Sizzling with Free Summer Reading Resources and Activities

Here in Tallahassee school ends on May 31st. I've put together some great ideas and free resources to help stop the "Summer Slide" for your kids and their parents. We all know how important it is to keep our kids reading and writing all summer long so I have put together a few for you to check out.

At the local level parents should check out their library for their summer reading programs for elementary students. I know I always signed my kids up each summer. Usually there is a theme and books related to the theme as well as fun activities each week.

Scholastic has a wonderful  on line reading program with printables that you can check out and register for by clicking on the picture below.

You might also want to check out Reading Rockets which has a wonderful list of activities and websites with free reading and writing activities as well as great tips and ideas for parents about other summer activities to do with your kids. You can check it out by clicking on the picture below.

I found several Free Summer Reading Programs listed that you can access for different reading levels which you can check out by clicking on the image below.

 Education.com has a 10 week fun program to help kids beat the summer slide. There are lots of fun literacy activities for each of the 10 weeks and all you have to do is register. It's free. To find out more you can click on the picture below.

I just revised my Hooray for Summer Literacy Activities for Grade 1-2 that you may want to check out.

There are 8 different literacy activities to include a Summer Word Sort, Summer Noun Sort, Summer Word Syllable Sort, Summer Compound Word Match and Writing Activity, Making and Writing Sentences about Summer and a few more fun activities. When you download the Preview you will get this free activity.

I have lots of educational Pinterest boards for you to check out by clicking HERE. Hope you will follow me on Pinterest. 

Here is my most popular one you might want to follow.

You may also want to check out some of my other blog posts about summer for some great free activities and resources. Just click HERE.

Thanks for making a difference for all the students in your classroom this last year. I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing summer vacation and take some time for yourself.

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Mother's Day: Free Poems, Craft Ideas, and more for Pre-K through 1st Grade

Can't believe that it's time to be thinking about Mother's Day already! For the Pre-School and K-1 classrooms making crafts and having a Mother's Day luncheon or tea are always popular activities. 

I found some great craft ideas and poems that would be wonderful for those who teach Pre-K and K-1 that I'd like to share with you, too. I got lots of comments about the Tulip Craft that I though I would share again. All the instructions and free tulip templates are included. Just click on the picture below to find out how to make it.

I also found some great earth friendly recycled  Mother's Day crafts which you also might be interested it. Just click on the picture below to check these out.

How about a cute foldable card for your students to make? This one I found at DLTK. Just click below for directions. You can also link to lots of other free activities for Mother's Day.

If you are looking for free poems I have found some at Apples4theTeacher- there are quite a few to choose from.

If you are looking for a Shared Reading Book, Guided Reading Books, and Writing Activities for K-1, you might want to check-out my "Mom's Are Special People" Packet. You can click on the picture below to download the Preview file to see the new revised Preview file and get 2 free activities.

Last but not least is a special free Mother's Day poem that I wrote. If you are planning a Mother's Day Luncheon or Special Class Celebration, this would be a great poem for your students to learn and present during your special celebration. You can also include it in a Mother's Day card.  Just click on the poem below to get your free copy.

If you are looking for some wonderful free resources and activities for Grades 2-3 please click HERE.

It has been fun bringing you all these great free resources and hope that you have found some great activities to use in your classrooms. I hope you will check-out all my all my Pinterest Boards by clicking HERE and follow me.

Thanks for all you do to make a difference for your students.

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 What kinds of Mother's Day Celebrations do you have in your classroom?

Leaping with Frog and Toad ELA Free Activities

A few years ago my granddaughter and I found a frog in my back yard. She really wanted to catch it and she finally did. She was so excited and looked so intently at it as you can see in the picture below. Of course we let it go, but she always asks if we can look for more frogs when spring rolls around. Children are fascinated with them.

I wrote an "Ode to a Frog" a few years ago and have revised it. Most of you who read my blog know that I love writing poetry and I love making freebies for my followers and viewers. If you would like to download this free poem and writing activity just click on the image below.

 If you are looking for more Spring Poetry Activities you can check-out my Spring Poetry Packet by clicking on the image below.

When I worked with my ESL and Struggling Readers I also started my units with a Shared Reading. Many times I would read a Non-fiction Book and a Fiction book and then have them compare and contrast the 2 books. Most classrooms have the Arnold Lobel, Frog and Toad books like the one below. Although they are fictional characters, there are some things about each that can be true. So why not read a Non-Fiction book like "Frog and Toad" by Melissa Stewart and have your students compare and contrast fictional frogs and toads with real frogs and toads. You can find each book by clicking on the images below.

You may also like my "Frogs and Toads" Packet which you can check-out by clicking on the image below. Just download the Preview file to see sample pages of all the reading, writing, and other activities in this unit.

I would love to have you follow me on Pinterest. You can check out all my educational boards by clicking HERE. 

Thanks for all you do to make a difference for your students.

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Buzzing with Bees! Free Resources and Activities

Now that it's spring it won't be long for those busy bees to be buzzing around. Without honeybees we wouldn't be able to enjoy many of the wonderful fruits we love to eat. Did you know that the wax that bees make is used to make lipsticks, candles, and even medicine? I have put together some great resources about honeybees for you to check out starting with some great Read Aloud books about bees. You can check them out by clicking on the picture below.

Your students may want to read more about Honeybees at National Geographic for Kids. Just click on the picture below to learn interesting facts and photos about Honeybees.

Here is a great website called "Everything about" where you can access lots of information about Honeybees. Just click on the picture below.

Here is another great website where you can find lots of interesting facts and links to several websites. You can check it out by clicking on the picture below.

Last year I uploaded my unit called "Busy Bees" and have finally revised and updated it to include lots more reading and writing activities. Students will not only learn about honeybees and the jobs they do but also about Beekeepers, read fact cards, sort the different jobs that the Queen, drones, and worker bees do and write an insect report. You can check it out by clicking on the picture below and read the complete description and see sample pages of all the materials and activities by downloading the Preview file. 

Hope you will check out my Pinterest Boards and follow. Just click HERE. If you home school your children I have added this one below. I also have one just for Spring.

Hope spring is around the corner and watch out for those Busy Bees! Thanks for all you do to make a difference for your students.

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