Blog - Pencils to Pigtails

CVC Words for Kindergarten

January 10, 2023

CVC words for kindergarten can be taught in an engaging and fun way! In fact, teaching students to read CVC words is one of my favorite strategies to teach. You will see that lightbulb turn on and as you know, that is one of the best feelings an educator can get! In this blog post, you will learn how to plan effective literacy centers, gather examples of cvc words, and find a fun surprise to help your students practice letter sounds! I’ll be sharing my favorite ways to tackle everything from decodable readers to cvc word lists.

Everything you will read about is based on the Science of Reading approach and research-based best practices. After reviewing this blog post, you will have a toolkit of different activities to help young learners build confidence in their abilities to read those first words! You’ll also find a free download of hands-on activities at the end of the post!

What does CVC mean?

The term CVC stands for consonant-vowel-consonant words. The vowel is always a short sound. Hop is an example of a CVC word. These are different from CV (consonant vowel) or even CVCe (Consonant vowel consonant – sneaky e) words which will have an e that changes the initial vowel sound. Before you even begin to think about sight words or how to teach high frequency words, you need to make sure students can confidently build and read CVC words. I have taught many grade levels but my time in kindergarten was especially fun. Kindergarten kids are at such an exciting time to build a strong foundation and strengthen reading skills. I love to see students light up when they realize they are actually cracking the code and reading a new word!

Where do I begin?

I always like to start the year by explicitly teaching students to say the sound first and then recognize the letter names that spell each sound. You read that right! Based upon over 30 years of Science of Reading research, it is best to phrase your question by saying “What letter spells /f/ or /t/ instead of asking what sound the letter makes. Simply put, letters don’t MAKE sounds, they spell sounds. When students have the ability to spell vowel and consonant sounds they are ready to really dive into CVC word work.

A deep dive into phonics instruction is best. It is essential that students can segment words into a beginning, middle or medial sound, and final sound.

There are many different ways to teach students to read a three-letter word. When they have a good understanding of short vowel sounds and all of the individual sounds, they will be ready to start cvc word activities.

(Head to one of these blog posts If you want to read more about how I use a Sound Wall and Science of Reading strategies with my students to teach them essential phonics skills!)

Small Groups

Although we tackle this in whole group as well, I love to place students in differentiated literacy centers. I am able to really assess their understanding, practice different cvc words with the ones who are ready, and give time for students to have plenty of independent practice. Sometimes they are looking at an anchor chart and using magnetic letters to spell new words. Other times they are completing the folder tasks and digital games that we will talk more about in just a second. Either way, small groups are a great way to practice reading CVC word cards or nonsense words.

Fun Games

Students BEG to play these movement games. Of course, I know that a CVC Word Game is an easy way to strengthen their abilities to read every word! I love to play this game when we have just a few minutes before lunch or going to a specialty class. I ask my young readers to sit on the carpet. Then, I pull out our themed container of letter cards, short vowel words, numbers, or whatever skill we are practicing. I call individual students to the front and we all sing a cute little rhyme together. If the student pulls a picture card, they have to do a little dance, wobble in a circle, or mime the activity. If they pull a card with a CVC pattern, I am ready to differentiate the lesson. I can ask the student to tell me the beginning sound, read the consonant-vowel-consonant pattern, think of a word with a similar ending sound, and so on. It’s such an easy and fun way to practice a variety of skills!

You can learn more about these games by heading here!

Nonsense Words

What are nonsense words exactly? Let’s take a closer look. Nonsense words are words that follow the typical phonics rules but they are not actual words. Sometimes we refer to them as silly words or pseudo-words. They are basically parts of a whole word. For example, zeb would be a nonsense word. The middle vowel is short and the beginning and end of the word are pronounced as they normally would be. When students are reading nonsense words, they should use basic phonemic awareness skills to read the word pattern.

If we divide the word carpet into parts, we would have “car” and “pet”. Both of these word parts are real words. However, most words can not be broken into real words. Therefore, it is extremely helpful for students to be able to confidently read each part of a word – nonsense or not!

Nonsense words have bene popular and unpopular depending on which curriculum you are using. According to research, the ability to decode word parts is essential so nonsense words can be very helpful with this!

To practice nonsense words, you can simply write the words on a whiteboard during a small group lesson and ask students to read them. I also like to give each student a whiteboard or allow them to write on my wipeable kidney shaped table. I will say a nonsense word and they have to segment the word in order to write each sound in Elkonin boxes or blank spaces.

Sound Boxes

Elkonin Boxes are also referred to as sound boxes. You may have seen teachers use tokens and a magnetic wand to work on segmenting and blending simple words. I like to begin with empty sound boxes. As the student segments the words, they move a token, mini-eraser, letter, or other small object into the box.

Students can also press a ball of play dough down as they read each sound. I’ve worked with many students on this skill and this idea is always a huge hit! Think about the word cat. As the student says /c/ they push down a ball of play dough in the first box. When they say the medial vowel sound or short /a/ in this instance, they push down the middle ball of play dough. They finish by saying the final sound and pressing that ball down. There is something about adding in that additional fine motor practice that makes this so fun!

You can read more about those centers here!

Clip Cards

These Look-Alike Clip Cards for students are so much fun! It’s a good idea to practice these with students first but then they can work on them independently. You will be sneaking in essential fine motor skills too!

I love building simple phonics rules with these cards. My middle child was the queen of guessing words when she was little. Long before I had really researched the Science of Reading, I taught her to look at pictures to guess what was happening on the page. She would happily sit beside Aniston and I while we practiced reading skills. She would jabber on and on about what she thought was happening in her stack of books. Unfortunately, this practice can backfire. Heidi had a huge vocabulary and when she was totally able and ready to decode CVC words, she preferred guessing instead. Both of my daughters were prone to guess a much more difficult vocabulary word instead of using phonics skills to figure it out!

Look-Alike mats and clip cards prevent this. They HAVE to pay attention to each letter in order to get them correct. These Look-Alike CVC Word mats and clip cards are a great place to start!

Word Family

Working with cvc word families helps students blend the middle and final sound of the word. This is a great strategy that aligns with the Science of Reading approach. For example, if students are working on the -at family, they will become experts at adding the beginning sound to each word. After all, it is easier for students to read /b/ and blend it with “at” then it would be to blend all 3 sounds at once.

As a kindergarten teacher and when teaching other grade levels, I have always loved to use folder games to practice building CVC words and I typically divide those up according to the respective word family. If you click on the photo above, you will see my word family sets. I also have CVC sets like the one you see below!

Folder Games

At the beginning of my teaching career, I spent two years as a fourth grade teacher. I then looped up with most of my students to be their 5th grade teacher. I really enjoyed having that group of students twice! However, I knew my heart was with lower grades. When a position opened for kindergarten, I jumped at the chance!

A 5th grade team member gave me some folder games from her previous years as a first grade teacher. These games had been used for years and years. Some of them had to be taped back together but they were a major hit with my students. I loved to use them with early finishers, for morning work, and students even picked them out during indoor recess!

CVC Word Building Folder Games for Kindergarten

I got right to work creating hundreds of games for my students to enjoy. With the CVC sets, you will work on individual phonemes and building those decodable words. They are divided by vowels, but the bundle is the best value. I just updated all of these games so now is a great time to grab those! (You may be interested in my nursery rhyme or fairy tale sets. They are teacher favorites!)

In fact, I’ve decided to gift newsletter subscribers with two adorable games to play! Head here to make sure you are on the list and grab 2 fun freebies to try with your kids!

Boom Cards

I’m extremely careful when it comes to screen time for my kindergarten students. My husband and kids are often rolling their eyes and giggling about how when Mom comes in the room, the tv WILL be turned off! In fact, my kids don’t have any kind of tablet at home!

With that said, I do think that Boom Cards are extremely user-friendly and can serve a purpose. They are basically the folder games in a digital format. I like that the Boom Cards are self-checking. While I’m working with a small group of ESL or first grade students, I can have some of my other students practicing cvc activities using the many Boom Card games I’ve created. These were popular during the pandemic, but they are still a great way to practice a variety of phonological awareness skills. Every Boom Card game I’ve created includes sound and kids love them!

If you are interested in trying Boom Cards with your students, you can click here to go directly to the Boom website to grab them there.

If you prefer to use TPT, you can click any of these links:

CVC Words
Blends
Fairy Tales (Teacher & Student Favorite!)
Nursery Rhymes (They love these too!)
Color by Code
High Frequency Word Practice
Holiday
All Boom Cards by Pencils to Pigtails

Google Slides

I also created Google Slides versions of the games. Teachers who use Google Classroom to assign lessons, find these helpful. These also include sound although I’ve had teachers report that it is a little more difficult to get the sound to play on these when using an ipad. (To get around this, don’t use the Google Slides app and make sure you are in edit mode instead of present mode!)

Grab those here:

Writing Center

I’m thrilled to share that Deedee Wills and I have teamed up on an amazing new resource that will help your students with oral blending and CVC words. I’ve been using the activities with my students and girls at home and we love it already!

No matter what phonics program you use, you will find this writing center helpful. It is completely aligned with the Science of Reading approach! You will find picture cards to hang in front of students. Each printable worksheet includes writing practice and has matching cards. There are so many activities to choose from to strengthen important skills. I just know your students will love this center too. You will LOVE how they are practicing a variety of skills with each downloadable worksheet. This one resource covers your writing center for the entire version and comes in color as well as a black and white version. You can learn more about this center here.

Fun Freebies

I’m thrilled to share these exclusive newsletter subscriber freebies with you! You will get 2 sets: Silly Yetis and Start Your Engines!

Your kids are SURE to love them!

Free Word Building Games for Kindergarten

You can also grab a free Rainy Day folder game in my TPT store!

Okay, how are you feeling? Excited? I know that you will love practicing CVC words with your children! Leave me a comment or click the “Contact Me” button to let me know how you work on these with your kids or if the freebies will help!

Happy Teaching and Parenting today friends!

Classroom Decoration Ideas

October 18, 2022

Classroom Decor Ideas and Inspiration

Classroom decoration ideas can help you create a calming environment. Today I’m sharing the easiest ways to update your room on a budget. I’m also sharing my favorite bulletin board ideas and transformations!

Creating a Calming Environment

I’ve been teaching for fifteen years. During that time, I’ve read countless studies about the difference a well organized classroom can make for students. The results are even stronger when you have a student diagnosed with ADHD. A more calming environment with less “stuff” can truly help your children succeed. Teachers with well organized and less cluttered classrooms tend to have higher test scores since students are truly able to focus on what matters. Where do you begin? Let’s start with color schemes! (This post contains affiliate links with no extra cost to you!)

Primary Colors

Of course, if you have been here for a while, you know I started my teaching journey using primary colors. Instead of having a good classroom theme, I simply looked for anything with those colors. It was easy to find items at garage sales or thrift stores that would match my color scheme. After all, how many times do you see rainbow-themed supplies? The summer before my first year of teaching I just loved to look around at yard sales for EVERYTHING that my future kids might need.

If you want to read about my previous classroom setup, you can go here.

I still use primary colors in my centers and folder bins. Children enjoy the bright colors and they can sometimes add just the right amount of excitement to an activity. Resist the urge to change everything!

Calming Classroom Decoration Ideas

If you are ready to take the leap with me, these are my best classroom decoration ideas and tips to help you create a calming classroom. Although, if you want to skip to a resource that will help you, head here!

After about 10 years of those primary colors, I was ready for a change. Even though they didn’t know it my students would respond to this change in a positive way. This time, I wanted to make sure all of my classroom decorations were intentional and had a purpose. Every single item in my classroom needed to prove useful or it would be gifted or donated to someone else.

White Space

First, I made sure to leave plenty of white space. One of the first things I did was tear all decorations and photos off of my door. Our State Fire Marshall has asked teachers to keep their doors plain and decoration free so my classroom door is one place that is now empty. I currently strive to only fill about 25% of my classroom walls with decor. (This keeps the Fire Marshall happy too!)

Throughout the year, we will create and add anchor charts that will be added. The photo above shows how I covered the fluorescent lights with these cloud covers. They are absolutely beautiful. I’ve suffered from migraines for years and really think they helped with those too.

Bulletin Board Ideas

Next, I replaced my bulletin boards with peg boards. There are so many creative ways to use pegboards in the classroom. This will be covered in more depth in a later blog post but it was one of the best ways that I’ve updated the classroom. I no longer waste time changing out bulletin board paper or searching for bulletin board borders. This is such a simple but great way to quickly change out your standards and learning objectives.

Interactive Writing and Math Centers

The peg boards are the perfect place to put my interactive centers. Changing a bulletin board into something that I no longer stressed over truly brought me some freedom. Even better, the unused bulletin boards became interactive centers and work areas where 2 children could sit and CHOOSE what they wanted to work on. If you would like to learn more about how I use interactive writing and math centers, head here!

Sound Wall

One of the biggest changes to my room was the implementation of my Sound Wall. If you are following the Science of Reading approach, a Sound Wall that consists of Vowel Valley and a Consonant Wall is so important. You can grab your FREE individual Sound Walls and Science of Reading tips here. I really enjoy using these black pocket charts (affiliate link) for my Sound Wall. It is so nice to keep extra cards in the bottom pocket.

If you are really diving into the research behind the Science of Reading, you need your classroom centers to be organized in the best possible way as well. Head here to read about the centers I use in my classroom.

White Farmhouse Kitchen in Kindergarten Classroom

Donate or Give to Students

The best thing I did was DECLUTTER! I spent time donating items that I no longer used. I know as a mom how much children love to play with teaching materials. Consider sending home readers, books from your classroom library, and games that you haven’t utilized in the last year or so. I can promise you that your kids will love playing with them but you will be secretly sneaking in some learning opportunities and extra practice for them!

My students were sent home with puppets and books. I had so many puppets and was ready to part with some. I showed students how they could help their puppets learn to read or read to their new friends. Then I sent them home with readers from a previous textbook adoption and books I no longer used in my classroom library. They were thrilled!

I donated a kitchen I no longer used to a church and another kitchen to a new teacher.

These are just some of the ways that I made more space making my classroom feel so much larger!

Classroom Decoration Ideas using White Bins

Classroom Decoration Ideas: Exchanging Bins

I exchanged baskets or tubs for ones with texture or calming colors. I went to the Dollar Tree and used their website to purchase 30 white tubs to replace the colorful tubs above my cubbies.

Classroom Center Storage using Ikea Trofast Shelves

Calming Classroom Colors

I have used my classroom decor bundle to introduce lots of whites, blues, greens, succulents, and other subtle pops of color. Using classroom decor sets like mine will help you achieve a cohesive look. It’s an easy way to create a comfortable and welcoming learning environment. The blue is the perfect accent color to pair with white. I’m in love with the finished result! I’ve honestly noticed that classroom management is easier with the less jarring colors and more space for my students to move around.

Grab the classroom decor pack I created here.

Monthly Tub Labels

Want to try out the bundle first? I’ve created this set of monthly tub labels that you can grab for free by signing up for my newsletter list.

I use these monthly tub labels to hold everything I need for each month. They are stored in hanging file folders with tabs that are labeled “Parent Communication”, “Handouts”, “Assessments”, “Monthly Projects”, “Crafts”, etc. Then I keep ONE (YES! Just one!) copy of each thing I need in the hanging file folders. This will really help you reduce your paper trail and quickly find what you need.

Now, it’s important to remember what to put in the tubs. When you are organizing, you only want to put handouts that are specific for that month in there. Think back to school items for August, Grandparents Day printables in September, and fall things in October and November. Then, items that don’t go with a specific month are placed in other tubs or file folders to make them easy to find.

Classroom Decoration Ideas using Faux Boxwood

This is a little bit of an investment but a small amount can go a long way. I tend to cover large walls with this but a small wall has a huge impact. You can find faux boxwood panels on Amazon or even in the Target Dollar Spot!

Great Work GROWS Here

This is the BEST and my favorite way to display student work. I used faux boxwood and clothespins to quickly change out their best work. Students are even invited to change the work out when they’ve finished something they are proud to show off.

Brick Wallpaper

Have you ever tried using wallpaper in your classroom? Me either! I decided to cover up some ugly walls in my classroom. I started by buying wallpaper like this from Amazon . Then I used foam tape to press it on to the wall. I’ve also used hot glue. It works although it’s hard to reuse the wallpaper that way. I just loved the way this turned out and put it on one large wall in my classroom. This made for the most inviting classroom library ever!

Classroom Decoration Ideas using Egg Chairs

Wondering about the chairs? I get so many questions about those! I purchased mine from Walmart. They are kid size and less expensive than the Target ones. However – they are still expensive. My girls used them at home at first and they will return home with me at some point. I love that outdoor fabric is used on them. You can toss the pillows in the washer and it’s so sturdy. Keep an eye out on craigslist or FB marketplace. I’ve seen many people selling these!

Differentiated Centers

I love my center storage. It took me many years to figure out what types of learning centers and organization work best for my classroom. I have 3 Trofast Storage Units from Ikea. This is another item that I decided to purchase with my own money so I can reuse them at home at some point. I’ve been so pleased with them. They hold so much. The kids are really good about cleaning up when they have an organized way to do so.

They don’t know it but these tubs are differentiated according to what they need more practice with! The first set of drawers 1-9 are used with my medium/average group. Then, drawers 10 – 18 are used with my lower ability group. Finally, drawers 19 – 27 are used with my classroom experts. I love to call them experts! I simply change out the drawers as needed to keep them fun.

In a later blog post, I’ll go into this in more detail but students are told to pick one drawer from the set they are assigned (1-9, 10-18, or 19-27). Then

Ombre Bookshelf

One of my favorite updates was this ombre bookshelf I created. Isn’t she beautiful? Using ombre colors on such a statement piece in your classroom is such a fun idea.

This bookshelf was on it’s way to the dump and an ugly rusty brown color when I first found it. I spray painted it red so it sat like that for years. When I grew tired of the red, I picked out several ombre colors. I set those up in the order I wanted them and set to work on every other shelf. Later, I taped off the ones I was finished with and painted the other shelves. You can see videos of this on my IG page if you are still a little confused. The results were beautiful! I’ve never had so much fun pulling painters tape off. Worth it!

Mini-Eraser Storage

Are you obsessed with mini-erasers like me? We use them in our task cards and as math manipulatives. I love to search for different ones at the Target Dollar Spot. Honestly, I just think they are the quickest way to really up the engagement and get students excited about a not-so-exciting task.

These containers at Michaels Craft Store work perfectly. You can usually fit the whole set into one little box. Your students can learn how to open and close the lids. When we are ready to start a new task that might include one-to-one correspondence or letter formation, I tell the kids to pick out a favorite. They instantly light up! You have provided them with a choice and something that keeps the task interesting.

Classroom Decoration Ideas: Rugs

I have absolutely loved my new classroom rugs. They aren’t exactly new. The first one was repurposed from my living room. The green leafy rug was funded through a Donor’s Choose grant. You can head over here to learn how I use Donor’s Choose with my students.

Classroom Rug Donated through Donor's Choose Website

I hope you’ve enjoyed this virtual tour of my classroom! I’ll be back with another post soon! Let me know if you have any questions!

Kindergarten I Can Statements

October 14, 2022

Kindergarten I Can Statements will help students stay focused and engaged! Today I’m sharing what resource is used and loved by more teachers and students than anything I’ve ever created!

Gamechanger!

These student-friendly I Can Statements are a total game changer! Every primary grade teacher in my school uses these so students can focus on the daily objectives.

Have you used I Can statements in your classroom? These simple student-friendly sentences are the best way to keep your students engaged and focused on the intended learning.

I created these student-friendly statements to help children focus on the intended learning objectives. Every single Common Core Standard for the Kindergarten grade level was meticulously broken down so that they make sense to kids. (If you are teaching a different grade level or use a different set of standards – no worries! I’ve got those too!)

Raise Observation Scores

I was a certified evaluator while teaching in the classroom for my school district for several years. During that time, I was able to learn and grow from visiting other classrooms in your building. It’s an amazing opportunity if you ever get the chance to do so!

One thing I did notice is that teachers struggle with how to address the Common Core Standards. You’ve been there, right? I know I have. We roll our eyes thinking that something is not developmentally appropriate. We laugh at the advanced language used in the standard. How in the world are we supposed to explain that complicated language to kids? It’s a struggle to put it gently! You can use these statements to raise your observation scores. Be sure to introduce the I Can Statement and go over it again at the beginning, middle, and end of your lesson!

Student-friendly Wording

Teachers were also overwhelmed by the amount of standards and how to rephrase the objective to make sure kids understood what they were learning.

The key to solving this dilemma is to use student-friendly wording. There is no need for the children to hear the complete Common Core Standard at the beginning of the lesson. It is certainly not necessary to say the complete standard in the middle and at the end of the lesson.

Top of the Page

Instead, try using a simple I Can statement. To begin, I like to show students one of these pages as I introduce the intended learning for the day.

At the top of each page in a bold print, you will find a student-friendly I Can Statement. This helps students take ownership of their learning.

Bottom of the Page

At the bottom of the page in a bold print, you will find the complete Common Core Standard. This is so you can quickly reference this standard and expectation as needed.

In the middle of the lesson and again at the end, I go over our I Can statement so students can do a little self evaluation about their own understanding.

I Can Statements Aligned with Common Core

Some teachers simply hang these on their white board or bulletin board. I love to use clips on my interactive writing and math bulletin boards to make them easy to switch out.

Coloring Sheets or Exit Tickets!

I’ve also seen teachers use these as coloring pages after students master a standard or simply to introduce one. I thought it was a completely genius idea to add a black and white copy on the back of a handout students are working on so that they understand the objective. This helps administrators and parents as well as the students understand what the learning target is!

When it comes to report card time, you will be ready to reference the standards to see which ones your students have mastered!

Kindergarten I Can Statements for Students

When I assess for report cards or midterm reports, I pull out the I Can statement. This is so helpful!

Kindergarten I Can Statements to set by stations or centers

Remember, you can print these in color or in black and white. If you use black and white, consider printing them on colored paper so the colors match your decor!

Kindergarten I Can Statements Aligned with Common Core Standards

I hope you LOVE using these with your kids!

Common Core Aligned I Can Statements

The following ones are available!

Florida and Tennessee Specific Standards

Now, the following state specific standards are available!

I Cans for Kindergarten Florida Standards (Currently being updated to include new standards!)
I Cans for First Grade Tennessee Standards (Includes Math, ELA, Science, and Social Studies!)
I Cans for Kindergarten Tennessee Standards (Includes Math, ELA, Science, and Social Studies)

Looking for Science of Reading activities? Head here!

If classroom decor is on your mind, head this way!

Have a great day teaching & parenting friends!

Science of Reading Activities and Mapping Mats

August 23, 2022

I’m sharing how I use Science of Reading activities and mapping mats with preschool, kindergarten, and first grade students! These mats help build essential blending and segmenting skills children need for building words. Read on to find out how we make word building fun and exciting by incorporating a variety of manipulatives!

Flip It Mats aligned with the Science of Reading Approach

Science of Reading Activities and Mapping Mats for Young Children

It is such an exciting time in education! The research is FINALLY starting to sink in and so many educators are really taking the plunge to incorporate the Science of Reading into their literacy practices. If you want to learn more about how I started incorporating these strategies in my classroom, head here to read about the Sound Wall I use or here to read about some of the other Science of Reading Literacy Centers I’m using in my classroom.

Nothing about the Science of Reading has to be boring. That’s one reason I use these adorable “Flip it” mats with my kids. There is just something about the “Flip” that makes them so fun!

Mapping Mats for Preschool, Kindergarten, and First Grade Students

Flip It Mats

First of all, I really think the best way to set these up is to slide them in a dry-erase pocket. I have 4 of these pockets so when students are ready to work on this independently, I set up 4 places to sit like this one.

Next, I teach them how to use the mats. They simply “Flip it” as in flip one card from the stack over. Then, they “Say it” which simply means they should say the word out loud. Cards are included with or without words on the bottom so you can differentiate the skill according to student need.

Next, they map the word. They can map the word by writing each sound or with any other small object you can think of!

Finally, children write the word. This is when you will be so glad you used dry-erase pockets. They enjoy using those markers plus they can reuse that mat again and again!

Mini-Erasers

I always let children choose what mini-eraser they want to use. This child chose the earth-shaped ones. Adding that extra bit of choice in there really adds to the engagement factor!

Segmenting and Blending Mapping Mats for Children

The mat above and below are from a different set of mapping mats, but you can see how for the photo above, they chose ice cream cones. In the mat below, they chose dogs!

Science of Reading Mats for Preschool, Kindergarten, and First Grade Students

Anytime I see mini-erasers in the Target Dollar Spot, Dollar Tree, or anywhere else, I’m totally guilty of snatching them up! I just think they are so cute and engaging!

Letters

I feel like I was one of the last people to know about these adorable letters. (This is an affiliate link which means you get them at the same price but it helps keep this blog going!)

They are perfect for word building. Make sure to grab this lowercase letter set. I love that they have lines to indicate what side they should be turned to and that there are so many making endless word possibilities!

Don’t you love the cute bag they come in? Look how many words I could build on this practice sheet! So much fun!

Say it! Map it! Write it! Word Mapping Practice Worksheets

Of course, the mat above can be used as homework, for early finishers, or as a worksheet. You can pair it with any small counters, mini-erasers, or these adorable Banana Letters!

Math Manipulatives

There are so many ways to pair these mats with counters or other objects you already have laying around.

In this photo, you can see how the child uses colorful counting chips to segment the word. This is the perfect way for kids to practice truly hearing each sound that makes up the word before blending them.

This is another way to use the counters. You can see how you could incorporate a variety of math manipulatives here! The counting bears would be adorable! How about pom poms? Those could work too!

Play Dough

Science of Reading Activities for Young Children

You probably saw this one coming! I LOVE using play dough to help students map words. They love it even more than me. In fact, my girls choose this every single time. We roll up 3 balls. As they segment the word into 3 sounds, they press them down. I tell them to try and keep the play dough in the square and to leave a visible fingerprint in the ball when it is pressed down.

Word Mapping Mats using play dough and dry erase pockets.

I can guarantee if you start asking your kids what they choose to use, MOST of them will pick play dough! There is just something so fun about it!

Independent Practice

After we’ve EXTENSIVELY practiced using word mapping mats together, I send them off for extra practice. This could be at home practice, during literacy centers, or something I set out for early finishers.

Science of Reading Aligned Word Mapping Worksheets

Ready to Try?

Have I convinced you to try using new manipulatives yet? If you are ready to try these centers with your students, head here to grab the bundle. It is truly the best way to get a huge variety of Science of Reading activities for your students to practice those essential segmenting and blending skills. If you just want to try the Flip It Mats, you can find those here!

Happy Teaching & Parenting this week friends!

Science of Reading Literacy Centers

August 13, 2022

Science of Reading Literacy centers will help students practice essential phonemic awareness skills. These mapping mats are perfect to help students segment and blend words!

Word Mapping Mats Aligned with the Science of Reading approach

Science of Reading Literacy Centers

The more I learn about the Science of Reading approach, the more it all just makes sense! I have always been confused about why we are trying to get students to memorize so many words. Shouldn’t we spend more time teaching them basic phonemic awareness and phonics skills? Of course, the answer is yes!

After implementing my Sound Wall, I have seen a major change in the way my students are able to read and spell new words. If you are implementing the Science of Reading approach, make sure to head over here to learn about why research says you should replace Word Walls with Sound Walls!

Today I’m sharing how I use these literacy centers with my students. These centers help kids really practice those essential skills that research says is a necessary part of the learning to read progression.

Say it! Tap it! Map it! Write it! Word Mapping Mats

Segmenting Words

In order to write words, students must know how to segment a word into the individual sounds or phonemes. If you say “mop”, are students able to recognize that /m/, /o/, and /p/ make up that word? There are so many ways to practice this skill.

I like to have students say the word, tap the word, map the word, and finally write the word. You can see that in the above photo.

Word Mapping Mats for Kindergarten, First, and Second Grade Students

Say it!

First, children should say the word aloud. This helps them to hear the sounds and recognize the way their mouths pronounce the sound. I like to ask students to put their pointer finger on the picture as they say it out loud.

Have you heard this fun song? It is to the same tune as the nursery rhyme we know as “Brother John” or “Frere Jacques”. I sing it every time I want them to use their index finger. I start with my pointer finger (index finger) behind my back and bring it out in the middle of the song like I just found it.

It goes like this, “Pointer finger! Pointer finger! Where are you? Where are you? Will you come and help me? Will you come and help me? Touch and name? Touch and name!”

Tap it!

Next, it’s important that students can segment the word. One way to do this is to “Tap it!”. You can ask students to simply use a finger or a pencil. Another way to do this is to use a magician’s wand or fairy wand. This is just one way to make it more fun for children!

Segmenting and Blending with Word Mapping Mats

Map it!

Then, children will “map” the word. Mapping the word helps students visually see how many phonemes are in each one. You can do this by asking students to write the letters in the “Map it!” spot or simply use any kind of manipulative there. I love to use mini erasers for this purpose. Remember, that you can pair these mats with any small object of your choice. Use your imagination and switch it up each time to make these mats seem fresh and new for kids!

You may have guessed that I have a teensy obsession with mini-erasers by this point! The kids love walking over to choose any type they want. I love that you can find packs of them for just a dollar and engagement goes through the roof when they get to have that choice!

By the way, if you love mini-erasers as much as I do, head here to see how I use them with task cards!

Write it!

Finally, I ask kids to write the word. This is where students use their knowledge of graphemes and really connect those sounds to letters. I let my students use a pencil on the black and white mats when they are working on these for extra practice.

However, to really add excitement, simply slide these mats in dry erase pockets and let them use a dry erase marker. They LOVE using those!

Word Mapping Literacy Centers for Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade

Science of Reading Literacy Centers with Play Dough

I personally think it’s so fun to use play dough with my students to practice this skill. Let’s be honest, what child doesn’t love play dough?

To begin, roll 3 small balls for each word. Students will quickly press the balls down while segmenting the word. This is so fun in the “Tap it!” section. Something about that play dough really adds to the engagement and excitement!

Mapping Mats

These mats can be found here. For the sake of these photos, I just set these out to take the picture, but if I was using these with my students, I slide them in a dry erase pocket or sleeve. This way you can use them again and again! You will find dozens of options for every short vowel in both color or printer-friendly black and white.

I like to use the color ones with a small group, for early finishers, or morning work. I send the black and white ones home as extra practice so students can show parents what they are working on.

The way we teach kids to read is changing and this is a great way for children to “teach” their parents.

Word Mapping Mats Aligned with the Science of Reading

Science of Reading Literacy Centers Bundle

Of course, the best way to try these with your students is to grab the bundle. This bundle is PACKED with so many ways to practice skills aligned with the Science of Reading approach. You get the best value for your money but also SO MANY ways to practice essential phonemic awareness skills. The flip it mats you see above are so much fun and part of the bundle.

As always, please me know if you have any questions friends!

Happy Teaching and Parenting this week!

Varsity Patch Letters & a Freebie

August 6, 2022

Varsity Patch Letters can help you achieve that adorable Stoney Clover Lane look in your classroom! Use these letters to create versatile bulletin boards and as classroom decor wherever you need a phrase or large word! Don’t forget to grab your freebie!

Loving This Look?

So tell me, do you love the look of Stoney Clover Lane letters as much as I do? These bulletin board letters help you achieve that look anywhere in your room. I’m also sharing a fun planning freebie with you today!

I decided to create 3 packs of letters in various tones. Read though to find out if you prefer the pastel, bright, or neutral pack. If you can’t pick just one, you’re in luck because there is a bundle option!

Jewel Toned Bright Varsity Patch Letters inspired by Stoney Clover Lane

Bright Jewel-Toned Varsity Patch Letters Set

The bright jewel tones were the first set I created. I just love how colorful these look. They are beautiful against almost any background including white and wood, where they show up best. I made sure to include 5 tones of EVERY SINGLE LETTER. You will also find numbers and punctuation in the various jewel tones. I wanted you to be able to create whatever phrases or words you like without running into the issue of being stuck with the same color over and over.

I know it happens to me where I’m plugging along setting up a bulletin board only to discover that I have to use the same color over and over because of the letter sequence. No worries with any of these sets! Don’t like the green? No problem! Just use the other tones in the pack.

Neutral “Go with Anything” Varsity Patch Letters Set

I love the neutral tones if you worry about your existing decor. The white is very popular with this pack. Neutrals go with anything! You will love the way these letters and numbers look. I’ve included both larger and smaller letters in each set. You can easily create phrases or big one word titles as needed.

Pastel Varsity Patch Letters Set inspired by Stoney Clover Lane

Light and Airy Pastel Varsity Patch Letters Set

Honestly, when I was making these I thought the pastel set would be my least favorite but they are so beautiful! Once I put them together and start to spell words, I think they coordinate so great together and have such an adorable look to them. Just look at how beautiful the word “Math” looks in this set!

Pastel Light and Airy Varsity Patch Letters inspired by Stoney Clover Lane

The Varsity Patch Letters Bundle

Varsity Patch Letters Bundle of 15 tones

Of course, you will get the best bang for your buck by purchasing the bundle! It includes all 3 sets so you will have 15 tones to choose from as you create the bulletin boards and classroom decor of your dreams! In my classroom, I typically use the neutral set because I have lots of white, green, and blue in my room. However, in the hallway, I take turns using the bright and pastel sets. These ones are just so much fun!

Your Planning Freebie

Ready for your freebie? Head here to grab your EDITABLE and printable to do lists! These will also help you see what letter pack would work best in your classroom.

I love to use these to do lists to pick out my top 3 essential things that I have to accomplish each day. Bubble in the circle when you finish one. It feels so good! I use the other lined pages to take notes during any meeting. I’m a print it out type of girl so I always print them when I’m done and print a few to have on hand if I need to take notes with a pencil.

If you’re looking for more back to school ideas, head here to see how I set up my differentiated task boxes or here to read about making the switch to sound walls in the classroom!

Was this helpful? Let me know, friends. I LOVE hearing from you!

Happy Teaching & Parenting this week friends!

Love,

5 Reasons it’s Time to Use Sound Walls in the Classroom and Ditch Your Word Wall

March 27, 2022

Freebie to understand Sound Walls in the Classroom

All of the research behind the Science of Reading confirms it’s time to start using Sound Walls in the classroom. Today I’m sharing reasons why you should dive in and make the switch. In addition, I’m sharing an exclusive and helpful freebie!

Of course, when I first started hearing about Sound Walls in the classroom, I honestly wondered if it was just another swing of the pendulum. Is this a fad or something I’m going to invest time and money in only to hear that we’ve moved on to the next thing?

Vowel Valley with Mouth Formation Pictures

Know Better, Do Better

First, I read Know Better, Do Better by David and Meredith Liben and honestly, my mind was blown. Why in the world have we been teaching reading in such a confusing way? I highly recommend this book if you, like me, are wondering where to begin.

Eventually, I started to realize that some of our methods were teacher focused instead of student focused. They are based on practices that make sense to us but don’t make sense to a beginning reader. I came up with 5 reasons why it was time to get rid of my Word Wall and replace it with a student-friendly Sound Wall.

Why YOU Should Make the Switch

Sound Wall Pocket Chart with Real World Photos and Mouth Formation Visuals

1. They Make Sense

That’s right! When you really dig into bringing Sound Walls in the classroom, it just makes sense for our students. Unfortunately, Word Walls can be downright confusing. Just watch a child’s face as they try to find a word with a beginning sound that doesn’t match the most common sound made by that letter. For example, students would likely listen to the /n/ sound at the beginning of the word “know” and attempt to find it under the “N” section of a Word Wall. With a Sound Wall, students would hear the /n/ sound, locate the /n/ phoneme, and understand that “kn” is one way to read and spell the /n/ sound. To clarify, Sound Walls in the classroom are based on a student’s understanding while Word Walls are created based on a teacher’s prior understanding of the variety of spellings we have for each sound.

2. The Science of Reading is Based on Extensive Research

Recently, you’ve likely heard much about the Science of Reading. The Science of Reading is not a book or a new curriculum. It is an extensive body of research completed throughout the last forty years. It clarifies myths that memorizing hundreds of words or guessing what a word is are effective ways to teach reading.

In my own life, I am seeing my daughters try to guess words over and over rather than using phonics skills necessary to decode a difficult or unknown word. This leads to frustration for each of us and a continual reminder that they have the skills necessary to figure out the word. There is no need for their eyes to leave the word and dart around the pictures for clues. Unlike speaking, reading does not happen naturally. Instead, it needs to be explicitly taught in a systematic way in order for our students to become proficient and fluent readers.

Sound Wall Pocket Chart with Mouth Formation Visual and spelling cards

3. Include Mouth Formation Visuals

Effective Sound Walls in the classroom include mouth formation visuals for students to reference. This year, it was a real eye opener when I kept seeing a group of my ELs put their tongues OVER their teeth to pronounce the /l/ sound. However, now that I use Sound Walls in the classroom, I am able to show them the mouth formation visual. I also give them a mirror so they can check to see if they are forming the sound correctly.

Vowel Valley photo from classroom with mouth formation pictures and real world photos

4. Improve Spelling and Decoding Skills

Now, you will be amazed at the difference in your children’s ability to decode and spell difficult words. For so many years, we have taught that certain words HAD to be memorized and that they were just “rule breakers”. This is simply untrue. Many of the words that we teach students to memorize actually don’t have to be as long as we instill phonemic awareness within our students. When Sound Walls are used in the classroom, students learn new spelling patterns helping them both spell and decode unfamiliar words.

5. Make it Interactive!

Finally, let’s face it – some of you have a word wall that is more like wallpaper. It looks pretty but it’s not REALLY being utilized by students. Perhaps you are a unicorn and consistently use your word wall with students. Is it really interactive? To clarify, Sound Walls in the classroom work best when you build them WITH your students. Your students should be getting up and removing the sound spelling cards. Mine take those new sound spelling cards to their tables to use as references. In addition, children pull the mouth articulation cards out and compare their own mouths to the visuals using the provided mirrors. I know that Sound Walls in the classroom may look overwhelming at first. In reality, they are a tool created by and FOR the students!

Free flip cards with Science of Reading, Sound Wall, and Vowel Valley tips!

Ready to Try?

Well, did I convince you yet? Maybe you are willing to give Sound Walls a try. I have a gift just for you! I want you to feel confident and avoid the overwhelm that comes with making the big switch. To help, I have a ring of helpful tips and tricks that I created just for you. I’ve included everything you may have questions about in the freebie.

Click here to sign up for my newsletter and get your free ring of Teacher Tips!

A freebie that includes Individual Sound Walls for students

Today, I’m giving you everything you need for building Individual Student Folders. Both of these helpful items are included in this freebie!

Looking for more classroom inspiration? Try this post about our Teddy Bear Picnic and Sleepover or see how we use technology to practice retell strategies using our favorite fairy tales and nursery rhymes!

Be sure to leave a comment and let me know if you plan to use Sound Walls in the classroom!

Happy Teaching and Mommy-ing this week friends!

Retell Strategies using Technology for Young Children

April 23, 2020

How to Teach Retell Strategies using Technology

Today I’m sharing something that has puzzled me for quite some time: how to teach retell strategies using technology! We’ll go over how to use Boom Cards or Google™ Classroom so students can read or listen to fairy tales, practice identifying characters or setting, place the major events in order, and so much more!

School Closures due to COVID19

I came up with this idea when schools were closed due to COVID19. Not all of my students have Internet or a device to use, so I began by creating hands-on activities which were almost like a condensed version of my differentiated morning boxes. These were so fun to prep and send home for students.

Distance Learning Packets

Hands-on Activities (Say no to too many worksheets!)

Each bag contained a box (you could also use a sandwich sized plastic bag) that included I can statement cards so the parents knew exactly what objectives to work on, small cards for students to practice months worth of skills, and so much more! The cards are purposefully smaller than the morning boxes so that even if you sent home ALL of the skills, you would only have to print 15 pages for each child and you could choose color or B & W. I think that’s a pretty low number for hundreds of cards & activities! You can head here to read more about what is included in those.

These boxes have been so helpful for me and my students. I plan to use these next year as optional “Homework Boxes”.

“Homework” Boxes

These pictures give you a little bit of an idea of what is included. On a normal school schedule, I will just send one or two task cards along with the smaller activity cards so parents can really focus on a small amount of skills and each child’s will be different depending on what they need to work on. Talk about differentiation!

Free Miss You Cards

Be sure to read through to the end of this blog post so you can grab your free postcards shown above! You can tuck them in with packets or send them to students in the mail!

Retell Strategies using Technology

I knew I needed to work on essential reading strategies with my students but couldn’t figure out how I would work on these objectives without physically being with them. The major question was how could I teach retell strategies using technology? Hence, the idea for interactive fairy tales was born!

Interactive Fairy Tales

I’ve made interactive fairy tales, developed questions and answers about character and setting, and even given children chances to place major events in order all while using Boom Cards or Google™ Classroom! This idea makes them feel very game-like. You KNOW I love to use games in the classroom!

Characters, Setting, and Major Events

I love the idea of students reading or listening to the complete fairy tale and then retelling the fairy tale on their own. Students can move the characters around as they retell the story, just like if they were using puppets! For example, as Goldilocks tries out the 3 chairs, the children can move her to each chair as they tell the story. Finally, the slides conclude with several questions about characters, setting, order of events, and so much more!

Boom Learning

The fairy tales are read aloud to students if you decide to use Boom Cards. Boom Cards are also self-checking. I personally prefer using this type because I find them to be very student-friendly. It’s so nice when I’m working with students that they can complete the entire deck without ever bothering me when I’m doing small group instruction. This is all because of the integrated sound and the fact that they are self-checking. Remember when I said even more skills were included? In the fairy tale bundle, students can work on ordering objects by size, one-to-one correspondence, compound words, and so much more!

Jack and the Beanstalk one-to-one correspondence

Try the Boom Cards out Yourself!

Guess what? You can listen in to a little of the story, look through, and then try moving the characters on the first 4 slides of the set above by clicking here!

Google™ Slides Version

I do realize that not everyone prefers Boom Decks. Some of you are already using Google™ Classroom or Google™ Drive with your students. You may prefer the decks I’ve made to use with Google™ Slides. One bonus of using this version is that every deck includes some simple sentences for students to unscramble.

What Teachers are Saying

I was thrilled that other teachers are so excited about these too. Trust me, there have been many times where I was super pumped about a new product only to realize it wasn’t what teachers were really needing at the moment. WOMP! WOMP! (I definitely said that in a Charlie Brown teacher voice!)

Here are just a few reviews on these new resources!

“I LOVE the auditory component to this set!!! Many families are looking for independent learning activities during this time when they are working from home, as well. Kindergarten kids are often NOT able to read the question or the response. Thank you for adding this EXTRA feature to your bundle. I wish all BOOM card decks had this NECESSARY piece of instruction. Looking forward to more of your BOOM card creations!” -Holly

“I am a huge fairy tale fan! I love re reading a book all week and the class being so excited to act out the characters. My daughter (5 year old preschooler this year) has been enjoying the boom activities – she is so excited to complete the task on each card.” -Kara

“I just bought this bundle. This is by far THE BEST BOOM CARD stack that I have bought to date. I LOVE the auditory component, story element questions, numeral bean sort, and compound words. Please create more… just like this… GREAT JOB!” – Bill

What Else is Included

I didn’t even mention that you will also receive lots of other printables you can use when you are back together with your kids (or you have my permission to email them to parents!) Some of the bonus items include puppets, masks, word wall lists, word wall cards, differentiated writing prompts, apology letter & card templates from Jack to the Giant and from Goldilocks to the Three Bears, and so much more!

Where to Find These

You can take a look at all of my resources created specifically for Google™ Classroom here or for Boom Learning here! You can purchase the fairy tales separately or as a bundle. I’m creating 3 bundles – Classic Fairy Tales (which you’ve seen pictures of in this post), Royal Fairy Tales (can you guess what’s included???), and Forgotten Fairy Tales (So much fun!).

Don’t forget to grab your free Miss You postcards here!

Happy Teaching & Mommy-ing this week friends!

Unique Easter and Spring S’mores for the Classroom

February 19, 2020

Easter and Spring S’mores are sure to keep student engagement high while working on essential ELA and Math skills for preschool, kindergarten, and first grade students. Today I’m sharing how we use these activities to work on writing!

Easter and Spring S’mores

Easter and Spring S’mores are such a hit with my students! I mean, can you really blame them?

Just typing this blog post about graham crackers, melted chocolate, and gooey marshmallows is making me so hungry!

Of course, we use colorful Peep brand marshmallows in either the bunny or chick shapes for this unique twist on the traditional s’more!

Students followed me down to the teacher lunch area with a clipboard, pencil, and the Taste Test bar graph in hand. They watched with excitement as the Peeps grew larger and larger in the microwave.

Each child took turns taking a bite and announcing whether they thought it was “Yum” or “Yuck”. So much fun! Later we worked on our writing page and the cut & paste sequencing printable included in my Easter Fun resource on TPT.

Easter and Spring S’mores Reminders

Make sure to double & triple check allergies in your classroom before completing this exercise. My daughter is allergic to milk and egg so we use allergy friendly chocolate chips to make hers.

I also want to warn you that it is so hard to say no to these!

Could you resist them?

Easy Egg Dying for the Classroom

We loved this simple technique for dying multiple eggs at one time. It was the perfect project when paired with the Easter Fun resource from TPT that also includes the s’mores printables shown above.

Have you read about the egg dying fun and our STEM project yet? If not, head here!

Hungry Bunny Pick a Card Game

Another thing we are busy doing is our Hungry Bunny Pick a Card game. Have you tried these yet? My students beg me to play them every day during our morning meeting and small group time.

In fact, I created these because I had so many teachers asking me for these games.

We use the one shown below to work on word reading and rhyming.

Head over here to read my recent blog post about Pick a Card games!

Free CVC & CCVC Word Building Games

What could be better than hunting the room for Easter eggs? Well, I have the perfect games for you! When you subscribe to my newsletter list by clicking here, you will be sent 2 FREE sets of word building cards.

For the game above, I would mix and put all three letters AND the picture in an egg. I would fill 12 eggs and hide them around the classroom.

CVC Word Building Freebie by Pencils to Pigtails

Students use the included printables to write and draw a picture of the word after they unscramble the letters.

I’ve included CCVC words too! More details are included in this freebie !

Be sure to pin this image so you can revisit this blog post as needed later.

I hope you LOVE using all of these ideas in your classroom!

Happy Teaching & Mommy-ing this week friends!

Easter Activities and Freebies for You!

February 19, 2020

Easter Activities and Freebies

Celebrate Easter or springtime with these no mess low prep Easter activities and freebies for primary students! The STEM project, easy egg dying project, free CVC & CCVC egg hunts, and Easter s’mores will keep your students engaged while working on essential math and reading skills!

Spring is in the Air

I love this time of year! The weather is warming up and my students are really into a routine. I’m also seeing improvements in understanding and writing abilities.

Easter Activities and Freebies

This is the perfect time of year to incorporate some fun Easter-themed activities. It you aren’t able to celebrate Easter, you can always use the ideas as part of a spring theme. I’ve included alternate printables in my resource for those of you who want to do that!

Easy Easter Egg Dying

Dying Easter eggs can be really messy. This technique works flawlessly!

You will find more details in my resource on TPT but you will basically need a muffin tin and whip cream or shaving cream to begin.

Easy Egg Dying for the Kindergarten Classroom

You can see that this is an older muffin tin. I labeled it using a dry erase marker with student initials so we would know who the eggs belonged to.

After a few drops of food coloring and a gentle swirl, you are left with a beautiful marble pattern to drop your eggs into.

Easter Egg Dying Techniques using a muffin tin and shaving cream

After about thirty minutes of sitting on one side, we gently roll the eggs over.

While we wait, we work on sequencing with this Easy Easter Eggs cut and paste sheet. We also incorporate some basic “how to” writing practice.

Aren’t they stunning? The kids are always so proud of them and ready to show them off at home. They like to use the printables to help explain the process to their parents.

Marble No Mess Egg Dying Technique for the Classroom

Remember to save your egg cartons to hold the eggs until you are ready to wrap them up to send home.

I just think the finished eggs are so beautiful!

Have you ever dyed eggs like this? It’s so much fun!

Easter Activities and Freebies: Pick a Card Games

Hungry Bunny Pick a Card Game by Pencils to Pigtails

We also love adding this Easter Pick a Card game into our morning and small group routine. Head over here to read a little more about how we incorporate these holiday and seasonal games every day!

Easter STEM

My students are always up for a fun STEM project. This one is low prep and students use the sheet included in my resource to both plan and reflect.

Prepare to be amazed by the towers your students come up with!

Easter or Spring S’mores

How amazing do these Easter and Spring S’mores look? Yum! I don’t think engagement has EVER been this high in my classroom. My next blog post will be all about this fun activity so be sure to check back!