K is for Kindness (And Yes! Kindness Matters!)

Hello!  

January is on the downside slope and we're quickly approaching February.  But it's not too late to start the year with a readers theater that engages your students in starting up a kindness project.  This is an original, editable script that you can completely modify to the needs of your students. Most of us live in communities where there is a great need for compassion. This may spur some brand new ideas from your students.  

Since the script is editable, please use this in any which way it works for you! Whether they perform in front of an audience or just read aloud in class, I hope they enjoy this!

You'll find it here, in my TpT store:

Kindness Project ( A Readers Theater) 

As We Hurdle Toward 2024......

 Happy New Year! Peace and Goodwill to All!

I hope you have a year full of good health and all good things. To mark the end of 2023, I am throwing a sale in my store. Please check it out. 

You'll find  20% off everything in my store through the end of this month.  And don't forget all the freebies you can immediately download. 

In the meantime, make the most of every day, hug those you love, and be KIND to our fellow humans.

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

GROWING SMART READERS STORE

Free Baby Animals Accordion Pocket Books (Origami)

Check out these adorable little "pocket books"-- super easy to assemble.  But older children may have fun doing the folding with your guidance. 

Great exposure for the littlest ones: Toddlers will have fun with these after an adult has folded them into little books.

 Free Accordion Readers

November: A Month of Friendship and Kindness

 When it comes to November, here in the U.S, we think of Thanksgiving and a big feast with family and friends.

But November can simply be a month for focusing on gratitude, friendship and kindness.  In fact, November 13th is World Kindness Day! World Kindness Day (originally launched in Tokyo as a movement in 1997) has been celebrated throughout the world since 1998. 

Lately, the world has been in crisis, and the children are the ones most helpless and affected. Of course, there are myriad ways we can help--and you may already have your charities, all of which are good.

Personally, I am always wondering what's the best way to show my gratitude. I have gone from one charity organization to another, but this year, I'm focusing on Save the Children. And what better time to do it. November's World Kindness Day is a start. 

Let's begin by rejecting war, politics, racism, hunger, socio-economic disparities ...and welcome peace, diversity, kindness, and sharing by celebrating World Kindness Day on November 13th. Of course, we can wish it all the negative away, but we can take part in World Kindness Day (and all year long, too). Let's go beyond the turkey and the fixings...and find ways to help others who need help.

Save the Children & World Kindness Day 2023

Click here for Ways to Help and Participate. 

These links are from Save the Children website.

When it comes to teaching, I have looked for activities that help encourage kindness in one way or another.  Not all schools include it in their curricula. As a reading teacher, I created a resource that I have used as a supplement to a reading or social skills lesson. It's a short readers theater that focuses on helping others in need. No politics, no religion...just a script for a classroom and a teacher who wants to read about friendship and human kindness. Perhaps it will give your third/fourth graders some ideas for volunteering during the holiday season. This resource is editable, so you can modify and adapt the text to suit your classroom needs. But you will have a complete script ready to go if you choose not to alter it. 

If you are interested, you'll find it here:

Readers Theater About Kindness: The Kindness Project

Thank you for stopping by! 

November Freebies! Reading and Writing Resources for Students K-3

Teachers, Parents and Caregivers,
Check out these free resources from Growing Smart Readers. Turkey Tales and The Fall Nature Trail Book may motivate your hesitant writers.

The Big Fat Turkey is a spin off from a familiar poem.  I have researched the author of the original, but have not been able to find it. Some have turned it into a song. You might say it has become a bit of child folklore. I have added simple actions to the lines--just to make it fun to recite. However, you may want to change all of that to suit your students' needs. They may also enjoy the coloring page included.

Simply click on the link for each cover. You can download any and all free digital educational resources once you sign up at Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT). No fee to sign up! If you find these work well with your children, please leave a review. Your input helps a great deal!

Turkey Tales (Narrative & Opinion Writing)

Nature Trail Book

A Big, Fat Turkey Action Poem

Halloween Sale!  HALLOWEEN SALE!  halloween sale!

20% Off for a limited time only

Catch the sale before it disappears.... OOOOOHHH!

         

 

Visit us at Growing Smart Readers Resources

Thanks for dropping in!

                                                                                                           Pumpkin by

 Happy October Howlin'

October is flying right before my eyes. Have you made some paper bats with your kids yet? Well, even if you don't have any kids....it's so much fun to cover your walls and ceilings--and windows with these critters. Below is an easy bat-making activity that I think you'll enjoy. I know my kids loved making these. You honestly can't make too many. Just be sure to stock up on black construction paper before you start! 

Here's how to make a simple bat...

Don't forget that bats are one of THE best topics for getting students (or your child) to write. Kids come up with the most awesome and imaginative stories when it comes to anything to do with Halloween. 

BUT even if you are not into Halloween (and not everyone is!), and you just want your kids to have fun learning about bats and their habitat, making paper bats is a fantastic springboard for fact-finding and both fiction or nonfiction writing.

If bats are your thing.... and you want to get kids jazzed up about these flying mammals, check out my TpT store and see if these batty resources interest you.  Lots of freebees are in store as well.  Don't miss my sale this week!  

Happy Howlin' to y'all!   And have fun!  

Karen :) By the way, yes---Halloween is almost here....but it's not too late to have some batty fun.

BAT WRITING & CRAFT

HALLOWEEN SHAPES ( a fun paper craft)

And here's some more spooktacular writing stuff:

HALLOWEEN SPOOKY TALE STARTERS

 Wishing You a Happy & Healthy New Year!  

Let's aim for a year of Compassion, Kindness, Good Health, and Extra Fun thrown in!  We all deserve it.

I have not posted in SO long, but I hope I haven't lost you all yet in the shuffle of life.  It does feel like a lifetime. The pandemic has changed the lens of how I view teaching, how I view myself as an educator, and how I empathize with my students and their inner and outer struggles. Since the beginning of 2020, my focus has changed (and still is changing) on how I spend my time with my family, and how I make the most of each day.  I must remind myself not to take each day for granted.

But here we are. And here you are. Stay healthy and make the most of each day with whomever you're with and wherever you are. 

Thank you for stopping by.
Karen

It's Spring! Baby Animals Accordion Books

It's another snowy day here today! We're expecting over 8 inches of snow. Where's Spring?!

But in the spirit of what is supposed to be springtime, I'm posting this freebie that you might be interested in if you have young readers who love animals.  The following is found in my store, but it is free! Just hop over to Growing Smart Readers and log in, or if you haven't already, create an account at TeachersPayTeachers. It's easy!

By the way, if you haven't discovered this marketplace for teachers yet, you will be surprised to see thousands of freebies. Even many thousands more priced resources are fun just to browse. If you teach on a shoestring as I do, you will enjoy grabbing some resources to fit the needs of your kids.

AND.... if you love the simplicity of an accordion book (at Makingbooks.com), you will enjoy my four little books--for free. (Options include one page informational text as well--just in case you're not interested in folding.) The cute animal graphics allow for coloring, too!

Click Here:  4 Baby Animals Accordion Books with Informational Text

TERMS: Please do not share on the internet. I'd appreciate it if you only offer the link to my store. This represents a lot of my time and I think you'll agree that people should go to my store link, rather than instantly download it from the internet. Thank you very much for your consideration and for observing copyright law.

Greetings!

It is a winter wonderland outside my window now, with blustery winds and blowing snow. Despite the weather, it's hard to believe another busy holiday season has arrived. I have to say that I did a lot of grumbling this morning as I teeter-tottered across my icy driveway.

It's been awhile since I've posted anything, so I thought I'd tell you a little about my new readers theater (I know...is it readers' theater or without the apostrophe? Nobody can agree.)  

This script is just right for intermediate and upper elementary kids. Briefly, it's a short story about a girl who seems ungrateful about her life, but finds new meaning in what it is to be kind. This file has a bonus editable version so that you can edit any part of the script, change any characters, and adapt it to your students' needs.

Readers theaters are such an effective tool, an interactive reading activity that gets your kids practicing fluency without realizing they are working and learning.

If you are interested, check this out in my store at Teachers Pay Teachers. I appreciate your interest, even if you are just checking it out! 

Readers Theater: The Kindness Project (Editable and PDF)

Back to winter....I know that having snow and cold is hardly anything that I should complain about with all the suffering and misfortune others are having in other parts of the country--with fires, tornadoes and hurricanes. So, I am truly grateful for my home and family. I sincerely hope that this post finds you well and in good health, and that you find kindness, peace and comfort in each day. 

Ice Cream & Popsicles Writing & Craftivity

Hello!

Are you looking for a fun way to motivate your kids to write? This set includes 2 craftivities along with paragraph writing organizers with ice cream and popsicle graphics.  These frosty pals may help your reluctant writers get going! Watch your writers grow!

Check out the link at my store: Ice Cream & Popsicles Writing and Craft    Click the next image below for free paper.

Here's a preview of the organizers.

Free popsicle writing paper!

Click on the image below, and right click to "save image as" and instantly download to print.

Due to copyright, under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, do not share this on the internet in a blog or website. This post is for you only~ but you may direct others to this blog. Thanks for your understanding!

Get Ready for Summer!

Are your students getting itchy?

          Your kids will have fun writing the room and using words related to the beach. Keep their summer vacation anxiety under control by having a few fun beach-themed activities! This resource is great for summer school, too! Parents, this is a fun set for home as well. Tape up the vocabulary words around the house, and have your child (or children!) record their findings on their recording sheet. Your family will have a blast playing "I Have, Who Has" with the same words that are used for the Write the Room activity. Answer sheets and coloring pages are included.  If interested, check this out at: 

BEACH FUN at TeachersPayTeachers

Here are some sample pages!

Thanks for stopping by!

Take your kids out to collect bugs!

Hello!

      Winter's been slow to arrive here in northern New England. So I hope this post finds you much warmer than I am right now. I awoke this morning to more snow on the ground. Ugh! I actually love snow...it's just that after five months, it's lost it's novelty.

Just to break the "ice" here, I have a freebie for you that you might enjoy when you have the chance to get your gang outdoors. My kids have always loved to check out the bugs and other critters outside--in the grass, by the brook, or near a pond... A mini field trip gives your gang some real fresh air, too.

This freebie will be a great start for your curious entomologists to discover and collect some insects or spiders. Whether 6 legged, or 8 legged, it's exciting to observe these creatures.

Grab a magnifying lens, a little box, a jar or a paper cup with a lid...you're good to go. (It would be even better if each child had a lens and a container.) Your kids could buddy up, too. The most important thing is to have fun exploring and observing...So, get this little freebie after you've caught your "catch"; then study, write and draw...and let your live critter go! Remember: Catch and release!

Here's the freebie...Just click on the link. It's easy to download. Just go to my store and here you go!  Happy Spring! ~ Karen

Copyright 2018 Growing Smart Readers

Bugs and Critters...Be an Entomologist!

Thanks for your interest!  As always, your interest and business are VERY MUCH appreciated. Please leave feedback to let me know how this worked out. Consider following me at my store, too. You'll get updates and flash freebies. If you follow me at Teachers Pay Teachers, you'll get an occasional note in your TpT inbox that goes to all my followers. Often, I will include a free resource that is normally priced in my store...and only available to followers! One more thing,  I usually have a sale each month!

Click here to follow my store and get the latest updates!


Font artist credit for graphics in this post:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Khrys-Greco

Earth Day 2018, Green Up Day Freebie

FREE EARTH DAY CERTIFICATE

Hello!
    Earth Day is almost upon us! Every year, it falls on April 22nd. But every day should be Earth Day-- do you agree? But at least we can really focus on doing what's right for the environment on the calendar's Earth Day! This is a certificate for recognizing students for being stewards of the earth!

We are all "care-takers" of the earth, and have ownership in keeping our environment clean and green! Think of some activities you can do with your kids to demonstrate that ownership. An afternoon of cleaning up a playground, or helping the custodian with recycling paper....the ideas are of course, endless! Reward them with a certificate or a special ceremony! Be sure to recognize your deserving students after completing a unit or helping in the community to green up, clean up, recycle, reuse, or reduce! 

If you like the FREE EARTH DAY CERTIFICATE, you might like this: Earth Day We Are the World-A Literacy Mini Unit

Thanks for your interest!  As always, your interest and business are VERY MUCH appreciated. Please leave feedback to let me know how this worked out. Consider following me at my store, too. You'll get updates and flash freebies. If you follow me at Teachers Pay Teachers, you'll get an occasional note in your TpT inbox that goes to all my followers. Often, I will include a free resource that is normally priced in my store...and only available to followers! One more thing,  I usually have a sale each month!

Click here to follow my store and get the latest updates!

Thanks a lot for checking this out! Wishing you a Happy Earth Day every day! ~Karen

ELA Summer Tutoring Materials

Hello!

       Are you already thinking about your summer program? Do you need a bundle for your multi-level classes? This would help you get started, and it may be all you need. Many of the resources are geared to the summer theme. You'll find a variety of language activities, including a progress monitoring resource so your kids can track their reading fluency. This bundle has resources that can be differentiated according to your students' needs. Mix up the learning with some fun. Check it out by clicking on the link below. Thanks for stopping by! 

Have a lovely day, no matter where you are! ~Karen

SUPER SUMMER LITERACY BUNDLE

Hello Spring! Goodbye Winter!

Hello Educators and Parents,

Here's hopping ...I mean "hoping" :) ...you have a wonderful spring coming your way! Or, maybe you already have spring.  For us in the north, it's just around the corner even though the calendar says it is spring. The snow just sticks to us a little longer where we are! Our last snowstorm left us with a whole winter's worth of snow!

I am posting a fun resource that your kids might enjoy. Add it to a literacy center or send home a few pages for them to play with parents at home. This can be a generic game. Use your own word cards, math cards, or the ones included in this file in my store. Black and white pages and lots of cards are available in the complete resource. 

Try out these free sample pages below--- you should be able to download and print. Then, if you're interested check out the game at TpT.

Click to instantly follow Growing Smart Readers at TpT

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Please do not publicly share this in digital form. Send a link to this blog if you wish to share.

Copyright 2018 Growing Smart Readers

For more boards and flash cards...go to:

Fun Spring and Easter Board Games for Kids! Print and Go!





You might also like this!

EASTER SPRING BUNDLE

Copyright 2018 Growing Smart Readers

Baby Animals Accordion Pocket Books

My reading group enjoyed reading these interactive and engaging booklets. Especially appealing to students who are struggling in reading, these little nonfiction booklets may help them feel successful. Kids who struggle in reading feel less stress when they see text on a single page or a mini book. They like to fold their own pages and see how a single page transforms into an accordion book! 

Content specific words are in bold text. Teachers and parents may want to preview the words in bold text prior to reading. Another idea is to create flash cards of the bold text. (I may be adding this to the packet soon!) 

On another note, these little books would be suitable for reading stations or centers during the school year, and for summer tutoring, too. 

If you are interested in this product, please check it out at my TpT store:

GROWING SMART READERS AT TEACHERS PAY TEACHERS

This resource is fun to read as little folded books. 

Easy directions for folding the papers into accordion booklets are included.

I've included the same text in the format of a single page for each animal book. This one is for baby seals. The paragraphs are numbered for reading in sequence.

THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY!

FUN with Tongue Twisters, Alliteration, Fluency and Silly Nonsense Words!

Hello Friends,

This is one of my newest single products I have just posted in my store! I'm really excited about this because it is the third tongue twister product that I have now. It was added to create a bundle of tongue twisters that are tempting enough to tangle the tongue of your terrific second and third graders.

Take a moment to check out these sample pages. I had a blast coming up with nonsense words like tippytots and blabblerblast. These silly nonsense words are just right for giving your students practice with phonemic skills and syllabication. 

The plus with this type of resource is that it works for kids who need to practice reading AND speech. My other two tongue twister resources usually get positive feedback from SPL therapists.  This is brand new, so I am hoping to see some feedback soon on this one.

I'll admit, this one is the most challenging. I recommend this for grades 2-4 because it really can get their tongue in a twist! Click on the link below to find this is my store! 

Thanks so much for checking this out. Please stop by my blog again soon!

TONGUE TWISTERS-TRICKY TONGUE TICKLERS

Why play with cards during reading class?

With the holidays around the corner, getting sixteen 4th and 5th graders to get along without arguing and being cranky was growing more and more difficult. The days have been getting colder and darker earlier, and it seemed like they were just plain irritable with each other. (Can I blame it on the change of the seasons?) I needed to come up with some ideas to get them back on track. 

I figured what better way to build relationships and social skills than actually building a house of cards--or any structure. So we started with a circle discussion about what it means to be a team, a team player, and collaborate.  I tried to drive home the idea of working as a team...a simple concept. Several examples were discussed, but the one that we were able to relate to the most was the game of basketball. They all agreed that a game cannot be won with just one player scoring. Everyone on the team had a role...no one was more important than the other. Then, it was easy for them to bring up other examples of games and instances in which being a team made the game.

I split up 2 decks of cards and divided the kids into 4 groups. I told them to build a structure...any structure. It could be a house, a bridge, a tower, anything that you and your team wanted to create together. No one person could do all the work. They had to decide among themselves what to build, and how to build it. They could further their quest with whether they wanted their structure to be sturdy enough to hold up a book or other object. 

It was the simplest, and most open-ended task...and yet, they created a set of norms on their own. In the beginning, all I cared about at the time, was just seeing them work together without quibbling and one trying to out-do the other. Well, they figured it out...and sooner than I expected...that they HAD to work together, to communicate clearly with each other, and to value each other's suggestions and ideas. 

I was amazed at their questions, their conversations, and the respect they had for each other. No one talked over the other; no one tried to be "in charge" (and if they did, they did not show it). Even some of my more seasoned students who tend to jump up and quit, did not do so! When 20 minutes was up, each group stood up and walked around the room to view the other structures. This was a 3-minute walk. When we returned to our circle, I was thrilled to hear a sophisticated discussion about arches, trusses (well, I helped them with that word to go with their descriptions), and ways to shape the cards so that they would be stronger. One student said, "I noticed that Trey's group made a strong structure with the least amount of cards--compared to everyone else."  His group had figured out how to make strong pillars out of the cards. More discussion continued until every group shared. 

This is not a stem activity...or is it? If it is, I'd like to come up with an acronym that would include collaboration. This was a simple activity with a goal in mind, an old-fashioned one from many decades ago, (more like hundreds of years, really) and yet, the rich language, vocabulary, the sharing of ideas, active problem solving, and collaboration were all happening at the same time! I would say it was one of the most rewarding teaching moments I had experienced in a very long time. 

By the way, I'm a reading interventionist. Did I mention that this was our literacy block? So, we did not carve out a lot of scientific knowledge out of this....and yet, they walked away with a little of that anyway....and a lot of teamwork.  Now, maybe we can communicate a little better. 

So why play cards during reading class? Our speaking and listening skills shape our reading and writing skills. This is just one activity that requires communication and collaboration. I think we're going to do more of this. I haven't figured out what yet...I'll be checking out some old fashioned, simple stem-like activities that require communication, collaboration and teamwork. Maybe those are all synonyms.....Hmmm. 

Can they tell you what teamwork really looks like now? Definitely. Will they transfer some of this into their other work...um...like reading and writing...or on the playground? I hope so.