writing

  • Preschool back to school activity

    A freebie for you!

    I’ve added a new freebie for you! This backpack name activity is from the Month of Preschool set for August. It’s such a cute, easy way to celebrate being back in the classroom, while also practicing an essential preschool skill – name recognition and writing. Doing this project can also be an excellent opportunity for assessment. You’ll get to observe how children hold crayons or markers, their writing skills, what letters they recognize, how well they already know their name, and if they can use scissors. It might take some time and patience, especially if you’re working with a group that is brand new to preschool. The information that you’re…

  • preschool birthday

    It’s a Birthday!

    This is a big week inn our house – we’re celebrating my daughter’s 6th birthday! We just got home from a Memorial day camping trip, and are excited to party with friends and family next weekend. This means that our week is sure to be a blur of cleaning up from one trip and preparing for the next event. I’ve got so many cute things to share after her party, you know that I’ve been DIY-ing all of it. Until then, I’m making my birthday vocabulary cards FREE on TPT until next Tuesday. Go download your copy now!

  • Preschool St. Patrick's day

    St. Patrick’s Day Writing Center

    I’m so ready to share my St. Patrick’s Day language materials with you! The focus of this center is storytelling, and the items that I have available for the holiday really support that. So let’s dive in! Leprechaun Dress Up – Who wouldn’t want to be a leprechaun?! Chasing rainbows and searching for gold sounds like an amazing adventure, and children can use these materials to act that out. I’ve got tutus, bow ties, feather boas, fun glasses, and headbands. I’ve also included top hats, blazers and vests, and messenger bags in the past. Shamrock Cupcake Letter Match – These cupcakes are just the cutest, and sometimes that’s all it…

  • valentine writing center

    Valentine’s Language Center

    Valentine’s Day has a special place in my heart (see what I did there). January can be a long, dreary month and having something fun to look forward to can really change the mood. If you’re like me – looking forward to a holiday that’s all about warmth and love – and you’re planning what this will look like in your classroom, then I have some materials that might be just what you need! Here’s my Valentine writing center: I want children to get excited about using these materials, and I do that by making them inviting – adding decorations, related textiles, and touches that create a homey and comforting…

  • Friday Freebie – Summer Writing Prompts

    Happy Friday! I have such a great idea for you today – I did a training last week and one of the participants was sharing that she is doing summer journals with all of her students.  She thought that this would be a good way to continue the writing and language work that they started during the school year, without really feeling like they were doing “work”.  She is planning on having them take their journals along with them on all of their fun summer trips so that they can write or draw what they learned and how they felt about the experience.  These Summer Writing Prompts from Kinder Molly,…

  • Joy in Everyday – For the Classroom

    In Monday’s post I promised to share some ideas to incorporate my Joy in Everyday routine into the classroom.  Well, here they are! When I started putting this together I had a couple of ideas, but as I worked I came up with a few more.  I’m really excited about what I have to share with you! So check this out – you can find this entire set in my TPT store! This set includes monthly calendars, weekly calendars, and list sheets so that you and your students can track your everyday joys in whichever way works best for you. It also has a simple mini book that is designed…

  • Easter Writing Centers

    There are so many Easter-themed activities out there, I’m sure that just a quick Pinterest search would fill your lesson plan for the next two weeks.  Unfortunately, to find the great ideas you generally have to sift through all of the duds, and the ads.  So this week I’m going to do the work for you, I’ll be rounding up all of the best Easter activities so that you’ve got them all in one place! It is so much easier to put together writing center activities when you have a theme that children really want to write about.  Holidays are the perfect themes because little ones are already excited about…

  • Friday Freebie – Friendship Valentines

    Happy Friday! This has been one of those weeks where I’ve had something crazy every night, and I am so ready for the weekend – I’ve got some sleeping in to do! Today’s freebie is perfectly timed. It goes with my posts this week, which have been all about friendship, collaboration, and building your classroom community. It would also be a perfect addition to your writing center for Valentine’s day. These cute little notes are fun for kiddos to color, and they each have a fun little message.  Children can decorate them and share them with their friends all week long! You can download them from A Burst of First so…

  • Friday Freebie – Ice cream writing

    Happy Friday! It may be summer, but Fridays are still just as exciting.  There’s something about knowing that the weekend is almost here that makes me feel great! This week has been all about ice cream.  I shared Ice Cream Dramatic Play Ideas, gave you a new Ice Cream Recipe to try in the classroom, and shared my re-vamped Ice Cream Activities.  Now I have a cute ice cream freebie for you too. This ice cream writing activity is from One Step Closer Teaching. It will help your students organize their summer plans, and give you a great writing project to share on an end of the year bulletin board.…