"Letter Baby" has the whole alphabet in her mouth.

Use "Letter Baby" when singing "The Alphabet's in My Mouth" on the "Kiss Your Brain" CD.

Oreo books are good for two letter words, two syllable words, or compound words.

Pretend to lick your palm, then say "m."  Pretend to lick your other palm and say "y."  Then clap your hands and say "my."

Pencil Pocket Books can be used for many things.  Attach several pencil pockets together with book rings.  Put number words and the number at the top of the pocket.  Your students can add the correct number of manipulatives to the pocket.

You can make addition problems for your students to work.  Use seasonal manipulatives as counters for the problems.

Buy spiral notebooks before school starts to get the best deals. 

Glue a copy of a nursery rhyme on the left and your students illustrate the nursery rhyme on the right.

After hearing Dr. Jean's song, "Who Let the Letters Out," make your own book for "Who Let the Letters Out."

We will be making ours to go along with the Open Court Phonics wall cards.

Under the word is a picture of something that begins with that letter.

Your students illustrate their favorite nursery rhymes.

Bind laminated file folders together with book rings.

Make lines, curves, letters, or words on the folders.  Have your students roll playdough into snakes and then reproduce the lines and the letters.  This is great for fine motor development.

I like to have a visual for Katalina Matalina.

My students love for me to put on The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.

This is Buddy.  He is our visual for the song Peanut Butter.

This is Patalina Matalina. 

Design a cover for a favorite cereal book.

Each student brings in their favorite cereal box, trim to size and add the sentence ______ eats ___________.

This is a laptop computer that the students type their sight words on. 

I laminated a folder that has a pocket.  The sight words are on cards that fit in the pocket.  This black line master was part of Dr. Jean's workshop resource book.  She has given me permission to share it with all of you.  Click here:  Laptop Computer

It was so great to just print out the book for Alphardy.  I made my book into a big book and bound it at the bottom for easier turning.

To print your own Alphardy book click on this link:  Alphardy Book in Color

What child doesn't love Chicka Chicka Boom Boom?  Here is an assessment tool to use at the beginning of the year or a literacy station activity.  Have your students put all of the letters he/she knows on the tin can.  Make your tree with a tin can, felt, and magnetic letters.  Directions for making this letter tree are found here:

Letter Tree

Use a bear pattern to draw a bear on a file folder.  Cut out a sweater and insert letters where the sweater is.  Sing this song to the tune of "The Bear Went Over the Mountain."

Letter Bear wore a sweater.

Letter Bear wore a sweater.

Letter Bear wore a sweater.

Now tell me what it is!

Use old CD's to attach words of favorite songs or nursery rhymes.  If you have a few minutes and need a filler, pretend to put a quarter in the juke box and pull out a song.

Here's a new twist on a Back to School welcome sign for your door.  Have a friend trace you on butcher paper.  Color on your clothes then make labels and attach them to different body parts.

Happy Days is a song on Dr. Jean's CD All Day Long.  This black line master was in her workshop resource book from Tips, Tricks, and Terrific Ideas.

What a great way for your students to learn to spell the days of the week.

Your students will love using these manipulatives when singing "Who Let the Letters Out."  Click here for another idea for the song:

Who Let the Letters Out

Every child and adult get excited when they get a new pair of shoes.  Let your students draw a picture of their new shoes and write a story in your New Shoes Book.

Every student likes sweets, even though in Texas we can't give our students candy!  Have your students bring a candy wrapper from home and add to The Sweet Tooth Book.

Type your students name and what they like.  Glue on the wrapper and the words.  Laminate and bind the book.  They will enjoy reading this book over and over.

All sweets don't have to be candy bars.

We read The Little Engine That Could about the third week of school.  After that, I don't allow my student to say "I can't."  Cover a small can with contact paper and cut eyes out of magazines and glue them all over the can. If you hear a student say "I can't" hand them the can and remind them, "I think I can, I think I can."

What a great idea for important notes that go home to parents.

Wrap a Pringle's can with construction paper.  Glue on your label.  Wrap the can with clear packing tape.  You can even decorate the lid.

I have 7 cans in my classroom right now and will be making some more. 

Make a big deal about how important the note is and that their parents must sign it.  All of my cans came back the next day with signed paperwork.

Fast food is a part of life and all children eat out sometimes.  Make a We Eat book.  You could also add a group photo of your class to the cover.

Have your students bring in a sack from a fast food restaurant.  Glue it on construction paper and add typed words.  Laminate the pages and bind the book.

Make a Welcome to School book of your daily routine and classroom activities.

Take photographs of your daily routines and add text to support the photos.

Students need routines and they like to know when it is time to go to lunch and when it is time to go home from.  They can check the book during the day to see how many more activities are left in the school day before it is time for a particular activity.

Let your students take the book home to share with their families.

Dr. Jean's Letter Vests are great for making word families.

To print out your own letter vests click here:

Print Letters

I made this pizza for Dr. Jean's song Pepperoni Pizza.  I used Velcro to attach the vowels to the pizza.

I made this visual for Dr. Jean's song My Mother is a Baker.  I found clipart in various places to go with the song.  I used Velcro on the backs of the pictures and words so that my students can manipulate them.