HO! HO! Happy Holidays!

GREETINGS TO ALL!

Choral Reading with Poetry

Here's my latest creation: Eight Little Candles!

And it's free when you go to my teacher store. It's a little resource packed with two original poems, writing prompts, and a paper candle craft-ivity. Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or Diwali, your children will enjoy this resource. Bringing light to the world is a non-denominational concept.  And we can ALL use a little extra light in our world!

Thanks for checking it out!

Free Resource: Eight Little Candles

FUN-A-LOGICAL READING WITH A POEM

Phonological awareness activities can be fun when reading a poem together.

Here's one of the poems I use for choral reading in November:  Five Fat Turkeys* 

Kids just love to read this poem!  It is best suited for children in grades K-2.

There are several phonological activities you can do using this poem or any poem! After everyone's had fun clapping, do an art/craft activity, such as thumbprint turkeys, or a paper bag turkey puppet (see link and photo below). 

Activities:

• Choral Reading
• Practice rhyming
• Clap each word (Great phonological activity for word awareness)
• Delete and Substitute Words (Leave out words, or make up new ones)
• Rewrite and illustrate the poem as a class poem for a collaborative book
• Play with /ou/ words
• Play with long e words using "ee"
• Make thumbprint turkeys
• Make a puppet

This is a great turkey with directions you can download.

Please go to the following link:

http://www.piikeastreet.com/2010/11/turkey-paper-bag-puppet/

*(I do not know the author of this poem. If anyone does, please let me know!)

November-In Giving Thanks

There is so much to be thankful for! I want to show my thankfulness by doing something for our local food bank. It's not an easy time for so many families. We've all had some tough times, but I think it's actually harder now than ever for a family with young children to get by. Doing this little bit, I feel is the least I can do! 

This month I am donating 10% of my sales profits from my Teachers Pay Teachers store to our local food bank.  So, if you happen to be in the neighborhood (at TPT, that is...) please stop by. I am truly thankful for all the good things that have come my way...and not a one to be taken for granted!