WHAT IS SUBITIZING? Subitizing is not a term that we use often, but it is an important mathematical concept that can greatly benefit student

We started teaching the 4 year old class at our church this past week. They are sweetest and silliest group of kiddos. I love this age group. We hear all sorts of stories (good ones...it's church!). My favorite part is when they tell me all they know about our topic each week. They always surprise

Teach your kids about the 3 oceans zones: sunlight, twilight and midnight. Plus, get a free printable zones of the ocean worksheet to reinforce everything they learn!

FREE printable Sequencing worksheets for preschool and kindergarten kids. Includes 15 activities featuring seasonal themes, hygiene such as brushing teeth, washing hands, and fire safety. Great for language and literacy development!

Unifix cubes are interlinking cubes that are one of the best math manipulatives you can find. You can use the linking cubes individually for one to one correspondence and counting, or you can interlink the

A dinosaur theme is a sure fire way to capture little one’s interest and curiosity. Just talking about dinosaurs with toddlers is so much fun! Our week was filled with names to learn, questions to answer and hands on activities to try. Here were our plans for Dinosaur Week: And here are the details of […]

FREE science emergent reader book about the human body systems. Great science activity for preschool and kindergarten.

I have been meaning to update my Read and Sequence pack for a while now. This pack is a combination of all of my Read and Sequence...

Sharing activity inspired by Should I Share My Ice Cream by Mo Willems! Perfect for homeschool, classrooms, or family fun. Includes a free printable!

It is so fun to look at all the adorable themes for little learners on Pinterest. From apples and pumpkins to bugs and flowers, there are so many cute ideas for your students. But, how can these "cute" thematic unit activities teach students what they need to learn in the classroom? What is a Thematic

If you want to teach your little ones about the concept of opposites you will want to check out these fun opposites worksheets and activities.

Making a Self-Portrait is always a fun and enriching activity. I am going to describe today's learning experience in doing a self-portrait. First I showed the paper the students would use and I projected it on a white board. You can use a smart board of course or just chart paper I recommend having something to model drawing yourself. We defined self-portrait and thought about which shapes we have in our bodies. I asked a volunteer to come to the front and asked the kids to help me draw her face. I add all details the children suggested. We were happy with the results. I modeled using a mirror to look at my face and draw it. After I finished my self-portrait I asked for the students input. They were fantastic. They asked me to add my hanging little camera purse, earrings, glasses, my toes showing because I was wearing sandals, patterns from my dress, and more. I then handed a mirror and a paper to each student. The kids had a ball looking at their faces in the mirror They could work sitting or standing. And look how this girl is so focused on her drawing. Even the younger ones did an amazing job. Princesses did a great job too. After they were all ready we shared them with the group. I have different ways of sharing work. We had targeted our audience. It was our friends and our parents as we thought that this would be a great portfolio piece. The way we chose to share today was for me to hold each drawing and ask the class to tell what they liked about the self-portrait I was holding. And here are some more self-portrait samples. You can download the self-portrait template by clicking on the picture below. If you are doing portfolio with your class I have made two templates that can be useful. One to be used at the beginning of the school year and another one for the end of the school year. This way we can see the progress of drawing a self-portrait. Click on the pictures below to download the templates.

Rock activities to teach young kids about rocks. Includes hands-on rock activities for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners.

As we approach Matariki, there are some wonderful Matariki crafts you can do with your children to celebrate.

9 Preschool listening games that are fun and easy to play. Strengthen listening skills in a fun way in small and large groups.

Long gone are the days where I am rolling tape to put on the back of my students' work to display it or poking holes in it with push pins. These simple solutions will have your students' work displayed in seconds and your hallway or classroom looking fab! Seriously, we are teachers and so extremely busy. Who has time for the perfect bulletin board display? Not this 3rd Grade Teacher! I spent an hour using these tricks before school started last year and it has saved me countless hours through the school year. Supplies needed: * Hot Glue Gun * 12x12 scrapbook paper * Oversized Clothes Pins (from Michael's) That is it! What!?!?! I started by making a plan by laying my 12x12 scrapbook paper out in the area I wanted to hang it. As you can see from the pictures, I didn't truly stick to one way of hanging the paper, however, I did stagger my paper so my clothes pins could peep between the papers. I was able to lay my papers either in the floor or on top of the lockers to make my plan of attack. Once my plan was made, I was able to "eye" where I wanted the clothes pin to be. I stuck a paper inside the clip, hot glued the back of the clothes pin and pressed to to where I wanted it. Once all my clothes pins were hung, came THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP. I am sharing my hard lesson learned here with you all. So, the first day of school rolled around and my students went to hang their papers up themselves. (Yes, teachers, rejoice! You can save even more time because your students can hang their papers by themselves. I allow mine to stand on a short step stool to reach. The angels are singing!!!!) Ok, so back to the lesson..... When my students pushed on the clothes pin to open it to hang their paper, the 12x12 scrapbook paper fell out. Oops! Solution: I hot glued the scrapbook paper to the clothes pin on the inside and they no longer fall out or need readjusted because they aren't perfectly straight. See how I can open the clip and the scrapbook paper stays up? Trust me, you will thank yourself later! Last year, I had hung some of these paperclips up in the hallway already, but I want you to see the difference the scrapbook paper makes. See how the paper stands out a bit more because the white paper doesn't blend in with the white wall anymore? Above, the social studies report posters looked great on the gray part of the wall, but they blended in with the white wall. So we hung our 3 About Me papers on the first day of school with black behind them. They pop out a bit more because of the 12x12 scrapbook paper. I admit that hot gluing the clothes pins and scrapbook paper took a bit of time up front, however, it has save me a lot of time in the last year. It was so worth it! I hope you are able to modify this idea to work for you.

FREE printable ant farm mazes for preschoolers to practice pre-writing and fine motor skills. Great activity for a bug theme or Spring/Summer learning.

Learn about countries for kids with Around the WOrld Country Coloring Pages! These coloring sheets are easy way to explore 19 countries!

Geometric Art

Horse craft idea for preschoolers After a fun day of spring party& horse theme crafts, this afternoon I set up one final craft for the paper and paper plates to explore. Not only was it great to h

These beginner cutting activities are great for helping young kids learn how to snip paper and move scissors across paper.

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Last week we did some fun things with learning the seasons. Most of our learning came from our small group books. I use Reading A-Z, so I can make the themes fit what I want usually. And it did PERFECTLY! After a few days of really learning about seasons, we did a craft idea on an apple tree. They kids should REALLY know the apple tree, right?! So that's what I like to do. I got the picture of the tree from {THIS} post. It's a JPEG download (the link is in the comments on her blogpost). After I printed it, I just used good old fashion white out to cover the season names. They colored the tree brown, then cute apart the tree. (She has them already divided up) They put the pieces back together on the paper and then I had them label the seasons, IN ORDER. Once they had them in order (they could start with whatever season they wanted), I called them back to the table to do their painting. And now they hang in our room - and I love them! Another activity they did was to write their book of seasons. I suggested they talked about the weather, the plants, what they see..... Some were a little more detailed in their writing than others... but hey, their illustrations show me they know it! Leaf Litter!! Our phrase we learned that week from our Scholastic News. I love it! We really talked about the trees being bare in the winter.... you know, in other states besides Florida. If you want this little book, you can click {HERE} to download it. Then, to end the week. they did a "My Favorite Season" writing, where they had to write to explain why...using what they like to do, what the weather was like, what the plants did and if the days were long and hot or short and cold. And we worked on having a closing statement. They drew what they would see if they looked out their window at home. What would be going on outside?? Then, depending on which season they picked, they glued it to that color background. You can grab this activity {HERE}. Living in FL, I really like stressing about the season since we don't really have seasons here. That is the one of the FEW downfalls of living in FL.

Measurement concepts benefit from hands-on learning! Help your K-3 learn non-standard units of measure & how to use a ruler. Get 20 ideas for measurement today!

Music class is an active, engaging, and joyful experience! This is especially true when our musical activities are grounded in creative and intentional teaching strategies. One of the most important teaching strategies has to do with teaching the difference between steady beat and the rhythm of

I introduced our handwriting zoo yesterday. I am telling you people, it is a LIFESAVER! I used to dread teaching the "handwriting lines" (ok, I still do BUT not as much as I used to!) If you haven't checked out the packet yet and you're starting to teach the handwriting house check it out! It's on sale in my TPT store for $3.00 until the end of September. Tomorrow is FRIDAY!! Yay!

Flower Names – Name Building Practice Printable is a fun, hands-on activity that will have your students building their name in no time.

I love self-portraits. It always amazes me how much each child's personality comes out in their drawings. I constantly have parents asking me, did my child draw that?! The answer is yes! With the right directions/facilitation you can help each child do their best. I love the results of this project and it's simpler then it looks. This project usually takes us about two days. I begin by giving the child a blank piece of paper. (I use white card stock Then I ask each child to think about what their face looks like. Is it round like a ball? Oval like an egg, etc. Then I ask them to draw their head. It's important to use permanent marker, because washable markers will run when painted over. Then I ask the child to think about what they have on their head, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, etc. DON'T DRAW HAIR it will be added later. Last, I have them draw two lines down from their chin to make their neck. Then, we look at our multi-cultural paints together and choose the shade that matches the closest. (You can find multi-cultural paint through discount school supply) They paint all of the white space on their head/neck. I cut out their portrait after it has dried and glue it down on a piece of white card stock. Then we work on their hair. I use blonde, black, and brown yarn. I ask them about what color their hair is, is it long or short, does it need to be braided, in a pony tail, curly, etc. This part is very teacher directed. Some accessory ideas; colored yarn for hair ties, barrettes, streamers folded up for bows, pipe cleaners for head bands, jewels or beads for earrings. Then, it's time to paint in the eyes if necessary. I use white acrylic, because the tempera paint lets the color underneath seep through. Then the child adds a dot with the color of their eyes. We added writing to our art that says "My name is ______." You can read about adding writing here. We display our self-portraits all year in the classroom and then send them home in portfolios at the end of the year. Fall weather has FINALLY arrived here in St. Louis! I'm enjoying a lazy Sunday with the windows open and Cardinal baseball on TV. If you like the ideas found on my blog, please leave a comment and follow me! :)

This week ended up being more of a ‘spur of the moment’ unit after Kaleb saw some clip art on my computer and ‘helped’ me put together printables for him

Basic vocabulary, like knowing prepositions, is necessary for beginning readers. Teach prepositions with this simple game.

Paul stayed 2 years preaching and teaching in Ephesus. Here is a sin object lesson that teaches repentance with scripture from Acts 19.

We are exploring magnets here in kindergarten! We sorted objects between magnetic and not magnetic. I wanted the kids to be able to glue down their sort to display in the hallway. You could use tape or regular glue, but in the interest of time I opted for a glue gun. This SUPER cool temp glue gun (you have to buy special glue sticks but they are not expensive) eliminates the worry over burns! But like I said, tape works too. We have some magnet sorting in our science station

When you walk into an interview for a teaching job, you want to feel confident in your skills but also your ability to show them off! In some careers, a resume’ listing experience might be enough, but in teaching, I think it’s a huge boon to go into an interview with a portfolio that really shows the details of that “elementary teacher” position you’ve had (or student teaching). It’s been awhile since I added my On The Hunt for a Teaching Job series, but I know seeing others’ portfolios really helped me (especially as a new teacher!) so I want to share mine. For my portfolio, I picked up a professional binder. Yes, it’s expensive, but you want the cover to say, “I’m credible and you need to look at me!” I used a pre-made Word template to make a cover page and added a photo of me with my class as well as my contact information. In the pocket, I include a resume, and the inside has a matching cover page that works sort of like an informal cover letter. I started with my favorite teaching quote, and used it as a springboard to describe my passion for teaching. I didn’t rehash my resume’ here- but instead wanted to get them interested in me. (Note: Please feel free to use something similar, but please DON’T copy exactly what I wrote. You want it to be unique to YOU!) Another option is to make a brochure. This is really great to leave after an interview, especially if it has a picture so they remember which face goes with which name! Inside, I use dividers to make it clear where I can find certain things. Notice that I said “I can find,” not “the administrator can find.” Administrators may never ask to see your portfolio or have time to do much with it, but if you happen to be in for an interview, a portfolio can be SO helpful! You can see my dividers here, now that I have a few years of experience: Here, you can see my dividers before my last update, when I hadn’t taught in my own classroom. In the past, I just stuck in pages of things I’d done. Most were printed out worksheets, assessments, parent notes, etc. And that was okay, but this time around I decided to show a little more. One HUGE benefit of blogging is that I take lots more pictures of the things going on in my classroom. So, for instance, when I wanted to show my creative lessons, ta – da! I wanted to showcase classroom management, and again, I already had the photos. It’s a great way to not just tell what I would do, but show it. I want principals to be able to imagine me and my classroom in their school! I still kept examples of work and other things behind each section, but these pages made it look really polished. Even if you’re not going to post them on a blog, I’d recommend finding a cheap point-and-shoot camera (or even a smartphone, if you have one) to take photos of your classroom and projects you do. It really helps when a principal wants to imagine you not in a suit, sitting in the office, but in classroom working with students. What’s really great about these pages is that you can print another copy (or go to FedEx Office for more color copies if you just have way too much money) and leave a mini-portfolio at schools without having to leave your nice binder. I used these mini-portfolios when I dropped off resume’s in person, too! When you consider what to include, make sure you think about the basics (classroom management, reading, math, engaging instruction, differentiation, assessment and data, organization), but don’t forget to include a section with your credentials and any honors/ certificates/ professional development/ licenses you may have! (Page protectors will keep you from having to hole punch those important papers.) Think about what makes you unique as a teacher. When they say, “What are your strengths?,” what will you show them? Don’t be afraid to make it unique and bright! For some other professions, you might not want to add color or any element of cute, but I think as long as it looks professional, colorful works really well for standing out. If you’re new here, be sure you check out the rest of this series and my new teacher tips! Next in the On The Hunt series: How to Stand Out (Even Before a Teaching Interview) Thanks for visiting!

Have you thought about having a class pet, but don’t want to add one more thing to take care of in your classroom? Well, I have the perfect solution---a take-home stuffed animal! Kids love it and there is no cage or tank to clean out! Having a traveling class pet was by far the most popular class pet I ever had. Kids couldn’t wait for their week to take home the pet and have it be part of their life for a few days. Of course, I had to include a journal for the kids to write in through the week. Tips for having a take-home class pet. 1. Choosing a stuffed animal is the easy part because kids love them all. But, keep the size of the pet in mind. Too large and it's difficult to transport home and then back to school. Too small and it feels too much like a toy instead of a real pet. 2. Pick a traveling bag for your pet. I like clear plastic bags so everyone can see the adorable pet inside. Make sure it's large enough to hold the pet and the journal. I found this bag on Amazon for under $10. (Search "clear plastic tote" for lots of choices.) 3. Decide on the requirements for the journal. The requirements should be based on the writing level of your students. Kindies can have a drawing journal where they draw a picture or two that shows what they did with the pet. Firsties can write a few sentences along with illustrations. For older students, they can write paragraphs and add illustrations. Make sure all requirements and suggestions are included in the journal, so kids know exactly what is expected. 4. What will you use as a journal? I like using a composition book. It's sturdy and will last the whole year. You can glue on a cover and then glue all instructions and suggestions to the inside cover. Click here to download this freebie from my TpT store. (Click on this image.) 5. Make sure you share the journal on the day it's returned and before it goes home with a new student. 6. A letter home at the beginning of the year, explaining the Take-Home pet is a good idea. That way, parents know what to expect. I also let parents know the take-home schedule a few weeks in advance. That way, the schedule can be adjusted if a family needs to reschedule the pet's visit to their home. Above all, have fun. Just like a live pet, the stuffed animal pet is a great way to teach responsibility.

Try one of these easy, awesome, drawing ideas and activities. There are over 40 ideas for all ages, to keep the kids busy.