Let's Decorate!

Just in time for all of you who are thinking: “Back to School”, and looking for some new posters to freshen up your room.

I’ve designed some this week for rules, reading and writing etc.

Type up your own class rules, glue them in the "book" and then laminate.

I hope you enjoy the posters! If there's something special you're looking for, shoot me an e-mail and I'll see what i can do.

Click on the links for:

Reading posters,  Writing posters,  Owl rule anchor chart,  Agenda anchor chart.

I've included an extra book template for the Agenda poster so you can write down more things in your schedule.

Laminate and put this on your white board and allow students to check things off on the side, as you complete them, or as your day unfolds.  This is especially helpful for little ones so that they can get a grasp of time.

If you are looking for more posters and anchor charts, I have LOTS!  Simply click on the link Anchor Charts & Posters to view the complete collection.  Just scroll down and choose whichever ones you like!

Thanks for visiting. Feel free to PIN anything you think others might find helpful.

I hope you can pop in tomorrow for more back to school ideas!

“There seems to be 2 choices in life: give up; give in, or give it all you’ve got!” - Unknown

Dots of Glue Pictures and Pinch and Pokes Help Fine Motor Skills

Use these seasonal dotted clips to help your students learn to use glue bottles and use just a dot of glue with the cute rhyme-song that goes to the tune of “If You’re Happy And You Know It!”

I’ve seen it all over the Internet with no credit given to who is the originator, so if you’re that creative person, let me know and I’ll acknowledge you + link up.

Simply run off the art work and have students color it if you want, for that extra fine motor practice and then placing it on a sheet of scrap paper to avoid the “oops spills” give students a small glue bottle and have them practice plopping a small dot (not a lot) on each little spot on the picture.

Remind them to sing the little ditty while they plop and dot.

If your kiddo’s are like mine, they will enjoy this activity.  It will strengthen their finger muscles as well as their aim, (hand-eye coordination) and in no time you won’t dread passing out liquid glue, because there won’t be lakes of it running all over the place.

You can also use these as mini-Pinch & Pokes.

Students LOVE doing these, and they help increase the same finger muscles as the above activity.

Plus they strengthen the upper body, because students lie on their tummies on the carpet.  The paper needs to be on a carpet square or the carpet, so the “poker” can go through the paper.

My Y5’s had no problems being trusted with a fat tack as long as I explained the rules: No poking themselves, another child or anything but the dots on the paper.  Any infractions and they had a time out and could no longer do Pinch & Pokes, period.

Since this was an activity as fun as Play-Doh, they behaved.  If you still cringe at the “sharp object” idea, a golf tee works well, but makes a bigger hole and is a bit harder to poke into paper and sometimes tears things rather than gives a nice circular hole.

Since this is seasonal and themed clip art, with 4 to 5 on a page, I’m sure you can dream up cubby tags and a variety of other “stuff” to use them for. Enjoy!

Click on the link to view/download Just a Dot Not A Lot Pinch and Poke Picture Packet

Thanks for visiting.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others might find helpful.

"I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

More Chicka Boom Stuff!

Yesterday’s Chicka Boom Activity Packet was a huge hit, so I wanted to share the Picka Chicka packet.

I LOVE using file folders with children because they are relatively inexpensive and I have 4 pages I can fill up with “cool stuff”.

Because they are made of heavy-duty cardstock, they can also handle the abuse of 4-year-olds or the soggy “oops” of too much glue as well.

My kiddo’s also enjoyed them because they were something different and something  “older”  people used, so they felt extra special.

After reading Chicka Boom have your students put together their “lap files”.  Choose whatever things you are going to study with them.

This 67-page packet includes:

• Directions, pictures and patterns to make a student "Lap-Office" Picka Chicka File Folder
• 4-"I Spy" skill sheets
• Coconut Colors booklet
• Chicka Boom name tags
• Coconut facts and a list of interesting websites
• 4 graphing extensions
• A Venn diagram activity +
• A certificate of praise

Chicka chicha boom boom, I hope you enjoy all of the new kids in your classroom!

Click on the link to view/download the Picka Chicka Chicka Boom Activity File Folder Packet

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others will find helpful.

"Losers are people who are afraid of losing.” –Robert Kiyosaki

Using Chicka Boom Boom To Help Teach A Common Core Standard

You might have noticed that any item in the shopping cart, that has to do with learning the upper and lowercase letters of the alphabet,  now has Common Core RF:K.1d in the description.

I ran off a copy of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for Kindergarten and First Grade and am going through each standard and then finding all of the items on my shopping cart that will help teach that standard and labeling it with that standard.

Since I have so many items that help teach upper and lowercase letters, I thought I’d start there.

I hope teachers will find this helpful.  I also want to make positive affirmation cards for you, as well as take a crack at assessments and certificates when students pass the standard.

I plan to work on this each day throughout the summer.  I feel there is a real need out there for this information, as there are only a handful of states that haven’t jumped on the bandwagon and teachers don’t have enough time to prep all of this.

I hope to have the shopping cart cataloged by the end of summer.  It would be so helpful, if you are downloading an item, because you find it will be helpful for a specific CCSS, and you see that I don’t have it marked, if you would please take a moment to shoot me an e-mail and tell me what standard you are using it for.

If everyone would do that, who is using items for CCSS, I could get this job done so much faster, and everyone would benefit! diane@teachwithme.com

It’s a bit labor intensive for me, because there are no standards for Y5’s, so I never had to worry about them.

I’ve been spending lots of time doing research online learning about Common Core and picking my teacher friends’ brains.  Anyway….thanks in advance.

One of my hottest downloads that teach CCSS RF:K.1d is my Chicka Boom Activities packet.

This packet is great for the first week of school and a fun way to help your students learn about their classmates, as you include their photo on the coconuts and write their names in alphabetical order in your first class book!

I LOVE the Chicka Boom books; they were certainly a favorite read aloud for my students, and are perfect for back to school.

Click on the link to view/download the Chicka Boom Activities packet.

Thanks for visiting today. Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find helpful.

"Dear teacher.  I like to talk to everyone, so moving my seat won't help."

Name Cards As Inexpensive Teaching Tools!

 I loved name cards when I taught Y5’s. They were perfect for a variety of things. 

I laminated them so that they lasted longer, and because they were double, I had extra sets because I didn't stand them up as a tent card.

Being able to recognize their name was a report card standard and surprisingly many little ones came to me not knowing how to identify their name.

Besides placing them on the tables in the morning, so students knew where they sat for that day, and scattering them on the floor so they could “find themselves” as a fun identification game, I also rubber banded a set and put them in my library book crate.

When students brought their book back, they looked for their name card and stuck it in their book.

My 4-year-olds, often forgot which book they brought back by the time the end of the week rolled around and it was our turn to go to the library.

The long cards would stick out, so I simply flipped the book open to see who I needed to hand it to.

It was also another chance for them to reinforce identifying their name.

Because notebooks are offered as loss leaders in most major Office Supply Stores during the summer, I can pick up a “writing notebook” for my students to practice writing their name in for as little as 10 cents!  I also tucked a name card in this notebook as well.

When The Dollar Store started carrying name cards, you can imagine my joy!  I kept a pack by my rocking chair and used them as flashcards. 

I'd flash a name for only a few seconds.  If it was your name on the card you had so many seconds to raise your hand and claim it.  I also used that pack as a fair way to choose students as my reading helpers.  I'd fan them out face down and have students select cards and read who would get to do whatever.

I’ve seen the “informational” name cards that I revamped in the photo above, produced by a variety of companies, and thought I’d whip up my own version.

I made two lines so you can write your students’ names, but I also included another line, so you can use the cards for name writing practice.

That way, the cards will make a quick & easy way for you to whole-group assess writing standards (How students hold a writing utensil, if they make their letters top down, if students are right-handed etc.) without using paper.  Simply have students use a dry erase marker, which my kiddo’s LOVED using!

I’ve also printed the cards, so that you can make copies, so you can fold them and use them as a tent with names on both sides, or with skip counting and 3-D shape information on the other side.

If you’re like me, and lay the cards flat, I’ve made an extra double-page set of the skip counting card, so you can use that as a practice tool if you want too.

You can also have students play “I Spy” the shape, letter or number and have students point to the various thing that you want to practice,  as a quick and easy game or fill in, when you have a few minutes of time to kill.

I've also printed the vowels in green, so students can easily differentiate them from the consonants, for another teachable moment.

Click on the link to view/download Informational Name Cards

 I hope you and yours, enjoy these as they brighten your day!

Thanks for visiting. Feel free to PIN anything from my site that you think others might find useful.

“Success is the sum of small efforts-repeated day in and day out.” –Robert Collier

A popular saying with students is, “That rocks.” Not sure where it came from, but if you tell a child that they rock, it will definitely build their self-esteem, and letting them know that the new grade that they are now entering rocks too, will hopefully get them excited to be there.

I went a bit slap happy downloading a bunch of fonts one day, thinking of all the “way cool” things I could do with them.  “JF Rock” was one of them I just  “had to have!”

I designed a “rockin’’” trace and write alphabet as well as a counting numbers 0-10 booklet, with praise certificates, to reward your students with.

As a fun back to school treat, run off the  “You Rock” bookmarks, include your students’ name at the end and lay them atop a package of Pop Rocks.

They sell them 3 packs for a buck at The Dollar Store, in 3 yummy flavors.  You could also dump them in a basket and offer students a choice, as an incentive when they complete their first day of morning activities.

I’ve also made _________________ grade rocks, bookmarks as well.  These can be colored with neon markers or crayons, for a quick and quiet activity, while you’re involved with whatever, on that busy first day.

Make these a bit more special and wrap them around a pencil with a fat eraser.  All of the Office Supply Stores offer a kajillion super deals on packages of pencils and erasers in August.

Anyway….I hope your new bunch of kids really rocks your world, in a positive way, and that this is your best year yet!

Have fun with these things and thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything from my sight you feel others might find worthwhile.

Click on the link to view/download the School Rocks Packet

"Education sows not seeds in you, but makes your seeds grow!"- Kahlil Gibran

A Is For Acorns and Apples!

A fun way to have your students work on upper and lowercase letters is to make mini ABC booklets.

I designed these with some free fonts that I found on the Internet.

I liked ABC booklets that had a simple sentence to go along with the letter, so that I could start my students along the paths of reading.

The words is and for are part of the Dolch word list, so via repetition, students will soon easily recognize them.

The picture clue will help children figure out the last word, so their self esteem will skyrocket when they can take a completed booklet home to share with their family.

Students trace and write the upper and lowercase letters.  I printed 4-pages on one page, to save on paper and to make just-my-size mini booklets for students to cut apart and sequence.

This will make a nice number sequencing skill for them. I’ve also included a cover and a complete upper and lowercase alphabet set of letters, that they trace for the last page.

Students who complete their booklets early, can go back and color their favorite pages.

When everyone is done, read the booklet as a whole group, to reinforce concepts of print.  This way, students will enjoy sharing their ABC easy reader, with their family, reinforcing lessons learned at school.

Click on the link to view/download A is for Acorn Alphabet Easy Reader.

Click on this link to view/download A is for Apple Alphabet Easy Reader.

Watch for more Alphabet Easy Readers in the future too!

Do you have an alphabet tip you’d like to share?  I’d enjoy hearing from you. diane@teachwithme.com or leave a comment here. Sharing is a wonderful thing!

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything from my site you think others might find useful.

“The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book.” -Unknown

Timing How Fast A Student Can Write The Letters Of The Alphabet!  Is That Important?

I recently stumbled across an interesting article that I think you might enjoy as well.

A research study from the University of Washington found that children who could recall and print letters of the alphabet (upper and lowercase-two separate tests) at 40 letters per minute, were all very successful with 1st grade reading and writing tasks. "...In fact, there were virtually no reading failures among such children."

I’m all for looking into something that will help students become better readers and writers. If challenging students to “Beat the clock!” and simply taking 60 seconds out of the day will encourage that, well I think it would be worth giving it a try.

It certainly has worked with math when we did “Mad-Minute Math” My students LOVED those timed tests no matter what grade I taught.

I think having fun timed activities prepares students for later timed tests and relieves anxiety in upper elementary grades, because they were introduced to these types of things early on, in a relaxed, game-like fashion.

The article states that students do enjoy these timed activities and specifically states not to give them to students who are not proficient, so as not to frustrate strugglers.

I designed an ABC Fluency packet that includes:

• The informative article with website link
• An ABC Fluency Timed Test Assessment Recording sheet +
• An ABC Fluency Timed Test sheet for students

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others might find helpful.

Do you have a favorite ABC teaching tip you could share? I'd enjoy hearing from you! diane@teachwithme.com or post a comment here.  Just think if everyone took a moment to share something, our bag of tricks would be overflowing! Thanks in advance.

"More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of." -Alfred, Lord Tennyson

ABC Come Teach With Me! Featuring A Letter and Number A Day In A Filmstrip!

Filmstrip Fun is another way to review letters and numbers with your students. It's that "something different" you may be looking for.

Print off and laminate the “Today’s Featured Letter” and “Number” posters.  If you do a letter a day, make this part of your calendar routine and put these posters close by.

You can also display the complete upper and lowercase alphabet under their header cards, as well as the numbers.

I’ve provided upper and lowercase letters + numbers 0-10 for you to run off and laminate.  To make things quick and easy, use Velcro dots to attach them.

Run off extra sets so that your students can play Memory Match Concentration games as well as “I Have; Who Has?”

Make copies of the upper and lowercase bookmarks for each student.

Have children “spy” the various letters with a filmstrip “spy glass”.

To make them, cut out the center rectangles on the filmstrips with an Exacto knife and then run the sheet through the laminator.

Cut the “spy glasses” out in sections of 2 so that the filmstrip on the bottom can be trimmed and used as a gluing tab.  (See photo.)

I used a large glue dot to adhere the “window” to a Popsicle stick. Write students’ names on with a black permanent marker.

When students pass the various report card standards for letters and numbers reward them with an “I’ve Been Framed!” certificate.

Make a copy of your class composite and glue each student’s photo to the filmstrip mini-frame.

Write their name under the congratulations word and then sign and date the certificate.

I hope you enjoy Filmstrip Fun and having one more way to review letters and numbers with your sweeties!

Click on the link to view/download the Filmstrip Fun packet.

Thanks for visiting.  Feel free to PIN anything on my site you feel might be helpful to others.

“To praise is an investment in happiness!” -George M. Adams

Staying Organized and Saving Time With Absent Work File Folders

When I taught 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd grade, keeping track of who was missing what, when students were absent, then finding and collecting those papers for them to do, was time consuming.

I learned early on that I needed a system to expedite things.  You will LOVE this idea as it's sooooo easy to implement and such a hassle-free time saver. I designed  cute “We missed you!” “Glad you’re back!” ABSENT file folders. 

Yesterday, I updated this FREEBIE, as students are absent for more reasons than just being ill.  (If you have older students, simply adjust the clip art for something more appropriate.)

After I took attendance, if a child was absent, I put a sticky note with their name and the date written on it and stuck it to the front of the Absent File Folder and laid it on the top of their desk.

When I taught 1st grade, I handed out work to the first student in each row. They passed it back to the others, so the child who sat in front of the absent student, would make sure that they put a copy in the Absent Folder, taking this time consuming responsibility off of me.

Since my students also worked from workbooks each day and then ripped out their assignment to take home, the helper student would open that child’s desk, rip out the workbook page and also include those in the folder, or I would do it while my kiddos were working.

That saved me from having to write out things like: Do workbook pages in such and such etc. Likewise, if I gave a spelling test or other quiz, I’d include a blank copy with a make-up date on it, that they’d use on that day.  If notes were put in folders, or cubbies, to go home in backpacks that day, I made sure they were put in the Absent Folder.

The folder would remain on their desk until the student came back.  If they were gone the next day, another date would be put on the sticky note and the papers from the day before would be stapled with a due date, and that day’s papers would then go on top.

This also made it a breeze for me when a sibling unexpectedly popped in at the end of the day (things are already hectic) to collect work for their brother or sister, or if the office called down that a parent stopped in to pick up work. 

No more rushing around looking for "stuff" or trying to remember what I did or passed out, all while trying to get my students ready to go home! 

I’d simply take out the contents, add a Xeroxed “Get Well note”, which I kept in a file, and hand it to their family member.  Because children are gone all the time, I absolutely LOVED this time saver; using it no matter what grade I taught.  It's my favorite classroom management tip, because it's such a stress-buster.

Even tho' my Y5's and K's did not have to make up work, as did my upper el students, most families still wanted work that they missed, so I kept these types of folders for them too.

 Not only didn't parents want their child to "get behind" but I didn't want them to miss out on special projects and activities that we did.; especially if we made a keepsake art project.  I simply tucked in all of the materials needed for them to make one at home.  Parents were very appreciative, especially if their child was not really "sick" but quarantined and bored.

Simply print off copies of my master (I made 7 folders so that I had plenty) glue to the front of a file folder, and then laminate.  Remember the folder does NOT go home, just the contents.

Keep the folders on your counter or desk, with your attendance roster and lesson plans.  Make sure you have a note about them in your sub folder and explain the process to your students, so they can take charge when you're gone.

Click on the link to view download my newest creation for absent work file folders with clip art from Laura Strickland. Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.

I hope this idea helps you save time and alleviate last-minute stress.  It's a beautiful sunny day, and time to go water my garden.  All the best to you!

"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do." -Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe