Beginner Handwriting Dot Trick

Many kindergartners have a hard time knowing where to put their pencil when tracing letters or numbers. It’s hard for them to remember the stroke order of each one and often they make up their own stroke order. Then they practice the stroke order wrong over and over before a teacher catches it and can reteach it. I’ve found a little trick that seems to help!

I take a highlighter or colored marker and put a dot where they should start their pencil.

I’ve also put it in the spot they should put their pencil when they’re supposed to write their own letter (not tracing).

What other tricks have you learned that help your students when they’re first learning to write letters?

Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt – Letters

So many of us are stuck at home right now during the COVID-19 pandemic, that I thought I’d make an easy “stay at home activity” (even though you can definitely do this in a classroom too!). Print one copy of this page per kid. Then look for an item that starts with the letter on the egg (little ones may need help from an adult). Once you’ve found something that starts with that letter, color in the shape the letter is in (the rest of the egg can be colored at the end). For older kids, consider having them write down the item name on the back of the page or in the margins. You can also have kids cut out the egg and decorate if further if you want to make this activity more in-depth. Stay healthy, everyone and happy Easter!

Click here to download the PDF:  Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt – Letters

Summary Graphic Organizer

Welcome back, teachers! How is it the 2019-2020 school year already?! Mind. Blown.

Anyway, here’s your first freebie of the year: a summarizing graphic organizer! This is often referred to as the “somebody wanted but so then” style of summarizing a story. Enjoy!

Click here to download the PDF: Summary graphic organizer PDF

Best Vocab-Building Book: Fancy Nancy

I’m obsessed with kids books… especially picture books. I have heard about Fancy Nancy (by Jane O’Connor) for a few years now, but I recently “tested them out” and read through a few of them.

OH. MY. WORD.

They’re awesome! Not only are the illustrations adorable, but the voice in them is full of fun personality, AAAAAND she uses awesome vocabulary!  So, now my toddler has been going around calling purple “fuchsia” and cupcakes “delectable”. (Yeah, what kid under 3 has THAT kind of vocabulary?! Thank you, Fancy Nancy!) Here’s an example:

Most of the beginning reader books have a page of “fancy words” in them. My toddler insists on reading this page too (because it has a cute illustration?) so we get a vocab review at the end of the story and I don’t even have to ask for it! WIN WIN!

Click here to grab a copy for your classroom (and get started expanding your students’ vocabulary without even trying!):


(This is the one I took pictures of above!)


(This is the original Fancy Nancy book.)

Adjectives Review (3rd Grade)

This is a quick worksheet I have used with my third graders for a review of adjectives.  I use this as one of my quick reviews when my kids come in from lunch or special area classes to help them quickly focus and be ready for our next activity.  I put it on their desk before they come back in the classroom, so they know to quickly get to work.  I’ve put two copies on a page so you can use half the paper.

Click here to download the free PDF: Adjective review – Little Red Riding Hood

 

Click here to view more grammar freebies!

I Have A Dream (Martin Luther King Jr. Day Activity)

I love Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream of peace. It is a huge overwhelming goal, but when each of us makes an effort to be kinder, we will see results. Use this page as a springboard to start a class discussion about making the world a better place in the areas we each have influence.

This one is a half sheet for younger grades. Click here to download: I Have a Dream – Half Sheet

This one is a full sheet for upper grades and middle school. We don’t often get to discuss behavior on social media (and many youth don’t get this discussion at home), so take this opportunity! Click here to download: I Have a Dream – Full Sheet

 

I’ve also done some anti-bullying activities! Click here to see my post about an awesome one!

 

“Snapshot of Fall Break” Graphic Organizer

Thank heavens for fall break! It can’t come soon enough and it never lasts long enough! At least you can have an easy way for everyone to share their fall break adventures with this easy printable! Have your students write or draw something to answer each prompt.

Click here to download the PDF: Snapshots of Fall Break

 

“Snapshot of Summer” Back to School Writing Activity

As an elementary school kid, I always looked forward to telling my classmates all the cool things I did during the summer. I also usually wanted to tell my teacher about my summer… and so did everyone else! Teachers can facilitate a mass “share your summer experience” activity with this simple (self explanatory!) page. Depending on your grade level, have your students draw or write about each of the 5 prompts.

Click here to download the PDF: Snapshots of Summer Break

Some students don’t have amazing vacation stories to tell, so I tried to include things that every kid can write/draw about (like “things I ate”) when I was creating this page.  Good luck on your first day!