Pete The Cat Is Where It's At!

What is the first week of school

without Pete The Cat?
I know right?!

We started using this fabulous character

by James Dean and Eric Litwin, and our

K Kids LOVE this book series!

It's happy, it's catchy,

and it gets the little kindergarteners feeling

good about being in school!

Pete The Cat: I Love My White Shoes

Here are some story retelling puppets
that you can use with your students.
Just choose the puppet that goes with
the Pete The Cat story that you are reading
to your kiddos.
How did we teach without the Internet?
Oh, that's right.
We reinvented the wheel.
for.everything.

Pete The Cat Puppets:

I love your labeling sheets!
More importantly,
the kids love them too.
Pete The Cat Labeling Sheets:

I decided to add some
Pete The Cat Graphic Organizers

 Have your students write three sentences
about Pete The Cat.
Pete The Cat is....
Pete The Cat has...
Pete the cat can...

 Pete The Cate Bubble Maps:

Draw a picture of Pete The Cat

and write three things or three sentences about him.

 
Pete The Cat: Alphabet Handwriting Practice

As always, thanks for being
so generous with your hard work.

 If you like the handwriting sheets
I have some other ones available with
different themes like this
A+ Back To School Alphabet Handwriting Practice:

My students have take the SAT 10 

two years in a row and will be taking
it again at the end of next year.
I don't even want to ask.

The first year was horrific.
I'm glad I didn't ask!

No matter how much the 5 Kindergarten

teachers at my school downplayed the test

("It's no big deal....just do your best." etc. etc. etc.),

we had kids rolling on the floor and crying.

It was so upsetting to me (and to all of us),

and yet my (our) hands were tied....

the Kindergarteners HAD to take this test.

I swore NEVER again

would my kiddos feel overwhelmed.

Last year, I made and used cute

bubble sheets every now and then

to expose my kids to multiple choice

fill-in-the-blank.  None of my sheets

have anything to do with the SAT 10 test itself,

they didn't even have anything to do with

reading a passage, or answering a question.

They were just simple sentences that the kids had to 

find the right word to complete the sentence.

No.Big.Deal.Easy.Peasy.Lemon.Squeezy.

Just the exposure of bubbling in answers

in a calm and relaxed atmosphere

as a large group or as a small group

made all of the difference.
I'm sure it did.  Kudos for you sista!  
I would even have them laughing at times, 
when we would read a sentence and I would make

funny faces at the wrong words.

Are these sheets

developmentally appropriate?

In my opinion...No.
In your defense,
this is your attempt to 
prepare them for that developmentally
inappropriate test you HAVE to give.
Thank you government.
Boo hiss....

Are these sheets

emotionally appropriate?

In my opinion...Yes.

It was well worth giving some time

to do an activity that wasn't 

developmentally appropriate

in order to keep my kids feeling

emotionally healthy and ready for this

test that consists of spending multiple days

testing students in such a way that is

completely developmentally inappropriate.
WORD!
I feel tongue-tied after saying all that!

Let me tell you.

This year, my kids were ready.

All three classes.

Remember that this past year...

things changed at my school and we're

departmentalized.  I teach reading to 3 classes.

So.....I spoke with the 2 other teachers in my

teaching group after the test, and...

NO ONE had kids crying.

NO ONE had kids rolling.
HUGE difference from the year before.

That was my goal.
Mission accomplished!

The kids took this test in stride....

just like I've been saying all year in my class:

It's.No.Big.Deal.

So....you know I LOVE Pete The Cat.

I decided to make and share some

Sentence Bubbles with you with this cute,

little guy on them that my kiddos love.
Of course you did!

Pete The Cat: Wheels On The Bus 
Youtube...winstonchester95

Pete The Cat Sentence Bubbles

 

I went to the I Teach K Conference last week

in Vegas....I still can't believe

I went to Vegas and back!

Anyway, I'm thinking of combining

two ideas from 2 different presenters.

Dr. Jean showed us how to make

little pocket "puppets" out of envelopes.

Just seal an envelope and cut in down

the middle.  Duh! Why did I never think of that?

It can be used for a variety of things...

be creative! In this case,

I'm thinking of writing an "A" on one

side and a "B" on the other side,

handing each bubble answer pocket "puppet"

to each of my students, pairing them up

and having them do Dan St. Romain's quick draw game.
If you EVER have a chance to see him in a workshop....
sign up!  He was FABULOUS!!!

Each partner pair stands back to back and when

the question is asked they turn around as fast

as they can and the first one

showing the correct answer "wins" that round.
That sounds like fun!
I'll have the bubble sentence sheet up at 
my big screen, and I'll read it through with
my K kids before they do their partner quick draw.

Hmmmmmm.....I'm thinking that this
may end up being a favorite activity!

Making it fun, is what it's all about!

Pete The Cat And His Four Groovy Buttons:
Sentence Bubbles 

If you like these activities,
you may be interested in
my bundled sentence bubbles.
A+ Sight Word Sentence Mega Bundle:
Fill In The Blank. Multiple Choice Practice

Are you tired of scrolling?
I know....I got Pete The Cat happy.
I just couldn't stop!
Here's one more, just for all of you teachers out there!
Pete The Cat Writing Paper

I hope these activities make life just a tad simpler
for you as you ease back into school!
Like I say EVERY year,
I can't believe it's that time again!
Enjoy!

And remember:
It's ALL Good!