Another Apple Idea

Our new reading series has a lesson on positional words. A boring dull lesson that uses pictures in a book. In keeping with our apple theme this week, I die cut apples out of red card stock and made worms out of yarn. We punched a hole in the apple. We added tape on one end of the yarn for easy threading and a face.

The students sat around the edge of the rug (perimeter sit) and then LISTENed. I asked them to move their worm into different positions. A little story could be made up as well. Our lesson had the students putting the worm through, beside, over, . . . . . the apple.  We sent the apple and worm home with a note home for parents with all the directional words too.

Simple, fun and effective!

Click note above to get your own copy of parent note.

Apple Projects All Week and Free Math Page

Last year I put my apple week projects together for TPT.  Well, that works out well for me too.  Everything was all set for me this year.

We started the week using attributes to sort the apples we each brought to school (see big apple above).  I've got a great big canvas graphing chart that a previous teacher left. It works perfectly for making graphs with objects. previous apple blog post.

I planted myself at the Science Station and helped students examine apples using their 5 senses. What does an apple smell like? Kids thought GRASS, JUICE and HANDS. We worked together to fill out our Lab Reports.

Together we made accordion math books: cut, color, glue and label.

Once again Hiding the Worm was a favorite station.  The kids love hiding the worm behind an apple with a Sight Word or Letter Sound. Then their peers have to name the word or sound to see if the worm is behind.

This Fine Motor project was completed following picture and word directions - no teacher help. Pretty darn good (someone always has to put on way too many seeds).

We started writing our non-fiction books and will be finishing them next week.  Next year I am setting aside TWO weeks for apple projects. 

FREE Math Practice Page - Skills: count apples to 5, which has more

Free Math Page and Sight Word Game Idea

Oh, no!  I haven't posted in a month - a busy busy month but still.

It seems like I have posted about all my favorite September projects before. My class is particularly amusing this year but their antics aren't really helpful unless you just need a laugh.

Here's a Sight Word Game I whipped together to add something different to the introduction of the sight words me, he, she, be, we:

Yes, those are MY dog bone shoes.

I wrote each word on a different color of large construction paper - once facing out on each side. I cut the pieces into squares so they would fit all together on a table later. I laminated them so we could use them over and over. I divided my class into 4 teams.  Each team sat (but they ended up standing) on one side of our large rectangular rug.  The team had a list of the 5 sight words. WeMeHeSheBe (click to link to PDF of list). I spread the word squares down the middle of the rug. One person from a team tosses a dog beanie baby towards the words.  The student reads the word and the team captain or any member of the team checks off the word.  Then I pass the beanie to the next team. The kids decided that the beanie just had to be touching the paper.  Of course I let kids help each other, but it wasn't necessary as everyone seemed to read the words each time (YES!). The team needs to consult their list before tossing the beanie - more reading words. It was quick and the students seemed to have fun. I put the cards on a table during reading workshop and kids sat and dropped the beanie on the cards and read the words - whatever gets them reading!



Here's a basic math sheet for practice counting sets to 5.

How Many? Flower theme to 5

I hope your students are as fun as mine are this year.