Why I (Heart) Boom Cards™!

WHAT ARE BOOM CARDS™?

Boom Cards™ are one of the coolest things I've seen in a while! They can be thought of as mini apps or digital task cards. AND they are created by teachers! You can even purchase an Ultimate membership ($25 per year) and make them yourself! Each deck has a certain number of cards, tasks, or questions (usually 20) for the student to complete. Decks have already been created for a wide variety of subjects, including math, reading, phonics, science, social studies, and more! They work on interactive white boards, desktops, iPads, tablets, and even your phone! So, they can be practiced in a large group format, then individually.

The decks come in different formats. Some are multiple choice, some are drag and drop, while others include fill-in-the-blanks or have multiple correct answers. I love how this provides teachers with many options for helping students practice different subjects, while offering the students unique ways to interact with the material. You can even add sounds so that students can have the directions or sight words read to them.

MY FAVORITE BOOM CARDS™ FEATURES

I have been using Boom Cards with my kindergarten class for a couple of months now. Here are the features I love:

1) Students can practice content that exactly matches our curriculum! Right now, they are working on making numbers 11-20, identifying sight words, counting objects, and beginning addition.

2) I can add my own sounds! I use this feature to add an icon for students to click when they need to hear the directions. I also use it to ask students to find specific sight words. The possibilities are endless!

3) Since the content is digital, I can use as much color as I want . . . and give absolutely no thought to how much ink it will use! So I add photos for the backgrounds to make them interesting and artwork from the best clipart artists around. I can add so many things to make the cards more engaging and fun!

4) Students can practice at home! No more summer slide!!! You can send the link, username, and password home for each student. This makes it easy and fun for students to work on academic skills over school breaks!

5) You can assign decks to the whole class or individual students! This is huge! This way, I know that each student is working right at his/her instructional level. 

6) BoomLearning.com is always improving! They are very busy getting feedback from teachers and creators. They are always adding new features and improving old ones. I love having new features to add to my decks!

FREE OFFER FROM BOOM LEARNING™!

Boom Cards™ are self-grading, DIGITAL resources. They live in the cloud. They can't be printed. They play on most modern browsers, Android, iPads, iPhones, and Kindle Fires. You open a Boom Learning account to play them (to protect the children). Create Fast Play pins to assign your Boom Cards™ to students.

If you are a new Boom Learning customer, when you redeem your Boom Cards™ purchase you get 90-day free trial of a premium account. When your trial ends, you can renew or move to a free account. You may upgrade, downgrade or cancel at any time. Free accounts use purchased Boom Cards with Fast Play pins. Boom Learning also has premium accounts. Premium accounts offer advanced assignment tools, individual and whole class performance tracking, and more.

To read more about these offers on the Boom Learning site, CLICK HERE. 

AND . . . CLICK HERE for more info on adding Boom Cards to Google Classroom(TM). 

TRY BOOM CARDS FOR FREE! 

There's no better way to see what Boom Cards™ are all about than to try them for yourself! Every deck on the site has a four-card preview. That way, you know exactly what you are getting. Or, download one of my FREE decks! Just click on the photos below to take a look! Download the freebie and click on the link in the resource. 

Don't forget to follow my shop on Boom Learning! Just click here. 

Happy teaching!

Sight Word Game FREEBIE!

Here's a FREE sight word game from Stacy at Teacher's Take Out! It covers Fry's first 100 words.

My son is learning to read CVC words, so I thought we'd start working on some beginning sight words. As you can see, I tried to pick several that he can "sound out" (at, in, it) and a few more easy ones (I, a, to, the). The pile in the picture has several words, but we focused on about 8-10 today. 

My preschooler really enjoyed playing this game! We often use SquinkiesTM  as game pieces--which he loves! Plus, I colored the spaces to make the path easier for him to see. We'll be using the game a lot this summer! 

Teaching Tip

Stacy says that this game is "great for centers, small group, or for 2-player games." You can even use the cards to play different games. You could make 2 copies of the words for a matching game. I plan to put 5-8 on the table and ask my son to find certain words. Since recognition is easier than recall, I think this version of the game will help him to notice differences in the words AND increase his confidence in reading. Personally, I LOVE to send games like this home in ZiplocTM bags for some fun reading practice with family members.

Just click on the picture below to grab a copy for your student(s)! 

 Happy teaching!

10 End-of-the-Year FREEBIES for Kindergarten

1. Roll, Count and Add! from KookyKinders

This freebie is an easy math center to put together. Just print, laminate, and add dice and shells! 

2. Sight Word Pocket Locket from KFUNdamentals

Kindergarteners LOVE something they can wear! This set allows them to make and wear something fun AND also practice important sight words. Your littles will enjoy wearing these home to read the words to friends and family.

3. Non-Fiction Emergent Reader: Clown Fish from Jennifer Drake

This foldable emergent reader would be perfect to use with an end-of-the-year beach theme!

4. Summer Data Collection: Graphing and Tallying from Primary Inspiration

This is a set of 7 data collecting and recording activities just right for kindergarten, first, and second. They can be done as a whole group or small group activity. The summer theme makes this set perfect for use at the end of the year! 

5. End-of-the-Year Word Search from Adventures in Teaching

My son will love this one! Your littles will enjoy it, too! A few of the summer-themed words are tough, but a nice challenge for students heading into first grade!

6. Summer Reading Response from Kim's Creations

This set has 3 reading response pages. All three have a few lines for writing and some space for drawings. 

7. Summer Math and Literacy from Teacher Tam

In this set, you'll find 10 pages of summer-themed math and literacy activities. There's an emergent reader, a writing page, a bump game, and more! 

8. Spring/Summer No Prep Printables for Kinder Kids from Teaching Treks

This set has some cute summer words for your word wall. It also has 4 pages of math and literacy printables.

9. Summer Printables from Mrs. Jones' Creation Station

You'll get 4 pages of language arts activities with a fun, summer theme! 

10. May Morning Work for Kindergarten from Sherry Clements

Need a little review? Look no further! This set has 4 pages of math and language arts review pages prepared especially for your kinders! 

Thank you so much for taking a look at this wonderful set of year-end kindergarten resources! I hope you found one or more that you can use in your classroom. As you download the resources, please take a few moments to leave feedback for the teachers. Your feedback is always appreciated! 

11 FREE Kindergarten Literacy Centers for Winter!

One of my past posts listed 11 free kindergarten math centers for winter (CLICK HERE to visit that post). This is the companion post to the winter math centers post, an attempt to help make your teacher life easier! This way, you don't have to weed through all the freebies, just click on the link, download, print and prepare! Take a look at the 11 literacy centers I chose to include:

1) Winter Sight Word Phrases from Primary Inspiration

This set has 19 phrase cards to help students develop their reading fluency. It also includes 2 follow-up activities. What a great way to practice reading! 

2) Winter Word Recognition from Learning With Mrs. Leeby

This free literacy activity has both winter- and Christmas-themed words for students to match and write. The pictures make this an appealing center!

3) Fry Phrases Melted Snowman Game from An Adventure in Literacy

Here's a sight word fluency game played like "Bang!" It has 60 phrase cards using the first 100 Fry words. This game is sure to become a quick center favorite! 

4) Snowman Families Freebie for Kindergarten from Kindergarten Rocks

This is a great hands-on center that focuses on word families. A cute recording sheet is included. Your students will love the adorable graphics! 

5) Blizzard of Words CVC Game from One Sharp Bunch

I love using games with my students! They are fun, engaging, AND educational! This CVC game is sure to become another student favorite. 

6) Winter Writing Center from Kindergarten Princess

This center activity comes with a very nice page of winter words and 3 different recording sheets. It will be easy to set up and a great way to practice writing!

7) Winter Beginning, Middle, and Ending Sounds Center Cards by Jennifer Drake

With this center, students will practice clipping beginning, middle, or ending sounds. What a cute way to practice! 

8) Winter Syllable Center Cards, also from Jennifer Drake

Are you working on syllables? If so, here's an adorable, winter-themed way to practice! 

9) How to Build a Snowman from Kooky Kinders

This writing page is sure to be popular with your Olaf fans! You can use it in centers or as a whole group activity. 

10) Penguin Write the Room by Kelly and Kim's Kreations 

What literacy center would be complete without a "write the room" activity? Just print and laminate these sheets for a quick and easy writing center. 

11) Snowman Stuff Math & Literacy Freebie from ME! 

Here's one of my winter-themed freebies, too. This one has literacy & math. One of the games combines addition and reading sentences. This set also has an emergent reader. 

I hope this list helps you add some new, engaging literacy centers to your room. I hope your students enjoy them! 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Word Work Pack for Kindergarten and First Grade--And a FREEBIE!

Click on the picture above to see this set on Teacher's Notebook.

CLICK HERE to see it on Teachers Pay Teachers. 

The cover of one of my favorite resources recently got a makeover!  The materials in this set are very useful, but the look was a little outdated.  Of course, I have been using this set for quite a while, so I suppose it was just time for a small change.  

This Word Work set is perfect for:

* Making, reading, and writing word families

* Practicing 18 blends and digraphs

* Filling in simple sight word sentences

* Beginning word searches focusing on sight words

The best part is that most of the pages can be completed AND cut apart to make books!  These are great for reading and rereading word families!  Students can read at school and then take the books home to read again.  Several more word family pages and word searches come with colorful graphics.  These can be laminated for use in literacy centers.  

The picture above was taken from a similar, FREE set I made to accompany the Word Work Pack.  It has 10 pages of similar activities, also focusing on sight words and word families.  Click on the picture below to download a set!  

Click on the picture above to download this FREEBIE from Teacher's Notebook.

CLICK HERE to download it from Teachers Pay Teachers.  

I hope your students enjoy the FREEBIE!  

Back to School Sight Word Books and a FREEBIE!

Click on the picture to see it on Teacher's Notebook.
Click HERE to see it in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

I am just thrilled to be revising my old (yet very useful) sets of sight word books.  So happy that I had to add a new set, too!  So take a look at my Sight Words for Back to School (Paste, Trace, & Write), just click on the picture above.  

I like this set because . . .

1.  Students glue, trace, and write each sight word 3 or 4 times.

2.  The text is repetitive.

3.  Unfamiliar words come with an adorable picture clue!  

4.  These are great to add to student reading folders, for guided reading, to send home, or as literacy center activities.  

5.  In addition to reading, students can practice gluing AND fine motor skills!  

6.  The books also offer a little bit of handwriting practice.  

DOWNLOAD ONE FREE BOOK BY CLICKING ON THE PICTURE BELOW!

Click on the picture to grab it from my Teacher's Notebook shop.
CLICK HERE to get it from Teachers Pay Teachers.  

Thanks for reading!  I hope your students enjoy the FREEBIE!  

A FREEBIE and "Silly Bear's Sight Word Addition Games"

My latest product is finished!
"Silly Bear's Sight Word Addition Game" combines addition practice with sight word reading.  The different versions contain nearly all the Dolch sight words and are appropriate for use in grades pre-k to third.  Click on the caption below the picture to take a look:

Click here to check out my latest product

Take a look at the similar FREEBIE that goes with it.  Click on the caption below the 1st picture.  Please take a few moments to add it (and/or my store) to your Teacher's Notebook favorites  :)

Click here to download this reading & math freebie

Thanks for reading!
Teacher Tam

Five Days to Get This Freebie!!!

Set #1 of my Printable Books for Beginning Readers is FREE thru Wednesday, August 31st!!!!
This set includes the following books, listed with word families covered and sight words:


"I Am" -am, -en am, and, I, the
"Tam" -am,-at has, in, is, see
"Zig" -ig did, in, yes, ?
"Jen" -en, -al do, dog, gal, pal, you
"Ben" -et at, look
"Pop" -op can, lot, not
"Ben and Pup" -up, -ug go, hill, pit, up
"Tam Runs" -ap, -un done, for, had, of, one, two, was
"Did You See That?" Sight words did,see,one,big, little, you, that, it, is
"Tam and the Frog" -og barks, jump, off, on, pond, saw, this

Click on the beginning reader page above to go to my TPT page to get your freebie!

Click here to see Printable Readers Set #2
                      and
Click here to see Printable Readers Set #3

Thanks for reading!
Teacher Tam