Dollar Tree Find #6 {of 7} - Don't BUG Out in Your Small Group!

Well, someone's been naughty busy and forgot to continue my Dollar Tree posts!  I am SO sorry ... maybe I will have to add a few more "bonus" posts to make up for it. ;)

Well, this next post will make literacy or math Teacher Table time a BUGGY good time!  Here is what I picked up at Dollar Tree:

Packs of Bugs {8 per bag}

Bug Explorer Kits

Safari Hats

**Safari Vests Can Also Be Picked Up There 

{just thought of this ... DOH!}

So ... I made a little sheet for this game called, "Don't BUG Out!"  It's a basic table with 8 spots for whatever skill you would like to focus on... I focused on reading, but I think next time it will be math {subtraction for Violet & number recognition for Mal}. It could be laminated and individualized for each child or group level. {DID YOU NOTICE MY MISTAKE??}

HOW TO PLAY THE GAME:

Players take turns using their tweezers or insect net to select a bug from their mat.  

They have to read or solve what is hiding under their bug.  

If they can read/solve etc... it, then they keep it in their bug box.

If they miss it, they recover the skill & can't come back to it for 2 turns {unless, of course, it is the last one they have to solve.

The first person to clear their board first, WINS!

Getting Started!

WHOOPSIE ... Got One Wrong. All part of learning! 

**BONUS** ... If they are talented enough to grab 2 bugs with one pinch of the tweezers {believe me, it's not easy!} they have a chance to keep both bugs if they can answer both spaces.

 Bugs are YUMMY too??!!

YAHOO ... We had a BLAST!!

I have a question?????? 

WHAT SKILL WOULD YOU FOCUS ON FOR THIS GAME??

Dollar Tree Find #5 {of 7} - A Goodie For Individualization!

Don't you just love finding something that helps with individualizing for the Smart Tarts in you class?  I was really excited to find these plastic protected index cards already on a metal ring with an elastic closure strap! Each pack has 50 cards inside, but the ring can be opened so you could even add more!

Imagine all of the possibilities ... each child could have there own for math +/or literacy.  There could be letters, sight words, math facts, vocabulary with picture, colors, shapes, and whatever else your heart can think of!  All of this will be PERSONAL TO THEM!  JUST THEM! How cool is that?!

These would also be great for "Early Finishers," and you could just hang them on a hook in your classroom for kids to use to practice many different skills.  They could even be LEVELED BY COLOR!  My goodness my mind is RACIIIIIINNNNNGGGG!  

I grabbed some Dollar Tree bingo dotters, DT markers, my personal Smart Tarts & camera for the next shots.  Here's what we did: **Each child's pack had their own name on it. **I wrote 3rd grade words in Violet's ring and letters in Mal's. **Then they reviewed the word or letter with me and if the knew it, I bingo dotted that card's corner {I WOULD RECOMMEND STICKERS OR STAMPS}.  **If they didn't know it, I left it as is.  That way I can see at a glance which ones they need more help with.  

My little stinker, Violet, knew them all, so I should have picked harder ones!!  

 These next couple of pictures inspired a future post when Mallon told me, "Hey Mama!  It looks like "hay yer" {hair}!!" 

Be on the look out!

See ... it DOES look like "hay yer!"

 Can you guess what letter he is saying?!

 See how you can tell which ones they know at a glance. LOVE IT!

Well, there ya have it... my fifth post.  If you can believe it, I still have more in me! :)  

See you tomorrow...