Home Activity Packets For Preschool Kindergarten and First Grade

Strengthen the parent and teacher connection by providing resources that will assist parents as they support their child’s learning. Stay connected! If a parent knows how to help, they will help as their time allows if the activities are meaningful, fun, and will practice and enrich learning that is happening in the classroom.

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Kathy Crane
Apple Theme Activities

Apples is always one of my favorite topics for the beginnings of the school year. There is just nothing that screams Fall is on the way like the bounty of apples falling from the trees, and thanks to Johnny Appleseed, apples are plentiful about everywhere you go! Did you know that more apples are eaten in America that any other fruit? I’m not surprised, who does like the crunch of an apple?

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Kathy Crane
Activities for Children

Indoor Activities For Excitable Children

Whether you are stuck at home because of bad weather or continue to stay in to avoid a health crisis, the fact remains that kids need to be entertained. Unfortunately, even when the sun is out and the sky is clear, there are only so many outdoor activities you can do in a day. When you’re looking for something fun, entertaining, and educational that doesn’t require sunscreen, it’s going to take a bit of innovation. Here are some mom-approved suggestions.

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HomeworkKathy Crane
Distance Learning Free and Cheap Online

We all know that children should not be overexposed to the screens on their devices, but that does not mean a complete technology ban. And as almost any parent can tell you, sometimes, buying yourself 30 minutes of quiet time with a videogame or television show is a lifesaver. It is okay to let your children indulge (within reason) as long as your most common response to boredom is the tried-and-true, “go outside and play.”

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Kathy Crane
Alphabet Handwriting With Sticks and Curves

Handwriting is a critical skill to teach and allow for independent practice. My favorite way to introduce handwriting to early learners is through the concepts of sticks and curves. By using this vocabulary, students can easily make sense of the complicated process of letter formation. Sorting activities with tactile letters is a great way to introduce the concept. As little hands can touch the curves and sticks that make letters, the concept becomes less abstract and gains meaning.

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Kathy Crane
Name Writing Activities

Name writing, spelling, and other activities have so many cognitive benefits and simply makes one feel important! Reading and spelling the names of classmates expands upon the benefits. It not only deepens alphabet knowledge, concept of print, and letter sequencing, but it builds community!

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Kathy Crane
Teaching Kids about Colors

Recognizing colors and identifying color names is an important part of a child’s development. This connection of colors, color names, and even color words create the cognitive link between visual clues and the spoken and written word. The process of learning to identify a color by name is actually more complex than it seems. A child needs to sort in their brain that colors are not shapes, sizes, objects, textures, but rather the shade, hue, and vibrance of something you see. Learning colors lays the foundation to complex cognitive thinking and neural pathways that will allow for complex thinking.

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Kathy CraneColor
Alphabet Chant Book and Craft

This engaging alphabet book featuring the letters A-Z, focuses on letter sounds in a musical way! Students learn alphabet sounds just like magic with this engaging rap and alphabet book craft they are excited to take home, share and love.

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Kathy Crane
Summer Slide and Bridging the Gap

When Covid-19 closed our schools this spring, education changed. Like it or not, education shifted from the classroom to the home. This shift will create gaps in education like never before experienced. Educators are scrambling on how to lessen the gap for their students when they arrive in the fall. Hopefully great things and necessary changes will result from that scramble. Kindergartners and First Graders are at the greatest risk for learning loss because of their crucial stages in development.

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Kathy Crane
We Can Do Hard Things -- Living Through a Pandemic and Other Lessons From History

My Dad was born in 1912. His Dad was a government trapper and was in the mountains when he was born, but had arranged for his youngest sister Mamie, to be with his wife during his absence. My Dad and his twin brother came early, he weighing a mere 1.5 lbs and his brother at 2 lbs. The birth was difficult and his mother died within the week. Aunt Mamie was left with the responsibility of trying to keep two tiny premature twins alive as well as care for three older siblings until my Grandpa came back from the mountains.

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Is My Preschooler Ready for Kindergarten

When your child turns 5, one of the first questions that comes to mind is, “Is my child ready for kindergarten?” When answering this question, it is important to look into all components of a child’s development. Ask yourself these questions:

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Kathy Crane
Outer Space Project Approach Thematic Unit

To get you started on your exploration of space with your learners, I am offering my Space Thematic Unit for FREE. Use this plan and activities to spark the imagination and learning for your students, or your own child or children.

When you checkout from our Squarespace store, use the code N7R65UY and you will receive 100% off —— It’s FREE! Use the Link to the product below.

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Kathy Crane
Valentine Play Dough

There are many great sensory activities that you can use in your classroom during the month of February. One of my favorites is Valentine Play dough! This dough will last the entire month if stored in an airtight container.

Mix Together

  • 1 cup flour

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Kathy CraneValentines Day, Play
ESGI Student Screen Share

When logging into your ESGI, and this message appears, be sure to click HERE! You will be glad you did! Students can now hold their own iPad while you are assessing — and that is so empowering for students, and so much easier for the assessor.

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Kathy CraneAssessment, ESGI