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How To Go From Phonics To Reading With 20 CVC Wheels

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Helping a child to transition from phonics to reading is a natural flow for a budding reader. Also, look at my page Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum for more fun ideas and activities.

First, you teach a child letter sounds not necessarily letter names.

A strong foundation in phonics can be taught through natural conversations, games, hand play, music and storytelling.

How To Go From Phonics To Reading With 20 CVC Wheels

Too, it’s not necessary that a child masters all the sounds as he will continue to learn them and reinforce them with the use of a CVC wheel.

Next children need to put sounds together to form words. That is how we learn to read.

Sure, teaching sounds in isolation is important but then again children are smart and want a reason to use them.

Learning CVC words is the next step. Consonant-vowel-consonant words gives your budding reader immediate satisfaction. They are now seeing how the sounds come together to form words.

EASY BOOKS FOR BEGINNER READERS

Also, strengthen their reading skill level by these beginning books.

12 Books For Beginner Readers

Also, look at how rhyming and learning cvc words form a strong foundation for reading.

HOW TO STRENGTHEN CVC SKILLS BY RHYMING

For instance, rhyming is not just a fun child’s game. When a child rhymes he can hear shared sounds.

And recognizing those sounds helps a child to learn to group word families together.

Blending is what a child does when he puts the letters sounds he learned together.

And when a child learns one rhyming pattern he increases his vocabulary with more similar words

Hands on is the best way to teach reading.

HOW TO USE CVC WHEELS TO TEACH READING

For example, one of the tools I love to use are cvc wheels.

It takes just a few minutes to put therm together.

But once they’re together and fastened a child can read and review the cvc words repeatedly.

How To Go From Phonics To Reading With 20 CVC Wheels

And once you put the cvc word wheels together you can use them for your next reader.

Using the cvc wheels in conjunction with a reader nurtures your child’s desire to read.

MORE READING ACTIVITIES

How To Go From Phonics To Reading With 20 CVC Wheels

Additionally, look at the word wheels included in this .pdf download.

  • -at family
  • -ab family
  • -ag family
  • -am family
  • –an family
  • -ap family
  • -ar family
  • -ed family
  • -en family
  • -ig family
  • -in family
  • -ip family
  • -ot family
  • –ob family
  • -og family
  • -op family
  • –it family
  • -ug family
  • -un family
  • -ut family

HOW TO GET THE 20 CVC WORD WHEELS

You can get it now!

TOS
Important: READ THIS FIRST.

Before you email me asking where your download link is or tell me that it is not working, read this to ensure that you get your pretties timely and that you don’t pay for something and not get it.
• All my products are digital. You will not receive a physical product for anything in my store. A digital physical year calendar does not mean a physical product or calendar.
• Downloads are INSTANT. When you pay, you will receive an email with a download link INSTANTLY. Depending on your internet connection, the email could be just 30 seconds or so, or a bit longer. The point is it will be soon, not a week later,etc.
• The email with the download link will go to the email you used for paypal. If you used your husband’s paypal, your downloads will go to that email. Please check that email and your spam before emailing me telling me you can’t find it.
• Please put my email tina @ tinasdynamichomeschoolplus dot com (of course substitute the right symbol for dot) in your address/contact list so that your product does not go to spam.

Amazon Toucan Study Guide for Kids Who Love Animals

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have an Amazon toucan study guide. Also, look at my pages Rain Forest – Animals of the Amazon, Rain Forest – Amazon, and Rainforest Activities for Kids for more ideas.

My study guides are the best bite size chunks of information for various topics.

You’ll want to use books alongside the guide to learn about birds and the Amazon toucans.

Amazon Toucan Study Guide for Kids Who Love Animals at Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

But one of the best things about my toucan study guide is that important information is highlighted.

Not all kids like the dense amount of information on topics found in books.

So use the study guides alone or as part of a deeper dive into the world of toucans.

BOOKS ABOUT TOUCANS FOR KIDS

First, look at some of these books about toucans.

8 Books about Toucans

Add some of these books about these fascinating birds to your home library.

Next look at these topical study guides.

MORE STUDY GUIDES FOR KIDS

And then look at these hands-on activities to include for studying about toucans.

Amazon Toucan Study Guide for Kids Who Love Animals

Then, look at what’s inside the toucan study guide.

ABOUT THE AMAZON TOUCAN STUDY GUIDE

This printable is a 31 page pdf. Look at some of the topics

  • What are toucans
  • Toucan species
  • Anatomy of a toucan
  • Toucan life cycle
  • Habitat and environment
  • Diet and feeding habits
  • Communication and behavior
  • Role in the Rainforest ecosystem
  • Conservation and threats
  • Toucan food activity
  • Anatomy of a toucan activity
  • Life cycle activity
  • Name the toucan activity
  • Quiz time activity
  • Fill in the blanks activity
  • True or false activity
Amazon Toucan Study Guide for Kids Who Love Animals

HOW TO GET THE TOUCAN PRINTABLE INFORMATION PACKET

You can get it now!

TOS
Important: READ THIS FIRST.
Before you email me asking where your download link is or tell me that it is not working, read this to ensure that you get your pretties timely and that you don’t pay for something and not get it.
• All my products are digital. You will not receive a physical product for anything in my store. A digital physical year calendar does not mean a physical product or calendar.
• Downloads are INSTANT. When you pay, you will receive an email with a download link INSTANTLY. Depending on your internet connection, the email could be just 30 seconds or so, or a bit longer. The point is it will be soon, not a week later,etc.
• The email with the download link will go to the email you used for paypal. If you used your husband’s paypal, your downloads will go to that email. Please check that email and your spam before emailing me telling me you can’t find it.
• Please put my email tina @ tinasdynamichomeschoolplus dot com (of course substitute the right symbol for dot) in your address/contact list so that your product does not go to spam.

How to Make an Easy Build a Snowman Kid’s Game (free printable cube)

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a build a snowman free printable game. Also, look at my pages Winter Season Unit Study Free Lapbook & Hands-On Ideas. 

Whether you’re looking for a fun activity to do indoors to keep you the kids from going stir crazy or looking for an easy activity to go with a winter unit study, you’ll love this build a snowman kid’s game.

How to Make an Easy Build a Snowman Kid's Game (free printable cube)

Also, reading aloud while your kids play is a great way to add in some facts about winter.

For example, we love living books.

When possible, we prefer to read them over how to books.

And for this theme of snowman, you’ll want to add a few story books.

BOOKS ABOUT WINTER FOR KIDS

13 Snow, Snowman, Animals, and Winter Books

Add one or more of these books to your learning day if you're learning about snow, snowflakes, winter or just for fun.

Next, look at ways to play the snowman game.

BUILD A SNOWMAN GAME PLAYING IDEAS

This game can actually be done many different ways depending on the ages of your kids.

Look at these suggestions below on how to do this latest fun activity I have for you.

  • Roll the cube, and have an older child cut out cardboard and draw, color or paint each piece as he builds the snowman.
  • Roll the cube, and have a younger child cut out card stock and draw, color or paint each piece as he builds the snowman.
  • Print two pictures of the cube or die on card stock. Have your child cut out the pictures on one cube and glue the pictures on cardboard or paper. Use another cube for game playing.
  • To teach a preschooler shapes, make the snowman parts different shapes. Octagon for the body, circles for the buttons and cone for the nose will have him practicing geometry skills.
  • Of course, you can just have the child color the picture as he rolls that part of the snowman on the cube.
  • Another easy tip is to cut out the snowman on the download below and put him back together as your child rolls the cube.
Grab this FUN and FREE How to Make an Easy Build a Snowman Kid's Game (with free printable cube). It’s a great activity for a winter unit study to keep the kids busy.

Next look at more snowman fun.

MORE SNOWMAN ACTIVITIES

Snowman Kid’s Game

Although a game like this is fun, it also teaches many skills. 

Preschoolers strengthen fine motor skills by both coloring and cutting.

In addition, you can expand this game by writing down words that correspond to the pictures on the cube.

And children learn to take turns as they play together.

Another way to make this game fun for your artsy kids is to have them roll the cube and draw their own parts for the snowman and build it as they go along. 

Designing their own snowman builds creativity and strengthens the imagination.

A game like building a snowman is also a fun activity to do with a group of kids in a homeschool co-op.

Each kid can design their own snowman and learn to play together.

One more idea is to have your children work together to build a giant snowman on butcher block paper.

Collaboration is a skill that a child uses on to high school.

HOW TO GET THE FREE SNOWMAN PRINTABLE PAGE AND CUBE

Now, how to grab the freebie. It’s a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get my emails in your inbox and you get this freebie.

1) CLICK HERE ON THIS LINK TO SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST & TO GET THIS FREEBIE.

2) Grab the freebie now.

3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

What ideas do you have for building a snowman?

Grab this FUN and FREE How to Make an Easy Build a Snowman Kid's Game (with free printable cube). It’s a great activity for a winter unit study to keep the kids busy.

The Wonders of the Great Barrier Reef: An Ecosystem Triorama

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

The great barrier reef is an amazing model for an ecosystem triorama, showing a colorful slice of the underwater ecosystem. Also, look at my pages Trioramas: How To Create Engaging Visual Narratives For Kids for more ideas and Free 4-Week Kid’s Australia Unit Study Who Love Hands-on Learning.

The great barrier reef is considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

So, for this triorama we took a trip to the craft store.

The Wonders of the Great Barrier Reef: An Ecosystem Triorama

What I enjoyed about this method of creating the triorama is that even younger children who can’t write or draw well can still easily make a beautiful reef display.

The Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef system, is swarming with an astounding variety of fish species.

It shows an incredible biodiversity of this underwater ecosystem, each playing their part in keeping it healthy.

Even if you’ve never experienced it up close you can see videos, pictures or books full of the wonders that can be found there.

BOOKS ABOUT THE GREAT BARRIER REEF FOR KIDS

First, look at these books about the great barrier reef to add this hands-on activity today.

5 Great Barrier Reef Books

Add some of these fun books about the Great Barrier Reef to your home library.

Let’s look at some of these fish and the parts they play among the coral.

FISH OF THE GREAT BARRIER REEF ECOSYSTEM

  • Clownfish are instantly recognizable by their bright orange and white stripes. They are small, agile fish that have a symbiotic relationship with anemones, finding protection within their stinging tentacles and, in turn, they help to keep the anemone clean and healthy.
  • Damselfish are known for their vibrant colors and territorial behavior. They play a key role in the reef’s food web, grazing on algae and providing a food source for larger fish.
  • Parrotfish have beak-like mouths and vivid hues, they also play a crucial role in maintaining the reef’s health by grazing on algae and contributing to sand production.
  • Surgeonfish are equipped with sharp spines on their tails, (which resembles a surgeon’s scalpel, hence the name). And they are known for their agility and territorial behavior.
  • Cod and tuna, also prized for their culinary value, can be found in the reef’s waters, attracting both sport fishermen and commercial fishing operations.
  • Butterflyfish, with their delicate patterns and graceful movements, are a delight to observe as they flit among the coral branches. They are specialized feeders, often targeting specific types of coral polyps or invertebrates.
  • Angelfish are adorned with striking colors and distinctive shapes, they definitely add to the visual spectacle of the reef. They are omnivores, feeding on a variety of sponges, algae, and small invertebrates.
  • Snapper and grouper are popular targets of recreational and commercial fishing.  They are important predators that help regulate fish populations, feeding a variety of smaller fish and invertebrates.
The Wonders of the Great Barrier Reef: An Ecosystem Triorama

The reef also provides habitat for a variety of sharks and rays, including the manta ray and the whale shark.

These apex predators are yet another part of maintaining the delicate balance of the reef’s ecosystem.

Also, look at more coral reef activities.

HANDS-ON ECOSYSTEM TRIORAMA CORAL REEF ACTIVITIES

Also, look at these other themed trioramas.

MORE TRIORAMAS

Finally, look at how to make this ecosystem triorama.

THE WONDERS OF THE GREAT BARRIER REEF: AN ECOSYSTEM TRIORAMA

You will need:

The Wonders of the Great Barrier Reef: An Ecosystem Triorama

First, as we do with all our trioramas, we are folding our square paper into a triangle and create a nice crease.

The Wonders of the Great Barrier Reef: An Ecosystem Triorama

Next, unfold and repeat in the opposite direction.

The Wonders of the Great Barrier Reef: An Ecosystem Triorama

Then, cut from one tip to the center of the folds and mark out one side that doesn’t need to be decorated (one on either side of the cut).

The Wonders of the Great Barrier Reef: An Ecosystem Triorama

Before folding and gluing it into a pyramid add letter stickers along one side to Spell out ‘Great Barrier Reef’ along one side.

The Wonders of the Great Barrier Reef: An Ecosystem Triorama

Fold the pyramid and glue the X underneath.

The Wonders of the Great Barrier Reef: An Ecosystem Triorama

Use colorful cardstock to cut out some various types of coral to give your triorama dimension, leaving a little extra space at the bottom.

The Wonders of the Great Barrier Reef: An Ecosystem Triorama

Fold over enough of the bottom so that you can glue it onto the triorama base.

The Wonders of the Great Barrier Reef: An Ecosystem Triorama

Attach with glue, adding them to the front, middle, and back of the base, I like to use a double sided tape dispenser for projects like this.

The Wonders of the Great Barrier Reef: An Ecosystem Triorama

Now begin adding fish, putting some on the background.

Add them coming in and out of the corals and grasses as well.

The Wonders of the Great Barrier Reef: An Ecosystem Triorama

Your child can go crazy adding fish and other sea creatures to show off the brimming with life Great Coral Reef ecosystem.

How to Make A Pyramid Diorama For States Of Matter

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Making a pyramid diorama for the states of matter is a fresh way for your child to show what they have learned about the topic in a fun 3D presentation. Also, look at my page Trioramas: How To Create Engaging Visual Narratives For Kids for more ideas.

Everything around you, from the chair you’re sitting on right to the air that you breathe is made up of matter.

How to Make A Pyramid Diorama For States Of Matter

Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass. Matter exists in different states and can change states.

Let’s dive in and explore the fascinating world of solids, liquids, gases, and plasma.

Understanding the states of matter helps us understand the world around us and how materials behave.

From building strong structures with solid materials to using liquids for transportation and gases for energy, the states of matter play an important role in our everyday lives.

BOOKS ABOUT PHYSICAL SCIENCE TOPICS FOR KIDS

Next, I gathered a few books about physical science.

When possible, we prefer to read living books with our unit studies and to read alongside our experiments.

10 Books About Physical Science

Physical science varies in topic. It can cover states of matter, forces and motion like push and pull, forms of energy like simple circuits, light and sound to earth and space.

Before we move onto the pyramid triorama, look at the different states of matter to get a good understanding of each.

FACTS ABOUT SOLIDS STATES OF MATTER

Solids are all around us, your toys, your books, and even your bones.

They have a definite shape and volume, meaning they don’t change their shape easily and take up a specific amount of space.

Think of a brick; it stays a brick whether you put it in a box or on the ground.

It’s about the tiny particles inside them.

These particles are packed tightly together and can only vibrate in place.

This tight arrangement gives solids their strength and keeps them from flowing like water.

Fun Fact: Some solids, like glass, may seem hard but are very brittle and can shatter easily.

FACTS ABOUT LIQUIDS STATES OF MATTER

They have a definite volume but take the shape of their container.

Think of pouring juice into a glass – the juice takes the shape of the glass but keeps the same amount.

The particles in liquids are close together but not as tightly packed as in solids.

They can move around and slide past each other, allowing liquids to flow and take the shape of their container.

Fun Fact: Water is the most common liquid on Earth and is essential for all life.

FACTS ABOUT GASES: INVISIBLE AIR

Gases are all around us, even though we can’t always see them.

They have no definite shape or volume and expand to fill their container.

Think of blowing up a balloon – the air inside expands to fill the balloon’s shape.

The particles in gases are far apart and move around quickly. They have lots of space to zoom around, which is why gases can be compressed easily and expand to fill any space.

Fun Fact: The air we breathe is a mixture of different gases, mostly nitrogen and oxygen.

PLASMA

Plasma is the fourth state of matter and is not as common as solids, liquids, and gases on Earth.

It’s like a superheated gas where the particles are so energized that they break apart into charged particles.

Plasma is found in stars, lightning, and even some neon signs.

Fun Fact: The Sun is a giant ball of plasma.

How to Make A Pyramid Diorama For States Of Matter

CHANGING STATES

Matter can change from one state to another through processes like melting, freezing, boiling, and condensation.

  • Condensation: When a gas turns into a liquid (like steam condensing into water droplets on a mirror).
  • Melting: When a solid turns into a liquid (like ice melting into water).
  • Freezing: When a liquid turns into a solid (like water freezing into ice).
  • Boiling: When a liquid turns into a gas (like water boiling into steam).

MORE PHYSICAL SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

How to Make A Pyramid Diorama For States Of Matter

Then look at these other themed ideas.

MORE TRIORAMA IDEAS

Finally, look at how to make this pyramid diorama for states of matter.

HOW TO MAKE A PYRAMID DIORAMA FOR STATES OF MATTER

You will need:

  • 12×12 Cardstock
  • Fine line pens
  • Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
How to Make A Pyramid Diorama For States Of Matter

First, choose your states of matter- Liquid, gas, solid, plasma and then choose which substance will represent each.

We are going to go with water, ice, and steam to keep it simple for this triorama but encourage your child to branch out into new states of matter as well.

To create your pyramid we are going to need to fold and cut that square, start by folding it from diagonal corner to corner like this.

How to Make A Pyramid Diorama For States Of Matter

Open the fold and do it again in the opposite direction so that you now have two intersecting lines across the paper.

How to Make A Pyramid Diorama For States Of Matter

Cut from one corner until you just get to the center point.

Put an X on one of the triangles on one side of the cut or the other to note which piece will be glued and hidden. I like to leave most of our trioramas flat until they are completed because it makes it so much easier to write or draw on a flat surface.

How to Make A Pyramid Diorama For States Of Matter

On another sheet of cardstock your child can draw states of matter in whatever form they have chosen, keeping them small enough to fit on the page with room for information.

How to Make A Pyramid Diorama For States Of Matter

Color them in.

How to Make A Pyramid Diorama For States Of Matter

Cut around the images.

Trace the image shapes onto your 3 triangles of the folded paper so you can write without worry of covering up the words.

How to Make A Pyramid Diorama For States Of Matter

To make our images literally pop off the page we are going to accordion fold strips of cardstock just a few times and then glue them to the back of the images and set aside.

How to Make A Pyramid Diorama For States Of Matter

On the 3 folded triangles have your child write all about a state of matter on each, leaving the outlined space free.

How to Make A Pyramid Diorama For States Of Matter

Attach the pictures by the strips to the designated area on the page.

How to Make A Pyramid Diorama For States Of Matter

Fold the X under the other side and glue securely into place to form your pyramid.