Phonics Prep 10-part Series

This 108 page “Phonics Prep” workbook, the first in a series, provides phonics practice that focuses on letters and sounds. 

It has been designed for students moving into reading. Four pages are devoted to each letter. They include the following: 

A handwriting trace page
A beginning sound identification page
A missing letter page
A letter hunt page

The workbook pages are suited to being assigned on four consecutive days. Because the pages reinforce different aspects of alphabet recognition and the sound-symbol relationships within the alphabet, students can also complete more than one page during a work period if preferred. The workbook pages can be copied front and back or individually.


Look for the entire phonics prep series to be completely added to our teacher store by the end of this week, just in time to meet your back to school needs.

To All Kindergarten Teachers

My grandson is going to start Kindergarten in just  two weeks. I have taught Kindergarten for 23 years, so why am I so trepidatious about it? It is because of what I know as well as every kindergarten teacher knows. Kindergarten is a BIG step not only in the life of the child, but in the life of his parents.

Every new kindergartner's parents are feeling mixed emotions. "I am excited, but...". Parents need to know that their child will be loved and cared for. They need to know their child will be spending a huge chunk of time in a developmental setting -- experiencing the joy of learning, creating, and discovering.

I asked my daughter to write down her thoughts to remind each and every Kindergarten Teacher what it is all about. If you know a Kindergarten Teacher, please pass this on:

To my child’s Kindergarten teacher,

Please remember that I am trusting you with the most precious, beautiful, important part of my life. Please keep him safe. Please see what I see in him. Please don’t try to label him. He is who he is. Celebrate that. Please don’t focus on his test scores too much. They really don’t tell you much about him. For example, they don’t tell you that he’s a perfectionist. That he has an imagination the size of a nation. That he thrives on smiles and hugs. That he loves to paint--but never inside the lines. That he’s afraid of being ignored and alone. That he loves to work with his hands, but gets impatient that they’re not as strong as he’d like. There is so much more to him than how many letters he knows and how far he can count. Please see him. Please look at him.

When the school year starts and he’s in your care, will you please smile at him? Will you pat him on the back and tell him he’s doing okay? It’s okay to tell him he needs to behave, it’s okay to tell him he needs to do better, but please tell him that everyone makes mistakes sometimes--mistakes are how we learn--and you know he will do better the next day. Please help him pick himself up and try again.

Will you make sure he has fun? I’m not worried about the academics. I know they will come. I’m more concerned about what this year teaches him about school. Please make sure to teach him that school is a place where we take care of each other’s feelings, where it’s okay to try and fail, where it’s okay to make messes and mistakes, where it’s okay to play. Please let him play. It’s how he learns.

This is a big step for him and me. We are walking out into the world and you are his first brush with life outside of the safe place I’ve made for him. I will cry when I put his little hand in yours and walk away. I will be thinking about him the whole time he’s gone, but I hope you have him so engaged he doesn’t have a chance to think of me.

Take care of him.

He’s only been around for 5 years.

Mom

Preschool Assessments

Of course I didn't forget! The bestselling Preschool Assessment Packets are also updated! And yes! They are also ready for you to load onto your own ESGI account!

You will love the ease that ESGI gives this product. I have done the work for you; all of these tests are there: click, click, done. Simply click on the test explorer tab (within ESGI) and look for my name: Kathy Crane to find the correct tests. (Important: At the very end of the testing documents are screen shots of how to organize your tests on ESGI to correlate with the paper copy).

 Even if you are not sure whether paperless testing and data retrieval is for you, you will want to take advantage of their free 60 day trial! Simply go to  https://www.esgisoftware.com/ESGI/ click on the orange button!

Please remember to enter promo code B7227 to receive $40.00 off the already low price.

Best Ever Kindergarten Assessments

These “best selling” assessments has just gotten better, and now offers a digital option to save you paper 

and valuable time! 

These documents serve as organizational tools for gathering information about language arts and math strengths and weaknesses of kindergarten students. Using these assessment, you will learn more about your students and will more easily determine the focus of your instruction.

If relying on the paper copy, one assessment form should be copied for each student. Due to the necessity of assessing students at regular intervals during the school year, the documents provide a space to record information for different assessment periods. The first assessment is in the trimester format (with benchmarks provided). Following this assessment is one that is generalized, to fit the format of varying school years.

The next pages of the assessment packets are student copies and examples of a checklist or report card that you may wish to use when reporting to parents.

With this 3rd addition, there is big, important announcement! 

I have partnered with ESGI! 

You will love the ease that ESGI gives this product. I have done the work for you; all of these tests are there: click, click, done. Simply click on the test explorer tab (within ESGI) and look for my name: Kathy Crane to find the correct tests. (Important: At the very end of the testing documents are screen shots of how to organize your tests on ESGI to correlate with the paper copy).

 Even if you are not sure whether paperless testing and data retrieval is for you, you will want to take advantage of their free 60 day trial! Simply go to  https://www.esgisoftware.com/ESGI/ click on the orange button!

Please remember to enter promo code B7227 to receive $40.00 off the already low price.

The Best Word Wall

The best word walls are build with purpose and designed for student usability.
Our Power Word Wall Kit is completely build with research in mind! It has classroom tested, proven powerful results.

Research has shown that words that are printed in red ink with a yellow background promotes visual performance and brain connections. The term power words connects the importance of learning sight words with the power of knowledge. Constructing the word wall as a dictionary; connecting letters and visual sound cards that are used frequently in the classroom (or home), make for a powerful connection between letter-sound-word.

All materials to prepare students and organize your word wall are included. Also tips for extension and use, a personal student-size alphabet/word dictionary, alphabet chant (to promote alphabet knowledge), and an alphabet poster are included.

You will love the connections that this word wall kit will make with your students. And, you will be happy to see that research pays off as its all inclusive, interactive nature will create independent early readers!

NOTE: Contains over 200 power word cards!

Alphabet Sound Cards

Have you been looking for just the right alphabet sound cards? Well look no further. Kids love these catchy songs, sung to the tune “Miss Lucy Had a Baby.” Why are they all the same tune? Well that is the hook! You know how a song gets stuck in your head and it won’t go away? Kids quickly learn their letter sounds using this unique format.

This set of cards match our product Power Word Wall http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sight-Words-Power-Word-Wall-Kit-143900.This companion packet contains alphabet and picture cards that are suitable for a word wall, nearly 200 high-frequency word cards, student size word wall cards, and a chant to promote letter-sound knowledge.

These cards will look great as your anchor alphabet displayed around the room or can be compiled as a book.

Our Insect Zoo unit is updated! If you have purchased it, be sure to download the update. If not, you might consider checking out this great unit filled with buggy fun!

This (120 page) Insect unit is strategically linked to common core standards. It is divided into areas of literature, media, music, art, literacy activities, math activities, worksheets, science activities, creative writing, word wall words, and guided reading. The activities are clearly written, easy to use, and need limited amounts of preparation. 

Literacy Activities:

Fly Away Fly: Letter Identification
Fly Away Words: Sight Word Recognition
Buggy Bug Match: Sight Word (or Alphabet) Match
Bug Rhymes: Matching Rhymes
Ladybug Spots: Recognizing Words in Speech.
Letters Buzzing In My Name: Recognizing/Writing Letters In Names
Independent Activities
Trace & Write Letters A-Z

Math Activities:

Catching Insects: Sorting
My Bug Collection: Addition
Bug-a-Boo: Geometric Shapes
Construct a Bug: Exploring Probability.
Bugs Count: Developing Number Sense 

Science Activities

Creating an Insect Zoo
Insect Memory: Matching Identical Insects.
Insect Observation: Observing Features
Insect Magnification:Using Scientific Tools
Independent Activities
Insect Body Parts


Songs/Fingerplays

Freddy Flea
The Firefly & Other Insects
The Bees

Guided Reading Books
The Insects- Level A
The Insects- Level C
Little Ladybugs

Writing Prompts/Word Wall

Our Insect Zoo
All About Lady Bugs
Insect Word Wall Words

Art Projects
Ladybug Ladybug
My Insect
Baby Bumblebee
Paint a Bug

Developmental Handwriting

This summer I have been working with T. my grandson on strengthening the muscles in his hands and handwriting. He is not excited about it, needless to say, handwriting generally is not a child's favorite subject.

I have found, however, that students love handwriting when the instruction is developmental and active. T. loves these worksheets. I don't think he even knows that it is handwriting. Each sheet allows the student to make the alphabet letter using sticks and curves.

Check it out at our online store by clicking on the title below.

Velcro Fabric Bulletin Board Background

Old Fabric

Old Fabric 15 years later

I bought this velcro fabric by the yard 15 years ago at a conference on children's literature. They were advertising the fabric to make story aprons. But, of course, my teacher lightbulb turned on, and I was wondering what it would be like as bulletin board background. It was expensive, about $10.00 a yard, but I decided to bite the bullet and try it! What a great investment. This fabric never fades, never looks old, and is still as bright as the day I bought it.

This year I decided it was time to purchase another 3 yards and do another bulletin board.  I found Industrial Webbing on line and I thought I would give them a try. (I just googled velcro fabric, there are other sellers of this product. The total for 3 yards with shipping was $109.00. Now that sounds expensive for a bulletin board, but remember, my original purchase is 15 years old and still looks brand new. When I add up the countless rolls of fadeless paper that I have bought in the last 15 years for my other boards, it makes the velcro fabric seem like a deal. (And it is fire marshall friendly).

New fabric

Just add velcro hook side

I just opened the package today and I am thrilled. The blue is a little duller than my original bright blue, but it is great. Here it is up on the board ready to be my word wall. (The old fabric is now on my poetry center board, I can hardly wait for the difference it will make there). The fabric works perfect for my words. I simply put a dab of velcro on the back and viola! they are ready to stick where you need them. The words easily pull off to hand kids that need a close look, and easy to rearrange when you need to alphabetize a new word.

When I am finished putting my classroom back together, I will take a picture of the completed word wall.

Vinyl Decals in the Reading Center

So I got these adorable decals to put in my classroom reading center. But, since they are so adorable, they went to my grand baby's bedroom instead. And, yes they look great!

So I guess back to etsy or amazon once again. I like this one, but, I am afraid it would end up in the two year old's bedroom!

Well, I guess I will keep shopping;  I will put some pictures up of my reading center once it is completed!  

Ocean's of Fun

Students love to study the wonders of the ocean and well, so do I! That is why we developed three Thematic Units that use that natural curiosity and love of the sea to practice important early learning skills! Check out these great early learning units, you will not be disappointed! 

All activities are researched based and strategically linked to standards. 

Sight Words and Sight Word Sentences

Kids love to play games! So what is better than playing learning games?

One of the goals of Phonics and Word Recognition is to help students build a bank of sight words. This packet contains seven activities that will do just that. All activities are strategically linked to the common core standards, highlighting RF.K.3c.

Contents include:

Dinosaur Friends: Reading High Frequency Words
Froggy School: Reading Sight Word Sentences
Butterfly Bonanza: Fluently Reading a Group of Sight Words
Jungle Friends: Fluently Reading Hight Frequency Words
Munch, Munch, Munch:  Reading High Frequency Words and Fry Phrase Sentences
Sight Word Bugs: Reading High Frequency Words

Sight Word Worksheets

Decoding Words: Nonsense and CVC Word Fluency

One of the goals of the Common Core Strands of Phonics and Word Recognition is to help students use sounds to read words. Working with consonant and vowel sounds, Nonsense Words, CVC words, and high frequency words helps students move into reading.

This packet includes lessons and worksheets to help your students decode real and nonsense words. Contents include: 

Gumball Bingo: Reading Nonsense Words
Butterfly Decoding: Decoding Words: CVC, Blends, Digraphs
Fish Pond: Decoding CVC and CVCe Words
Dino Discovery: Fluently Reading a set of Nonsense Words

Decoding Worksheets: Independent Practice.

Ten Early Learning Games

Practice early learning skills and have kids begging for more!

This set of ten fun, fast-paced learning games features five early learning skills and is strategically linked to Common Core Standards.

A special algorithm allows for a match to be made every time!

Contents include:

Dinosaur Alphabet Match Up: Matching and identifying lowercase letters.

Circus Time: Matching and identifying uppercase letters.

Yee Haw Sight Word Match: Matching and identifying sight words. (The words in this set correlates with the Wonders Reading Program.

Pool Party Match Up: Matching and identifying sight words. 

Garden Party Sight Words: Matching and identifying sight words. 

2D Shape Match Up: Matching and identifying 2-D shapes. 

3-D Match Up: Matching and identifying 3-D shapes.

Number Match Up Level 1: Matching and identifying numbers.

Number Match Up Level 2: Matching and identifying numbers.

Lil’ Artist:  Matching and naming colors.

Ants: Keeping Kids Motivated to Learn

When my children were young, during the summer months, I would always pick with my children a topic for the summer. One summer we chose Bees. We did everything bees. We studied about them, read about them, wrote about them, and constructed art and cooking projects about them. It was a great way to keep my kids engaged during the summer months. Ants would make a great summer topic!

While none of us appreciates ants in our homes, they can be a welcome sight in the classroom or home...under the right circumstances. Ant farms keep these small insects contained, yet visible. 

Traditional sand ant farms or “space age” gel farms will captivate your students or children! Check them out at Amazon or Steve Spangler.com.

Circus Theme for Early Learners

A great theme for anytime of the year, and especially for Summer School is Circus! We have a great thematic unit that covers all areas of the curriculum and is strategically linked to important learning standards. It is written specifically for kindergarten, but can be easily used in Pre-K and 1st.

I will be guest blogging next week at Hameray Publishing. Look for the link on June 15. I will be doing a Four-Part "How-to" of sorts on Shared Reading as it links to the Common Core Standards.  As part of the upcoming post, I will be offering this free song poster. It is in jpeg formant, so simply click on it, drag it onto your desktop and print it in any size you want, including poster size. Enjoy!