Beginning Sounds Activities

As your kids begin to read, they will move from letter recognition to letter/sound correspondence.  Being able to segment the sounds in a word is crucial for reading and writing.  Here are some of my beginning sounds resources: all focusing on the early reading stages.

These BEGINNING SOUNDS CLIP CARDS are excellent for letter recognition and letter-sound correspondence.  Using clothespins, kiddos say and clip the initial sound of the picture shown on the card.

Words are printed, with a blank line representing the missing sound, to eliminate confusion of what the pictures are.

If you would rather have the students WRITE the answer on a recording sheet, rather than CLIP it, then check out my BEGINNING SOUNDS TASK CARDS resource.

Beginning Sounds Task Cards (letters A-Z), builds fluency with segmenting initial sounds, letter-sound correspondence, and writing letters.  Kiddos say and write the initial sound of the picture shown on the task card. 

BEGINNING SOUNDS TASK CARDS - Fall Themed

Last, but not least, is the BEGINNING SOUNDS MATCH-UP - no-prep, printable, worksheets for beginning sounds and letter correspondence. Kiddos draw a line from the picture to the letter representing the beginning sound. Each page has 7 pictures and letters. 

Designed for preschool, PreK, Kindergarten, and as an intervention for first grade, these printable activities and worksheets will help your kiddos build the phonemic awareness skills needed to be a successful reader and writer.

5 Summer Themed Activities

Whether you are tutoring, teaching summer school, or working with your own kiddos over the summer, here are 5 Summer-Themed Activities to keep them engaged in the learning.

1. Sight Word Search:  Keep your kiddos fluent with their sight words that they worked so hard on throughout the year.  With these Summer-themed sight word searches, simply print and you're ready to go!  Kiddos identify the focus word on the top-right, then search for the word throughout the page.  To keep the learning fun, they can highlight, circle, or use a bingo dotter to mark the word each time they find it!

2. Addition to 10 Task Cards: Kiddos add the sets of objects on the card, then write their answer on the recording sheet. A number line is on the recording sheet to as a visual intervention to those who need it.

3. Addition to 20 Task Cards: Kiddos solve the number sentence on each card, then write their answer on the recording sheet.  You can read   5 Ways to Use Task Cards to see the fun possibilities this resource has!

4. Subtraction Within 20 Task Cards: These summertime task cards are bright, colorful, and excellent for building fluency in math!

Students solve the number sentence on each card, then write their answer on the recording sheet. A 0-20 number line is on the recording sheet to as a visual intervention to those who need it.

5.  Numbers to 10 Worksheets: Students build counting and cardinality skills: count the summer picture sets, write the number, and color when finished! Simply print and go!

Don't let the summer slope effect your kiddos! These Summer-themes worksheets and task cards are excellent refreshers for reading and math :) Enjoy!

Look Who's Here: A Fun Solution for Attendance

Taking attendance doesn't have to be a time-consuming task for teachers.  Instead, you can make it an engaging learning opportunity for the kids with these "Look Whooo's Here" Owl Cards.  Let's take a look at how to set up this morning activity.

First, you can choose from two sizes of owls (both are included in the set). If you have a larger class size, you will likely want the smaller size.  Next, choose which color of header you want: blue or purple chevron.

*** I prefer to laminate the owl cards BEFORE writing the students' names.  This way, as students move out/in, you can use a dry erase marker to easily change the name on the card. ***

There are several ways you can take attendance using these cards, such as using a pocket chart, on a magnetic board, or collecting cards in a bucket. 

Pocket Chart:
Students locate their name card from a small container as they come into the classroom, then place it into the pocket chart. When it come time to take attendance, you simply look for the names left in the bucket to see who is not here. 

Magnetic Board:
After cutting out the owls, place a small piece of sticky-back magnetic tape on the back of each owl.

Just as the students do with the pocket chart method, they will also locate their name card, then placing it onto a magnetic board.  If you do not have a large magnetic board, the side of a filing cabinet is also a great spot for this :) 

In a Bucket:

For this method, simply scatter the name cards on the carpet area before the students arrive each morning.  As they enter the classroom, they have to find their name card, and place it into a nearby designated container.  When it's time to take attendance, simply look to see who's names are left on the carpet. 

Now that you've gotten a look at how to use these attendance cards, let's look at what others' are saying about this resource:

"Very cute way to take attendance!" (Colleen S)

"Love it!" (Donna W)

"...Creative approach to taking attendance."  (Cheryl D)

"Great resource" (Stephanie W)

"Love these! Thanks!  (Buyer)

** You can download the complete attendance set, HERE. ** 

Teacher Appreciation Giveaway

To honor teacher appreciation week, I have teamed up with other teacher-authors to bring you this amazing giveaway.  Organized by Kelly Malloy, this "10 Teacher Must Haves" + a $100 TPT Gift Card is the giveaway you won't want to miss out on.  After entering, be sure to take time and thank a teacher for their hard work and dedication :)

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:  

Prize: 10 Teacher "Must Haves" prize pack including: Mr. Sketch Markers, Flair Markers, Personal Laminator, Dry Erase Pockets, Dry Erase Markers, Astrobrights Paper, Sharpies, Ticonderoga Pencils, a Wall Calendar, and a $50 Teachers pay Teachers gift card.

Giveaway Organized by: Kelly Malloy (An Apple for the Teacher)

Co-hosts:   An Apple for the Teacher,  MM Bilingual, Debora Marines TeachMagically, Cara's Creative Playground, Amanda's Little Learners, The Craft of Teaching, Jackie Crews, Sugar Cube Learning Resources, Stephanie Rye-Forever in Fifth Grade, Teach with Hope, 180 Days of Reading, The Literacy Garden, Sandra Naufal, Teacher Jeanell, Sliding into 1st, Teacher Mama School, Tried and True Teaching Tools, Third Grade Giggles, The Chocolate Teacher, Sarah Griffin, Peas In A Pod, Heart 2 Heart Teaching, It's a Teacher Thing, Teacher Gameroom, Save the Teacher, A Plus Kids, Digging Deep to Soar Beyond the Text, It Happened in 3rd, The Literacy Garden, A Place of Story, Kindergarten Is Crazy, and Knowledge Mobile.

Rules: Use the Rafflecopter to enter. Giveaway ends 5/8/17 and is open worldwide.

Are you a Teacher Blogger or Teachers pay Teachers seller who wants to participate in giveaways like these to grow your store and social media?  Click here to find out how you can join our totally awesome group of bloggers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Poetry Notebooks

If you're a teacher, you know curriculum programs often come and go; it's a constant race to see which yields higher test results. While it's important to keep up with research, and try new strategies, it's equally important to maintain consistency with techniques that you have found successful over the years.  Over the past 15 years of teaching K-2, a poetry notebook remains the ONE teaching tool I've consistently found to be successful.

From Build-a-Poem pocket chart activities, to highlighting key vocabulary, there are many ways to integrate your poem each day of the week.  Here is a look at how I've implement poetry notebooks in a primary classroom. This general plan helps keep structure to my poem of the week routine.

Grab this FREE printout, HERE, and get your poetry notebooks started today!

Spring Into Counting

Spring into counting with these interactive math centers.  Tens Frames 11-20 and One More, One Less Task Cards support common core math standards, are versatile, and engage your active learners.

Tens-frames, Numbers 11-20, actively engage the students in Counting and Cardinality and Number Operations in Base Ten standards. Students count "how many" objects on each card, and write the number on their recording sheet.

Great for kindergarten and 1st grade, these Spring-themed cards and recording sheet can be used in many ways. The whole class can participate in a SCOOT game, or set up as a math center for small groups.

Students also love using task cards as an early finisher task, morning work activity, and in take-home activity bags. When given the opportunity to take home the activity, they often want to teach a sibling or parent how to play.  And, as we all know, they learn best by teaching others.

After practicing the skill in centers, as a whole class, at home, or with a tutor, you can also use these cards and recording sheet as an individual assessment. 

Students love these cards for the colorful graphics, and the challenge to complete their recording sheet independently. They become so engaged in the activity, that they don't realize they are working on the math standards.

One More, One Less: Numbers to 20 build number sense skills.  With these task cards, students count the objects on the card, complete the task (one more, or one less) printed at the top, then write their answer on the recording sheet.

  A large number line is on the recording sheet to as a visual intervention to those who need it.

You can get your kiddos springing into math with two interactive math centers.  Simply download, print, and cut the cards - then you have task cards that can be used several different ways to support your math instruction. 

St. Patrick's Day Centers, Flashcards, and Worksheets

From shamrock flashcards, to building poems about funny leprechauns and searching for sight words, your kiddos will feel lucky to be a part of your class after doing these St. Patrick's Day centers and activities. 

Build letter recognition, match capital to lowercase, or use for assessments, word building activities, and letter-sound correspondence. Better yet, give the kiddos their own set of Alphabet Cards or Number Cards as a St. Patrick's Day treat left behind by that sneaky leprechaun. :)

These 5 Sight Word worksheets will get you through the week of St. Patrick's Day. Use one a day as morning work, homework, in centers, as a partner read activity, assessments, or during reading groups.  Students will track the print, searching for and circling the focus sight word printed at the top of the page.

Your emergent readers will love these 5 St. Patrick's Day poems! Use as songs, poem of the day, in poetry notebooks, readers theater, and guided reading groups.

After you recite the poems, they become eager to Build a Poem in this interactive pocket chart center. This is the type of pocket chart center the kids WANT to go back to, over and over. There is a Build a Poem for each of the 5 St. Patrick's Day Poems, including I'm a Little Shamrock, Five Little Leprechauns, Happy St. Patrick's Day, Leprechaun Stew, and I'm a Little Leprechaun.

Next, you can get your active kiddos up and engaged in this interactive Read and Write the Room center, or scoot activity.  Leveled Recording Sheets and Cards included for easy differentiation.

This no-prep Making Words writing center is no-prep for you, and engaging for the kids...win-win! Students cut and paste letter tiles to build and illustrate a vocabulary word on each page. March vocabulary words include: gold, black pot, rainbow, shamrock, green hat, leprechaun, lion, and lamb.

If your students need a challenge, have them write a sentence using the word.

Get your writing center ready for the inspirations topics inspired by St. Patrick's Day.  Print and leave these St. Patrick's Day Vocabulary Cards in a center, or hang on a focus wall.

Keep track of homework, behaviors, goal setting, and provide positive reinforcement with these Shamrock and Rainbow Sticker Charts

It's your LUCKY day :) Click on the picture below to enjoy a FREE St.Patrick's Day math worksheet.

Thank you for swinging by to check out these engaging activities, centers, flashcards, and more that you can do with your kiddos the throughout the month of March.

5 Spring Poems for Kids

It's the first day of March, and I awoke to the sound of thunderstorms and tornado sirens.  Needless to say, March is coming in like a lion.  Believe it or not, we will end the night with snow.  This up and down weather is a sure sign Spring is on it's way.  Before we know it, we'll be hearing the chirps of baby birds, digging through mud to find worms, jumping in rain puddles, and planting flowers. 

Get the kiddos ready and engaged in the seasonal changes with these 5 Spring Poems for Kids.

Sung to the tune of "Frere Jacques", Spring is Here is great for choral reading, is simple and short, and can easily incorporate movement for retelling. 

Springtime is great for introducing after having a student-led discussion about the signs of Spring. 

Review sight words and verbs with this adorable poem, simply named Spring.

A Little Seed has been my go-to poem when introducing plants and flowers.

Five Little Flowers has endless learning opportunities, such as color words, sight words, number words, sequencing, expression, and fluency. 

Download all 5 poems for one low price, HERE.