For the Love of Pumpkins!

It's Amy from Teaching in Blue Jeans.  Fall is here and I don't know about you, but I have jumped on the Pumpkin Everything bandwagon.  Living in Texas, fall is, well - just hot!  A cold front means it drops into the 80's.  As for leaves changing colors - not here.  So I do what I can to make it feel like fall and adding some pumpkin spice helps a lot!

I love using pumpkins in my classroom too.  In fact, we learn about pumpkins, investigate with pumpkins, cook with pumpkins and even create with pumpkins for a couple of weeks!  Today I want to share with you a couple resources I created for the beginning of our pumpkin unit: an emergent science reader about pumpkins and the pumpkin life cycle and pumpkin vocabulary cards.

I love using real pictures as often as I can because I believe it helps my students build real-world connections to build their learning on.  I love cute clip-art too - don't get me wrong - but in areas like science I try to go for the real thing.  In our area, there are not very many students who have seen a pumpkin anywhere other than the grocery store so exposing them to the real thing helps a lot!

I begin my pumpkin unit using the emergent reader.  This book guides us through the life cycle of a pumpkin, different types of pumpkins and uses for pumpkins.  We use it in science but also connect it to reading as we find sight words we have learned as well as phonics skills.  Here's a peek inside the book:

I use this full-page, color version to project on the board for whole class instruction.  I also like to print it out and staple it together to put in our class library for future reading.  A printed out copy works great for small group instruction as well.

You also get a black and white version of the book that is formatted for 2 to a page so that you can make "little books" for the students.  I love sending these home with my students so they can practice reading to their family!

After introducing pumpkins, I pull out our Pumpkin Vocabulary Cards.  These are a great way for the students to visualize the key science vocabulary.  Here's a couple examples from the Vocabulary Card Set.

Now is the perfect time to add these resources to your pumpkin unit!  At only $1 each they are a total Teacher Deal!!!  Grab them while you can - they will be marked down until Saturday, October 24.  

Happy fall y'all!

Some Multi-Sensory Alphabet Fun!

Hey all - it's Amy from Teaching in Blue Jeans.  Today I am really excited to share a new resource that I recently created.  I had so many requests for this over the years and I finally got it done.   Introducing - Multi-Sensory Alphabet Practice Pages!

These pages are designed in a similar format as my Multi-Sensory Sight Word Practice pages which as a best seller in my TpT store.  Each alphabet page includes a section for read it, trace it, write it, rainbow write it, circle it, and find it.   Why do I love these pages so much?  By practicing writing and recognizing the letters using multiple senses, you are opening multiple pathways of learning to the brain! Multi-sensory activities are research based and recommended for helping all learners!  Want more - how about all the fine motor practice you get on one page - pencil, crayon, scissors and glue!  Additionally, all that is one one single page!  Can you say great for the copy count!  

I love his focus and engagement!  Working so hard on that letter D!

Trying to find those G's!  I intentionally use letters that are similar in appearance in the Circle It and Find It sections.   This helps students develop a true mastery of letter identification.

I introduce these pages to whole group so that I can model my expectations and correct any misunderstandings.  After a few pages together these go into an independent work station for the rest of the year.  No - I don't use the alphabet all year.  Once we go through the alphabet we start on our sight words.  This is an easy transition into the center because the pages are set-up in a very similar manner!  You can find all those resources by clicking on the picture below.

Not only do I hope that these pages help your students master their alphabet, but I hope they make your life a little easier by providing you with an easy to prep, consistent word work/phonics activity!

The Multi-Sensory Alphabet Pages will be $1 from today through Friday, September 25.  Grab at the discounted price while you can!

Down, Set, Hut!

Are you ready for some football?  Growing up and still living in Texas I love me some football!  Football in Texas is like basketball in Indiana or soccer (the other football) in Mexico and Europe.  Friday nights are meant for high school football, Saturdays for cheering on your favorite college team and Sunday afternoons is reserved for the NFL!  Oh yeah - who could forget the coveted game of the week on Monday Night Football!

Over the years I noticed that my students love football too!  They come in Mondays talking about their favorite teams and Friday chatter is all about the Unicorns!  Go Blue!  (Yes, we are the only school district with the Mighty Unicorn as our mascot!)  So I decided to tap into something they love and put together this . . .

If you know me, you know I am really into hands-on, multi-sensory learning activities.  Why?  Because research shows that this is how kids learn best - and that is the ultimate goal.

I am loving the versatility of this activity pack.  Here's some of the many ways you could use this set in your classroom.

This activity is just perfect for your Pre-K classroom as students are introduced to letters.  Matching multiples of the same letter helps your students learn the letter and be able to identify itfrom other letters.  Make this a multi-sensory activity by having them say the letter nameand sound as they move the cards.

This activity is targeted at your Pre-K and Kindergarten students.  It would even be greatfor older students who are struggling with letter identification.  Perfect word work center that can be done independently or in a small group.  You could even turn this into an  I have, Who Has game!

Another great activity for your Pre-K and Kinder kiddos!  Practice building names using thefootball players and footballs.  I absolutely love how the bonus visual effect you get for capital letters versus lowercase letters.

This activity is perfect for any age!!!  A great hands-on way to practice spelling words.My son is a kinesthetic learner and an activity like this helps him learn his words better than any written activity does.  This is a great way to differentiate for different learning styles.  This activity could be used to practice word wall words, word family words, spelling lists and so much more!  

I know that your students will love using these activities in your classroom too!  Grab it while you can for only $1!  On Tuesday, this activity pack goes back to its regular price of $3.

Eric Carle Inspired Classroom Decor

Hi, it's Amy from Teaching in Blue Jeans, and I am excited to share today's dollar steal with you!  If you are anything like me, you spend a lot of time, thought, and effort into deciding what I want your classroom to look and feel like.  For years, I spent countless hours researching, brainstorming, scouring the web for the "perfect" classroom theme.  Once I made a decision, I would spend countless more hours getting everything ready.  In the summer I'd have great ideas and plans for how to weave my theme in and out of everyday life in my classroom.  Some of it would happen and some wouldn't as the day to day requirements of school life took over.  By the end of the year I was usually disappointed in myself for not doing everything I wanted with the theme.  So the next summer I'd start the cycle again looking for a new theme.  Crazy - I know!  Hopefully, I'm not alone in that crazy cycle!

When I moved from 3rd grade down to kindergarten I decided that I wanted my "theme" to be less interactive and more decorative (freeing me of the some of the previous pressures I put on myself).  However, I still wanted it to be educational in nature.  I decided on decorating my classroom with all things Eric Carle.  I love Eric Carle's books and illustrations and thought they would be perfect for kindergarten.  So I spent my summer scouring the internet looking for ideas.  I found lots and lots of decorative ideas, but very few when it came to classroom needs. So instead of changing my theme, I went off in search for Eric Carle inspired clip art and decided to just make it myself!  I used a combination of the things I could find with the things I created.  The result for me was a colorful, happy, classroom that the students (and parents) loved!  Best part, I loved it too and have kept the theme for 3 years!!!  Think of all those summer hours I saved!

Today I'd like to give you a glimpse into my Eric Carle Inspired classroom.  Make sure to read all the way to the end because I have a special $1 deal for you!

Here's a glimpse from the door of my classroom. 

The back cabinet used to display Star Quality Work! 

Classroom library/reading area 

Front of the room where we do carpet time and calendar 

One of the side walls.  Library on the left, word wall in the middle, math shelf
with manipulatives, puzzles and centers on the right.

If you'd like to add a touch of Eric Carle to your classroom, this is the perfect time to get started.  For the next 3 days, my Eric Carle Inspired Alphabet Posters (what classroom doesn't need an alphabet) will be on sale for $1!!!  You can find this set in both English (regular print and D'Nealean) and Spanish and all will be on sale.  Just click on the picture below to grab yours today!  Make sure and check out all the other Eric Carle Inspired items that are there too!

I hope you enjoy today's deal as much as I have!