Alphabet and Vowel Chunk Posters


Use these posters at your guided reading and writing centers to quickly give students assistance with alphabet sounds, and vowel chunks!



*Choice of colored or white backgrounds are included for your convenience.

Alphabet
Long A
Long E
Long I
Long O
Long U
AEIOU
Digraphs
Blends
R Controlled
Digraph and Diphthongs


Book Bag Buddies Build Excitement For Reading!


Your students will love having classroom book bag buddies! I have had buddies in my classroom now for 20 years and they are always a hit! Here are my current 25 buddies packed and ready for their turn. For easy management I have found it best to get them ready all at the same time, but as you build the program, simply prepare them as needed.



I generally send home two pets at a time. One for the helper and one for the caboose. You can organize it however you wish, and send home one or two at a time. I have found two to be the perfect number for me.

To start, simply find a book you love and then find a pet to match. You can usually find a pet at a thrift store, a garage sale, on amazon, or department stores (such a Kohls). I will also add an informational or nonfiction companion book if the story lends itself that way. For example if the story is Brown Bear I will include a real book about bears.

Next, make a journal! Copy the cover (add a picture that matches your pet), and then copy the inside front and back so that it will open from the top showing the next page when the page is lifted. 

Now, gather a vinyl backpack. Once again these can be found in all of the places listed above. Place the pet, the book(s), the journal inside of the backpack and it is ready to send home with the first student. 

Remember to introduce your class to the pet, set your rules with the pet, and build the excitement!

Get your journal free at our online story. Simply click the picture below!



Practice Handwriting Using a Catchy Tune

Review or introduce important vowel sounds using this catchy song sang to the familiar tune "The Wheels on The Bus!" And as you do, practice handwriting formation of vowels using these inviting workbook pages. Use individually or staple on the left to make a small "The Vowels on the Bus" workbook using the blackline cover provided.

*UPDATE: As requested, all consonants are now included for flexibility in use of this great practice in handwriting and letter sounds! 





Kindergarten Monthly Homework Packets



Check out our complete set of Kindergarten Homework Packets. You may purchase each separately for $4.00. But, we have packaged all 18 Kindergarten packets together for a $15.00 savings, $45.00. Below are the monthly packet contents and links to the individual previews. 

January Homework Contents
Table of Contents:
The Snowman A guided reading book
Snowy Lotto An alphabet game
Winter Delivery A sight word activity
Color Match Snowmen A color word activity
A Winter Wonderland A blending game
Snowflake Swirl A Counting activity
Snowman Clock A math activity
January Calendar A number handwriting activity

February Homework Contents
Table of Contents:
Little Valentines A guided reading book
Heart Bingo & Flash Hearts Sight word activities
Don’t Break My Heart A word segmenting game
My Valentines Using valentines to extend learning
Dragon Dance Alphabet Sound Fluency
Number Games Math Activities
February Calendar A number handwriting activity

March Homework Contents
Table of Contents:
Out in Space A guided reading book
Mr. Spaceman Conventions of Print
Letter Blast Off Alphabet Letter Sound Naming Automaticity
Race Through Space Alphabet Letter Naming Automaticity
Skip Counting Counting by 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s
Alien Planet Segment Words into Individual Phonemes
Decode it-Defeat it Reading CVC Words
Alien Snap Counting From any Given Number

April Homework Contents
Table of Contents:
The Pond A guided reading book
Slithering Snakes Alphabet sound fluency
Frogger A decoding game
Turtle Lotto A sight word game
Family of Ducks Word families
April Calendar A number handwriting activity
Frog Eggs Composing numbers
Easter Egg Delivers Plus and minus

May Homework Contents
Table of Contents
The Jungle A decodable, sightword reader
Roar! A decoding game
Safari Sights A sight word game
The Jungle A writing activity
Around the Zoo A comprehension activity
At the Zoo An addition game
Gorillas in Cages A subtraction game

June Homework Contents
Table of Contents
Capture the Butterfly A word family game
Mosquito Slap A sightword game
Flower Garden A sentence game
I Can be a Scientist A sightword reader
Lilypad Leap A number line game
Ladybug Addition An addition activity
Dragonfly Subtraction A subtraction activity
Across the Curriculum A collection of fun learning activities

July Homework Contents
Table of Contents
The Beach A sightword reader
Sand Castles A sightword game
Summer Celebrations A sentence game
Diving for Letters Alphabet recognition game
Shell Addition An addition game
Beach Ball Subtraction A subtraction activity
The Number Swim Writing Numbers


August Homework Contents
Table of Contents
Rhyme Book A book of rhymes
My ABC’s An ABC activity
Ride to the Park A color recognition game
The Shape of Things A shape recognition game
Number Flashcards A number recognition activity
Name Writing A handwriting activity
All about ME A classroom community building activity

September Homework Contents
Table of Contents
The Game Sightword reader
Football Flashcards A capital letter review
Kick off ABC Game An alphabet game
Name Cheer A letter recognition activity
Football Rhymes A rhyming game
The Team A number game
Huddle Up A number activity

October Homework Contents (Also includes non-holiday options)
Table of Contents
Haunted House A syllable game
Boo to You An alphabet game
Spider Race An alphabet activity
Monster Cookies Beginning sound activity
Dark Woods Math A number game
No Tricks, Just Treats A sort and graph activity

November Homework Contents
Table of Contents
My Bear A sightword reader
Time to Hibernate An alphabet game
Star Gazing A letter sound game
A Walk in the Woods An ending sounds game
Letter Trace A handwriting activity
Bear Math Various math activities
Number Bears A flashcard activity

December Homework Contents
Table of Contents
Christmas Time A sightword reader
Christmas Tree ABC An alphabet game
To the North Pole A rhyming game
Christmas Sounds A phonemic isolation game
Sound Train Alphabet Sound Fluency
Christmas Memory A number game
Letter Cookies A handwriting activity

Fall Intervention Homework Contents (Spanish Version also included)
Table of Contents
I like Books A guided reader
Alphabet Flashcards An alphabet activity
Capital Shake An alphabet game
My Letters A letter fluency activity
Beginning Sound Isolation Beginning sound game
A-Z Handwriting Handwriting
Number Practice A math activity

Winter Intervention Homework Contents (Spanish Version also included)
Table of Contents
Planes An alphabet sound game
Letter/Sound Fluency Practice sheets
Matching Middles A phonemic awareness activity
Find the Picture A blending and segmenting game
Handwriting Handwriting Practice
Sight Word Study A sight word activity
Color the Shape A math activity
Bingo 0-20 number recognition.

Spring Intervention Homework Contents (Spanish Version also included)
Table of Contents
The Early Bird An Alphabet Fluency Game
The Hungry Lamb Sound Fluency
Rain Go Away A decoding game
Flower Garden A sightword activity
Bunny Hop A segmenting game
Word Riddles Phonemic awareness
Number Hunt Number recognition
Baby Lambs Addition

We also sell preschool and 1st grade packets.


Thematic Units and Storage

Yes, I do all of the thematic units that are for sale at our on-line stores. And yes I do need lots of storage. But, look what my husband just built me in my garage! Thank you to the best husband that could ever be!

And the winner is...


Hannah Welch has been drawn as the winner of a complete set of homework packets of her choice! Please let us know your choice (PreK, Kindergarten, or 1st grade) and the set will be emailed off to you!


Five Senses: Thematic Common Core Unit



This thematic unit, “Five Senses,” offers cross-curricular support with strategic activities in language arts, music, math, science, writing and art while studying a familiar scientific concept. All math and language arts activities are strategically linked to the common core standards.

Activities include: 


Songs/Fingerplays
 Good Day
Five Senses

Guided Reading Books

Little Bear’s Five Senses
My Five Senses

Science

Name That Sound: Using Hearing to Make Observations
It Feels Like: Using Touch to Make Observations
Taste Test: Using Taste to Make Observations
How Does it Smell: Using Smell to Make Observations
I Spy With My Little Eye: Using Sight to Make Observations
Pop Pop Pop: Engaging the 5 Senses

Writing
Word Wall: Five Senses Six Poster Cards
Writing Prompts: My Five Senses
Label It: Label the 5 Senses


Art Projects
My Five Senses:Portfolio Page
Five Senses: Coloring Page

Scripted Math Lessons:

Sorting Senses: Representing Numbers in Different Ways
Graph It: Graphing Categories
Tactile Number Hunt: Matching Quantity to Numbers (Using the Sense of Touch)
Math Workpage
Five Senses: Sorting Data


Scripted Literacy Lessons:

Feel the Alphabet: Identifying Letters of the Alphabet
Touch and Seek Letters: Using Touch and Sight to Match Alphabet Letters
Nursery Rhyme Time: Listening to Nursery Rhymes to Identify Rhyming Words





Developing Fine Motor Skills

Build your child’s (student's) fine motor skills as well as develop confidence by using these fine motor activities. Each category begins with novice activities and then moves forward in complexity; aiding development.





Table of Contents:


Cutting with Scissors:




Help the Airplane Fly
Chugging Train
Astronaut Journey
Alien Adventure
Frog Hop
In the Pond, Dragonfly
Robots I
Robots II
Vroom I
Vroom II
Cowboys I
Cowboys II
Cutting Shapes I
Cutting Shapes II


Using Glue






Glue Practice
Gluing Zig Zag
Glue a Star
Glue a Smile
Glue a Robot
Glue a Bear
Glue a Tree
Glue a House


Drawing Practice


Dot to Dot 
Drawing Vertical Lines 
Drawing Horizontal Lines
Drawing Curve Lines
Drawing Circles



Drawing, Cutting, & Gluing

Make a Tree
Make a Car
Make a Castle
Make a Dog
Make a Bird
Make a Person

The Three Bears

This summer I am taking a summer institute class from Sally over at Fairy Dust Teaching. For my fellow classmates (and anyone else who would like it), I am posting one of my favorite songs: Three Brown Bears.

To make this into a chart size poster, simply copy this jpeg into iphoto or whatever photo management system you use and then save it on a thumb-drive as a jpeg. Take this to your local photo store ( I really like Sam's Club for this) and make it into a poster. Be sure to laminate to make the colors more brilliant and for durability.  Enjoy!


Giant Give-Away $50.00 Value


I think I have finally figured out how to create a Kindergarten Kiosk Facebook page and link it to my blog! To celebrate we are going to have a giant giveaway to one of our Facebook followers. 

To enter, all you have to do is follow the Facebook link and "Like" our page. On July 20th, we will randomly draw out a winner for a complete set of Homework Packets. You may choose either the Preschool, Kindergarten, or 1st grade versions. Each of these monthly homework packets are available individually at our on-line stores for $4.00 each. These packets are strategically linked to the Common Core standards and are favorites of teachers, students, and parents alike!

Be sure to become a follower on our blog! If you are on both the blog and Facebook, your name will be entered twice into our drawing! For an additional chance at winning, post a comment! Want one more chance to win! Go to Lyndsey's brand new blog, mammastots.blogspot.com and become a follower there.







Teach Common Core Math Through Dramatic Play


Dramatic play offers unprecedented opportunities for teaching Common Core Math concepts through authentic experiences. In fact, when asked to work on math skills in the context of a play situations, students are always able to work at a level above their normal skill. To meet the high academic demands of the 21st century, play will be critical to student success, scaffolding their learning in a way that allows them to be successful.




Table of Contents

Dinosaur Museum: Decomposing and composing shapes
Post Office: Understanding the relationships between numbers and quantities
The Costume Shop: Know number names and the count sequence
Pizza Restaurant: Comparing numbers
Ice Cram Parlor: Represent addition and subtraction
Chocolate Shop: Composing and decomposing shapes
Trip to Space: Classifying, sorting, and charting data
The News Station: Answer “How many” despite the arrangement of objects
Santa’s Workshop: Identifying teen numbers as groups of ten and some ones
Knight’s Castle: Describe and compare castles by their measurable attributes
Farm Fluency: Adding and subtracting fluently within 5
The Bakery: Composing and decomposing shapes
Three Bear’s Cottage: Describing objects in the environment using names of shapes and position words


Preschool Common Core Language Arts Assessment: Preparing Preschoolers For Kindergarten


Keep your preschooler(s) on track by using these Preschool Language Arts Assessments that are systematically linked to the Kindergarten Common Core Standards.

A common question asked of parents of Pre-K children is, “Is my child ready for kindergarten?” Using this handy assessment will not only answer that question with solid data, but it will also allow parents and teachers to make informed decisions as to the skills necessary to confidently enter kindergarten. 





Teaching Your Preschooler or Soon-to-be Kindergartner at Home

Are you looking for something extra to do with your child this summer, looking toward your child's all-important Pre-kindergarten year, or simply looking for some great early education ideas? Head on over to a brand new blog, Mamma's Tot's,  for some informative posts about teaching young children.


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