Big Shape Tracing

Apple Tracing Worksheet

Alphabet Big Shape Tracing Worksheets From the Pond

Do you have pre-k and kindergarten students who are learning the alphabet for reading? Help them on their writing journey by including a tracing page each day or week alongside their learning of letters and letter formation.

Our unique and original big shape tracing pages combine big shapes with internal handwriting pattern lines.

Prewriting Activities for Kindergarten

I made these pages to to bridge the two important steps before learners attempt letter formation and writing.

After big arm movements

Big shape tracing on paper

Once your little ones have had plenty of opportunity doing 'big arm' writing (chalking on the ground, painting with water on the fence, big easel painting) it is time for big shapes on paper. Here they can trace a big picture on a page as their little hand and developing-pencil-control accommodates the whole page rather than the tiny movements of a letter on a line.

Handwriting pattern lines on paper

After lots of big shapes, you may move to handwriting pattern lines - up and down, side to side, zig zags and waves.

Combine both!

Our unique pages combine both with one piece of paper! Ask your learners to trace the large shape first - this dashed line is darker that the others, so students can locate it easily. Students then trace the handwriting pattern lines within the shape to finish their work. Encourage left to right and top to bottom. These can be done in marker or crayons and then the whole picture filled in with soft pencil or watercolor for display.

Here is a sample from our alphabet pack. Now you can combine prewriting with the alphabet! 

Pumpkin Tracing Worksheet

Pinning - Fine Motor and Phonics Fun!

My little one LOVES to pokey pin!
Spider Fine Motor Activity


Why Pokey Pin?

It can be a perfect way to help cranky, agitated little ones relax and refocus. It helps with fine motor coordination. Once finished, the pages make a great window display in the classroom. Some of your kids will also enjoy the sensory experience of running their finger along the lines created at the back of  the page when its finished. 

Alphabet Pokey Pin Pages

I have made a new set of 'Pinning Pages' for my TpT store. Just print of the relevant page. Staple it to the front of a coloured piece of paper. 



How to Pokey Pin

  • Provide your students with a drawing pin (push pin) - I like the giant push pins (Amazon affiliate link)
  • Show them how to work on a soft surface or stack of newspaper. 
  • Demonstrate and emphasise the safety rules of working with pins. 
  • I show them that we always point the pin down, and never move around the classroom with it. 
  • Also emphasise the importance of putting the pin away correctly when the activity is finished. 
I have never had any problems with this activity after a thorough  mini-lesson on safety. We have created a set of printable rule posters if this would help you.


  • Students push their pin through each dot on the page to create a small hole. Then once finished, the white cover paper is removed to reveal the design.


This spider is just one design out of 26 included in my new "A-Z Pinning Pages" product. 

Free Sample Pokey Pin Page

If you would like to try out this activity we share this pumpkin page with you over in our free Coloring Club library! 




We know your little learners will love it!

Monday Morning Randomness!


Congratulations to Pamela Petralia who won the $50 TpT gift voucher on The Teaching Tribune! Happy spending Pamela! I just emailed you your voucher.

Thank you to everyone that entered and participated in our hop!

I am not a 5th class/grade teacher but I adore looking at photos of classrooms! Terry has a great post on The Teaching Tribune today and you can see lots of great photos of her room organisation. Honestly, I could look at photos of classrooms all day long! 


If you have purchased my 'Lined Paper' graphics before, please re-download the revised set! I have made them better for teachers around the globe - by making them begin with a solid line at the top. Apparently most other countries do things differently that we do here in Australia. So I have moved the lines around for you....


I created a set that has a DARK baseline. I think this will help your students see exactly where their letters will stand.

And also, a gray shaded set.


And I have kept the original pages in the download as a bonus, so that my Aussie friends can make great worksheets too. We write between two solid lines, and have a dotted 'sky' and 'underground' line for the tall and long letters. It has been  interesting to see the differences around the globe! 




Three Bears + Comprehension



We love this book! Amazon affiliate link: Three Bears by Cliff Wright

I purchased this book on a whim, for my daughter, and I believe I was meant to find this book. The first time I read it, I am not ashamed to admit, I cried. There is something very special about the way it is written that I find difficult to explain. Somehow, I believe that it will strike a chord with you and your students also.

My absolute favourite line in the story is
" Sometimes, it really is very nice to be looked after".
There are many complex emotions illustrated and described very simply.

Poor Brown Bear is injured in the story. Black Bear and White Bear conspire to not only help Brown Bear recover, but build him a new house. Brown Bear conjures up a scenario that is total fantasy and believes he is being left out of the friendship. He gets upset and angry. All is resolved when the surprise is revealed and Brown Bear is reassured that he is not being left our of the friendship.

For me, the raw vulnerability and most precious beauty of friendship is revealed beautifully in this story. It explores so many different aspects of friendships. It would be perfect as a catalyst to talk about feelings and communication.

If you have not seen this book before - I highly recommend you add it to your home or class library. And if you do have it - here is a little freebie worksheet. Ask your students to draw or write about Brown Bear's feelings at the beginning, middle and end of the book.

Printable Worksheet For Three Bears By Cliff Wright

Five for Friday

It is Friday and I think I might be able to count to five. Just. And that will be all my friends, as I have had a crazy busy week and I am tired!

fri yay made it

 
School is now out for 2 weeks - so sleep-ins here I come! Most mothers out there will appreciate that, by 'sleep-in' I mean at least 7.30am. Hopefully.

1. Big Print

I was super excited to get some of my game boards printed on A3 (double our standard paper) this week. It is something I have wanted to try for a while. For my Aussie friends - $1.50 at Officeworks. Love!!

2. First Painting

My sweetheart Sam (18 months old) did his first painting at Playgroup. He LOVES it! Paint dots were everywhere - floor, table, door, cubby.... So very proud of him and so in-love with him, my heart near bursts every. single. day.

3. The Little Table

After 18 weeks. Yes 18 (I am sure they had to go cut the wood) - the lap table for my let's-drink-tea-and-maybe-do-some-work-or-just-chat area arrived! This is a little space in my house between my dining room, lounge room and kitchen. And where I do most of my work. I have my computer set up and I can be 'mum' and work through the day and evening. I 'chevroned' it up a while ago with some comfy chairs. I like to take a break from the screen and draw - drink tea - cuddle cute babies and daydream. Anyhow - the table has arrived and it now feels complete!

4. Scrappy Sketch

And it must be working as I sketched this up today to complete a 'Scrappy Scarecrow' set for my graphics store. 

5. Blogging

For #5 I have provided you a visual of my love-hate relationship with Blogging! This afternoon I thought I would whip up a new header for my graphics blog. I had 30 minutes. I was 'in the zone' with post-table-arriving-excitement still in my system. But my dear friends, Blogger is experiencing some technical 'issues' and a talented blog friend Christi assures me that all will be fixed soon. So for now, I am stuck with a boring background and headings above every image gadget on my sidebar. 

I DO NOT LIKE IT when things don't work smoothly! Nor do I understand why blogger picks up 'blog' as a spelling error. So what would I know?!


Thank you so much for stopping by - please head over to Doodle Bugs Teaching for more FRIDAY 5 FUN!

FREE Apple Writing Paper + Johnny Appleseed

Johnny Appleseed Activities

Perfect for an apples or Johnny Appleseed themed unit, your students will love preparing this Johnny Appleseed craft and writing task.

The template pieces can be printed on color paper, or print them on white paper and ask your students to shade/paint them.


Johnny Appleseed Craft

Students can add some detail to make their creation different - why not copy on white paper and ask them to paint it?!

Johnny Appleseed Craft

Jessica said:
Thank you so much! This was an incredible addition to my lesson!

Cameron told us:
My students loved making these, and they were adorable! Thanks!

Kreate in Kinder said:
Adorable! I'm posting the finished products in the hallway for our Fall conferences!


We would love to see how yours look - tag us on social media so we can see them!

September Craft for Kids

September Craft for Kids

September Craft for Kids

We have included a few versions to cater for a range of learners:
  • complete version (like a coloring page, its all joined up ready for minimal cutting)
  • one page version (all the pieces for one student are on one page)
  • traditional template version (perfect for running on colored paper, multiple identical pieces per page)
Easy Craft For Kids


Easy Craft For Kids

I had so much fun creating this new craftivity, I wanted to share some writing paper that you could use along with it! You can find them at TpT for free HERE

Easy Craft For Kids

Thanks so much for stopping by my friends!

Talk Like a Pirate


September 19th is 'Talk Like a Pirate' day! What a great opportunity to add a fun theme to an otherwise regular day at school.

On this free writing page, students will explore being a pirate by responding to the question 'If I were a pirate'.

Your little pirates can write about what they will say, wear and do!


Hop over to our TpT store to find this worksheet (3 variations included) for free.

Let's Learn D and a FREE Reader


These word wall cards are from my latest phonics resource: Let's Learn D. I started making these files last year and am gradually making my way through the alphabet.I know, I know, I will hurry up and finish them off soon!

 The activities included have been carefully selected based on many years experience introducing letter-sounds to Kindergarten children.


I have written an original little rhyme for each letter sound. This can be sung to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell". When introducing a new sound to your students it is always good to have a tune, rhyme or song to go along with it. If you can add an action - better yet! 


I printed the word wall cards '4 to a page' so they fit in an index card box. I have about 8 pictures up on the board for each sound on a Monday morning (with magnets, turned around). I play a yes/no game where the students have to ask me questions about each picture before I turn it around and reveal it. I start by giving them a clue e.g 'It's an animal' and we go from there. They LOVE it! The word cards then stay on the board for the remainder of our week. 


The packet also includes a letter formation card. It shows the size and proportions of the letter and where to start writing it from. I display this along with the word cards and refer to it every day. I also have another copy, which I laminate and pin-prick from the back. The kids love to 'track' the letter with their finger, feeling the pin prick bumps right around the letter. This gives them some tactile awareness of the letter shape. 


I have included a printable reader-style book for students to make. If you are only introducing letter sounds, you will not be requiring the students to do too much other 'reading' as obviously they have not learned all the sounds yet! So, a VERY BASIC reader is perfect. I highly recommend having it in the style of a proper reader, so your students are not only learning the sound, but learning essential reading-behaviour skills simultaneously. 


Students build this reader themselves and have to match words and pictures and paste them in!


Try it for FREE by downloading it from TpT HERE


The set also includes 3 or 4 other basic worksheets. You will not need too many more than this, unless you want to implement death-by-worksheet! These cover the basics that you need at the time of introducing the letter-sounds for the first time.



Each packet in this series also includes a basic 'craft'. They can be quickly prepared and easily made by your students. I know from experience that this time in Kindergarten in very busy and students are just learning classroom routines and behaviours - so  you will want to keep your activities as simple as possible. This little duck will help brighten your room. Students can practice a very early handwriting pattern to draw the wing on the duck.



Introducing the single sound sis certainly one of my most favourite times in Kindergarten. I like to switch and change my activities from year to year and even after more than a decade teaching Kinder, I still like to gather new ideas. I hope this post has given you a few new ones too!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great day!