1-2-3 Come Make A "First Day Jitters" Booklet With Me

Do you read “First Day Jitters”, by Julie Danneberg?

It’s one of my all-time favorite back to school books. If you haven't read it, put it on your "to do" list. You'll LOVE the ending.

After I read a story, I like to have my students transition to some sort of activity, which practices a variety of standards, using the book as a springboard.

With that in mind, I designed this "First Day Jitters" class book.
It's a wonderful little icebreaker that I think your students will enjoy.

There’s a blank area where students can draw their own “face”, as well as 8, black & white patterns featuring girls, plus 8 with boys.

I find that my little ones may “write” big, but often they draw rather small.
Because of this, they do a much better job if they have some sort of outline to add features too.

Students draw their features on the face, of how they think “jitter feelings” look.
They color the picture to represent their hair, face, eye color etc.

Children also color any of the emoji faces that depict the variety of emotions that they have felt during the day.

Older students can explain those feelings by writing on the back.

Completed projects make a cute bulletin board.
You can use the various posters to introduce your lesson, then add them to your display for extra pizzazz.

After you take your back to school display down, collate the pages, then add the cover and turn into a class book. (Great to share during parent-teacher conferences.)

Later, take the book apart, and include this page in your students’ end of the year Memory Books. 

Today's featured FREEBIE is a set of "Book Hospital" patterns, to help make your life easier.

When students are reading a book from your classroom library and discover that it needs some repair work, to avoid further damage, have them fill out an Rx form of what's wrong with the book and how you can fix it.

They tuck the note on the page that needs repair, so that the end sticks out and then drop the book in the "hospital" basket.

Repairing a book is a great job to delegate to a room or classroom helper.

There are two patterns on a page for easy printing, so why not make a "book hospital" for a fellow teacher or your librarian, as a "Hope you have a great year!" surprise.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for popping by.

I have a few more "back to school" ideas rolling around in my head, so I best make some notes before they flutter away. 

Wishing you a day filled with giggles galore.

"Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." - Victor Borge

"

1-2-3 Come Do Some "Three Billy Goats Gruff" Activities With Me

 Do you read the fairy tale, "Three Billy Goats Gruff" ? It's an old-fashioned favorite of mine, and perfect for sequencing! 

So I designed 3 "craftivities" that will help practice the "sequencing & retelling a story" standards: There's a slider, wheel and flip booklet. 

Any of the projects make for a wonderful transition activity, after you're done reading the story.   Fun for your kiddos and easy-peasy for you too, as all three are simply “Print & Go”. 

First up is the flip booklet.

There are 2 booklet options to choose from: one featuring a troll, the other a goat.

The troll pages are large circles with bigger graphics, while the goat pages come two on a one-page pattern. The graphics are also a nice size.

Pick your favorite, or give students a choice. 

There are full color patterns so that you can quickly & easily make an example to share, plus black & white templates, so students can make their own.

Simply run the troll and goat patterns off on construction paper or card stock. Students color & trim. These become the sturdy “base” of their booklet.

Children then color, cut & collate the pages into a little book, which is then attached to the base.

I purposely did not number the pages, so you can assess comprehension & their ability to sequence correctly.

You can also easily omit pages, to make a shorter booklet for little ones, so they can simply tell the "beginning-middle & end" of the story.

For some writing practice, I thought it would be fun for students, to add a caption inside a speech bubble, that’s above a “color me” picture of the troll falling off the bridge or being swept away in the river.

Completed worksheets make a cute bulletin board.

Next up is the slider.  There are 3 outside slider options to choose from, which children color & trim.

Two options are square for easy-peasy, straight-edge cutting, while the other is a “cut me out” troll, for those with more scissor experience.

Students color the story elements on the “slider strip” then cut and glue it together. (All 3 options use the same “slider strip”).

As they pull on the end of the “slider” the various pictures go through the “window”, so that children can take turns retelling the story to a partner or reading buddy, then take their troll/goat home to share with their family, once again practicing these standards.

I introduce the lesson by reading "3 Billy Goats Gruff", then share my completed "slider craftivity” with my students.

So that you can quickly, and easily make an example, I’ve included a full-color slider pattern.

After I read the story, we retell the tale together, using the picture prompts. Have children guess which story element they think comes next before you pull the picture through the “window”.

My students now know what’s expected of them, and are very excited to transition to making a story slider of their own. 

Finally, the storytelling wheel is yet another quick, easy & fun way for students to practice the “retelling & sequencing” a story standards.

There are 2 wheel options to choose from: one featuring a troll, the other, the 3 billy goats. The "pie wheel" that's underneath is the same.  I give my students a choice.

When everyone is done, practice retelling by using the manipulative. Everyone starts by turning their wheel so that the 3 goats appear in the “pie-slice window”, then call on a child to begin the story,

Continue to turn the wheel, calling on different students to tell you that portion of the story, explaining the “picture prompt”. You can also ask kiddos if this is the beginning-middle-or end of the tale.

To further check comprehension, I’ve included a “color, cut & glue” worksheet in all 3 packets.

Same format, but with different clip art that matches that particular craftivity.  There's a simple version for younger kiddos, as well as a more challenging option, where the "picture tiles" are mixed up.

As another way to assess comprehension, as well as include some writing practice, there’s also a variety of “Here’s What Happened…” worksheets, which can be done as a whole group with younger children.

When everyone is done with their slider, wheel or flip booklet, have children pick a partner and take turns telling the story, “3 Billy Goats Gruff” to each other.
We sometimes do this sort of thing with our older reading buddies.

Afterwards, encourage students to share their goat/troll craft with their parents, once again retelling the story.

Because my little peanuts are absolutely exhausted, at the end of our day, I like to show some sort of very short educational video.

This is a "winding down" (calming time) for us, which not only helps my students, but gives me a few minutes to get things ready for dismissal.

I spend quite a bit of time seaching YouTube, so I've also included 3 of my favorite "Billy Goats Gruff" video links in all three packets. 

I sincerely hope you'll give one of these crafts a try.   If your students are like mine, they will really enjoy sequencing and retelling with a "paper manipulative".

Today's featured FREEBIE is a fun little "back to school" icebreaker treat bag. I enjoy decorating with fish.

They work for the beginning of the year, as well as summer; their bright colors simply give one a happy feeling.

There's also the terrific "play on words" possibilities, with "school" and "o-fish-ally".

So  I designed these sweet treat bag "headers" to put at the top of a Snack Baggie of Fishy crackers. Don't want to do a treat bag? Use the patterns for a bookmark!

There's also a fish pattern to slit & slide a push-up Popsicle through, plus a bookmark for more quick, easy & inexpensive treats.

I've included a "We're ready for a 'fin-tastic' school year" poster as well, which can be the center for a fish-filled bulletin board.

The packet includes patterns for preschool, kindergarten & 1st grade, with a blank template to fill in with whatever grade you teach. 

Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by.

I don't know about you, but my back-to-school, "To Do" list, keeps getting longer as the summer gets shorter.

Wishing you a relaxing and stress-free day.

"Less Monday; more summer!" -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some "First Day Jitters" Activities With Me

Do you read “First Day Jitters”, by Julie Danneberg?
It is one of my students’ all-time favorite back to school books.

With that in mind, I designed “Jit Lit”.
It’s a labor of love - jumbo packet (over 100 pages of fun!) that’s filled with all sorts of different & creative literacy activities, inspired by that story.

They are sure to provide lots of super-fun engagement for kiddos, that first week of school.

As always, activities come in black & white for students, as well as color, so that you can quickly & easily make an example to share.

There are graphing extensions, games, puzzles, a maze, word find, a variety of worksheets, “Rhyme Time”.

The packet also includes:

Quick, easy & fun writing prompt craftivities. You'll really like the versatility. A few of my favorites:

* “Sip Sip Hooray! How are you feeling today?” juice glass with emoji “bubbles”. 

There's a simple "color me" worksheet for little ones, as well as a "flip the flap" writing prompt, for older kiddos.

Children color the emojis that represent how they are feeling, then color the "juice" their favorite color. 

For added pizzazz & to give your bulletin board display some 3D pop, cut a slit on the dashed line and insert a plastic straw. 

The slice of "lemon" also adds that finishing touch, and a bit more dimension. Completed projects make an adorable bulletin board. 

I've included several posters to add some extra zip to your display, as well as an interesting graphing extension.  Another fun writing prompt craftivity is a ...

* “Welcome to our school!” postcard.

Children choose one of six options, then color, trim, fold up & glue.

They can write to Sarah Jane in an effort to chase her "Jitters" away, or write to another character or a real person.

* “Paper Love” cell phone-emoji message. It never ceases to amaze me, how techie even little ones are today. 

My 3-year-old granddaughter loves picking emojis on my phone, then sending them in an “I love you” text to her mom & dad at work. 

They always send her an emoji-filled text back and she’s absolutely thrilled.
This was the inspiration behind my “paper love” worksheet.  T

There are 6, “color me” worksheets for students to choose from (3 girls & 3 boys). Students color the picture then fill in the blanks,  They choose the emojis that best depict their feelings that day, then cut and glue them inside the cell phone.

* “What Were You Thinking?” Cartoon bubble writing craftivity is also super-fun. 

Students write their "I just woke up & it's the first day of school" thoughts in the cartoon speech bubble.

They add some hair & color the blank oval "head" that's peeking out from under the covers. Children can draw in eyes, but adding a pair of wiggle eyes with glue dots really adds to the cuteness factor. 

* The“Bed Head Jitters” flip-the-flap writing prompt booklet, also uses a bed pattern.

Sarah Jane pulls the covers up over her head and refuses to get out of bed. Have you ever felt like you didnt want to get out of bed either?

Students write about a similar experience on the base of the bed. The "cover" is the blanket, which flips up to reveal the completed prompt. 

Children can draw their head, or glue a photograph of themselves on the pillow.

Lots of the projects make adorable, back to school bulletin boards.

I’ve included a variety of posters to introduce the various lessons, then add them to your displays for extra pizzazz.

Afterwards, tuck them away to be included in your students’ end of the year Memory Books.

So you can cover those English Language standards, there are also lots of literacy-based activities, like parts of a book, story elements, character traits, sequencing, & retelling, plus comprehension checks.

A few of my favorites are:
* “How observant are you?” Detective worksheet
* Super-Sleuth Challenge, and my personal favorite . . .

* “Instagame!” It's a sequencing craftivity, where students color, cut & glue the "picture tiles" in the correct order. 

My inpiration was the ever-popular Instagram, so I'm sure your students will enjoy making this "cell phone" craft.

* “What’s your OPINION?” Rate & Rank the book. (Thumbs up/down & how many stars?) AND . . .

* Making Connections (“Let’s Text!”) cell phone writing prompt worksheets: text to text, text to world, text to self. 

I've also included a few "bonus goodies" that you can give your students: bookmarks, plus treat bag toppers. 

For a special little something, after you read the story, fill up ZipLock Snack Baggies with a few munchies. 

Because my students enjoy pretzels & Fishy crackers, that's what I used. Tape on a topper, then pass out to your kiddos. "Because you're sweet, please have a seat. So you can eat, this "Jitters" treat."

Finally,  as another "jitter buster" we make  "Jitter Glitter Names".

Since "jitter" rhymes with "glitter" this is my transitional activity after we do the "Rhyme Time" worksheet.

My Y5s absolutely go bananas over glitter. This simple activity coincides with practicing the "recognizes & writes name" standards, so it's a win-win.

Today's featured FREEBIE is another first week of school activity.

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, so tuck them away for their end of the year Memory Books.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by. 

It's another scorcher weather wise (I'm so not a 90 degrees, hot & humid person); even my poodle pup Chloe, didn't want to stay outside.

Wishing you a refreshing day with a cool breeze.

"Dear Weather. Stop showing off.  We already know you're hot!" -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Make Some Number Booklets With Me

If your kiddos are like mine, they will absolutely love making these “just the right size” number booklets.

Teachers will enjoy the easy-peasy "Print & Go" prep as well.

There are eleven, 2-page booklets for numbers 0-10 .

Besides number recognition the booklets also provide great fine motor practice while cutting & gluing.

Each booklet has a bit of a different shape, as they follow the contours of the numbers, which adds interest to their appearance, as well as provides “curved” cutting practice as well.

The assembly of each booklet is also simple, and is a great way to practice listening & following directions too.

For the inside pages, children trace and write the number & word, then color the group of that many things.

I include number words because even though I’m not teaching “reading” or number word recognition at this time, I’ve included it “on and in” the booklet, for several reasons.

At the same time we are learning numbers, children are also learning letters.  Seeing them together helps kiddos differentiate the two.  

Children will also realize that a number symbol has a word that’s also associated with it, and that those words, are made up of letters.  

Even though children might not be able to correctly match up a word to a number yet, I’ve discovered that by continuously seeing numbers with their matching words, my students were successfully recognizing them later!

It’s sort of like being able to read the word Cheerios, or McDonalds simply because they are associating.

When everyone is done with their booklet, we “read” it together.

We count from 0 to that number, flash that many fingers, then clap each letter as we spell the word.

You can send each booklet home after your kiddos create it, or you can have children keep them in a 5x7 manila envelope.

Holding the envelope horizontally, I slit the top. Students seal the flap shut .

After they have colored the picture, they glue their worksheet on the front.

When we finish studying a number, children trace and write it, then tuck the booklet inside the envelope. 

 I also give my kiddos a "student number". This matches the alphabetical order of their first names; Anna, Bill, Bob etc.

Along with their name, they write this number on any work that I keep for folders, portfolios etc. 

This way, students can assist me in filing "stuff", which I keep in tubs.  This takes just a minute, and finding a student's work is a breeze.

Plus I never have piles of "need to file" papers all over the place!

Because students are tracing and writing the number on the front, I can also see at a glance, who was absent and is missing a number.

After we are done with the envelopes, I call for a number; as we all, slowly count out loud.

Number one student brings theirs up, then 2 and so on. Everything is now numerically filed and easy to accesss, in a plastic shoebox.

These are great to take out and share during parent-teacher conferences too. 

Once all of our booklets are done, I have students sit on the floor and arrange them in order from 0-10, practicing the "sequencing" standard in a fun way.

The packet also includes a certificate of praise, as well as several “I Spy a Number” worksheets.
This game is a super-fun way to whole group assess, while practicing number recognition.

Today's featured FREEBIE is a collection of 5, fall matching games, which help practice 2D shapes. 

Print, laminate and trim.  Students place the colored shape tile on the matching shape on the leaf, spider, bat, owl, or turkey card.  

I've also included a blank template for each theme, so you can program with more shapes or whatever. 

Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by. 

Time to put my party hat on, as we're celebrating my birthday early, and hitting the beach for some fun in the sun. 

Wishing you a stress-free & relaxing day.

"Live the party. Love the party. Be the party." -Unknown 

1-2-3 Come Do Some "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" Activities With Me

Do you read "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" by Laura Numeroff? 

I absolutely love her "If You Give A..." series of stories.  So do my students.  They truly get a kick out of the endings, where things come full circle and then repeat. 

Glad that a publisher finally agreed, as that best-selling book was rejected 9 times!!!! Puts new meaning behind the words, "Try, try again." 

These books are perfect for sequencing!  With that in mind, I designed a storytelling flip booklet, as well as a slider craftivity. 

Both packets will help practice the "sequencing & retelling a story" standards, and make for a wonderful transition activity, after you're done reading the story.  

First up is the "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" flip booklet. 

Fun for your kiddos and easy-peasy for you too, as it’s simply “Print & Go”. 

Simply run the mouse pattern off on construction paper or card stock.
Students color & trim. This becomes the sturdy “base” of their booklet.

Students color, cut & collate the pages into a little book, which is then glued to the base.

I purposely did not number the pages, so you can assess comprehension & ability to sequence correctly.

I've included black & white patterns, as well as colorful ones, so that you can quickly & easily make an example to share.

Because children absolutely love giving their opinion, the last page allows them a chance to rate the story with a thumbs up or down, as well as coloring in a star ranking.

To further check comprehension, I’ve included a “color, cut & glue” worksheet too.

As another way to assess comprehension, as well as include some writing practice, there’s also a “Here’s What Happened…” worksheet, which can be done as a whole group with younger children.

When everyone is done, have children pick a partner and take turns telling the story, “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” to each other.
We sometimes do this sort of thing with our older reading buddies.

Afterwards, encourage students to share their mouse craft with their parents, once again retelling the story.

Next up is the slider.  There are several mouse options. I’ve included a large, full-page pattern for teachers, as well as a smaller, 2-on-a-page pattern for your students.

Children color the story elements on the “slider strip” then cut and glue it together.

As they pull on the end of the “slider” the various pictures go through the cookie “window”, so that children can take turns retelling the story to a partner or reading buddy, then take their mouse home to share with their family, once again practicing these standards.

Storytelling sliders are also an easy & interesting way to assess comprehension.

I’ve included a “sequence the story” slider activity for this, where students color and trim the picture “windows” then glue them in the correct order on the blank slider strip.

You also have the option to do the regular slider with the story graphics in the appropriate order, then assess comprehension afterwards, using the “Sequence the Story” worksheet.

I introduce the lesson by reading "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie", then share my completed "slider craftivity” with my students.

So that you can quickly, and easily make an example, I’ve included a full-color slider pattern.

After I read the story, we retell the tale together, using the picture prompts on my cookie mouse.
Have children guess which story element they think comes next before you pull the picture through the “window”.

My students now know what’s expected of them, and are very excited to transition to making a Cookie Mouse story slider of their own.

As with the flip booklet, this packet also includes a "Here's What Happened..." worksheet, in black & white, as well as color, so that you can do this as a whole group discussion with little ones.

Today's featured FREEBIE is a fun little "back to school" icebreaker.

You can play this "get to know you game" with M&Ms or Skittles,   This activity works with a variety of ages and grade levels.  I hope you find it useful.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for popping in. 

Not sure about you, but my summer is going at the speed of light. 

Seems like we were all just cheering on the last day, and now we're getting ready for that exciting first week of school. 

Wishing you a blessed day free of stress, and those too long "To Do" lists.

"You do enough. You are enough. You've done enough. You have enough. Relax." - Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do a Back to School Icebreaker With Me!

Nowadays, our classrooms are filled with lots of diversity, which sometimes makes starting a new school year a bit scary.

I truly believe that making the time to do some “get to know you” activities the first few days of school, is so very important in building community, camaraderie and a team spirit.

Once those things are established, children build friendships. That bond helps them enjoy school more, learn better and feel safer.

Discipline problems are lessened as well because of mutual feelings of genuine caring and respect.

With that in mind, I designed this super-fun icebreaker craftivity, I call it, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”, which not only helps everyone get to know each other, but also practices writing skills in a fun way.

I find that students truly enjoy sharing things about themselves.

A bonus is that completed projects also make an awesome back to school bulletin board as well.

I’ve included a variety of posters, for your display.  

There's also a nice selection of "Don't judge a book by its cover", thought-provoking photo posters. 

Use them as an attention grabbing way to introduce the lesson, or jump start a discussion of why it’s important not to prejudge others.

Later, sprinkle them throughout your display of children's book stacks. 

As another discussion starter, I've also included a set of 4, interesting quote cards. These too, can become part of your display.

So that this idea works for a variety of grades, ages and skill levels, I’ve included patterns for lower elementary kiddos, as well as patterns for older students. 

There are 6 young boy "topper" options, along with 6 for girls.

Patterns come in black & white so students can color them. I've also included several in color, so that you can quickly & easily make an example to share.

This "topper" sits on a stack of books.

Each book features a "favorite" writing prompt. Such as favorite food, animal, color etc. 

Making this a quick, easy and a super-fun way to get to know your students. 

Younger kiddos can dictate their answers to a parent, which makes this an interesting activity to do during your open house or "Meet the Teacher" night.

There are also 2 options for “teacher toppers” so that you can quickly & easily make an example to share. Students love learning things about their new teachers. 

For older students there's a taller stack of books, with a pattern for a boy as well as a girl. 

These come with "favorites" book headers, as well as a pattern where the books are numbered, so you can taylor your questions for your own class.  

I've included a list of ideas you can choose from, to help design your own categories.

Simply peruse my list, circle your favorite 14, then number them. 

After students have colored, cut and assembled ther book stack, read the first item you want them to write down on the first book: ie. "What is your favorite movie? " 

For extra writing practice, I've also included several writing prompt worksheets.

Because "Don't judge a book by its cover" and "I can read them like a book" are idioms, be sure and take that teachable moment to explain what that term means. 

I've included some definition posters to assist you. 

Today's featured FREEBIE is a set of two coloring pages, inspired by two of my all-time favorite back to school books: "The Kissing Hand" and "Chrysanthemum". 

Use them for a few minutes of sanity-saving time. While children are engaged and happily coloring, you 're freed up for a bit. 

Plus, kiddos have a nice little something to bring home to share with their families.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by. 

Our weather here in Michigan has been absolutely gorgeous! Feeling very blessed. 

Wishing you a stress free and very relaxing day.

"Life seems to begin all over again during the summer."  - Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Name Writing Activities With Me

Put some fun into “name writing” practice.
This important skill can be daunting for little ones just learning how to hold a writing utensil.

Likewise, “practice makes perfect” can become tedious and boring.
With these things in mind, I designed this “kid topper” name craftivity.

There are a variety of ways you can use this packet.

The first way is to use as a worksheet with a “child topper”.
Run off the boy & girl patterns on copy paper, or to make them sturdier, use white construction paper.

There are 18, BW girl options, as well as 18 boy options. Children color the child, then trim and glue to the top of one of the worksheets.

There are 4 “I can write my name" worksheets. Choose which is most appropriate for your students.

To add variety & make things more fun, students write their name with a crayon, pencil, marker, pen & piece of chalk.

If your kiddos are like mine, this is a “big deal” that meets with lots of enthusiasm.

Another option, is for students to simply write with one utensil. My kiddos’ favorite is markers.

They can do this all at once, writing their name six times, or do this once each day for the first week of school.

IDEA: Have students choose two different colored markers, then show an ABAB color pattern to cover yet another report card standard.

Completed projects make an adorable bulletin board. I’ve included 2 posters to add extra pizzazz.

IDEA: After you take your bulletin board down, save your students’ work, then have them repeat the assignment, the last week of school.

You should see wonderful improvement in coloring, as well as writing! What a great keepsake too. 

The other option is to make a “strip booklet”.

To make one, staple X number of pages together, add the cover, then staple to the base of each students’ “kid topper”.

Children write their name on the first day, then again, once each month.

This is great to share during parent-teacher conferences, and also makes a wonderful keepsake at the end of the year.

I've also included 3, "bookmarks of praise" for boys, and another 3 for girls, which you can hand out when they pass this report card standard.

Today's featured FREEBIE is a "Getting to know you!" name map.

Well that's it for today. Thanks for popping in. 

It's summer; it's Friday, and I'm feelin' oh so fine! 

Time to don my straw hat & flips flops. Hoffmaster Beach here we come.

"A little sand between your toes, is a simple way to take away your woes. " -Unknown.

1-2-3 Come Do A "Dog Gone Great" Writing Craftivity With Me

No matter what grade I taught, all I had to do to grab my students’ attention and get them excited about writing, was to add a bit of craftiness to an interesting and fun writing prompt.

With that in mind, I designed this (flip the flap) “Dog Gone Great!” activity, which is another one of my “double duty” writing prompts.

I call them double duty because they have patterns that serve a dual purpose.

You can use them for either the beginning of the year, for a super-fun back to school activity, or plug them in at the end of the year, for pre-summer writing.

There are 5 different dog designs to choose from, as well as 3 writing prompts:

“I had a dog gone great summer!”

“I had a dog gone great school year!” and...

"________________________ is dog gone great!” where students fill in the blank with something they think is awesome: a sport, activity, subject, book, person, vacation, etc.

There are also 3 writing page options as well: 2 with different sized lines, plus a blank pattern.

Pick which is most appropriate for your students, or give them a choice.
There’s plenty of room to write, as the patterns take up almost a full page.

I’ve included black & white patterns for students, as well as 5 colorful patterns, so that you can quickly and easily make an example to share.

When everyone is done, have students pick a partner and take turns sharing, or make some time for children to share with the entire class.

Completed projects make an adorable bulletin board.

I’ve included 2, “Dog Gone Great Writing!” posters to add some extra pizzazz to your display.

Today's featured FREEBIE is a super-fun "Shape Matching Game For Fall". 

Print, laminate and trim.  Students place the colored shape tile on to the matching shape on the leaf, spider, bat, owl, or turkey card.  

I've included a blank template for each theme, so you can program with more shapes or whatever. I hope you find it useful.

Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by. 

Since the heat index is 110 I'm going to continue to craft away in my blessedly cool office today. 

Wishing you a stress-free & happy-go-lucky day.

"It's summer! If you're not barefoot, you're overdressed." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some "First Day Jitters" Activities With Me

Do you read “First Day Jitters” by Julie Danneberg?
It’s one of my all-time favorite back to school books. My students absolutely LOVE the surprise ending.

With that in mind, I decided to make 3 different "Jitter" crafts, to help students sequence and retell the story. They are a super-fun transitional activity after you're done reading.

First up is the “First Day Jitters”   flip the flap, schoolhouse booklet.

So that you can differentiate your lessons, I’ve included a simple flip booklet with just 4 pages for little ones, as well as pattern pages for a super-cool schoolhouse, where the pages are cut down the middle, so the "double-doors" of the school house flip open on both sides.

I purposely did not number the pages, so you can check comprehension.

This also allows you to choose less pages for preschool students, who can easily sort beginning-middle-& end, then retell the story with a limited number of “picture prompts”.

Simply run the schoolhouse pattern off on construction paper or card stock. Students color & trim.

Open the doors to the schoolhouse to retell the story.

Students color, cut & collate the pages into a little booklet, which is then glued to the base of the schoolhouse.

For writing practice, I’ve also included several prompt options that are written on the schoolhouse base patterns. Simply choose which is most appropriate for your kiddos, or you could give them a choice.

Next up is a super-simple "First Day Jitters" storytelling wheel.

If your kiddos are like mine, they will really enjoy making a wheel of their own. It’s a wonderful activity to transition to after reading the story.

To once again grab my students’ attention, I share my sample as a story review, then ask, “Who’d like to make one?”  Woo Hoo for excited enthusiasm!

As a whole group, when everyone is done with their craftivity, practice retelling “First Day Jitters” using the wheel manipulative.

Everyone starts by turning their wheel to the “pie slice”, where Mr. Hartwell is calling to Sarah. Pick a child to explain what’s happening in that ”beginning of the story” graphic.

Continue to turn the wheel, calling on different students to tell you about that portion of the story.

To check comprehension, and reinforce the “sequencing a story” standard, I’ve also included a “color, cut & glue” sequencing worksheet.

Use the larger, colorful pattern for a whole group activity with younger kiddos. 

Print, laminate & trim the patterns.  Attach the grid to your white board, then pass the pieces out to your students.

"How does the story start?"  "Who has that story piece?"  That child comes up and places it on the grid. (I attach magnet dots to the backs, but you can also use Velcro or tape.)

This activity is also included in the final "Jitters" craftivity,  a super-fun "First Day Jitters" storytelling slider.

Students color the story elements on the “slider strip” then cut and glue it together.

With just six, nice-sized graphics, this is easy peasy for even preschool children, making it perfect for explaining the beginning-middle & end of a story too.

As children pull on the end of the “slider-strip” the various pictures go through the “window” on the “door” of the schoolhouse, so that students can take turns retelling the story to a partner or reading buddy, then take their slider home to share with their family, once again practicing these standards.

All three packets include black & white patterns, as well as colorful ones, so that you can quickly & easily make an example to share.

As another way to assess comprehension, as well as include more writing practice, I’ve also included a “Here’s What Happened…” worksheet, which can be done independently, or as a whole group with younger children. This worksheet is included in all three packets as well.  

No matter if you're flippng & flapping, or turning & learning, or simply sliding along, I hope you have an absolute blast with your new students. 

Today's featured FREEBIE is also a little something for back to school. 

I found an "author unknown" quote in various place on the internet, and decided to revamp & expand it, making this "poster poem" appropriate for a teacher to share with their students. 

You can hang it up as a poster, or tuck it in your "Welcome Packet".  Just a little something fun for "Meet & Greet the Teacher" night too. 

Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by.

As we head into the weekend we will be topping 90 degrees. I'm so grateful that we have air conditioning in our home. 

Despite the heat, I may venture out to walk my poodle pup and water the flowers.  Wishing you a relaxing and super-fun summer & jitter-free school year. 

Oh and if you too love "First Day Jitters" be sure and check out Danneberg's "Last Day Blues" it too is a sweet story that proves teachers & students have a lot more in common that they think.

"Summer: Hair gets lighter; skin gets darker. Water gets warmer; drinks get colder. Music gets louder; nights get longer. Life gets better in the good ole' summertime. " -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Make a Sandcastle With Me

Put some “Woo Hoo!” into studying place value, by creating a super-cute PVS (Place Value Sandcastle).

This is a wonderful craftivity for both the end of the year, as a fun way to reinforce lessons learned, and also works well for back to school when you want to refresh, review and assess where your students are concerning their knowledge of place value.

The craft is a super-fun alternative to worksheets; however, I’ve also included some of those, for extra practice and as an assessment tool. 

One of the worksheet options, comes 2 on a one-page pattern for quick printing. 

Students fill in the blanks with the number, expanded form, word form and a breakdown of placement. 

Children also pick a partner and practice greater & less than, by comparing their sandcastle's value with their friend's.

Completed projects turn out really cute and make an outstanding bulletin board or hallway display.

I’ve included a variety of posters to help you decorate and add extra pizzazz, or use them as an interesting way to introduce the lesson and grab students' attention. 

I took a photograph of real sand, and made that my background paper, then placed transparent letters over the top, spelling "Sandcastles". 

Print, laminate & cut them out for a cool header for your bulletin board.

You’re sure to get lots of compliments, as the castles definitely have that “Wow!” factor; especially if you do the “sand names”. 

I set this up as a center, and call students up while they are working on their sandcastle. 

Beforehand, I wrote their names on a variety of colored card stock; then assist them in "tracing" their name with Elmer's glue.

Afterwards, they sprinkle the wet letters with play sand. Set aside to dry. For your display, hang their name above or under their sandcastle for that finishing touch.

The packet is very versatile with quite a few options for your students to choose from, which allows you to diversify your lesson.

Designing a sandcastle is appealing to a variety of ages and abilities.
The versatility allows younger kiddos, as well as older students, to create a sandcastle that will have a two, three or even 4-digit number value!

Beginners work on 1s & 10s, while older kiddos design with 1s, 10s & 100s. I’ve also included worksheets for 4-digit numbers, so that older students can work with 1,000s.

Keep things simple for little ones and limit the number of pieces and options, while challenging older students to create a bigger value for their sandcastle.

Once children have finished their PVS they figure out the value of their sandcastle.

I’ve provided several worksheet options for students to complete. 

Since some of my kiddos get carried away with decorating, they'll have to do some "conversions" when figuring out the value of their sandcastle. 

i.e. If they count up 17 ones, they'll have to make one ten, leaving just 7 ones. 

The worksheet helps them figure out the value by showing the math. 

I'm also able to easily asses that they "get it".

Besides the place value sandcastles, I’ve also included 2 options for a seashell, “counting castle” for younger students. 

There are 5 different seashells for students to color, cut and glue to the sandcastle of their choice. 

Little ones can practice counting to 10, while kinders can work on those toughie teen numbers. 

I've also included a graphing extension so that you can practice that standard as well.

I've also included 3 seashells labeled 1s, 10s & 100s, if you'd like to make this simpler place value sandcastle, or use these as an independent math center. 

Limited time? This makes a super-fun homework assignment, or another idea is to have students work with a partner or create one PVS in a small group of three, which will divide up the work.

Here’s a fun challenge: Give the small group a total sandcastle value, and see how close they can get to hitting that number.

For a super-fun math center, print a variety of sandcastle pieces & flags on construction paper or card stock. Laminate and trim.

Students can design a sandcastle, then figure out the value, writing that number on the flag using a dry erase marker. When they’re done, take a photograph.

Put the pictures in an album along with their place value worksheet. The same can be done with the seashell sandcastles as well.
I’ve included covers for your album(s). 

I know summer has just begun, but I also know there are teachers who are starting to collect things for back to school.

So today's featured FREEBIE is a "Lucky Charms" treat bag that you can make for your kiddos.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by. 

Time to put on my Nana hat, as two of my nine grandchildren, are spending the day with me.

Hopefully the rain will hold off.  If not, it will be a puddle jumping day! Wishing you a fun-filled week.

"A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, a warm and gentle breeze is blowing, the birds are singing a sweet song and the lawnmower is broken." -Unknown