Valentine's Day Made Simple!

Now that you've packed away all of your Christmas resources, it's time to bust out the hearts and candy covered Valentine's Day activities!  But don't forget that Easter is just around the corner - you'll need to be ready for that just after St. Patrick's Day! Doesn't it seem like there's always a holiday that we can theme our teaching to?  If you're anything like me, you really don't have time (or the money) to make sure your kidlets are completing tasks that link in with whatever celebration is coming up.  It is lots of fun, though, to throw in some crafts and games that tap into your student's excitement about the holidays - and aren't we always looking for our learners to be engaged?  Today I'm going to share some quick, easy and FUN Valentine's Day ideas for you to use during February.  I've also included some freebies to save you some cash to spend on your own roses and chocolates. :)

First up are some easy and super cute crafty ideas that make gorgeous classroom displays or parent gifts.  (The examples you'll see in the photos are ones I made with my girls at home, so you'll see photos of them with their dad.  In your classroom, including a photo would be optional!)  I've included a link to a free download with all the templates you'll need to make them!

Make this gorgeous 'I love you to pieces' picture by collaging pieces of coloured paper onto a heart shape.  Glue it on to the background when it's dry and you've trimmed the edges.  If you're only making a few of these, you can also use old jigsaw pieces instead of paper.

Have your kidlets either print their hands or feet inside a heart shape for this next idea.  At home we did  footprints, but obviously it's much easier to do hand prints when you're making a whole class worth!  Cut the heart out when the paint is dry and glue it on to the background.

Click here to download all the templates you'll need for these two cute projects!

If you're looking for some activities to include in your February maths and literacy small groups, you might like these!  Click on any of the images to check out the resources.

These number puzzles are FREE and are perfect as a 'Fast Finisher' task.  Just print, laminate and cut to play.

I love using 'Roll & Cover' games in maths groups!  Just add dice and you're good to go.  This resource includes roll & cover for number recognition, roll & add, and roll & subtract.  Just print the game board that best suits your learners.

Last of all is this easy rhyming memory match game.  This resource includes three super cute recording worksheets. :)

Hopefully you've found a few ideas that you can use in your classroom.  Happy Valentine's Day!

Rhyming Activities for Little Learners!

Phonemic awareness (listening to, isolating and changing sounds in words) is vital for both reading and writing development in little learners - and rhyme is a BIG part of this learning process.  It's sometimes a concept that kidlets find tricky to grasp - so I thought I'd stop by and share some activities that I've used successfully with my classes over the years, as well as a few new ideas that I'd love to try. :)
From the very first week of school I like to expose kidlets to rhyming words through our poem of the week.  We read it together every morning and talk about the vocabulary used - this is a really great way for little learners to start thinking about words, how they sound and what they mean.  As the year goes on you can spend time identifying letters and sounds, nouns/verbs/adjectives and rhyming words! I usually have a poster sized copy of the poem on the board and we circle and underline words as we identify rhyming pairs.  At the end of the week kidlets glue a copy into their books (I have a dedicated poetry journal) and because we've read it so often together most children can independently read it.  Here's a resource you might like to use - or you could choose any simple poems and rhymes that fit with your classroom themes!

Another oral language activity that my kidlets always LOVE is a simple one.  I have an IKEA igloo that I set up on the carpet area.  Before we start I've collected a box of random objects from around the classroom.  I ask the class to close their eyes while I hide one in the igloo and then say "What's inside the igloo? What could be in it for me? It starts with ___ and rhymes with ___. Oh what do you think it could be?" For example, if I've hidden a book in the igloo I would say "It starts with /b/ and rhymes with look."  Someone guesses the object and then gets to check inside the igloo to see if they were right! We play this game LOTS before we move on to reading and writing rhyming words.  If you don't have an igloo you can use whatever you have - e.g. "What's inside the big, blue bag?"

Of course, our Alphabet Monster helps us during this stage of learning too!  I use the flashcards that come with our phonics program but you could use any that you have.  I lay them out on the carpet and ask kidlets to feed the monster.  I might say a word and have them find the card that rhymes, I might ask them to choose 2 cards that rhyme, or perhaps I'll lay out 3 cards and ask them to feed the monster the one that doesn't rhyme.  During these activities the whole class joins in by saying each word and segmenting the sounds.

 I love to use hands-on activities, particularly in literacy centres.  Top of my list of new ones to try is this one that uses Duplo blocks. If you click on the image to the pin you can check out This Reading Mama and download the pictures used here - or you could use ones you already have!

At least one of my literacy centres is always a game - and I love to use Bingo! when teaching rhyme.  The caller says a word and the rest of the group covers a picture on their board if it rhymes with the word called.  Click on the picture below to check out a resource I created to allow for some differentiation with my kidlets - it includes boards with pictures only, pictures + words, or words only with calling cards to match. :)

As soon as we move into reading and spelling rhyming words I include the teaching of word families.  There's a tonne of great resources you can use for this concept but I love Marsha's Word Families Galore pack! It takes time to print and laminate everything but once you're done you're set for years! My favourite thing is the word wall I made using her cards - I hot glued them to coloured ribbon and it makes a gorgeous bulletin board full of rhyming words for the kidlets to reference as they work!

I also love this hands-on task that is essentially matching rhyming words just like the Duplo idea - except this one includes words for the kidlets to read when they are ready. Click on the image to see more!

Of course any rhyming fun must include lots of reading stories written by our favourite doctor! Dr. Seuss books are perfect for listening to and identifying rhyming words.  After reading 'The Cat in the Hat' I love to have my kidlets invent their own character using the same rhyming pattern.  This is a great way to see which children understand what rhyming means, who can choose 2 words that rhyme, and also who understands the spelling patterns involved. 

And who can resist this gorgeous craft that makes an awesome classroom display? ;)

Hopefully I've shared an idea or two that you might be able to use in your own classroom! I'd love to hear any awesome ideas you have that work on teaching rhyme. :)

Five for Friday!

Boy oh boy, it sure has been a while since I've linked up with Five for Friday! This week was back to school for us after Easter break and that means back to regular blogging. :)

Our first craft of the term (linked to our phonics focus) were these gorgeous handprint monsters.  If you've read my blog before you might know that I love anything monster themed, and these cuties were no exception!

We simply painted each kidlets' hand - they got to choose which fingers were painted - and printed them onto paper.  When they were dry the googly eyes were glued on and a mouth drawn with marker.  Each little monster has it's own personality!

We also made these cute apples from paper plates.

Just paint, cut, staple and you're done! These turned out so well, but seriously - I need to invest in a paper plate factory  I go through hundreds of them every year!

To go along with our /m/ focus we wrote about our monsters, choosing an adjective to finish the 'My monster' sentence starter.

We also worked on a letter m Alphabet Puzzle.

These were perfect for an independent group work activity.

Don't you love it when kidlets return after holidays and haven't forgotten everything they've learnt during the year?  During during Guided Reading this week we revised rhyming words with 'To Rhyme or Not to Rhyme' made by the very clever Brooke!

My Preppies blitzed this activity!  They said each picture names and then quickly decided which mat the card belonged to.  One happy teacher. :)

Tomorrow is ANZAC Day, a time when we remember fallen Australian and New Zealand servicemen and women.  Today our school held a very moving service to honour those who have died  fighting to protect the truly wonderful country we live in.  When we got back to our classroom, my kidlets wrote the word 'Remember' and drew pictures to represent ANZAC Day.

This picture shows a poppy, a sprig of rosemary, a wreath of flowers, and a soldier standing tall and proud.  

That's all from me today, friends.  Be sure to come back on Sunday to check out my post for the 'Swap, Share, Give' linky that a bunch of us Aussie bloggers have planned! 

Fine Motor Fun... with a FREEBIE!

Hello lovely friends!  I wanted to pop in very quickly to share a few new resources that I'm planning to use this year.  Everyone knows teachers need to make the most of every minute in the classroom, so the bonus is that both of these tasks integrate fine motor skills with literacy and math concepts. Double bonus? One of them is a freebie!

First up is an addition to my Link-It-Up! series of products, this time with a focus on word families.  Simply add plastic chain links, pipe cleaners or laces to the cards and you've got a perfect Literacy Center or fast finisher activity that's easy to differentiate.  Choose pictures only...

...pictures with words...

... or words only.

Or of course, you could use a few of each!

These photos are from the 'Short A' pack, but of course there's 'Short E', 'Short I', 'Short O' and 'Short U' families as well.  You can also grab them all in a BUNDLE!

Just this morning I uploaded a cute counting (1-10) freebie to my store.  I'm so excited for my kidlets to use these, I know they'll love the cute snowmen and scooping 'marshmallows' onto hot chocolate!  It will be perfect to practise counting as well as numeral and number word recognition.

Click on the image below to check out this resource:

I hope wherever you are that you're having a wonderful day. Thanks for stopping by! :)

Differentiation with the Monsters!

If you've read my blog in the past then you'll know that I just love my monsters!  I have two - the Alphabet Monster and the Number Monster.  I can say without a doubt that they are the most versatile and possibly the most engaging resource I use when teaching all sorts of concepts - I use them almost every day.  For me this teaching tool is so important because of how super simple it is to differentiate activities for the needs of my kidlets.  With a $0 investment you've got a resource to use for teaching new skills, practising during review and an easy assessment tool.  Don't believe me? Keep reading!

How to create your monsters!

You can make a monster out of literally anything you have lying around. My Alphabet Monster was made first from an old wine glass box, some paint and bits of scrap paper.  Because I'd been using him and calling him the Alphabet Monster I ended up needing to make another friend for maths - so the Number Monster was created from a tissue box.  There's really no need to have more than one - you could just give your monster a name and them use him/her for activities in any subject area.  I was worried that because my monsters were cardboard they wouldn't last long, but I've had them now for two years with no damage. Of course you could use an old plastic container to make yours more sturdy.

Once you've made your monster the fun begins!  Give them a character - they need a voice so that when they are fed they can gobble 'Nom nom nom nom nom nom!'.  This is super important because it's what will keep the kidlets hanging for their turn and giggling when others have theirs. My Alphabet Monster is a grown up so he has a deep, loud voice but the Number Monster is a baby so his voice is much more gentle. :)

Food for your monster!

I always begin any monster activities with "I think the Alphabet/Number Monster is hungry! We need to feed him." We then refer to anything that goes into their mouths as 'monster food'.  Here's where using monsters becomes so quick and easy - you can feed them anything! Any flash cards that you use for other activities - sight words, letters, phonics pictures, numbers, shapes, ten frames... the list is literally endless.  You can also feed the monster manipulatives - magnetic letters or numbers, small objects from around the classroom (perfect for beginning/ending/rhyming sound work), shape blocks, counters etc.  And of course it's important to have a stash of scrap paper squares for kidlets to create their own monster food by writing or drawing.  As each kidlet puts their food into the monster's mouth be sure to make your monster's gobbling noise.  Don't worry if you monster's mouth gets too full - monsters have very bad manners so if there's no more room they will simply burp and spit out whatever they've already been fed.  Be prepared for the hilarity that will ensue when this happens! :)

Time to eat... with easy differentiation!

When we feed our monster I ask my kidlets to sit in a circle.  If we're using flash cards I lay them out in front of me and hold the monster on my lap.  Then I choose the kidlet doing the best job of looking and listening to start (I go around the circle so I can be sure everyone gets a go, but you could keep choosing those behaving nicely first!).  Here's where differentiation becomes super duper easy - just ask each student a question most relevant to their needs.  Doesn't matter if they're still working on beginning sounds while everyone else is thinking about rhyming - everyone gets a slightly different question so no one will feel like they've had an 'easy one'.  If you've got a little learner who needs more of a challenge ask them a question accordingly.  No need to prepare anything in advance and everyone participates as they are able!  When the question is a little too difficult I simply say - "This question is a tricky one! Let's all try to figure it out."

Here's a few concepts that are perfect to practise or review with your monster: 

*letter recognition

*beginning/medial/final sounds - children either choose a card/object or draw/write their own idea

*segmenting - children choose an object or card and break it into sounds before they feed it to the monster

*blending - "Feed the monster the t/r/ee" etc.

*counting sounds or syllables - ask the children to choose an object or card with a specific number of sounds or syllables

*rhyming 

*sight words

*number/ten frame/number word/tally recognition

*one more/less

*teen numbers - "Feed the monster the number with 1 group of ten and 3 extra ones"

*number bonds

*counting - "Feed the monster 5 counters"

*tens blocks - ask kidlets to choose blocks that represent the given number

*shape recognition

The list, friends, is pretty endless.  You can see why I use my monsters daily!  I just love that kidlets become so invested in the characters that whenever the monsters come out they wave hello.  Watching them giggle as they feed them carefully so as not to be 'bitten' always makes me smile and this year one precious kidlet actually took time on the last day to go and give the monsters a pat goodbye.

I really hope that this post has inspired you to get crafty and make your own classroom monster!  I'd love to hear if any of these ideas work for you. :)

Lots of Fun that is Funny (inspired by The Cat)!

What better way to work on rhyming (amongst other skills!) than with 'The Cat in the Hat'?  This week we've had lots of fun that is funny so I thought I'd stop past and share!


The first activity we did after reading the book was to discuss what we knew about the Cat character based on the clues in the story.  We brainstormed a list that included the adjectives funny, helpful, messy, tricky, naughty, fun, energetic, disruptive, happy etc.  The kidlets then chose the two they thought best described the Cat and wrote them in a speech bubble for him to say.

Don't ask me why the colouring in is so random on these two! 

The next challenge I set for the kidlets was to create a new character with a name that rhymed just like the Cat in the Hat.  I was really interested to see which of my treasures could successfully manage this, and was so proud of their ideas and the way they chose words that rhymed.

The Five in the Hive

The Fly up High

The Bird in the Herd

My absolute favourite is this last one, just look at the way she has visualised her character!  I love the faces watching the stage (complete with lights!), the boy with his hands to his face in astonishment, and the girl's twirly legs. :)  I can't wait to see it when this sweetie has coloured her work in.

The Girl Doing a Twirl

We wrote about what that cheeky Cat might do if he visited us at Prep:

The Cat in the Hat would break all of the glass.
(Please excuse the grammar error - it wasn't me I promise!)

He might knock down all the things, like some rubbish bins or some toys.

And of course, we couldn't let the opportunity of making a hat pass by!

Before I go, I should let you know that I'm having a 'pin it to win it' giveaway of my newest product - a fine motor fun with numbers pack - on my Facebook page! Pop over to check it out. :)

Lauren