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We Got Jazz! – A Jazz Black History Unit Study

January 21, 2021 by Selena Robinson 7 Comments

As the kids and I have been studying black history, we’ve found so many incredible stories of great jazz musicians.

I knew of all of these music pioneers, but learning about their lives and experiences has been so enlightening and it’s been a wonderful lesson for our children.

So I thought it would be nice to put what we’ve learned together into a printable black history unit study that’s all about jazz, bebop, and scat!

We Got Jazz Digital and Print Black History Unit

We are very proud to announce the release of We Got Jazz! – Exploring the Pioneers of Scat, Bebop, and Swing!

We Got Jazz! is a jazz unit study packed with jazz history, comprehension reviews, and listening activities for kids in grades 1-3!

Read on to see how to get your copy! And, if you need a digital version for distance learning – there’s one of those too.

If you’re looking for more black history lessons for kids, don’t miss our African Kingdoms unit study for elementary students!

We Got Jazz Elementary Digital and Print Unit for Kids

We Got Jazz! Black History Unit Study

We have always enjoyed the sounds of jazz.

While we knew about all of these famous musicians, we didn’t know much about how they got started making music or the challenges they faced during their careers.

As we started exploring these figures with the kids, we found out so many interesting things.

Which is why I hope that your students find this black history unit enjoyable too!

We Got Jazz! features five biography units of jazz greats:

Dizzy Gillespie
Nat King Cole
Ella Fitzgerald
Miles Davis
and Duke Ellington

The section for each artist includes a comprehensive, age-appropriate biography of their life and career.

This is followed by a question and answer review activity to see what students have learned from the biography.

Black History Jazz Unit Comprehension Activities

Then there’s a crossword puzzle, a timeline sequencing activity, and a listening activity (with a link to where to find each artist’s music) to help students learn even more about each artist.

Depending on what your lesson plan includes, you could take one artist a week.

You might try covering the biography with the class. Then students can complete the activities on their own.

Black History Jazz Artist Biographies for Kids

Or you could spend a week discussing them all!

Read the biography with the class and then assign them to complete the review activities for homework or independent work.

Plus, a full answer key is included for easy grading!

See the full product flip through below!

Digital We Got Jazz Black History Unit

Are you distance learning this year? Or just looking to save on printer ink?

We Got Jazz! is also available in a digital version!

The digital version, which is compatible with Google Slides, contains all of the information and just as many activities as the print version.

Digital Jazz Black History Unit for Elementary

After reading about each artist, students can type their answers to the review questions – directly on the slides.

Digital Black History Duke Ellington Unit

They can drag and drop the events in each artist’s life into the correct sequence.

Instead of a crossword puzzle, there is a word unscramble activity for each person.

And you can use the digital answer key (which is delivered in a separate file) to grade student submissions in no time!

See the video preview of the digital version of We Got Jazz below!

Scroll down to get the print or digital version of We Got Jazz for your students!

Check out more black history learning activities below!

Digital and Print Ruby Bridges History Lesson

These Black history matching puzzles are a fun way to teach elementary students about notable Black Americans!

Looking for the digital version of We Got Jazz? Pick it up in my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

>>> Digital We Got Jazz Unit for Elementary <<<

Elementary Jazz Black History Unit for Kids

To get the print version of We Got Jazz!, visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store or check it out below!

How I Teach Math to Multiple Kids with Teaching Textbooks

January 19, 2021 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

How many of you are teaching multiple kids at home this year?

*waits patiently for many of you to raise your hand*

Now, how many of you are actually attempting to teach math to those same kids this year?

Anyone looking around nervously hoping we can talk about something else? Been there.

We’re teaching three kids at home this year and each one of them has a different relationship with math.

How to Use Teaching Textbooks for Homeschool Math

One loves it but wants to move at a faster pace than the public school system.

One likes it but loses interest very quickly.

The third outright despises it.

And I, as the homeschooling parent, get to figure out how to teach math to all three of them! Yay!

Not.

When I found out that I’d could try Teaching Textbooks with all three this year, I breathed an audible sigh of relief. I’d never used TT before, but I’d always heard it praised by other homeschoolers.

And now I see why.

Read on to see how we’re using Teaching Textbooks for all three of our homeschooled kids this year and how it’s making homeschool math a snap. Plus, find out how to get a free trial for your family!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post and I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

How to Use Teaching Textbooks for Simple Homeschool Math

Common Problems when Teaching Homeschool Math to Multiple Kids

My youngest child is a learning dynamo.

If she could just be locked in a library with every encyclopedia in the world for the rest of her life, she’d be thrilled.

As much as I love her interest in learning, it can be a challenge to keep up with her everyday.

Using Teaching Textbooks for Self Paced Lessons

My sixth grader has a great aptitude for math. He picks up concepts quickly and masters them efficiently.

He does not, however, have the longest attention span.

And it’s hard for him to exercise the patience needed to get through a concept that he doesn’t grasp right away.

My seventh grader is another story.

When I tell you that this child hates math, I mean he HATES math.

Last school year, it was a struggle just to get him to complete his daily assignments. He spent most of his winter break that year catching up on past work.

Using Teaching Textbooks for Kids Who Hate Math

And, then, there’s me.

I’m a veteran homeschooler, so teaching my own children is not new to me. But I’m busy!

I work from home, I have a house to take care of, and our oldest is a high school sophomore who is doing distance learning this year.

I’m barely keeping my head above water as it is *before* you add teaching math into the equation.

When I found out we’d need to homeschool again, I was just looking to get it done.

Teaching Textbooks Zero Prep Free Trial Graphic

How Teaching Textbooks Makes Homeschool Math Easy

So – how does Teaching Textbooks 4.0 help?

My little one can go through the lessons at her own pace.

According to her age, she should be in second grade this year. But she was bored in first grade last school year, so we decided to let her skip to third.

I was a little unsure about placing her in Teaching Textbooks 3. As she worked on the first lesson, she let me know that it was way too easy.

Teaching Textbooks lets you move around in the curriculum as you like. So we skipped ahead about ten lessons and she started getting a bit more of a challenge.

How Teaching Textbooks Grades Homeschool Math

She’s two-thirds of the way through Grade 3 and excited to start Grade 4 this fall! And she can view her grades easily on her daily lesson pages.

My sixth grader, who has a short attention span, is also finding Teaching Textbooks 4.0 to be a great fit.

The program includes a lecture for each day’s lesson. And the lectures use pictures, short paragraphs, and prompts to keep kids interested and attentive throughout.

Plus, when you’re working on a problem, you can use the onscreen Scratchpad to show your work, which he loves.

You can see how my youngest child uses the Scratchpad in the video below.

And what about my math-hating child?

Teaching Textbooks opens the school year with a gentle pace. So when he started Grade 7, he didn’t have to feel as if it was going to be difficult right away.

Whenever he has trouble mastering a concept, we just watch the practice problems again. Or we pause the lecture and work through the problems along with the lesson.

So, how’s it going with him?

Well, to be honest, he’s still not a fan of math. But he’s actually doing his work everyday! And he’s been getting mostly A’s this year.

That is practically a miracle.

I never thought he would be able to develop the self-discipline to sit down and complete his own work, but halfway through one school year with Teaching Textbooks, he’s doing just that.

Finally, there’s me with the packed schedule and almost no time to lesson plan for math.

Teaching Textbooks 4.0 comes with an ebook you can view inside the program.

So when a child needs help, I can take a quick look and refresh my memory before sitting down with them.

Table of Contents Ebook Teaching Textbooks

Honestly, because the program is so comprehensive, I haven’t needed to help my kids much at all this year. Particularly once they got the hang of using it.

It’s been a genuine lifesaver for all of us.

Ready to try Teaching Textbooks 4.0 with your family? Visit Teaching Textbooks and sign up for the free trial to get the first 15 lessons of any math level free!

Want to see more about our homeschool plans for this year? Take a look below!

See the 2020 homeschool curriculum choices we made for our family this year!

Banish overwhelm and start learning with this easy guide to first time homeschooling!

Ruby Goes to School! Mini Ruby Bridges History Lesson for Kids

January 5, 2021 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

Ruby Bridges has always been an interesting history figure to me.

She was such a young girl when she made history and she managed to handle it with grace and class.

Naturally, I wanted my children to learn about Ruby Bridges but I also like to share her story with my students.

And that’s why this mini Ruby Bridges history lesson is one I’m excited to share with all of you!

Ruby Bridges History Lesson for Elementary Students

This is a fantastic history activity for early elementary grades!

It’s a great fit for Black History Month, but you could really use it any time of the year, because it’s also American history.

And it’s so easy for early grade students to relate to her experience as well.

Plus, this activity is now available as a digital Black history lesson too!

Read on to see how to pick up your copy.

And, for more black history resources, take a look at our list of 20 Books about African-American Inventors and Scientists!

Learn about the life and legacy of Ruby Bridges with this elementary Ruby Bridges history lesson!

Elementary Ruby Bridges History Lesson for Kids

To use this Ruby Bridges history lesson for kids, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

The printable Ruby Bridges mini black history lesson includes the following:

A two-page Ruby Bridges biography
A page of Fill-In-the-Blank biography review questions
A Ruby Bridges word unscramble activity
A Ruby Bridges history timeline sequencing activity

Ruby Bridges Comprehension Activities for Elementary

A full answer key and a teaching script are also included!

The biography comes with a blackline version as well.

Printable Ruby Bridges Biography for Elementary

Digital Ruby Bridges History Lesson

Are you using virtual or distance learning with your students this year?

Ruby Bridges Digital History Activity for Kids

This Black history lesson is also available as a digital activity for use with Google Slides!

The digital Ruby Bridges history activity includes:

A five-slide biography
A two-slide fill in the blank review
A two-slide word unscramble activity
And a history sequencing activity for students!

Digital Ruby Bridges History Lesson for Kids

A complete answer key is also available for easy peasy grading.

Digital Ruby Bridges Lesson for Elementary

Read the biography in class with students and then let them complete the review activities on their own!

How to Teach Elementary Students about Ruby Bridges

If you’re unsure how to introduce Ruby to your class, the teaching script offers a sample teaching script to try.

Teaching Elementary Students about Ruby Bridges

Read the biography together with your students. Be sure to stop and check for understanding during the reading.

Afterwards, you might choose to complete the fill-in-the-blank activity together. Then you can send the word unscramble and the timeline sequencing activities along as homework.

If you decide to send the biography as part of a take-home assignment, let students color Ruby as they read about her!

Use the enclosed answer key for simple grading!

Get a closer look at this resource in the video below.

Scroll down to get your copy of this print or digital Ruby Bridges History Lesson!

Don’t miss these other Black history learning ideas for students!

Teach elementary students about one of the most accomplished scientists in history with this George Washington Carver history lesson for kids!

To get the digital Ruby Bridges History Activity for use with Google Slides, click the image or the link below to get it from my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

>>> Digital Ruby Bridges History Activity <<<

Printable Ruby Bridges History Lesson for Kids

To get the printable Ruby Bridges lesson for elementary, visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store or check it out below! (Psst…You can also get both the printable and digital versions as a bundle.)

10 New School Year Resolutions for Homeschoolers

December 15, 2020 by Selena Robinson 5 Comments

It’s common to start a new homeschool year in August or September, which is the same time of year when public schoolers go back to class.

But I still like to reset my homeschool every January.

By that point, I’m almost halfway through the school year and I can take a look at which resources are working and which are…not.

I can also see how my kids are progressing and adjust our goals to suit their ability.

Every year, I make a list of things I’d like to change about my teaching method or our homeschool routine and I try to apply those throughout the year.

This time, I thought I’d share of my new school year resolutions with you and hopefully get to read some of your plans as well!

There are ten tips below that can help you get a fresh outlook on the school year – even when you’re already five months into it.

They can also help if you’re feeling thisclose to throwing in the homeschooling towel. Trust me, I know exactly what that feels like.

Read through the ten suggestions and let me know which one you think will work for your family!

Feeling overwhelmed in your homeschool journey?

See what to do when homeschooling feels like too much!

10 New School Year Resolutions for Homeschoolers

Images c/o: CreateHERStock

This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.

1. Establish a daily routine.

As much as I like the idea of a “go with the flow” mentality, that simply does not work for our family, especially since some of us are living with ADHD.

Instead of attempting to schedule every single minute, though, we’re going to stick with our minimalist homeschool schedule and strive for consistency.

2. Spend more time outdoors.

I’m really not an outdoors person. I’d rather be inside with a thick novel than outside any day. Especially when it’s cold. Like January.

However, we have active kids who love the outdoors, so we’ll be working in more outside time this year. We’ve gotten a chance to share some great nature activities as a family and I’d like to make time for that on a regular basis.

Even I feel more relaxed after we spend time outside together.

3. Make good use of lapbooks.

We’ve used a few lapbooks with the kids in the past and we’ve enjoyed them quite a bit. But I’ve tended to shy away from using them much because they take so much time to prepare.

After the initial preparation, though, they are wonderful homeschooling tools that kids can use on their own.

We still have Knowledge Box Central lapbooks from years ago and the kids can grab them and complete an activity any time. They’re certainly worth the initial time investment.

If you want to see how they look, check out this cooking lapbook that even my sons loved!

4. Encourage independence.

My husband was the first one to teach this in our home, so I have to give credit to him for this resolution. He believed strongly that our kids should learn to take care of themselves as early as possible.

As a result, our three oldest kids can wash their own laundry, prepare their own breakfast and lunch meals, and clean their rooms. Even our youngest child has started helping to wash dishes.

Less housework definitely takes a load off of my mind.

5. Slow down.

When I first started homeschooling years ago, I felt pressure to do ALL THE THINGS AT ONCE.

I planned every minute of our homeschooling day. I made a list of every single important children’s book with dates to read each one.

I collected every piece of homeschooling curriculum I could find. Then I almost killed myself trying to do it all.

Now that we’ve been at this for years, I’ve learned that it’s so much better to slow down, focus on what’s most important, and enjoy teaching the children.

See the next five school year resolutions and how to try them on the next page!

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Pizza Pie ELA! Adjective Sorting Activity

December 1, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Does anyone else think learning about parts of speech is fun?

If not, it’s possible that it’s just me.

When I learned about them years (and years) ago in school, I thought it was so neat that the words I read and used everyday had different functions.

If your students aren’t quite as thrilled about the parts of speech as I was, this pizza-themed adjective sorting activity is fun way to practice recognizing describing words!

If you’re reading a pizza-themed book with your class, this is a wonderful way to weave in some basic ELA practice.

Plus, it has a hands-on component that younger students will love!

Read on to see how to get your copy of this ELA activity – free!

And, for more ways to practice language arts in early grades, take a look at my Construction Contractions ELA unit!

This fun pizza themed adjective sorting activity is a perfect hands-on lesson for ELA!

Pizza Pie ELA! Adjective Sorting Activity

To use this pizza-themed adjective sorting activity, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Easy Adjective Sorting Activity for Kids

This ELA lesson lets students practice spotting and using descriptive words to describe everyone’s favorite food – pizza!

It’s designed as a one-time cut and paste activity, but you can easily adapt it for repeated use at centers.

Instructions are included on the activity, so you can just print and then hand them out to students.

They can look for the adjectives, cut them out, and then paste them onto the pizza as mushroom and pepperoni “toppings”.

Turn this into a reusable activity by laminating the pages. Then cut them out and let students use them again and again.

Adjective Sorting Activity for Early Elementary

This would also make a great take-home activity for practicing parts of speech.

Adjective Pizza Adjective Sorting Activity

Students can assemble their pizzas at home and then bring them in the next day!

Scroll down to get your copy of this free Pizza Adjective Sorting Activity!

Try some of these other ELA learning ideas for early elementary!

Have a sweet ELA lesson with this delicious donuts ELA activity set! Several ELA activities with a fun donut theme!

Teach children how to identify basic nouns, verbs, and adjectives with this winter-themed parts of speech sorting activity! Perfect for ELA over the winter!

Pick up these printable contraction flashcards to help early elementary students review English contractions!

To get your copy of this Adjective Pizza activity, click the image or the link below to grab it as a free download from my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

>>> Pizza Pie ELA! Adjective Sorting Lesson <<<

5 Fun Homeschool Book Report Ideas for Kids

November 17, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Ah, the familiar (and sometimes dreaded) book report.

When I was in elementary school, we had to give book reports in front of the entire class. I never minded, because I loved books and always wanted to talk about them to my classmates.

But everyone didn’t love doing them.

And it’s easy to see why. Just writing a report about a book isn’t necessarily fun.

So I thought it would be helpful to share these five fun homeschool book report ideas you can try with your children!

These are simple to do and they’re engaging, so if you have children who don’t love writing about the books they read, these different book report ideas may help.

Read on to see the full list!

And, for more ways to bring books to life, take a look at our tips for making reading fun for active kids!

These five fun homeschool book report ideas are excellent for assessing reading comprehension with kids!

5 Fun Homeschool Book Report Ideas for Kids

Images c/o: AndrewLozovyi / Depositphotos

The Cereal Box Book Report

Take an empty cereal box and glue butcher paper or construction paper all around it.

Have your children draw an important scene from the book on the front and write the book title at the top.

Use the space for the nutrition facts on the side to list characters and places inside the book.

On the back, kids can describe the basic plot and explain what they liked about the book.

The Story Cube

Pick up a few dry erase dice and let kids draw a scene from a few of the book’s chapters on each side.

Challenge them to use the drawings to retell the story.

You can also do this with an empty tissue box. Let the kids draw scenes from the story and glue them around the sides.

Then they can use the story cube to retell the major parts of the story. Or “roll” the cube to tell random events.

The Comic Book Report

Hand out a couple of pieces of paper, with markers and colored pencils, and let the kids make a comic book summary of the story.

Keep it short (eight or twelve panels) and see if they can depict the events in the order they occurred.

Afterwards, they can use the comic book to retell the major plot events.

The Stage Play Report

If you have children who love to dress in costume and perform (like I do), why not have them try a stage play book report?

They can dress up as the main characters and act out a scene or two from the story. Let siblings help to make a “set” and play other roles too!

Older kids may want to try writing a soliloquy or monologue showing the main character’s internal conflict and struggles.

After the play is finished, let the kids hold a character “wax museum” while they’re still in costume!

Each one can hold up a sign with the name of their character and a few important facts about him or her. As parents, you can walk around to see each “exhibit” from the story.

The Build A Scene Report

Grab some art supplies and recyclables from around the house to build a model of a scene from the book.

Choose a specific setting from the story (such as a village, castle, apartment, forest, etc.) and challenge the kids to use as much detail as they can. This is a great way to help the kids pay attention to descriptive details in the book.

You can also use LEGO blocks to construct a setting from the story. With a smartphone, older kids can create a stop-motion video to show a few of the major events!

Which of these fun homeschool book report ideas do you think your kids would like? Let me know how they work for your family!

Try some of these other ideas for making reading fun!

These printable summer reading challenge bookmarks are a fun way to keep kids reading during summer!

This printable fall reading journal for kids is a simple way to help children analyze the stories they read!

Pick up this printable ice cream reading log for kids to keep little ones reading this summer! This printable reading kits with printable bookplates, a printable summer reading log, and printable coloring bookmarks!

Sweet Treats! Cupcake and Cookie Alphabet Worksheets

November 10, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Winter is quickly approaching and it’s the time of year for…baking!

At least for me.

Whenever it gets cold outside, I’m ready to start baking cookies, cupcakes, muffins, and whatever else I can think of.

Of course, I also have the problem of eating them all, but that’s another story.

To keep early learners practicing their alphabet recognition skills over the winter, I thought it would be fun to share a set of cupcake and cookie alphabet worksheets!

Fun Cookie and Cupcake Alphabet Worksheets

These are filled with ways to practice letter recognition that are fun for little ones!

They’d be excellent for literacy centers or take-home packets over winter break in preschool or kindergarten too.

Read on to see how to get your copy of each – free!

And for more ways to teach early literacy skills, don’t miss my Winter Alphabet and Number Playdough Mats!

These printable cookie and cupcake alphabet worksheets are so fun for helping early learners practice letter recognition!

Sweet Treats! Cupcake and Cookie Alphabet Worksheets

To use these cupcake and cookie alphabet worksheets, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Pencils
Crayons or washable markers
Child-safe scissors
Glue stick
Laminator (good if using these at literacy centers)

Each of these alphabet worksheet packs includes six activities.

First, students will fill in the missing letters to complete the entire alphabet.

Then, they can use crayons to complete the color by alphabet worksheet. The cookie worksheet set features a cookie-themed color by alphabet page.

The cupcake worksheet set has a cupcake-themed activity instead.

They can also cut out matching lowercase letters to glue next to the correct uppercase letters.

Plus, a tracing page for the entire alphabet is included.

The alphabet maze lets students find their way to the finish by following the uppercase and lowercase letter A.

Finally, they can use the letters they’ve practiced to write their name in several colors.

If you’re using a cupcake or cookie theme at any point this school year, these would be a perfect match!

If you plan to use these alphabet worksheets at literacy centers, be sure to laminate them first. Then students can reuse them with dry erase markers or crayons.

See this product in action in the video below!

Scroll down to get your cupcake and cookie alphabet worksheets – free!

Take a look at some of these other early literacy learning ideas!

Work on early literacy skills with this fun fall apple CVC word literacy activity!

Practice helping early learners memorize the letters of the alphabet with these printable finish the alphabet worksheets for kids! Great for learning alphabetical order!

To get your copy of our Sweet Treats! Printable Alphabet Worksheets, just sign up for our email newsletter! (It’s free.)

Get started by clicking the image below. Your set of cookie and cupcake alphabet worksheets will be sent directly to your inbox!

NOTE: If you don’t see the email in your inbox after ten minutes, check your spam folder.

Printable Woodland Animals Board Game for Kids

November 3, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

It’s the time of year when we start to see woodland animals in our neighborhood.

Down here in the South, it’s pretty common to see deer along the edges of the highway during fall.

Sometimes, we even see does and fawns cross the street in front of us. It’s pretty incredible.

As autumn closes in, I thought it would be a great time to share this printable woodland animals board game for kids to play!

Fun Woodland Animals Printable Board Game

This is a simple, low-prep activity to play with little ones, especially on days when the weather is less than perfect.

Read on to see how to get your copy – free!

And, for more fall fun, don’t miss our Roll A Leaf Printable File Folder Game!

This fun printable woodland animals board game is a perfect fall-themed indoor activity for kids!

Printable Woodland Animals Board Game for Kids

To play this printable woodland animals board game, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Cardstock
Scissors
Double-sided tape
Game pieces (I used hedgehog mini erasers I got from Target, but you can use buttons, coins, counting bears, or any small manipulative.)

There are two styles of game boards: one with full color and one with white backgrounds.

Use either or both!

The game also includes a printable die.

After using scissors to cut it out, fold it along the lines and attach with double-sided tape.

You could also use glue or regular tape around the outside, but I find double-sided tape to be the easiest.

Then place the game pieces at the start and you’re ready to play!

Kids can roll the die to move their game piece along the board, moving to whichever animal they roll.

The first one to the finish wins!

***IMPORTANT*** If you are using a Mac, you will need to save this file as an image before you try to print it. Otherwise, the game board pictures will print with black backgrounds.

To do this, open the file in Preview (the default option for PDFs), then click “export”.

Woodland Animals Board Game - Mac Print Instructions 2

Change the option from “PDF” to “JPEG”.

Woodland Animals Board Game - Mac Print Instructions 4

Then click “save”.

Woodland Animals Board Game - Mac Print Instructions 5

Open the image and click “Print”.

Woodland Animals Board Game - Mac Print Instructions 6

You’ll be good to go!

See this game in action below!

Scroll down to get your copy of this printable woodland animals board game – free!

Take a look at these other fall activities for kids!

These fun fall color by addition worksheets are a perfect way to practice arithmetic with an art twist this year!

Use the digital or printable version of this Spanish Counting to 10 activity to practice number recognition in English and Spanish!

Use these realistic leaf identification activity cards to help students recognize common tree species!

To get your copy of this printable forest animals game, click the image or the link below to download it directly to your computer!

>>> Woodland Animals Board Game <<<

Easy Alphabet Acorn Sensory Bin for Kids

October 27, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

When you want to keep preschoolers engaged in a lesson for more than…three minutes or so, sensory bins are the answer!

Every time I’ve put a sensory bin together, I’ve had to practically drag my early learners away from it.

There’s just something about having so many different textures and colors to explore that keeps little ones interested.

And that makes sensory bins a wonderful medium for introducing early literacy skills – like in this alphabet acorn sensory bin!

This is such an easy, low-prep, and engaging literacy activity for autumn!

And it doesn’t make a mess, so you won’t have to clean anything up afterwards. Win!

Read on to see how to put this fall sensory bin together yourself.

And, for more fun with fall letters, take a look at our easy Name Acorn Necklace Craft!

Use this alphabet acorn sensory bin for some fun sensory play and letter recognition practice during fall!

Easy Alphabet Acorn Sensory Bin for Kids

To assemble this alphabet acorn sensory bin, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Container (I used a straw basket I already had, but a clear shoebox or a bin is fine too)
Acorns (Real acorns are the best, but I used these artificial acorns since we don’t have an oak tree nearby. This bin uses about three bags.)
Colored artificial leaves (Our bin uses these colorful acrylic leaves and acorns.)
Fall-themed foam pieces (This foam bead harvest mix with leaves, scarecrows, pumpkins, and candy corn is what I used.)
Printable Acorn Alphabet Cards (available in this post)

To start, print out the acorn alphabet cards and laminate them.

You’ll need them to stand up to frequent use by little hands.

Then fill the bin with acorns.

Mix in the colored leaves and acorns, as well as the fall-themed foam beads.

Finally, add a few of the acorn alphabet cards.

You don’t want to put them all in at once, because you want the letters to be part of the acorn sensory bin, not the entire focus.

One way to use them is to add in pairs of uppercase and lowercase letters (capital A and lowercase A, for example).

Then students can talk about the difference between the letters.

Or you can have a quick find the matching letter activity by picking up the capital letter and asking kids to find its lowercase mate.

Be sure to talk about the different textures, colors, and shapes of each item they pick up.

See this autumn sensory bin in action below!

If you use this alphabet acorn sensory bin with your early learners, I’d love to hear how it worked out for you!

Stop by to see some of these other fall early learning ideas!

Teach early learners how to recognize same and different objects with these fall themed acorn same or different worksheets!

Easy Name Acorn Necklace Craft for Kids

October 20, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Learning to spell his or her own name is such a big step for early learners!

As we’re teaching our youngest child to write cursive, even she’s in a hurry to get to all the letters in her name.

There’s no feeling quite like seeing your own name in print.

For a fun fall literacy lesson, I thought it would be cool to make a name building activity – this Name Acorn Necklace Craft!

This is an easy and hands-on way to practice literacy skills with young learners.

Plus, it’s so versatile you can use it for several concepts.

Read on to get the free printable cards you’ll need and see the full project instructions.

And, for more ways to learn with acorns, don’t miss our Acorns Alike Visual Discrimination Activity!

Easy Name Acorn Necklace Craft for Kids

To make this name acorn necklace craft, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Laminator
Scissors
Hole punch
Yarn or heavy string
Printable Acorn Alphabet Cards (link at bottom of post)

Start by printing out the Acorn Alphabet Cards. You can get them as a free direct download at the bottom of the post.

I like to laminate them before cutting them out. That way, they hold up to the hole punch better.

Once you’ve printed the cards you need for the child’s name (you may need to print more than one copy), you’re ready to get started.

Simply use a hole punch to place a hole at the top of each card.

I like to punch the hole in the top center, so that the cards don’t tilt to one side when worn.

Putting a Name Acorn Necklace Craft Together

Then just string the yarn through each hole. Little ones love this step!

We used a weaving motion so that the cards wouldn’t all flop onto each other when work on the necklace.

Ta-da!

They’re ready to wear!

This would make a fantastic first day of school activity for students to get to know one another.

(And it’d help you remember everyone’s name too!)

If you’d rather use these cards for other concepts, try adding them to word building centers, spelling lessons, and more.

Scroll down to get your printable Acorn Alphabet Cards for this Name Acorn Necklace Craft!

Try some of these other fall-themed early learning ideas!

To get the printable Acorn Alphabet Cards for the Name Acorn Necklace Craft, just click the image or the link below to download them to your computer!

>> Printable Acorn Alphabet Cards <<

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