Have You Heard About Boom Learning Digital Task Cards?

If you haven't tried Boom Learning Digital Task Cards, you need to get on this, they are amazing!

Here's a quick video with an overview on what these cards are all about.

 

Here's another quick video, explaining a little more.

This second video was created by Melissa of I HEART 4th Grade. (She did a nice job explaining it, didn't she?)

What do I like most about Boom Digital Task Cards?

1. The kids LOVE them!

2. They are very easy for teachers to assign and differentiate, and check in on how the children are performing.

3. They can be used on ANY device: laptops, desktops, SMARTboards, ipads, tablets, and phones. (You can grab the app HERE!)

4. That means they can use them at home! They can practice their task cards on mom's phone while waiting for sister to finish her gymnastics class or brother to finish his soccer game!

5. Children get immediate feedback, which is so important for learning! If they work hard, they earn badges and gems!

6. No printing, cutting, or laminating! 

Want to try some? I have a couple of freebies for you: 

 

Weather Words, Plant Words, or Desserts?
 

Brain Friendly Addition and Subtraction Level 1: +1 Fact Family BOOM Cards

Brain Friendly Multiplication and Division Level 1: x1 Fact Family BOOM Cards

I've been having so much fun making these, I've made a whole addition and subtraction bundle for all 8 brain based levels, plus 2 extra reviews. 

BOOM Learning Brain Friendly Fact Fluency: The Bundle

But that's not all! I've added ALL TEN BOOM Task Cards to the collection of Brain Friendly Addition and Subtraction Fact Practice and Assessment.

Plus, you know what? I've made similar sets for Multiplication and Division!

Here's the BOOM Learning Bundle: Brain Friendly Multiplication and Division: The Bundle  BOOM Learning

And the updated full practice and assessment set, now including BOOM Learning digital task card practice:

Brain Friendly Multiplication and Division Fact Practice and Assessment

I have loads of BOOM cards in lots of subject areas.  You can find them HERE.

 

 

 

Wondering what will keep them engaged the last week before Christmas?

If you are already on vacation, congratulations for surviving! If you're still going, like I am, you'll be needing something extra special to keep those restless, overtired children engaged!

 

This week we did some STEM activities from this set: S.T.E.M. Activities for December.

The children had a great time creating face warmers for Santa!

And designing workshops for elves!

Every student was engaged, plus there was learning going on! Their reflections really showed they were learning about the Engineering Process, as well as learning to work as part of a team. I was proud of their achievements!

There's a lot going on this coming week. (Yes, we go through Friday afternoon at 3:30!) I'll be pulling out all the stops with some of my favorite holiday activities. 

We'll be painting, illustrating, and reading some of my favorite holiday stories. We'll also bring in a little Science and Social Studies with this resource: Science and Social Studies Activities for December.

They'll be reading informational text about the North Pole and about the Aurora Borealis, practicing their mapping skills with a map of the North Pole, sorting Christmas scents, and learning about laws by sorting elf laws.

 

Besides all this fun, I'll be pulled out of class on Thursday for an IEP meeting, so I'll be assigning some of the pages from this resource: Holiday No Prep Activities.

I can be sure the children will be getting fun practice on important reading, writing, and math skills with these! 

If all else fails, it's time to pull out the glitter! (Yes, I plan to!)

Of course, I hate to leave for vacation without being ready for that first week back! Here are a couple of resources I'll be pulling out at the beginning of January!

Beanie Toss to 100!

Thank You Cards

These may be going out of style for some, but grandparents still prefer a handwritten thank you card. Who doesn't want to keep grandparents happy?

 

2024 Calendar of Fun!

Here's a little something extra they can do with these calendars!

Seven Strategies to Help Children Remember Spelling Words

Some children remember sight words easily, but there are others who have a hard time remembering the spelling of words that don't follow the rules. 

 

Here are a few strategies, based on research, that will help kiddos remember spelling words.

1.  Spell it aloud! The act of saying the letters along with hearing the letters helps the pathways form in the brain.

2. Get them moving! Studies show a connection between movement and memory. Students can bounce a basketball while spelling, jump while spelling, or even do interpretive dance while spelling the words. 

 3. Integrate Music! Ever notice how you can remember song lyrics from years ago that you never even tried to memorize? Music is closely connected to memory! Make up a little tune to the spelling of the words, or have the children make it up!

 

4. Integrate the Arts! Have the children write the spelling words, then make up a design around them. Or, you could have them paint their words! Don't forget the performing arts: they could dance their words or act out their words!

5. Color code! Brains really connect to colors! Have the children write the words using one color for vowels, and one color for consonants.

6. Hands-on! Use blocks, toothpicks, pipe cleaners or other manipulatives to create the words.

7. Get social! Get the kiddos to have conversations about their words. They can talk about the letters that follow the rules, and the letters that DON'T follow the rules. (Add color coding to this one, and that doubles the chance they'll remember the spelling!)

Want more ideas?  

This is a set of task cards with 48 color and 48 black and white task cards that can be used with any spelling list!

These cards contain activities based on brain research that include integrating the arts, multi-modality, and multiple intelligences. This set of sight word practice task cards is perfect for a word work center, homework, or extra practice in any setting. 

For more information, see: Brain Friendly Spelling Task Cards.

In case you want to see how these Spelling Task Cards work, here's a sampler: Spelling Fun Task Cards Sampler

Or grab it for free by signing up for my helpful emails HERE.

How do you help children remember Spelling words?

Illustrating Homographs to Internalize Learning

 Brain Research tells us that when children illustrate as part of the learning process, it deepens the learning. In fact, integrating any of the arts has this affect on learning!

 

 

My students did this activity on homographs this week: 

My kids were so excited about the double meanings of words, they had a blast!  Plus, they created some awesome illustrations to prove their understanding!  Here are some of them:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change can mean the money that you get back. Or Change can mean if you get your clothes dirty, you could change them!

 

 

 

 

Tip can mean a tip of a pencil or the tip at a restaurant.

Foot can mean football or foot can mean a foot.

Broke can mean I broke up or broke can mean no money.

Bat can mean a baseball bat or a bat who flies.

Key can mean a house key or key can mean a computer key.

Rose can mean a flower or Rose can mean a girl's name.

Well can mean a wishing well or well can mean getting better when you're sick.

March can mean they are marching or March can mean the month of March.

Aren't their drawings amazing? 

They actually thought of meanings of these words that I hadn't come up with! I love when they think of things I don't, in fact, I always love when the kiddos are thinking!

This is a perfect activity to keep in the "sub tub". It requires little preparation (just run off the papers), the kids enjoy it, and it's easy to leave directions for another teacher! 

Plus, these kiddos really know their homographs!

Baseball Fun and Learning!

I'm so excited that baseball season is finally here! Baseball means spring! 

 After a tough winter, anything that means spring is OK by me! 

 

I've been doing a lot of baseball reading this week, in honor of the opening of baseball season. Here are some favorites: 

• H is for Homerun: a Baseball Alphabet
• My Baseball Book
• Goodnight Baseball
• Play Ball!
• The Lucky Baseball Bat
• Babe Ruth Saves Baseball
• The Berenstain Bears Go Out for the Team
• Baseball Ballerina
• Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia
• Pete the Cat: Play Ball

Baseball and April bring another opportunity: It's National Poetry Month! What a great opportunity to write Diamantes!

Why Diamantes?  Because they are shaped like diamonds!(Get it? baseball diamonds?)

Or check out this resource, with plenty of examples and options!

Speaking of shapes... a baseball diamond could be called a square or a rhombus, but did you realize home plate is shaped like a pentagon?

Have you noticed, when we connect learning to sports, all those little boys perk up?  (Many of the little girls do, too!)

I have a resource I'm VERY excited about called Baseball Geography! 

These are all task cards based on the locations of major league baseball teams! I had such a blast putting this together, and so far my students can't get enough! Plus, they're really getting to know the locations on the US maps!

Here are a couple of other baseball-themed games I've got:

Baseball Antonyms combines a couple of popular games with antonym practice. 

Plus, I have a couple of BINGO games with a baseball theme:

Home Run Two Digit Addition gives the children practice adding 2 two-digit numbers, along with a little strategy. 

 

Home Run Two Syllable Words is a similar BINGO game, but this one gives the children practice reading two-syllable words. 

The students LOVE these BINGO games! 

Come to think of it, they love any time I combine learning with sports!

And, of course, there's one more! A bundle of all of the baseball-themed activities:

How do you integrate sports into the learning process?