FREE Printable SpringtIme Game Board

Spring Game Board

 

Looking for a spring themed game board?  How 'bout trying this one.  It's FREE, and you can use it in your classroom with your own creative game ideas. Although it has Easter eggs, it is not too Eastery for school (since Easter is a religious holiday).   Just print, laminate in a file folder, and you are good to go.  Click the link below to download.

Printable Spring File Folder Game Board

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St. Patrick's Day Homework Pass

FREE St. Patrick's Day Homework Pass

Spread a bit of luck to your students on St. Patrick's Day by gifting them with a homework pass.
OH!... and the little leprechaun was done by me as I played around with my Bamboo Tablet.

Click below for the free download.

 Printable St. Patrick's Day Homework Pass

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Figurative Language Activities

Figurative Language Activities

We have spent the last couple of weeks studying figurative language, and my students have had so much fun.  It really is a fun topic to teach!  One of our class activities has been the making of a figurative language mini book.  As a new type of figurative language was introduced, the students added the definition, example, and an illustration to their booklet.  I don't know about your kids, but mine always like to make little books. 

We have covered many types of figurative language, but one activity in particular I wanted to share with  you is on Idioms.  Are you familiar with the books My Mama Likes to Say, My Teacher Likes to Say, and My Daddy Likes to Say by Denise Brennan-Nelson?  If not, you have got to use them when you cover Idioms.  Plus, I found a great packet to go along with idioms that was put out by the publisher of the books.  It's free, so click HERE to get that. 

In my store, I also have resources to go along with your figurative language unit.

Here is a set of figurative language posters.  I use these to project on the SmartBoard when introducing a new type of figurative language.  You could easily just print them out and use them for display on a bulletin board.

Click here to view the figurative language posters.

I also made a figurative language game.  Visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store for all the details.  Your students are sure to have fun playing this as a literacy center.

Click here to view the figurative language game.

Here are a few pictures from some of our figurative language lessons.

The picture below is an alliteration number line.  Each students was given a number, and they had to write an alliteration that went along with the beginning sound of the number they were given.  They looked really cute hanging in order out in the hallway.  I also hung some other examples of alliteration around the posters.

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Finished with Work - Now What

"I'm Finished" FREEBIE

Can I read?

Can I draw?

What to do.....

Do you tell your kids to read when they are finished with their work?   You know what I am talking about..... that 5-10 minute block of time when other kids are trying to get finished with their work.  Well, I just heard a new coined phrase for reading during that time period.

 It's called "Babysat by the Book!"...........

Okay, before you think I am crazy, I did not come up with the term, nor did I say I agree with it. Actually, I often times tell my kids to read when they are finished. But, I guess it did make me start to think.  Maybe I should come up with a few other things for them to do. The hard part about having kids do something other than read is that:

1) It needs to be a pretty quiet activity.

2) It doesn't need to be worksheet after worksheet.

3) It has to be something they don't need a lot of help with.

Anyway, I decided to put something together. It may look simple, but it actually took me a lot of time to come up with the activities and get it typed up.  The activities had to meet all three of the requirements above. My plan is to have my kids keep a composition notebook available for the activities they do when they are finished with their daily work.  We will call it  something like, "What should I cook up now that I'm done?"  They will glue the below sheet into their notebook.  Just fold it in half and glue down one side, and it will fit perfectly.  They unfold it to read it, but it stays glued in.  They can pick the activity they want to do.  You can create your own rules, such as they have to do them all before they repeat one, or whatever you want.  Also, they have to finish one before they start another, etc.

Also, notice that I tried to word everything around activites that could be reused throughout the year.  Such as the topics of study in the classroom change, but the activities on the sheet don't change.

Here goes if you would like to use it.  Please come back and let me know how it goes.

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CLICK HERE to download the 
"Finished with Work, Now What" file.

Also, I am going to rack my brain to come up with some more activities for grades 3-5, so if you comment with activities, I can put together a second version.  Also, remember that this doesn't have to be ALL the time.  They can still read at times.  This is just another option.

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FREE St. Patrick's Day Bookmarks

FREE St. Patrick's Day Bookmarks

Oh my!!

I am not sure why I  started drawing pictures with my computer mouse, but I did. The end result is this cute (well, sort of cute...) little pot of gold with a rainbow and clover. And of course, I had to make something with it, so it became a St. Patrick's Day bookmark.  I hope you can use it in your classroom. It's a freebie, so just click the link below.

Printable St. Patrick's Day Bookmarks

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FREE St. Patrick's Day Bag Toppers

FREE Printable St. Patrick's Day Bag Toppers

Greet your students at the door on St. Patrick's Day with a special  treat. Or, have a treat waiting for them at their desk along with a themed St. Patrick's Day word search. Visit my page link above with FREE themed word searches. Fill a snack sized plastic zip-lock baggie with Lucky Charm's cereal, and then use this cute baggie topper I put together as a FREEBIE.  Just fill the baggie like normal and staple the topper on the baggie.

Click here to download the FREE St. Patrick's Day Bag Topper



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FREE Times Table Chart

Free Printable Times Table Chart

There are always several of my fourth grade kiddos that need to practice multiplication every chance they get.  Yes, they learned it in third grade, but for some, it just doesn't quite click.  It takes practice, practice, and more practice. So, I put together this handy-dandy take along times table chart.  To be more exact, it is a touchdown (football themed) times table chart.  Encourage your students to score a touchdown when it comes to multiplication. Take this FREEBIE and pass it out for use as a book mark if you would like, share it at the beginning of a multiplication unit, or simply sneak it to those kids that need to practice everywhere they go....

car, lunch, grocery store, ..... while sleeping! ... (well, maybe not the last one..)

Click Here to Get the Printable Times Table Chart

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Valentines for Students

Printable Valentines for Your Students

I have always disliked those goofy boxed Valentine cards sold at the stores.  They never really say what I want them to say, especially when it comes to giving them to my students. Plus, you have to tear them apart,  fold them in half, and then they expect you to put them in the dinkiest little envelope. So, what's my solution?  Make them myself, of course!

These Valentine cards are perfect for your students.  I made a set for the girls and one for the boys.

And, They are....

OH

SO

G*r*O*O*v*Y!

and Guess What!..........They are a FREEBIE!

Pretty cute, ah?

Don't forget to attach a piece of Valentine candy!

Click here to print the Valentines for your students

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One Little Word

New Year... One Little Word

I know, I have posted all kinds of New Year's activities here on Classroom Confections, but I have one more to share. (Imagine that!) This is an activity I did with my kids today, which was their first day back from the Christmas holiday.  Instead of doing the typical resolution, I took an idea shared on the blog Ali Edwards and turned it into a full blown lesson. Ali encourages you to choose a word for yourself and embrace it for the year. Head over to her site and read all the details.

Here is what I did for my lesson.  First we talked about what a resolution is.  Remember, I teach 4th graders, so they have heard the word many times.  They then shared some typical resolutions, such as, "I plan to make good grades."  After many common resolutions had been shared, I put up a list of character traits, such as this one HERE, and I said something like, "If your resolution was to make good grades, what kind of word would you use to describe that?"  They said something like, "hardworking".  We then went through the character trait list and circled all of the words that we thought were positive words.  I then explained to them that sometimes it might be best to have one little word that helps us remember what we strive to be like. 

After students had chosen their own one little word, they wrote a paragraph that started something like, "For 2012, the word I will focus on is lovable."  They then wrote details depicting some of the things they will try to focus on related to their one little word.  And of course, kids always like to add their own artistic touch, so I gave them a number one to decorate however they wanted.They included their one little word along the bottom of the number.  I then stapled the number to the writing.  Here is what they look like.....

If you would like to do this One Little Word activity with your students, here are the Freebies.

Posters for The One Little Word Activity

Number One for Students to Color

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Persuasive Writing Lesson Activity

Writing a Persuasive Paper

I really need to go to the mall!  I need a cookie!........

Kids use persuasion all the time. 

H*e*Y....guess what???

I even use it quite a bit myself!

I am sitting here doing my writing lesson plans for next week and put together a chart I will project on the board to use for my mini lesson on Author's Purpose.  We will actually be talking about this in reading and writing, with the main focus being on persuasive writing.  I thought I would share in case you would like to use.  The author's purpose chart is a FREE download below.

Before I display this chart, I will probably say something like, "Did you know authors love PIE?" and then I will probably say, "Oh yes... look... I am an author and I love PIE!", and then I will open a Little Debbie Oatmeal Pie and take a bite....HA!... something like that always gets their attention.  Then of course, I will display the chart and we will discuss it, and then I will probably give them a half of a pie to reinforce that they too are authors, and so they will get some pie.  (nice teacher, ah?) 

Click HERE to download the Author's Purpose Pie

Looking for a fun way to introduce Persuasive Writing in particular.  Try this activity below. Just click on the link.
Click HERE to see my Persuasive Writing with Oreo Cookies.

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Free Printable Teacher To-Do List

Printable To-Do List

If you are like me, then you are a list kind of girl!  

I know... some people can't stand lists and they equate it to just having....

 o*N*e  

m*O*r*E 

t*H*i*N*G 

t*O

d*O. 

Not me!

To-do lists help keep me straight and help me prioritize what needs to get done.  My life is so extremely active. I have two teenagers and a twenty month old, so you can imagine that I have a lot on my plate.  I try to look at the whole picture of what I need to accomplish, but sometimes as a teacher it can get very overwhelming.  You know what I'm talking about...... things like:  have this ready for the meeting on Tuesday, turn this paper in on Monday, calculate this data by Friday, gather this for the IEP on Wednesday.... it's a wonder we get anything done at all due to brain overload! 

I try to make a list in the morning when I get to school of the things I have to get accomplished for that particular day. Sometimes I do it on the note section of my lesson plans and other times I just use a scratch piece of paper.  To start off my 2012, I decided to throw out the scratch paper and actually put a sheet together to help me prioritize what needs to get done each day.  I am including it as  a freebie if you would like to use it.  I plan to run one for each day.  Like I said, I know that this may seem like an added chore for some people, especially rewriting a few things from day to day, but for me, writing things down each day also helps me to remember what I need to get accomplished.

If you are a list kind of girl, then feel free to download it here:  FREE Printable Teacher To-Do List

Remember:  Be Wise... Prioritize!

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Happy New Year Parent Signature Labels

 

Need tests or other papers returned when kids have a low score?  Looking for a parent signature? .... I always ask my parents to sign and return papers with a low score after they have reviewed them with their child.  Stickers are an easy way to do this. Just peel and stick!  You can get these parent signature labels as a freebie by clicking HERE.  These should print perfectly on Avery 8162 labels.

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FREE New Year's Bookmark

Get your kids excited about the New Year and reading with a colorful New Year's bookmark. Plus, it's a freebie! If you decide to snag the bookmark file, please do share it with a friend by clicking the facebook link below.



CLICK HERE to download this free New Year's Bookmark.



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(commercial license to issue free items from Scrappindoodless - license listed in left margin)