Make Learning Fun This Winter!

What if there was just one thing standing between you and a fun winter filled with students happy about learning?

I know it seems hard to believe but hear me out…

Interesting lessons that are fun for you and students don’t just happen from a teacher’s manual on most occasions.
(Wouldn’t that be nice!)
You have to decide what you’re teaching, choose what needs differentiated, gather all the supplies, run the copies, and then prepare everything. Not to mention lining it up with all your standards. And the domino that starts it all is knowing what you’re going to teach. In other words, the path to instruction begins with a plan.
I'm going to share some ready made resources that will get me through the winter, and have my kids engaged in learning to get them (and me) out of the winter slump that usually comes with the last half of the year.

For my classroom personally, my students have benefitted from the hot chocolate blends game.

They choose the marshmellow that matches the picture in the cup, and write the blend and the word on the recording sheet! They ABSOLUTELY loved this center activity! And it gets them practicing their blends, much needed at this time of year!!

My second activity that I came across is the Word Work for January, but you can keep using it well into February! It focuses on 20 winter words, and teaches them by having fun games that reinforce the vocabulary. There are activities for the entire month! The games are so easy to use, and self explanatory.

GAME CHANGER!!!

The subtract the room game helped me reinforce math facts, while students got up and moved around, and most importantly, HAD FUN!! Post the cards all around the room, and students walk around with their recording sheet, and write the equation with the corresponding letter next to it, and solve it!

The activities shared above are part of a complete planning solution made up of 20 classroom resources, which are all winter themed, including Valentines Day, Groundhog Day, Black History Month, and more.
Each bundle contains classroom manipulatives to print and cut, games, puzzles, mini-books, assessments, decor, and ready-made lessons plans (and even slideshows!). No matter how you plan, there are multiple resources that are perfect for you and there are two buying options:

Option 1: Choose ONE bundle that is targeted close to your grade level: PK-2 or Grades 3-5.

Option 2: For less than the price of two separate bundles, get the ENTIRE package with about 2,000 pages of made-for-you lesson plans, so you’ve got total control no matter how your grade level and curriculum needs change from year to year for grades PK-5.
You really can have winter fun and learning at the same time in your classroom, starting today.
Make those dominos winter by picking up your copy of the CF Collective Winter Bundle right
here.

If you purchase any of the bundles above, please treat yourself to a complimentary NO PREP Valentine's Day Pack from me in addition! Just fill out the form below to grab this freebie! https://goo.gl/forms/P8l0vh49B0lw5HFB3

Valentines for your Students

Do you know what profession receives the most Valentines? I'm sure you know, it is TEACHERS!! Each Valentine's Day teachers all over the country receive Valentines from their current students, former students, coworkers, administrators and any significant others they may have in their lives. It's so AWESOME! 

So, how about your students?  Do you give them a Valentine each year? Chances are if you are an Elementary grade teacher, you give your students a Valentine card and possibly a small gift on this day of love.

If this is what you do each year, I have a FREEBIE you might be interested in.

This packet contains free Valentines you can give your class. With three to choose from, you are sure to find one to fit your needs:

Quarter Page Size Card: This card can be printed on card stock and given to students.  You can even add a special treat such as a pencil, or lollipop if you want to. Just punch holes or use clear tape to attach.

Treat Bag Tag:  This card is sized so you can print on card stock, cut out and fold over a snack size zip lock bag.  Fill the bags with candy, Goldfish crackers, Teddy Grams or any other treat you would like.

Ruler Valentine: This last one is my favorite! I try to stock up on rulers in August when they are on sale at the beginning of school. Sometimes you can purchase them for as little as 50 cents each.  Then on Valentine's Day, you can use this card to give them to your students as a very special Valentine's gift. 

One year my daughter used these to give to her classmates cute colorful rulers as Valentines.  They loved it!

Activities:
This packet also has a couple of fun Valentine Activities you can do with your students on Valentine's Day:  a Graphing Activity (for which you will need a small box of Conversation Hearts Candy for each student.) and a word scramble:

If you would like to download this Valentine's Freebie   all you have to do is click on the picture below.

I hope you and your students have a great Valentine's Day.  Stop by and visit me at:

QUEEN of the JUNGLE

Until Next Time........

Spreading the Love

Spreading the Love

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner we have been focusing on put ups instead of put downs in 1^st grade!  I love having a Valentine’s Day party with the kids.  We focus on writing letters to each other, completing a project with our family, and finding the good in each of us.  A few weeks ago I sent home a letter telling about our party and a project to complete at home.  Each child was asked to work with their parents to make a Valentine’s mailbox.  Here is a peek at a few of the mailboxes.  I love to add a home component to school units. 

Next we have been working on writing each child a Valentine at our writing center!  Students are able to use the paper they want and supplies!  They have really had a great time thinking of special things to say about each person.  I love how this week is a great reminder of how to fill each other’s buckets!

Here is a writing template freebie!

Valentine Sneak Peek

Is this true for everyone?

This was TOTALLY me last week.

I can't even begin to tell you about it. 

Well, it’s Kimberly from Loving Kinders and this week I’d like to...

share some of my valentine resources with you!

When it comes to resources I love to spruce it up with seasonal additions to keep learning fun and engaging.  Here are some of my valentine must haves.

Right now in kindergarten we are working with CVC words.  This is a great resource.  I print, laminate and place it in a center to use over and over again.  I also pull it out for RTI intervention.  You can use magnetic letters or whiteboard markers.

WRITING!!!!  Yes!  WRITING!!!

I use a Daily Five format so I can place this in my writing center or I can use it whole group.  Either way it will go into their yearly portfolio for progress monitoring and it is a wonderful way to gauge student growth.

Word Work is essential in developing phonetics and decoding skills.  This CVC activity focuses on finding and sorting vowel sounds.  This is the short A section.

Last but CERTAINLY not least, I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE {and yes it's valentines day} mini books.  I use them all. the. time.  I use them in guided reading, supportive writing, or for a whole group supportive read/write.  We write, identify sight words, sound out words, and identify end marks.  My kinders love them, maybe more than me but probably not.

This is my entire unit if you are interested.

Until next time lovies....