Literacy Group

During my April literacy group, we did activities around The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. A long time ago, I had laminated PCS symbols that corresponded to the book:

I can't find the source of my pictures but you can find similar ones at KizClub.

We handed out some of each of these symbols to the kids and the expectation was that when I read about the item they had they would hand me the symbol. When they handed me the symbol, the kid got to pull the caterpillar through the book.  I have a big board book copy and a hungry caterpillar that would fit through the holes.

          

Then I had brought some grocery store flyers, and the kids filled completed this sentence:

For each child, I made hungry caterpillars from muffin cups that they could use to learn to spell their name, or to practice spelling their name in a fun way.  I used alphabet stickers, mini muffin cups, scraps of paper, bristol board and velcro.  Dollarama sells patterned muffin cups, and I was able to find these green gingham ones. I could not find red muffin cups, so I improvised and used the gold ones, I already had a home, to make his head.  I used scraps of paper to add the details. Then I laminated all the pieces and velcroed them all together.

Environmental Print Alphabet Books

Recently, I made a number of Environmental Print Alphabet Books and this is how I did it:

I went to Dollarama and bought 24 pocket Presentation Folders,  Alphabet Stickers, and Black Cardstock.

 

I added an alphabet letter to the top right corner of each page. I only had 24 pages so I was creative with WX and YZ. I did not think there would be many X foods (as that is what my version will be for) so I made that division substantially unequal.

  

I created a title page and then the basics of the book was complete.

 

You can download your own title page here (or click the picture above).

Here are some of the pages that I have already created in my own book. I used product packaging, flyers and a sticker off of my banana.

Have fun creating your book!

How to Set Up a System for Systematic Sequential Phonics They Use

I have been using Carson Dellosa's Systematic Sequential Phonics They Use in my class for the last 2 years. I finally have a system that works for us and enables us to get through the whole lesson in a timely manner.

I was able to print off cards that correspond to every lesson in the book. I then laminated them all (see above picture for a small part of the laminated stack), and with the help of some amazing student helpers I was able to cut out the cards and letter tiles.

 

I made a trip to the dollar store to see what I could find to hold all the cards. I bought 3 of these buckets with lids and a box of envelopes. I did have to go back to get another bucket (for a total of 4) and another box of envelopes (you will need 2).

I also printed off labels for each lesson/envelope. I choose to put the label on the top right so I can see them quickly in the bucket. You can grab the labels here. I printed them on Avery 5160 Labels (30 per page).

 

This is what the finished boxes look like. I have them labelled with what is in each and the last box has extra envelopes for emergencies.  

 

I simply take the box that I need for whatever the lesson is that day and the book. I open the box and find the envelope for that lesson. I use the book to guide the lesson, and I use the word cards for the sort and transfer part of the lesson.

I have my students make the words in a variety of ways. On the iPads, we use Making Words by Tap Fun, Word Wizard by L'Escapadou, Abilipad by AppyTherapy (they have all the templates for every lesson in their library).

However, there are days when we don't use the iPad. We use all sorts of different letters. I have written letters on post-it notes, used an alphabet puzzle or letter tiles.

I have some students that are using the Making Words lessons from Start to Finish Literacy Starters and I use the same system. I do have a different colour bucket for those words.