Blog - Rhody Girl Resources

Thanksgiving Math Activities

I love a good theme. Anytime I can integrate what we are learning in science or social studies into other subject areas, I’m in! Thanksgiving math activities are a great way to do this.

Thanksgiving math activities can be completed using printable activities or digital Google Slides™.

Digital Thanksgiving Math Activities

Kindergarten Digital Math

Help your students practice kindergarten math standards with the following Kindergarten math activities:

Plus With Pies– Students will add the 2 numbers on the pie slices and drag the whole pie to show the sum
Turkey Tallies– Students will practice counting tallies to 20
Pilgrim Place Value– Students count base ten blocks and type the number as a whole and in expanded form for numbers to 20
Mayflower Missing Numbers– Students look at the number line and type the missing numbers for numbers to 20
Cornucopia Count On– Students will identify the number between 0-25 and then type the next three numbers
Feather Facts– Students will say the number and then count on to add using the turkey feathers

First Grade Digital Math

Help your students practice first grade math standards with the following 1st Grade math activities:

Plus With Pies– Students will add the 3 numbers on the pie slices and drag the whole pie to show the sum
Turkey Tallies– Students will practice counting by 5’s to 100 using tallies
Pilgrim Place Value– Students count base ten blocks and type the number as a whole and in expanded form
Mayflower Missing Numbers– Students look at the number line and type the missing numbers
Cornucopia Count On– Students will identify the number between 0-120 and then type the next three numbers
Thanksgiving Missing Addend– Students will drag the pilgrim hat to fill in the missing addend and complete the equation

Printable Thanksgiving Math Activities

Math stations are one of my favorite parts of the day. These 5 printable Thanksgiving math activities can be used during math stations, fast finishers, or thematic practice. Simply print, copy the recording sheets, and you are ready to go!

Grab the freebie below to give a digital Thanksgiving math activity a try!

Veterans Day Math Activities

Each year I look for ways to integrate subject areas. Veterans Day Math Activities are an easy way to do this.

Each of these activities uses themed clip art to practice kindergarten and first-grade math standards. Veterans Day math activities can be used as a math station, a follow-up activity, or easily assigned in Google Classroom. Additionally, they are available in both print and digital formats.

Digital Veterans Day Math Activities

Digital activities are great because they can be used in the classroom or at home during remote learning. Moreover, they help integrate technology and are easy to assign in Google Classroom.

Kindergarten Math Activities

Help your students practice kindergarten math standards with the following activities:

Poppy Place Value– Students will count the Base Ten blocks (11-20) and type the whole number and expanded form
Navy Number Lines– Students will use the number lines to practice 1 more/1 less
Coast Guard Counting– Students will identify the number between 0-20 and then type the next three numbers
Soldier Subtraction– Students will solve subtraction equations within 10
Army Addition– Students will look at dice and work to add 2 numbers
We Love Veterans! Comparing Numbers– Students will compare 2 numbers 0-20 using <, >, or =

First Grade Math Activities

Help your students practice first grade math standards with the following activities:

Poppy Place Value– Students will count the Base Ten blocks and type the whole number and expanded form
Navy Number Lines– Students will use the number lines to practice 10 more/10 less
Coast Guard Counting– Students will identify the number between 0-120 and then type the next three numbers
Soldier Subtraction– Students will solve subtraction equations within 20
Army Addition– Students will look at dice and work to add 3 numbers
We Love Veterans! Comparing Numbers– Students will compare 2 numbers 0-100 using <, >, or =

Printable Veterans Day Math Activities

Don’t have enough technology? Wanting paper-pencil math stations? Look no further! These 5 Veterans Day math activities are available in color and black and white. They focus on first-grade math standards and make a great addition to math centers or guided math.

How do you integrate subject areas within your classroom? Grab Camo Counting and get started today!

Classroom Games for Kids

Whether you’re in the classroom or learning virtually, teaching the standards in engaging ways is a common goal. Classroom games for kids are a great way to accomplish this.

Games make learning fun! In fact, oftentimes students don’t even realize they are learning or practicing skills when they are playing a game. The following games would work perfectly as both in classroom games or distance learning games.

Classroom Games for Kids: Hide & Seek

Hide and Seek can be played in a pocket chart or digitally. These classroom games for kids come preprogrammed with math and literacy skills. Students identify, read, and solve when playing Hide and Seek.

Hide & Seek (Pocket Chart)

In a pocket chart, simply print the cards, place them in the pocket chart, and hide the secret picture behind one to three of the cards. Call on a student to come up and complete the task before looking behind the card to see if they found the hidden picture. Hide one picture to make the game pass more quickly or three pictures to lengthen and allow more students a chance to play. These games works whole class, in small groups, and as a literacy station.

Hide & Seek (Digital)

Digitally, you can share your screen and use this as a distance learning game for Zoom or display it on your classroom interactive whiteboard. With the digital version, the cards magically disappear when clicked to reveal a blank space or a hidden image. Even better, both sets include editable cards to meet all of your needs.

Classroom Games for Kids: Sight Word Games

Sight words are another important component of reading instruction in many early childhood classrooms. Repeated exposure and practice help students to recognize and learn these sight words. These sight words games are a great way to provide this opportunity.

Played like Hangman, Build a House, Build a Monster, Donut Words, and Food Builder make great classroom games for kids. Just like Hide & Seek, these sight words games can be distance learning games or in classroom games. Depending on the students’ level, slides have pre-primer or primer words on them for support. If no support is needed there are also blank slides. As students guess letters the pen tool is used to write on the screen. If the letter guessed is not in the word part of the image will appear. The object of the sight word games is to guess the word before the whole picture is revealed.

Classroom Games for Kids: I Spy

Take I Spy, a fun childhood game and add an educational twist with I Spy Games for Distance Learning or the Classroom. Print out the I Spy slides to serve as mats. Cover the pictures with manipulatives or laminate and circle with dry erase marker. To save paper or use as a virtual learning game display the slides to play.

Use I Spy to practice colors, letters and sounds, blends, digraphs, and more!

Classroom Games for Kids: Movement Games

Movement activities for kindergarten make great classroom games for kids. Kids always need to move and get their wiggles out but this year it is essential. Students may also need to work with the same partner/stable pod which in classroom games allow for. Each gameboard or spinner has different movements mixed in. If a movement is spun or landed on the players count and move and then continue to play.

What classroom games for kids are your favorites to use?

Movement Activities for Kindergarten

Movement activities for kindergarten are an important part of a school day. Each year the demands upon students and teachers seem to grow. In addition, PE and recess show a steady decrease. Students are still expected to sit still and be quiet in many classes. Except many young children are not capable of sitting still for extended periods of time. We’ve all been teaching while the student in the back row is rolling over with their feet in the air. Adding physical activity within or between lessons can benefit everyone in the classroom.

Benefits of Movement Activities for Kindergarten

Integrating movement during learning has many benefits. Balance, motor function, brain function, and cognition all benefit from movement. Movement activities also increase blood flow. Increased blood flow helps students be less fidgety. It also helps students focus and retain what they learn.

What’s Stopping Teachers?

If movement has so many benefits, why is it not used more? Time and mindset are the big culprits. Teachers are under pressure to teach the standards and to meet expectations/test scores. Many feel like they already have little time to plan. During this time, they must plan and prep content, pushing movement activities aside. Others believe they are not PE teachers and therefore integrating movement activities isn’t their specialty. Similarly, some may not enjoy exercise or think they are not athletes, so why bother? Finally, is the concern that movement activities for kindergarten will make the kids crazy and wild. All of these reasons are justifiable, but in the end, everyone may suffer.

Fun Movement Activities for Kindergarten

Movement activities for kindergarten are great because they can occur between lessons, during transitions, and even be part of a lesson! They can be simply for fun or used to enhance learning.

Fast Finds

These digital slides are a great movement activity for kindergarten. Fast Finds are played like a scavenger hunt. Give any clue or category, and then send them off to find something that fits the rule. Even better, they allow you to integrate movement and learning. Search for an adjective, amount, color, and more while moving around the classroom or home.

Brain Breaks

Brain Breaks are structured mental breaks. They allow students to pause from learning. Brain breaks can be mindfulness activities (breathing), sensory activities, or movement activities. The following are some movement activities for kindergarten I love to use.

GoNoodle
Stand Up/Sit Down
4 Corners
Cosmic Kids Yoga

Movement Hide & Seek

Play Movement Hide & Seek in the classroom or during distance learning. Move and have fun while practicing math skills. First, a student says the number/amount or solves the problem on the cards. Next, everyone completes that amount of the pictured exercise. Finally, click the card to see if they have found the hidden image.

Movement Games

Movement Games for Kindergarten are one of my student’s favorite activities! Each game focus on specific math and literacy skills such as letters, sound, and number ID. You only need a gameboard and spinner to play, and they can be played individually or in a group. Spin the spinner and move to that space or if you spin an exercise, get up and move while practicing counting!

Move & Spell/Read

In Move & Spell, students will complete an exercise as they spell sight words. While in Move & Read, students will body tap as they sound out and blend to read CVC words. These are both great ways to integrate movement within phonics lessons. Move & Spell and Move & Read are both Google Slides activities, which means they work anywhere with access to a computer/tablet and the internet.

How do you integrate movement in your classroom?

Google Classroom for Kindergarten: Must-Have Activities

Google Classroom for kindergarten may seem overwhelming and intimidating. Previously, I myself thought it would be too difficult for my kindergarten students to use. With the push of distance learning, I gave it a try, and I was surprised by the features it offers and its ease of use.

If you’re wanting to try Google Classroom but not sure where to start I can help. To begin, you can learn more about Google Classroom and how to set it up by reading my post “Using Google Classroom in Kindergarten: Getting Started.”

Why Use Google Classroom for Kindergarten?

Google Classroom in kindergarten has many benefits.

Google Classroom is free with any Google account
It works on a variety of devices (Chromebooks, Desktops, Laptops, Tablets)
Google Classroom can be used in the classroom, at home, and for distance learning
Students can use Google Classroom for morning work, centers, homework, or as fast finishers
Using Google Classroom integrates technology into learning
Google autosaves eliminating lost work
Students are engaged when using Google Classroom
Teachers and students can collaborate through Google Classroom
When using Google Classroom you no longer have to copy, collect, and return papers
Going digital saves paper and copies
Google Classroom decreases prep time
Differentiation is possible and easy with Google Classroom
You can schedule and save posts and assignments on Google Classroom

Google Classroom activities work for all subject and content areas. For the most part, I love to use them as centers or to follow up and practice a skill/concept we have learned in kindergarten. The following are a few of the activities I love to use with my students to support literacy and math instruction.

Must-Have Google Classroom for Kindergarten Literacy Activities

Literacy instruction in kindergarten is comprised of skills falling under the categories Reading: Literature, Reading: Informational Text, and Reading: Foundational Skills. To support literacy instruction sight words, phonemic awareness, and phonics can all be practiced through Google Classroom assignments.

Sight Words

Sight words are a large component of kindergarten reading and writing instruction. In general, sight words require practice and exposure to help students master, learn, and apply them. Crack the code activities are great because they practice sight words but also review beginning sounds and letters. There are two versions included in each of my Google Slide sight words activities. The first version allows students to drag the letters to match each picture, building a sight word. In the second version, students type the letters, which also practices keyboarding skills. These activities are available for pre-primer, primer, and first-grade sight words.

Phonological Awareness

Phonological awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate sounds. For example, skills such a rhyming, syllables, counting the number of words in a sentence, and isolating sounds are all phonological awareness skills. In this case, students look at two pictures and decide if they rhyme using Google Slides.

Phonics

Phonics is a major component in teaching children to read. In general, Google Slides makes it easy to drag/manipulate letters or type. Using Google Slides you can practice the alphabet, CVC words, blends, digraphs, and more!

Grammar

Grammar is another literacy component that can be practiced using Google Slides. This set includes 3 different activities focusing on nouns and verbs. First, students look at an image. Then they drag a check mark to identify the image as a person, place, or thing. Next, students can sort 3 images by person, place, or thing. Finally, students look at an image and determine if it shows a noun or verb.

Must-Have Google Classroom for Kindergarten Math Activities

Kindergarten Math concepts fall into 5 categories: Counting & Cardinality, Operations & Algebraic Thinking, Numbers & Operations in Base Ten, Measurement & Data, and Geometry. Many of these concepts require concrete and hands-on practice. During distance learning and other circumstances, students may not have manipulatives available to them. Google Slides activities provide the opportunity to move and manipulate shapes, counters, etc. using a mouse or their finger. As a result, Google Slides provides hands-on exposure and helps increase engagement.

Counting & Cardinality

Counting & Cardinality is used daily, making it an essential skill. In general, Counting and Cardinality activities focus on numbers and counting. The following Google Slides activities allow students to practice counting and cardinality skills including number order and counting groups to tell how many.

Operations & Algebraic Thinking

In kindergarten, Operations & Algebraic Thinking focuses on addition and subtraction. Using different representations such as tallies, fingers, dice, and ten frames students can practice putting things together to add and build fluency.

Numbers & Operations in Base Ten

For Numbers & Operations in Base Ten students work to compose and decompose numbers 11-19 into tens and ones. Using Google Slides you can expose students to expanded form, number bonds, and base ten blocks.

Measurement & Data

For measurement and data students work to collect data, graph, and compare measurable attributes such as heavier, lighter, longer, shorter. There are many ways to practice these concepts with the use of Google Slides. Google Slides activities provide the opportunity to build a graph, analyze data on a graph, use images to practice nonstandard measurement, and look at images to compare their size, length, and height.

Geometry

Within Geometry, kindergarten students work on identifying and naming 2D and 3D shapes. They also use 2D shapes to compose other shapes. If you don’t have enough shape blocks or access to shapes, digital shapes can help! Students can drag and turn shapes, using them to make new shapes with Google Slides.

Do you use Google Classroom with your students? Grab the freebie below to give it a try or add to your collection!

Using Google Classroom in Kindergarten: Getting Started

Before the shift to distance learning, I knew very little about using Google Classroom in kindergarten. At the time, I was unaware of many early childhood teachers using Google Classroom. I had heard many positive things to say about Google Classroom but for some reason, I thought using Google Classroom in kindergarten would be too hard. When schools closed it forced me to try new things in order to communicate, interact, and assign work. I quickly learned that using Google Classroom in kindergarten was the solution to these needs.

How do I set-up Google Classroom?

To set up Google Classroom all you need is a Google/Gmail account. Gmail accounts are free to create, which means Google Classroom is free too! Once you have a personal Google account (perfect for parents or homeschool), school account, or G-Suite account you have access and can set-up a Google Classroom.

On Google’s main webpage you will see the 9 squares or the “waffle” in the top right-hand corner. Click the waffle which contains Google Apps and scroll down until you see Classroom.

How do I create a class when using Google Classroom for kindergarten?

In the top right corner, you will see a plus sign. Click the plus sign and choose “Create Class.” Next, you have the ability to name your class and add additional information such as Section, Room, or Subject. If you want to create more than one class repeat the same process for each one. In each class you will see a menu across the top with 4 main tabs: Stream, Classwork, People, and Grades.

Stream

Stream is the main hub of your classroom. In a sense, it is like a feed on social media updating with each assignment or post and allowing you to communicate with your students. On the Stream, click “Select Theme” and you can change the theme using the provided ones or by uploading an image to personalize your Google Classroom. You can also post an announcement, question, or image on your Stream too.

Classwork

Classwork is one of the most used tabs when using Google Classroom for kindergarten. This tab allows you to post assignments, questions, quizzes, and course materials. In the Classwork Tab, click the “Create” button and select what you would like to add and assign.

In kindergarten, I primarily create an assignment. When you choose “Assignment” you can add activities from Google Drive or from your computer. A link or video can also be added when creating assignments!

You can use Google Slides, Docs, or Forms to create your own activities to store in the drive or purchase pre-made activities such as the one shown below to support literacy, math, and more.

Within Classwork, you have the ability to assign it to all students or specific students. You can also set it to make a copy for each student so they are not editing the original. Finally, you can schedule the assignment so that it does not post immediately and add a due date if you would like.

People

The People tab is where you can add or remove both teachers or students from your Google Classroom. Students can be added in two ways. First students can go to classroom.google.com, click the plus sign, and choose “Join Class.” You will need to provide them with the class code to enter at this point. The class code can be found in the header on the Stream tab, under the Students heading in the People tab, and in your settings. Students can also be invited by email. Under the People tab, next to students there is a small person icon with a plus sign. If you click that icon you can add a student’s email. They will receive a link in their email to click and join the class.

Grades

In Grades, you can give a numeric score, leave comment-only feedback, or both. This is a great feature but you do not have to use it. When using Google Classroom in kindergarten I do not use the grading feature.

Give Using Google Classroom in Kindergarten a Try

Google Classroom is a great way to save paper and time. You can communicate with students if needed from afar. It houses everything in one convenient location and once you have it up and running students pick up on it quickly since everything follows a similar format and routine.

Still not convinced? Try this Google Forms Beginning Sounds activity for free and learn more about Google slide activities in my blog post “Google Classroom for Kindergarten: Must-Have Activities.”

Zoom Games With Students During Distance Learning

Distance learning has faced teachers with a whole new set of challenges. How do you keep kids interested and engaged when they’re staring at a screen from their home? Zoom games with students were my solution to this.

Games are one of my favorite things! Anytime or anything that lends itself to a game, I’m in! Games increase interest and engagement, plus they’re a great opportunity to practice skills and concepts previously learned in class in a fun way.

No-prep Zoom Games With Students

I began my Zoom journey playing simple Zoom games with students. The first virtual learning games I chose were games I knew they would be familiar with from the classroom. These games required little preparation and nothing but my student’s presence and maybe a piece of paper and a pencil.

Simon Says

This is one of the easiest games as it is played exactly like the original! The teacher or a designated student will give the directions. If the participants miss the cue “Simon Says” then they can sit down. Continue playing until one player remains.

Bingo

Bingo has several options. You can email the students a bingo board to print or you can have them create a board by drawing a grid on paper before you play. I had my students write the numbers 1-10 in random order in each square and we played Addition Bingo. My TA and I each pulled a number, they added them, and then marked the space on their board.

Number Out

Number Out is played similarly to 4 Corners. Instead of moving to corners, students will hold up a numbered piece of paper. Have students cut or tear a paper and write the number 1-6 on each one. Each round students will choose one number to hold up. The teacher will roll a die and students holding up the number rolled are out. Continue to play until only one player remains!

Guess Who

When playing Guess Who, the grid of students is like your game board. The teacher will think of one student and could even write their name down off-screen. Students will ask yes/no questions to eliminate classmates until they can guess who the teacher selected.

Animal Pictionary/Charades

The selected student will think of an animal. If playing Charades, they will act the animal out for other students to guess. For Pictionary, share your screen with the whiteboard feature. The chosen students will draw the animal for others to guess.

Hangman

Share your screen using the whiteboard feature and play Hangman just like you would on paper. Draw lines for the number of letters in the word. Students will guess letters they think are in the word. If the letter is not in the word a part of a person is drawn. Students race to guess all of the letters and spell the word before they build a person.

Low Prep Zoom Games With Students

Mystery Bag

To play Mystery Bag, prepare a bag with an object hidden inside. Give clues or allow students to ask questions to try and guess what is inside the bag. Students could each prepare their own mystery bag to play too!

Zoomed In

When playing Zoomed In you begin by looking at images that are magnified or zoomed in very close. Collect and save several images prior to your virtual meeting. Before I start my meeting, I also open the images in Preview. I use Preview because it is easy to zoom in and out using the magnifying glass images. When you are ready to play you will share your screen so everyone can see the image. At first, you only see a small portion of the image.

As students guess incorrectly you slowly zoom out allowing them to see more and more of the image. Continue playing until they guess the image correctly.

Premade Zoom Games With Students

Build a House & Food Builder

I wanted to play Hangman with students. I realized quickly that without the word wall or alphabet this was very confusing and difficult for my kindergarten students. To solve this problem I created 2 games, Build a House and Food Builder. Both of these games will work digitally and also in the classroom by projection or on an interactive whiteboard.

During “Build a House” students earn parts of a house for incorrect letter guesses. They are racing to spell sight words before the whole house is built.

During “Food Builder” students build a hamburger, pizza, taco, or sandwich for incorrect letter guesses. They are racing to spell sight words before the food built.

I Spy

I Spy can be played in a variety of ways. For a no-prep version play using the student’s backgrounds. If you want to focus students all on the same thing or target certain skills you can share your screen to display a slide of images. Give clues such as “I spy something red.” “I spy something that begins with /m/.” “I spy something with 3 syllables.” as students guess what you or the designated student spied. These “I Spy Games for Home or School” ar programmed for 3 different games focusing on colors, phonics, and more.

Fast Finds

Movement activities and games are the perfect combo! Fast Finds are guided scavenger hunts. They work both in the classroom and virtually through Zoom or Google Meet. Each set of Fast Finds has a different focus. The sets included are for colors, adjectives, phonemic awareness & phonics, alphabet, and shapes. Share your screen, read the clue, and off they go to find an object that meets the rule. Give students a minute and then as they return have them hold up their find in front of the camera for everyone to see.

Hide & Seek

We love to play Hide & Seek in the classroom using a pocket chart. With the move to distance learning, I was looking for a way to continue this game digitally. PowerPoint to the rescue! Digital Hide & Seek can now be played during Zoom. Open the game in Slideshow View, share your screen, and you’re ready to play! The object of the game is to find the hidden image. Students read a letter, word, number, or solve a math problem. The teacher then clicks on that card. The card magically disappears to reveal nothing or a hidden image.

What are your favorite games to play virtually?

Zoom Activities for Students During Distance Learning

Zoom has been frequently used in the business world for many years. In the classroom, you directly interact with your students and their families, ceasing a need for virtual communication such as Zoom. So why would you need Zoom activities for students? With the shift to distance learning the need for a new way to meet, connect, and learn with your students has become evident. Enter Zoom or other conferencing platforms into the world of education.

Platforms, like Zoom, allow your students to be together and interact using a phone, tablet, or computer. Everyone attending can see and hear one another as they would have in their classroom. Zoom also provides an opportunity to continue many classroom activities from afar. Here are some Zoom activities for students that will support instruction, build community, and bring fun to distance learning.

Zoom Activities for Students to Support Instruction

Read Alouds

Read alouds can come to life on Zoom. Pick a favorite book you have and read it holding it up to the camera to show the pictures. You can also use a site such as Epic! to share your screen and show a book as you listen or read it aloud.

Small Groups & Mini-Lessons

Missing small group instruction? It is capable through Zoom and other digital platforms. Send an invite link to the students you want to meet with and then you’re ready! You can use digital leveled books available on sites like RAZ Kids or Literacy Footprints and share your screen to host a Guided Reading session. Share your screen and use the whiteboard feature to practice math or word work skills. You can also share your screen and use activities from Google slides to introduce, model, or have students practice together.

Virtual Field Trips

Though you may be stuck home or unable to attend field trips due to social distancing and safety aspects you can still allow your students to travel and experience different places through virtual field trips. There are so many different places you can explore and tour with your students from a farmers market, to a pizza place, the zoo, an aquarium, and even Disney!

Zoom Activities for Students to Build Community

Morning Meeting & Morning Message

Morning meeting was one of my favorite parts of the day. It was consistent, a great way to transition into learning, and a wonderful way to make connections and get to know your students on a deeper level. I worried that we would lose this during distance learning but I quickly realized we could continue many of our routines.

In class we completed a daily morning message, sharing the pen to practice a variety of skills. I was so excited when I discovered we could continue this using the whiteboard feature! Prior to our virtual meeting, I have the message typed onto the whiteboard. Students then use the Draw tool taking turns filling in the missing letter, words, etc. to complete the message.

Show & Tell

Show and Tell is perfect for virtual learning. You can let your students share anything or pick categories for your Show and Tell. Students can share their favorite book, stuffed animal, or a talent they have. Each student can take turns holding up their object and telling something about it. Through Show & Tell students will develop relationships, getting to know one another better and making connections through similarities. This is also a great chance to practice asking questions.

Zoom Activities for Students to Have Fun

Scavenger Hunts

Scavenger hunts are one of my student’s favorite Zoom activities. As a teacher, they are great because they allow movement and can also be used to sneak in some learning or review. Call out a rule or share your screen showing the task and then send students off to find something that fits the category. A minute seems to be the perfect length of time for each student to find something. Once they find it they can hold it up for everyone to see before giving another task.

Games

Who doesn’t love a game? The word game seems to instantly increase engagement. Games also apply themselves well to the virtual classroom. Games such as Hangman, I Spy, Charades, Mystery Bag, Pictionary, Zoomed In, and Simon Says can all be played in the virtual classroom. I Spy, Charades, and Simon Says can be played simply by seeing one another in the grid view. If you share your screen and show pictures or the whiteboard feature you can now play Hangman, Pictionary, and more! If you’re looking for more game ideas and details check out my blog post “Zoom Games With Students During Distance Learning.“

Directed Drawings

Directed drawings are an easy activity to transfer from the classroom to a digital platform. Even better most kids have some sort of paper and drawing tool available at home. There are several options to complete a directed drawing with your class on a digital platform. First, you can draw on a whiteboard or paper and hold it up for your students to see as you complete each step. If you have a document camera you can stream and share your screen modeling through the camera. Finally, you can share your screen and choose the whiteboard feature drawing directly onto it.

Brain Breaks

Brain breaks are a great way to integrate movement during your Zoom meetings. You can find brain breaks on GoNoodle or even through a quick search on Youtube. Brain breaks can be educational or simply for fun. Share your screen and everyone can see and do the brain break together.

Though distance learning has many challenges, Zoom and other platforms allow you to continue to connect, learn, and have fun from afar.

Word Work Activities for the Elementary Classroom

Children have words all around them. As teachers, we work to help our students learn to read, spell, and understand words. For that reason, word work activities are a wonderful tool for the classroom.

What is word work?

Word work is hands-on activities that allow students to explore patterns, spellings, and/or meanings of words. In the classroom, students may be working with sight words, phonics patterns, word families, or prefixes and suffixes during word work.

When’s the best time to do word work activities?

Many opportunities exist throughout the school day to integrate word work. Word work activities can be completed whole class, in small groups, or independently. Daily 5 and literacy stations are other times you can integrate word work activities.

Editable Word Work Activities

The following activities can all be purchased here. This product is completely editable to support differentiation and meet all of your students’ needs. By changing the words and keeping the word work activities consistent your students will develop independence.

Write the Room

Write the room gets kids up and moving while working on words. Choose the words you want your students to work on and print the cards. Hide the cards around the classroom and have your students hunt for them. Give them a clipboard and recording sheet and they can work to write the words they find.

3 Ways to Write

Enter the words you would like your students to practice and copy the recording sheet. Students will write each word three times. They will use a pencil, marker, and crayon to write each word.

Stamp It

The words you enter will autofill onto the paper. Grab some alphabet stamps and a stamp pad and you are ready to go! Students will read the words and work to spell them using stamps.

Spin a Word

A paperclip and pencil or spinner overlay will work for this activity. Students will spin the spinner and read the word that it lands on. Next, they will find and color a word that matches until all words have been colored.

Rainbow Words

Markers, crayons, or color pencils will all work with this word work activity. Students pick a word and write it several times across the rainbow using a different color for each row. When they are done they’ll have created beautiful rainbow of words!

Dry Erase Words

Word work activities using dry erase markers can be used repeatedly. Simply enter the words you want your students to practice, print, and laminate. Once laminated the word cards can be wiped clean and reused for endless practice.

Spin and Color

A paper clip and something to color with is all that is needed for Spin and Color. Simply spin a word, find the word on the board, and color it in! This could also be played with a partner. Each partner uses a different color and then when the board is filled count to see who colored more words.

Red and Blue

A red and blue writing tool is all that is needed for Red ad Blue. Students will choose a word card and then work to write that word using red for vowels and blue for consonants. This is a great way to emphasize spelling their words but also the difference between a consonant and a vowel.

ABC Order

This ABC Order activity comes with 2 different options. Students can practice 6 or 12 words depending on time and level. Words will autofill in random order. Students then work to write them in alphabetical order.

Hidden Words

Become a detective with Hidden Words. Use a magnifying glass and find the tiny words hidden in a variety of pictures. Circle or highlight the words found and then write them on the recording sheet.

Magic Words

The white crayon that seems to serve little purpose now can create magic! Students choose a word to write in each space using white crayons. Once the words are written in crayon color over the crayon with a marker to see the words magically appear.

Spin & Cover

Spin & Cover is a partner game you play like Connect Four. Make a spinner using a paper clip. Once you have a spinner, take turns spinning and covering the word spun. The player to get 4 in-a-row first wins.

Rainbow Roll

Grab a die and something colorful to write with and you’re ready for Rainbow Roll. Each number on the die represents a color. Students choose a word card, roll the die, and then write that word in the color rolled.

Smelly Spelling

Smelly markers are fun and engaging. There are so many different scents available and your kids will be begging to use and smell them. With Smelly Spelling, students will use scented markers, crayons, or pencils to practice writing and spelling their words. Even better they have their paper to keep sniffing when they’re finished!

Word work activities are an excellent way to review and practice spelling, sight, or vocabulary words. If you’d like to try out word work in your classroom or home subscribe below for a word work sampler!

March Madness in the Classroom

Do your students love to play basketball? Are you looking for an engaging game or math stations to use during March Madness? Check out these games and activities to bring March Madness into the classroom.

March Madness Activities for Kindergarten

My students love anything using the word game. I love that these games are low prep, allow for easy differentiation, and increase engagement in the classroom. The six games in this set have a basketball theme. They focus on kindergarten literacy and math standards, making them great March Madness activities for kindergarten.

Kindergarten Madness reading games include a set for letters, beginning sounds, and CVC words. While Kindergarten Madness math games include a set for shapes (2d and 3D), addition to 10, and numbers to 100. Pick the set that works for your class, or create several sets to meet all of your student’s needs and bring March Madness alive in the classroom. Simply print the cards you want to use, and you are ready to play! Place the cards into a container, empty frosting containers or fun-themed cups from the Target dollar spot work great for storing the game cards. Students take turns pulling a card. If they can identify/name/solve the card, then they can keep the card. If not, they place the card back in the container. Special cards are mixed in with the game cards keeping interest and excitement at a high!

Basketball Themed Math Stations

If you are looking for activities to last all week or to be used for a family night at school, these ten March Madness math stations may help. These stations all have a basketball theme and focus on first-grade math standards. Use them as enrichment for kindergarten students or intervention for second-grade students. Practice Doubles/Doubles +1, Missing Addend to 10, Place Value, Fractions: Halves/Quarters, Adding 3 Numbers, Fact Families, Time to the hour and half-hour, number bonds, comparing numbers, and subitize/addition with the included stations.

March Madness Book Bracket

Another great way to use March Madness in the classroom is with a March Madness Book Bracket. This activity works in any classroom and has great flexibility. Use book brackets whole school, by grade level, or in your own class. Display the bracket in a hallway, on a bulletin board, or if you lack space like myself, project it on the whiteboard. Choose books focusing on a genre, theme, or standard, the opportunities are endless! Already made book brackets are available too! Check out March Book Madness for picture books, middle-grade books, and young adult book brackets.

A March Madness book bracket activity is an opportune time to involve classroom families. I like to send home the letter shown above explaining the activity. I then ask each student to choose one book they would like to be part of the March Madness book bracket. You could ask families to borrow the book if they have it or collect/purchase them all once the list is compiled. If you’d like to host your own Tournament of Books, you can grab the letter for free below.

What do you do for March Madness in your classroom?