DIY Cupcake Mix & Match - Promotes Cognitive Development!

Cupcake Mix & Match - Create a Felt Board, and Matching Felt Cupcake Bottoms and Tops.  Next, mix them up and have children create matching pairs.

Design matching pairs in which the tops and bottoms can be changed.  This activity is designed to challenge children in making numerous cupcake matches.

Materials Needed: Stiff Felt Sheets in Varied Bright Colors and Template (on this Post )- Using the Template cut out different colored bottoms and tops.  It is important to make matching pairs so that they can be matched.  Next, place felt stickers purchased at any craft store on the tops of the cupcakes.  Again, make sure there are matching pairs.

DIY Felt Board

Cupcake Template

Additional Activity - Patterning

Shades of Meaning

Shades of Meaning are Similar Words of Increased Degrees of Meaning!  For example the word ecstatic demonstrates a stronger emotion compared to the word  happy as shown in the following sentences:  (1)Jimmy was ecstatic when he got his puppy; (2) Jimmy was happy when he got his puppy.  This is a fun collaborative vocabulary activity to teach/practice shades of meaning.  Supplies needed : mini pocket chart, word strength meter, cards and practice pages! In collaborate groups have children discuss sets of words (five in each set) and have them order the words according to the following degrees of intensity: weak, slight, moderate, substantial and strong and ask them to defend their word order.

Word Strength Meter Resource - Sets of words should be ordered accordingly.

Shades of Meaning Practice Page

Blank (fill in ) Shades of Meaning Practice Page

Shades of Meaning Vocabulary Words - Sets are Colored Coded

Easy Storage - Can be kept in binders

Making Icosahedrons - Learning Resources

Combining Geometry with Reading!  What a Find!  I am always on the hunt for highly engaging learning activities!  I found Customizable Icosahedron by Teaching Tree at the Dollar Store! The activity contains 20 blank triangles.

To create the Word Family Icosahedron, I cut out the triangles, drew the pictures, and folded each triangle along the dotted lines.  Then I placed the triangles into 3 rows and glued them together.  Next, I took the middle row and glued the two end tabs together creating a circle!

Success!  I then tucked in and glued each tab to make a Word Family Icosahedron!  Children love reading the Icosahedron and saying words that belong to each  word family.  They also like to count the sides and  talk about the shape.

With older children, I had students select a part of speech or a phonics rule and demonstrate its meaning on a triangle. 

Next, the children folded the triangles, put them in rows and glued them together!

They created an impressive  Icosahedron!

Egg Carton Multiplication

Egg Carton Multiplication - Using the word problems on this post, have children demonstrate how to solve the problems using an egg carton and manipulative(s)!

Have kids roll the dice and then have them demonstrate the equation by placing the manipulative(s) correctly in the cups of the egg carton.

An extension activity - Have kids make 2 or more equations to demonstrate the number rolled.

Word Problem Cards



Answer Check Puzzles - Implement a popular activity to reinforce reading and multiplication skills!

Remember When? - These were very popular when I was young and they are making a big comeback!  I use them to reinforce reading and multiplication skills!

Completed Template to Print - Directions are on the side: 1- Cut around the dotted lines, 2- Place the paper face down and fold back the 4 corners, 3 - Fold back the next 4 corners. Next, fold the square in half. Using both hands, have kids put their left thumb and index finger in the left side and their right thumb and index finger in the right side.

Second Template

Third Template

Blank Template to Fill as Needed



Multiplication Hack - Turn the Struggle into Fun

Multiplication Game to teach multiplication facts!  Turn the struggle into fun at home and school! First player to roll, make and solve 10 different multiplication problems WINS!

Cards with Matching Colored Cubes withTemplates Below - Using the Two Numbers Rolled, Students Are to Make Multiplication Equations

Make  Cubes of Different Colors!  Vary the Color and Difficulty of Equations with the Numbers You Write on the Cubes

Additional Hands On Activity - Students Demonstrate with Apples and Shopping Bags What the Equation 20 X 11 Means!

Completed Multiplication Problem/Bulletin Board - Completed by the Students Demonstrating the Equation 20 X 11

Pre-made Chart To Introduce To Students

Independent Practice Sheets for Students

A Second Practice Sheet

Templates For Game Cards and Dice

Learning Center in A Mini / Store Binder!

Mini Learning Centers - Using a 5 1/2"  by 8 1/2"  mini binder,  felt sheets, Velcro, and word cards. 

Cut the Felt Sheets to fit into the binder and punch three holes on the left side of each sheet and place them in the binder.  Next, place sticky Velcro strips on each felt sheet.  Finally, make word cards and place Velcro on the back of each word card. Now the learning begins! Students can practice everything from making sentences, alphabetizing words, sorting words ..........

Students make sentences that include adjectives: I like to eat - hot soup, yummy cake, sweet cake, cheese pizza.

Students change a word to change the sentence.

Students place words in alphabetical order.

Students sort words according to the sound and/or placement of the ch digraph.