Labels for Your Classroom

Classroom organization is essential in getting the children to learn school rules and routines.  Labeling supplies and materials helps children find items they need and return them to the right place.  You can find my 'easy to read' school supply labels HERE for your classroom.  Below are some examples....there are 13 labels included are: pencils, scissors, markers, crayons, glue, glue sticks, rulers, colored pencils, erasers, writing paper, drawing paper, writing folders and homework.  I duplicated some of the labels you need more of so you can label all your bins.  Labels are in exemplary handwriting so children view the handwriting you teach and model.

Have fun setting up your room and making the children's learning environment an organized and colorful place!

September Calendar Keepers

I have been busy thinking about organizing the classroom in a bright and cheery way to greet the students.  Here is a September calendar I created to teach AB pattern and all the wonderful things you might do with the calendar.  Bright red apples and yellow leaves ....traditional look!  Crisp, clean and ready to teach!


You may get your Chris Q September calendar HERE.  It is easy to download, print and assemble.  Easy to read and bold numbers.

Thanks for stopping by...check back as I will be posting my new classroom organizers featuring Chris Q art designs....very soon.

Starting Out Your Year, Positively!

Hello Teachers,

Great Book To Teach Positive Attitude

I read this book last year to my first graders. (I teach grades 1-5)! and I am always looking for good books with positive life lessons.  This one is a great book to read in September it is a great springboard for class discussion in this quick read...to start out on a positive note about how we treat one another and how we might learn to do our very best at school and at play.


The little fish swims from one page to another and she embraces a positive saying as she journeys through the book.  Three examples are:  If you make a wrong turn, circle back.   and If something gets in your way, move around it. and
Set aside some quiet time to relax and reflect.  Every day.


Lots to discuss and write about after this read aloud.  You might have them do a self portrait for your September bulletin board.  Great vocabulary word to introduce is UNIQUE.

And here is a puppet you might want to purchase at amazon.com. You can purchase it HERE.   It could be your class mascot so you could refer back to the author's message throughout the year. She is adorable.


And I love the end pages....see for yourself....

The kids love reading all these bright and colorful words.

Here is a booklet, I am ME,  you might also do after reading this book.  You can grab your full copy HERE.  There are 8 pages.  You can print them 8 x 10 or smaller...below are the first 5 pages. There are 3 more.

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

 

Thanks for reading my post.  Check back as things never stay the same.

What Can I Do Today?

What Can I Do Today? 
to make the world a happier place
written by Allison Stoutland
Illustrated by Cathy Hofner

Today is another new day, and what can you do today to make the world a happier place?  The book is called What Can I Do Today? written by Allison Stoutland.  It is another great book to start out the school year.  The story starts out with a child's lemonade stand ....which starts a chain-reaction of kind deeds.   From the neighborhood to the classroom, at work and at play, it's the little things we do that have the biggest effect on others.  What Can I Do Today?  reminds children and adults alike to look for opportunities each day to make this world a happier place, one kind deed at a time.

What can you do today?

This book is another great book to read on that first week of school.  Here is my mini-poster that you can display in your classroom.  It is colorful and goes well with my "Manners Matter" poster...but with a little boy.  You can grab it HERE or find it at my TPT store HERE.  The mini-poster measures 8"x 10" and is blue and orange.

Thanks for visiting and check back as I am busy making more useful and colorful things for your classroom to start out the school year.

Design and artwork by Chris Q

Manners Matter

Hello All,  

Isn't it fun to have a few extra minutes in the day...to relax and read?  Summers are meant to be playful and creative. But if you are like me, ideas about September are already forming. Those first few days of school are so important to establish routines and rules.   To start the year off well....teach good manners!  You can download my 'Manners Matter' mini-poster for FREE! right here! 

Artwork by Chris Q.This poster measures 8"x 10".  It is bright and colorful and will catch the children's attention. Display in your classroom to add a splash of color and at the same time to post an important message.   It will also be available at my TPT Store.  

Thanks for stopping by 

Check back as I hope to make another poster about manners featuring a boy.

Summer Reading

Oh, the quiet summer days for reading!  Read for the Heart by Sarah Clarkson.  This is a great resource for teachers and parents.  Here is her introduction:

Chapter 1  Reading to Live

  In a blue corner of my house, where the light slants down from the mountains, hangs a glossy painting of a little boy curled deep into a wide, white window seat.  In his lap is an immense picture book staring up at him in a rainbow of pictures and dancing words.  With the red of a fiery winter sunset streaming over the snow outside, he bends over the page, eyes bright, face flushed with the thrill of his story.

I love that picture.  It embraces the essence of reading-its hushed power and its subtle, soul-shaping delight.  In every line and hue, I see evidence of the way a great story wakens a child's heart.  The boy's face reflects the stirring of deep thought, the sturdy joy of newly imagined worlds, the thrill of the soul widened by beauty.  The heightened color of the sunset hints at the way the story is reshaping his eyes to better perceive the mystery of the world and his own unfolding tale.


This book is an easy summer read and will inspire you and your teaching of reading and writing.  She illustrates many examples of all the very good reasons to be a reader and writer.  In later pages, she writes brief descriptions of the great books and authors in children's literature.  Sections include the classics, fiction, fairy tales and fantasy, history, biography, spiritual, poetry, music, art and nature. Appendices include: Caldecott and Newbery Medalist books, Landmark History Books and The Trailblazer Series.  This is a wonderful resource!