Easy Prep Packs!

I didn't realize it had beed SOOOO long since my last blog post.  In fact, I did a double take when I looked at the last thing I had written.  This school year has flown by!  Teacher friends, I know you get exactly what I mean when I say I barely have time to turn around before a new day has begun.  I have, though, been keeping myself busy creating new things to use in the classroom and I am super excited to share them with you.

First up is The Jacket I Wear In The Snow Retelling Pack.  This book, by Shirley Neitzel, has always been a favorite of mine.

This pack includes:

• Vocabulary Cards:  Print on cardstock, laminate, and cut apart words or leave as a poster.  Preview vocabulary from the story prior to reading and/or review vocabulary after reading the story.  Place in writing center, pocket chart, or back with magnetic tape and use on magnetic board/cookie sheet.  I have my students pick a card, write it down and draw a picture to illustrate.
• Story retelling cards: Print, laminate, and cut out. Give students a picture to hold during the story. When that student’s part is read he/she will hold up the picture. I added extra pictures to accommodate more student participation.  Print off as many copies as needed.  Print off two copies and play a memory type game. Also can be used with the cut and paste retelling activity to help little ones identify the picture needed. 
• The Jacket I Wear in the Snow Choral Reading Card:  Print as many copies as needed, laminate if you plan to keep from year to year.  Give students a copy to read aloud in a group.  Send home or keep from year to year.
• Descriptive Words Matching Activity:  Students match descriptive phrases from the book to the object described.  Print, laminate, and cut apart cards.  May also be used as a memory/concentration game.
• Story sequencing: Cut and glue pictures in order of the story. 
• The Jacket I Wear in the Snow Essential Questions: Students can circle or color the correct answer. 
• The Jacket I Wear in the Snow Emergent Reader:  A simpler version of the story to encourage retelling by young readers. 

Next, we celebrated our 100th day of school at the end of January.  I put together a pack of the activities I use at school.  They are super easy to prep and use.

In this pack you will find:
• 100th Day Crowns:  Two patterns to choose from that are available in both color and black and white.  One pattern is easier to cut and the other one is works well for students who have good scissor skills.  Students cut out and place 100 stickers on the crown.  Attach the crown to a sentence strip or use strips of construction paper for a headband to wear.  This activity is great for fine motor practice!
• 100th Day Sorting Mats:  Mats have ten circles to place ten groups of ten to make 100.  Use for 100th day snack or use  with non-edible items, such as paperclips, Unifix cubes, blocks, mini-erasers, etc.  Mat is offered in both color and black and white.
• My Book of 100:  A simple emergent reader to show little ones what 100 items look like.  Students can color, read, and take home.  Easy to prep, just print, staple, and cut in half to make two half page books.  No having to sort and assemble!
• Snack Letter to Parents:  A note to parents asking them to send in a specific item to make a 100th day snack.
• Additional Letters to Parents:  One letter asks parents to help little ones gather 100 items at home to bring to school.  The other letters asks parents to help little ones decorate a shirt with 100 items to wear on the 100th day of school.  Simply choose what you want to do on the 100th day of school!

I just finished two valentine retelling packs.

One is for the book Love, Splat by Rob Scotton.  

This pack has more than just retelling activities.  I added colors, shapes, math, language and social-emotional activities, plus retelling and sequencing skills are included.  Take a look at everything in this pack:

• Vocabulary Cards:  Introduce vocabulary before the story and review after the story.  Have students write and illustrate words in their journals.

• Love, Splat Essential Questions:  Check student comprehension after reading the story.  Students circle or color the correct answer.

• Love, Splat Emotion Cards:  Use the cards to discuss the emotions Splat felt in the story, as well as other emotions.  Extend the activity by having students discuss times they have felt that way, show what that emotion looks like, and/or print off two copies to play a memory game.

• Cat Colors:  Students can match cat colors to color words.  Larger cards are also included to allow for memory/matching type games.

• Cat Colors Student Sheets:  Students color Splat cats according to color words.  Two versions are available to choose from.

• Cat Shapes:  Students match cat shapes to shape words.  Larger cards are also included to allow for memory/matching type games

• Splat Pattern Cards:  Classroom set of cards to introduce patterns and to assist with student pattern page, if needed.

• Splat Pattern Sheets:  Two sheets are available to choose from:  AB, and ABB/AAB patterns.

• One More/One Less Math Cards:  Students find and place the number that is one more and one less on each card, up to 20.

• Alphabet Cards and Letter Sound Cards:  Students match upper case Splat cards to lowercase Kitten cards and/or Valentine Letter Sound Cards.

• Love, Splat Syllable Cards:  One, two, and three word syllable cards are included, along with a student sheet to check skill acquisition.

• Love, Splat Memory Cards:  Fun pictures of Splat and his friends on cards that can be used to play memory, sort by attributes, and sequence with.

The other valentine pack is Lily's Chocolate Heart by one of my favorite authors, Kevin Henkes.  

This pack contains:

• Vocabulary Cards:  Print on cardstock, laminate, and cut apart words or leave as a poster.  Preview vocabulary from the story prior to reading and/or review vocabulary after reading the story.  Place in writing center, pocket chart, or back with magnetic tape and use on magnetic board/cookie sheet.  I have my students pick a card, write it down and draw a picture to illustrate the word.

• Story retelling cards: Print, laminate, and cut out. Give students a picture to hold during the story. When that student’s part is read he/she will hold up the picture. I added extra pictures to accommodate more student participation.  Print off as many copies as needed.  Print off two copies and play a memory type game. Also can be used with the cut and paste retelling activity to help little ones identify the picture needed. 

• Story sequencing: Cut and glue pictures in order of the story.

• Essential Questions: Students can circle or color the correct answer to check comprehension.

• Emergent Reader:  A simpler version of the story to encourage retelling by young readers. 

• Positional Word Activity:  Students cut and glue hearts according to the positional words of: above, under, on, between, and beside on a sheet that incorporates the items in the story.

• Hearts Positional Words Class Activity:  Both color and black and white versions are available.  Each student is given a heart to place on, under, above, between and 

beside themselves or in the classroom.  Use to practice naming body parts, too

I also updated The Mitten Retelling Pack.

Earlier in the fall, I added another There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly Retelling Pack to the group of old lady books.

 I think that's it for now!  Hopefully, I won't wait another five months to blog.

As always, thanks for reading!
Have a great day :)