Category: Teacher’s Pay Teachers

Are you using word walls? 

Many elementary teachers have been transitioning from Word Walls to Sound Walls. A Word wall is organized alphabetically using all 26 letters. Sound Walls, on the other hand, focus on phonemes and articulation whereas word walls focus on one word and letters. 

Both walls are fantastic in their own ways but I have to say Word Walls are my favorite! 

What is the point of a Word Wall? 

The goal of Word Walls is to improve literacy skills in our students. They offer a visual representation of words used during your lessons and this reinforcement can be very helpful to students, especially if they’re struggling. Using Word Wall activities can get your students more engaged in learning about the words or spelling them. 

Are Word Walls effective?

Word Walls are a great way to decorate your classroom but they’re only effective if students are using them. As teachers, we can take ownership of how effective they can be by including them in our lessons daily. You can use the words while chanting, clapping, tracing, and so much more. 

Along with the other letters of the alphabet, I like to add /sh/ /ch/ /th/ and /wh/ to mine. If the wall is not being used and interactive with the students, it is really just wallpaper so don’t forget to incorporate it throughout the day!

If you’re looking for the perfect Word Wall Resource to set up your wall, I have you covered! 

These Word Wall Editable Templates can be customized to suit your needs.

There are two sizes and 12 different colors to choose from including solid, primary, pastel, calm watercolors, and even black and white polka dots!

What is in this download?

Just open up the PowerPoint templates, click the “edit here” and add your own words with your favorite fonts in the colors that suit your needs. 

There are 21 smaller word templates (6 to one page) and 21 longer word templates (3 to one page). You pick the colors you like to use so you can easily match them to your classroom decor. 

So what about Sound Walls? 

Sound walls are great if they are interactive! These are especially helpful if you have tricky words that you are working on with your students since it focuses on phonemes and articulation. 

So why not choose both walls if you have the room?! 

For more literacy activities or reading strategies, check out my post here! 

What are your favorite strategies for using these walls in your classroom? Let me know in the comments!

There is so much anticipation and excitement surrounding birthdays, especially for kids. And just because they may have to spend their birthday in school doesn’t mean it can’t still be a special day for them! If you’re looking for classroom birthday ideas from teachers, you’re in the right place! 

Celebrating classroom birthdays is a great way to build a community in your classroom. It helps them feel special and gives them a sense of belonging among their peers. It brings so much joy and it brings everyone together. Plus, seeing their faces light up when we celebrate is so fun! 

How do you make a student feel special on their birthday? 

Your birthday celebrations don’t have to be overwhelming or elaborate. Simple things go a long way! Here are some classroom birthday ideas that will bring a smile to your student’s faces. 

1. Allow students to wear a crown or birthday hat. This is such a small act but it can really make their day! They can bring their own in or you can use a crown craft like the one linked below. 
2. Allow students to bring in something for show and tell. Carve out a few minutes at the end of the day for students to share something they love with their peers and share why it’s special to them. 
3. Give them an educational gift. Gifting students a book or a sparkle pencil is perfect for this type of thing. 
4. Celebrate summer birthdays too. Just because students are born in the summer doesn’t mean you shouldn’t celebrate them too! At the end of the year, throw a small celebration for the students with upcoming birthdays so that everyone gets a chance to feel celebrated. 
5. Create a birthday board. Display everyone’s name and birthdays year-round! 

If you’re looking for the perfect resource to make celebrating birthdays simple, I have you covered with my Birthday resource! 

Use these hats, pencil or straw toppers, and certificates to easily remember the student’s on their birthday. Copy on card stock, color, or use the color version of the cupcakes to easily create a birthday bucket to hold birthday treats. 

What is in this download?

Birthday hats

2 types of pencil toppers (balloon and cupcake)

Birthday certificates

Birthday Bucket Labels

Photos to see how to set it up

For some classroom management tips, make sure to check out my post here!

What are your favorite ways to celebrate birthdays in the classroom? Let me know in the comments! 

Have you heard of Desk Pets? They’re all the rage right now, and for good reason! They are a fun, effective, and creative classroom management and positive reinforcement system. 

What are Desk Pets? 

Simply put, Desk Pets for school are the adorable little animal erasers you can buy in bulk on websites like Amazon and use in the classroom as something students can purchase when they do a good job. You can find farm animals, ocean animals, and so much more! 

Students can earn Desk Pets Dollars to put towards the adoption of their Desk Pet. Once they have their animal chosen and adopted, they can save up for some Desk Pet accessories and habitats! 

I love Desk Pets because they can be used in all elementary and even middle school grades! You don’t have to be a young student to appreciate how fun they are. 

Why do teachers use desk pets? 

These cute critters can be used to teach or assist with so many things. Responsibility, science, brain breaks, literature… the list goes on! They are an excellent incentive for following rules and being safe, respectful, and responsible in the classroom. 

Are Desk Pets effective? 

Yes! When you set up your Desk Pet adoption center, the pets will be on display as a reminder for students of the rewards of doing the right thing and motivating them to do their best. Research shows that this positive reinforcement system is not only effective but fun! 

Are you ready to set up a Desk Pets center in your classroom? You’re in luck! You can try my free starter kit here! 

This resource includes free printables to help you get started on your journey with this exciting behavior management system. 

You’ll get information on what Desk Pets are, an adoption application editable PowerPoint, labels for your adoption center and hotel, writing prompts, a zoo habitat for your pet, instructions for creating the habitat, and so much more! 

If you try it out and decide you love it, make sure to check out my full Desk Pet resource! 

Here’s everything included! 

• Google Slides Virtual Link for Virtual Pet Option
• Classroom Management Tips
• What is a Desk Pet 
• Parent Letter About Desk Pet Pals
• Classroom and HOME Adoption Certificate (Students can earn many points to do a Permanent Home Adoption for an option.)
• Behavior Contracts, Charts, and Desk Pet Point Log
• How to Earn Money (Pre-made or Editable Option)
• Desk Pet Rules (Premade or Editable Option)
• Pet Point Contract, Small Adoption Certificates
• Pet Store Price List 
• Signs for (Daycare, Pet Store, The Pound, Adoption Center, Hospital, The Vet, Hotel)
• Writing Prompts (Narrative, Opinion, Persuasive, and Caring for a Pet) Primary Lined, Intermediate Lined, and a Digital Text Box Option is Provided for each prompt.
• Pet Personality Poster
• Chart and Graph Earned Points (This is for 5 weeks of data collection for individual students who need extra help with behavior.)
• Venn Diagram to Compare Pets
• Desk Pet Journal Options (1/2 Page, run copy cut and staple or do it digitally.)
• Habitat Color Sheets for Selling (Camping, School, Wizard, Safari, Zoo, Dinosaur, Fairytale, Knights, and a BLANK editable page for students to design their own habitat.)
• On a Happy Note (Note to parents for good behavior)
• 3 Types of Desk Pet Dollars
• UPPER ELEMENTARY Options with cursive writing.
• Labels
• Blank Templates for Editing and Personalizing
• PHOTOS of Set Up & Directions on How to Cut and Fold Habitats

This extensive resource includes 80+ Editable PowerPoint Slides, 80+ Editable Google Slides for a Virtual Option, Cursive and Print for Intermediate or Primary Classrooms, Blank Labels to Edit and Add Your Own Colors if needed, Directions with Suggested Fonts, and Pictures of How to Set Up Your Adoption Area.

For more on Desk Pets, check out my post here! 

Have you heard about this popular classroom management system? Let me know in the comments!

Morning work is a great way to start the day in kindergarten. It’s also a great way to help your students become more successful readers. 

When I was in the classroom, the first thing we do each day is morning work. I used morning work as a way for students to practice skills and concepts from the previous weeks, so it’s important that what we choose for morning work is meaningful and relevant to their learning.

What is morning work in kindergarten? 

Essentially, this is work that students complete when they first arrive at the classroom in the morning. It gives them a chance to get focused and thinking about the subjects they are working on. It’s an excellent way to establish consistency and a strong routine for the day. 

Here are some ways that morning work benefits kindergarteners:

Reading Skills

Morning work helps students practice their reading skills, and when they read each day, they become better readers. 

Fine Motor Skills

Students at this age are still developing those important fine motor skills. When they do their morning work, they get practice with their grip, writing their name and other letters, number formation, etc. 

Letter identification

Repeated practice with letters is the best way to learn them! Each day, morning work includes letter practice to help students perfect their letter recognition skills. 

Counting

Morning work that enables students to work on their counting is very beneficial. The more practice they get with counting, the better their number identification and math skills will be. 

Color identification

Morning work can include activities that encourage students to find certain colors and identify them. 

Writing

This is a completely new skill for students this age and it takes a lot of practice. Morning work allows them to get some writing practice as they begin their day. 

Finding the right worksheets for morning work is essential. I created these morning work packets for kindergarten students to make it easy and fun to implement morning work in your classroom. These worksheets cover math and reading topics. 

One of the best features is that students can work through these activities at their own pace. This huge resource includes 40 weeks of morning work activities so you never have to scramble for morning activities again. 

It covers: 

• Handwriting Uppercase and Lowercase Letters

• Sight Word Practice 

• Beginning Letter Sounds

• Months of the Year

• Days of the Week

• Handwriting Sentences

• Word Families

• Silent /e/

• Digraphs

• Number Sense

• Ten Frames

• Counting

• Number Lines 

• Writing Numbers 

• Counting On

• Shapes

• More and Less Than

• 3D Shapes

• Graphs

• Place Value

• Aug. and Sept. (Handwriting, Letters, Numbers, Colors, Sight Words, Counting)

• Oct. and Nov. (Handwriting, Letters, Numbers, Ten Frame, Counting, What Comes Next)

• Dec. Jan. (Word Families, Vowels, Counting, Greater than, Less Than, Handwriting)

• Feb. and March (capital letters, lowercase letters, word families, shapes, counting on, less than)

• April and May (digraphs, tens and ones, 3D shapes, graphs, and silent /e/)

Each page has an extended activity for students to do on the back of the page for early finishers. It is designed so that you can model once to the whole group, and then students should be working independently for each set.

There are only mild changes in this packet each month to make it easy for students to follow the pattern each morning. I provide different fonts, so students get used to seeing letters that look different. 

The number and the number word are used so students get familiar with number word recognition. I tell students to look at their crayons to find the color word to help them figure out the color on their own to create independence.

For more morning work fun, check out my post here! 

What are your favorite morning work activities for kindergarten? Let me know in the comments!