DIY Word Building Mats

Hi everyone! Welcome to Make It Monday here on the iTeach Kinder Blog. It's Julie from Make, Take & Teach with a super fun project for helping your little learners use those letters and sounds to build words. Word building activities are a great way to support both phonemic awareness and phonics skills. You can purchase word building mats, but they can be so expensive. So, why not make your own?

All you'll need is poster board, decorative tape and a stapler. In an earlier attempt at this project I used Washi tape and it turned out okay. I much prefer using duck tape as it is a little sturdier.

Simply cut your poster board into a 5" x 9" rectangle. Measure one inch from the bottom and fold as shown below. 

Measure and fold your tape along the edges of the top portion of the board.

Now fold the one inch portion up and staple. Using an accent piece of tape (or even the same color), tape along the upper edge of the fold.

There you have it! Your very own word building mat. If you'd like to download the letter cards, just click the link.

Word Building Letter Cards

Thanks so much visiting us on the iTeach Kinder blog. 

Roll and Cover Math Games

Hi there! It's Alex from The Kindergarten Connection with a fun Sunday Surprise!

I love it when my students get excited about math and enjoy it - I think all teachers can agree that it is important to try to make learning as fun as possible! 

Last year, my students had a very strong interest in dice games - they loved them! They especially loved roll and cover games. 

I loved that they were having fun and learning at the same time!

This year we are going to have tons of roll and cover games to play - and today I am sharing a few of them for FREE with you! 

First is the basic roll and color. This is excellent for students who are learning number recognition. 

You can choose to use traditional dotted dice and have your students count the dots, or you can use numbered dice and have them match numbers. I used the jumbo dice from Target and The Dollar Store because those are always a hit! 

Students roll the dice and color the number that matches. 

You could also provide cubes or manipulatives for students to cover the numbers if you want to reuse the pages. I often do this and put the pages in sheet protectors for extended use.

Next is the addition version of roll and color. You can use two dotted dice and have students count the totals, or use numbered dice and have them add using the number line for help if needed (sums to 12). They find the sum and color the total (or cover if you are choosing that option).

Last is the subtraction version of roll and color. Students roll two dice, subtract the smaller number from the larger, and color the answer. There is a number line included for help. I chose to use numbered dice (each numbered 1-6) for this version, but dotted would work as well. 

Do your kids love roll and color games too? You can grab all 3 of these games for FREE!

Click HERE to download your freebies! 

Want more roll and cover? You may want to check out Roll and Cover Math Games for the Year. That's right - the YEAR!! With 22 different designs and 3 levels of play for each - you have 66 roll and cover games for seasons and holidays throughout the school year!

You can view the complete set HERE.

Don't forget your freebies!! If you haven't already, download them HERE. 

I hope your students enjoy playing these games as much as mine do!

Bringing School Back in Style

Hey friends! It's Keri from Enchanted Kinder Garden. I'm here for Win it Wednesday to bring you some back to school resources. I'm giving away one of my favorite back to school resources.

This resource includes three sets of cards. The kids will either match uppercase to uppercase, lowercase to lowercase, or uppercase to lowercase. They can use a dry erase marker to practice writing the letter on the card and use a clip, counter or some type of manipulative to show their chosen answer.

There is an optional recording sheet for each set of cards. Students will write the letter that they are working on. After they finish, you also have an optional QR code to check answers. Super easy! The kids will be engaged will you are working with your small groups.

Alpha Finders includes 52 letter mats. 26 are with the same letters (upper and lowercase). The other 26 has more than just the letter that they are looking for. This will help to differentiate for your students.  Allow them to either use counters or a dry erase marker to circle the letter that they are searching for. You can switch it up and tell them which letter to look for on the mats that have the same letters in each star. This is going to be one of my really quick getting started activities during guided reading. After they get the hang of it, I know they'll be able to quickly search for letters if given just one mat.

If you place this in a center, you can place more than one mat.

Kiddie ABC's involves matching lowercase letters to the uppercase letter. Students will match the boy to the girl. After matching all cards, there is an optional recording sheet. They will write the missing letter which can be either an uppercase or lowercase letter.

The optional QR code will take students to the answer key to check their work.

Puzzled Alphas is just that! PUZZLED. This game should be reproduced on colored paper or card stock and laminated. After you cut the puzzle apart, it will be a game that can be used OVER and over again.

Case of the Alphabets is a letter sorting game. You can place the uppercase and lowercase signs on a bucket or students can sort on the floor. They will sort the uppercase letters to the uppercase bucket and do the same for lowercase letters.

Match it uses the same cards from Case of the Alphabets. Students have a mat to sort their cards on. The recording sheets allows students to cut and glue letters into the correct column. The recording sheet has an option QR code to scan to check for correct answers.

Alpha-bear-tize has two sets of cards that are both available in b/w or in color. The two sets includes a missing letter before and the other set works on missing letters after. There are two recording sheets to match each set of cards. The student can use a dry erase marker to write in the missing letters. The recording sheet can be used to write either the uppercase, lowercase or both letters in the blank. There is an optional QR code to check answers.

Sticks and Curves is a game that I think is always so important at the beginning of the year. Students have a hard time realizing that everything isn't a curve. This game allows students to sort letter based upon their formation. There are three mats included: straight lines, curves, and straight lines & curves. You can print the letter cards on white or colored paper to fancy it up.

This is something that I will use during small groups at the beginning of the year.

Choose Me is the last of the bundle. It may be my favorite! This game includes 52 mats for identifying lowercase and uppercase letters. A dry erase marker can be used to circle the correct answers. You could also use counters to cover up the correct letters.

Two optional recording sheets are included. Uppercase letters can be colored, circled or daubed blue. All lowercase letters should be marked with red. An option QR code is included for students to check their answers.

All you have to do is fill out the rafflecopter to win! I'll choose a winner on Saturday. :-)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DIY Alphabet Sound Tubs

Hi everyone, it’s Laura from Over the 1stGrade Rainbow.  Today I’d like to share with you some ideas with you on how to make your own alphabet sound tubs!  

When I taught kindergarten, I had the alphabet sound tubs from Lakeshore Learning provided to me by my school.  I loved using them!  They were great for small groups and phonics activities.  When I moved from that school I couldn’t take them with me.  Then I was really sad when I saw how much they would cost me to buy a set of my own.  As much as I would have loved to buy those tubs, it was a lot cheaper to go the DIY route. So I decided to make some this summer!  

Instead of using tubs, I decided to buy this Akro-Mils 10124 24 Drawer Plastic Parts Storage Hardware and Craft Cabinet.  (When I had the loose tubs, they would often get misplaced.  I also had the metal organizer for them but it took up too much space for me.)  The drawers on this cabinet are just the right size.  

I added these alphabet labels from Preschool Homeschool.  It was a small price to pay to not have to make my own, although you could always do that too!  

After I had the cabinet set up with the labels, I started filling up the drawers.  Here is a list of places where I’ve found items to fill the drawers:

1.  Target Dollar Spot – I can never go to Target without at least doing a quick sweep of this section. My favorite things to get from the dollar spot are little plastic toys or seasonal table scatter that I can use for math manipulatives.  I borrowed from these sets to add to my new ABC drawers.

2.  garage sales – Parents at garage sales practically beg me to take the small bags of their children’s knick-knack toys.  Mention you are a teacher and they may cut the price or give them to you for free!

3.  home junk drawer – We all have one right?  I know mine is FULL of small miscellaneous junk.  Lots to choose from!

4.  my daughter’s toys – I’ve borrowed several things from her play food set to use with the tubs.  I borrow it for the week and then put it back when we are done with that letter sound.  

5.  my parent’s house:  the honey hole – My parents used to own a ceramic mold business.  My mom would paint the samples for the catalogs and trade shows.  She kept a bunch of these small figurine samples for the grand-kids to play with.  When I asked her if she had anything I could use for the tubs she offered up the samples.  You never know what people have, so be sure to ask your family and friends  if they’d like to help!

6.  TOOB Animals – I have several of these sets that we’ve used for sensory bins.  They also are a great size for alphabet tubs! 

*I added magnetic alphabet letters in the tubs.  I found them in the Target dollar spot, but I have also seen them at the Dollar Tree.

If you aren't interested in buying a cabinet like I did, you could recycled plastic food containers.  Before I decided to buy the cabinet I had started saving these salsa containers from a local market.  

I hope this post helps you start your own alphabet sound tubs.  I'm always happy to answer any questions!  Thanks for stopping by!

All About Me Back to School Math Activity

Hello.  This is Greg from Mr. Elementary Math. It is hard to believe that we are back to school or preparing to go back within the next couple of weeks.  For those of you that are beginning to think about back to school activities, hopefully I have a resource that could be added to your collection.  

This activity is great to use during the first days of school. I've used it with upper grade students and recently modified the activity to meet the needs of kindergarten students.  

How does it work?

I introduce myself to the students by sharing 4 "number based" facts about myself. Examples of   "number based" facts can include:

1. I have been a teacher for _____ years.
2. I have _____ children or I have ____ child.
3. I have _____ people in my family.
4. I have _____ sister(s) and _____  brother(s).
5. I traveled to _____ places this summer.
6. I have _____ letters in my name.

Check out my completed example below. 

After sharing my completed version using the template, I ask the students to complete their own All About Me sheets. Check out a completed student sample below.

Lastly, I call students up one by one to present their completed work to the class.  Students love doing this activity because they share information about themselves, see the connection that numbers have in their everyday lives and learn about their classmates. 

For a free version of the template, click here.  If you choose to do this activity, I would love to hear how it went in your classroom in the comments section.

Math Centers Giveaway

Hi friends, it's Jessica from Mrs. Plemons' Kindergarten. Thanks for stopping by today to check out what I'm giving away for our weekly "Win It Wednesday."

If you are busy prepping for next year I have a great set of math centers to get your kids working on those number sense skills.  All 20 centers have themes that can be used year round so you don't have to switch them out every week! Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of what's included and how this set is organized.

First up there is a teacher info sheet and an "I Can" student sheet for every center.

Next up, the centers each have 2-3 differentiation options. These may be different sets of cards, game boards, dice, response sets etc.  I find this SUPER important so all kids in my class can get the most out of each center. Not every child is working at the same level, but with these centers you don't have to think about having separate centers for students above or below grade level.

 Lastly, there are math talk cards to help prompt students to talk about their learning, and rotation cards to post as a visual for your math block.

This pack features the following centers: 

• Mousey Memory Match (K.CC.A.1, K.CC.B.4, K.CC.B.5)
• Here Fishy Fishy (K.CC.A.1, K.CC.B.4, K.CC.B.5)
• Super Sticker Number Lines (K.CC.A.1, K.CC.A.3, K.CC.B.4, K.CC.B.5)
• Roaring Roll & Write (K.CC.A.1, K.CC.A.3)
• Sundae Sorting (K.CC.A.1, K.CC.A.3, K.CC.B.4, K.CC.B.5)
• Climb to the Top (K.CC.A.1, K.CC.B.4, K.CC.B.5)
• Race to Trace (K.CC.A.1, K.CC.A.3)
• Animal Actions (K.CC.A.1, K.CC.B.4, K.CC.B.5)
• Carnival Counting (K.CC.A.1, K.CC.A.3, K.CC.B.4, K.CC.B.5)
• Buzzing Before & After (K.CC.A.1, K.CC.A.2, K.CC.A.3)
• Picnic Puzzles (K.CC.A.1, K.CC.A.2, K.CC.A.3)
• Order Up! (K.CC.A.1, K.CC.A.3, K.CC.C.7)
• Monkey Mysteries (K.CC.A.1, K.CC.A.2, K.CC.A.3)
• Clever Comparisons (K.CC.A.1, K.CC.A.3, K.CC.C.6, K.CC.C.7)
• Surfing Sort & Compare (K.CC.A.1, K.CC.A.3, K.CC.C.7)
• Spiders Spin to Win (K.CC.A.1, K.CC.C.6, K.CC.C.7)
• Royal Numberland (K.CC.A.1, K.CC.B.4, K.CC.B.5)
• Dragon Dump (K.CC.A.1, K.CC.A.3, K.CC.B.4, K.CC.B.5)
• Ninja Number Toss (K.CC.A.1, K.CC.A.3, K.CC.C.7)
• Build a Picture (K.CC.A.1, K.CC.B.4, K.CC.B.5) 

You can check the complete set out in my store here:

Okay so you want to win a set for your classroom? Enter to win below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Back to School Giveaway

If you're a K-5 teacher, we know you're probably still relaxing in your beach chair, soaking up the sunshine, listening to the sweet sound of the ocean waves, while sipping on freshly picked coconuts served to you by some cabana boy in a grass skirt on a tropic island.  But the reality is, dare I say it, that back to school is just around the corner. 

Wait, what? You've been working all summer? Teaching summer school, attending professional development classes, lesson planning, shopping for supplies, prepping materials and decorating your classroom? Yeah we know. Don't forget we're teachers too. It was just wishful thinking. We do however hope everyone had at least a few days to sit back and relax without thinking about school work.

iPAD GIVEAWAY
Here at the iTeach Blogs we're excited to announce that we're teaming up to bring you a mega back to school giveaway this year. One lucky teacher will win an iPad Air 2 with a cute owl-themed case, stylus pen, and a $15 gift card to iTunes.You can use this iPad as a personal device, to lead whole group activities, as a small group learning station, an individual choice time, or as an enrichment activity. With so many great educational apps available, the possibilities are endless. No matter how you use it, we know it will become a favorite item in your classroom this school year.

HOW TO ENTER

To enter, just fill out the rafflecopter entry form at the end of this post and leave a comment telling us why you want to win, or how you would use the iPad in your classroom. We are accepting entries from Sunday 8/2 through Saturday 8/8. A random winner will be selected and announced here via the Rafflecopter on Sunday 8/9. Best wishes on this new school year and may the odds be in your favor for the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Best Wishes,

Your Teacher Friends at the iTeach Blogs