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Romp and Stompin’ Letters!

July 11, 2014 by lauraschachter@gmail.com 2 Comments

I love watching young children learn the alphabet.  It can be such a magical experience.  They are gaining the key to a magical word of meaning! 

You can make this experience magical for your kids, by getting them to move and “experience” the letters.  Kids love to move around and explore their surroundings.  You can capitalize on this and have them explore letter attributes in the same way!

I have always loved using hands and feet with kids to help them learn.  I love hands, because they can slap high fives.  I love feet, because they can really stomp on the letters and incorporate movement into their learning.  This is what I love about Romp and Stompin’ Letters.  Kids can really interact with letters in a ton of different ways!  Check out the quick and easy ideas below!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Romp-and-Stomping-Letters-Hands-On-Alphabet-Activities-Sort-Letter-Attributes-1283772
I recently shared an interesting photo with you.  While I was in the dollar store, I found these…
You may ask, what in the world is a lip gloss boot?  Well, I really have no good explanation for you.  I think the lip gloss is supposed to be stored in the boot.  I am a collector of strange items, so I saw these and knew that I could put them to use!  I am now the proud owner of 4 lip gloss boots.  They will be used in my new “Romp and Stompin’ Letters” unit!  Hopefully, you are lucky enough to have a dollar store that has these beauties in stock 🙂  Let me show you how I use mine…
I created a set of “Stomp It” boots with clip art and blocks, K-cups, or wine corks.  I hot glued them to the sturdy backing and the kids can really “stomp” with their hands.
Kids can either stomp on the letters with their feet, use a “Stomp It” boot manipulative, or use the lovely lip gloss boot.  I always have students say the letter’s name as they STOMP it!
Here is DIY directions on how I made my “Stomp It” boots and how I use them with painter’s tape. 
 Painter’s tape is a staple in my teaching.  It easily adheres to the floor, wall, skin :), but just as easily peels right off.  I make letters and numbers on the floor, so that students can trace them with their “Stomp It” boots, or walk the letters with their own feet.  This is a great way for students to really experience the shape of each letter.  You can also have students lay down on top of the letter to “make” the letter.  This will force students to examine the attributes, such as curvy, straight, and dots.  Students will decide how many kids they need to create the letter.  For dots, one student can roll in a ball.  This is hilarious and it really focuses students’ attention on the shapes of the letters.
I created an “Alphabet of Feet” to use for a bunch of different activities.  They are so versatile and so easy to use! 

I have used a variety of storage options, but in the end, my favorite is the alphabet pocket chart.  It makes it very easy for students to sort letters and to clean up!!!
One of my favorite activities is to leave missing letters between letters on the floor.  I leave a piece of painter’s tape in the missing space.  Students can fill in the missing letters by moving along the alphabet.  It helps them to build a sense of the beginning, middle, and end of the alphabet.  After filling in the missing letters, I always have them “STOMP” on the letter and say the letter’s name at the same time.




 
This activity goes perfectly with the “Letter Line Up” extension worksheets.  You can get a free sample here.  I set up my letters on the floor to match the letters on the worksheet.  Students can do the activity moving around with the letters and then complete the extension worksheet.  They can use the letters on the floor to check their answers.
There are differentiated options to the “Letter Line Up” extension worksheets.  Students can trace the missing letters (there are different amounts of letters missing), fill in missing letters (different amounts of letters missing), and a blank worksheet where students fill in all the letters.  There are worksheets for both upper and lowercase letters.

You can also use the boots (homemade “Stomp It” boots or lip gloss boots) to use on the extension worksheets.  Students need to “Stomp It”, “Stamp It”, “Trace It”, “Write It”, “Dab It’, and “Color It”.  They are interacting with the letter in a variety of ways.

Here is the “Stomp It, Stamp It, Write It” in action.  Students are interacting with the letters in so many ways!
Here is an example of how I set up my Romp and Stompin’ Letter Center.  It includes stamps, bingo dabbers, crayons, pencils, stamps and stamp pad.  All of this is stored in a little bin with the letter extension worksheets.
There is a lot you can do with the letter attributes portion of this pack.  There are “Wanted” signs in color and B/W for each specific letter attribute.  Students need to be cowboys and wrangle up those pesky letters!  These can be used on a magnetic wall, cookie sheet, or turned into a file folder game.
Here are all the “Wanted Anchor Charts” and “Wanted” Letter Attributes signs.  It also demonstrates how the letters and signs can be turned into a file folder game.
You can also use the letter attributes signs to use with the “Stomp Alphabet”.  Students can search and move around the alphabet looking for letters with specific attributes.  You can also use hula hoops, so students can pick up the letter feet and move them into the correct circle.
Here is the “Outlaw Alphabet” recording sheet.  Students will sort the letters and then record their letters on the recording extension sheet.
Here are two more of the letter attributes extension worksheets.
Thanks so much for hanging with me!  I am just so excited about this new unit, I had to share it with you!  I hope that your students enjoy it as much as mine!  It is great for students who need some extra help learning their letters and focusing on specific attributes of each letter.
Here is the fun part!  Leave me a comment on this blog post and let me know how you would use this in your classroom or home.  Also, let me know something that your students have struggled with in the past.  I want to try and develop more teaching activities that really benefit your kids!  I will be looking at all the comments and hopefully choosing my next project.  If your idea/concept is what I choose, I will send you “Romp and Stompin’ Letters for FREE!  
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Classroom Freebies Manic Monday

Filed Under: alphabet, letter formation, letters, manipulatives

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

I Love The Hardware Store: Math Manipulatives for Addition

January 21, 2014 by lauraschachter@gmail.com 19 Comments

addition machine

DIY: Easy Math Manipulatives for Addition

Years ago, I needed to find a simple contraption that would turn into an addition machine.  I was a special education resource teacher and all my teaching supplies had to fit on a cart or a rolling suitcase.  I hit the hardware store.  Apparently, I chose a P trap with a cleanout spout.

I had used these same p traps before, but I used them for whisper phones.  You can find the perfect size for kids and adults.  The beauty of these p traps is that you do not have to do any prep for them to work!
The “Addition Machine” p drain has a very easy to use drain at the bottom.  My three year old is able to open it.  I added an addition sign to the middle of the machine, so it gives a visual that you are adding both sides of the adding machine.
To make this work, you need 3 small containers and something to prop the “Addition Machine” up against.  I used a small stool from IKEA.  It is exactly the right size to fit my “Addition Machine”.
 To prep the “Addition Machine”, you need a dry erase marker and some small manipulatives.  I have used pom poms, marbles, and any small little things that I find around the house.
First, you write two numbers, with your dry erase marker, on each of the top two containers.  On the bottom container, you will write an equal sign.
Students will count out the correct number of manipulative and put them in each of the top two containers.  We always counted out loud and examined the two sets of manipulatives before moving on to the next step.
After putting the manipulatives in the containers, I had a student pour each container into the “Addition Machine”.  We stated the addition sentence, as we went through the process.  The addition sentence, in this case”2+4″, is the magic password that gets our “Addition Machine” to work!

 The magic is starting to work!

After all of the manipulative are poured into the “Addition Machine”, we say the magic sentence “2+4” again and this time open up the drain.  All the kids seem to hold their breath, as the manipulatives pour from the “Addition Machine”.
Before we recite the entire addition sentence, “2+4=6”, we pass around the lower container to see the magic that has happened.  Each set of manipulatives from the containers has mixed together to form the whole!!!  It never ceases to amaze!  This activity is great for a concrete way to examine Part-Part-Whole.

 After we all examine the manipulatives and count how many there are in all, a student will write the sum on the lower container.  Then, we are able to recite the whole addition sentence: 2+4-6.

I’ve had kids want to do this activity over and over, not even realizing that they are practicing addition.  Such fun and it really helps those kids that need the hands on, concrete learning.
Hope this can help you, as much as it has helped me!  Don’t forget the p drains, without a cleanout spout can be used for ready made “whisper phones”.  Buy and use.  My kind of materials 🙂

I also linked up with The Preschool and Kindergarten Community. Be sure to check there for tons of great ideas!

 

Filed Under: addition, addition machine, DIY, manipulatives, 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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