Free Download: Penguin Matching Center

Download HERE

Use this template to creat a matching center of your desire. Simply cut out an extra set of fish and have the children place them over the grey fish outline. We are using it to match number words with their numeral counterpart. You could use it for anything you wish, alphabet recognition, sight words, etc.

Free Download: "Way Up High In the Christmas Tree!"

Way up high on the Christmas tree,

____ little candy canes winked at me.

So I shook that tree as hard as I could

Down came a candy cane,

Mmm it was good!

All of the candy canes on the tree are attached using velcro. When you start ask your students to help count how many candy canes are on the tree, then write (or have a student write) the number on the blank line. Each time you sing the song, remove one candy cane and recount how many are left on the tree. Continue singing until you wind up at zero! For a free download of the candy canes click here.

Free Download! - Gingerbread Man Puppet

I made gingerbread puppets this weekend and although it isn't even Thanksgiving, I just couldn't wait to post them! You can download them here. If you do download the puppets please feel free to leave me a comment!

Directions:

-Download the puppets
-Cut out and laminate
-Tape popsicle sticks to the back
-Have Fun!

A Song to Sing with your Puppets

(To the tune of Frere Jacques)

Gingerbread, gingerbread,
Yum, yum, yum, Yum, yum, yum.
I like gingerbread, I like gingerbread,
In my tum, In my tum.



Free Download: Music: Ted the Turkey

Here's another Thanksgiving song about turkeys. Each child holds a TURKEY PUPPET and points to the different body parts (head and feathers) on their puppet as they sing along. Not all of my studnts are able to sing along, so the puppets provide a fun way for them to still interact and participate. The "gobble gobble" sounds are also really enjoyable for students who are still learning to communicate.

Ted the Turkey

(Sung To: I'm A Little Teapot)

I'm a little turkey, my name is Ted.
Here are my feathers, here is my head.
Gobble, gobble, gobble, is what I say
Gobble, gobble, gobble, It's thanksgiving Day!

The turkey puppets are available here. Simply print out as many as you need, cut them out, lamenate them, and tape them to a popsicle stick. You make wish to write the word TURKEY or TED on the puppet to further increase exposure to litearcy.

I make one per student, and one per adult. Usually a total of 12). Its important for the adults to sing along and participate, as they serve as great models to the students.

Free Download: Music: Did You Ever See a Turkey?

Our main song for our Thanksgiving theme is titled, "Did You Ever See a Turkey" and is sung to the tune of "Did You Ever See a Lassie".

Did You Ever See a Turkey

Did you ever see a turkey, a turkey, a turkey
Did you ever see a turkey with feathers so bright?

With red ones and brown ones and yellow ones and orange ones,
Did you ever see a turkey with feathers so bright?

I make a poster for each of the main theme songs we learn. The posters help to serve as a visual or focal point for students who may otherwise be uninterested. Posting the words also promotes early literacy. This poster has a picture of a cartoon turkey that can be downloaded here. I cut out 2 sets of feathers in each of the colors mentioned in the song ( red orange brown yellow). As we sing the song a child can match the loose feathers to the feathers on the turkey.