Classroom Ideas for Valentine's Day




I have loads of ideas and resources for Valentine's Day in the classroom! Find more information and access to these activities by clicking on each of the pictures. Love Bug Write and Wipe Cards will help your students segment cvc words.


Making hearts to model addition is just one activity in my Sweet Centers bundle.
 

Pop over to one of my previous blog posts to grab a FREE fine motor pinning page.

Your students can write about things they love in this sweet flippable cupcake book.


Some scrappy colouring will help brighten your classroom! This is another free download!

Why not make some super-easy and cute cupcake-liner butterflies!

Get your students rolling and adding with my chocolate themed Play Dough Mats. You could also use counters or dry erase markers.


Send a loveable owl home with your students with a list of things they love!




Or make a Hug Bug to give to someone special!



Thanks so much for stopping by our blog today - I hope you have a wonderful week!

Five for Friday - 29th January

The best time of the week has arrived! Here are 5 random happenings from my week.


1. Hello Classroom
I have resumed a 5 day teaching position. People hate me for saying it, but who cares...... it is actually easier than teaching part time! Love it. I also love that I have a blackboard. And neon chalk.



2. Classroom Ideas
Speaking of classrooms, I love saving cute and practical ideas for the classroom. Find my Pinterest board HERE and follow along if you would like to start saving ideas too!


3. No sugar Valentines
I found these fun non-food gift ideas for Valentine's Day over at Rachelle's store. Love!



4. Washi Tape Pegs
I got all crafty and actually made something I saw on Pinterest. 


Thanks so much for stopping by - have a wonderful day!

'Make Ten' Games


Learning to 'make ten' is such an important skill and will help your students on their journey to developing more complex skills in math. 

I recently added three more activities to accompany my 'Make 10' print-and-play game packet on TpT. 


Each printable game also includes a follow-up or recording worksheet and a cover page to help you organize your resources. I like to keep mine in clear plastic document wallets. 


You can find my mini-bundle in my store HERE


Thanks so much for stopping by - have a great day!

Kangaroo Directed Drawing





The 26th January is Australia Day! We celebrate being Australian and our diverse country, cultures and community. 

I made a kangaroo directed drawing that might fit in with what you are doing in the classroom to discuss and celebrate Australia Day. 




Find it in google drive HERE

My friend Alison has some more resources that you may find useful too:


Five for Friday - 22nd January

Hi friends!

I am starting to get myself out of summer-mode and back into the real world! What better way to get back in routine that with a Five-For-Friday post!

Making a point of taking photos through the week to share in a FFF post is a great way to relish the small moments in life and build a sense of accomplishment out of the sometimes-random-and-chaotic world of being a teacher - if you don't currently do a post for this link-up, I highly recommend it. Add a reminder to your diary to think about a photo each day to share. I love the fact that there are no rules, and really - that is how Friday should be!

1. Sweet Games


I started to prep some sweet games this week, ready for February. This one will help familiarise students with a 100 chart. It is in my bundle HERE

2. Big First Day

You may remember when I posted about the birth of my sweet baby boy back in 2012. We have been on such a journey together here at home. Sam had his first day of preschool this week. He loved it. I cried. Life is beautiful but oh so rapid. My arms ached all day for one of our frequent hugs. Today I am writing this post from a house that just has me in it. Maybe the second or third day in 8 years all to myself. It is strange - quiet and empty. I am beginning to think Saturday will become my new favourite day.


3. Happyness

I went to the art gallery this week to see an exhibition called Happyness. In short, spelled incorrectly to reflect the notion that things can be messy or imperfect and still bring us joy.

Loved it.

This is a growing artwork that we could add to by folding a paper/ribbon star. It was breathtaking.




4. Mathtivity

Combining math and creativity in one fun learning experience - meet my fraction robot!

5. Stay updated

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All Stitched Up Page Frames

Available in my clipart store are some page frames to add a touch of stitching and a bow to your teaching resources and classroom pages!

If you'd like to use them commercially or online, check out my Terms of Use and email me with any questions you have. 



Friendship Lesson


In the interest of transparency, I have to tell you that I was asked to review this book - Friendship is Like a Seesaw. It is a book in the A BIG HUG series by clinical psychologist and author Shona Innes. 

For my USA readers - we call teeter-totters 'seesaws' here in Australia. You can find these books stocked in the USA HERE

I didn't have to think twice, I didn't need to be convinced and I didn't need to go and buy the book! It was on my shelf already (you may have noticed that I shared it on Instagram last year). Furthermore, I had planned to do a lesson with this book early in our first week back at school. 


Thinking back to when I purchased this book, I remember seeing it on the shelf and grabbing it swiftly and tucking it under my arm. Experienced teachers know straight away what is going to resonate with children. Instantly I knew that explaining friendship with the visual of a seesaw was simply perfect. 

I adore how the book explains that sometimes in a friendship, someone is up, and the other person is down. It goes further to explain what might happen to make someone feel down, and how to go about getting things back 'in balance'. 

So many books I have read in the past about friendship, have students thinking that things always have to be peachy-keen and cupcakes. I love that this book helps students understand that it is normal for friendships to be out of balance at times - and it is not the end of the world. 

I could already tell that it would be a great staple to have on hand for all those times when students return from outdoor play, red-eyed and blubbering with tears. When they feel upset, hurt and frustrated that their friends have let them down in some way. Just reading this story will help them calm down and realise that things can be fixed.  


I would suggest making a chart as you read this book for a second time, and as a class write down everything that you have learned about friendships. Ask students to contribute some of their own ideas as well. 


Talk about how friendship looks when it is balanced and how we know it is working for both people. Talk about the sorts of things that happen to make someone feel 'down' and then how we work this out and repair it with some 'friendship skills' or 'tools'. Your students can draw a picture or write about each of these on this worksheet I made. It is a worksheet I have been using for years, but I added a seesaw visual to tie it in to the story. 


Find the FREE worksheet on google drive HERE

I would love to build my library of books about friendship, especially for this time of year - if you have some favourites, please leave a comment and let me know. 

Have a wonderful day.

Posters for the Classroom


Teachers and students in Australia are beginning a new year of learning at the end of January. We are well and truly in 'back to school' mode!

As I prepare things for my classroom I try to think through to the end of the year - as difficult as that may be! I try to plan how my resources and teaching aids will be packed up and stored.

One thing I love to use for storing my posters and flat decor is large display books and artist portfolios (for my REALLY big posters).

At this time of year you can pick them up for a few dollars. I put a cute label on mine (free link at the end of this post) so I can remember what is in each. I have quite a few of these now, and love flicking through and seeing things I made in my very first year of teaching. It brings back lots of memories and helps me recall all the things I need to get prepared!



A few things I consider when planning my posters and display for the classroom are:


1. Less is More 

I certainly have quite a haul of teaching resources that I have collected over the years and to my husband's disappointment I continue to buy and create more. I love having options to choose from and my tastes change. You will not want to display everything you have for your room right away. Put a few things up to make your classroom inviting on your students' first day, but leave some things to contribute collaboratively to your classroom environment. This will make your students feel part of the process and included in the development of the learning space. 

I try to make my posters and displays a combination of decoration and function. They need to be useful in some way and have a connection to your class program, but if they can add an element of visual appeal, then you are saving yourself time and expense! 

Before you hang something up - think - is this purpose served somewhere else in the room? Am I doubling up? Will my students look at an alphabet chart six meters away from their desk (way above their eye-level) or will an alphabet desk chart be more suitable and effective? Depending on the space you have to work with, these sorts of questions will be very important. 

If you are limited in space, try having a few of your posters bound together with a ring-link and then flip them over to show content that is applicable in different times of your day. These are also called anchor-charts. Not everything has to be 'on show' all of the time. 

2. Application  

Think about how you are going to attach a poster to a surface. Is putting a staple through a beautiful piece of wall timber really what we want to be modelling to our students about respect for the classroom? Perhaps consider as well, your responsibility to remove what you apply so you are not causing five days work for someone else down the track. Eucalyptus oil and microfibre cloths are fantastic for removing old bits of glue, blue-tac and dirt that have been left on a surface, before you put your new things up!

3. Lamination 

I used to laminate everything. Not now. Printing is now easier and cheaper, so I don't mind re-printing things each year. The benefits of non-laminated posters are:
  • Saved time, energy and expense making a poster.
  • Once used, the paper version can be recycled (laminated paper cannot) and I feel better about my impact on our environment
  • Reduced glare. The shine of a wall of lamination makes me loopy - am sure some students feel the same way! If I give up time and wall real-estate to add displays, I want them to be as functional as possible - non-shiny posters are more likely to engage my students. 
There are some things I choose to laminate - usually displays that are low or at eye-level, interactive displays that are handled by students repetitively and posters that can be used with a dry-erase marker. 

4. Fonts 

Eliminate the obsession with handwriting fonts. It is NOT crucial for every tiny model of print to be in your school's mandated handwriting font. In fact, students find it easier to learn to read with text that is more similar to a font that you would find in a book. Handwriting fonts are perfect for models when you are teaching the WRITING components of your program, but if we want our students to read a variety of texts, having a variety of fonts on display just makes sense! 

5. Readiness  

I like to have a stack of printed paper labels ready-to-go so I can whip up a poster or label in seconds. Use bright coloured markers, draw pictures (or have a student draw) and add fun stickers to add interest and appeal. Using easy-to-prep consistent themed-labels will help you to look organised (a theme or decor consistency will add a visual 'calmness' to your room) and is time efficient. 



If you would like to set up a poster/decor folder like mine, find the 'Classroom Posters' label in google drive HERE


Alphabet Posters

If you are setting up your classroom, you may like to view our huge range of printable posters.

Our favorite alphabet posters include an editable version so you can create a display perfect for you learners. 

Alphabet Posters in the Classroom


Good luck setting up your classroom and using posters to help your students understand concepts and content - have a great day!

Phonics Based Spelling Interactives



Turning a spelling list into something fun with an interactive component will engage your students and give them a visual to help remember tricky letter patterns!


I have a penguin themed pocket-pouch 'interactive' to share with you today. You can use this to help students with 'sk' words (as in 'skate') - or use the blank template page to work on ANY learning outcome suitable to your class!

Ask your students to colour the pieces, cut them out and glue the heading (blank one available for you to write your own) and penguin base onto a notebook page. 

Alternatively, you could glue this onto coloured art paper for a craftivity!


Run a thin line of craft glue around the grey line I have provided on the template. 


Place the pocket cover over the glue to create a pocket pouch. 


Students can then slide word cards into the pocket that have 'sk' in them. Choose the ones that have been selected by me, or have students write some of their own on the blank template page. 


Ask your students to draw the blades on the skates.

On the facing page of their notebook, they can write a sentence for each word in their pocket! 


Click on the image below to find this FREE sample in Google Drive!


I have listed a  bundle of these spelling interactive lessons in my TpT store! Head over to TpT to find it..  


Other resources for Interactive Notebooks in my store include:

 


Thank you so much for stopping by - have a wonderful day! 

Addition Strategies

LOOK FOR TEN ADDITION STRATEGY

Do you have students who know basic addition as combining groups and are starting to develop some strategies for fluency and flexibility in their problem solving?

Perhaps your students can confidently recall the 'friends of ten' but forget to use this strategy when solving more challenging problems. Quickly assess your learners by giving them 3 numbers to total. Do they identify the numbers that combine to ten first before adding on the third?

Free Let's Make Ten Poster

Firstly, you may like to review the combinations. Find a FREE printable for making 10 in our store.

FRIENDS OF TEN POSTER

Adding 3 numbers - making 10 first

Our new activity game pack will see students 'bridging to ten'. They must look at 3 numbers and find/make the ten first. You can use pegs (clothespins) and a pipe cleaner to make a 'bridge' and further solidify the joining of these two numbers to make them one new number (10).
 

Help your students understand that by looking for a ten, and joining them, we then only had 2 numbers to add, when looking at 3 numbers to combine.

So, 2+3+8 would then become 10+3 - much easier to work with!


This new 'print and play' activity is in our TpT store and on sale today. I have included a recoding sheet in the packet and you can set up a 'task card' activity station with students taking a card, finding the total and recording it on their page.