABC letter sorting mats so students can sort pictures and words and  put them under the matching letter.
• 34 category sorting mats so that students can sort pictures into appropriate categories. i.e big-little, vowels-consonants, farm animals-wild animals, winter, spring, summer and fall etc.
• A "My ABC Book" so students can make their own booklet. Includes cover + inside pages.
• A tip sheet of what sorts of things you can do with the cards, including games +
• A certificate of praise.

Many of these activities are great for your Daily 5 “Word Work.”

Click on the link to view/download the Alphabet Letter, Picture and Word packet.  I hope you enjoy it!

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

“The bad news is that time flies, The good news is that you’re the pilot.” –Michael Altshuler