Rhyme Time

My kids love making word family charts.  It is fun to see their excitement at being able to read and write more words than they thought possible.  For so long, we would make the charts, I would hang them up in the room, and that would be about it.  Yes, they would use the charts in the literacy centers, Read (and Write) Around the Room, but I knew that we could use them for more.  I wanted something to supplement the charts that would provide segmenting and blending practice, have space available for picture clues, and give ongoing skills practice.  The Rhyme Time booklet was just the answer. 

  

 

CVC Rhyme Time Booklet Cover Click here to find out more.

Rhyme Time for Common Word Families.
Click here to find out more.

I begin in the late fall by introducing one CVC word family per week.  In the beginning, we complete the class anchor chart together (bought at a teacher supply store) and then record those words in Rhyme Time together.  Within a couple of weeks, we still do the class anchor chart together, but the kids are ready to work independently in the booklet.  It then becomes a weekly literacy center and class favorite. 

I love hearing kids segment the onset/rime.  I love seeing their excitement at reading so many words.   I love hearing them sing the list to Dr Jean's song "Rime Time."  (Tune of "Addams Family")  I love the 15 weeks of ongoing practice.  I love that the kids know exactly what to do for 15 weeks.  I love that it is a center with materials ready to go for 15 weeks.  I love that when we finish the CVC Rhyme Time, I have another Rhyme Time booklet for common word families for the end of the year.   I Love, Love, Love these booklets! 

Parts of a Plant

Materials:

picture shown

6X9 -- light blue construction

2X6 -- green construction

2X6 -- brown construction

Class set of flower die cut in various colors or construction paper for students to make their own flower

Larger size

9X12 -- light blue construction

3X9 -- brown construction

3X9 -- green construction

Class set of flower die cut in various colors or construction paper for students to make their own flower

Directions:

1. Cut stem, leaves from green.  Glue to flower

2. Glue entire flower to light blue.  Leave a small space at the bottom.

3. Fold a tiny bit at the top of the brown.

4. Place glue along the folded lip.

5. Match the brown to the bottom of the light blue.

6. Lift the flap and draw roots.

7. Draw rain and sun

8. Label flower, stem, leaves, roots, sun, water, soil

Challenge students to either write about the parts or needs of a plant on the back.

Spring is in the Air

Pastel paper and flower die cut add a springy touch to this seasonal web.  Place in a literacy writing center, or use in a whole group lesson.  Challenge students to write sentences about spring on the back.

Landforms

This is a great visual to show how much water covers the earth compared to land.  Students label bodies of water.  On the land portion students can also add landforms, resources, people, and animals.  I prep the paper plates by folding them into fourths, so the kids have a guide to draw the lines. 

Earth Day

In celebration of Earth Day, we brainstormed ideas of how to take care of our earth on a class web.  Then, the kids made one of their own.  I love their ideas!

Rainbow Writing

Just the mention of a rainbow brings a smile to a child. Incorporate a rainbow into the mundane task of teaching sight words, and you've made the teacher smile, too! 

Writing with a crayon and tracing over the word in different colors to make a rainbow, adds a bright spot that students love to this skill practice. This booklet not only allows for repeated spelling practice, but space is provided for the student to write the word in a sentence, which also makes it a great tool to reinforce capitalization, spacing, and punctuation.  Rainbow writing provides repeated spelling practice in a format that kids love. 

Rainbow Writing Booklets
Pre-Primer Dolch List, Color Words, Number Words 0-10, Common Core Words
Primer Dolch List, Common Core Words
Click here to check out more information on these booklets.

Don't want to buy the product?  Reformat the idea to fit the needs of your students.  It is a simple idea that gets big results.  I place the booklet in a literacy center, and the students complete 2 pages each week.  I absolutely love the fact that all of our sight words are in here, so once I get the booklet copied and introduced, this center is ready to go for 12 weeks.

100 Fingers

As a busy mom and teacher I often wish for more hands.  In frustration, I've said many times to my family, "Look at me...how many hands do I have?"  I never knew just how much I used that phrase until our then three year old held up his hands and said to my husband, "Look at me...how many fingers do I have?"  Years later, when things get hectic, we hold up our hands and say with a smile, "How many fingers do I have?"  Each year when I make this 100 Fingers chart, I think about that story, and how much I could get done if I had 100 fingers!

100 Fingers

The 100 Fingers chart is a great visual for counting by 1's, 5's, and 10's.  I paint 1 hand of each student.  Once the paint is dry, we go back and label each finger as we count together.  We then add the labels for counting by 10's, and finally the labels for counting by 5's.  (Your chart can always have a different number of fingers, depending on the size of your class.  If I have an odd number of students, I also paint my hand.)