Teaching Story Elements and a Princess and the Frog FREEBIE

Story elements are super important for students to understand, as they help to improve reading comprehension.  Reading comprehension is vital in reading development so it is beneficial for students to have a good grasp on story elements from a young age.  I love starting in Kindergarten with a focus on characters, setting, BME (beginning, middle and end), conflict and resolution.  I think it important to introduce these concepts early on so that as students grow, they will put these building blocks together to better understand plot, theme, main idea, author's purpose and more.

There are so many ways to teach story elements, but I always find that students show the highest level of interest and success when they are hands-on and interacting with the story.  I love anchor charts!  We work together to create big ones as a class but we also use smaller versions for reference around the room once the large ones come down.

* Note that the story used in each of these anchor charts is The Princess and the Frog.  They will go perfectly with the FREE resource below. *

Graphic organizers are another great visual for students to record their findings from the stories they read.  I love this flappy foldable because it can be used for any story and it shows student understanding of the text. Bonus: it is fun to create and complete!

This and other fun resources are included in my Story Elements pack, which you can find here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Story-Elements-1774955

I love teaching through music, so I created 3 short songs to help my students remember how to find the setting, characters, conflict and resolution in a story.  They pick the songs up quickly and they really help as a quick mental reference.  These songs, as well as numerous other materials including 11 short story passages can be found in my story elements pack.  This pack has everything you need to get your little ones engaged in the key elements of a story.

Now on to the FREEBIE!  I pulled some of my favorite graphic organizers and pages from this story elements pack and made them specific to the tale of The Princess and the Frog or The Frog Prince.  It includes a short story with comprehension questions and other ways for the students to identify the story elements from this tale.  Click on the picture below, or this link to grab your FREEBIE: http://tinyurl.com/pge6nus
I hope you enjoy them!  Thank you for stopping by!

Pom Pom Power! Having fuzzy fun in math centers! **Fun Freebie**

What math manipulative is colorful, quiet, inexpensive, easy to clean up and oodles of fun?  Pom Poms!  I love working with pom poms, whether it is for a fun craft or a quick game, they are the perfect tool.  My love of pom poms was quickly shared by my students when I introduced them to pom poms in their math centers.   This inspired me to create my 12 Pom Pom Math Centers and this FREE extra decomposing math center using those fuzzy little friends.

You can use pom poms to teach several different math topics.  My students have used them for number sense, shapes, sorting, patterns, addition and subtraction, measurement and so much more!

These centers are so easy to set up and take down that it makes prepping math centers a breeze.  And with all of the teaching options, from beginner to advanced, they come in handy throughout the school year.

This FREE decomposing with pom poms math center is not included in my original pack.  I created it for my friends here at Keeping it Cool at School so that you can see just how fun, easy and effective working with pom poms can be.

Download this FREEBIE here:  FREE Decomposing Numbers Pom Pom Math Center   and be sure to let me know how much you and your students enjoy the fun and festive feel that pom poms bring to your classroom.

I love anchor charts!

   Teachers and students love anchor charts!  I love anchor charts and use them for everything! They are amazing for reading and writing to remind students of routines, procedures, and important information they should remember. They are also great in math for helping students remember different strategies and concepts. Anchor charts are helpful in the primary grades because it can be difficult for students to remember several steps in a process. Being able to reference anchor charts around the room really helps to continuously reinforce the content that has been taught.
    I personally love making anchor charts because I like creating the pictures and attempting to write in a nice font.  I always say I have the handwriting of a 5th grade boy, so the writing part takes major focus.  Anchor charts are a wonderful interactive activity that students should be engaged in.  My students always share what pictures they want to see, or they contribute to the pictures as well.  Here are some anchor charts for reading that we have hanging from a clothesline in our classroom.

The kiddos picked their favorite storybook characters to be included on this anchor chart which helps to make it more memorable.

*Have fun with anchor charts!  They don't have to be a masterpiece, just effective.
*Add book covers, photographs and other familiar items that might spark the kids interest and help them remember the concept.

 *If you can't add all of your content onto one chart, keep adding on to one and then tape the next one to the bottom, or hang them next to each other.

I could plaster my classroom walls with anchor charts, but after awhile too many will look cluttered and lose their effectiveness.  When we move onto a new topic I like to hang smaller anchor charts, or put them in centers for students to reference.  

Do you love anchor charts as much as me?  What do you use them for?