ABC: Come Teach With Me!

I’ve been taking one-on-one computer classes at the Apple store and loving it!

I’ve been focusing on learning lots of new things with Pages a software program for MAC’s, that my husband bought me to help make my documents “cooler” than what I can manage in Word.

Since a big part of learning to read and write revolves around the knowledge of the alphabet and since I themed everything I did in Young Five’s, I wanted to make alphabet cards for each month, that teachers can use in a variety of ways, to keep students interested in letter study.

This is especially important since all but a few states have now adopted  Common Core Standards. 

These cards will help you pass that all important English Language Arts Reading Standard: Concepts of Print: Foundational Skills: 1d: "Students will recognize all of the upper and lowercase letters of the alphabet."

For some students that takes an entire year; you need to make that interesting, fun and different.  These cards will help add the necessary variety.

Let’s face it, things can get rather boring if you haul out the same graphics each day, but switch the pictures to match the month or theme you’re studying and the children seem to perk right up, simply because it’s “different”.

I’ve also included a tip list of a variety of things you can do with the cards, including games you can play.

One of the things I did was have a seasonal bulletin board with two huge bears. One was a girl, the other a boy. I dressed them in appropriate clothing that I changed for the 4 seasons.

I sprinkled my alphabet cards around the bears in order at first, so it wasn’t that difficult to figure out what letter was missing.  Later, when my kiddo’s knew the alphabet, I’d mix up the letters so the game was a bit more difficult.

It was their job each morning to figure out what letter the bears had hidden. They LOVED this game, it only took a few minutes, and it really got them to examine the letters. Afterwards, run through the alphabet, or sing the ABC song as a quick way to review.

I’ve included a blank set of cards in case you also want to make number cards or even program your spelling list or student names.

The other thing you can do in the hallway, is put up a large oak tree with just branches.

This is easy enough to paint on bulletin board paper with brown paint.  I’ve also seen them made by twisting brown tissue paper, or brown bags from the grocery story.

You can also buy a big tree, as a large fold out poste at most teacher stores for around $10.

Hang the apples up for September and then decorate the tree with the other alphabet shapes for the other months.

While students are waiting in the hall to go out to recess, lunch, or standing in line for bathroom/drink breaks etc. you can use it for “teachable moments” for all sorts of letter-question games.

I’ve made 11 sets of alphabet letters.  There is a set for each month (September through May, + a set of leaves and a set of dinosaurs.)

I've included separate sets for uppercase letters as well as lowercase letters, so you can make Memory Match Concentration games, play "I Have; Who Has?" with them, or have students put them in sequential order, spell their names, spell words and do all kinds of other activities that you'll find on a a list that I've included in the packets.

Click on the link to go to my ABC Section (page 2) of the shopping cart.

Scroll down ‘til you see the first set: Alphabet Acorns and then click on which ever set you’d like to download. You'll have to click on page 3 to get the last set for spring Tulips.

If there’s another themed set you’d like to have, simply shoot me an e-mail and I’ll see what I can do. diane@teachwithme.com

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“We all need someone who inspires us to do better than we know how.” -Anonymous

Anchor Charts That Help Teach!

I LOVE making and using anchor charts!

A collection of similar ones make an instant bulletin board, single ones help decorate your room, and all of them give valuable information in a nutshell or remind students at a glance what to do, or how to do something.

They are also a wonderful teaching tool, as you can refer to them as a “checklist” before students begin their work, or remind them to refer to the charts before they ask you a question.

For example, a popular set of anchor charts is the Six Traits of Writing.  As students begin their work, review the steps. 

When they have completed their work, go through the posters again, asking the students the various questions. If they haven't answered "YES!" to all of them, then they aren't ready to hand in their paper.

Click on the link to view/download the Six Traits of Writing anchor charts

This collection also makes a great writing bulletin board. Simply place the posters on 6 rainbow-colored sheets of construction paper, laminate them and then staple them kittywhompus on a black background. Edge the board with a pencil border. 

You can suspend some cut outs of pencils, pens, erasers, and paper from fishline, just above the board. Wahla! Instant b. board, that students can refer to all year long. If you don't have a bulletin board, simply put the black paper on a bare wall and frame it with the boarder.

"Said is dead; use these words instead!" has also been a very popular anchor chart. This too, could be part of your writing wall.

click on the link to view/download Said is Dead anchor chart.

I’ve spent the last week creating a variety of anchor charts that I think you’ll find helpful.

The above are about writing, but I also have ones for math as well as other subjects. A popular math set of anchor charts has been the addition and subtraction set.

addition-subtraction anchor charts.

I’ve also gotten permission from several new clip artists to use their work, so I think you’ll be delighted with the graphics as well.

I will continue to make anchor charts through the summer.  If there is a chart you’d like for your classroom, shoot me an e-mail and I’ll see what I can do. diane@teachwithme.com

I find that if one teacher needs it, there are lots more who will be happy someone asked!

When you pop back to see what’s new, to view all of the anchor charts and posters, click on the classroom management apple on my home page and then click on anchor charts.

To view the charts for today, click on this quick anchor chart link.  Scroll down and choose whatever charts and posters you like.  Enjoy.

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Do you have an anchor chart that you can’t live without? Post a comment and link here! We’d enjoy hearing from you.  

"A kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles." -Washington Irving

Time To Try A Little Tenderness

Teaching students to be kind is a nice activity for the beginning of the school year when you are explaining your rules and implementing student behavior programs and contracts.

This packet is a nice companion to the Bully Busters booklet and the anti-bullying packet.

The Kindness Packet includes:

• The Kindness booklet
• A bookmark
• A kindness reminder poster
• The kindness pledge
• A Sticks & Stones poster
• Tips and ideas for kindness, including activities that go along with reading the book Chrysanthemum
• Motivational “caring hearts” when students are caught being kind.
• Pictures of children crying to use as discussion and writing prompts.
• A “synonyms for sad” skill sheet, to build vocabulary, so students can express their feelings +
• 2 certificates of praise

Click on the link to view/download the kindness packet.

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"We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future." -Franklin D. Roosevelt

Getting Your Books In Order And Keeping Them That Way!

Help your students easily sort books and get them back into their appropriate tubs by putting an easy-to-understand label on them.

Decide how you want to divide your books up, get tubs that are all the same size so that the shelves look neat and organized, make sure they are large enough to hold the various sizes of books, and deep enough to grow with you as your collections expand.

Pick categories that make sense and are easy for your students to understand.  Assign a color to them.  Buy color sticker dots at an office supply store and you're in business to get organized.

Print off a set of my labels and color the balloon to match your color-coding system. i.e. All math books have a yellow dot sticker on them. The Math tub has a yellow dot sticker and a yellow balloon.

There are a variety of tub labels to choose from, including a blank set to program with your own categories.

I’ve made labels for all of the months too, incase you keep those in tubs.

Because I have such a huge collection of books, I keep those at home in boxes that are the same size that I buy and label with the month.

I put the seasonal books that I read to my students next to my rocking chair on a wooden display rack.  These are rather expensive and include pop-up books, so I don’t let my students read these.

They have a large plastic tub at the head of the classroom that I dump anywhere from 20-50 seasonal books for the month in, for DARE time, as well as an option for Tummy Tubby Time, where they can use a beanbag.

Scholastic points, and going to a zillion garage sales and picking up books for dimes and quarters has helped me to grow quite a huge collection.

I just found this “personal reading space” idea on Pinterest from Mrs. Goerend's 5th grade class, and thought it was an awesome idea! How easy to tip a chair over, plop a pillow down and read in comfort! "Way cool!"

Click on the link to view/download the Book Tub Tags

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"Do what you love!" -Henry David Thoreau

30 Days Hath September...

Summer is a great time to start collecting new things to spruce up your room, tweaking things like your calendar board and adding a few new items to make it fresh, and designing some games.

All that can get a bit expensive, so it’s nice when you can get freebies on the Internet.

I’ve been busy all week designing lots of anchor charts, posters and calendar items.

You only have so much room for huge posters, so I think mini-anchor charts the size of a sheet of copy paper are wonderfully effective in reminding students of a variety of things.

Smaller versions can be made into a booklet for them as well or used as flashcards or made into games.

I’ve done just that with Phillip Martin’s calendar clip art.

Print off a set to freshen up your calendar, laminate a set and put on a split ring to use as flashcards, put a mini set up as a “What’s Missing?” activity.

Each day remove a month and have students guess which month was “stolen”.

Laminate extra sets and make Memory Match Concentration games.  Be sure and put the matching pair on a buff or off white shade so that matching is a bit easier.

Play “I Have; Who Has?” after 12 students choose a card, to help learn the order of the months, and then repeat the game so that everyone gets a turn.

Run off enough copies to make a “Speed” card game.  Students choose a partner.  They each mix up their deck of cards. Partners say in unison, “Ready-Set-Go!” and then proceed to put the months in order.

The 1^st one done is the winner.  You could also have students alphabetize their cards before they put them in sequential order to make their Itty Bitty booklet to take home and share with their families.

Click on the link to view/download Months of the year cards.

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“Successful people are not gifted; they just work hard and then succeed on purpose” –G.K. Nielson

An Adventure With Numbers

In my teaching experience, I found that it was a bit more difficult to get the boys excited about doing some of the daily activities I had planned.

I also learned quickly, that if I incorporated something as simple as clip art into the lesson, that this would peak their interest, and I’d have a real motivational tool to helping them get down to business.

Even though God’s given me the wonderful gift to be able to draw a lot of my own creations for this website, it’s always nice to integrate clips from a male perspective.

When you tell a little boy that you’re going to count today, you’ll likely see eyes roll in a bored fashion, followed by audible groans.

Instead, whisper that they’re going on an adventure, to see how many snails, snakes, frogs and  dragons they can find and count; and you’ll not only have  their attention, but they’ll probably WANT to get going right away!

I designed Counting Creatures with this in mind, and was delighted to have Phillip Martin’s permission to use his wonderful clip art for my TeachWithMe projects.

Click on the link to check out his awesome site.

I think the girls will have fun too.  I used to say my daughter was a princess with hiking boots.

This packet includes the following:

1. An easy reader booklet where students read the sentence, trace and write the number and number word, make that many tally marks, circle the number in the sequence, and then glue the number creature to the matching box in their booklet.

2. Number cards + a cover so that students can make an Itty Bitty booklet.

You can also use these for flashcards, or a variety of games.  I’ve included a tip sheet  of what else you can do with them.

3. A graphing extension

4. An anchor chart number poster +

5. A certificate of praise.

Click on the link to view/download Counting Creatures packet

I hope these cute creatures get your creative kids counting!

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“What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to a human soul.” –Joseph Addison

Who? What Do They Look Like? DESCRIPTION please!

One thing students seem to need to do more of, in their writing, is expand it, and include more description.

Even at the college level, I’m constantly telling my students to add more interest by including adjectives.

Involve your reader’s senses and your writing will come alive!

I’ve designed a Sensory Word Anchor chart poster for each month, to help students practice that skill.

For some of their senses they’ll have to think outside the box and use their imaginations.  This can be a lot of fun, and their answers quite interesting!

Click on the link to view/download My Sensory Words Anchor Chart Monthly Posters.

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"The heart is happiest when it beats for others!" -Unknown

The Buck Stops Here!

You asked for it, you got it! 

I’ve had several requests to make an easy reader about the dollar, as a way of reviewing the various coins that make up a dollar.  I had time this week to check that off the “honey-do” list.

I did a little research on the “silver dollar”.  The US mint continues to keep coin collectors happy by minting different designs of that coin.

You may want to go to the bank and see if you can get a few examples to show your students.

In this booklet, students trace and write, as well as cut and glue. Encourage students to count all of the coins on the page that now make up the dollar, after they have glued that final coin to complete the dollar.

When everyone has finished their booklet, read it together to review concepts of print.

Click on the link to view/download My Buck Book.

There’s an interesting and informative 5-minute YouTube video of How you make coins, that’s well done,  that would be a nice culmination to this activity. Click on the link to have a look.

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I hope you can pop in tomorrow for another fun teaching tip!

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not come. We have only today. Let us begin!" -Mother Teresa

1-2-3 Come End Your Day With Me.

I designed and posted this last summer, and it was such a hit, that I'm revisiting it again for a back-to-school tip.

Are you looking for an easy and fun way to end your day? One that  will grab your students’ attention, help you transition them to going home when everyone is exhausted, and hopefully something that they will look forward to, so that transition is not so difficult?

Try the popular “See You Later Alligator - After While Crocodile" poem.  It’s been around along time, so it’s kid-tested and teacher-approved.

I believe the original started with Dr. Jean.   I’ve provided a link to her page in the packet. Click on it now to check out her awesome site!

I’ve also provided a YouTube link to Bill Haley and the Comets rock and roll song version, complete with cool swing dancing.

Oh to be able to do that again! Yup, been there, done that, when the bones were not degenerating and I wasn’t shrinking like the Wicked Witch of the West,  after a thunderstorm.

This 23-page packet, is chock full of goodies that include:

1. An alligator poster. Print off 2, glue them back-to-back and suspend from your ceiling over the door as a reminder.

2. The revamped poster-poem.  I've included enough verses so each child can recite one as they line up to go home. They can say their verse, wave good-bye and get in line.  Hang a copy of the poem on the door, + enlarge a copy to have by your circle time where everyone can read it.

3. A traceable booklet so students can get used to reading, writing and learning the verses. Children cut and glue an animal to the matching numbered box.  They will enjoy taking this booklet home and sharing it with their families.

4. Traceable animal word cards with matching picture cards to help students learn these words + a cover to make an Itty Bitty booklet.  Make extra sets to turn into Memory Match Concentration games and an "I Have' Who Has?" game.  Toss the animal cards into a basket and have students select one.  That will be the phrase they get to recite.

They can quietly line up, walking and sounding like that animal, as they recite their verse.  i.e. a mouse would squeak their verse quietly, as they scampered on all fours to the door.

5. Finally, I’ve also included an additional Good-bye Song to the tune of Up On The Roof Top.  I found this on the Internet in several places so I don’t know who to give credit to.  If it’s yours, please dash me an e-mail so I can give you credit, and link to your site.  It’s adorable! 

I really think you and yours, will look forward to ending your day in this positive way!  Click on the link to view/download See you later Alligator good-bye poem packet

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"Learning is NOT a spectator sport, so let's play!"