Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Tuesday Tip: Corner Punch

If you don't have a corner hole punch, you are missing out!  I got one a few months ago and its PERFECT for making rounded corners.  If the  frame on the square or rectangle that you are working with has rounded corners, using this punch will make your stuff look SO much better.  I use it on large papers and small pieces too.  


 Here is is!

I purchased a Fiskar's brand corner punch from Michael's.  Using a coupon makes it not so much of a big purchase.  Look at the difference!

Before:
Corner Punch, Count, Categorize, & Color: Syllables, Syllable center, syllable counting

Punching:
Corner Punch, Count, Categorize, & Color: Syllables, Syllable center, syllable counting

After:
Corner Punch, Count, Categorize, & Color: Syllables, Syllable center, syllable counting


Doesn't it look so much better?!  It is quick to punch the corners, and so worth it!



The picture comes from my Count, Categorize, & Color: Syllables.  There are 5 sets of syllable counting centers.  
Count, Categorize, & Color: Syllables, Syllable center, syllable counting, counting syllables, categorizing syllables, phonemic awareness center


Count, Categorize, & Color: Syllables, Syllable center, syllable counting, counting syllables, categorizing syllables, phonemic awareness center

Count, Categorize, & Color: Syllables, Syllable center, syllable counting, counting syllables, categorizing syllables, phonemic awareness center

Count, Categorize, & Color: Syllables, Syllable center, syllable counting, counting syllables, categorizing syllables, phonemic awareness center

Counting Words in Sentences

After watching all of my kindergarteners take the STAR test on the computer all year long, one skill always came up - counting the number of words in a sentence.  This skill wasn't really taught through my curriculum.  There were a few occasions where there was a quick oral activity, where I said a sentence and the students had to clap the words in the sentence and then told me the number of words.  Thats it.  So, to practice counting the number of words in sentences, I made some quick PowerPoints.  Each slide had a sentence.  In their teams, the students had to work together to decide on an answer in about 15-20 seconds.  Then I would pick a stick and call a student to the board and use a pointer to tap and read each word and say the number of words.  Although I didn't make this into a point game, it could easily be done to add excitement.

Since I couldn't find many resources out there to practice the skill, I made Counting Words in Sentences.   It has six activities that are perfect for small group instruction or independent learning centers.   Click here to check it out.


Counting words in sentences, counting the number of words in sentences, Star test, concept of word



Here are four activities included:
Counting words in sentences, counting the number of words in sentences, Star test, concept of word, small group instruction, independent learning centers

Counting words in sentences, counting the number of words in sentences, Star test, concept of word, small group instruction, independent learning centers