November Writing Prompts for Kindergarten and a Freebie

I love using themed monthly writing and these November Writing Prompts are a no prep, highly engaging resource to use in your kindergarten or first grade classroom. They cover a variety for different skill levels, concepts and writing genres and can be easily used during your writing period to make it a little more exciting or left for a sub.  

They begin with simple picture labeling or a "write the room" activity. This is the perfect way to introduce your students to both fall and Thanksgiving themed vocabulary.   

If you reuse these pictures with sight words, they can also be used as a hands on sentence building center activity.  As a teacher, you can extend this activity by having your students copy the sentence that they created and then illustrating it. 

As students progress with their writing or may need extra support in identifying what a complete sentence looks like, students can practice copying sentences that are already created.  Each sentence also contains a picture to make the sentence something they can easily read.  

Students can also create their own sentences with a sentence starter and a word bank for them to pick from and then illustrate a picture to match their sentence.  This helps students to build more confidence as writers.

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This is another great way to focus on important kindergarten early writing skills like leaving spaces and using end punctuation as well as illustrating their own picture to match.

In addition, included are Thanksgiving and fall themed picture picture writing prompts, both with pictures labeled and with no labels. 

Using the labeled version gives students confidence to write, instead of worrying about "how do I spell..." Or if students are working out stretching out their words, then the version without labels is perfect for your learners.  These are a fun way to get your students to use their imagination and write about a picture. 

Also included is themed opinion writing that is perfect for students to begin opinion writing and to help introduce students to another genre of writing.  

Lastly, sequence writing is included with pictures.  This is a great way to introduce students to using transition words in writing as well as writing more than one sentence about a topic.  

Overall, this resource includes more has over 60 pages of print and go writing activities that can be used for the whole month of November.  

You can find these November Writing Prompts  here:

Or can find a sample freebie of this resource here 

Halloween Mystery Puzzles and Center Activities

In a kindergarten classroom, we are always looking for fun and engaging ways to practice skills for mastery.  I am loving mystery puzzles in my classroom.  Mystery puzzles not are only enjoyable, but they are also self-correcting and no prep for teachers!

For these fun Halloween themed puzzles, students can write their answer directly on the paper under the question.  For this particular puzzle, students have to count and tell how many. (You can find this Halloween Counting puzzle as a freebie at the end of this post)

They then have to cut the puzzle pieces and glue the piece on the matching answer.

When students have correctly solved the problems, it then creates a fun Halloween themed picture, making the whole activity self-correcting.

The full packet includes 5 Halloween math puzzles with topics including:

  • counting to ten with objects

  • counting to 10 with tens frames 

  • missing numbers within 10

  • shapes

As well as accompanying math station activities focusing on these math skills.

This free Halloween Count the Room is a fun interactive way for students to practice counting to 20.  (You can find this as a freebie at the end of the post)

These counting clip cards which are great way to enhance fine motor skills while counting to 20. 

Also included are 5 Halloween phonemic awareness and phonics puzzles with topics including:

  • letter matching

  • beginning sounds 

  • rhyming

  • short a words

And accompanying phonics station activities focusing on these skills as well.

This beginning sounds write the room can be used for students to practice identifying beginning sounds as well as easily adapted for CVC words for students who are at that level.  

Alphabet puzzles are a great way for students to practice matching uppercase and lowercase letters as well as beginning sounds. 

And finally, clip cards focusing on rhyming. 

You can find this entire packet in my TPT store by clicking here: Halloween Mystery Puzzles

 As well as the free counting bats puzzle here: Halloween Counting Mystery Puzzle Freebie which also includes the Free Halloween Count the Room to 20 activity.

 

Engaging Kindergarten Cooperative Learning Game: I Have Who Has

One of my favorite classroom cooperative learning games is the game "I Have, Who Has."  It is a great way to reinforce or review skills being taught and once you teach students how to play the game, you can use it for almost anything content by just switching out what students are learning.  not only reinforces skills but also keeps students excited and engaged throughout. Let's dive into how this game works and its myriad benefits for your classroom.

How to Play

Playing "I Have, Who Has" is simple and effective. Each student is given a card, ensuring everyone's participation. In cases where students outnumber cards, buddy systems can be set up, while students can handle multiple cards if there are extras.

The game begins with the "I have start" card holder, initiating a sequence where students take turns following the card order until reaching the end card. To try this game out, you can grab a free Alphabet version of this game at the end of this post.

Benefits and Variations:

This cooperative learning game isn't just about fun; it cultivates active listening skills while solidifying content knowledge. Whether played as a whole group during morning meetings or in smaller groups for focused learning, "I Have, Who Has" can be easily adapted for your needs. 

For added excitement, consider "racing the clock" with a timer, motivating students to beat their previous time records. 

Be sure to check out the "I Have, Who Has Bundle," which is ideal for quick reviews or engaging time fillers year-round. "I have, Who Has Bundle" 

What is included?

Included are the math skills of identifying numbers 1-25, numbers on ten frames 1-20 and both 3d and 2d shapes. 

As well as phonics skills including beginning sounds, CVC words, rhyming, nonsense words, and CVCe words.  

They are easy to print to have handy for whenever you have a few extra minutes in your classroom.  

Or you can try out this free I Has Who Has Alphabet Freebie

I hope that you and your students enjoy playing this game!

Beginning Sounds and Digraph Count and Graph

In the classroom, I love finding way to integrate math and literacy.  It provides students with real application of skills they are learning as well as more opportunities to practice the skills they are learning. 

One of my favorite activities to integrate math and literacy is through count and graph for phonics skills.

When students are learning beginning sound they color each picture that is the same, count how many of each and graph it.  They also practice tracing and writing the letter.

This activity would work really well as a kindergarten extension activity for students who already know letter sounds or as a great activity for students to practice identifying pictures with the beginning sound you are working on as well as counting and graphing practice.   It will also work well with 1st graders who are still stuggling with letter sounds.  

My favorite part of these is that you can extend it even more by asking math related questions for students to analyze their data, for example, how many more flowers than fans, which is greater the number of fish or frogs?  

You can find these practice activities for both alphabet beginning sounds as well as digraphs. 

You can find the Alphabet Count and Graph here

 

Or try using the Free Digraph Count and Graph here:

The Mitten Activities for Kindergarten Emergency Sub Plans and a Sequencing Freebie

As we enter winter and flu season, taking an unexpected day off as a teacher can always be a time consuming and stressful task.  As a teacher, I always dread getting sub plans together since for me, it is such a time consuming task because I want everything to be perfect.   

I always like to be prepared for my students in case of an unexpected absence.  While I am gone, it is important for my students to have meaningful work that reinforces the skills we are learning... not just busy work.   My winter themed sub plans are all based on one of my favorite stories to share with my students in the winter, and "The Mitten" sub plans and can be easily printed in advance for a stress free day out.  

Included are a full days worth of activities for "The Mitten."  All you need is a copy of the book The Mitten by Jan Brett (affiliate link), and I always like to copy and prepare my resources in advance.  

Or a YouTube version that is read online by the Jan Brett!

The activities that supplement the story will keep your students engaged and challenged for the entire day.  They cover all subject areas with kindergarten appropriate activities, as well as instruction sheets for your sub. 

To begin, I always read the story with the students and then sequencing the events to reinforce the story.  It is always fun for students to put the events in order in a pocket chart and they always enjoy the participation.  

Students can then get their own little hands on their own emergent reader, that is a great way for them to help remember the story sequence independently and get a text in the student's own hands.  

Students at this time are pretty familiar with the story, so we complete a sequencing activity.  (This sequencing sheet is a freebie at the end of the post).  

Also included are quite a few other literacy activities that are common in kindergarten such as labeling, “sentence surgery,” where students create a sentence out of mixed up words and a color by code mitten where students identify the middle vowel sound in a word. 

Writing is also an important skill in kindergarten.  These sub plans cover two different levels of writing activities, based on the needs of your students.  Many times in kindergarten, writing may be just be drawing and telling your story, while some students may be capable of writing to answer a question, so included are activities for both levels.   As a teacher, it Is also to model for students and see what a "correct" sentence looks like so there is also a sentence copying and sentence "fix it" activity as well.  

    

Math is another subject that has so many different skills levels in a kindergarten classroom.  I have included a huge variety of easy to differentiate activities for math as well, based on your students levels and what you have taught in the classroom.  You will see simple skills such as counting and writing the numbers, ordering numbers 1-10, addition, and counting, counting by tens, teens numbers and graphing.  

Finally, there are fun "extras" that can be used to supplement or to substitute out an activity if you wish. Included you will also find a "hat," puppets for students to make and retell the story on their own, a crossword puzzle, maze and "which doesn't belong." 

 

These activities can definitely last you an entire day out, if not two.  Hopefully, these sub plans and everything included will be able to give you peace of mind if you do have to be out of the classroom and your students are able to enjoy the activities while reinforcing skills. 

You can find the whole unit here: The Mitten Full Day Sub Plans

And the FREE sequencing activity by clicking here: The Mitten Sequencing

Virtual Class Expectations for Google Slides™

As a result of Covid, we are preparing for a year of uncertainties with virtual learning vs. in class with safety precautions.  One thing that remains consistent is the need for teachers to set classroom expectations.  Having strong classroom management and letting students know what is expected of them is a great way to start the year off in the right direction.

As a classroom teacher, reviewing classroom expectations is always a priority of mine.  This year, I know it will look different for me, but I know it is still very important. 

To review expectations with students, I have created an interactive Google Slides™ activity that can be used over Zoom so students are certain of what is expected of them.  I have shared common scenarios that teachers may encounter.  

Included are a variety of "happy choices" 

and "sad choices"

Students can give a thumbs up or thumbs down if they agree or disagree on each of the scenarios and as a group you can then talk about them.  It is probably a good idea to review these several times over your first virtual meetings. 

Once you have made students aware of behaviors, you can use this poster/slide that can be reviewed prior to class meetings.  (This chart is a freebie at the end of the post)

I also see the importance of celebrating positive behavior, so there are certificates that can digitally  be presented to students. 

You can grab the interactive classroom expectations game and certificates here: Virtual Class Expectations for Google Slides™

Also available is the FREE virtual class expectations chart here: Free Virtual Class Expectations Poster

Hoping everyone has a safe and healthy school year.