1-2-3 Come Make An Emergent Reader Alphabet Booklet With Me

Woo hoo!  I just finished another emergent reader alphabet booklet.  This one is called: From Ape to Zebra.

My kiddos absolutely LOVE “Itty Bitty” booklets.  They’re just the right size for little ones, as they aren’t overwhelmed with coloring big pictures.

Because of this, I think they do a better job, and I can have them work on a bunch of pages for one activity, without using a ton of paper & being queen of the copy room.

As with my other emergent readers, children use the pictures as a guide, read the sentence, trace the letters, write the letters, then color the picture.

The text in this emergent reader is “meatier” as I’ve loaded it with alliteration, to better reinforce the beginning sounds.

I also wanted to include the long & short vowel sounds, as well as “hard” & “soft” consonant sounds like goat & George.

I worked in the silent letter Kk in know as well as the hard sound in kite. So grab those teachable moments!

You’ll see a lot of words from the Dolch word lists. Would you believe I was able to incorporate 60? (!)

Afterwards, students cut the pages into 1/4ths, collate the pages and then staple their booklet together.

You can also sneak in another teachable moment if you'll be working on fractions sometime this year.

There's a template for a 4-on-a-page booklet, as well as one with 8-on-a page, so you can make an Itty Bitty Alpha-bits booklet.  Choose which one's right for your kiddos.

When everyone has completed their booklet, read it together as a whole group to cover concepts of print.

The featured FREEBIE today, is  the "Color Me" alphabet poster that's included in the packet. After students color their poster give them an M&M or other manipulative & play “I Spy a Letter”.

You call out a letter and they move their piece of candy on top of it. You can see at a glance who is having difficulty.  Continue playing 'til all of the letters have been colored in. 

I've included a full-page poster, as well as a template with 2-on-a-page. You could also reuse their worksheet to individually assess children for uppercase letter recognition.

That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by.  There's a chill in the air here in Michigan, which makes it easier to give up any vestiges of summer that we seem to cling to at the beginning of September. 

I just hope I don't have to switch from air conditioning to turning the furnace on too quickly.  Wishing you a sweet day, filled with snuggly moments and a bit of chocolate.

"By all these lovely tokens September days are here.  With summer's best of weather and autumn's best of cheer." -Helen Hunt Jackson

8 pages.

Do you have your kiddos draw a self portrait during the first week of school?  Do you take a photograph of their first day? Why not hop on the "selfie" rage and use these cute worksheets for your kiddos to do their work on.  They're sure to become a keepsake.

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

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of my students’ favorite books, so I thought I’d design a memory book as a spin off, not only because it’s a favorite, but because I really think my kiddos creep into my class as shy caterpillars, hungry for knowledge, then flutter away as butterflies at the end of the year, having grown & learned so much.

The Very Hungry Student Memory Book provides an excellent writing activity for your kiddos EACH month.

There are two pages to a template to conserve paper & ink, making this a "just the right size" booklet for little ones to work with.

Why wait 'til the end of the year when you have to try and remember all of the fun things you did, when you can work on this each month.

My students keep their Memory Books in their writing folders.
If you do portfolios, this activity is perfect for that too.

The monthly pages are great for Daily 5 or your writing block.

By doing a Memory Book throughout the year, you should see improvement in students’ writing & coloring, which you can refer to during conferences.

Students work on this a little at a time, instead of a zillion pages all at once at the end of the year.

Because of this, I feel that children are doing a better job putting forth their best effort, and completed projects will make a wonderful keepsake that's truly representative of their growth.

Because everyone teaches different things at different times, I made some extra pages for months like December, so you have additional options.

There’s also a generic set of pages with just the month & clip art that say: “ Things I learned and did…” So if my rhyming commentary doesn't fit what you do, you can slip one of these pages in, picking and choosing the ones that are appropriate for your students.

I’ve included a blank page, 2 autograph page options, a note from the teacher page, and a birthday page, that you can also include in your Monthly Memory Book.

The “favorites” page is another fun writing prompt for your kiddos. 

There are also a variety of options for June, as I’ve included pages for PK3, Preschool, Young Fives, Kindergarten, First & Second Grades. 

Since most teachers do a self-portrait & take a first day of school photo, there’s also a page for that, so you can keep everything all together.

I made a “my selfie” page for older kiddos.  Have your students do these picture pages the first week of school, and then again at the end of the year.  All I can say is "Wow!" about their progress. 

My Y5's go from a little circle on a stick to a detailed full-body person, with eyes, a nose, mouth, and even clothes. Woo hoo!

There are 52 page options to choose from. I know your kiddos will really enjoy recording their memories. The packet is just $3.95, but to celebrate back to school, I've knocked a dollar off for a limited time.

Click on the link to pop on over to my TpT shop and for just $2.95 grab: The Very Hungry Student Memory Book.

Today's featured FREEBIE was inspired by the packet.  It's the "My Selfie" page, along with a portrait page for little ones to draw their picture on.

Looking at the clip art may help them with their creation. I've also included a full, as well as half page additional iPhone selfie page.

I hope your kiddos enjoy drawing a self portrait of themselves and gluing a real "selfie" photograph. Just this page makes a nice keepsake.  Click on the link to get your copy. My Selfie Portrait Page.

Well that's it for today.  Yesterday was the first day of school here in Michigan and it poured rain.  Hopefully, today will not be a repeat dreary morning.

Wishing you a fabulous day, wonderful moments, and the best year yet.

 "You're off to great places.  Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting so get on your way." - Dr. Seuss

1-2-3 Come Pair Up With Me

Welcome to another one of Diane's Dollar Deals.  This cutie-patootie, Pair Pears Packet is packed with versatility.

At the beginning of the year, when children are learning their classmates' names, glue a photo on the top of the pear, and write students' names on the bottom half.

Children can match their friend's photo to their name in an independent "get to know you" center.

Use the puzzle pair pears as a classroom management tool for a fun way to have children partner up.

Use them to play games like Memory Match & "I Have Who Has?"

I have included pairs that review shapes/shape words, numbers/number words, and uppercase/lowercase letters etc.

You can also run the templates off so that each student can make either an alphabet, number or shape booklet.

Covers are included, as well as blank pears for you to program with whatever.

Be sure and grab the "teachable moment" to discuss homonyms. 

Click on the link to grab this super-fun Pair Pears Dollar Deal.

The featured FREEBIE for today, includes another fun way to pick a partner.

"It's Partner Time!"  is an "oldie but goodie" that I made years ago, before all of the cool graphics programs, fonts & clipart that I now use. 

Yet it's still popular & a fun way to practice colors, shapes & numbers while picking a partner.

Well that's it for now.  Thanks for visiting.

I'm busy working on the rest of my letter packets. Wishing you a peaceful & productive day.

 "In the past a leader was a boss.  Today's leaders must be partners with their people...they no longer can lead solely based on positional power." -Ken Blanchard

1 page

Help review the alphabet with this sweet poster.  This FREEBIE is part of Diane's Dollar Deal packet: An Alphabet Emergent Reader.  For your convenience I've included a PREVIEW here, along with the free poster. 

1-2-3 Come Make An Emergent Reader Alphabet Booklet With Me

Woo hoo for another one of Diane's Dollar Deals.

This packet contains a colorful, emergent-reader, alphabet booklet, which contains 47 words from the Dolch word lists.

I've included an alphabetical list of the words.

Laminate a copy of the booklet for your classroom library.

Print an extra copy, cut the pages apart and use in a pocket chart, to read as a whole group.

I've also included 26 letter cards.

Use them as mini flashcards, for games like Speed, Memory Match & "I Have; Who Has?" or in a center, where students can sort & alphabetize them.

So that you can make an "Itty Bitty" booklet, I've also included a cover to go with the alphabet cards. 

Make one for each child in your classroom, and give them a copy for their birthday. 

Today's featured FREEBIE is a really cute alphabet poster, which comes in the packet. The letters on the poster, match the letters in the colorful booklet.  Click on the link to grab your copy today.

Click on the link to pop on over to my TpT shop to get the latest Dollar Deal: An Emergent Reader Alphabet Booklet.

Click here, to see the rest of Diane's Dollar Deals.

To see more alphabet activities click on this link.

That's it for today.  I'm having lots of fun making Dollar Deals. 

They are way less time consuming than when I'm working on a jumbo 100+ page packet, which tends to be a bit overwhelming trying to keep track of it all.

Wishing you a wonderful day filled with special moments, as one clings to the end of summer. 

"The tans will fade, but sweet summer memories last forever." -Unknown

1 page.

Here's a quick, easy and fun alphabet poster for your children to color.  They can do this all at once, or keep it in their writing journals ,coloring only the letters that they've studied and mastered. 

1-2-3 Come Make An ABC Booklet With Me

Diane's Dollar Deal today, is a sweet emergent reader alphabet booklet. My Y5's enjoyed making these "just the right size" booklets. 

Using the pictures as a guide, children read the page, trace the letters, write the letters, then color the picture.

Afterwards, they cut the pages into 1/4ths (grab that teachable moment to review fractions if you're studying them) collate the pages and then staple their booklet together.

I've included a cover, as well as a "trace the alphabet" page, to go at the beginning of the booklet. 

There's a template for a 4-on-a-page booklet, as well as one with 8-on-a page, to make an Itty Bitty Alpha-bits booklet. Choose which one's right for your kiddos.

As a whole group, read the booklet together to review concepts of print. To reinforce the lesson, encourage students to read the booklet with their families.

Click on the link to pop on over to my TpT shop to grab the Alphabet Emergent Reader Booklet. 

Today's featured FREEBIE is the "color me" alphabet poster that's included in the packet.  Click on the link to get one. 

That's it for today, the rain is gently falling outside my window this morning. It's Labor Day Weekend, so of course it's raining.

Wishing you a very relaxing weekend that doesn't zoom by too quickly.

 "If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end, it would probably be Labor Day Weekend." -Doug Larson

1-2-3 Come Do Some Super-Fun Alphabet Activies With Me

Whether you do a letter of the week, or review a letter a day, I think you & your kiddos will enjoy my newest creation: The Letter Aa packet.

I know there are a zillion letter activities out there, but I think I've come up with some really creative & different ones, that will help make learning the alphabet especially fun.

I’ve incorporated a variety of standards for reading, writing, and even tossed in some math, so that you get more bang for your “time buck”, as you can review additional things besides one letter of the alphabet.

This is the first in a series of letter packets.

Countless hours went into designing it, because I wanted to create a format that I could use with every letter.

The consistency, will empower students, as they can get right down to business because they know what to do.  

This independence builds confidence, which leads to self-esteem.

Teaching’s a breeze because you don’t have to waste time continuing to give directions or explaining what you want your kiddos to do. 

Children are responsible & accountable, which frees you up to work one-on-one with strugglers.

The packets are a big & loaded with lots of variety.

There are activities to suit various levels, as well as practice reading & writing skills at the same time.

Simply choose what’s right for you and build your lesson plan.  

You’ll have plenty left over, to use in a sub folder, as homework, independent centers, or for early finishers.

The packet includes:

* Posters & anchor charts
* Emergent readers

* Lots of Worksheets
* Pocket chart cards
* and a variety of Games.
* There are also several "craftivities" such as the letter pennant.

Children decorate their pennant with things that start with the letter Aa.  They can use stickers, pictures cut from magazines, words, letters, & clip art.  

* There are Bookmarks
* Puzzles
* A Song
* A Maze
* and a Word Search.

Another thing that I included in the packet are “Learn & Earn” brag tags. I think your kiddos will really enjoy collecting them. 

There's one for each letter of the alphabet, plus a star-student one to hand out, when they've learned all of the letters. 

Simply run the tag template off on card stock, trim, punch a hole at the top and attach them with split ring. 

You can buy 8 in a package at The Dollar Store.  There are large teacher tags, which you can use as flashcards. 

The split ring makes it easy for children to flip through, so you can play "Flip & Find". You hold up your letter tag & children see who can find theirs the fastest. 

You can also ask for the letter that is before or after the letter that you're showing them.

* There are a variety of writing prompts too. My personal favorite is the Letter Aa Post Card. 

Children fill in the blanks with things that begin with the letter Aa. Grab a teachable moment with "How to address correspondence".

My Alphabet Wheels have been so popular, that I wanted to make a set for each individual letter.

There's a color copy for the teacher, as well as a black & white one, so that students can make their own.

Each packet will also have an alliterative story. 

This packet features "Going Ape".  Counting how many featured letters are in the story, will provide additon practice as well.

Besides a letter story and alphabet wheel, each letter packet will also have a "_______ is for . . ." flip booklet.

These are emergent readers that help reinforce pronouns too. 

The background picture features something that begins with that letter.  For the letter Aa I used an apple.

* A 100 chart hidden letter provides more math practice.
* There's also a class book writing prompt and
*  A Word Work booklet plus

*A cute certificate of praise, with 2 on a page to save paper.

Have students keep them all together, and when done staple their "Letter Achievement" booklet together.

* Also included is an “I found the sound” activity as well as
* A “growing” alphabet booklet (As you study a new letter that page will be added to this Itty Bitty “Alpha-bits” booklet.

My Y5s really enjoy making "Itty Bitty" things that are "just the right size" for them.  With that in mind, I designed a "Pocket Full Of Practice". 

Since lined paper is really inexpensive because of the loss leaders supply stores have, (I picked up a pack of 100 sheets for just a quarter) I decided to have my kiddos fold a sheet into a pocket, to hold "small stuff" that they completed from the letter packet. 

Everything is in one place, things don't get lost in the bottom of a backpack, and parents have a nice little keepsake. The paper pocket full of practice, is also included in every letter packet.

Because these packets are over 100 pages each (The Aa packet is a whopping 140 pages long!) I will not be "bundling" them, when they are all finished. 

I will however, sell them for only $3.00, instead of the usual $4.95 for packets with this amount of work. As an added bonus, the first 48 hours they will be on sale for just $2.50.  

So that you can take advantage of the savings, if you are a follower of mine, you will get an e-mail notification from TpT when I post a new packet.   Click on this link to pop on over to my shop.

Since it's September, and "apple time" here in Michigan, today's FREEBIE is a sweet little "You Can Count On Willie" craftivity. I hope you like it.  Click on the link to grab yours today.  

That's it for now. TGIF!  My brain has been on overload working on alphabet "stuff" so it's time for a much-needed break. 

I'm not sure what that might be, but here's wishing you a wonderful weekend.

 "I'm learning the power of going away for the weekend and keeping myself company." - Zoe Saldana

1-2-3 Come Make Some Snail Mail Folders With Me

I posted my first Diane’s Dollar Deal item in my TpT shop this week, and it seems like I'm not the only one out there addicted to The Dollar Store.  I rarely get out of one for less than $20.

Enjoying the contented and excited feeling I get, when finding goodies for my kiddos at bargain prices, I decided to add Dollar Deals to my shop, and will continue to add items and offer FREEBIES to lighten the load.

The newest addition to Diane's Dollar Deals, is a Snail Mail folder.

Snail, is an acronym for schoolwork, notes, assignments, important, letters; or for younger kiddos, the a stands for and instead of assignments.

These folders are my communication life-line with parents. 

Taking advantage of all of the back to school, loss-leader sales, that office supply stores have, I pick up a class set for about .15 cents each. 

I enjoy sprucing them up and thought the snail idea would be a nice way to add a bit of pizzazz.

The packet includes a variety of  Snail Mail label options that come in color, as well as black & white.  

I’ve included black line options, so children can really take ownership by coloring their folder. 

This also provides a “no brainer” activity to have children do during those hectic first days.

Simply choose the snail label that’s right for you, run them off, trim & glue to your students’ “take home” folders.

There are also 2 options for a “reminder note” to pin to children who forget to bring their folder back, as well as several posters.

Besides printing your students' names on their folders, number them. 

This will really save you time when you need to find a specific folder to add things to, or to figure out who's missing theirs.

I keep my folders in a basket; and have included a labe in the packet, to identify the container where you keep yours.
 

I hope you find this idea useful.  Click on the link to pop on over to my TpT shop to pick up the Dollar Deal: Snail Mail folder packet.

While you're over there, to make sure that you get all of the latest FREEBIES and Dollar Deals, click on the follow me button.

I know it sounds a bit corny, but I'm super-excited to hit 600 followers.  I have a sweet celebratory FREEBIE in the works, and can't wait to post it!

Speaking of FREEBIES, today's is also about classroom management. 

Over the years I added all sorts of ways to get my students' attention, so that they'd clean up, line up or simply be quiet.  

I compiled a list and came up with 175!  Click on the link to get your copy: 175 Transition tips

Would love to add 25 more to make an even 200, so if you have a favorite that works for you, would love to hear about it. 

Dianehen@teachwithme.com  or leave a comment below.  Thanks in advance.  

Well that's it for now.  It's a beautiful summer day and time to get some fresh air.  Wishing you a carefree day.

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