Devoted To Vocabulary Development |

"The limits of my language are the limits of my mind. All I know is what I have words for."

~ Ludwig Wittgenstein

World of Words Wednesdays

Posted by annfausnight on Jun 22, 2016 in Uncategorized, vocabulary, vocabulary development | 0 comments

Each Wednesday I plan to present words in English that come from other languages. I find this to be interesting and I am hoping to make it interesting for students in grades 3 – 5. It is really cool how our language incorporates words from other languages!

First up some plant and animal names that come from Native American Algonquian words.

caribou which means “snow shoveler”

muskrat which means “bob (at the surface of the water) head”

opossum which means “white dog”

pecan which means “nut”

persimmon which means “fruit, berry”

skunk which means “to urinate” + “fox”

woodchuck comes from reshaped words meaning “wood” and “chuck”

caribou

Each week I will include a vocabulary card that can be used in your classroom. Sets of cards may be found in my Teacher Pay Teachers store.

Ann

Alphabet Posters Giveaway

Posted by annfausnight on Jun 16, 2016 in Uncategorized | 4 comments

I am working on some awesome lessons for teaching manuscript printing and cursive this summer. I think it is something many, many teachers and homeschooling parents will be able to use and love. While I am working to create these amazing products I have needed to acquire some new skills. I may not be able to begin producing my big products for a few weeks, but I want to get you all excited about using great manuscript and cursive in your classrooms!

I have created some manuscript (printing) alphabet posters. I will be giving several sets of these away for FREE!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

These posters are available in 13 colors or in the rainbow pattern of all thirteen colors. They are available without lines, with lines, and with arrows showing how to form the letters. N-Z repeat the colors of A-M if you choose the rainbow pattern of colors. The vowels come with a short vowel card and a long vowel card. I currently have them in black the same as the consonants, but I would change them on request. I created the background for these cards. The fonts are by Fonts4Teachers. The pictures are from Pixabay. They will be available in my TeachersPayTeachers store for $3.00 for the rainbow set (in each of the three formats) and $4.00 for a custom set. Please share this post with any teacher or homeschooling parent who might be interested in having these posters!

Fun Free Father’s Day Craft

Posted by annfausnight on Jun 11, 2016 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

Every June we used to make these in my classroom. The kids loved creating crazy designs for the ties! It was so fun to see what they would come up with. Using real buttons or cutting fabric into a tie shape adds another level of fun to the project! You can find free patterns on TPT here.

Flag Day Thoughts

Posted by annfausnight on Jun 10, 2016 in Uncategorized | 1 comment

I love the United States and I want to visit all of it. I wonder sometimes if I should be yearning to see Europe, Africa or Australia. But I never feel that way. I haven’t seen enough of this country. My recent trip to Alaska reinforces in me the desire to see the beauty of my own country. There is so much I still need to see.

I stand at attention with my hand on my heart each day in my classroom and demand either a unison response or a respectful silence from my students. When necessary I remind them of the sacrifices given for our flag and country, and those currently being given.

Here are some pages to use with your students or children. They include a copy of the Pledge of Allegiance and some pages to learn and understand its vocabulary.

Pledge pages

With these feelings in mind, I created a Flag Day Scavenger Hunt. It is available on TPT here.

Win a TPT Gift Card!

Posted by annfausnight on May 2, 2016 in Uncategorized | 1 comment

TPT is having its Teacher Appreciation Sale on May 3 and 4 and I appreciate you! I will have 3 winners of $10.oo TPT gift cards. You may enter on Tuesday and again on Wednesday. I will post the winners on Thursday AM. Please come back on Thursday because I will need the emails of the winners!!

Ann

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tic Tac Toe!

Posted by annfausnight on Feb 28, 2016 in antonyms, synonyms | 0 comments

I’ve been creating a new type of game based on a very old game. It is really a fun concept. Students complete nine little activities in a # shape to discover which row, line, or diagonal contains the Tic Tac Toe. I have made many of these for math. Here is a sample:

Find the Tic Tac Toe Sample Math

These are available in sets of five (for 10 total games) for $1.50. Check them out here:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Ann-Fausnight/Category/Find-the-Tic-Tac-Toe

I have begun creating a some for language arts also. I have antonyms and synonyms as well as homophones completed. Here is a sample:

Find the Tic Tac Toe Language Arts Sample

I am working on a set for facts and opinion. Can you suggests other language arts topics that would work with this format? I would love to hear your ideas.

Ann

The Vocabulary of QR Codes

Posted by annfausnight on Jul 26, 2015 in Freebies, Uncategorized, vocabulary | 0 comments

Let’s be honest. The school “gave” me an iPad 2 years ago. I’ve been carrying it around, using it to check email and Facebook. Some of the time the “cha-ching” of a sales works on TpT. In other words, I haven’t used it well. I did make a few products last year that used QR codes. My kids got to use the iPad a tiny bit for that, but I never really explored the cool ways QR codes could be used beyond self checking.

Here’s my vocabulary of QR codes.

A Quick Response code is a 2 dimensional code is can be scanned without the beam of light need for a barcode scanner.

A QR code when scanned links to websites, videos, images, and information.

A QR generator creates QR codes. There are many QR code generators available for free. Try goqr.me.

A QR reader is a special camera that captures the symbol to read it. There are many free apps easily available.

Data pixels or QR code modules are the name for the black and white dots that make up the code.

“Qurifying“is creating your own QR codes. With them you can make whatever you want more interactive.

Here are some great ideas:

1. On a worksheet QR codes can provide answers for self checking, additional information to enhance understanding, and lead students to a “sponge activity” for early finishers. Here’s an example.