Christmas Syllable Counting FREEBIE

Syllable counting... the rhythm of words.  This foundational skill is essential for little learners because it helps them to accurately chunk words for decoding and segment words for spelling.  It is an important part of phonological awareness which  kiddos NEED before learning to read.

I like to describe syllabication by saying, "syllables are the number of parts a word breaks into when you say it.  All words have syllables.  Some words have just one, others have two or three or even more!"  And then, WE PRACTICE!!!

  

Kiddos need lots of time to practice and this Christmas syllable sorting activity is a fun way to practice counting syllables in words during December.  Set it up on an anchor chart and do it whole class then add it to a center with the follow up sheet for additional practice.  You can have students clap out the syllables, tap them with sticks, or do the good ol' jaw drop method.

You can grab this FREEBIE by clicking on the image below.  Happy Teaching!

Book Talk Tuesday: Christmas Read Aloud

Brrr... it is frosty out today!  How is your weather?  I'm sure there are many of you with snow so I won't complain. Ha-Ha  Today I'm here for Book Talk Tuesday which is a linky hosted by the awesome Deanna Jump.  Now I'm not sure if this linky is still going or if it's on holiday break because I haven't seen a book talk post in a few weeks, but I know I love finding out about books from all of you so I thought I'd continue sharing anyway.

My book for today is Merry Christmas Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood.

When I was little one of my absolute favorite stories was The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear so when I saw this holiday sequel my heart literally jumped for joy!  Seriously, it was like I was a kid in a candy shop.  Now I think I'm late to the party as this book has been around for sometime, but I am so excited that I stumbled upon it.

It's Christmas and little mouse is ready to enjoy the holiday with lots of gifts when he is informed that big, hungry bear loves presents.  Alarmed he begins to secure his gifts in hopes of keeping them safe. As he finishes locking everything up he is sad to learn that big, hungry bear never gets any presents.  With a change of heart and brave spirit, little mouse decides to go to the cold, dark cave and share his gifts with the big, hungry bear.  So, what happens when little mouse arrives?  Does the big, hungry bear gobble him up or is little mouse in for a pleasant surprise?  I guess you'll just have to read this story to find out!

This stories simple wording and brightly painted pictures make it the perfect little read aloud for the season.  What are some of your favorite holiday read alouds?

December Pick 3!

Hey All!  December is in full swing and I couldn't be more happy.  I love December not only because it's my birth month, but also because it's filled with lovely holiday cheer!  Anywhere I look I can spot Christmas goodies from coffees, sweaters, sweets, and decor!  

Plus today is December 3rd and I stumbled upon the greatest little linky called Pick 3! Pick 3 is a monthly Pinterest inspired linky party hosted by PAWSitively Teaching and Inspired Owl's Corner.  I am kind of Pinterest obsessed, like so many others, so I just knew that this linky was perfect for me and what a perfect month to start since I know I have A TON of December Pins I LOVE! So here are my 3 December Classroom Finds...

Do you read the Polar Express with your kiddos?  If so I absolutely love the idea of having a Polar Express Day and this table decor would be perfect!  I really like how simple yet adorable this is!

Click Picture to see Original Pin

I have always had a center that included play dough so why not spice up the month with gingerbread play dough!

Click Picture to see Original Pin

And I'd definitely be doing some of these crafts.  Be sure to click on the photo to see the original pin and then go check out the awesome activities by Lyndsey from a Year of Many Firsts.

Click Picture to see Original Pin

Now hop on over to PAWSitively Teaching or Inspired Owl's Corner to see more fabulous pins or to link up yourself!