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

Lorraine, over in Texas, has 3 cats.  Her love for them spills over into her preschool classroom, as she has a cat theme going on.  Pete the Cat stories are some of her favorites.  She also collects the seasonal alphabet cards I design, using them in her ABC center. Mrs. K wondered if I had time to make some alphabet cards with cats. 

Since I was already putzing with the "Cool Cat"  packets, it was perfect timing! Do you decorate your room with a cat-theme?  Do your kiddos enjoy Pete the Cat stories?  If so, I think you'll like this alpha cat packet.

The packet includes separate upper and lowercase letters that are purr-fect for Memory Match and "I Have; Who Has?" games. 

There's also a set of cards with both the upper and lowercase letter on them.  Cut them up to make puzzles, or run off a set for each student.  They color, trim, collate and add a cover to make an Itty Bitty ABC booklet.

The packet also includes an upper and lowercase letter assessment mat, recording sheets, plus matching upper to lowercase letter worksheets. 

For easy printing, there are 2 different worksheets on a page.  Simply cut them in half to use for table top lessons, morning work, something for your sub folder, or for "early finishers" to work on.  Send them home with struggling students for extra practice, or as homework if your district requires that.

I've also included 2 trace and write the letter worksheets. (One for uppercase letters, the other for lowercase.)  There's a 3-page tip list of ideas for using the cards, plus a Kaboom game as well.

Click on the link to view/download the Alpha Cat packet.  Thanks for visiting today. 

I'm off to a huge "It's all about kids" consignment sale.  With 4 wonderful grandsons and a baby girl on the way, I'll be in search of "pinkalicious" stuff, toys, books and whatever else I just have to have...  Hope your day is as exciting. 

"Think less. Do more." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Make Some Sliders With Me

I enjoy designing "sliders."  They are a quick, easy and fun way to whole group assess all sorts of standards.  I gave them the name "sliders" because students trace the numbers or letters on the strip of paper. 

The teacher chooses students to call out a letter/number and then everyone slides their strip of paper 'til that letter/number shows in the "window" of their slider.   Since this is like an "I Spy" game, students really enjoy sliders, and teachers can see at a glance who is having difficulty.

Because I've been making some activities to go with Pete the Cat, I decided to create a cat slider.  One turned into 4 and there went my day... 

You can choose the cat for your students, or give them a choice.  Run the cat patterns off on blue construction paper (for a Pete the Cat one) and have students trim, or run them off on white construction paper and have students color their cat. 

To add a bit more pizzazz to the blue construction paper cats, I've included patterns for little tennis shoes. Run them off on white paper. Students trim and glue to the appropriate cat.  

Cutting out the cats, can be a bit tricky, so I would not do this option for really little ones. Instead, use the smaller cat patterns, with the dashed lines, and run off on white paper. 

Younger kiddos can easily follow the lines and get some cutting practice in, but are not overwhelmed with twisting and turning their scissors.

Since the blue ones turned out especially cute, you may want to make a set of your own and laminate them.  After students have found the letter/shape/number that is called out for the "I Spy" game, and everyone's hand is raised, you can hold up your cat and ask: "Is this letter/shape/number showing on your cat?"

Students make adjustments, so you are reinforcing the correct answer, without having to take the time to individually correct a struggling student, or embarrass them. 

There are "sliders" for upper and lowercase letters, numbers, counting backwards from 10-0, shapes and skip counting by 2's, 3's, 5's, and 10's. 

Pick the slider for the standard that you want to practice, run them off and trim on a paper cutter. You could also reuse the sliders and review another standard, with a different slider on another day.  

For more teachable moments, review patterns or odd and even numbers, by having students choose 2 or 3 colors of crayons or markers and trace the letters/numbers in an ABAB or ABC pattern. (I did this in my samples, so be sure and look at the photographs closely. )

To review shapes, I'd suggest using the cat head pattern.  Children color the shapes on their slider, which will then become the "nose" of the cat when they slide the strip into that position.  I think they turned out pretty cute if I do say so for myself.

Click on the link to view/download the Cat Slider packet.  I hope it's simply "purr-fect" for Pete the Cat or any other cat-themed activities you have going on. 

Thanks for visiting.  The chill is in the air today and really feels like fall.  Time for a brisk walk with my pup Chloe, to help get energized.

"Your current safe boundaries, were once unknown frontiers." -Anonymous

26 pages.

Do you have a cat-theme going?  Do your kiddos enjoy Pete the Cat stories?  If so, I think you'll like this alpha cat packet.  The packet includes separate upper and lowercase letters that are purr-fect for Memory Match and "I Have; Who Has?" games.  There's also a set of cards with both the upper and lowercase letter on them.  Cut them up to make puzzles, or run off a set for each student.  They color, trim, collate and add a cover to make an Itty Bitty booklet. 

28 pages.

Here's a cat craftivity that's a great review of all sorts of standards, and is purr-fect for your Pete the Cat theme.  There are 4 different cats to choose from.  You can run them off on blue construction paper (for a Pete the Cat one) and have students trim, or run them off on white construction paper and have students color their cat. 

1-2-3 Come Do Some More Pete The Cat Activities With Me

I'm back, with some more "Cool Cat" activities that will go nicely with any cat-theme you may have going on.  The story element packet is also perfect for Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, or Pete the Cat's Rockin' School Shoes. 

The packet includes a variety of activities to help review and practice story elements, and includes pocket cards for character, setting, and event.

Two graphic organizer options, help students write about the beginning, middle and end of the story. 

There are 6 Venn diagrams as well, that will help introduce comparison and constrast to your students. 

Venn diagrams are a quick, easy and fun way to visually show students similarities and differences. 

Children can practice this form of writing, by comparing two different cat characters, 2 different cat stories, and/or compare their shoes with a friend, or even the cat's. 

Practice graphing, by having children fill in the color shoe that they are wearing.  

For more color practice, I've included a trace and color word worksheet too.

There are also four, "I Spy a Word" games, featuring 56 words. ( Most of them from the Dolch word list.) 

All of these words appear in Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes story.  The "I Spy a Word" worksheets, are a simple and quick way to whole group assess word recognition. 

Choose students to call out a word.  Children find that word and then cover it with the little tennis shoe card. 

If you don't want to use the game each year, simply have students circle the word when they find it. 

For more practice, have them write the words in alphabetical order on the back of their paper.  You could also have students use the word in a sentence. 

Finally, in keeping with the Pete the Cat stories, there are 3 posters (including a poster-definition of what "the moral of the story" means). So that students can practice reading the repetitive lines, hold a poster up when you come to that part of the story.  

Click on the link to view/download the Cool Cat Story Elements and More packet. 

Since all of the other "story sliders" that I've designed, have been such popular downloads, I couldn't resist making one for Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes.

To make one, simply run my cat pattern off on blue construction paper.

Students trim and add a bit of color for some pizzazz.

Run off the slider strips and sequencing pictures on white paper.  Pre-cut slits on the cat. (I used an Exacto knife.) 

Children color the pictures, cut them out and then glue them to their "slider" in the correct sequential order of the story. 

When everyone has completed their cat creation, review the story, by retelling it, via the pictures on the slider, adding details when appropriate.  Encourage students to share their cat slider with their families, so they can once again retell the story. 

Click on the link to view/download the Pete the Cat Story Slider. 

Thanks for visiting today.   It's one of those perfect-weather days.  My grandson is up from his nap, so it's time for a stroller ride.  Wishing you a love-filled day.

"Believe you can, and you're half way there." -Theodore Roosevelt

24 pages.

This packet includes a variety of activities to help review and practice story elements.  They have a cat-theme, so they are perfect for Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, and Pete the Cat My Rockin' School Shoes.

6 pages.

Help students sequence and retell the story for Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, with this quick and easy "story slider" craftivity.

1-2-3 Come Do Some Pete the Cat Activities With Me

The Pete the Cat series of children's books, is a new favorite of mine.  Pete is a cool cat, and his positive up-beat attitude is refreshing.  "Does he cry when things don't go his way?"  "Goodness no!" 

Pete is the brain child of James Dean, an illustrator, who in real life loves cats.  Eric Litwin, is a "folksy songwriter" who helps create the stories and writes catchy little tunes to go with the books.  Kids quickly catch on to the funky-repetitive lyrics.  They stick in your mind like "It's a Small World" and if your kiddos are like mine, they'll be singing the little tunes through out the day. 

Harper Collins is the publisher of the Pete the Cat stories.  Click on the link to check out the entire collection.  You can download a variety of FREEBIES there as well.

One of my personal favorites is Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes.  You can hear it on YouTube by clicking on the link. 

In this story, Pete has a brand new pair of white shoes.  However, they change to the color red, as he steps into a pile of strawberries, and so the story goes, for Pete's shoes continue to change color, as he steps into blueberries and mud. Finally, all of the colors are washed away, because he steps into a bucket of water. 

Oh no!  His shoes are now wet! Does Pete cry? Goodness no!  He just walks along singing his song, because it's all good.

Even though the story only involves four colors, I thought it would be fun to design some quick and easy activities to help reinforce 10 colors and their color words.

In the Cool Cat Colors: An Easy Reader packet, students read the sentence; correct the letters that should be capitalized and add end punctuation.  They trace and write the color words, and then color the shoe(s). 

For more teachable moments, be sure to reinforce the use of a variety of pronouns, as well as plurals in the sentences.  The last page of the story, asks students what color shoes they are wearing.

Children color a picture of their own shoes to complete the story.   Click on the link to view/download the easy reader: Cool Cat Colors.

Another fun way to reinforce colors and color words is by playing Memory Match and "I Have; Who Has?"  games. 

In the Cool Cat Shoe Color packet, I've included shoe cards that students match up with color words. 

For students just learning colors and color words, use the full-color word cards for the game. 

If you want to assess to see if your students can read and match the color words to their appropriate colors, use the set printed in black. 

I've also included a mini-color booklet for them to make.  They color the sneaker cards, then write the color word underneath in the matching color.  There's a cover for them to add.

For even more practice, have students complete the color word matching worksheet.  

Click on the link to view/download the Cool Cat Shoe Color packet.

Finally, for the Cool Cat Spinner Game, have students pick a partner and take turns spinning the color wheel. 

Whatever color they land on, they color that sneaker on their recording sheet, and then trace and write the word in the matching color. 

The first child to complete their bookmark with all of the colors, is the winner. I've included a certificate of praise for them.  Click on the link to view/download the Cool Cat Colors Spinner Game. 

Thanks for visiting today.  Be sure and stay tuned, as I'll be busy designing more Pete the Cat activities for these sweet stories.  Remember, according to Pete, "it's all good"... especially when it comes to FREEBIES!

"Elegance is not about being noticed; it's about being remembered." -Giorgio Armani

4 pages.

To help reinforce colors and color words, play this "spin to win" cool cat color game.  Students choose a partner and take turns spinning.  Whatever color they land on, they color that sneaker, and then trace and write the matching color word in that color.   The first one to complete their bookmark with all of the colors is the winner. 

6 pages.

This is a fun easy reader for students to make, which will help reinforce colors, color words, capitalization, and end punctuation.  It's a nice activity to transition to, after reading Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, by James Dean and Eric Litwin.