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Apples + Freebie!

August 29, 2014 by lauraschachter@gmail.com Leave a Comment

I love fall!  Even though it is still August, I can taste that fall crispness coming.  Nothing says fall like sweet, crisp apples!

I put two of my favorites together, apples and play dough, and cooked up some juicy fun!
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Apples-Interactive-Play-Dough-Mats-Counting-Centers-Printables-1353686
I started out by making up a batch of play dough.  We made two types of play dough.  The first was a new type for me.  I got the idea from Crayons and Cuties in Kindergarten.  You can see her awesome post on coconut play dough and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom activities here.
The coolest part of this recipe is that it has only two ingredients: conditioner and corn starch.  We used Suave Apple Conditioner, so the play dough would spell like delicious apples.  You use one cup of corn starch and 5 tablespoons of conditioner.  You need to make sure to stir well in between each addition of conditioner.  You can see the directions in pictures on Jenn’s post.
We added food coloring to the play dough to make green and red apples.  Our hands did get dyed when using the food coloring, but it doesn’t get on your hands once the dye is mixed in.
Notice the green hands 🙂
 Here is our red dough.
 This play dough has a very different consistency than regular play dough.  My son and daughter kept asking for the apple clay.  It almost feels like cloud dough.  I kept the dough in the fridge and used it for several days and then tossed it.  It definitely does not last like play doh!
We got our play dough recipe from Jenn, too!  She got it from the Imagination Tree.  This is an awesome recipe, because 
#1- It lasts 6 months
#2- It’s no cook
#3- It takes 4 minutes
#4- It LASTS 6 MONTHS!!

Click here to get the play dough recipe from Imagination Tree!
We added food coloring and cinnamon for an apple pie kind of smell.
Now for the fun!  We broke out the play dough mats with numbers.  The kids used the dough to form the numbers.  Great fine motor activity, as well as, practice with number formation.  I always have them “trace” the number after they create it on the mat.  It is a very tactile experience to run your finger over the bumpy play dough.  It also helps them get familiar with the shapes of each numeral.
For each number, they also made the corresponding number of apples on the tree.  We practiced counting with one-to-one correspondence after they created the apples.  
My daughter and her friend switched mats and they “checked” the other’s apples.  This was a great way to have them use one-to-one correspondence and hold them accountable for their work.  Plus, they loved being the teacher!
I also have apple manipulatives in the pack.  We used these along with the play dough.  I hot glued foam to the back of the apples.  This makes them easier for kids to manipulate.  
One child would make the numeral with play dough.  The other would trace it and count out the same number of apples.  

We talked about how many apples were in the tree and how many fell down.  The kids seemed to get a kick out of this!
I also have some blank tree mats.  These are so useful!  We used them to tell story problems.  The kids used the different colored play dough to “show” the story.  
Josh saw 5 green apples in the tree.  Jeremy saw 5 red, ripe apples in the same tree.  How many apples were there all together?
 Here is another mat.  The apples aren’t quite in the tree, but they are on the mat!
They wanted to make the answer in play dough after they counted the apples.
Above, you saw the basic play dough mats.  Now, I want to show you the exciting part of these interactive play dough mats!  I have included 3 different types of cards: numerals, ten frames, and addition sentences.  It makes it very easy to differentiate for different students and ages.  I am able to use the same mats and games with my four year old and a 6 year old, by simply substituting different skill cards.
Here is an example of the numeral cards.  The cards are placed in a pile and the student will choose a card and represent the numeral with apples on the tree.  Fun, hands-on practice for a necessary skill.
There are numeral cards to 20.
Next, are the ten frames.  There are ten frames to 20.  Students will choose a card and create the same number of apples on the tree.  This is good for getting students comfortable with the ten frame format AND to show them that the same number can be represented in a different way.
A student created 15 apples on the tree.
There are addition cards included in the pack.  There are sums to 10.
We used two different colors of play dough to represent the two numbers in the addition sentences.  This can be used as a partner game.  One partner can draw a card and create the number sentence with play dough.  
The other partner can count up all the apples and create the number with play doh.  Then, they will switch jobs.
The numeral, ten frame, and addition cards can be used for:
Memory
Go Fish
War
The numeral, ten frame, and addition cards can also be used for a memory game.  Just select the specific numbers/sums that you would like your students to work on.  Place the selected cards face down and have students try and match a numeral to a ten frame, numeral to addition sentence, or any combination that works for your students.
In “Go Fish”, you would use two sets of cards.  Either print two sets of numerals, or use a combination of numerals/ten frames/addition.  Use the skills that your students need to practice.  Pass out 5 cards to each student and put the remaining cards in the fish pond.  Each student will ask another for the card that represents a number in their hand.  If the other student doesn’t have the card, they say “Go Fish”!  The original student will choose a card from the fish pond.  Play will continue until all the matches are found.
War is another fun game for children to play.  You can call it “SMASH!”.  This is played just like the original “War”.  Choose the combination of cards that you would like to use.  I often use ten frames and numerals together.  Students slap down their cards and whoever has the largest amount of “apples” wins!  If the students get the same number, they will put out cards for the letters in SMASH.  When they flip over the last card, they will see who has the largest amount of “apples”.  That number SMASHES the other!!  It’s a fun spin on War.
I have a free “SMASH” poster that you can use with the game.  This will allow students to reference the poster for the spelling of SMASH and give them a visual that the larger number wins.  Click here to get your free poster.
The fun doesn’t stop there!  I have included extension worksheets for students to work on the specific skills.  There are worksheets where students count the apples and write the matching numeral.
I was able to differentiate in a really cool way for students that need to trace the numbers.  I found these cool markers at Target.  They have regular markers that write in a normal color.  They include markers that are white.  When the students trace over the first marker, the color changes.  It’s so exciting and fun to kids.  I have 8 year old children that ask to use these markers for different activities!

 I wrote the numerals on the paper and my daughter traced them.  I had her count the apples first, so she was able to demonstrate her one-to-one correspondence to me and then wrote the numerals.

Another way to really have kids focus in on one-to-one correspondence is to have them count each apple as they dot with the bingo dabber.  This adds a very visual and kinesthetic component to the one-to-one correspondence.
There are ten frame extension sheets.  You can have students draw the apples, but why not use a bingo dabber.  It’s easy to see the separate apples and so much fun!
We also used bingo dabbers to represent the matching number of apples.
There are also addition worksheets for students to complete.  You can have them color or dot the apples in two different colors.
Hope you found some useful ideas to use with your kids and students!  Enjoy fall 🙂
If you would like to purchase Apples: Interactive Play Dough Mats click here.
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I’ve linked up with Teaching Momster for Math Madness Wednesdays!

Filed Under: addition, apples, hands-on learning, math, numbers, numerals, play dough, playdoh, playdoh mats, ten frames

Frog and Toad Freebie!

March 17, 2014 by lauraschachter@gmail.com 6 Comments

Free Long and Short Vowel Sorting Game

Engage students with a FREE long and short vowel sorting game, featuring the lovable characters Frog & Toad. The games are differentiated for young learners.

I am sitting here looking out the window at the SIX inches of snow on the ground!  I am so ready for spring!!  I have been stuck in bed for the last few weeks, so I decided to make a spring freebie.  I thought it might make me feel a little more “springy”!

I love frogs and toads!  When I was little, I went searching for frogs and toads in the woods behind our house.  I always loved catching them and playing with them.  My kids don’t have the woods right behind their house, so I decided to make them a pretend frog and toad.  They can play with them and feed them flies!

Materials You Will Need:

  • I’ve included the affiliate links to the stuff I used to create frog and toad.
  • Lysol Wipe Containers– or any container with a circular top.
  • Large Google Eyes
  • Scrapbook Paper: to cover the containers
  • Pipe Cleaners: for tongues
  • Foam: for more durable eyes
  • Hot Glue
  • Hot Glue Gun

I started with a Lysol wipes container and removed the paper on the outside.

I took a razor blade and cut out the middle of the top of the Lysol container.  This is the mouth for the frog.

I attached brown paper to the outside of the toad and green foam to the outside of the frog.  You can use whatever you have on hand. You can get a pack of photo scrapbook paper here.  I think the cracked earth looks a lot like a toad.

I then used the same paper or foam to create the back of the frog/toad’s eyelids.  I cut a smaller piece of foam and hot glued it to the larger piece.

I then attached a large googly eye and attached the whole eye to the back of the Lysol container.

Here is the toad- ready to eat!

I used a red pipe cleaner to create a durable tongue for the frog/toad.  I wrapped it around my finger to make it look curly and hot glued it to the divet in front of the frog/toad’s mouth.

Here is the frog ready for action!

You can use the frog and toad for anything, but I thought it would be great to use them for sorting short and long vowel words.  Frog is for the short vowels and toad is for the long vowels. The words “frog” and “toad” can help students remember the differences between long and short vowel sounds.

I created a freebie with the labels for the frog and toad, as well as, flies with short and long vowel words on them.  Students will read the words out loud and sort the words into the appropriate container.

Students will then use the recording sheet to record the long and short vowel words.  They will also use some of the words to create an original sentence.  Click here to get your Frog and Toad Freebie!

I would love it, if you would let me know how it works for you!!!

I have another FUN and interactive set to work on long and short vowels. This pack includes sorting mats, picture and word cards, printables, and interactive booklets. Kids will “meet” animals for each short and long vowel sound. Check out this pack in action here.

I linked up with “Teaching with Nancy’s” T.G.I.F.

http://www.teachingwithnancy.com/t-g-f-weekly-freebie-link-10/

I also linked up with “The Primary Gal’s” Friday Free For All!!

http://theprimarygal.blogspot.com/2014/03/friday-free-for-all_21.html

 I also linked up with “Classroom Freebies” Manic Monday!

Classroom Freebies Manic Monday

Mommy and Me Creations
http://www.teachingblogaddict.com/2014/04/time-for-some-more-freebie-friday.html

Filed Under: Container Creations, DIY, free, freebies, hands-on learning, Learning Ideas, long vowels, manipulatives, short vowels

Leaping Leprechauns! (Freebie)

March 9, 2014 by lauraschachter@gmail.com 4 Comments

Active learning is essential for young children. This free math activity brings the magic of St. Patrick’s day and leprechauns to the process of addition. This activity is sure to get your “little leprechauns” leaping!!  Click here to get your freebie.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: free, freebies, hands-on learning, hands-on math

Interactive Playdough Mats

January 7, 2014 by lauraschachter@gmail.com 2 Comments


The weather outside is frightful, so it seemed like a good day to play inside with playdough!  Since we can see the snow outside, we made snowballs and snowmen and all sorts of cold things from inside our cozy house.  We have been experimenting with all kinds of playdough recipes, but this is the one that seems to work best for us: http://www.playdoughrecipe.com/
 
We used the playdough mats and cards from my Interactive Play Dough Mats: Snowballs!
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Snowballs-Interactive-Playdoh-Mats-Counting-Centers-and-Games-and-Printables-974760
  We had a ton of fun picking a mat from the pile and making a “snake” to put on the numeral.  After the playdough traced the numeral, we used our fingers to trace the numeral.  It is great for little learners to actually feel the shape of the numeral.  Then, we made a matching number of snowballs. 
 Squished snowballs are better than no snowballs at all!

 
One thing that makes these mats interactive is adding the cards.  Students will choose a card from the pile (you choose the skill that you want them to work on) and build the appropriate number of snowballs, snowforts, or snowmen.  Here she is drawing from the numeral cards.
There are also ten frame cards.  Students can practice with the ten frame cards to help them build automatic recognition of the ten frames.
The fun begins with addition. If you are feeling adventurous, you can add two colors of playdough in your center.  Then, students can represent the two numbers with two different colors.
You can also use snowball manipulatives with the mats.  Students can draw the cards and represent the numeral, ten frame, or addition sentence with the snowball manipulatives.
When I am working with young students or students with fine motor difficulties, I always hot glue foam to the back of my manipulatives.  This allows students to have more success in grasping and manipulating them. 
 

Addition with manipulatives.
 
The best of both worlds!  Play dough and manipulatives.
After playdough, we used the cards to have a “snowball fight”.  This partner game is “war”, but sounds more fun when you call it a “snowball fight”.  We changed it up, by giving one player numerals and one player ten frames. 
 
You can also have a “snowball fight” with addition sentences.
I love all the games that you can play with a few types of cards.  We played memory with numerals and ten frames, but you could also use addition sentences and ten frames, addition sentences with matching sums.  The list is endless!

There are tons of printables to go along with the playdough mats, so you can keep extending the learning!
 
Next Monday, I am going to be holding my first Collaborative Giveaway.  It is going to be AWESOME!
There are so many wonderful teacher authors and artists that donated to this giveaway.  I want to try and highlight each one of their stores before the giveaway is over.
 
I’m going to start with one of my favorite clip artists.  You may recognize her work from the games above.  Sarah from Educlips is AMAZING!  If you haven’t seen her work, then you absolutely need to check it out.  She makes everything that she draws irresistible!  For this giveaway, Sarah has donated:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/St-Patricks-Day-Clip-Art-Bundle-1034429
 
While we are talking about clip art, we can’t forget Glitter Meets Glue Designs!  This clip art is original and unforgettable.  If you love glitter (I definitely do!), then this is the clip art for you!  Here is the awesome art donation:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Magnifying-Glasses-Dipped-in-Glitter-Little-Scientist-Detective-Work-1034185

Filed Under: addition, hands-on learning, manipulatives, math, numerals, play dough, play dough mats, playdoh, playdoh mats, snow, snowballs

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