Rainbow Heart Wallpaper


I made this pretty Rainbow Hearts design for my screen wallpapers this week. I just love something new and fresh to add to my workspace each week and a screen wallpaper is such an easy cost-effective way to do just that!



I'd love to share these screensavers with you too. Simply download the images from google drive from the links below. Store them on your camera roll and choose them for your screen saver and/or wallpaper!


Find the Computer Screensaver HERE

and the Phone Screensaver HERE

I've also added the design, in print quality to the 'Banner and Paper' pack. This pack allows you to coordinate your home office or classroom elements with printable papers, folder covers and banner pennants.


{These are for your personal use only and cannot be redistributed or shared}

Find more posts and goodies for your 'teacher space' HERE

Find more screen wallpapers HERE

I am off to spend the last few hours of Sunday with my family.

Have a great day lovely friends.

- Mel x


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School Bus Attendance Poster

If you teach the early years you will know the significance of a child's growing self perception. What a wonderful opportunity we have to help build and grow self confidence and self esteem in our little learners. Using student photographs within the learning environment is a wonderful way to support that growth. 


We cannot give our students self esteem but we can nurture the development of it by helping them develop their concept of self. They need to build knowledge and awareness of themselves, feel important and cared about. Photographs are one quick and easy way to help.

This giant bus attendance poster is just one of the many ways you can incorporate photos of students in your room. Your students can take their photo card each morning and add it to the school bus on one of the ten frames. After everyone has arrived, count the students and talk about who is away from school. This is a great way to build and model social and conversational skills as well.


If you can't take photos, I have added an option for students to draw themselves and write their name. 

The ten frame format will help:
- build number awareness
- counting skills
- subitizing
- conservation
- adding items to a set
- difference 


Hop over to our TpT store if this is something you would love in your classroom routine, simply print 9 pages and glue them together to construct the poster. 

Pencil Life Wallpaper


If you haven't noticed I love pencils, and no doubt if you have come here to my blog - you do too! I've added some pencil fun to my screens this week.

There is no better way for me to stay focussed and happy than making subtle changes to my desk space. 



I'd love to share these screensavers with you too. Simply download the images from google drive from the links below. Store them on your camera roll and choose them for your screen saver and/or wallpaper!



Find the Computer Screensaver HERE

and the Phone Screensaver HERE


{These are for your personal use only and cannot be redistributed or shared}

Find more posts and goodies for your 'teacher space' HERE

Find more screen wallpapers HERE

If you cant get enough 'pencils' - try these printable pencil banner to brighten your learning space!



Speaking of pencils, I am off to do some drawing!

Have a great day lovely friends.

- Mel x


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Skip Counting Giant DIY Poster

Hop over to TpT today to find this daily skip counting poster in my store. 

A key is included that will help you to teach skip counting from numbers 2 to 10. For example, tell students to read all the number squares that feature a heart, to practice counting by 3s.



You will need to print, trim and glue 12 pages in this file . to create the giant poster.


Skip counting is a wonderful activity to support multiplication. A great activity is follow on from daily skip counting is to give your students a blank hundreds chart (find one in this freebie in our store) and get them to shade a particular count - e.g. 'color all the numbers you say when you skip count by 3s".


Find this DIY giant printable poster in our TpT store HERE

Classroom News Charts

Telling regular 'news' in the classroom is a great activity for students to begin to talk, listen and interact with peers and adults at school. They begin to understand the need to adjust their speaking and listening for different audiences too.

'News' (also known as 'Show and Tell') may be organized as whole class, small group or a paired-student learning strategy.

As a whole class activity students can have a day allocated for giving their 'news'. 4 or 5 students have a turn on each day and each have a turn talking to the class. News should be a brief oral recount of a personal or shared experience. They tell the news to the whole class and students may ask questions and make comments. Significant authentic learning can occur if the teacher also writes about this news in a shared 'News Book' after the oral presentations of the day.

You could also structure this activity within small 'News Groups' where one student from each group tells news on each day of the week. Alternatively, choose one day of the week and all group members tell their news to the small group. A reporter could briefly summarise to the class on the groups' experiences at the conclusion of the session.

As a paired activity, students have a 'news partner' and tell their news to just one peer. A personal diary can be written after their oral recount each day.

Whichever way you structure this learning strategy as a teacher you can 
  • establish a positive, accepting environment where each child's contribution is valued
  • ensure that each child has equal opportunity to share
  • model active listening
  • encourage a growing vocabulary and model language conventions



We've added these bright and fun classroom news day charts to our TpT store that will help your little learners remember what day they tell their news to the class! Editable charts are included to type or write your own headers and students.


Included is:
  • A rainbow header 'Our News Days'
  • A blank rainbow header (write/type your own)
  • 5 day of the week cards
  • 5 blank day of the week cards
  • page of mini cards for writing/typing student names







We sent out an exclusive 'all on one page' version to newsletter subscribers today. This is simple to prep and great for the space-limited classroom.





We sent our newsletter subscribers this activity as an exclusive freebie today!


Please also consider signing up to our Pond Update newsletter so you don't miss our next exclusive offering.


If you are not already implementing news as a literacy strategy in your classroom, you might like to try it. Our best advice is to make it matter. It should not be an activity to fill-in-time while the kids eat fruit or while you tidy your desk. If you work on student oral language you will notice huge gains in reading and writing. Make it matter by showing that you value it as a teacher.

Have a wonderful day, thanks so much for stopping by!

Winter Cactus Wallpaper


I made this fun Winter Cactus design for my screen wallpapers this week. I just love having a new design each week - it helps me refocus and feel inspired for the week ahead. 



I'd love to share these screensavers with you too. Simply download the images from google drive from the links below. Store them on your camera roll and choose them for your screen saver and/or wallpaper!



Find the Computer Screensaver HERE

and the Phone Screensaver HERE

I've also added the design, in print quality to the 'Banner and Paper' pack. This pack allows you to coordinate your home office or classroom elements with printable papers, folder covers and banner pennants.






{These are for your personal use only and cannot be redistributed or shared}

Find more posts and goodies for your 'teacher space' HERE

Find more screen wallpapers HERE

I am off to spend the last few hours of Sunday with my family.

Have a great day lovely friends.

- Mel x


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Subtraction Spin Games

Making learning subtraction facts a little more fun with these 'Spin and Subtract' worksheets. They will help your students practice simple subtraction with numbers up to ten. Each page features a spinner, a set of 10 simple problems, a number line and cute picture to color.


Slide them into a pocket pouch and use them with dry erase markers as an alternative.



The student spins a number (using a paper clip and pencil) and finds a corresponding number sentence to write it in. A number line is provided in case your students need support.




Students will use a paper clip to spin right on the worksheet, making this is very simple activity to prepare. If you purchased this activity packet from me in 2013, be sure to re-download - it now includes an additional 10 worksheet activities!



These activities will support the memorisation of number facts. If your students are not at this stage, provide them with counting items (shells, counters, cubes etc) to model out each problem as they encounter it in the activity. 

Memorisation of number facts should be continued all through the primary years to support more complex mathematical work. As well as memorisation, encourage your students to share their own strategies and explain them to their peers.

To use these pages as assessment, ask your students to solve one of the problems and have them explain their work as they go - can they discuss the problem using appropriate language? Are they truly memorising the facts or using concrete materials (including fingers)? Can they restate the subtraction problem and answer as an addition problem? 

Thanks so much for stopping by today, we hope the new pages are useful to you!



'All About Me' Classroom Banner Activity

Looking for a great way for your students to express the themes in a 'Look at Me' or 'All About Me' unit in a creative way - with a little math thrown in for good measure?

Make a classroom banner with each pennant showing 'data' about each individual student. Students use the glyph question sheet to color their individual pennant in a particular way. 


There are 4 designs to choose from and one plain for you to design your own.






Students can look at the class pennants once all displayed and do the glyph analysis to draw some conclusions and comparisons. They will need to look at the colors that have been used to determine the answers.

This activity is perfect for 'back to school' or any time of the year you would like to bring your class together as a community. 


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



Snow Friends Wallpaper

I know it is winter for many of you so after the sunshine of last week I thought I would create a little winter themed design for this week's wallpapers. 


Adding a new fun screen to my home office each week helps me refocus and feel creative.

I'd love to share these screensavers with you too. Simply download the images from google drive from the links below. Store them on your camera roll and choose them for your screen saver and/or wallpaper!




Find the Computer Screensaver HERE

and the Phone Screensaver HERE


{These are for your personal use only and cannot be redistributed or shared}

Find more posts and goodies for your 'teacher space' HERE

Find more screen wallpapers HERE

I am off to catch a Sunday afternoon movie with my family. Wishing you a lovely day too!

- Mel x

Reading Strategy Posters & Printables

Learning about the strategies that good readers use can be enough to help your little learners who are struggling with the emergent stages of reading begin to focus and attempt their practice more readily. 

They help make something a little daunting seem possible. They can help your kiddos understand what comes naturally to many readers. They break the reading process down into actionable behaviours. Embedded in a class program full of meaningful and authentic rich literacy experiences an awareness of explicit strategies can boost the reading skills of everyone!

Print the pages of this packet to make some super cute and bright learning resources to support your reading strategy lessons.  Choose one to focus on each week or fortnight and integrate it into your regular literacy lessons. An explicit demonstration or modelling of the strategies need only to take a few minutes and the continued reflection back to a classroom visual will support the strategy throughout the year.







My fun animal reading strategy prompts are provided in the following formats:

- Page Size Posters 
- Printable Pennant Banner
- Strategy Sticks (circle prompt to add to stick or ruler)
- Blackline coloring page for students to take home

I've also included a one page display header 'Our Reading Strategies' so you can make a title for your learning or reading space. Giant bright printable letters spelling R-E-A-D are also provided for your classroom wall. A student bookmark is also included for reference.

Simply choose the pieces you would like to include and print, cut and clip to a line or bulletin board!

The following reading strategies are included:

1. Eagle Eye - look at the picture
2. Lips the Fish - get your mouth ready and say the first sound
3. Predicting Pig - think about what would make sense
4. Stretchy Snake - stretch the sounds
5. Tryin' Lion - reread and try a new word
6. Chunky Monkey - look for chunks you know
7. Skippy Frog - skip, read on. come back
8. Flippy Dolphin - flip the vowel sound

Perfect for emergent readers these strategies and printables will be fun, engaging and make your learning space ADORABLE!

The coloring pages make a good communication tool to send home with students. Families can support their readers at home by talking about the strategy.  







The posters can be displayed in the classroom as you learn them.



Use the strategy sticks in small group experiences to focus student attention on your explanation and lesson.



This new pack is in my TpT store today and is on sale. I hope you love it as much as we do!


Thanks so much for stopping by the blog - have an awesome day!

- Mel x

Alphabet Directed Drawing Update

You may know that I am gradually working through my entire directed drawing collection and adding up to 3 extra projects for each drawing! 

Alphabet Worksheet Activities - drawing

I finished the edits on 'More Alphabet Directed Drawing' packet a few days ago and following on from the first edition, it will give you another 104 worksheets to help you integrate 'alphabet' and letter themed learning with writing and art.


For each drawing, select from one of 4 projects
  • classic directed drawing
  • big draw
  • draw and write
  • Read-Draw-Write

Directed drawing allows young students to feel successful on their journey learning to draw and helps to motivate their writing.

Directed Drawing Projects for Kindergarten

The Classic Directed Drawing has the steps and room provided for students to simply draw, following the steps.

Alphabet Directed Drawing

Big Draw provides the steps on one page, and a page sized, bordered worksheet for students to create a large artwork.


Draw and Write has a blank space for students to draw (using the separate page of steps) and a few lines to write a sentence or two. The "Read, Draw, Write" style worksheet encourages students to read the word in the word bank, follow the directed steps to draw a picture (and they may add additional drawings) and then lines are provided for students to write about their picture or the topic.



If you have already purchased your license to use this packet in your classroom, you simply download the new pages from the 'My Purchases' tab in your TpT account.


I am commencing work on the edits for the last few packets today - so stay tuned!
Have a lovely day friends. 

- Mel x


Fun Happy Bright Wallpaper


Being new year, I wanted a bright happy focus for the week in my office. When I think of making plans and goals I think of sunshine, so this is the design I came up with for this week. I know many of you use these in your classroom, so I am keeping them more whimsical and inviting for little ones too.



I use these designs as screensavers on my computer and phone and I would love to share them with you too. Simply download the images from google drive from the links below. Store them on your camera roll and choose them for your screen saver and/or wallpaper!



Find the Computer Screensaver HERE

and the Phone Screensaver HERE

{These are for your personal use only and cannot be redistributed or shared}
I am off to get a fresh cup of coffee - have a great day lovely friends.
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Big Bright Numbers

We are so excited to release new bright classroom banners to help you create a fresh and fun new space for your learners this year.

Take a peek at the alphabet banners. Each pennant features a letter in upper and lower case and one of our cute little characters. 




They coordinate with our  'bright' classroom decor items:

Editable Bright Alphabet posters


Editable Word Wall


Editable Word Wall Headers

Bright Number Pennant Banner

Big Bright Classroom Labels


In fact, most items in the My Cute Classroom range are made with the same color palette so will give you a very matchy-matchy feel when you add something to your classroom.

We'd love to share this poster with you today. Click the image below to download it from Google Drive.


If you like this freebie, consider signing up to our newsletter below.