I have always been the biggest fan of using what I have to make learning fun. Several years ago I started turning worksheets into centers because hands-on learning gets me the engagement and mastery I’m hoping for.
This is the easiest way to make centers with things you already have!
Let me show you how I took one of my turkey worksheets and made it a fun sensory bin letter matching activity!
1. I made a few extra copies of the worksheet on colorful cardstock. I picked yellow, orange, and red for fall colors.
2. Cut out the items from the colorful pages. Leave the original page for a matching mat.
3. Add to a fun sensory bin! I like to use simple reusable sensory bin materials that are not messy. Fabric decor leaves work great for Fall!
Now, you have a matching game with fun colors and materials that keeps kids more engaged and giving them more practice than just a worksheet. You can even give them the worksheet as a closing activity to use what they practiced in the center.
I left the instructions on this worksheet so you can see how this page was intended to be used. I turned it into a numbers matching. You could even color the correct number of feathers on each of the pieces you cut out to add that counting skill in there.
I hope this gives you an easy idea to try in your own classroom!
In addition to the many resources I provide for K-8 teachers, I have been adding some pretty neat preschool curriculum items to my collection.
Kiddos have a lot to learn in the early childhood years, and we as parents and teachers play a huge role in their development. I am currently developing 3 year old and 4 year old pre-k curriculum sets that will help preschool teachers and parents get their kiddos prepped for kinder. This preschool program will have many components that help children learn through play and exploration. I focus on character development, social skills, motor skills, math, reading, and more!
My preschool curriculum is a multidimensional approach to learning that effectively prepares students and their families for Kindergarten. My programs are custom developed using the most up-to-date educational approaches to meet the spiritual, intellectual, social, emotional, and physical needs of preschool aged children. This purposeful play based preschool program has a math and literacy-rich academic curriculum that is enhanced with hands-on learning in a small group setting. Specialized activities are included that incorporate movement, as well as monthly Mad Science days to build each student’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) skills. I believe that children should be taught in a variety of ways to reach every learner at their own level while being loved on by their teachers. I also believe play is a major factor in child development, and encourage free play as well playing with a purpose. My preschool programs are a great academic foundation for teachers, parents, and preschools.
I have a curriculum bundle for three year olds that has been super successful in my classroom and in my school. This is a collection of everything I use to teach math and literacy to three year olds. Lesson plans, printables, minilessons, and centers are included in this bundle of resources.
I also have a full year bundle for four year olds and I just added my 4 year old literacy program AND my 4 year old math program. This already includes a full year of lesson plans and printables for learning numbers and letters, plus theme activites. A leveled reading program is in the process of being added with the level AA currently included!
Learn Through Play Prek - Play Based Preschool 