Category: Teacher’s Pay Teachers

Spring break is right around the corner and it’s something teachers and students alike look forward to. Because let’s face it, the school year can get a little hectic and stressful and breaks give a much-needed reprieve for everyone! 

However, if you have any students, or parents, that are needing a little extra practice over break, spring break packets are the way to go. 

While it’s most important for students to get lots of rest and relaxation during spring break, it can be a great time to squeeze in a little extra practice without the pressure of regular school hours and daily learning. 

Here are some more benefits of using spring break packets for your elementary students. 

1. Keeps up the momentum from the regular day-to-day learning. It’s easy to forget a thing or two over spring break and a set of worksheets can be the perfect way to defeat that. 
2. Helps develop independence in learning. During the school day, students have teachers to tell them which activities to do and when. By assigning a packet for students to do over break, it gives them a chance to exercise their autonomy and independence with learning.
3. Boosts responsibility. Assigning a packet to your students and leaving it up to them to make sure it’s done is a great way to build responsibility. As they get into the upper elementary and middle school grades, this is an important skill to have as they will need to take more responsibility for their own learning outcomes. 

Needless to say, I highly recommend spring break packets or spring break worksheets for elementary students! 

If you’re looking for a spring break packet that you can assign to your elementary students, I have you covered! 

This Spring Break Packet resource includes engaging practice worksheets for students in pre-k up to 5th grade! 

These print-and-go packets are perfect for students to use for independent work, with their parents, or with a tutor. They include review for subjects like reading, writing, and math.  

Each packet is designed to help and encourage students to review skills over Spring Break. In order to make this a fun challenge, you will see I included several different covers to choose from while creating your classroom’s packet. I suggest telling students that this is not mandatory, but they will get something for completing the packet. It could be a homework pass, pizza party, trip to the library, or extra recess. This packet is their “TICKET” to the prize!

Pick and choose what works for your class to design your own packet. Our county only gets a week, so I would usually pick 15 to 25 printables to include for students to be able to complete without feeling like they are burdened with too much work. 

Here’s what’s included: 

* 7 Packets (downloads) for Pre-K, Kindergarten, First Grade, Second Grade, Third Grade, Fourth Grade, and Fifth Grade.  Some of the packets do have a few printables that are the same as other packets if they meet the same standard. Most printables are new designs that hit standards required for the specific grade level.

* Each Packet has a reading log, grade-specific sight words, word banks for writing, comprehension activities, and math activities.

Don’t want the bundle? No problem! You can buy each packet individually as well if you prefer only your grade level.

For summer packets, you can check out my resource here! 

Are you assigning spring break packets? Let me know in the comments!

One of my favorite weeks of school is Read Across America Week! Students dress up every day, bring in their favorite books to share with the class, and we do fun literacy related activities throughout the week.

Here are some ideas to help plan a successful literacy week in your classroom.

First, send home a schedule of themed dress up days. These can include school colors, favorite characters, crazy socks, inside out clothes, western day, sports day or anything your class votes on as a dress up day. Asking parents to send in a special treat on the last day of the week, is a great way to involve parents in on the fun!

On the first day, we share books from home, and they get to read outside with a reading buddy. They love to go outside because it is something different than the regular routine. For centers, we do some fun rhyming activities with crafts, nonsense words and a write the room activity.

Crafts for Reading Across America

The next day, we spend time reading books about different cultures. Students can ask questions. They create a hat by coloring their favorite story book cover on the hat. Students may wear this hat all day to share their love of reading with the rest of the school. They wear them while writing about their favorite story.

Wednesday is WACKY WEDNESDAY for our class reading celebration. It is one of my favorite books by Dr. Seuss! I begin the day by reading the book. Students are dressed WACKY on this day. When they go to lunch, I make about 10 items “wacky” in the room. When they return, they need to find the items. Some ideas are to turn the clock upside down, have a shoe hanging from the ceiling, put socks in the tissue box, place a chair sideways, or have pencils in the scissors bin.

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Animal parts are provided and students are instructed to create a wacky animal from the parts. Then, they write about their animal and give it a personality. Sharing the wacky animals is a must if you love laughter!

Thursday is a day for a Wacky Day during math. It is important for students to know that reading is part of real life to help solve math problems. There are 20 addition and subtraction Google Slides. We read the word problems together as one volunteer student drags the parts to the appropriate area on the slide.

Ending Literacy Week

Finally, on Friday we end the week with a BOOK TASTING. This is the student’s favorite activity! There is a video hook where students learn of a book store that was robbed. The owner asks for their help to solve the mystery. They must solve clues which include “tasting” different books in different genres. The room is set up like a restaurant. They learn about how to set a table, using teamwork to solve a problem and different genres of books. It takes about 30 minutes to prep and 45 minutes for the students to complete. Parents can bring in a snack for the students this day also.

Are you using classroom jobs with your students? 

I always loved using them with my students. They help create a sense of responsibility and ownership among students which are essential skills for success later on. They are beneficial in so many ways!

What are the benefits of classroom jobs?

Classroom jobs help students develop essential life skills like time management, organization, and responsibility. When they are assigned jobs, they learn to complete their tasks efficiently and on time, which are skills they will use for the rest of their lives!

Additionally, classroom jobs provide students with a sense of pride and accomplishment. When students are trusted with responsibilities, they feel valued and important, which boosts their confidence and self-esteem. This, in turn, can positively impact their behavior and motivation to learn, making them more engaged in the classroom. It’s a win-win!

How do jobs help teachers?

They can also help teachers maintain a well-run and organized classroom. When students are responsible for tasks such as setting up and cleaning up, teachers have more time to focus on things like lesson planning, teaching, and parent communication- among other things!

Another benefit of classroom jobs is that they help create a positive and supportive learning environment! When students work together to complete tasks, they build teamwork skills and develop positive relationships with their classmates. This creates a supportive and inclusive classroom community that promotes a love of learning. To learn more about creating a classroom community, you can check out my post here. 

What are some good classroom jobs?

There are lots of options to choose from when creating jobs for your students. You can assign a line leader, pencil sharpener, attendance checker, caboose, lights fipper, etc. It can be anything that needs to be done that you can assign to a student! 

If you’re looking for a resource that has everything you need to effectively implement a classroom jobs system in your classroom, I have you covered! 

This editable jobs chart is perfect for elementary students! 

These classroom jobs printables are a great visual way to help your class easily transition to their jobs. Use these cards on a pocket chart, wall, or magnetic board to easily edit and rotate your students to new jobs. 

What’s included?

• 52 Editable PowerPoint Slides (*Make sure you have PowerPoint)
• Black and White with or without images
• Cursive and Print for Intermediate or Primary Classrooms
• Blank Cards for Editing
• Directions with Suggested Fonts
• Pictures Cards include: Line Leader, Greeter, Caboose, Folders, Lunch, Teacher’s Aide, Pet Care, Book Monitor, Sweeper, Kindness Keeper (Make a list of who has been kind.), Door Holder, Schedule Helper, Attendance, Lights, Cubby Inspector, Hand Sanitizer, Backpacks, Music, Meteorologist, Computers, Pencils, Bell Ringer, Recycling, Absent Keeper (write a note to those absent)

Are you using classroom jobs for elementary students? Let me know in the comments! 

Have you heard of a book tasting?

As teachers to elementary students, we know the importance of instilling a love of reading in our students. Not only does reading help improve their literacy skills, but it also provides them with the opportunity to explore new worlds, learn about different cultures, and develop their imaginations. 

However, with so many books available, it can be challenging for students to know where to start or what to read next. This is where book tastings come in!

What is a book tasting?

Book tastings are a fun and interactive way for students to sample a variety of books and discover new titles that they might not have otherwise considered. By giving students a taste of different genres, authors, and styles, book tastings help them find books they will enjoy and foster a love of reading. 

These events also provide a great opportunity for students to share their thoughts and opinions with one another, and to hear about books others have enjoyed.

What does a book tasting look like? 

When setting up a book tasting for  elementary students, it’s fun to set it up like a restaurant and the books are on the menu for students to review. 

To make this activity easy and stress free for you, I created the perfect resource! It combines the fun of both a tasting AND an escape room!

Use these step-by-step instructions to guarantee student engagement while they learn about how to work as a team to help a store owner, discover new book genres and escape the classroom!

With a little prep, your students will work as a team to break into a box, which breaks them out of the classroom as they beat the clock! You can use any books you want with this activity. 

What’s inside this download?

Cover

Table of Contents

Directions (with video link)

Materials Needed to Set Up

Checklist for Set-Up

Help the Restaurant Open (Motivational Paragraph)

Book Tasting – Read after pg.6 and the video)

Menu for 4 Book Reviews

Place Setting 

Signs and Vocabulary Posters (Students will learn about fiction, non-fiction, biographies, poetry, and federal funds.)

Paper Keys (You can use real locks if you prefer.)

Help Cards

Homework Passes (optional prize)

Bookmarkers (optional prize)

Letter from Store Owner (Place in the Box)

Certificates for Completion (optional)

Pictures of Set Up

Photo Booth Signs (OPTIONAL)

Banner Pennants

Credits

This engaging activity takes about 30 minutes to prep and 45 minutes to complete the activity. 

They don’t read all the books… just a “taste.”

There is a PDF file with step-by-step instructions, a link to incorporate a YouTube Video to hook your students into accepting a mission to help a store owner have his Grand Opening. It can only be solved by working through some “tastings” and using teamwork. Opening the box, (no locks needed) leads them to escape the classroom to enjoy recess or a library break outside of the classroom. Ideas are included.

Have you done a book tasting before? How did it go? Let me know in the comments! 
For more reading activities, check out my post here!