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Have you ever noticed that events or situations in your class have motivated you to create different learning opportunities or activities? I certainly have. As I look back, I see that many lessons or projects I created were based on teachable moments or specific student needs. I'm not totally surprised, but I didn't realize how much of my teaching was directed by these moments. Sometimes these moments sparked some creativity in my thinking. I felt the need to try a different approach or angle.  When I first moved from teaching music full-time to teaching in a primary classroom part-time, I quickly realized that teaching many lessons as a whole didn't work well for some children. I saw the need for differentiating so that I could meet the kids where they were. I knew that I had to cover the content and curriculum, but it could be taught in different ways so that everyone could be successful.  Small group instruction and learning through projects emerged from this realization. A couple of my colleagues agreed that this would be a better model for some subjects. We began to collaborate with reading groups, social studies research, and science activities. For one of our first social studies projects, we studied the provinces and territories of Canada. We started breaking down the research into small groups, then brought the groups together to share as experts in their areas. Each group created a booklet with the research information and pictures, diagrams, and maps and then had them available for the rest of the students. Not only did this help them to dig deeper into their research, it also created a sense of teamwork between the 3 different classes as several people worked on the same province or territory and were able to collaborate when they made the booklets.  In language arts, using anthologies and set lesson guides only worked for some kids, so we worked together to create literacy groups based on where kids were at. We developed different centers and activities for them and a format for working with groups of different abilities. Sharing the resources, ideas, and knowledge of what we needed to help kids learn to read and write effectively was invaluable. We fine-tuned things as time went on, and we moved to different schools or assignments, but the basic building blocks remained, and we found kids thriving.  From there, I moved into projects for science and social studies, and this became a common component of my teaching each year. It started as a focus for a specific need, and grew from there. I will share more about this in future posts.    Related Posts Are you feeling overwhelmed and exhausted? Counting the days until Christmas break, or watching it race toward you while your list of concerts, rehearsals, special events, and classroom tasks grows faster than you can cross them off? I hear you. This stretch of the year often asks more of us than even the most organized, seasoned teachers find themselves whispering, “How am I going to get everything done?”  I’ve been juggling rehearsals and concerts most days myself, and it’s reminded me of how much you carry when you're in the classroom. If you’re balancing teaching, family routines, and all the sparkle of the season, please know I’m quietly cheering you on. That’s exactly why this week’s post brings you something simple and helpful: a roundup of Christmas and winter crafts and writing activities that you can use right away: no complicated prep, no extra stress, just meaningful projects that young children truly enjoy. These are ideas I used in my own classroom, and they always brought calm, creativity, and a lovely sense of “look what I made!” pride. A Simple Yet Special Christmas Gift Idea Kids Can MakeHere is a heartfelt project that’s easy enough for little hands and meaningful enough to become a keepsake. It can be framed as a gift as well. Find out more here.  Easy DIY Christmas Gifts Kids Can MakeAre you looking for some quick, low-prep gift ideas that work beautifully for classroom celebrations or at-home crafting? Explore these ideas here.  Magical Christmas Writing With the Five SensesHere is a way to help kids slow down, notice, and write with more detail. Thinking about the five senses helps them to use more descriptive language. Perfect for December stories and poems. You can also use another winter theme.  DIY Christmas Stained Glass Art ProjectTry some beautiful, colorful “stained glass” creations that brighten classroom windows and feel extra special to kids. Choose any design you want. It could be a winter scene, or a toy shop, or something that would capture the excitement of kids. Check it out here.  Christmas Writing and a Special CraftThis is a Christmas poem using the five senses along with a "stained glass" craft that ties literacy and creativity together effortlessly. It is also fun to create a special gift with the two together. Find out more here.  As you move through these last busy weeks before the holidays, I hope this little collection brings a bit of ease to your planning and a spark of joy to your classroom or homeschool space. These crafts and activities are simple, meaningful, and ready to go, just the kind of things that help keep December feeling magical without adding more to your plate. If even one idea gives you back a sliver of calm or lights up a child’s day, then this roundup has done exactly what it was meant to do.  Wishing you a season filled with small, steady moments of delight. It’s hard to believe that Christmas is only a few weeks away. The year has gone by quickly, at least for some. The weather is getting cooler and it won’t be long until we are shoveling snow and seeing decorations appear around the neighborhoods.  It’s still fall, but as December approaches, we start to feel like winter has arrived. This is a great time to start adding some winter-themed activities into your lessons. There are so many ways to add a bit of sparkle to your days with reading, writing, math, science, social studies and art. Winter is also a wonderful time to explore connections between subjects. Snowflakes can become math patterns, winter poems can inspire art projects, and stories about seasonal traditions can open discussions about community and culture. By weaving these ideas into different subjects, we can help students see how learning is connected. Here are a few ideas to try in the coming months.  Writing and Language ArtsWriting about the season is a great way for students to express their creativity and build descriptive vocabulary.
 Math and Data ActivitiesWinter themes are perfect for hands-on math and data lessons.
 Winter SportsWinter brings many opportunities to connect learning across subjects.
 Making The Most Of The Season
 Whether you’re exploring snowflakes in math, writing about winter scents, or learning about snowy sports, these lessons add warmth and creativity to your days, no matter how chilly it gets outside!  Related Posts Have you ever watched a child add on their fingers, lose track of where they were, and then start all over again? It can be a little frustrating for both of you, but it’s also such an important reminder that some children are still counting because they don’t yet see how numbers work together. It’s a lot like when kids first learn to recite the alphabet. They might be able to sing the ABC song perfectly, but not yet recognize the letters or understand the sounds they make. The same thing happens in math. Kids can count or recite number sequences without really understanding the relationships between numbers.  That’s where the basic facts come in. Knowing that 8 + 2 = 10 or 6 + 3 = 9 isn’t just about remembering an answer; it’s about understanding how numbers connect and build on each other. When children develop this understanding, they gain confidence, speed, and flexibility. They start to think, reason, and solve problems instead of just counting one by one. Once children have built strong number sense, recognizing quantities, seeing patterns, and understanding the idea of “how many,” they’re ready to explore how numbers work together. And that’s the perfect time to begin working on basic facts.  What Are Basic Facts, and Why Do They Matter?When we talk about “basic facts,” we usually mean addition and subtraction facts within 20. These are the small number combinations that form the building blocks for everything else in math. But fluency with basic facts doesn’t mean memorizing a list of equations. True fluency means being accurate, flexible, and confident. It’s knowing that if 6 + 6 = 12, then 6 + 7 must be 13 without having to count. Strong fact fluency gives children the mental space to think about what they’re doing rather than how to do it. Once the basic facts are automatic, kids can focus on problem solving, multi-digit operations, or real-world applications like working with money.  Making Math Hands-On and MeaningfulHands-on learning is essential for building this understanding. Tools like ten frames, dice, counters, and fingers let children see and feel numbers. Fingers, in particular, are a natural resource; we carry a set of ten everywhere! They help kids visualize how two numbers combine to make ten and what’s left when we subtract from ten. Over time, they move from relying on fingers to imagining these patterns mentally. When children are actively involved in exploring numbers, they develop a deeper understanding of how numbers work together. Here are a few hands-on ways to help them build their basic fact knowledge and confidence. 1. Using Ten Frames Ten frames are a powerful visual tool for developing number sense. When students place counters on a ten frame, they can clearly see how numbers relate to ten.
 2. Rolling Dice to Make Tens Dice games are always a hit in the primary classroom! You can use traditional six-sided dice, for facts up to twelve, or for an extra challenge, try 10 or 20-sided dice for making tens or numbers up to 20. Have children roll the dice and find combinations that make ten. Over time, they’ll start to recognize number pairs that go together automatically, for example, 3 and 7, or 6 and 4. I’ve shared more ideas for using dice and ten frames together in a previous post: Making Tens with Dice and Ten Frames. 3. Counters for Combining and Taking Away Counters are great for modeling addition and subtraction. Let children physically move counters to show what happens when numbers are joined or separated. You can also challenge them to find different ways to make the same number, for example, how many different ways can they make 8? Making Tens And Counting MoneyLearning about tens is especially powerful here. When children can easily make and recognize tens, they are also preparing for understanding money. Even though we no longer use pennies in Canada, we still use the concept of ten pennies equalling one dime. It’s a concrete way for children to understand that ten smaller units combine to make one larger unit, the same base-ten idea used throughout math. Later, when children start learning about money, we can talk about rounding up or down to the nearest nickel to compensate for not having pennies, but for now, the idea of “ten makes one” helps everything click.  Building Number Sense Through Basic Facts StrategiesWorking with strategies, helps provide the tools needed to see patterns and learn the basic facts for addition and subtraction. Here are some anchor charts that can help remind children of the different strategies they can try to solve problems.  Not Everyone Solves Problems The Same WayI often tell my students that solving math problems is like using a road map. We may all start at the same place, but we don’t always take the same route to the answer. Some students might use ten frames, others might visualize numbers, and some might rely on their fingers. What matters is if they can explain their thinking and arrive at the destination. Roadblocks become learning opportunities, detours lead to new strategies, and every path helps deepen understanding. Consider having them share their “road maps” in pairs or small groups. Seeing multiple strategies and explaining reasoning builds understanding and confidence.  Reflect and ObserveHere are some reflection questions to consider:
 With lots of hands on activities and opportunities to practice using basic facts, kids can build a solid foundation that will help them successfully make sense of more complex situations, both with abstract ideas and real-life situations. After working with several students who struggled to understand even simple math problems, I can confidently say that once they had a solid understanding of basic facts, they finally were able to figure out more difficult problems, and some of them even began to enjoy math.  Math doesn't have to be a chore. It can be fun with games and activities that build skills. Keep adding that bit of fun and see how it makes a difference. Related Posts Do you remember when your kids first started learning to count? At that stage, it was all about saying the numbers in order, “one, two, three…” but they didn't really understand what those numbers meant yet. The same thing can happen later when we start working with bigger numbers. Children might be able to read and write them, but that doesn’t mean they truly understand what each digit represents.  That’s where activities that focus on representing numbers in different ways make all the difference. When children learn to represent a number using standard notation, base ten blocks, expanded notation, and number words, they begin to see how all the pieces fit together. These experiences build a strong foundation for number sense, which carries over into every area of math.  Hands On Place Value PracticeBase ten blocks are one of the best tools for helping children visualize what a number is really made of. When they build 243, they can see that it’s 2 hundreds, 4 tens, and 3 ones. That’s when the concept of place value begins to click. The position of each digit really does matter! You can also give them extra practice at home or in independent centers with my Base Ten Blocks Printable And Portable For Place Value Activities And Games, a printable version that’s perfect when real manipulatives aren’t available.  My Place Value Games and Activities for Representing Numbers in Different Ways includes hands-on tasks that kids can use to build, write, and compare numbers using base ten blocks, expanded notation, and number words. It works beautifully for centers or small group instruction. To learn more about this resource, check out this blog post. It includes a video that explains how to use it.  Representing Numbers Through the SeasonsKeeping math centers fresh is easy when you tie in a seasonal theme. A small visual change can make the same skill feel brand new! In the fall, Place Value Turkeys Task Cards: Working With Expanded Notation help children break numbers into hundreds, tens, and ones while having fun with a Thanksgiving theme. When winter rolls around, try Snowflake Place Value Activities for a cool way to review number forms. Kids love seeing numbers represented in snowflake models as they build, write, and expand them. Then, as the holidays approach, the Holiday Lights Place Value Task Cards bring a little sparkle to your math centers while reinforcing standard and expanded notation.  Connecting Number Words, Symbols, and ModelsReading and writing number words can be tricky for young learners. Matching “thirty-five” to 35, or writing it after building it with base ten blocks, helps them make those important connections between what they see, say, and write. You can mix and match your resources to include number words in small group lessons, task card rotations, or quick warm-ups. The more ways children see numbers represented, the stronger their overall understanding becomes. My Numbers and Number Words 1–100 Holidays and Seasons Bundle provides seasonal activities for every time of year, giving kids repeated exposure to number words and symbols in fun, meaningful ways.  Encouraging Number Sense Every DayDeveloping number sense is a gradual process built through daily exploration and meaningful practice. The more opportunities children have to represent numbers in many ways, using manipulatives, task cards, games, and themed activities, the deeper their understanding grows. When they realize that numbers can be written, built, read, and expanded in many ways, they stop memorizing and start understanding. That’s when the real learning happens.  Here's a list of my resources, all in one place, to support your place value lessons: Place Value Games and Activities for Representing Numbers in Different Ways Place Value Turkeys Task Cards: Working With Expanded Notation Snowflake Place Value Activities Holiday Lights Place Value Task Cards Numbers and Number Words 1–100 Holidays and Seasons Bundle Portable Base Ten Blocks Themed Place Value Practice  Related Posts Every year, on November 11, schools pause for a moment of silence. The bells stop ringing, voices go quiet, and even the youngest students sense that this is a moment to think about something important. In Canada, we have the day off so that families can attend ceremonies at the cenotaph or watch them on television. For primary children, Remembrance Day or Veterans Day can be hard to understand. They might not know what “war” really means or why we wear poppies. That’s why it’s so important to take time to talk about why we remember in ways that make sense to them.  Explaining the Meaning of November 11You don’t need to go into the heavy details of history to help children understand. For young kids, it’s enough to say that many years ago, people worked very hard to keep our countries safe and free. November 11 is a day when we take time to thank those who helped give us freedom and peace during times of conflict. You can compare it to saying thank you to firefighters or doctors, people who help others. Soldiers, nurses, and helpers in war did the same, often far away from home. If your students have family members in the military or who came as refugees, it’s also a time to honor their experiences. Talking about peace, kindness, and freedom can include many different stories.  Helping Children Understand FreedomNow, when I see the news about wars happening in other parts of the world, I think about the children and families living through those experiences. It makes me even more aware of how lucky we are to live in a place where we have the freedom to go to school, play, learn, and speak our minds. And it reminds me why we take time to pause and reflect on November 11: to honor those who have worked to protect that freedom, both long ago and today. Some children may already see pictures or hear discussions about conflicts in other parts of the world. This is a good chance to help them recognize what freedom means and why it’s so important to care for and protect it through kindness and respect for others.  Simple and Respectful Classroom ActivitiesHere are some gentle ways to help your students reflect and show appreciation:
 Reflecting on Peace TodayTalking about wars from long ago also gives an opportunity to discuss peace in our own lives. Some families in your class may have come from places where conflict still exists. Focusing on hope, gratitude, and kindness helps all children feel included and safe. Even young kids can learn that remembrance isn’t just about the past, it’s about making choices today that show respect, care, and peace in everyday life.  More Activities To Extend LearningVideos can be a powerful way to bring these concepts to life for young children. A Pittance of Time by Terry Kelly: This short, memorable song shows children why even a brief moment of silence is meaningful. After watching, ask:
After watching the videos, students can create simple reflections, drawings, short writings, or a “Kindness Pledge” to make the ideas concrete and personal.  This is a writing prompt that I used in my classroom each year to allow students to reflect on what peace meant to them. It is a page from my resource Remembrance Day/Veterans Day Activities.  Resources for Your ClassroomIf you’d like more ready-to-use poems, writing templates, and activities, I’ve shared several resources in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Check out my Remembrance Day/Veterans Day category.  Related Posts I was watching a young child playing with blocks one day. He was happily counting out loud, “one, two, three…”, as he pointed randomly at the blocks. When I asked how many he had, he proudly answered, “Three!” even though there were closer to ten. It reminded me of how young children learn to sing the alphabet song. They can recite all the letters perfectly, but that doesn’t mean they recognize each one or understand the sounds they make. The same thing happens with numbers. A child might count in sequence beautifully but not yet connect those number words to actual quantities. That’s where number sense comes in, helping children move from saying numbers to truly understanding them. 
Number sense is the foundation of all math learning. It’s not about memorizing counting sequences or math facts; it’s about understanding what numbers represent and how they relate to one another. Children with strong number sense:
For example, they might realize that 8 can be 5 and 3, 4 and 4, or 10 minus 2. They start to see patterns, estimate amounts, and explain their reasoning, skills that will help them when math problems get more complex later on.  Simple Routines That Build Number SenseNumber sense grows best through short, consistent routines that make math part of everyday learning. Here are a few easy ideas to use in your classroom. 1. Number of the Day Choose a number and explore it in as many ways as possible. If today’s number is 7, children can:
2. Counting Collections Give kids small groups of objects, buttons, blocks, or beads, and let them count. Encourage them to group items into fives or tens to make counting easier. This helps them notice patterns and begin to build an understanding of place value.  3. Quick Images (Dot Patterns) Show students a card with dots, a ten frame, or a dice face for just a few seconds, then cover it. Ask, “How many did you see? How did you know?” This develops subitizing, the ability to recognize small quantities instantly, and helps children begin to “see” numbers instead of counting them one by one. Dice are perfect for this. At first, students may count each dot carefully, but soon they start recognizing patterns, like the X shape for five or the two rows of three for six. Recognizing these patterns builds confidence and deepens understanding of number relationships.  4. Making Tens with Dice Once children are comfortable recognizing patterns, you can use dice for a quick “make ten” game. Roll two dice and see if the numbers add up to ten. Over time, they begin to recognize the combinations, like 6 and 4 or 7 and 3, without counting the dots. This simple activity builds fluency with number combinations in a playful way. You can read more about how I’ve used this strategy in my post: Making Tens with Dice and Ten Frames 5. Estimation Jars Fill a jar with small items (buttons, LEGO pieces, erasers) and ask children to guess how many. Once you count together, talk about their strategies: “How did you make your estimate?” or “Was it too high or too low?” Estimation helps children think about quantities flexibly and strengthens their ability to reason with numbers. Using Manipulatives to Make Numbers RealHands-on materials help children make sense of numbers, but they work best when used intentionally. Start with real objects that can be touched and moved, then move to visual models like ten frames or drawings, and finally to symbols like digits and equations. This gradual shift from concrete to abstract helps children understand why numbers work the way they do, not just that they do.  Encouraging Math TalkMath grows through conversation. Whenever possible, give students time to explain their thinking. Ask questions like:
These small conversations help children reason, make connections, and feel confident sharing their ideas, all key parts of developing strong number sense.  Start Small — It All Adds UpBuilding number sense doesn’t require complicated lessons or fancy materials. Start with one short daily routine, a quick image, a counting collection, or a number of the day, and let your students explore. When children begin to see patterns in numbers, understand relationships, and explain their thinking, everything else in math starts to make more sense. By helping them see numbers, on dice, in ten frames, or in everyday objects, you’re giving them a foundation that supports every math skill they’ll learn in the years ahead.  If you’d like more ways to make number sense hands-on and engaging, take a look at my Festive Holiday Number Sense Activities for Place Value and Fact Families or download my Portable Base Ten Blocks, available for free exclusively to newsletter subscribers. Both help children explore numbers visually and meaningfully, and best of all, they make learning math fun!  Related Posts Halloween is an exciting time for kids. They spend lots of time discussing costumes, decorations and even different parties or places they might be going to. It's one of those times when you're best to let this direct your lessons rather than fight it. However, you can still focus on academic goals and activities if you add a Halloween theme to them. Kids will have fun with the activities and not even realize they are learning while they engage in them.  One of the easiest ways to keep things calm and productive during the excitement of Halloween week is to weave the theme into your literacy and math activities. When kids see pumpkins, bats, or spiders on their worksheets or at centers, they’re immediately hooked, and you still get to cover the skills you need to.  Literacy ActivitiesTry some Halloween-themed sentence building or parts of speech activities. My Halloween Parts of Speech Activities: Silly Sentences always get the giggles going as students mix and match words to create spooky or downright silly sentences, and they’re practicing grammar at the same time. You can also do a Spooky Story Starters activity. Give each student a picture prompt (a haunted house, a black cat, a bubbling potion) and ask them to write a short story or descriptive paragraph using vivid adjectives and sensory details. If you’ve been working on descriptive writing, this is a perfect tie-in. Another fun idea is to set up a Halloween vocabulary center. Include themed word cards (witch, cauldron, skeleton, etc.) and challenge students to use the words in sentences, sort them by parts of speech, or create a mini Halloween Dictionary. My Vocabulary Activities and Games for Halloween make this kind of center easy to prep.  Math ActivitiesMath centers are another great place to sneak in some Halloween fun. For example, use pumpkins, ghosts, or candy corn for counting, grouping, or comparing numbers. In Halloween Math Activities, kids can practice number sense, addition, and subtraction while sorting and graphing Halloween objects. You can even do a quick Odd and Even Sort with Halloween pictures. My Fall and Halloween Odd and Even Tallies resource adds a nice visual and recording piece to this skill. If your class likes art-based projects, try Pumpkin Glyphs. These are great for combining math, data collection, and art. Students answer questions about their preferences, then create pumpkins that represent their answers. The finished display becomes a fun way to compare and graph classroom data.  Hands-On ExtrasHere are a few more ways to make Halloween week engaging:
 Halloween week doesn’t have to be wild. It can actually be one of the most engaging times of the year if you harness that excitement in the right way. When kids are busy writing silly Halloween sentences, sorting odd and even pumpkins, or measuring bats and spiders, they’re learning and having fun at the same time.  If you’re looking for ready-to-use activities that fit perfectly with these ideas, I have several more Halloween-themed resources in my Teachers Pay Teachers store, Diamond Mom’s Treasury. Check out my Halloween category to find more. They’re designed to make your planning easier and your students’ learning more engaging, with just the right amount of Halloween fun.  So go ahead — embrace the spooky season in your classroom! With a few themed activities, you’ll keep things light, academic, and filled with laughter (and maybe a few pretend ghosts). Related Posts The fall season in a primary classroom is full of excitement: pumpkins, costumes, and projects everywhere you look! Between the special activities and the changing seasons, it can be hard to find a quiet moment to focus on anything else. Yet right in the middle of all that fun, many teachers are also preparing for student-led conferences. Balancing assessments, report prep, and parent meetings during this busy time can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.  If you use some of the activities that you planned for the different special days, it is possible to gather important material to use. You can also use something like My Learning Journal to help kids prepare ahead of time.  In the school where I taught, many times the district would schedule the conferences right around Halloween. Crazy, right? That's what I used to think, but in some ways I can see why they did it. The few days before and after Halloween, the kids are hyped up from the excitement and the sugar, so it's hard to focus on work for a long period of time.  With conferences scheduled throughout the day, the kids only need to be at school for a short amount of time, and they are more likely to focus if their parents are with them. Using the student-led conference format allows the child to direct the time with their parents, and the teacher meeting is only a small amount of time during the conference.  Preparing for these conferences doesn’t have to add extra stress. In fact, with a little planning, they can fit naturally into what you’re already doing in class. The key is to start gathering student work early and let the children practice explaining what they’ve learned. That way, when conference day arrives, they’re ready and excited to share.  I’ll admit, at first, I used to dread having student-led conferences right in the middle of all the fall excitement. But over time, I realized how valuable they were, not just for assessment, but for building confidence. There’s something special about watching a child proudly share their work, explain what they’ve learned, and talk about what they want to get better at next. Parents love hearing their child’s perspective, and the students walk away feeling like real partners in their learning.  Fall conferences don’t have to be stressful. With a little planning and the right tools, like my Student Led Conference Templates And Materials, you can help your students take the lead, stay on track, and make the process enjoyable for everyone. Once everything’s set up, you can relax a little and enjoy the moment watching your students shine as they share their learning journey.  So carry on with your fall celebrations and use them as a springboard for activities to share with parents during the student led conferences. You've got this!  Related Posts Isn’t it crazy how quickly things change as summer ends and fall begins? Just a few weeks ago, I was worrying about watering the garden, and now the sprinklers are packed away and the rain has happily taken over. Our summer garden gave us an incredible harvest of fruits and vegetables, and now comes the season of preserving, storing, and enjoying those blessings into the fall and winter months.  I enjoy this time of year at school because it's full of opportunities to weave in themes of gratitude, kindness, and sharing. In Canada, Thanksgiving comes early in October, making it the perfect springboard for lessons on thankfulness and generosity. From there, November provides us with time to reflect on veterans and the sacrifices they made for freedom, followed by American Thanksgiving later in the month, and then the anticipation of December celebrations.  Shifting My PlanningWhen I first started teaching, I used to plan for each holiday in isolation; one unit for Thanksgiving, another for Remembrance Day, and so on. Over time, though, I realized that looking at the season as a whole helped everything flow together. The holidays each had their special spotlight, but the larger themes of harvest, change, gratitude, remembrance, and kindness tied it all together.  I still remember the first time I tried this approach. Instead of separating my “pumpkin math” from my “gratitude writing,” I blended them into one theme that ran through the month. The kids were more engaged, and I felt less like I was racing from one unit to the next. Looking back, I can see how much more meaningful those activities were for my students.  Activities That Work Well In the FallThis is the time of year when I love to pull in hands-on activities that connect to what’s happening outside the classroom. Here are a few simple, but powerful ways to help kids see the season as something to celebrate and learn from:
 If you want to find some low prep ready made resources, check out the categories in my store. Here are a few that have been favorites for my students: Turkey Glyphs Data Collection And Analysis: Pumpkin Glyphs Themed Place Value Parts of Speech Activities Silly Sentences Holidays And Seasons Bundle Parts of Speech Activities Silly Sentences Holidays And Seasons French Bundle My Fall Gratitude Journal Give Thanks Math And Language Activities Remembrance Day/Veterans Day Activities Remembering What MattersAs much as pumpkins and turkeys add fun, this season always brings me back to the deeper themes of gratitude, kindness, and remembrance. With all the unrest in the world, it’s important to acknowledge that many families are still affected by conflict today. Some students have parents in the military, while others have come from areas of war. Keeping that sensitivity in mind while focusing on gratitude and peace makes these lessons even more meaningful.  This season reminds me to slow down, notice the little things, and encourage students to do the same. And really, that’s what gratitude and kindness are all about.  Related Posts |
About Me Charlene Sequeira
I am a wife, mother of 4, grandmother of 9, and a retired primary and music teacher. I love working with kids and continue to volunteer at school and teach ukulele. 
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