9 pages.

Read the directions to your students and have them color in this number grid appropriately.  If they've followed the directions correctly, an apple will be revealed.  This is a quick, easy and fun way to teach, review and assess: number recognition, spatial directions, ordinal numbers, diagonal lines, plus listening and following directions.  This packet will be free for an entire year, after which time it will be updated & put in Diane's Dollar Deals in my TpT shop.

1-2-3 Come Do A Few More Apple Activities With Me

Last week I celebrated apple week. blogging about all sorts of apple-themed activities.  I had a few more requests, and some miscellaneous apple things that I hadn't blogged about, so I thought I'd toss them all in this article. 

To see all of the apple FREEBIES on TeachWithMe click on the link to zip on over to that section of my site. There are over 100 apple-themed goodies to choose from!

Darcy, over in Washington, does a big apple unit with her 1st graders.  She said: "I love, love, love your flip for facts file folder idea. Do you have one for apples?"  Thanks for your e-mail Darcy.  You certainly made my day. :-)

I designed the flip for facts file folders, as a quick, easy and fun way to introduce younger students to doing research. The file folders are a nice pre-cursor to writing a report.  I didn't have one for apples, but was glad to whip one together. 

If anyone else out there in cyber space would like a file folder on another topic (maybe pumpkins?) feel free to shoot me an e-mail: diane@teachwithme.com and I'll add it to my "to do" list.

Click on the link to view/download the Flips For Apple Facts File Folder.  If you need some apple facts to share with your kiddos, click on the link for 125 Apple Facts!

I've also been working on seasonal sets of time cards.  Here's the apple set. Use them to review analog as well as digital time to the hour and half hour. (CCSS 1.MD.3a)  Great for pocket cards, an assessment tool, flashcards, games, and puzzles too.

The apple number word matching activity, is another quick and easy game.  This one will help your students identify numbers and their number word. 

Using a clothespin to clip to the correct answer, provides wonderful fine motor practice and helps strengthen finger muscles. So that students can self-check, mark an X in the correct spot on the back of the card.

Besides working on number words, I designed an apple color word matching game as well.  This reinforces the 3 colors of apples.

I think that patterning is so important to understanding all sorts of math concepts, so I designed an apple patterning activity as well.

Graphing is also something that I did every day with my Y5's. 

I decided to put a collection of 24 apple graphs together.  I think I covered  everything you could possibly want to graph about apples, but if I forgot something, shoot me an e-mail and I'll add it to the collection.  diane@teachwithme.com

Finally, while I was frogging around updating the apple graphing packet, I thought I'd make up some graph paper to do a "magic math" apple picture.

Read the directions to your students and have them color in the number grid appropriately.  If they've followed the directions correctly, an apple will be revealed. 

This is a quick, easy and fun way to teach, review and assess: number recognition, spatial directions, ordinal numbers, diagonal lines, plus listening and following directions. 

 I've also included a large numeric grid for the teacher to use in a "monkey see-monkey do" demonstration, as well as a completed grid showing the correctly colored apple. 

There are also posters to help explain ordinal numbers, left and right, as well as diagonal lines.  Click on the link to view/download the Magic Math Apple

Thanks for visiting today. It's a rainy, sleepy-kind-of day, so I think I'll just pass the time coloring, cutting and pasting; and there's nothing like getting on Pinterest to have the hours fly by.   So many ideas, so little time...

"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters and create many ripples." ~ Mother Teresa

1-2-3 Come Do Some Whimsical Shape Activities With Me

Sometimes when I'm designing something, the initial idea comes from some clip art that I found.  I'll look at it and say: "This is so cute!  How can I use this to make something educational?"

Thus was the case with this whimsical boy and girl done in black and white.  I LOVE DJ Inkers graphics.  I've bought a lot of stuff on her site. You can click on her link to the left of my blog under "Other Resources" to check out the adorable goodies. 

By adding different shapes for the boy's and girl's mouths, I came up with the Shapely Mouth packet.  Use it to teach, review and assess shapes and shape words.

The packet includes:

• 12 large 8x10 posters of each shape.  Use these to make a border, bulletin board, or for large flashcards.  There's also a  large 8x10 "shapes" title poster to provide a caption for your grouping.
  

• 2 posters featuring all of the shapes on one page.  You can run these off and give each child a copy to refer to, or give them a manipulative and have them place it over the various shapes as you call them out. 
• This could also be done as an "I Spy" game where students would trace the shapes that are called out.  (A quick, easy and fun way to whole group assess.)
  

• 2 Boy & 2 Girl Face Mats for students to play the "Shapely Mouth" game.  I included lines above one set of head posters.  Laminate these.  Using dry erase markers, students write the name of the shape down for whatever word card was selected. 

• Run off the other set for students to keep.  Trim off the directions on the bottom.  Children use these to play the shape game at home.
  

• 12 mouth-shape pieces for manipulatives.  Laminate red or pink sheets of construction paper.  Trace the various shapes once, and then cut 3-6 shapes at a time. Store in Snack Baggies.  Run off the shape master for students to color, cut and use as manipulatives for their game.
  

• 12 word cards with no shapes. Use these if you want to whole-group assess your students knowledge of the names of the shapes.

• 12 word cards with shapes on them. Use these to help teach little ones the names of the shapes.
• They look at that card and then place the matching shape on their head mat.
  
•  

There are also 12 mini shapely mouth cards to use for Memory Match and "I Have; Who Has?" games.

• Plus 2 trace and write shape booklets with 2 different covers.  Students trace and write the shape words, and then trace, draw and color the shapes. 
  

• Finally, there's a certificate of praise to help encourage your students and build their self-esteem.  There are 2 on a page for easy printing.
  

Click on the link to view/download the Shapely Mouth 2D Shapes Packet.

Thanks for visiting today.  Of course it's raining, because I watered my flowers early this morning.  The down pour did nothing to alleviate the humidity.  It's hot and muggy and a nice day to stay in the cool air-conditioning designing the day away with new FREEBIES. 

Feel free to send any special requests you may have to: diane@teachwithme.com   Wishing you a refreshing day!

"If you’ve told a child 100 times, then it is not the child who is a slow learner." -Unknown

41 pages.

Teach, review and assess shapes and shape words, with this whimsical shape packet.

1-2-3 Come Do Some Shapely Games And Kissing Hand Activities With Me

Since The Kissing Hand Activities have been such popular downloads, I thought I'd make a few more. I've had some requests for shape activities, specifically for Audrey Penn's back to school story, so I thought I'd start there, and do something with her main character, Chester the raccoon. 

While I putzed with drawing a raccoon, I thought it would be fun to make his eyes and nose the various shapes, as a hand's on game, or whole-group assessment activity.  Thus, Shaping Up With Chester was born. 

I've included the shapes: circle, oval, square, rectangle, triangle, hexagon, pentagon, octagon, trapezoid, rhombus, star and heart, so teachers would have a choice of what shapes they want to work on.

The packet includes an option where the eyes, nose and bow can all be changed into all of those shapes.

The photo shows an example of each one.  It's a bit difficult to see, but I've written the shape word on the center of the bows, which are also that shape.

Since this involves quite a few pieces, I suggest teachers make these to use as anchor chart posters, large flashcards or a bulletin board. 

Make an extra set to use as an independent math center for early finishers, or to send home with a struggling child.

There's also a raccoon template with only the nose missing.  Chester's eyes are filled in, ready for students to color. 

Run these off on gray construction paper.  Students color in details with crayons, and then trim. 

I've included a strip of nose shapes for them to color and then cut out, to be used as manipulatives for the game. You could also use my patterns, make a template of each shape, trace once and then cut 3-6 nose shapes out of black construction paper. 

To play the game, have a child choose a shape word card.  Show it to the class and read it together.  Children find that shape, place it in the nose position on their raccoon, and then raise their hand.  You can see at a glance who is having difficulty. 

If you want to check to see if students can identify the shapes by hearing the word, and use this as a whole group assessment tool, then use the cards with only the shape word on them. 

If you want to help little ones learn the shapes, use the word cards that also have a picture of the shape on them, as seen in the photo. 

Since part of the Common Core State Standards for shapes, includes spatial directions, you may want to include some, while children play the game.  i.e. "Put the rectangle nose under Chester's eyes, between his smile, above his neck etc."

Throw in a few silly ones to review the not-quite-appropriate spatial directions and inspire a bit of giggling.  i.e. "Put Chester's oval nose over his eye, behind his ear, on his mouth etc. "

Encourage students to play the shape identification game at home, having parents call out the different shape words.   Children could also choose their favorite shape, glue down the nose, and write the shape word on the back of their raccoon.  For a cute hallway display, suspend them from the ceiling.  A caption could be: "Mr(s.) ___________ kinders are really shaping up!"

The packet also includes a mini-trace and write shape booklet, where students color the shapes, trace and write the shape words, and then trace and draw the shapes. 

When they are done, they trim the pages, collate them and add a cover.  There are two cover options. Click on the link to view/download The Kissing Hand Shape Activities and Games packet. This packet will be FREE for an entire year, after which time it will be included in my jumbo Kissing Hand (Raccoon-Themed) Shape Packet available in my TpT shop.

Thanks for visiting today.  It's that perfect kind of afternoon, where the weather is just right, so I'm off to hike some trails with my hubby.   I'm sure Chloe, our poodle pup, will happily lead the way.  Wishing you an awesome nature-filled weekend too.

"The expert in anything was once a beginner." -Unknown    

25 pages.

If you read the adorable book The Kissing Hand, by Aurdrey Penn, you're familiar with Chester an anxious little raccoon.  Since he is such an endearing character for children, I thought I'd incorporate him into some fun hand's-on shape games and activities. 
This packet will be FREE for an entire year, after which time it will be included in my jumbo Kissing Hand (Raccoon-Themed) Shape Packet available in my TpT shop.  Click on the link to pop on over.

1-2-3 Come Do Some SHAPELY Apple Activities With Me

Apple week wouldn't be complete without doing some shape activities.  I found that the most successful way to get my students to be able to recognize, as well as name the various 2D and 3D shapes, was to immerse them in all sorts of hands-on activities, where they could work with all of the shapes.  I had a variety of different activities to keep interest high, but it was that consistent repetition that helped turn the light bulbs on.

Since I've had a few requests for some more activities involving Johnny Appleseed, I thought I'd design some shape games using Phillip Martin's cute Johnny Appleseed character.  The first one is entitled: Where Is Johnny Appleseed?  It reviews the 2D shapes: circle, oval, triangle, rectangle, square, pentagon, hexagon, octagon, trapezoid, rhombus, star and heart. 

Choose the shapes you want to work on.  Print, laminate and trim those apple cards and put them on your white board using a magnet, or on your flannel board using the scratchy side of a square of Velcro. 

There are two Johnny Appleseed Card options.  Choose one, print, laminate and trim.  Before your students get to school, put Johnny behind one of the apples. 

When students are gathered on the carpet, call on a quiet child to guess which apple shape they think Johnny Appleseed is hiding behind.  "I think he's behind the hexagon."  Lift up the card to take a peek and see if he's there. 

If not, that child calls on another to take a guess.  Play continues 'til someone has found Johnny Appleseed.  The simplistic beauty of this game, is that it only takes a few moments of time, and reviews shapes and the shape word in an interesting and fun way. 

I've also included a set of mini cards, so children can play Memory Match and "I Have; Who Has?" games.  Click on the link to view/download the Where's Johnny Appleseed Shape Game. 

The other Johnny Appleseed game involves spactial directions. As you know, part of the Common Core State Standards for shapes involves placement of the shapes. 

This "Where's Johnny's Apple?" game is a quick, easy and fun way to help reinforce that vocabulary, as well as whole-group assess students' understanding of the directional words. 

To play the game, run off the black line master of Johnny Appleseed.   (There are 2 on a page for easy printing.)  Children color their Johnny. (I've included a large one that's in color for teachers to use.) Print and trim the apple manipulatives and give each student one. 

Choose a child to pick a direction card, (there are 21 + a blank one to fill in with whatever). Show it to the class and then read it together. 

Children place their apple in the appropriate position (over, under, on, between, beside ...) on their Johnny Appleseed mat.  You can see at a glance who's having difficulty and jot a note to yourself. 

After you have quickly assessed your students, place the teacher apple on your Johnny Appleseed poster in the correct position.  (I put my poster on the white board.) 

Children look at their Johnny mat to see if they have the correct answer and adjust if necessary.

After the game, pass out a certificate of praise to help build self-esteem.  Click on the link to view/download the Where's Johnny's Apple?  Spatial Direction Game.

The Apple Shape Matching game provides a wonderful independent center for early finishers, or more practice for struggling kiddos.  Picking up and placing the various shapes also provides great fine motor practice.  

For a sweet "oldie but goodie" apple shape easy reader, click on the link for The Shape of Apple Annie.  It was one of my first apple stories and serves up a nice lesson about being content and happy with who you are. 

Annie, however, is not happy with her apple-shape 'til she turns into all sorts of other shapes.  Children trace the various apple shapes and then write the shape words in the spaces provided. 

Finally, since all of the silly shaped animals (penguins, owls, chicks rabbits)  have been so popular, I decided to make some silly-shaped apples. 

They can be used as anchor chart posters, large flashcards, a bulletin board, and assessment tools.

Make extra sets and use them for independent centers and games. 

Children can also choose their favorite shape and make a shapely apple of their own.  A shape attributes worksheet is also included.

As you can see by the photo, some of the apples have the various shapes as their "core" (I think they turned out really cute, if I do say so for myself.)

Others are big and the entire apple takes on that shape. The shape word is a little hard to see in the photos, but they appear on all of the apple shapes.

I've included all of the 2D shapes, as well as four 3D shapes.  There's also directions for a fun "Four Corners" apple game that my students just LOVE.  Click on the link to view/download the 41-page Shapely Apples packet.

Thanks for visiting today.  I'm about appled out.  If you'd like to see all of the other apple FREEBIES to help celebrate your apple week, simply scroll down.

It's time for a much-needed break.  I'm off to get some clothes on. (Don't you just love relaxing jammie days?) It's date night with my hubby, and that requires some makeup.  Wishing you a wonderful weekend. 

"If it weren't for the last minute, I wouldn't get everything done!"

41 pages.

These "shapely apples" can be used as anchor chart posters, large flashcards, a bulletin board, and assessment tools. Make extra sets and use them for independent centers and games.  Children can also choose their favorite shape and make a shapely apple of their own.  A shape attributes worksheet is also included.

9 pages. 

These games are a quick, easy and fun way to review shapes and shape words.

10 pages.

This is a quick, easy and fun apple-themed game to play with your students, to whole-group assess spatial directions.