SANTA CLAUS CONTRACTIONS

 

One of my favorite, December activities with  first graders is making Santa Claus Contractions books. They write the text and add the illustrations.  All you need to do is supply the booklets.

To create the booklets, simply put several sheets of writing paper inside a construction paper cover.  You can provide the cover copy and illustration, or not!  They can certainly make their own.

Next I demonstrate writing a sentence containing a contraction, then make a quick illustration.

Finally, I send them off to do their writing and drawing.  The books they produce provide insight into which children may need more contractions instruction.  Their compilations always make me smile.

If you try this project, consider these suggestions:

1. You can easily differentiate the assignment by limiting or increasing the number of pages in the booklet.
2. Challenge your more capable writers to include more than one contraction in the sentence. (See the last page above.)
3. Discourage the use of markers. Those sheets of writing paper with illustration space at the top are thin! The marker will bleed through. Encourage the children to use crayons or colored pencils.

FALL RESOURCES for ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS

 

It's about time for FALL!  That means you'll need fun activities with a fall theme for your elementary classroom.

Acorns are a sure sign of fall and these ACORN CENTERS will bring the feeling of fall into your primary lessons.

4 of these centers focus on ELA skills:

3 centers focus on math skills:

If you'd like to see more about these centers, watch the following video:

All of these centers are available in print and digitally on TPT Easel.  You can also save 30% by buying the bundle! 

It's About Time for a Gingerbread Man Unit!

December is the perfect month for a gingerbread man unit.  Just in time for your study, I have 2 literacy centers to extend the learning.

Contraction Cookies is CCSS aligned for grades 1-3, but would be a great resource for kindergarteners who are already proficient readers.  Not surprisingly, it provides practice with contractions.  It is HOLIDAY NEUTRAL, so you can use it with students who do not participate in holiday activities, and/or employ the center at other times of the year.

Gingerbread Man Compound Words also extends your gingerbread man study.  It, too, is CCSS aligned for gr. 1-3.  The compound words are seasonal, but not holiday specific (e.g. peppermint, snowball).  So, once again, this center is appropriate for children who do not join in holiday celebrations.  

Both literacy centers include labels for your center folder, work mats, gingerbread men word cards, recording sheets, and answer keys.

Enjoy your gingerbread man time!

It's About Time for Some Monster Love!

Children love monsters.

Monsters love synonyms.

Therefore, children love synonyms!

At least they will when you set up this literacy center:

Monsters Love Synonyms is a literacy center in which your little monster lovers will find pairs of synonyms. 36 monster cards are provided, allowing your students to find up to 18 pairs. You should tailor the number to fit the age and stage of your students. 2 versions of the recording sheet allow you to easily differentiate the task. Moreover, 2 versions of the cards are included: 1 in color, 1 in grayscale. If you choose the ink saving version, I recommend printing the cards on colored cardstock to add a little more pizzazz.  

Don't let the love stop there! Try Monsters Love Antonyms, too. In this center, your learners will find antonym pairs.  

Share some more monster love with Monsters Love Homophones. Did I mention that all of these centers include an anchor chart for display in your center?

You can share even more love with Monsters Love Contractions!

But wait! There's even more love to be had. Get all of these centers in one big bundle of love:

While these monster-ous centers have overtones of Valentine's Day, monsters know no season. There are no references to the holiday, so you can use these centers any time of the year. Remember, children love monsters!

12 Days of Christmas -- Day 6

It's the 6th day of my

My gift today is Contraction Cookies Literacy Center.

Although it offers a hint of the holidays, this center activity is actually holiday neutral. Thus, you can use it any time of year.  (It is great for a gingerbread man unit.)

Contraction Cookies aligns specifically with ELA-Literacy.L.2.2c. However, it is appropriate for first and third grades, as well.  

Here's a peek at this fun center:

Hustle over to my TPT store to score my gift to you.  Enjoy!

You may also be interested in these center activities:

Literacy Centers to Light Up Your December!

Merry Monkeys is a literacy center focusing on antonyms. It is CCSS aligned for grades 4 and 5. However, I have used this center with advanced 1st graders!  So, really, any grade level could enjoy it.

The 48 cards challenge your students to find pairs of antonyms.  It can be a simple matching exercise, or you could have small groups play Go Fish with the cards.  Also included are labels for your file folder.


In Gingerbread Compounds, your students will mend the broken gingerbread cookies by finding the parts that make compound words.  There are 12 cookie tops, 12 cookie bottoms, 3 work mats, labels for your center folder, and 2 recording sheets.  

Despite the Santa hats on the cover, this center is holiday neutral. None of the graphics the children use have the holiday images, except on 1 form of the recording sheet. (The other form maintains the neutrality.) Thus, if you are doing a unit on gingerbread men, fairy tails, or plain old compound words, you can use this center at any time of the year. Gingerbread Compounds is CCSS aligned and best suited for grades 1 - 3.



I really love the gingerbread graphics from Pink Cat Studio, so I used them again for Contraction Cookies. In this CCSS aligned center, your students will match contractions with their component parts.  

This center is also holiday neutral. There are 3 cookie sheet work mats, 24 cards to make 12 contraction pairs, center labels, and a recording sheet.


Your students will determine how many syllables are in the holiday themed words in Friendly Frog's Syllable Sort. Included are 3 work mats, 18 picture/word cards, labels for your folder, and a black line recording sheet.


  

Check back soon for December math centers and critical thinking centers.