Writing Folder - A helpful tool for building independence

Hi All!

I have been working on this one for soooo long. It's one of those ones that has sat and marinated, if you get my meaning. When I look up the details of the file, it tells me it was created in September 2014. Hmmmmm....

Introducing Writers Folder - A Student Writing Companion

I'll give you a peek at one I put together!

Print out all the pieces. To make it fit in one manila folder, I printed the inside pages 2 to a page.

Choose the cover you would like to use! I have included vertical and horizontal, color and B&W and girl and boy options which should cover you completely!!

Glue the chosen cover onto the front of your manila folder.

Glue the pages you would like inside. I have chosen to go in order that they are in the pack

Done! A easy-to-use student tool to help during writing time. You could make one for each student to store in their desk or tray, or make a few to place on tables or around the room.

Click any picture to find it on TPT.

Using Phonemic Awareness to Construct New Words

Something that can be quite tricky to introduce to students (especially in Kindergarten) is switching phonemes within words. It is often something they need a bit of practice and support with. I thought this new pack would help fit the bill.

I have made this pack with 2 activity cards to a page but if you are printing (and laminating) conscious, they are still a pretty good size when you choose to print multiple pages on one page. I have also included both colour and black and white so you can pick which one you would like to print!!

Let's look at the activity :)

The card tells you to start with a given word. The students are given a picture clue to get them started as well as Elkonian boxes to write in (and these will also give them support with which 'size' letter should go in each box - tall, short or long)

Move to the second picture. It tell me to change a sound in the word - this time the beginning sound. I have done it with red here to illustrate what has changed. You might want your students to do this too or just do it all in one colour. Again, students are supported with pictures and Elkonian boxes. 

Now onto the third picture. This time it is telling me to change the ending sound. Throughout the activity cards, there is a mixture of changes to beginning, middle and ending sounds to keep it challenging and interesting.

Click any picture to go and grab it in my TPT store.

Comprehension Sticks for Little Learners

Hi All
I have been a little quiet of late. If you follow me on Instagram (brookeb80) you would know I havent been in the classroom!






I have been on holidays with my family....the highlight of which was a family dolphin adventure!!! More about that another time :)

I just wanted to share with you something that I cannot wait to use next term

This pack includes 28 different comprehension questions that you can ask students during guided reading time. I have them available for you in colour and black and white, so you can pick which one you would prefer to print.

You could use them during a whole group reading of a text or during a guided reading group.

Here is some of them printed out for you to have a look at. You could pre-select the questions you want students to answer or just take a lucky dip!

I recommend you laminate them, and then stick them to a paddle pop stick to make them more sturdy (and less chance of little fingers bending them).

Go and find them in my TPT store by clicking HERE or any of the images above :)

Setting Writing Goals

Students taking ownership in the classroom is such an important thing - even in kindergarten. At the moment, our staff is building these goal setting and bump it up walls for writing. But being me, I had to cutify it!

Before beginning the wall, I spent time to talk to each student in my class 1 on 1. I had their current writing cluster in front of me, plus what skills are required to move to the next cluster. I let the students have a say in what they wanted their writing goal to be, but had to keep it realistic and appropriate for their level. In all honestly, the time it took me was only about 1 hour in total and I did this over a week, just pulling kids here and there. The talk that it generated was awesome - "I've got a goal! Have you got one yet?"

Next I typed the names of my students onto a photo themed clipart piece. I laminated all of these so that I can write on them with a white board texta and once a goal is reached, can be easily rubbed out. The kids were intrigued.

Next was transferring those goals we had discussed to their picture. The kids were fascinated by now and we looked at it and remembered what our individual goals were.

Finally my title - Snapshot of KB's Learning Goals. We will refer to this each time for writing. If a student has achieved their goal in a writing session, I will stick a little camera (similar to the clipart one) into their piece of writing, as well as tick underneath their goal on the wall. If they can achieve this goal 3 times, They will be able to wear the goal necklaces.

The aim is to get students talking about their learning and achievements in class to EVERYONE!!! After they have achieved this, we will set a new goal.

I don't expect that this will be an instant success overnight, but I am determined to work at it. The conversation being generated is priceless and just can't be manufactured. And anything that makes students more self aware and in charge of their own learning is OK with me!

Do you have a goal wall? Is it something you would like to try? Leave me a comment about it.

Be a Word Building Wizard!

Sight words! We need them to help kids with all aspects of literacy. But learning them can be quite a chore for some. So why not give it an extra dimension?

You can use it with any set of sight words! Or use the ones I have included as they are a good size to put on the mat. I made multiple copies onto different colours of paper so that each student has their own set to work with AND there wouldnt be a set of words which at the end has 3 'the' words.....you know what I am talking about! You also need some magnetic letters/letter tiles and a whiteboard marker.

So let's make some words! Choose and word and put in the box. Read it!

Now let's build it! Find the magnetic letters to make the word. Encourage more repetition of the word.

Now it's time to write. Making connections to words is so important so the 3 types of practice will (hopefully) help kids understand the words better and have better recall of them next time. Plus it is a fun way to practice!

Click any of the pictures to go and grab them in my TPT store.

Secret Sight Words

Over the weekend I added a new sight word activity to my store. Let me give you a quick peek at

You will need the cards, magnetic letters and a white board (although if you laminated the cards, you could use a whiteboard texta!)

Choose a card. Each letter in the secret word is represented with a picture. Work out the initial letter for each word and find the right letter to place underneath.
 Build It!!! The secret word is be!

There is also a recording sheet for students to write their secret sight words on.

Keep making words. The cards are grouped into 12 words per coloured card, so you could just choose one colour per group or give each student a colour of their own.

It is a lot of fun and puts a new spin on sight word reading, while combining other literacy skills such as identifying initial letters/sounds, recognise and identify letters and reading sight words. Lots of fun and practice all in one activity :)

Click any picture to find it in my store. 

Currently July!!! and New FB Fan Freebie

Can you believe it is July? How fast is this year going?

I love linking up with 

Listening - My kids are really enjoying not having to rush to get ready for school in the morning. They go to before and after school care every day so we are normally out the door at 7.15 each morning. But today (its 8.16am now) they are in PJs dancing to One Direction! Love me some holidays!

Loving - My creative juices are going at the moment! I posted a new FB fan freebie this week which if you havent grabbed click HERE to go to my page and get it!. I am also working on a HUGE new pack...its going to be a long time in the making I think :)

Thinking - This term for the first time, we are going to be looking at DINOSAURS! I am so excited and I have so many ideas....how to get them all on paper? Our new syllabus for English has a huge emphasis on multi-modal texts so I am making a list of TV shows and movies to incorporate into the study. So far I am thinking TV - Dino Dan, Dinosaur Train and Movies - Land Before Time, Walking with Dinosaurs. Have you got some other awesome suggestions?

Wanting - It is the middle of winter, although sometimes its hard to remember. Yesterday we went to the park to play and I ended up in a singlet top I was that warm! You do feel it at night and in morning though. Bring on SPRING!

Needing - This year is my first year back at work full time since before having my kids and I am struggling a bit with keeping the house in order. Its all I can do to cook the dinner, run the dishwasher and wash the clothes. Any tips for keeping me more organised?

4th Plans - In Australia, we don't acknowledge the 4th BUT my kids are both going out with friends on Friday so I am planning on catching up on trashy TV :)

Comprehension in Kindergarten

We have been hard at work at comprehension in Kindergarten. This fabulous idea is from my teaching partner Kim!

Instead of the traditional approach to comprehension as a lot of our kids would not be able to read and answer a question, we moved towards the drawing side to show understanding. This week we did the Rainbow Fish.

I thought a know story might help a bit with the recall of details and the series of events.

We used this template which (hopefully) gave them a defined idea of beginning middle and end.

I actually read the story twice (as well as having listened to it a week earlier on Storyline Online) so they were should have been quite familiar.

Here is a couple of the finished comprehensions, I asked each child one on one to explain their pictures and scribed their answer.

We will continue with this this term. How do you do comprehension in Kindergarten?

Blending CVC words - video!!!

This is the pic I posted on the blog and Instagram during the week. It has inspired me to make this video of how we used it (with my own kids)

I did it! Here is a video of using the magnetic counters and wands to blend CVC cards.

**I am very sorry about the comment about dogs heehee***

The cards are from Mel of From the Pond. Click HERE for a link to her store!

Click the picture to go straight to her cards.

And Mel is kind enough to give me one to give away!!!

Let's do it old school, just leave a comment below and tell me why you want them. Don't forget your email.