The Connett Connection

If you are a primary or preschool teacher and you haven't heard of the mini eraser craze, then let me introduce it to you!  These small, thematic and fun shaped erasers have a variety of uses to any classroom and help keep things diverse and fun for students. Patterning One of the uses of erasers is for learning patterns.  Students can use the different shapes to make any kind of pattern you are teaching. Counters One of the most popular uses of erasers is as counters.  Students can use the different shapes to make count as high as you have erasers. They can use counting cards like pictured above to add the correct number of erasers to the tens frames. (These cards can be found here:  Counting Cards ) They can count the correct number of erasers and add them in a group or line to represent the numbers. (This picture is a freebie and can be found here: Number Train ) They can be used as counters to add and subtract. (The mats and cards can be ...

So you have been saving those tops from applesauce or baby food pouches, because, lets face it, you are a teacher and you do not throw ANYTHING away if it MIGHT be useful... right?  So now you have a little collection started and you are wondering, "What in the world can I do with all these colorful pouch tops?!"  This post strives to give you several fun and engaging ideas to use these tops in your classroom. Counters These pouch tops make excellent counters for math, especially when learning to count or recognize numbers 1-20.  ( Counting Mats 1-10 and Counting Mats 11-20 ) Patterns Create patterns or use pattern cards to complete patterns with these pouch tops!  You can get a set of pattern cards for FREE here ---> Pouch Top Printables Building A Pyramid Build A Tower Color Sorting Give students different colored tops and have them sort the tops according to color.  You can let them group the tops on their own or give the...

A new product series has been started in my shop and it involves the alphabet!  In getting ready for my son to learn his alphabet next year I have begun making these alphabet packets.  With these packets, you can incorporate letters across your entire curriculum from math to writing to reading to art!  Practice fine motor skills and recognition skills with these letter packets!  When all of the packets are finished, then they will be bundled together to make a whole alphabet curriculum! One thing my daughter loved and I am hoping my son does too are puzzles.  This packet contains 3 types of puzzles!  There are puzzles in each packet where students are expected to match the object to its beginning sound. Another set of puzzles are designed to introduce the idea of spelling words that start with the desired letter.  Each letter has its own puzzle piece and students put the puzzles together by spelling the word.  Since the picture of the wo...

I had these finished before we left on vacation but just did not have time to get them up in my shop.  Between packing and taking care of three kids, it just did not happen. Well, now that we are home, I got them all spruced up and got them posted! Above is an example of one of the clip strip sheets for addition.  Simply print out on card stock and laminate for durability.  Then use a sharpy to label numbers 1-10 on clothes pins (you will need 2 sets of clothes pins per set of 16 cards). Students will clip the clothes pin with the correct sum on top of the problem (see below). The number clip strips are for numbers 1-10.  One set of these clip strips include matching the numbers to themselves in number form and the other set of strips show the numbers as dice, tally marks, base ten blocks and ten frames. The addition clip strips are available in color and in black and white! To get your copy of the addition clip strips, click HERE ! To get your cop...

So today started out like any other.  I got up, changed the baby, fed the baby and laid him on his play mat.  I then got breakfast for the older two, chocolate chip waffles, their favorite breakfast in the world.  I then opened the curtain on the back window then reached for my vacuum which has been camped out by that particular window for a few days now and proceeded to vacuum up the 10 or so flies that had congregated there during the night. You see, the last few days we have been battling a fly infestation.  Until this morning, I had no idea where Ms. Momma Fly laid all her eggs as I hadn't seen any of her babies crawling around anywhere.  Well, after getting the kids breakfast I look over at the kitchen and thought, I really need to sweep!  But then also had a thought, I just swept yesterday and we haven't eaten in there since!  Well, I got up to sweep up what ever crumbs some magic crumb fairy had left there only to discover it was all maggots.....