Every year I get really excited to celebrate with my students. Witch stories, making jack 'lanterns, ghosts and goblins! So this year, when I found out that we would be celebrating Halloween in my classroom due to a student with specific religious beliefs, I was disappointed. I wanted to be able to keep the spirit of the season while also being culturally and religiously respectful....so my Monster Unit was born! :)
This unit, like my other units, provides a weekly lesson plan as well as broken down daily lesson plans for you to follow. Here's a quick little peek today at what's included!
Read Aloud Suggestions
I have provided links to five different monster themed read aloud suggestions, as well as tips on how to use them to help comprehension strategies!
Shared Reading Books
I have included two different shared reading books (one easy and one more challenging). Each book includes a black and white student copy of the same story that students can read independently to build confidence. I have also planned out a week's worth of shared reading lesson plans for you to use to target word work, word solving, comprehension and fluency.
Phonemic Awareness/Literacy Skills
Matching Beginning Sounds
Having the phonemic awareness skills necessary to hear the onset of a word is an important skill in Kindergarten. This activity has a whole group activity where students and teacher work together to match pictures with same beginning sound. Students will then work independently to show their knowledge.
Letter Sounds and CVC Words
This is *to be completely honest* my favorite activity in the unit! I have provided three options for you to practice with your class, based on the students and needs in your room! Choose what you would like your students to do - hear a sound and find the corresponding letter, pull a letter and make the specific sound, or build a CVC word. Using the correct poem, recite it with students whole group.
Option One: Give each student a copy of the monster card with one box along with a tray/set of magnetic letters. Students will listen for the sound you make then place the correct letter in the box.
Option Two: Give each student a copy of the monster card with one box along with a bag or cup of letters mixed up. Then invite students to pull a magnetic letter out of a bag and place it in the box on the page – saying the sound.
Option Three: Give each student a copy of the monster card with three boxes along with a tray or set of magnetic letters and the CVC picture cards. Students will choose a picture card and then use their letters to build the correct CVC word.
Rhyming Words
The ability to hear similarities and differences in words - such as rhyming words - is another important phonemic awareness skill for students in early childhood. This activity has a whole group activity where students and teacher work together to match pictures that rhyme. Students will then work independently to cut and paste rhyming words together show their knowledge.
Syllable Sort
Segmenting words into their different parts is necessary when reading and writing. This skill begins with segmenting syllables and understanding that words often have multiple parts. This activity has a whole group activity where students and teacher work together to sort pictures that have one, two or three syllables. Students will then work independently to sort syllables with a cut and paste activity to show their knowledge.
Letter Identification
This game is one of my students favorites! To play, place all letter cards in a pocket chart. Hide the two monster cards behind two different letters. Each student will take a turn trying to find the monster hiding under the bed! During a student’s turn, he/she will point to a card and read the letter. If read correctly, you will check behind the card to see if the monster was found. Flip the card around to show the back and choose a new player. Continue playing until all monsters have been found or all letters have been read! I have provided an additional uppercase/lowercase letter match worksheet for more individual letter practice.
Math Skills
Matching Number Words to Quantities
This activity should be a fun one to get your students up and moving! After printing the bed and monster cards onto card stock and laminating for durability. Attach Velcro dots to the boxes under the beds and the monster cards. Hang up the beds on a bulletin board, white board, wall, etc. and hide the monsters around the classroom! Students will ‘find a monster’ and help him get back under the bed by matching tally marks, ten frames, numerals and quantities to number words.
1:1 Correspondence with Numbers 1-10
This page is a simple way to check student knowledge of 1:1 correspondence and number identification. Students will count how many teeth the monster has and glue the correct number below! A no prep printable!
Shape Monster
This craft activity requires a little more prep ahead of time but is SO WORTH IT! Students will use a variety of shapes to create their own Shape Monster! They will then use the "Shape Monster" sheet to analyze their monster - looking at what kind of shapes they used, how many of each shape and what colors they used! A practical way to use shapes and numbers to create something fun to display for parents and students!
Monster Making Ten
Understanding how numbers are able to be 'made' in a variety of ways creates a strong number sense in students - needed for harder math concepts in upper grades. This activity gives students practice in making ten in multiple ways. You can use counters, cubes, or provide students with candy corn and pumpkins to make ten in a variety of ways. Students will simply make ten according to the numbers on the card. Afterward, students can complete the monster candy worksheet. Students will count the
candy corn pieces in the ten frame and write how many more the monster needs to make 10.
Comparing Numbers 1-10
Monsters love candy! In this activity, students will use the candy corn cards to compare numbers! Students will pull two cards out of a baggie and place them in the boxes on the monster card. They will then compare the amount and place the correct math symbol in the middle. You can also laminate the monster card and have students practice writing the correct symbol themselves!
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