Catch the Leprechaun! - Freebie

How would you catch a leprechaun?

How would you convince him to give you his pot of gold?

I am using this today to give my kiddos practice in writing steps and directions in sequence.

Just click on the pic to get the doc.

Have a wonderful, lucky day!

Santa's Job - Freebie

Steven Krensky has written two books you are going to love!

How Santa Got His Job and How Santa Lost His Job tell the stories of how Santa got the best job in the world...and how he lost it!

This packet combines activities for both books. Although I published them on my blog last year, I've updated them to include the Common Core ELA Standards and put the activities for both books in one packet. 

Just click on the pic above to get double the fun!

To get even more mileage out of the books, I used them both as writing prompts. Before reading, I asked the kiddos to make their own predictions about how Santa first started making and delivering toys. They wrote their own stories, then compared their predictions to the books. We did the same to tell how Santa lost his job.

Please leave a comment! I love reading them!

Have a wonderful end to your Thanksgiving weekend.

Updated Polar Express Activities

I posted lots of activities for The Polar Express last year. I've learned a lot about making activities since then, so I've gone back and redone all the activities, added some new ones, correlated them to the Common Core ELA Standards, and put them into one big file. 

Your students can practice sequencing activities, matching synonyms, parts of speech, and alphabetical order. I added cards with discussion questions for the book. If you don't have a copy of The Polar Express, you can listen to actor Lou Diamond Phillips reading it online at StoryLineOnline.

Just click on the pic above to get the file. Please leave a comment if you download the activities. I'd love to know what you think.

I've reached the one thousand followers mark, so be looking for details for a giveaway in the next few days!

More Bears! -- Freebie

I just bought More Bears! at our school's Scholastic Book Fair and it is it ever cute! Click on the pic below to download a Google Doc with sequencing, multiple meaning, and writing activities all correlated to the Common Core Standards.

....and please leave a comment if you download!

Have a great week.

Lots and Lots of Freebies to Make up for Busy Week!

It has been busy, busy, busy here at the Pitner Ponderosa these past few days, so I haven't posted much. To make up for that, here are lots of Valentine-related goodies for you to download free! Click on each pic to get the freebie file.

The Kiss That Missed is a...door....uh...bull!!!!!! You are gonna L.O.V.E. it! (And check out that cute, cute, cute artwork! My newest graphics are from SpringHillGraphics.com. Check out her work!) This activity is on sequencing.

Give your students practice with alphabetizing to the second and third letter with these Valentine words.

 This is going to be in my Writing Literacy Station this week. The kiddos choose one word from each category and write a story. Wonder what will happen when Cupid and Santa meet up?

 I love, love, love Cynthia Rylant's books. If You'll Be My Valentine is a rhyming trip through Valentine's Day with the cutest little boy ever! Students can put the events in the correct sequence, then add their own verse to the story.

The Day It Rained Hearts is precious. Words from the story will be sorted into different parts of speech in this freebie.

 Please, sir, can I have more......practice on cause and effect?! Get your kids up and moving with this match up activity for a whole group or put it in a literacy station.

Hope you can use some of these for part of your Valentine's Day celebration. Show the love with a comment if you use any!

Hugs from Pearl -- Freebie

If you haven't read Hugs from Pearl, you are missing a cute, cute, CUTE book! It's Per. Fect. for Valentine's Day. This freebie includes activities on sequencing, cause and effect, and problem solving. Click on the link to download...and leave me a hug in the comment box!

Froggy's First Kiss -- Freebie!

My kids loved, loved, loved all of the Froggy books last year in Second Grade and will still pull one of the shelf this year every once in awhile. Here is a fun freebie on sequencing, as well as a scavenger hunt for various types of words.

Click on the pic to download....and please leave a comment! It's been a loooooong week and I need a pick me up!

Groundhog's Day Freebies!!!!

Lauren at First Grade Diaries has designed the cutest little groundhogs and has posted them in her Etsy Shop. Go RIGHT NOW and look! She has also added the polka dot frames I used with the groundhogs in these activities based on Substitute Groundhog, by Pat Miller. They include sequencing, ABC Order, and parts of speech. The book is sooo cute and is a new favorite of mine! Click on the pic to download .........

........and click on the following pic to download freebies on ABC order and fact and opinion for Groundhog Weather School, by Joan Holub.

Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think. (And don't forgot to check out Lauren's newest art!)

Little Bear's Special Friend -- Freebie

Here's a freebie to start off your weekend! Little Bear's Special Friend is new book we just got in our classroom. It's a sweet story about friendship between Little Bear and his snowman friend, Sparkly, and is a great writing prompt for the kids. Let them write about their winter adventures with a snowman. 

Click on the pic above for sequencing and parts of speech activities to go along with the book......

.....and don't forget the "sparkly" comment for me!

Remember, my giveaway for reaching 300 followers ends tonight at midnight, so there's still time to enter. Go HERE for info.

Have a FANTASTIC FRIDAY!

The Smiley Snowman -- Sequencing and Parts of Speech Freebie

Your kids will love this book about friends who try to warm up a snowman. Sneak in a little practice on parts of speech and sequencing.

I promised a giveaway when I reached 300 followers and we are there! I'll close the giveaway at midnight on Saturday, so you have until then. Go HERE for details on entering.

The Mitten Tree -- Freebie

The Mitten Tree is a beautiful book of friendship in unexpected places.Click on the picture below to download activities on sequencing, identifying nouns, verbs, and adjectives, and distinguishing between even and odd numbers. Please leave me a comment if you download!

Snug as a Bug---Shhh! It's a Secret!

I found this cute little book today that I'm going to give to one of my First Grade friends tomorrow with these activities as her Christmas present. (Hope she doesn't read this post tonight!) The activities to go with the book are on a lower level than what I usually do, but my Third Graders that need a little extra help can still use these. I thought some of you might like them, too.

(Merry Christmas, Terra!)

Graphics by ScrappinDoodles.com  Fonts by KevinandAmanda.com

The Gingerbread Pirates -- Freebie

Students can't rely on just the text to arrange these events in order. Events are paraphrased to make students think a little harder!

Fonts by KevinandAmanda.com

Please leave a comment if you download!

Fancy Nancy's Splendiferous Christmas -- Freebie

Let Fancy Nancy review sequencing events in a story with your students. There's also a vocabulary and sentence writing activity included in this freebie.

Fonts by KevinandAmanda.com

Now I'm off to watch Once Upon a Time.....I spent all afternoon working at school while I was listening to/re-watching all the episodes! Anyone else hooked?

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day - Freebie

Alexander's day might have been pretty bad, but he might be able to help your kids practice arranging events in sequence.

Click on the pic below to download.

Santa's Eleven Months Off -- Freebie

Here is another fun book to review sequencing and common and proper nouns! Your kids are going to love Santa's Eleven Months Off almost as much as I love reading your comments!

Click on the pic below to download.

Santa is Stuck in the Chimney...and He's Bringing You a Freebie!

If you can get him out of the chimney, he's got a sequencing freebie for you! Click on the pic to download.

How Santa Lost His Job -- Freebie

Here's the sequel to How Santa Got His Job I promised. How Santa Lost His Job is just as funny! Read the story, then choose from two cause and effect activities and a sequencing activity. 

Don't forget the comment!

How Santa Got His Job -- Freebies for Cause and Effect and Sequencing

If you aren't familiar with this book, it will soon become one of your favorites! Click on the pic below to download a freebie with two activities....one on sequencing and one for cause and effect.

....and stay tuned for additional activities on the companion book, How Santa Lost His Job.

Thank you for all the comments you have been leaving. It warms my heart to know you are using my activities with your kids! Please keep 'em coming!

How the Grinch Stole Christmas Freebie

Who doesn't love the Grinch? He may be grouchy, but he makes a review of sequencing, rhyming words, and verbs fun! There are three separate activities in this download. Click on the pic below to grab your copy.....and leave a comment under my tree!