Grab & Go Centers!

Hey everyone!  I'm here to talk about some new center games that I'm so excited about!  I found a need in my classroom to have centers that were skill based and not necessarily theme related.  I was also looking for something that I could use to help differentiate the levels in my groups and provide choices.  

I came up with some fun independent Spill & Shake games that I can use ANY time of the year.  I can put different bags in my word work and math centers and kids can grab the one that they want! LOVE! 

I wanted to keep the format consistent, so I didn't have to explain the directions each week.  Kids come to these centers and they know exactly what to do.  I love that they're 100% engaged!

 I have kids in my class who need a lot more help with CVC words, so these games are perfect for them.  I have other kids who are well above kindergarten reading level.  So, I needed to challenge them more.  I created the same type of games, but with vowel patterns.  This was the perfect way to differentiate!

I have also used these games in my morning tubs.  Instead of having the kids color the pictures, they had to cover the picture with the colored cubes that matched the word.  They were so engaged!
I love that they have to think about the word/picture, and also what color it is.

Of course I had to make some fun games for math too.  These are helping my kids identify numbers on the 100's chart.  The kids love these games because they don't need any help doing it & they're 100% engaged!
  I love centers like this!

While we're on the topic of morning tubs (a new thing in my classroom), I wanted to show you guys a hot new game.  The kids are going crazy for this game!
It's called Build It! Buzz It!  


The kids lay all the cards face down in a pile.  Each kid has these colored cubes: red, blue, green, orange, and purple.  They have to match the same color pattern as the card by using their cubes.  First one to do that presses the buzzer and keeps the card!  They were having SO much fun with this game that I just had to buy different buzzers. 

{CLICK HERE} to find them! They can't wait to get to this bucket!  I'm a happy teacher!

Here's what the bucket looks like:

Here's a sneak peak at some of the other games I've made so far:
 (Can you tell I like to make games?!)

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you found some new ideas to add to your morning routine or centers!

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Phonics Rules

Hey everyone! I'm Amy from Cahill's Creations.  

I'm here to talk about phonics rules for different letter combinations or "letter buddies!"

I saw a need to make some visuals for my kids because they're ready for more spelling patterns.  I felt that all the different letter buddies needed some serious attention.  

SO, I created a Hollywood themed phonics set!  

These letters just needed a red carpet and a spotlight.

As I introduce the sounds, I start with this card:

We talk about the different words that have this sound.  We practice reading and writing them on our whiteboards.  We always do a song in the lesson too!

 

Then, I show them the spotlight and we talk about how important the letter sounds are.

 

I made sorting picture/word cards to put in a center.  The kids sort the words and write them on a recording sheet.  To make this center extra fun I bought these fancy glasses to wear while working in this center.  They love wearing fun glasses!   

Click the picture to find these!

 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Amy