Spider Counting and Numbers Activity Page

In our coloring club library today I shared with you a spider counting page. Your students or children will count the 20 spiders and write in the missing numerals. 

Here are a few alternative ways to use the page to help differentiate for your learners.

1. Roll and Write

Ask students to roll a 20 sided dice to determine which number to write next. They will use their knowledge of the order and position of numbers to find the location for the numerals.

As a challenge you could ask students to only write in counting order - so they keep rolling until they get the next number in the sequence.

2. Dots

Students are asked to draw the number of dots on each spider to match its numeral. Tell them to draw on both sides of the spider - partitioning the number into 2 groups. 

Have a discussion on the spotty spiders and help students understand the difference between odd and even numbers. Did they notice that the odd spiders have a different number of spots on each side of their body?

 Caught in the Web

Once students have numbered the spiders they can play a game by tossing 2 counters gently on the page. They record the numbers and find the total. 

To challenge students ask them to:

• toss one counter and double it
• toss one counter and double +2
• toss 3 counters and find the total

If you're not yet a member of our coloring club we'd love to have you!

We hope you love extending your learners with these fast-prep ideas!

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counting, Spiders, Teen Numbers

Sharing for Division

We have a set of worksheets that can be used to support your teaching of early division. They complement our animated text Cat and Bat. 

They are perfect in the week leading up to Halloween with Bat sharing his candy with Cat equally. 

Discuss a 'fair share' with your students. Model some examples. Check that they can identify equal and unequal groups - if not, go back and teach equality. 

Today I want to share some supporting ideas for just one of the worksheets in the pack.  On the worksheet your students are asked to share 12 dots onto 6 clouds. 

Model with Equipment

• teach a mini lesson before students complete the page
• whole class activity
• put six containers out and 12 counters
• tell students that you will share them equally between the containers
• model how to distribute a total set equally to a number of groups - say I have 12 counters, I will share them equally to 6 containers
• repeat with different numbers and having students sharing and distributing

Practice with Equipment

•  before students complete the page, let them model the task with small equipment 
• observe how your students distribute the counters across the clouds and help them with strategies if needed

Completing the Page

• students can color each dot a different shade on their page to help with sharing
• provide dot stickers for stduents to use instead of coloring
• use stamps or paint sponges for added engagement 

The other 11 worksheets in the pack are different, providing a gradual development of skills and opportunities for your students to learn in a supported and structured progression. They can be collated into a booklet to provide a structured sequence of learning, or you can easily use them with stand-alone lessons. A cover page is provided should you like your students to work from the booklet.

Find the worksheet pack and story (it's free) alongside a range of other activities to support your program over on our website!

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division, Halloween

In My Heart

I made a new page in the coloring club for you today. Your students can talk about a happy heart and write about their feelings before coloring or painting it. 

It came about from a sketch I did while eating my lunch and looking at the birds in a tree in my backyard. 

It reminded me of the book In My Heart By Jo Witek. Have you read it? It talk s about the heart being like a house, full of different feelings - each explored on a new page. Children love the little shape window cut outs too!

Even if you do not have this book you can talk about feelings with your students and different ways they feel through the day. Let them contribute to a class discussion if they choose to and accept the contributions they make. 

The coloring page can provide a space for them to write or draw about their feelings or project it onto the electronic board as a scaffold to guide a discussion - focusing mostly on oral language. 

If you're not in our Pond Coloring Club, we'd love to have you - find out how to join HERE!

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Books, social skills

Missing Numbers to 20

Are your students learning numbers to 20 or teen numbers? Our fast-prep math activity cards are an engaging way to practice. 

Students will write the missing numerals as they count and order numbers to 20 in sequence. 

Laminate the 48 game cards or just a small selection. 

Pop them in a plastic sleeve or laminate them to use them with dry erase markers. Students will use their knowledge of number sequence, position, order and counting to help them.



Students may begin to make connections between single digits and teen numbers.



Find this printable math center over in our TPT store!

If you'd like more for teen numbers - take a peek at our Math Pack!

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Teen Numbers

Decoding Words With Blends

The newest matching card game in our collection features words with initial and final blends. All words are ccvc or cvcc - making them decodable! 

Learning blends using ccvc and cvcc words is perfect to scaffold students from single sounds. 

Using this activity will familiarize your students with not only blends but word families too. Embedding a word family sort into this activity gives you an extra layer of depth to student learning.

As students read words and match them into families (-vc or -vcc) they will:

• recognize short single sounds
• recognize initial and final 2 letter consonant blends
• build -vc and -vcc word families
• read decodable words
• explore rhyme  

Print the word cards on colored paper. Laminate and trim the word cards.

Once students have arranged their cards into word families ask them to read all the words. 

If students have difficulty completing this activity

• revisit your teaching of how to identify 2 single sounds as a consonant blend
• review the 22 initial consonant blends and final blends (using flashcards or a digital warm up)
• review short vowel sounds
• review sounding-out word strategies that you use in your classroom
• ask students to sound-out some words and listen for the word - observe them doing this and model it for them if needed

Find more activities to support your reading program in our collections:

• decodable word activities
• consonant blend activities
• matching games

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Consonant Blends, Learning to Read

How Many Days - Counting Charts

Have you seen our counting chart - you can use it for daily counting or to record how many days in school. 

It is fast to make and looks wonderful on your focus board or classroom wall.

Counting to 100 to Counting to 200 in increments of 10 are included
simply print, trim and glue the pages into position

A blackline version is included also that could be printed on bright paper to save ink!

Extra Ideas

Coloring Chart

Use the blackline version and have students color a number each day. Alternatively, you can print the pages smaller and make mini-books for students to color individually. Or you make like this ready-to-go sticker book.

Guess the number

Each morning, pop a sticky note on a few numbers to cover them up. 

• have students tell you the missing number
• count from 1 to the covered number
• count backwards from 100 to the covered number
• have students provide clues for the missing number - e.g. its one less than 29

Create a flip book 

Laminate the grids and punch a hole in the top left corner. Put them on a ring. Students can flip through the cards when counting or solving problems. 

Matching Game

Use the blackline page as a game mat.

Cut up a colored board to make number tiles and use them as puzzle pieces for a matching game. 

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counting, Numbers, skip counting

Pumpkin Scissor Skills

We have a new craft in our collection to help with scissor skills!

Choose from 12 different pumpkin designs for your little learners to color, cut and make!

The templates for this craft have thick heavy edge lines and patterned internal lines to cut - perfect for developing scissor skills.

I used crayon and watercolor to get a vibrant color. 

After painting or coloring, your students will practice important hand craft skills - cutting, arranging shapes within a space and gluing/pasting.

Each project can be copied on a single page so prep is minimal!

The different designs give you variety within your class display and allow for differentiation of cutting lines (some patterns are harder than others to cut).

Find these new crafts in our store!

If you're new to the blog, you may like to read more about me here!

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fine motor, Pumpkins, scissor skills

Pumpkin Symmetry

In the Pond Coloring Club free library today we added a pumpkin symmetry page. Your little learners can draw the other side of the pumpkin by carefully looking at the half that has been drawn already.

Perhaps:

• implement a lesson on symmetry before doing this page 
• let students play with hand mirrors and explore reflections
• find symmetrical and non symmetrical items in the classroom - draw or record on a chart
• model both natural and formal mathematical language to talk about symmetry

After students have draw their pumpkin, let them color or paint it for a classroom display. 

I have made some word cards that you may like to use as you talk about symmetry. Use them in your display too!

As you use these words in your discussions to encourage math talk, hold the cards or point to them to integrate reading throughout your day.

Knowing these words does not replace a conceptual understanding of symmetry, but being able to say the words in a topic is a great first step for students to learn and link ideas. 

Find the word cards and bulletin board header in Google Drive: Symmetry Word Cards

The pumpkin symmetry drawing page is free today in our Pond Coloring Club library!

Find more wonderful pumpkin themed ideas HERE

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Math Lesson, Pumpkins

Addition and Subtraction Fact Families

Our math activity cards will make learning Addition and Subtraction Fact Families fun and engaging! 

Each of the 34 included cards has room to record 4 math sentences from a family of 3 numbers.

Use them as Write and Wipe Cards writing directly with a marker or have students use them as a Task Cards and record on the provided worksheet.

You can find these cards over in our store!

Once printed and laminated:

• seat students in front of you
• explain a fact family and record one on a chart or board
• demonstrate a few cards as an example and encourage contributions from learners
• model a few strategies for solving the addition and subtraction
• place the cards in a math rotation, math workshop or independent activity basket for students to use over a 2 week period

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Addition, Subtraction

Shape Craft Updates

I love shape crafts because they offer you the chance to combine:

• geometry - identifying, arranging, rotating 2D shapes
• fine motor - cutting, gluing, layering, paper craft techniques
• creativity - create an artwork 
• classroom display - showcase your students' beautiful work!

I have just revised the Autumn Shape Craft bundle to give you some more opportunities for differentiation. 

Included in the bundle is Shape Fox - which we still offer you as a free sample!

Students will make their fox, decorate a background and record the shapes they used.

Included now is also a tracing page option. Your youngest learners can trace a completed fox picture rather than cutting and gluing. Use crayons and watercolor for a lovely effect. 

A template version is included too which gives you the choice of printing each part of the fox on a different colored paper - I know that some of you love the rainbow animal style!

A step by step direction guide also remains in the pack, use it to

• help students order their pieces (project onto your board as they complete the project)
• model how to create the fox in your whole class lesson
• guide a student directed drawing

We hope you love these new additional options and hope to have the rest of the crafts in our collection of shape crafts updated this year too!

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2D Shapes, Craft for Kids