Onset and Rimes : Five Free Games for Teaching and Practicing the Reading of CVC Words

I made these little simple onset and rime matching games over the summer. 

Ahhh...summer.

Anyway, I've gotten so much use out of these since school started.  It's such a simple concept.  Match the beginning sound to the ending sound.  The graphics are so important to beginning readers, and I tried to use common words the students would know.

When I opened my TPT (Teachers Pay Teachers) store in September, I wanted something to offer for free to teachers that they could really use. As of today, close to 50,000 of them have been downloaded.  I get such a thrill knowing kids all over the country are using a little game that I made!   

 If you'd like to download them, click here.  You need to download all the games separately. 

You need to copy and laminate all the cards. I like to cut them with a paper trimmer and I cut outside the colored lines.  It looks nicer and takes less thought.

 

 

 

When I set it up for the kids in school, I separate the cards, and put the onsets on the left and the rimes on the right or I use 2 mini pocket charts side by side.

These are the mini pocket charts from Target.  I LOVE them and I bought about 14 of them in August.  (yes, turquoise!!!!!! <3) They're all over my room.

 

Kids get extra practice writing the CVC words with the addition of recording sheets.  There are answer keys in each set, as well.

 

 I made a set for each of the five vowel sounds.

 

If you're a teacher and you're creative, think about opening up a TPT store.  Since I opened mine in September, I've had a blast.  Enjoy!!! 

 Have fun teaching!

10 Days of Halloween Centers for First Grade: Day 10 - Halloween Candy Addition Math Mats

Well, it's here. This is my final post in my series on Halloween Centers for First Grade. 

 The one I'm featuring today is similar to the one I posted last week, the Candy Corn Addition Mats. My first graders love this one, too.  It's colorful, simple and it gives them the practice they need adding with counters.  

I have many more Halloween centers. In fact, I have well over 100 centers in all different skill areas and I created most of them myself. They do take time to create, and they also take time in copying, laminating, cutting and demonstrating with the kids on how to use them.  

I think they're totally worth it. It's such a great feeling when you hear kids cheer when you tell them it's center time. It gives them the practice with skills they are learning and gives them the opportunity to be independent.  That builds confidence.  It also gives you the time you need to spend with students who require more attention.

I can have 18 to 20 centers going at one time.  One day, I'll share how I do that. For now, I'll show you this one.

IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IT, CLICK HERE.
 

It comes with 12 addition mats and lots of different colored candy counters. Yum! 

Students simply place the candy counters on the two Halloween Trick or Treat "containers". 

You can also use real, wrapped candy for counters as well.

The students use a recording sheet to write the sums and check their answers with the answer key. 

 

 To keep all the candy counters separate and organized, I place them in these mini plastic tubs I found at Dollar Tree.  You'd be surprised, but the kids are very careful in putting them back in the little tubs.  I don't even tell them to do it.

 

 

.  I saved this one for last, because I think it's so darn cute and so reminiscent of my childhood during Halloween - memories of trick or treating and getting tons of candy!

 

Well, that's it.  Maybe next year I'll show you ten more. Happy Halloween!!

 

 Thank you so much for visiting.

Have fun teaching!!!

 



10 Days of Halloween Centers for First Grade: Day 9 - Pumpkin Patch Words Sort - What Doesn't Belong?

This adorable clipart of pumpkin faces by Goodness and Fun inspired me to come up with a sorting game.  This is a nice activity for the children who are early emergent readers.  The students are exposed to many words in this activity, so it's especially good for ESL (English as a second language) students.   It's called "Pumpkin Patch - What Doesn't Belong?"'. It's part of a Literacy Center packet I created for my first graders. 

IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IT, CLICK HERE.
 

The object of the game is to sort all the cards by category, and identify the object in each category that doesn't belong.

It comes with 60 cards to sort and 10 heading cards. 

It also comes with a recording sheet and answer key, so that the students can check their work.

My kids enjoy this center activity.  They can finish it easily and independently.  What's better for a little one's confidence? 

Thank you for visiting my blog. Have fun teaching!!

 



10 Days of Halloween Centers for First Grade: Day 8 - Halloween Cupcake Addition Sentence Match

 Halloween Cupcake Addition Sentence Match - that's a mouthful.  We just call it the Spooky Cupcake Math Game in our class.  It's a learning center I came up with to help students identify addition sentences that go with a picture of two addends, or parts (the parts being the different cupcakes separated by tiers). I also included whole part part charts, since my kids see them a lot in our math program. 

 As a cake artist, I really enjoyed making this.  The kids love it, too. It comes as part of a packet of Halloween Math Centers that I created for my first graders.

IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IT, CLICK HERE.
 

It comes with 12 large pictures of adorable cupcakes which are on a tiered stand. 

It also comes with addition sentences and whole part part charts, which the students need to match with the pictures.

It also comes with a recording sheet, on which students write the addition sentences, the sums and complete the whole part part charts.

It also comes with an answer key so children can check their answers.

When introducing this center, I like to bring in cupcakes and have the students decorate them.  I give them a little cup of decorations and I ask them to make up an addition sentence about the decorations. 

I have two more centers to share.  Thanks for visiting.  I hope you can come back for days 9 and 10.  Have fun teaching!



10 Days of Halloween Centers for First Grade : Day 7 - Poof! A Game of Disappearing Sight Words

This is a card game I came up with for practicing sight words.  It is meant for two to four players.  It's fun, simple and the kids love it. It's called Poof! A Game of Disappearing Sight Words.  I selected many of the sight words we cover in the beginning of the year.  You can take out the cards of the words you haven't taught. 

IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IT, CLICK HERE.
 

There are approximately 44 pre primer sight words and 6 Poof! cards.  When you copy them, you have to make them double sided.  The top side is the cover with the picture of the frog. 

The other side of the card is the sight word. 

I tell you how to make them double sided in my directions when you download the document.

To play, place the cards in a pile facedown.

Students take turn picking a card and reading it.  If read correctly, the card is kept.

If the Poof! card is picked, the player must put all but the cards back in the pile (on the bottom) and put the Poof! card aside.

 

I leave a basket or bowl for the students to put in the Poof! cards, so they don't go back into the pile. The winner is the player with the most cards when the pile is gone. It's simple!

If you like this game and would like more word cards, I have a non-seasonal Poof! game.  It's in my TPT store and it has 190 sight words. If you want to see it, click (here).  

The cards are double sided, like in the Halloween version.

That's a lot of cards for a card game.  I only use about 40 to 50 cards at a time.  I keep the rest filed in a coupon file, that I bought at Dollar Tree. 

To keep tract of the words I use, I have a checklist and I highlight the words that I've included in the game.  I circulate the cards all year.  Like any game, you want to put it away for a while and bring it out again.  They love the game, but you don't want them to get tired of it.

This game is played exactly like the Halloween version. 

Thanks for visiting. Please come back to see day 8!