I’ve posted a new {freebie} for all of you who are going through US Military deployments. It is a 180-day Deployment Countdown chart that your kids can use to mark off the days until their dad returns.
My husband recently deployed for six months–and this little chart has given my kids a better perspective on just how long he will be gone. It also encourages them to remember how much he loves them, to give me a hug, and to pray for Daddy each day. So, I kinda like it, too :). I hope it is an encouragement to you and yours! You can find it here.
Are you thinking about the first day of school, yet? I have a little freebie for you from MY CALENDAR: Holidays & Celebrations. It is a FUN way to introduce the calendar to your Kinders, or remind your Firsties about how we use the calendar. It is only available at my TPT store. So, hop on over and grab it while its there!
My newest giveaway at Teacher’s Notebook has begun! Mastering Multiplication giveaway starts today!! The giveaway will run for the next 10 days and three of you who enter will win! Mastering Multiplication was designed to help your students master their multiplication facts and move them to a greater understanding of the applications of multiplication.
Your students begin by learning each numbers’ skip count series. Skip counting is a valuable math skill and the foundation of multiplication! Using the Skip Count Assessment sheets, they will systematically apply this knowledge to:
— completing skip count patterns
— writing and solving equations for arrays
— determining missing factors
— building equivalent fractions
— and solving word problems.
Once the multiplication facts for a number are grasped through skip counting, your students can delve into the Units of Measure. On the Units of Measure sheets, your students will:
— learn each number’s (2-8, 10, & 16) prefix, or terms for that number
— visual identify the number’s unit conversions
— apply their skip counting knowledge to discover conversion answers to basic (and more challenging) word problems/task cards
This pack also provides instruction on even and odd numbers, squares (a number times itself) and prime numbers. Blank multiplication tables, task card recording sheets and tests for fluency are also included.
Did I mention this pack includes:
Before you enter the giveaway, grab the {FREEBIE} from this pack and see how it will help you teach multiplication this year!
Flash Freebie!! Today through Monday you can grab the Independence Day sheet from My Calendar: Holidays & Celebrations (for K-1)! Head on over to PreparilliPress on Facebook and grab the freebie there! Enjoy the long weekend!
Here are some number word cards (for numbers 1-12) that you can use along with the number cards (pictured in color above), number order and abbreviation cards in My Calendar Companion. You can download the number word cards here.
Is meal-time ever frustrating for you, or Dad? With seven children around our table, sometimes meals can be a bit…ummm…crazy. I have found, too, that no matter how many times I’ve said, “Don’t speak until you’ve swallowed,” or “Please ask nicely,” some children simply don’t recall those words of wisdom :). So here is a way to instill some Meal-Time Manners in your children without having to say a thing! These little cards have, quite honestly, inspired a LOVELY change around our dining room table.
The Meal-Time Manners cards are pretty simple to use. Just print on cardstock; fill-in each child’s name (there are two cards per page); laminate the front; cut apart and fold in half.
Before you set the cards out for the first meal, go over the “rules” with your kids. Oh, you may have a few grumblers, but once you explain the REWARDS they will gain as they submit to this training, you should have everyone on board.
And yes, there must be rewards (we want our children to submit with a happy heart ). So, you might need to make a quick trip out to grab some stickers–just simple stars or smiley-faces are best. You will want to reward your children for each meal that they achieve all the goals. Now, for your little ones, you may want to take a graduated training approach; allowing them to earn stars for achieving a couple key goals each meal. Then, once a star is earned, give them couple more goals to work on.
So, what do you do with all these stars (besides stick them to the back of your kids’ manners cards :)? Once, your kids have reached a particular goal (for our kids–it is when they collect three times their age of stars) they can choose to have a special treat. You decide how BIG you will allow this treat to be. My kids have picked a trip to Cold Stone, a favorite pizza, a favorite side dish and even breakfast outside.
Are you ready to get started on some meal-time bliss? Download the Meal-Time Manners Cards here.
If you happen to purchaseMY CALENDAR COMPANIONthis month, you’ll want to download this: Summer2015. It is a replacement for page 7 of The Four Seasons responsive reader. That way, your kiddos can learn when summer officially begins for 2015.
Here is a super FUN addition to your “Letter of the Week” program. It is hands-on, loaded with great learning, and lots of FUN! We all know kids who love to create with Play-Doh. As a mom of seven, I have “eaten” quite a few Play-Doh cookies. WithPlay-Doh ABC FUN your students will have FUN while learning (now what mom/teacher doesn’t love that)! Your students will work on their fine motor skills as they learn the shapes of uppercase and lowercase letters, each letter’s sound, practice counting from 1-12 and exercise their creativity on every page.
To really enjoy these sheets will need:
*Play-doh (I’ve included a recipe for one that lasts forever!!) 3 colors
*Plastic knife
*Garlic press tool
*Toothpicks
*Silly Putty (to use with Q)
*Play-Doh Number stamps (optional)
*Play-Doh cookie-cutter or press to use with N
*Page protector (or, if you love to laminate, you can do that instead!)
With my younger children I pre-roll the dough (two “snakes” with two of the colors; a “pancake” with the third color; and an unshaped piece of the third color). Your students will lay the “snakes” on the letter and bend, or cut it to make the right shape. I like to use number stamps for the counting portion on each sheet. If you don’t have these, just have your students cover the right answer with their Play-Doh “pancake.” The final frame allows your students to get creative with the target sound.
Have some fun with your students this week–enjoy this FREEBIE from Play-Doh ABC FUN. Just click the link below the picture to download!
One of the cores I taught last year was Sonlight’s Core C. This was my third time through this particular core. And though I love Sonlight’s Language Arts (especially the read-alouds and read-alones), I don’t find the activity sheets too helpful. You can use them as recording sheets. But, what I needed was something to put in my son’s workbox. Something with directions (which are only found in the Instructor’s Guide) and inspiration…some independent seatwork. So, instead of searching the web for hands-on activities to add to his daily Language Arts assignments, I made printables that he could use to complete the Language Arts 2 activities. Not extra busy-work…but independent seatwork you can use with Sonlight.
Here is a peek of the independent seatwork for Week 1:
Day One: Compound Word Cards & Recording Sheet to help your child learn this week’s spelling words.
Day Two: Punctuation Rule Cards that your child will use to complete this week’s Copywork Application, Creative Expression, and Write a Sentence, or Two activities. You will want to store these on a loose-leaf ring (because we will add to them throughout the year) and have them handy each week. Sentence Scramble is a hands-on print & go sheet. Your child will cut out the color-coded word tiles at the bottom of the page, put then in and order that makes sense and then record the sentences.
Day Three: Descriptive Words is a student planning sheet with prompts to help your child prepare to write their descriptive paragraph on Day Four. You can give this to your child to fill in on their own; or use it when you meet with your child to help guide their creative writing preparations.
Day Four: Animal Description Recording Sheet has room for your child to record (or dictate to you, and you record) their paragraph and draw a picture of the animal they are describing.
Day Five: Write a Sentence, or Two is a weekly sentence writing challenge. This week’s challenge is to write sentences, using the spelling words presented on Day One, that begin with a capital letter and end with a period, question mark or exclamation point. Be sure to have this week’s Punctuation Rule Cards handy! I Spy Adjectives is a workbox-friendly I Spy activity. Your child will write down descriptive words (adjectives) for the things they see in the picture. Download a free copy of this sheet by clicking the link below (all the artwork is by Melonheadz):
Your students begin by learning each numbers’ skip count series. Skip counting is a valuable math skill and the foundation of multiplication! Using the Skip Count Assessment sheets, they will systematically apply this knowledge to:
e the multiplication facts for a number are grasped through skip counting, your students can delve into the Units of Measure. On the Units of Measure sheets, your students will:
Day One: 
