For many students, learning how to spell the words “could,” “would,” and “should” can be a challenge. They might spell them CUD or COUD or COOD…. But mastering the irregular -OULD p...
Need a quick and easy way to explain the science of reading to students’ families? These print-and-go handouts do all of the heavy lifting for you. They’re perfect to pass out at open house n...
There’s nothing like a good book study to help things really click – you hear takeaways from other teachers that you may have missed when you were reading, you get answers to lingering questi...
Are you curious if your curriculum is science of reading aligned so you can ensure your students are receiving the best reading instruction possible? If so, this list is for you. The Science of R...
Teaching phonics skills is a lot like baking a cake. Skipping ahead or missing a step, almost always makes your lessons flop. Students are either too confused, or too overwhelmed, or too bored…...
This free teacher planner is *jam packed* with helpful planning pages, sanity saving organization sheets, and inspiring covers the will help keep you planned and prepped allllllll year long. S...
When students are first learning to read, written letters look like meaningless shapes on a piece of paper. They might as well be squiggles or scribbles – letters don’t have any rhyme or reas...
Get ready to fall in love! Word chains are an easy but powerful way to build important literacy skills including phonemic awareness, decoding, encoding, AND blending at the exact same time. Becau...
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It can be hard to know which letters to begin teaching when you are working with beginning readers. Do you teach them in A to Z order? Is it better to teach all of the vowels first? Grab a notepa...
Fun fact: The 26 letters in English actually make FORTY-TWO different sounds called phonemes! (Experts adjust the list from 42 to 45, but we will stick with 42 phonemes here.) The letter G, for i...
https://www.playdoughtoplato.com/45-phonemes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=45-phonemes
Did you know that the silent E is an extremely busy letter? It has SEVEN jobs! And somehow, the silent E also finds time to make it difficult for struggling readers to learn it. But here’s a...
Spoiler alert: Teaching vowels in the traditional order A, E, I, O, and U can actually be confusing to new readers. Several of the sounds are so similar that learning them back-to-back is a real...
Well, hello there! I’m thrilled that you’re here. Making the science of reading easy to understand AND easy to implement is my “thing”, so I’m excited for you to get your hands on a lit...
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If you’re like so many teachers and homeschoolers I’ve talked to, somewhere along the way, you have probably been told that learning to read is like learning to talk – children can teach th...
The term “phonological awareness” gets thrown around a lot these days because science of reading research has proven that it’s the key to preventing many reading difficulties. But what is p...
The science of reading has proven that students need to be able to hear the individual sounds in words called phonemes and focusing on beginning sounds is the best place to start because it’s t...
There’s nothing that makes teachers’ hearts flutter quite like hearing the words “no prep”… Especially during those extra busy weeks when it seems like your to-do list just keeps growin...
Educators in kindergarten, first and second grade face the unique challenge of being responsible for their students having a solid foundation in reading, which will in large part determine their ...
So you’re interested in teaching first grade? Good for you! It’s a crucial time to help students build a strong foundation that will help prepare them for their future academic and career end...
Teachers are busy – there’s no debating that. From helping kids catch up from being out of the classroom, to increased security and curriculum demands, to keeping parents up to date, it’s n...
Research has shown that new readers need to practice phonological awareness every. single. day. But, if you’re like most teachers I know, the thought of adding even one more thing to your lesso...
The best activities for learning combined with fun for kids are the ones where kids are actively engaged and are learning without even realizing it. If an activity is perceived as fun and feels m...
“Best” is often a subjective term. A better phrase might be “What are the best teaching tools for my kid(s)? Since we all learn in different ways, what works the best for one might... Th...
The post What are the Best Practices When Teaching Kindergarten? appeared first on Playdough To Plato .
Kindergarten can be an extremely challenging level to teach as students are likely to come in with a wide range of preparation and soft skills. Here are some best practices to incorporate when te...
When students are struggling to hear the individual sounds in words they’re trying to spell, they often need to build a skill called phonemic awareness. And sound mapping is a simple but powerf...
Do you know the floss rule yet? When the sounds /f/ /s/ /l/ or /z/ come at the end of a one-syllable word, they’re written with a double consonant. See some examples and then grab this batch of...
No batch of chicken soup could ever be strong enough to cure the sub planning blues… Especially when you already feel lousy! This makes it easy for you to pull together sub plans that’ll last...
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If you’ve ever had a student who could sound out each letter in a CVC word but, when it came time to blend those sounds together, they said something else instead like “D-O-G. Drop?” then t...
If you’re ready for a better way to teach sight words, these pre-sorted lists are for you. Why? When you take your sight word list and organize it by phonics skill, students learn the words ...
With the complications that have come from COVID-19 including online and hybrid teaching and the different achievement levels of students being even more of a factor, tools that can offer some as...
How to teach reading involves laying the foundation and then practice, practice, practice – just like learning anything. Repetition is practice and it leads to reinforcement of ideas as well as...
With back to school season upon us and fall right behind, it’s fun to have some themed, seasonal learning activities on hand. This apple alphabet match is the perfect activity for this time ...
Do your kids say that they can’t think of anything to write about during Writer’s Workshop? Problem solved. Whether you are a teacher looking for a creative writing assignment or a homesc...
Ensuring a child understands the fundamentals of reading is perhaps the single most important lesson a teacher or parent can impart to their children. Understanding how to teach reading can be ve...
Did you know that the magic E has SEVEN different jobs? Yep, it’s true! And learning them makes it SO MUCH easier to help students read because you can finally explain the rules behind spelling...
It’s crazy but true! If you teach a student 10 sight words, they can read 10 words… BUT, if you teach that same child 10 letter sounds, they can read THOUSANDS of words. That’s the power...
The science of reading has been ALL the buzz lately, but if you’re secretly scratching your head and thinking that you don’t REALLY understand what it means yet, don’t worry. You’re not a...
Do you have any students who know ALL of the letter sounds but, when it comes time to blend those sounds together to read a word, they STILL struggle? This will help! A lot of times readers just ...
We love sight word games and these printable sight word targets rank at the top of our must-try list. Kids love aiming, hitting, reading and writing their word lists. The activity is great to u...
Learning letter sounds is important for both reading and writing, but some letters of the alphabet are trickier than others and make not one but TWO sounds! G is one of those letters. These fr...
Sight word games are a fun way to help kids practice the most common words in written text. Cookie Word Bake takes the fun to a whole new level of sugary awesomeness. Kids love “baking” sight...
Will the red, green, or yellow apple reach the top first?! This playful apple race math game has kids graphing, counting and comparing – important early math skills. It’s perfect to use as ...
We all know that using math in real life makes numbers come alive for young children. With these subtraction word problems, kids can imagine the scenarios as they tackle them, making them less ab...
Catch some waves with this fun sight words matching activity! These sight word cards are a great way to add some fun to your literacy centers and word work time. They’re the perfect addition to...
If your kids are learning about the magic e, you’ll love this game and bonus worksheet! As kids race to find their magic treasure, they practice reading ordinary CVC words plus their magical pa...
LEGO fans will love these playful addition and subtraction game boards. They’re a motivating way to work on addition to five, subtraction within five and practicing addition and subtraction at...
Does your little one get confused when trying to read the letter C in a word? Children are so used to spelling words like c-a-t that when they come to one like c-i-t-y they pronounce it as “kit...
If I were to ask you WHY you started teaching, what would you say? You wanted to make a difference in the world? Inspire kids to love learning? Be a positive role model for students who really ne...
If you’re looking for some fun, new rhyming activities to try with your kids, these quirky rhyme games are sure to do the trick. And, our best-selling Ultimate Preschool Activity Pack is a mu...
Multiplication is tricky for younger children so it helps if they can think about it in a variety of ways. These multiplication word problem cards ask questions that kids can visualize, so they c...
Division is one of the more difficult math concepts to understand for early learners. While it’s closely related to multiplication, it’s trickier to grasp its meaning and to work out how to s...
Brag tags are a simple tool for recognizing superstar student behavior, motivating reluctant learners and improving classroom management. Kids will love the kudos and you’ll love the easy pre...
We love our Plato Pack members and are constantly surprising them with bonuses and goodies. A couple weeks back, our brilliant graphic designer, Audrey, whipped together 6 gorgeous and inspiring ...
Writing with transitional words including “first”, “next” and “then” is an important skill for young writers. This “How to Eat an Oreo” writing activity makes writing practice fun...
I love using QR codes with my kindergarten students! They’re a great way to integrate technology into a lesson and are very easy for young learners to use. These Pumpkin QR code cards add a...
These free CVC games and child-friendly worksheets help kids learn to identify short vowels and break words into individual sounds called phonemes. Grab your set of free CVC games below and then ...
https://www.playdoughtoplato.com/cvc-games/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cvc-games
This playful apple-themed sight word game is the perfect addition to your fall literacy centers! Kids will love racing to be the first to dot all of the sight words on their sheet. It’s a moti...
Halloween is almost here so it’s the perfect time to add a few Halloween-themed writing prompts to our writing centers. After you’re done with this fun activity, check out our Writing Center ...
Working on number decomposition? These playful, hands-on practice sheets are a must. Try the sample below and the grab the complete pack in our shop! What Is Number Decomposition? Number decomp...
I knew as soon as I saw these adorable pumpkin erasers, I would need a fun counting activity to use them in the classroom. This pumpkin counting mat gives young learners practice with counting ...
Making an ABC book is a fun, hands-on way to introduce children to letters and help them understand how those letters are used to make words. This free printable ABC book takes all of that learn...
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This gingerbread color by sight word activity is the perfect addition to your December literacy centers and word work time! And if you’re into learning sight words, grab our awesome Word Work G...
This alphabet game is one of my hands-down favorites! It’s a simple way to teach ABC letters and, as a big bonus, it’s seriously fun entertainment for kids. Scroll below for your free down...
These alphabet matching games are purr-fect for practicing uppercase and lowercase pairs – an important early literacy skill. Print it once and play THREE different ways! Grab your copy below a...
I have some first grade students who LOVE to write and others who are a little more reluctant. But this Make Your Own I Spy Book put such a fun spin on writing that all of my students couldn�...
These free fall writing pages are a festive addition to a writing center or Writer’s Workshop. The fun story prompts and autumn colors are just the trick to make writing exciting for kids. Loo...
Working on a number of the day gives kids practice with place value, expanded notation, odd and even numbers… so many math skills in one simple activity. They are such an easy way to different...
Let’s face it! Understanding how kids’ street, town, state, continent and planet fit together is downright confusing. But, thankfully, this simple me on the map craftivity is coming to the re...
Practicing sight words will be a splash with this fun mermaid sight word game! Kids read and write sight words as they swim their way to the treasure chest. It’s a great addition to your liter...
Apples are a popular theme in fall. Bring a seasonal twist to your learning with these fun, apple-themed ten frame count and clip cards! They are perfect for preschool and kindergarten students ...
This sight word game is a must-try! Students will love playing it and YOU’LL love the easy prep. Grab your copy below and then hop over and snag 26 more word work centers kids will beg to repea...
Learning alphabet letters is an important skill for young learners. This Race to School ABC game is a fun and engaging way for children to practice both uppercase and lowercase letters. It’...
The 5 senses are one of my favorite subjects to teach because it sparks so many fun discussions. As children learn about sight, sound, taste, smell and touch, they become much more aware of the w...
It’s hard to think of fall and not have Johnny Appleseed come to mind. This playful, apple-themed short and long vowel sort is a must-try! Scroll below to snag your freebie and then hop over an...
Are you looking for a fun way to make CVC words POP… literally?! These playful popcorn sorts work on 10 different short vowel word families and they’re so motivating, kids will actually ASK t...
Editable sight word games are my jam because they make it *so* easy to differentiate. I can print one version of a game for my struggling readers and a completely different version of the same ga...
These geoboard STEM challenges are an amazingly simple tool for stretching kids’ design, engineering and measurement skills. Snag your 10 free STEM challenges below and then hop over to grab ...
Counting bears are such a motivating math manipulative for young children. They’re great for practicing patterns, graphing and (of course!) counting. Bring a big dose of hands-on fun to ordina...
Are you looking for a helpful tool to teach students about the silent E once and for all? This playful CVCe word work center is a must-try! Scroll below to grab your freebie! Then, for more vowel...
Help kids recognize alphabet letters and memorize sight words by playing a twist on an old classic: Tic-Tac-Toe. The alphabet and sight word tic-tac-toe game’s great to use as a literacy cent...
Back to school season is right around the corner, and with it comes all things apples. Add some seasonal fun to your reading centers this fall with these hands-on medial vowel clip cards. Scrol...
Looking for a fun way to practice vowel sounds with kids?! We’ve got you covered. This free vowel sound sort is a great literacy center, guided reading activity or homeschool project. Just prin...
There are few things better than settling in with your students to read a good book. The miraculous way it calms kids down after recess…Their smiles and laughter…The “one more, pleeeeease...
I am totally Type A. Everything has a just right spot in our house. Even the toys. So I was excited when my friend, Carli, over at Dimple Prints agreed to whip up some colorful toy labels I coul...
The secret to fun family road trips is keeping kids entertained while you’re on the go. Our free road trip activity pack is an easy, screen-free way to make your epic adventure the best yet! Gr...
These free apple tree counting mats are perfect for fall! Just grab some pom poms and you’re ready for some fun, hands-on practice with counting, number recognition, vocabulary building and fi...
These free, customizable bag tags are a simple way to personalize kids’ backpacks, lunch boxes, luggage… you name it! With 16 kid-friendly designs to choose from, you’re sure to find one�...
If you’re on the hunt for easy prep, fun to play 4th of July activities for kids, I have you covered. Just print the free Bingo game and counting clip cards (below) and get ready for a 4th of J...
Close reading differs from regular reading by intentionally looking more closely at text in order to fully understand the content and meaning. These close reading activity cards are perfect for ...
Back to school time is near! In the midst of this busy season, I am always looking for some back to school activities that are entertaining and simple to prepare. This free back to school memo...
Addition word problems are a great way to practice solving equations using real world examples. Use these addition to 20 word problem cards as a math center, brain break or small group activity. ...
Picture sorting is a simple and engaging way for children to learn about short vowel sounds in consonant-vowel-consonant words like cat, bed, top and cut. When they say the name of pictures out...
Looking for a fun way to teach kids about subtraction?! These write and wipe subtraction cards give children hands-on practice writing and solving problems. They’re great to use as a math cent...
If you’re homeschooling your kids right now, here’s an editable homeschool schedule to help you keep things organized! It’s the perfect complement to our monthly membership called The Plato...
Just when kids finally learn how to read CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words, it’s time to jump into something new: Magic E words! When a silent E is added to the end of a CVC word, the vowel...
The Fourth of July is just around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to learn facts and introduce vocabulary words that go along with it with a fun scavenger hunt! Hang your American flag hi...
Whether you’re looking for a hands-on way to practice addition or you need a fun LEGO activity for kids, these free LEGO addition cards are sure to be a hit. Just print the cards, grab some LE...
Looking for a fun way to practice those tricky vowel sounds with kids? This complement to our popular CVC word sort helps students sort, match and compare short vowel and long vowel words. The h...
https://www.playdoughtoplato.com/vowel-sort/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=vowel-sort
Have some LEGO fans in your home or classroom? These free LEGO pattern cards make math super fun for kids. Just print the pattern cards (below), grab your stash of LEGOs and you’re ready for so...
Looking for a hands-on way to teach kids patterns? These free craft stick pattern activity cards are an easy prep math station or busy bag. Grab your copy and then check our our best-selling Ult...
As a former kindergarten teacher turned hands-on mom, I get a little bit giddy about creating fun ways for my kids to learn. These free Earth Day puzzles are a simple way to learn some ways to he...
If your students have learned their beginning sounds, practiced their end sounds, chances are they are ready to dive into those tricky vowels sounds. Giving kids a strong foundation for this impo...
Teaching kids to read takes a lot of repetition to make sure that kids are grasping important skills like recognizing common vowels sounds and turning them into CVC words. I love to choose just o...
Fourth of July Writing Activity by The Simplified Classroom for Playdough to Plato Engaging kids in meaningful writing activities that expand their vocabulary can be a bit of a challenge during t...
This rainbow art project is perfect for introducing rainbow order plus combines literacy with art when paired with the book What Makes a Rainbow? Magic Ribbon Book by Betty Ann Schwartz. The ribb...
Teaching new readers can feel like a daunting task – for both students and teachers. There are so many moving parts. When teaching vowels I like to dig deep into just one at first. It helps boo...
For most students, working on short vowel sounds like A, E, I, U takes lots of practice. So let’s make all of their hard work super motivating and fun with a laser focus on just one vowel- O. ...
Teaching kids to read and recognize common vowel sounds is an important step in their reading journey. Often focusing on just one vowel at a time is a major help for helping students really maste...
Teaching new readers to read confidently is like putting together a puzzle. There are so many pieces that fit together. Having a strong foundation of the basics is SO important. And learning vowe...
This ABC game is sure to be a hit with firemen fans. Just grab a pack of brightly colored index cards, a water sprayer and a fireman’s outfit {if you have one} and you’re ready to spray. The ...
One of the best ways to get kids ready for kindergarten is to read stories out loud together. That’s why I was excited to team up with one of my favorite printable designers, Carli at Dimple P...
Just when kids have finally mastered letter sounds, along come tricky digraphs like CH-, TH- and SH- to trip them up again. Thankfully, these ten digraph activities make it fun to master all of...
Wondering how to get your kids ready for kindergarten? Just print this list of 10 fun preschool activities, post it on your fridge and start getting ready for school (below). The simple prep i...
Ready to add a little seasonal fun way to your literacy centers? This adorable CVC pumpkin patch activity is the perfect way for students to learn and practice short vowel sounds. Scroll below ...
I am just NUTS about this acorn roll & cover math game! Students will love racing to see if they can cover all of the acorns on their board first. Your young mathematicians will be having so mu...
Science Technology Engineering and Math {STEM} activities are fun ways to teach kids how things work. This straw bridge activity takes just a few minutes to prep but will keep young engineers lea...
Pumpkin spice, cinnamon apple and mulled cider – we love the scents of fall and just couldn’t get enough of this warm and cozy autumn-scented salt dough recipe. This dough takes a mere minute...
There’s nothing more special than a kid-made gift – especially if it’s a gift that comes with some well deserved pampering. That’s why my 4 year-old daughter and I decided to make scented...
STEM activities (Science Technology Engineering and Math) are always a hit with my kiddos, but this engineering activity had the whole family wanting to get in on the action. After explaining to ...
Interactive notebooks are super popular in classrooms these days, and it’s because they engage kids’ full attention. This interactive addition activity is constructed so there are lots of mat...
Most students need plenty of practice learning sight words before they stick, but thankfully we can make all of that hard work fun for kids this fall with a playful apple sight word match! It’s...
Pattern blocks are a motivating, hands-on way to teach kids about shapes, patterns, measurement…. even fractions! These playful roll and cover pattern block mats add three more math skills ...
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Growing crystals is a favorite science experiment of ours and these glow-in-the-dark crystals for Halloween make it all the more exciting! Check out how to make these fascinating crystals below!�...
Mother’s Day is just around the corner and, in case you need a little inspiration for Mother’s Day gifts from kids moms will love, we’ve pulled together our favorite finds from across the ...
What better way to get kids really looking at how letters are built than by constructing them with LEGOS?! This hands-on LEGO name activity is a great preschool work station, name game or afterno...
This amazing-smelling green apple playdough recipe uses only two ingredients and makes a soft, stretchy, silky dough your kids will love. The no-cook playdough recipe is great for kids to make fr...
If your kids are working on subtraction within 20, this interactive notebook will help keep them engaged! It includes equations, word problems, picture problems and true/false questions to encou...
Fall is here, and it’s always fun to incorporate the season into some engaging learning activities! This ten frame matching game is perfect for the season. It’s a fun way to develop number ...
If you’re looking for a motivating, visual way to teach kids how to read and write blends like BL-, FR- and SM-, you’ll love these free ice cream puzzles. They’re great to use as literacy ...
Students will have so much fun counting from 1 to 20 with this playful dinosaur counting mat. Use it for small group work, partner work, or at a math station. Then, hop on over and check out our ...
These fun color by number sheets are an easy way to get kids in the back to school spirit! Students will hardly realize they’re working on number recognition while they work to uncover the my...
Many kids {(including my own!) are big fans of the movie Frozen. In this activity, Disney’s famous characters, Elsa and Olaf, come to life when preschoolers put together a Frozen puzzle that g...
Long vowels are tricky! There are numerous ways to spell them out, so it takes time and practice for kids to become confident. These long vowel clip cards are an easy and fun way to show long vow...
These free alphabet printables are perfect for young learners! Help children identify beginning sounds, lowercase letters and uppercase letters with a colorful alphabet chart, clip it cards an...
This fire hydrant ABC coverall activity is great to go along with Fire Prevention Week in October or a community helper unit any time! Pull on your fire gear and get ready for some seriously fun ...
Looking for a fun way to teach kids about compound words?! These picture-only compound word puzzles are a memorable way to show how two words can be combined to make a brand new word. They’re g...
Kids love things that move! Some of the first terms that children learn are the different vehicles that they see on the streets and in the air. It’s no wonder, really. Wheels turning, loud nois...
My kids love dice games! Something about not knowing what they will roll is always so exciting. Since our Roll and Color 2D Shape Game was such a hit, I decided to follow up with a 3D roll and ...
Pumpkin letter tracing is a fun fall ABC game and fine motor activity in one. As kids trace alphabet letters with candy pumpkins, they build hand-eye coordination, hand strength and letter forma...
With fall in the air, it will soon be a great time to visit a pumpkin patch and enjoy some super fun pumpkin learning activities. These pumpkin CVC puzzles are the perfect hands-on game for be...
These bright, hands-on alphabet puzzles are a must-grab. Kids will love that they’re fun and YOU’LL love that they’re so easy to prep. Snag your set below and then hop over to grab our Ulti...
This festive gumdrop patterns activity sheet stretches students to create patterns of their own. AB, ABB, ABC patterns… they’re all there! The no-prep activity is easy to differentiate making...
Whether you’re looking for a hands-on way to teach addition or you need a fun apple themed math activity, these apple addition cards are sure to be a hit! When you’re done, work on number fo...
I’m always on the hunt for simple prep, motivating learning activities for kids. That’s our thing, after all! So I couldn’t wait to get my hands on The Educators’ Spin on It’s new book...
I love teaching TWO skills with just ONE activity, don’t you?! These shape graphs are a playful way to teach the names and characteristics of the most common 2D shapes while working on graphi...
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of our family’s favorite children’s stories. We’ve read it so many times that Big Brother (age 5.5) can recite the words without even cracking open the bo...
Place value is such an important math concept for early learners because it builds a solid foundation of number sense. This apple-themed place value match up will be the perfect addition to you...
toMaking 10 is an important concept for early learners because it builds a foundation they’ll use for place value later. This crayon themed ten frames activity is a fun, hands-on way for kids...
For most kids, understanding place value requires lots of practice – it’s a pretty complicated concept after all. This place value concentration game is an easy way to make all of that hard...
Activities that can easily be implemented anytime of the year are the best! These blend puzzles are the perfect addition to your literacy centers, no matter what season it is. Grab your free ble...
Learning to read is so exciting and, once kids build up confidence with their CVC words, they may be ready to tackle those “Magic E” long vowel words. These Shamrock magic e puzzles are great...
These free pumpkin number puzzles are perfect for fall! They’re a fun way to practice counting, number recognition, matching and fine motor skills. Grab your free printable pumpkin puzzles belo...
Are you looking for a fun way for kids to practice reading and spelling CVC words?! These free CVC word puzzles are easy to prep and your students will love the fun and bright pictures. Grab yo...
Looking for a quick and fun name game for kids? Names are one of the first words many children learn to read and write and this low-prep name game is an exciting way to practice them. In Magic ...
Kids will love practicing sight words with this simple sight words activity. Grab a white crayon and some markers and get ready for a little magic! Snag your copy below and then hop over and get ...
Rhyming is an important skill for new readers to master and these playful back to school rhyming puzzles make it so fun to practice. Grab the printable below and then hop over to become a VIP Pla...
Rhymes for kids help children notice that words are clumps of sounds with a similar pattern. When they begin spelling and reading words later, they’ll notice that rhyming words often end with...
Telling time is a tricky concept for young children and their understanding of it develops gradually. These free interactive analog and digital clocks will keep your kids engaged while they explo...
Color can make learning a more fun and impactful experience. To help kids easily see the parts that make up three digit numbers, print these free place value cards on bright cardstock, cut apart ...
Looking for a fun number sense challenge that helps kids really grasp what numbers mean? More and Less is a playful number sense game that stretches children’s understanding of place value. Gr...
Just like our Place Value Concentration game and I Have – Who Has cards, our newest math activity, a fun place value game, makes learning ones, tens and hundreds super fun for kids. This po...
Playing an ABC game is one of the best ways to introduce the alphabet to your little ones. Our brains learn best when we use several senses at once, so this ABC sort helps pre-readers use a vari...
Diphthongs can be a difficult concept to grasp for many students but fun, hands-on activities like these diphthong puzzles can help. The game is a perfect addition to your literacy centers and c...
Clip cards are a quick and easy way for kids to practice reading skills. That’s one of the reasons we love them so much! Rhyming, alphabet letters, blends, digraphs… you name it, we’ve cli...
There are so many fun ways to teach kids about digraphs (two letters that make just one sound such as SH, CH and TH). Whether you’re looking for a morning word work activity, literacy center or...
Looking for a fun way to help kids learn how to spell simple CCVC words such as ship, frog and crab? These print and play CCVC puzzles are easy to prepare and motivating to play. To practice any ...
Once kids learn stand alone letter sounds, they’re ready to tackle digraphs – two letter combinations that make just one sound like the pairs CH, SH and TH. Just like our digraph cards, this ...
I’m super excited to pass along a brand new freebie your kids will love: diphthong puzzles! Use the set as a literacy center or word work station focusing on those tricky diphthongs including -...
If you’re looking for a fun way to teach digraphs like SH, CH and TH, you’ll love these free gumball puzzles. The digraph puzzles are so easy to make and fun to play. They’re great to use ...
Mastering letter sounds can be a tricky thing, and learning digraphs can be even more challenging. After all, now kids need to remember not only what letters say on their own, but what certain c...
Help students identify real world objects shaped like cones, cubes, cylinders, pyramids, rectangular prisms, spheres and triangular prisms with these playful, hands-on 3D shape sorting mats. When...
This 4th of July twist on those classic Alka-Seltzer pop rockets is a must-try kids’ science experiment your kids will beg to repeat over and over again. The easy kids’ science project is per...
Marshmallow geometry is a fun way to teach the names and characteristics of 2D shapes including triangles, rectangles and squares. Kids love having the chance to build 2D shapes with food and gr...
Digraphs and blends tend to trip up new readers. Just when kids finally have their letter sounds down, out pop tricky letter combinations that change those sounds. Oy! This digraph and blend ch...
My recently turned four year-old loves to get glammed up by making her own jewelry. With the 4th of July approaching, we thought making some patriotic patterned bracelets, which is such a gre...
Whether lines are straight, thin, dotted or thick, they are the beginning of fun shapes like circles, squares and rectangles. This art project is perfect for scissor cutting skills and combines...
If you’re teaching kids about diphthong (two letters that make one sound like OI in the word “coin”), these free clip cards are a must-try literacy center or word work station. They’re ea...
These bright, hands-on digraph wheels make a wonderful literacy center focused on learning common digraphs such as CH- and SH-. For more fun with words, check out our best-selling Editable Sight ...
These magic fizzing popsicle paints are an awesome kids’ science project for all ages. One hot day a few weeks ago, I pulled out a batch of the magical popsicles from our freezer and invited my...
Learning 3D shapes just got WAY cooler! These engaging, hands-on 3D shape activities teach kids about cones, cubes, cylinders, hemispheres, hexagonal prisms, pyramids, rectangular prisms, sphere...
Place value is a tricky concept for most kids, so I have been pulling together lots of hands-on place value activities, including this super fun place value game, to make all of that hard work fu...
What will reach the top first?! This summer math game will have your kids counting, graphing and comparing. It’s perfect to play outside on a warm summer day or to add some summer inside yo...
We love learning games that let us roll dice and we love to color. This roll and color shapes game is the best of both worlds! The motivating 2D shape game is perfect for preschoolers and early...
Looking for a quick prep Veteran’s Day activity for preschool or kindergarten? These free handwriting sheets give kids practice writing and sounding out the letters V and P. Grab the printable ...
Looking for a fun way to encourage your students to STICK to learning this summer?! With this fun and easy summer writing activity, students brainstorm personal goals to help them to stay engaged...
Let’s face it: shapes have funny names. And learning them takes most kids lots of practice. This playful pumpkin shape match up is an easy way to add a big dose of fun to your shape centers t...
With summer just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about the un-BEE-lievable school year we have had! This end of the school year craftivity is a perfect way to reflect on a grea...
Looking for a simple way to keep kids writing this summer?! Whether you’re a parent hoping to battle summer slide or you’re a teacher who wants to keep kids learning over the break, our free ...
With summer just around the corner, my students are counting down the days until break. This long e sunglasses activity were the perfect way to keep my kids excited about practicing the long e ...
Back to school is all about procedures, procedures and more procedures! As teachers, we know that establishing a smooth running classroom takes time and effort but leads to a MUCH more successf...
Alphabet recognition is an important skill for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students. This School and Bus Alphabet Match is a fun way to work with uppercase and lowercase letters when head...
This sweet ice cream writing craftivity is a perfect way to work on writing skills this summer! Scroll down to grab your freebie then hop over and grab our Writing Center Starter Kit for more wri...
This motivating counting game is a playful way to practice numbers from 1 to 50, adding on, skip counting and early addition. Plus, as a big bonus, kids can color it to make a patriotic American...
I love using ten frames with my students because they’re such a fun way to help them understand what numbers REALLY mean. This super sweet ice cream ten frame match has children match number ...
In just a few minutes every day, you can help kids have an easy and smooth transition to kindergarten. These alphabet clip cards are a hands-on way to make upper and lowercase letter matching ...
These free pumpkin count and clip cards are a fun way for preschoolers and beginning kindergarteners to practice number recognition, one-to-one correspondence, counting and fine motor skills. The...
Do your kids love the Peanuts movie!? Even if they’ve never seen it, these characters are loveable the first time you meet them. We’ve created fun and educational Peanuts movie activities f...
This fun and surprisingly simple sight word game was one of my kindergarteners’ hands-down favorite ways to practice reading common words. I hope Showdown becomes a well loved sight word gam...
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Learning letter sounds is no easy task, but there are few things more exciting than when kids start down the path of learning to read. Letters and sounds are a huge part of that journey so we lov...