Cupcake Papers & Owl Moon

I'm so excited to be linking up with Life Over C's for a fun post series on Learning with Your Craft Stash! Today, we are discussing cupcake liners, and I have a cute craft to go along with one of my favorite children's books, Owl Moon! Keep scrolling after the photos and directions for more coordinating learning activities!

Follow the picture above to fold your cupcake liner and form the owl's body. Then, trace around a bottle cap and cut out two white circles for eyes. (Get those fine motor skills working!) Add a snip of orange paper for a beak. If you wish, you can use a piece of chalk to decorate your background paper with "stars." 
You can sneak in some math skills with this craft, too! If you create multiple owls, practice skip counting their eyes by twos, and practice addition skills while adding "stars."

Make sure you check out some of these links for more ideas for your study of owls and Owl Moon:
- Preschool Owl Moon printables at Wildflower Ramblings
- Elementary Owl Moon printables at Wildflower Ramblings
- Owl Videos from WatchKnowLearn
- Owl Coloring Page from Dover Publications
- Owl Moon Lesson Plans from Scholastic
- Owl Patterning activity from Classroom Freebies
Don't forget to stop by Life Over C's to find more activities using cupcake liners and other art supplies in her Learning with Your Craft Stash linky!

Quick & Easy Visual Dictionary Project

Ah, vocabulary!

Recently, one of the students that I tutored finished her vocabulary workbook for the year. Though I was thoroughly impressed with her hard work, I felt like we needed to spend a little more time on the words before moving on.

I wanted to help her create a project that wouldn't be terribly time intensive, since we still have a lot of other reading and writing to complete. I also wanted the project to incorporate art (something that she's passionate about) and would be a keepsake that she would want to refer back to over and over (much like the lapbooks we've created).

With that in mind, I came up with a visual dictionary which could stored in an inexpensive 4 x 6 photo album. :)

I created a simple template for the vocabulary cards that includes a space for the word, plenty of room for writing its definition, and a box for drawing a picture. I plan to have her complete a few of these cards each week and add them to her album. 
Here's the best part! I've posted a PDF file of the vocabulary card template just for my YOU, my blog readers! Just print, cut, and go! Click here, or on the picture below to download them. :)

Enjoy!

Write About it Wednesday: National Children's Dental Health Month

Welcome to the first ever Write About it Wednesday. Each week I will post a series of writing prompts for your students… and for you, too! There is no better way to encourage writing in your home, classroom, or home-classroom than by modeling writing! The prompts for “learners” are designed to be written in a journal. I will aim to provide a mix of journaling and creative writing prompts each week. The prompts for “teachers” would be a great way to make notes and prep lessons in a personal notebook, or on a blog to share with the world.

This week’s prompts are centered on National Children’s Dental Health Month, which is celebrated each year in February. According to the ADA, National Children’s Dental Health observances began in 1941 in Cleveland, Ohio with a one-day event! The concept grew until 1981, when it became the month long celebration we now know. National Children’s Dental Health Month is important, because it helps children develop the attitudes and habits needed to maintain good oral health for a lifetime.

Here are this week’s writing prompts!

Prompts for Learners:

•  Explain why it is important to care for your teeth.
• Make a list of ways you take care of your teeth. What steps do you follow?
• Make a list of foods that are good for your teeth, and a list of foods that are bad for your teeth.
• Write a paragraph explaining a dentist’s job.
•  Finish this story: “One night, I heard the fluttering of tiny wings! It was the tooth fairy. I…”

Prompts for Teachers:

• Write about ways you encourage healthy habits.
• Share a round-up of ideas for celebrating National Children’s Dental Health Month.
• Share a favorite book or craft promoting dental health and oral hygiene.

Teachers, if you choose to answer these prompts in a blog post, please come back and leave a link in the comments! I would love to see your thoughts and ideas!

Spreading the Homeschool Love Blog Hop

Welcome, Homeschoolers!
I am SO excited that you are joining us today for our "Spreading the Homeschool Love" blog hop. We (the Homeschoolers of TpT) created this hop with two ideas in mind. FIRST, we wanted to introduce ourselves to all of you. SECOND, we wanted to share some tips and resources to make your lives as homeschool mommas (and daddies) a little bit easier! 
... and we want to introduce you to the joy that is Teachers Pay Teachers! ;)
I'll start by introducing myself for those of you who are just joining us! My name is Rebecca and I am NOT a homeschool mom. [Cue screeching brakes!] I am, however, a homeschool graduate, homeschool advocate, homeschool co-op teacher, and future homeschool mom! If you're interested in finding out more about me, you can read this "Meet the Teacher Blogger" post that I wrote a few weeks ago. It contains more information about me than you probably want to know! (Downton Abbey fandom? Auditions for American Idol? Blue ribbons in the science fair? It's all there!) Just click the picture below to read it!

I started my Teachers Pay Teachers shop, Edventures at Home, a few years ago while I was still teaching at a local "hybrid" school for homeschooling families. At first I set it up with the intention of making a little money to offset the cost of all of the educational resources that I was buying. Little did I know that the extra "book money" was just the icing on the cake. I have made so many AWESOME connections through Teachers Pay Teachers with like-minded educators around the world! :)
I could spend all day telling you about the wonders of "TpT," but I'm going to guess that most of you are here for the fun and helpful resources that you were promised. So, let's move on, shall we? :)
One of the best things about TpT is how it enables me to whip up quick lessons when I need a time filler, or an impromptu lesson for one of the rabbit trails we as homeschoolers so often find ourselves investigating! Let me show you what I mean:
My most popular free resource in my store is this little packet on writing paragraphs. I don't know if this happens to you, but when I sit down with the children I work with, their young brains suddenly become BLANK! They can tell me stories all day, but there is something about that blank sheet of notebook paper that is super intimidating! :)
So, I created this to help:

I know I'm biased, but I think this resource is great all on its own. It walks students through the process of asking their brains questions to "dig up" information that they can use to respond to any topic. All you have to do is provide them with a prompt! However, when I saw this awesome (and did I mention, free!) resource from my friend Sallie Borrink, I knew that it would pair up PERFECTLY with mine!

Sallie created this sampler of her amazingly cool fun fact cards. As she mentions in her description of the product, they are perfect for bulletin boards, unit studies, games, or morning meetings. I think they would be also be wonderful starting points for journaling or writing prompts. You could share the facts with all of your children in the morning, have your younger children draw a picture or write a sentence relating to the fact, and have your older children write a paragraph relating to the fact. Voila! No fuss journaling - and a great way to get the "brain juices" flowing!
Before I send you onto the next blog, don't forget to enter our rafflecopter drawing for this AWESOME prize bundle! It contains tons of awesome resources for Pre-K through grade 3 and is valued at over $50! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now click around and visit some of the other Homeschoolers of TpT for more great ideas and resources!

An InLinkz Link-up

Great News: Back-to-School eBooks are HERE!

Hi, Friends!
Can you believe that summer is already winding down? It's nearly time to go back to school for most of the United States, and - in some areas - school has already begun! Where did time go?!
Whether you are settling into your school year routine, prepping to begin again in the coming weeks, or squeezing as much fun as you can out of the last few weeks of summer, I have great news! We (the teacher-authors and sellers of TpT) have a special gift for you... Our Back-to-School eBooks! Hooray!
These books are absolutely packed with tips and tricks to add to your teaching toolbox, and lots of little freebies to download and keep handy to spice up your lessons. Check them out below! (You can find my page and paragraph writing freebie in the Grade 3-5 English Language Arts eBook.)
Grades K-2: For All Subjects (Compiled by Deanna Jump)
Grades 3-5: Math and Science (Compiled by Wise Guys)
Grades 3-5: English Language Arts (Compiled by Elementary Solutions)
Grades 6-12: Mathematics (Compiled by All Things Algebra)
Grades 6-12: Science (Compiled by Amy Brown: Science Stuff)
Grades 6-12: English Language Arts (Compiled by Tracee Orman)
Grades 6-12: Social Studies (Compiled by: Michele Luck's Social Studies)
So, which one(s) will you download? Don't forget to leave a comment to let us know what you think! :)

Florida Teacher Blog Hop!

Hey, Y'all! Welcome to the Sunshine State! 

Whether you are a fellow Florida resident or a visitor from another state, we Florida teachers hope you have an awesome time as you take a virtual tour of our state. We've got some fun educational freebies for you to pick up along the way, and a chance to win your very own "Bundle of Sunshine!"

I've lived in sunny Central Florida my entire life. Despite the occasional hurricane - and the never-ending heat and humidity - it's a pretty great place to live. Who wouldn't want to live in "paradise" year round?

Speaking of paradise, my hometown is a tourist's paradise. We live about 20 minutes from the beach, and about 45 minutes from Walt Disney World! I'm not going to lie, I'm not much of a beach fan, but I am VERY MUCH a fan of Disney! When I was younger, I was always disappointed by the fact that we never got the "big" Disney vacation that other kids got, but as an adult, I can definitely see the merits of being able to hop over to Epcot or the Magic Kingdom for few hours on the weekend. :)

Do you know another perk of living on the east coast of Central Florida? The Kennedy Space Center is practically in our backyard. We can see rocket launches (and previously space shuttle launches) from our driveway! It's also a great location for field trips!

Now, how about a freebie? I wish that I could send you all some of our delicious Florida oranges, but unfortunately that's just not possible! Instead, click the image below to download a {FREE} collection of orange-y clip art from my Citrus Sampler Clip Art Pack - but don't stop there - there are more goodies below! :)

I also have some sweet deals for you on paid products, too! Both the full Citrus Sampler Clip Art Pack and my Print 'n' Go Travel Journal are on sale this weekend for 25% off! The Print 'n' Go Travel Journal is GREAT for using with your kids on ANY family vacation. If you're a classroom teacher, you can also send it with your students as "make-up work" when they travel. :)

One more thing... Don't forget to check in for your giveaway! Here are the details from Meredith at Creativity to the Core:

"The Florida teachers below have two fantastic giveaways for you! You can enter once from each one of our pages. All you have to do is follow my blog! Hop around to all the blogs listed below, and be sure to follow them to get more entries. The more entries you have, the more likely you are to win! Each pack also includes a Starbucks gift card (because, well, a teacher's gotta have a coffee!)"

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now that you've finished reading my post, learn more about the fantastic state of Florida by checking out the blogs of these other Floridian teachers!

An InLinkz Link-up

{Freebie!} Colorful Multiplication Flashcards

I recently found myself needing to obtain some multiplication flashcards for a student I tutor.
Originally I thought I'd just buy a set from the dollar store and call it a day, but I realized that such a simple set of flashcards wasn't really worth the $1.06 (when you include tax) and the cost of fuel! My next thought was to get out a set of index cards and a Sharpie. Then I realized that if I spent just a few more minutes on the project, I could type up a super cute set of flashcards, print out two copies (one for said student, and one for me!) AND share them on the blog with YOU! :)
There are a lot of ways you can prep these... You can print them in full color and make them "pop" or you can print them using the grayscale function on your printer to save on ink costs (which is what I do 99% of the time). Then, just cut them apart on the dashed lines. 
Punch holes and use a binder ring to secure them together if desired.
At business card size, these are perfect for keeping in your purse or car... because we all know that as homeschoolers a lot of our schooling happens on-the-go!
Click HERE, or on any of the photos above to download the PDF file.
I hope you enjoy this free resource. Please leave a comment and let me know if you use them, and don't forget to subscribe and check back for future tips and freebies! :)