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Christmas Kindergarten Math Activities: FREE Gingerbread Math Game

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Christmas kindergarten math activities
Christmas Kindergarten Math Activities

December can be a crazy time! Keep the learning going strong with Christmas kindergarten math activities like this gingerbread-themed number sense game.

This FREE download includes 2 versions – Make 5 AND Make a Ten! You also get spinners, differentiated recording sheets, and two independent practice pages. It is easy to prep, and engaging for kids! Read on and get the FREE download today to make tomorrow’s math class easy!

Keep Math Learning Strong in December (with Christmas Kindergarten Math Activities!)

December brings elves and concerts and assemblies and….. the list goes on and on! The only way to engage students during this hectic time is to grab their attention with a themed math activity. And gingerbread is ALWAYS a favorite! When your students are distracted by all the festive fun, engage them and improve their number sense at the same time. This activity feels more like a celebration than math practice!

Not only will this engage your students, it takes almost no time to prep, making life easy for you too! All you need to do is print and laminate if you want to. It’s that easy!

A Closer Look at this Gingerbread Number Sense Activity

This hands-on Christmas Kindergarten Math activity helps students build strong number sense, practice composing and decomposing numbers, and develop fluency with Make 5 and Make 10 math strategies. You get two versions of the game to meet the needs of YOUR learners!

To play the game, students spin a number, add that many buttons or gingerbread pieces to a ten-frame or five-frame, and then determine how many more they need to make 5 or 10. They record their equations on the Recording sheet. This predictable routine makes it perfect for math centers, small groups, early finishers, partner work, or holiday-themed learning days.

To make the activity accessible for all learners, this resource includes four differentiated recording sheets for each version of the game:

  • Tracing numbers for early learners
  • Plus and equal sign support
  • Tracing + symbol support
  • Challenge sheet with no supports for students ready for independence

What’s Included with this Math Activity?

This FREE download includes everything you need for both of these Christmas Kindergarten Math Activities.

✔ Gingerbread Make 5 Spinner
✔ Gingerbread Make a 10 Spinner
✔ Gingerbread-themed Five Frame
✔ Gingerbread-themed Ten Frame
✔ 4 differentiated Recording Sheets for each game
✔ Black-and-white and color versions
✔ 2 Gingerbread-themed Independent Practice Sheets
✔ Easy prep!

Are You Ready for your FREE Christmas Kindergarten Math Activities?

It will be sent right to your inbox! Be sure to check your spam folder, and try a personal email if your school email won’t work.

Do You Want MORE Gingerbread Fun?

Check out this Science of Reading-aligned companion to the book “How to Catch a Gingerbread Man.” You will love the awesome, research-backed learning, and your students will love the engaging theme and fun activities!

Christmas Kindergarten Math Activities

Curious about the Science of Reading?

Everyone is talking about the Science of Reading these days, but what does that really mean? Is it systematic phonics? Phonemic Awareness? Well, it’s that and so much more! I’ve written a lot about Science of Reading. If you want to learn more, check out some of my other blog posts.

Kindergarten Read Aloud Unit – Snowmen at Christmas

What IS Science of Reading, Anyway?

Science of Reading is MORE than Systematic Phonics

Let’s Connect!

You can find Ms. Cotton’s Corner in various corners of the Internet – TPT, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube. See you there!

Check these places to ensure that you don’t miss a thing! And don’t forget to tell your friends! Sharing is Caring!

Click here to follow Ms. Cotton’s Corner on TPT.

Click here to follow Ms. Cotton’s Corner on Instagram.

Click here to follow Ms. Cotton’s Corner on Facebook.

Click here to follow Ms. Cotton’s Corner on YouTube.

The first image in this post was generated using Canva AI. Additional images reflect the contents of the resource in the FREE download.

Decoding in Kindergarten- The Science of Reading

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Recently I’ve been blogging about my journey of exploration into the Science of Reading. Be sure to check out some of these other posts if you’ve missed them:

  1. Science of Reading is More than Just Systematic Phonics
  2. The Knowledge Gap – a Book Review
  3. What is Science of Reading Anyway?
  4. What is Science of Reading? – Part 2

The more I dive into the Science of Reading, the more I am using the Simple View of Reading and Scarborough’s Reading Rope to guide instruction in my classroom. In the process of evaluating my own practice, refining my teaching, and always improving, I have had so many questions about decoding. Maybe you do too! In this blog post, we will answer all of my questions, and hopefully some of yours! Read on to learn:

What is Scarborough’s Reading Rope?

As I explained in a previous post, the Simple View of Reading includes two components – Word Recognition and Language Comprehension. Scarborough’s Reading Rope takes these two components and further defines each one. There are seven strands which lead to skilled reading. Language Comprehension consists of:

  • Background Knowledge
  • Vocabulary
  • Language Structures
  • Verbal Reasoning
  • Literacy Knowledge

Word Recognition consists of:

  • Phonological Awareness
  • Decoding
  • Sight Recognition

We need to teach ALL of these components in order to help our students become skilled readers. However, because decoding is such an important skill for early readers, I’m diving into that first. I have always taught decoding, but I haven’t always looked into the research to understand WHY I should teach it, or HOW I should teach it. so, let’s do that now.

First things first. Let’s make sure we are talking about the same thing.

What is Decoding?

Decoding is more commonly referred to as sounding out. When students see letters on the page and use their knowledge of the sounds that letters make to pronounce the word, they are decoding. Encoding is the opposite of decoding. It’s easiest to think of encoding as spelling. When students use their knowledge of the sounds that letters make to write or say the letters in a word, they are encoding. Both processes are essential in developing literate students.

Decoding and encoding are opposite processes, although they work together to improve literacy for students.

Scarborough’s Reading Rope lists decoding as one of the essential strands that leads to skilled reading. Decoding unfamiliar words is essential to reading. Students must be able to sound out new words. There are approximately 220,000 words in the Oxford English Dictionary, and there is no way we can teach students to read them all. Decoding unlocks their ability to encounter a new word, and teach themselves!

What Does Research Tell Us About Decoding?

The National Reading Panel Report from 2000 makes it clear that decoding is an important component of reading instruction, especially in the early grades. They analyzed 38 studies focusing on phonics instruction. Synthetic Phonics programs and Analytic Phonics Programs focus on teaching students to use their knowledge of letter sounds to blend and pronounce words. There are other types of phonics programs, but those are the two that intentionally focus on decoding. Key findings in the Report include:

  • Decoding instruction/Synthetic Phonics was found to have an effect size of .45, which means that it has a moderate impact on reading growth.
  • Decoding intruction is most effective in kindergarten and first grade. The effect size of phonics instruction in kindergarten was .56 and in first grade was .54. The effect size in grades 2-6 was only .27. That is a clear indication that decoding instruction is a key part of the first two years of school, and is less effective after that.
  • Decoding instruction is effective in increasing text comprehension in young students (.51). However, the effect size was only .12 for students older than first grade.

These findings have been replicated in many studies since this report was first published in 2000. I’m taking two big ideas from this research to implement in my classroom this year.

  • Decoding instruction needs to be systematic.
  • Students need to master decoding by first grade.

That led me to wonder, what was the best order to teach the letters and sounds? I highly recommend that you read the Decoding Tutorial published by the Reading League. They are the group of educators leading the charge to bring research and science to our instruction. The Decoding Tutorial states:

“There is no agreed upon, evidence-based sequence for introducing sound-symbol correspondences. It makes the most sense to begin with high utility letters such as a, m, t, i, s, f, p, and r… because these high utility letters can be combined to make a large number of simple words.”

That makes perfect sense to me. I began the year with a letter/sound boot camp, introducing all of the letter names and sounds in the first month of school. Of course, very few students have mastered all of the sounds, and I didn’t expect them to. Using this research, I am now circling back to teach the sounds more deeply. In my next blog post I will share the order that I am presenting the letters and sounds.

What do Students Need to Know Before They Learn to Decode?

Students need to begin to develop phonemic awareness before learning to decode. In the Decoding Tutorial the authors suggest that children should be taught that “spoken language can be segmented into words, into syllables and into phonemes” (or sounds). That’s where phonemic awareness comes in. As students learn to hear the sounds and segments in words, they are putting in place the foundation for strong decoding skills. But it’s not necessary for students to master all of the sounds before they begin decoding instruction.

I began the year with an emphasis on rhyming and syllables. As part of our Literacy Calendar, we clap and say our names, and then identify how many syllables are in each. For example, when we clap ‘Isabella’, we clap 4 times, and then hold up 4 fingers to show 4 syllables. By now, kids are doing well with this routine and are pretty expert and clapping syllables. We are ready to move on to new words with this concept. Our Literacy Calendar also includes rhyming songs, chants and finger plays. Identifying syllables and hearing rhyming words are both early concepts in developing phonemic awareness.

What Does This Look Like in a Kindergarten Classroom?

In my last blog post, I mentioned that I was going to try a few things with my current unit on bears. Here’s what I did last week.

  1. Helped my students develop their phonemic awareness skills by clapping the syllables of key vocabulary words like hibernate and omnivore.
  2. Continued working with rhymes with the Jump Rope Chant “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear”.
  3. Introduced decoding with target vocabulary like den and cub.
  4. Reinforced the sound of the letter /b/ by hearing it at the beginning and end of target vocabulary like bear and cub.
  5. Continued to develop knowledge of language structures by reading a sentence together and having the students illustrate it.
  6. Increased background knowledge by reading non-fiction text about bears and by teaching my students a song which included key concepts and vocabulary about bears.

In my next blog post, I will into specifics about what I did, and include LOTS of free printables. See you soon!

Happy Teaching!

Susan

The Decimal Dilemma: 8 Common Misconceptions and How to Avoid Them

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The words Fixing Common Decimal Misconceptions superimposed over a receipt featuring decimals.
A girl solving decimal problems on a blackboard.

Decimals can be a tricky concept for students. Without a solid foundation in 4th and 5th grade, students may struggle with algebra, science, and even life! I used decimals this morning when I paid for my latte and last night when I cooked dinner. Decimals are everywhere!

But decimals don’t have to trip up your students. By understanding the misconceptions your students are likely to develop, you can help your students avoid them! This blog post will explain 8 concepts that students might struggle with, and give you strategies and resources for making sure YOUR students master these key math concepts.

Read to the end to download a FREE resource to help you combat these misconceptions in YOUR classroom!

Click the links to jump to a specific section.

Misconception #1: Adding more zeros changes the value of a decimal.

When they learned about whole numbers, students were taught that 10 < 100. Putting another zero to the right shifts the value, and so it makes sense that students will try that trick with decimals as well. But, the decimal point communicates the value of the digit, so this “rule” does not hold true for decimals.

Strategy 1 – Math Talk

I like to use this Math Talk to help students understand that trailing zeros don’t change the value of the decimal number. It is the conversation and the struggle to explain that makes this powerful. You might follow up by having students write about this in their math journals.

Write this on the board, or download the free resource at the end of the post and project it.

This problem is deceptively simple. Students likely have background knowledge that tells them the two coins are not the same value. But, can students explain why the values are different? As you question students, push them to explain their thinking and tie their understanding of money to decimals. As they find the words to explain the difference in values, I like to look for a moment to pop the numbers into a place value chart and compare them. That really brings the concept home for students. It can be helpful to follow up with more comparisons to reinforce the concept.

Misconception #2: Decimal numbers can’t be between whole numbers.

This misconception probably has its roots in kindergarten math. When students learned to count, they learned the standard counting sequence: 1, 2, 3, 4…. and so on. No one mentioned all the numbers they were skipping over. So it can be difficult to go back to something that has been rock solid for half of their life, and change it now.

Strategy 2 – Number Lines

Number lines are your best friend for helping students learn that there are all kinds of decimal numbers between whole numbers. I like to start by giving students an 18-inch strip of paper to make a number line. We fold it in half 4 times, which makes 16 sections. Then, open the strip and ask students to make a mark on the fold in the exact center. Label this .5. Tell students that each fold is a tenth, and ask them to find and label 0, and then find and label 1. Then, fill in the correct tenth for each fold. This exercise helps reinforce the concept that decimals fall between whole numbers.

Note: This is an amazing time to label the negative decimals that come just before 0 and the decimals that fall just after 1. I find that briefly introducing these concepts now avoids misconceptions later!

Misconception #3: A longer decimal is always greater.

This misconception also dates back to early instruction on place value. Somewhere along a student’s education, someone told them, “423 is greater than 42 because it has more digits.”

While that rule works for whole numbers, it does not work for decimals. In my classroom, I call that a “Rule that Expires”. The rule only works for awhile, but it does not hold true for decimal numbers.

It is vital for students to understand that the decimal point determines the value, not how many digits a number has. That rule does NOT expire, and it works for decimal numbers AND whole numbers!

Strategy 3 – Place Value Blocks

To help students understand that a longer decimal might have a smaller value, I like to grab place value blocks. Early in their math career, students learned that these blocks represent 1, 10 and 100. Now, I tell them we are going to name the flat as our whole. That means the rod is 1 tenth and a unit is 1 hundredth. Set up a problem where students compare 7 rods and 25 units. Ask students to lay the blocks out on their desks and label each decimal. It will look like this. (This image is included in the FREE download!)

Using a concrete example with manipulatives clearly shows students that the larger decimal has one digit while the smaller decimal has two digits. Lead a discussion and give students additional examples to bring the concept home.

Misconception #4: The decimal point is not an important part of the number.

I think this misconception comes from students thinking that the comma that separates hundreds from thousands is optional, and so they assume the decimal point is too. 1524 = 1,524. That leads students to reason that 2.7 = 27. But of course, the decimal point has much more meaning than the comma.

Strategy 4 – Place Value Chart

Shifting decimal numbers on the place value chart helps students understand the meaning of the decimal point. Start by writing an easy number in the place value chart. This example uses 24. Then, shift the numbers one place to the right and lead students through a discussion of the change in value. Shifting to the right decreases the value by 10x. In other words, 2.4 is one tenth of the value of 24. It might look something like this (this image is also in the FREE download).

One thing to consider is your own language around decimal points. When you read a number, do you say, “two point four” or do you say the number correctly, “two and four-tenths”? I think using the correct language helps stress the value of the decimal numbers, and reinforces that they are NOT the same as whole numbers. Language matters! We know that the brain needs language to process concepts, so hold yourself accountable to using the correct terminology. Your students will learn it from you.

This FREE resource helps students solidify key decimal concepts, and is perfect for preventing misconceptions 4 and 5. Click here to get it today, along with other FREE resources, tips and insights to grow your teaching.

Misconception #5: Tenths and hundredths are the same.

Misconceptions 4 and 5 are related. If students understand that the decimal point is an important marker that separates the whole numbers from the decimal numbers, they will more easily understand that the value of a decimal is determined by its distance from the decimal point.

Strategy 5 – Math Journal

Because this misconception connects to misconception 4, I suggest that students use a place value chart to address this one too. I like to connect this to what students already know about whole number place value with a journal prompt. The concept is the same for decimal numbers as it is for whole numbers. Using this prompt for their Math Journal helps students explore the relationship between whole number digits and decimal number digits.

How does a whole number’s place in the place value chart affect its value? Do decimals change value in the same way? Use examples like 10, 1, .1, and .01 to explore this concept and explain your thinking. A place value chart might be a helpful visual in your explanation.

Misconception #6: A decimal with a large face value is larger than a whole number with a smaller face value.

This misconception is also rooted in students’ understanding of counting whole numbers. When you count, 6 comes after 5, so 6 is bigger. But what happens when you compare .6 with 5? Is .6 greater than 5?

Of course, the answer is no because the decimal means that the 6 is no longer in the ones column. It has shifted to the tenths column. And tenths are smaller than whole numbers. So, .6 < 5, even though the face value of the digits suggests otherwise.

Strategy 6 – Shopping Scenario

Because students have background knowledge about money, setting up a shopping scenario helps students easily understand this concept. Try this word problem.

Serena has $4.00. She would like to buy a glitter pencil that costs $0.80. Does she have enough money? How do you know?

Again, this problem is deceptively simple. Students will immediately say something like, “Yeah, $0.80 is less than $4.00!” Don’t let them stand on that statement. Push them to explain their thinking. Point out that 8 is larger than 4 to really make students confront the misconception and work through it. Explicitly pointing out the face value of a digit and discussing the importance of the place of that digit is really helpful in combating this misconception. Encourage students to use a place value chart or other visual to thoroughly explain their thinking.

Misconception #7: Fractions and decimals are unrelated.

Fractions and decimals are both representations of partial numbers. Understanding this, and developing the ability to choose between the two representations helps students navigate authentic situations.

Strategy 7 – Pizza Math

Pizza is a perfect way to connect decimals and fractions. Show a picture of a pizza (or better yet, buy a pizza) cut into ten pieces. Ask students to label the pizza with decimals and with fractions. The visual does the heavy lifting to help students connect fractions and decimals. You can grab this image for FREE in the download at the bottom of the post!

For students who are ready, this video helps cement the connection between fractions and decimals.

Misconception #8: Align decimals to the right when adding and subtracting.

If you have ever taught upper elementary students, you know that students often add or subtract numbers without lining up the decimal points. Instead of telling students to line up the decimal points, help students understand why you line up the decimal points. Building that conceptual understanding will cement the concept. Remind your that they need to add or subtract decimals from the same place, just as they do for whole numbers, and that the decimal point determines the place.

Strategy 8 – Problem Sequence

I like to explore this concept by starting with an equation the students can add easily, for example 3 + 4. Write that on the board, and ask students to solve the equation. Then, rewrite the equation with the same numbers, but include tenths with one of the addends. Keep going, using the same digits but including decimals. At this point, I choose numbers that do not require regrouping. Your sequence might look something like this.

FREE Decimal Misconceptions pdf

I hope that exploring these misconceptions has helped you feel ready to tackle them with your class. If you would like to project the images from this blog post, I’ve put them into this handy FREE download. Grab it today, and set your students up for decimal success!

Decimal MisconceptionsDownload

Let’s Connect!

You can find Ms. Cotton’s Corner in various corners of the Internet – TPT, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube. See you there!

Check these places to ensure that you don’t miss a thing! And don’t forget to tell your friends! Sharing is Caring!

Click here to follow Ms. Cotton’s Corner on TPT.
Click here to follow Ms. Cotton’s Corner on Instagram.
Click here to follow Ms. Cotton’s Corner on Facebook.
Click here to follow Ms. Cotton’s Corner on YouTube.

Christmas Kindergarten Math Activities: FREE Gingerbread Math Game

December can be a crazy time! Keep the learning going strong with Christmas kindergarten math activities like this gingerbread-themed number sense game. This FREE download includes 2 versions – Make 5 AND Make a Ten! You also get spinners, differentiated recording sheets, and two independent practice pages. It is easy to prep, and engaging for…

by scotton23

Decoding in Kindergarten- The Science of Reading

Recently I’ve been blogging about my journey of exploration into the Science of Reading. Be sure to check out some of these other posts if you’ve missed them: The more I dive into the Science of Reading, the more I am using the Simple View of Reading and Scarborough’s Reading Rope to guide instruction in…

by scotton23

Mastering Decimal Place Value with a FREE Game

This blog explores the importance of foundational understanding of decimal place value and whole number place value. Strategies include using games like Place Value Spin to build concepts of place value, connecting whole numbers to decimals, and a free instructional video to use with your students.

by scotton23

WordWise – The Curious Meaning of Catawampus – FREE resource

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When my daughter was little, she had long hair. Every morning as I would comb it, part it, and put it in pigtails or clips, I would tell her the same joke.

“Stand still,” I would say. “We don’t want your hair to be catawampus!”

And she would invariably giggle and wiggle and we would have to start the combing all over again.

Hm….. So cute, and just a little catawampus!

So, it totally made sense for me to start using that word in my kindergarten class, and predictably, it always finds giggles there too! Which makes it a perfect word for Word Wise!

Be sure to read on to learn about this crazy word and to grab your free resource! This post will feature:

The History of Catawampus

Catawampus may tickle our funny bone now, but it has not always amused. According to WordOrigins.org, catawampus is a nonsense word that doesn’t have a fixed meaning. It can mean “askew”, “ill-tempered”, or even be used as the name of a fanciful monster. I have to admit, I do love a word that means whatever I want it to in the moment!

Most sources agree that the word first appeared in the 1830’s, so this is a fairly new word to English. The earliest reference I could find used the word to mean “excessive”, but in my experience, and in more recent usage, it generally means “askew” or “off-kilter”. That is certainly the way I used it to describe my daughter’s hair. Incidentally, it has different spellings too, and some of them help you make connections to other words. For example, the spelling “cattywampus” clearly points us to “catty-corner”, which means diagonally across from something. It’s pretty easy to see how that relates to catawampus, meaning “askew”.

I do love a good graph, and the OnlineEtymologyDictionary tells us that catawampus was fairly popular in the 1880’s, and then fell into disfavor, only to rise in popularity again over the past 15 years. So, of course, I asked myself why. Apparently, neither Google nor Alexa know, so I really can’t say. But Green’s Dictionary of Slang shows that Dickens used catawampous in Martin Chuzzlewit in 1843. Maybe people have started to read Dickens again….?

Examples of Catawampus Across Time

“After some very catawampus chawing of the Philadelphia Vade Mecum (a rival sporting paper), the Editor gives a programme of “The Day!”—thus: Epitome of News for Saturday.”
— United States Telegraph (Washington, DC), 23 Jul. 1835

https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/top-10-funny-sounding-and-interesting-words

Catawampus chawing sounds very unpleasant, and I would hate to be the editor of the rival newspaper!

“There air some catawampous chawers in the small way too, as graze upon a human pretty strong; but don’t mind them, they’re company. It’s snakes,’ he says, ‘as you’ll object to…” – Martin Chuzzlewit, by Charles Dickens, published in 1844

https://uselessetymology.com/2017/12/02/the-etymology-of-cattywampus/

I think it’s so interesting that these two early quotes both place catawampus next to chawers or chawing. It seems like early uses of the word focused on eating, or chewing, and the word seems to mean excessive. It’s also interesting to me that both quotes spell the word differently – see, it’s not just your students who can’t spell!

“So when news gets out that the Super Saver Dollar Store chain plans to set up shop and run the Bottom Dollar out of town, things go catawampus.” – from the book description of Bet Your Bottom Dollar by Karen Gillespie, published in 2004

https://tinyreadingroom.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html

There definitely seems to be a Southern connection with catawampus. I found it on blogs about Southern living, books about Southern life (like this one), and in Southern newspapers. I live in the Northwest, so that doesn’t explain why I love the word….

“She looked back, and saw that the catawampus was growling on the brink, unable to catch her here.” -from a Roc and a Hard Place by Piers Anthony, published in 1996

https://www.wordnik.com/words/catawampus

…. but, in the 1990’s, I devoured every book Piers Anthony wrote, so I’m certain I read this one. Maybe that explains my continuing delight with the word. This book uses the less common definition of catawampus as a fierce, mythical beast. I still love a word that’s versatile enough to fit my mood!

Teaching Catawampus to Your Students

Are you ready to help your students discover this comedic gem? Anytime you can get them laughing, you will get them learning! So, download this FREE resource today. It includes everything you need to teach your students this word. You will get a lesson plan with a student printable covering the basics of the word – definition, spelling, picture….. The lesson plan includes two ways to use the printable – try both to see what works best in your classroom. And there is a class discussion protocol that encourages students to play with language. I use Examples and Non-examples in my classroom all the time, and it is a fun way to get students to use the target word and really deepen their understanding of the word.

All this for FREE!

Click here to download the FREE resource!

Be sure to check back often as I have lots more fun WordWise plans. If you are a logophile, I think you’ll enjoy this journey with me.

And if you can’t wait, I recommend these books, which are invaluable resources for me as I explore the wacky world of words!

  1. Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day – Full of short descriptions and eye-catching illustrations! This book is perfect to share with upper grade students.
  2. Once Upon a Word – This is more extensive, but still great to share with kids. Also, just fun to sit down, open to a page and delight in the craziness of English.
  3. Dictionary of Word Origins – This one is best for adults. It includes more than 8,000 word histories, and can really take you down a rabbit hole if you’re not careful!

Happy Teaching!

Susan

Let’s Connect!

You can find MsCottonsCorner in various corners of the Internet – TPT, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube. See you there!

laces to ensure that you don’t miss a thing!

Click here to follow Ms. Cotton’s Corner on TPT.
Click here to follow Ms. Cotton’s Corner on Instagram.
Click here to follow Ms. Cotton’s Corner on Facebook.
Click here to follow Ms. Cotton’s Corner on YouTube.

And don’t forget to tell your teacher friends. Sharing is caring!

Boost Vocabulary with this Number Prefixes Unit

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Update: This awesome deal has passed. You can still grab this terrific resource on TPT. Be sure to follow MsCottonsCorner so you don’t miss future freebies!

Number Prefix Unit Vocabulary Activities

This Number Prefixes Unit is one of my best sellers – and today you can grab the entire unit for FREE! This resource has a full week of lesson plans and activities to teach these Greek and Latin Number prefixes – uni, mono, bi, tri, quad, quint and penta. Click here and grab it!

This is part of my 12 Days of Giveaways in December. Want to get more freebies? Follow me so you don’t miss a single one! Just click the black button to the right, and the blog posts will be delivered to your inbox. Or, find Ms. Cotton’s Corner on Instagram – the daily freebies will be posted in both locations!

Do your teacher friends like free resources? Be sure to foward this to them – they deserve free resources too!

What is Included with this Number Prefixes Unit?

This Number Prefix Unit includes detailed lesson plans and 5 days of activities. The Lesson Plans include Background Information, Prep Steps, and clear suggestions for teaching each lesson. All you have to do is print and teach! You will love how easy this is to prep and your students will love the engaging activities.

The unit opens with a silly story that will get your students giggling as they read and discover words using prefixes in context. Activities include a sorting activity, Would you Rather Task Cards, three student printable practice sheets, one student reference sheet, a review activity called Beat the Clock and an assessment. And of course, there are Answer Keys and Lesson Plans to support you.

Want to learn more about Beat the Clock? I use this strategy all the time, and it works! Check out this blog post to learn more!

Everything you need to teach uni, mono, bi, tri, quad, quint and penta is included – just print, teach, and enjoy!

Why teach Greek and Latin Number Prefixes?

Greek and Latin has given us as much as 30% of the words in English, so learning Greek and Latin Prefixes will help unlock the meanings of many words for students. These number prefixes are especially useful because they unlock key vocabulary used in math, science, and in life. When students understand that the prefix uni means one, they not only understand why a unicorn has one horn, they also understand why we use the word unit to describe a single measurement. As students progress through this Number Prefix Unit (whoa, there is a word with the prefix uni!), they will grow to understand not only the featured words, but new words that they encounter with the same prefix.

What Do Other Teachers Say About This Resource?

“This was the perfect resource that I needed! It was very easy to use, and made my teaching life easier!”

-Turney

“Great resource to use with your class that will help them understand root words.”

Gay

Love this Number Prefix Unit? Check out these resources!

Click to check out these units, and many, many more in my TPT store.

For more blog posts on vocabulary, check these out! Vocabulary instruction is a passion of mine and a frequent blog topic!

Make sure you don’t miss a single FREEBIE this December! Follow this blog by clicking the black button to the right, and follow me on Instagram too! While you’re at it, forward this post to your teacher friends and share the love. Everyone deserves free resources this December!

I hope this Number Prefix Unit, and the 11 other free resources I’m giving away in December help you have a wonderful holiday season, and your students too. Happy teaching!

Susan

Why Teach Vocabulary?

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Let’s face it. Instructional time is precious. There is never enough time to teach the content students didn’t quite master last year, to teach the skills and standards they need to master this year, and to maybe throw in a little something, just for fun. So, why “waste” time intentionally teaching vocabulary?

This post will….

  1. Explain the importance of teaching vocabulary explicitly
  2. Help you understand which words to teach
  3. Give practical tips for teaching vocabulary in any content

Why is teaching vocabulary important?

First, let’s make sure we are talking about the same thing. There are actually four different ways a student can master a given vocabulary term: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Listening and speaking are both oral language, and reading and writing are both written language. Children begin to develop oral language skills long before they come to school, but for most students, written language skills begin to develop around the time they enter school. Generally speaking, a student’s largest vocabulary is listening. Students can understand words before they can use them in their own speaking, but the two are connected. In the same way, most students have a larger reading vocabulary than written vocabulary, but the two support each other. More on that in later posts.

Later we’ll get into specific strategies for improving language skills in the four areas. For now, the reasons for teaching vocabulary explicitly mostly overlap.

  1. Knowing the correct word helps students express themselves clearly and be understood – in both speaking and writing. Have you ever witnessed a two-year old’s temper tantrum? Likely, they are expressing their frustration in the only way they know how. They have an idea in their head but they don’t have the word. Then, an adult caregiver comes along and asks, “Would you like me to read this book to you?” The two-year-old calms down, and repeats, “Read.” Now they have the word they need and the frustration passes. Older students may not have temper tantrums, but they still feel frustration when they can’t make themselves understood. Vocabulary instruction helps them have the words to express their ideas and knowledge. Vocabulary = Being Understood
  2. The reverse is also true. When we teach complex concepts (like equivalent fractions), explicit teaching of the term leads to greater understanding of the concept. When students understand that equivalent is similar to, but different from, equal, they begin to grasp the nuances of equivalent fractions. Vocabulary – Greater Understanding
  3. Explicit vocabulary instruction increases reading comprehension. That has been well documented in study after study. And it makes common sense. Obviously, students cannot comprehend a text if they do not know the meaning of key words. It has also been well documented that students LEARN new vocabulary through consistent reading. Wide reading = Higher Vocabulary, and Higher Vocabulary = Wide Reading.

Vocabulary = Being Understood
Vocabulary = Greater Understanding
Vocabulary = Wide Reading
Wide Reading = Vocabulary

What to teach?

So, the Oxford English Dictionary defines about 600,000 words. But, that’s not all of the words in English. Some estimates say there are over a million words in English, and it’s ever growing. Do you remember a time you didn’t know the word meme? I do. It was invented after I was born, but I’m pretty sure the first time I heard it was out of the mouth of my 14 year old son – probably in 2020. English is a living language – one of the beautiful things about it.

This causes a problem for teachers. Even if we stick with the 600,000 words in the Oxford English Dictionary, and forget all the new words being created, we could never hope to teach them all. The good news is, we don’t have to. In 2002, Beck, Kucan and McKeown published Bringing Words to Life. In the book, they explained that teachers should focus on teaching Tier Two words. Check out these blog posts for more in depth information on Tier Two words.

For now, here is a quick overview.

Tier One words are commonly found in oral language. They are typical words that most native speakers learn to understand easily. Because they are learned through spoken language, they might make great spelling words, but they should not be targets for vocabulary instruction for native speakers.

Tier Two words are generally not used in spoken language, but they are encountered in written language, so they are key for students to learn. These are the words that unlock comprehension, advance reading skills, and bring writing to life. Many content words fall into this category.  Because these words have the ability to be useful in many different contexts and domains, instruction on these words can have a huge impact.

Tier Three words are only used in a specific domain, and don’t cross into other content areas. They also might be very rare words. These are the words that students need to unlock key concepts in science and social studies, and should be explicitly taught as needed.

There are about 7,000 Tier Two word families. If you teach a word from each word family, and help students make connections to the other words in the word family, the whole process becomes more manageable. 7,000 divided by 13 years of schooling is 538.46 word families a year. Still lofty, but doable. And as you unlock the meanings of words, remember, you are also opening the door so your students will comprehend text better. And that means they will read more. And that means they will learn more vocabulary from the texts that they read….. And just like that, you have a literate child!

From Theory to Practice

Now we’ve come full circle. You understand why explicit vocabulary instruction is important, but I’m sure you’re asking yourself the question we started with. Where do I find the time?

The answer is simple. Consistent, easy routines that you weave throughout your day, in multiple content areas, will help you explicitly teach the vocabulary your students need to know. This FREE e-book gives you details on 10 EASY to implement strategies. Click the image to grab it for FREE today!

Grab the book and then implement these strategies in your classroom today!

To increase oral language, use these routines:

  1. Capture the Word
  2. Fist of Five
  3. Examples and Non-Examples
  4. Hot Seat

To increase written language, use these routines:

  1. Interactive Notebooks
  2. Capture the Word
  3. Word Wonder
  4. Word Detective
  5. Catergories
  6. Tic-Tac-Toe
  7. Pictionary

These simple routines take little to no prep, and can be implemented in math class, science class, social studies…. Grab the FREE e-book today and give it a try!

Click the image to grab the FREE e-book!

Just click to grab it now!

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FLASH FREEBIE #2 is FREE for a few more hours!

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Update: This great giveaway has ended, but you can still grab this fun Mad Lib to Twas the Night Before Christmas on TPT. Be sure to follow MsCottonsCorner so you never miss a FLASH FREEBIE!

Did you grab it yet? Be sure to follow MsCottonsCorner on Instagram so you find out about ALL of the Flash Freebies the moment they are FREE! Today’s teaching resource is still FREE for a few more hours! Grab it today!

Hint: Santa Claus is Coming to Town! And you need to teach parts of speech, so you here you go!

There are still 10 MORE FREEBIES in the month of December! Watch for more postings about them on this blog and at MsCottonsCorner on Instagram! And one brand new resource will be revealed in my TPT store. Follow me all three places to ensure that you don’t miss a thing!

And don’t forget to tell your teacher friends. Sharing is caring!

Happy December!

Susan

Tiered Vocabulary Instruction – Properties of Matter

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We are about half way through our focus on Matter in Science, and I am feeling pretty good about how things are going. I can tell that my students are beginning to understand the important concepts of the unit because they are using the key vocabulary in their speaking and writing, which means they “own” those words. As you know, if a student has a word for the concept, they likely also have the concept! In this blog post, I’m going to take you through some of the bends in the unit that have gotten my kiddos to this point.

What are the Three Tiers?

The three tiers are a way of thinking about the function of language as you choose vocabulary words to teach your students. Beck and McKeown outlined the tiers in their book “Bringing Words to Life”. For more in depth information on that, be sure to check out this blog post. One important thing to remember is that learning the vocabulary words involves learning to use the words, but not necessarily how to spell them. That is a different goal and different words should be chosen for spelling instruction.

Definition of each Tier

Tier One words are commonly found in oral language. They are typical words that most native speakers learn to understand easily. Because they are learned through spoken language, they might make great spelling words, but they should not be targets for vocabulary instruction for native speakers.

Tier Two words are generally not used in spoken language, but they are encountered in written language, so they are key for students to learn. These are the words that unlock comprehension, advance reading skills, and bring writing to life. Many content words fall into this category.  Because these words have the ability to be useful in many different contexts and domains, instruction on these words can have a huge impact.

Tier Three words are only used in a specific domain, and don’t cross into other content areas. They also might be very rare words. These are the words that students need to unlock key concepts in science and social studies, and should be explicitly taught.

Words to Teach

So, the bulk of vocabulary instruction should be Tier Two and Tier Three words, with the majority of time spent on Tier Two Words. The best time to teach Tier Three words is right before a student needs them. For example, if a word is going to be useful in a science lab or a non-fiction text, teach it that day, right before students need it. Word Cards are awesome for that! With our Matter unit, we spent two days on property of matter stations. Many of the target vocabulary words are Tier Three, so I put the Matter Word Cards on the whiteboard and introduced them and also put them at the property of matter stations. By the end of the two days, the kids were using the vocabulary pretty comfortably in their conversation and lab books.

Science Vocabulary cards on a whiteboard: property, soluble, dissolve, buoyancy, density, mass, conduct, insulate, saturation, substance, magnetism, texture
A Science station showing the word card for saturation and a sugar and water experiment
A Science station showing the Word Cards for density and soluble and an experiment
A Science station showing the Word Cards for buoyancy and soluble and an test using chalk.
A Science station with the Word Cards dissolve and soluble and a test with chalk.
These pictures show some of the Word Cards on the whiteboard and at the stations.

Examples of Tier Two Words

You may be wondering which of the words in the pictures are Tier Two, and which ones are Tier Three. Because I was introducing lab stations, most of the words pictured are Tier Three. In the Matter unit, I am focusing on these Tier Two Words: solid, liquid, gas, states, property, flow, texture, matter, particle, dense, compress, conditions, material, substance, volume, mixture, contract, expand, capacity, sift, filter, and dilute. Interestingly, several of the Tier Two words fall into that category because they are used in cooking, making them more common, and increasing the likelihood that they will be found in a written text.

Tier Two Words: solid, liquid, gas, states, property, flow, texture, matter, particle, dense, , mineral, compress, conditions, material, substance, volume, mixture, contract, expand, capacity, sift, filter, dilute

Examples of Tier Three Words

In the Matter unit, I am focusing on these Tier Three Words: evaporate, buoyancy, condensation, melting point, boiling point, freezing point, plasma, atom, diffusion, concentration, molecule, insulate, conduct, reaction, dissolve, soluble, physical change, chemical change, solution, saturation, magnetism, precipitation. I’m sure you noticed that most of these words are specific to Science, and rarely found outside of a Science text. These words are essential for students to learn so that they can unlock key Science content. Direct vocabulary instruction is the way to teach these words.

Tier Three Words: evaporate, buoyancy, condensation, melting point, boiling point, freezing point, plasma, atom, diffusion, concentration, molecule, insulate, conduct, reaction, dissolve, soluble, physical change, chemical change, solution, saturation, magnetism, precipitation

Instructional Strategies

Now that we’ve defined the words to teach and categorized them, let’s dive into instructional strategies for helping students LEARN them! This part of the blog is going to focus on the ways I’ve been teaching Tier Two words because you’ve already seen how I weave Tier Three instruction into the Science labs, introducing the key vocabulary as the students need it.

First, I used some of the images from the Matter Word Cards to plant seeds of curiosity about the content and vocabulary with a Gallery Walk. This picture is one of the stations, involving several photos, some with text, and students responded with their Noticings and Wonderings. Some of the target vocabulary began to emerge, but not much, so this activity served an an informal assessment, helping me know that direct vocabulary instruction was going to be essential in helping students master the content of the unit.

Next, students read “Everything Matters”. This article contains the foundational knowledge about States of Matter that students should have learned in third grade. To make sure that the foundation is strong, we used a Close Reading Protocol. The directions for the Close Reading protocol are included in the resource, but I did add explicit vocabulary instruction after the first read. I asked students to find, and highlight, these words in the text: mass, volume, substance, molecules, material, conditions, exist, density, compressed, states. We then used the context to predict the meaning of each word. Finally, I showed the students the Word Cards with the definitions and images on them, and we compared the definition with their prediction. Students completed the Comic Strip Performance Task from the resource, which gave them a great opportunity to use some of the words authentically in their writing!

Another strategy I use frequently is making Flapbooks in their Science notebooks. Students fold a page of the notebook in half, and then cut to the fold, making a flap. On the front of the flap, they write the word. Then I ask them if they have heard it before. Next, I ask them to predict the part of speech. Finally, I show them the definition and picture on the Word Card. Students copy the definition inside the flap. Later, they will make their own drawing on the other side of the flap to show their understanding of the word.

Additional Practice Strategies

I hope this has given you some ideas to try in your own classroom. As students learn the words, it’s important that they continue to practice them in a variety of contexts. Games such as Vocabulary Dominoes or I Have, Who Has? are fun ways to practice the target vocabulary. Crossword Puzzles and Word Searches are also fun ways to engage students with target vocabulary. And whole class games like Hot Seat can be a fun way to focus students on vocabulary too (the directions for that are in the resource!). And of course, frequent opportunities to read the words, hear the words and use the words orally and in writing are key!

Resources You Will Love

Check out these resources to help your own students master Matter! Just click!

An image linking to a Matter Word Wall containing 50 Matter Vocabulary terms and photographs
An image of a bundle of Science resources to teach Matter
An image showing a teaching resource includeing a Word Search and a Crossword Puzzle for teaching vocabulary about Matter.
An image showing an Escape Room about the States of Matter.
An image of a teaching resource including a non-fiction text and Close Reading Protocol along with a Comic Strip Performance task for teaching about Matter.

Be sure to check out these blog posts for more resources and insights to grow your Vocabulary instruction!

  1. Words, Words, Wonderful Words – The Three Tiers
  2. Words, Words, Wonderful Words – How Can We Teach Them All?
  3. Using Word Walls to Teach Tier Two Vocabulary
  4. Words, Words, Wonderful Words – What Does the CCSS Say?
  5. Wander Words

Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals with Students

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Goal setting is an important strategy for motivating students and raising their achievement. Done correctly, it will empower your students, giving them ownership and voice over their learning. For more on how I set goals with students, check out these blog posts:

In this blog post, I will go into detail about how to write S.M.A.R.T. goals with students. S.M.A.R.T. goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-based. That simple recipe can result in very strong goals that will motivate your students! At the bottom of this post you will find the video that I use to present S.M.A.R.T. Goals to my students. Add it to your Edpuzzle account – it’s just about 3 minutes long and packed with great information for students!

First, feel free to download this free SMART Goal template from my TPT store. The template walks students through the acronym and gives a sample goal. Using the template for your first lesson makes setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals a piece of cake! And if you need Data Tracking and Goal Setting Sheets, check out this Student Data Binder, which includes more than 110 Students Sheets to bring goals and data tracking to your classroom!

S = Specific

The first part of the acronym stands for specific. I find that students often make goals like, “I want to be a better reader” or “I want to get a higher grade”. Neither of those goals are specific, and so, most likely, the student will fail. What, exactly, does a student need to do to improve in reading? Are they struggling to decode multi-syllabic words? Are they reading slowly and losing meaning? Do they need more practice with inferential thinking? To be effective, a goal should be very specific. That is the reason that I DON’T set goals in the first month of school. First, we have to gather data. Then, we use the data to pinpoint a Specific area for improvement.

M = Measurement

A goal must be measurable, or the student will not know if they’ve succeeded. Measurable does not always mean percentages, though. For example, in my classroom, students often set goals around reading new genre or a certain number of books. Those are very worthwhile goals, and likely to lead to improved reading achievement. And they are completely measurable, although not a percentage or a score. In Math, my students often set a goal around time spent practicing. For example, one student set a goal of doing Multiplication by Heart at least 20 times in the month of December. I can’t wait to get back to school and find out if she met her goal! If she did, she is sure to improve in her mastery of multiplication facts!

A = Achievable

I often find that students set really large, exciting goals. For example, this year one student said they wanted to read 100 chapter books. When I asked them how many books they read last year, they thought the number was 12 books. So, I asked them if they thought 100 was achievable. Together, we decided to see if they could read 10 books in October, and they did! The student felt excited, I felt excited, and in one month they read almost as many books as they had in an entire year. That is a win! By helping them find an achievable goal, I helped that student find success! (They went on to read 11 books in November!)

R = Relevant

A common mistake I see in this category is students making a goal around increasing their reading level. The truth is, that goal is not relevant to them. While you, the teacher, know that they need to increase their fluency and comprehension by practicing their inference skills in order to reach the next level, the student does not know that. Changing reading levels is a mystery to students (and probably to parents). As teachers, we go to college to learn that type of information, but the student does not have our advantage. So, the goal needs to be relevant to the student. This also ties into being Specific. Relevant goals for students center around discrete skills or tasks, like mastering the multiplication facts, using more dialogue in their narrative writing and reading more non-fiction texts.

T = Time-based

A goal has a start and stop time. Period. This is usually pretty easy for students to understand. In my classroom, we generally set monthly goals. I find that a month is a short enough time period that students will maintain their enthusiasm and focus on the goals. But, it is a long enough time period that students can see important growth. I think quarters or trimesters also work well for goal setting time periods.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals have been such a motivator for many of my students. Use the FREE Goal Setting Student Sheet and give them a try in your classroom. I think you’ll find that, when students set meaningful goals, they generally achieve them and learning happens!

This Student Data Binder includes over 110 Student Sheets for Data Tracking and Goal Setting!

And check out this video from Ms. Cotton’s Corner on YouTube! It’s perfect for teaching students about S.M.A.R.T. Goals! Enjoy!

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How to Use Google Slides in the Real Classroom

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Google Slides are an extremely versatile tool, and probably saved my bacon during last year’s distance learning adventure. Maybe you feel the same, and now you are wondering, what do I do with all those Google Slides? The answer is, you use them, of course! You put blood, sweat, tears and money into creating or buying them, and they have a place in the Real Classroom! Here are four ways I am using them this year, with my real, live, in person students!

Task Cards

One thing teachers often forget is that you can print Google Slides and use them as Task Cards. And who doesn’t love a Task Card? It’s very easy to print. This 1-minute video walks you through it. I recommend using the Print Preview option so that you know what you are printing. Below the video, I’ve also included step-by step instructions.

Click here to grab the Holly-themed Volume Task Cards today!

Printing Google Slides as Task Cards

  1. Open your Google Slides.
  2. Click “File” and then “Print Settings and Preview”.
  3. Choose the print configuration you like. I prefer “Handout – 2 Slides Per Page” and “Portrait” orientation.
  4. Click “Print”.

Pass the Pencil

This is a fun game that you can play with the whole class. You will need one recording sheet for each pair of students, a timer and your computer and projector.

Prep Steps:

  • Copy one recording sheet for each pair of students.
  • Find a timer that you can set for 10-15 seconds. Choose a quicker time for multiple choice Task Cards or content that your students are comfortable with. Choose a longer time if there are steps to complete or the content is newer. For example, every year I use these Thanksgiving Order of Operations Cards with my students. Because they have to work out Order of Operations problems, I give them 15 seconds. This year, I may even give them 30 seconds since we are a little behind where we would usually be in November.
  • Put students in pairs. I group them strategically with one student who is confident in the content and one who is struggling.

Playing the Game

  1. Each pair of students has one recording sheet and one pencil, which they pass after each question. They are working together to get the highest team score possible.
  2. Project the first Task Card and read it to the students. Make sure you are in Present Mode so the students don’t see the thumbnails of the next problems. Then, start the timer.
  3. The pair of students work together to solve the first problem, but only ONE student gets to hold the pencil. The second student can “coach” them, but can’t write! Generally, the second student rereads the problem, gives pointers and hints and checks for accuracy.
  4. The first partner does the work and records the answer on the recording sheet. If a pair gets the correct answer in the time you have set, their team gets a point.
  5. Then, students “Pass the Pencil”. You project the second Task Card and read the problem to the students. Then, start the timer. Now the first partner is the “coach” and the second partner does the work.
  6. Play continues with each partner passing the pencil and doing half of the problems. The partnerships earn 1 point for each problem they solved correctly in the allotted time.
  7. At the end of the game, the team with the most points wins!

What makes the game so fun is the fast pace.  Both students have to look at the cards and solve the problems, even if only one of the partners writes the answer down.  This is a quick way to fit in some practice with a key concept or skill before lunch!

Using Google Slides with Menus

We all know that choice is an important motivator for kids, and grown up people too! Last year I discovered how easy it was to use Google Classroom to create digital Menus for students and I will never go back to paper! Some of the benefits of digital Menus:

  1. Motivation – They say variety is the spice of life, and menus give students plenty of variety! Students set goals and make choices, which is hugely motivating! Imagine a classroom where the kids ask for extra math time…. Yes, it does exist and Menus can help it be a reality in your classroom! (More on that in a future post!)
  2. Differentiation – You can easily put different leveled tasks and scaffolding when you go digital. For example, with my Gifted students I can offer a set of 6th Grade Google Slides, and for my struggling students, I can offer 4th Grade Google Slides. When I assign them using the Google Classroom, they don’t even have to know that there are different assignments.
  3. Fewer papers floating in the bottom of my teacher bag…. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about!

Small Groups – Intervention and Extension

We are all frantically trying to find ways to make up for missed instruction and learning time over the past two years. Google Slides can be a terrific way to help you differentiate your small group instruction to extend kids who are reading and intervene for kids who need more support. They are interactive and colorful, so there is built in engagement.

I often have my students join me for a small group with their Chromebook and a whiteboard. I assign the Google Slides to just that group of students in the Google Classroom. We use the whiteboards to work through the first few slides and then I leave them, in a group, to work together on the rest of the Google Slides. In 5-7 minutes I can get the group going and then leave them to practice while I move to the next group. That saves me time and still gives the students the practice they need to catch up!

Assigning Google Slides in Google Classroom

I buy and sell Google Slides on TPT, so these directions walk you through how to assign Google Slides you have purchased from TPT.

  1. Check out this blog post for step-by-step instructions and a video on assigning Google Forms in Google Classroom. The process is the same for Google Slides. 
  2. When you purchase Google Slides, TPT will automatically add it to a Google Drive folder called TPT Purchases.  Make sure you have logged in to TPT using the account where you want to save the resource.
  3. I recommend clicking on the Google Slides and Making a Copy.  Move the copy to the folder where you want it, and call it the Master Copy.  This will remind you NOT to delete slides from this copy.
  4. Then, make another copy, and feel free to delete slides to create the assignment you want.
  5. In the Google Classroom, Click “Create” and “Assignment”.

6. Fill in the details of the assignment, and then click the triangle icon in the bottom left corner. That will take you to your Google Drive and you can attach the slides.

Google Slides have so much utility and versatility! If you need to pick up a few, this link will take you to the Google Classroom page on my TPT site, and you can grab the resource highlighted in the video and other Google Slides and Forms.

Grab Google Slides and Forms here!

So, dust off those Google Slides and put them to use. I think you will find that they save you time and improve student learning.

Happy teaching!

Susan

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