Embrace Valentine's Day in February
February has always been a favorite month of mine because it feels like a bright spot in the dead of winter. A lot is going on between President's Day, Valentine's Day, and many of the other fun themes to explore this month. For this reason, I am all about embracing a particular topic, or topics in your lessons. We all know that the best way to make learning stick is to make it fun, right? And what's more fun than holiday-themed activities?!
In my room, we always lean heavily into the theme of Valentine's Day. Hearts, candy, and friendship add a special touch to our day and make everyone smile. This will make touching on important primary skills and concepts a total breeze! Here are a few of my favorite February resources for phonics, math, and more:
February Resources for Phonics Skills
First up... phonics! Here are some of my favorite activities to practice literacy skills during the month of February.
1. February Morning Work
These February Morning Work Pages use a fun Valentine's Day theme that students will love! Not to mention, they cover many important skills such as:
- Syllables
- CVC words
- Silent E words and more!
Students will love these engaging worksheets and you'll love how easily they can be independent as they work. There are a total of 33 pages included with activities such as rolling and coloring, filling in word boxes, counting syllables, word ladders, and more! Add these to your mornings for a fun and easy way to review important phonics concepts!
2. Nonsense Word Sorting
Do you ever use nonsense words in your phonics activities? This February resource focuses on sorting real and nonsense words into the correct category and will surely be a hit in your classroom! There are 60 words included with a Valentine Theme in this set along with headers for real words and nonsense words. To play, students will choose a card and read the word on it. Then, they determine if it's real, or nonsense and add it under the correct heading. I like to play this game with a pocket chart, but it can also easily be played on the floor or at a table as well.
The cards cover words with all short vowels and all have a CVC pattern. This is such a fun way to work on blending letter sounds together and also using some critical thinking to determine which words are real. I've also included an optional recording sheet that students can use to write down their answers. The best part about this game, though, is how many different ways you can use it. Try it as a whole group game, a center activity, or a partner game in your room!
3. Valentine's Day CVC Words
Next up on this February resource round-up, is Valentine's Day CVC Words! This is one of my favorite phonics activities to use in the classroom. The idea is that students will choose a colorful word-building mat, identify the picture on it, and use magnetic letters to build the word. There are 48 colorful work mats included and each one is numbered so that students can keep track of which ones they've used.
These mats also come with some additional options so you can make them work best for your classroom. Use the black and white versions if you'd like to save on printer ink. And for your students who need a little extra support, I've included a version with the words spelled out on the work mats. This is so great for differentiation as you'll be able to give each group a set of work mats aligned to their skill level.
You can even add an additional layer of accountability to this activity by providing students with the optional recording sheets. They'll write down their words as they go for even more practice!
4. Valentine's Day Sight Word Games
I think we can all agree that finding creative and fun ways to practice sight words is an absolute must for the primary classroom! The more fluent our kiddos become with sight words, the more successful they'll be. But... endless flashcard drills get boring quick! So instead, consider using a fun game like this one, Pucker Up, Buttercup!
In this game, you'll use 112 flashcards with common Fry Words. You can include as many or as few as you like. All the cards get placed facedown in a pile and students take turns drawing a card. As they choose, they will read the card aloud. If read correctly, they get to keep it. Mixed in with the word cards are "Pucker Up, Buttercup" cards. If a student draws one of these, they make a "kissy face" sound and return all of their cards to the pile. My students thought this game was absolutely hysterical and it always makes practicing sight words more fun!
5. FREE Word Bank Picture Dictionary
This freebie includes a page with common February vocabulary words. There is a picture and the written word for each one. The idea is that students will keep these in a writing folder, at their desk, or use it in the writing center. Then, as they are writing and want to add specific vocabulary words to their page, they'll have a handy page to help them do so!
Not only will this facilitate more independence in your classroom, but it will also help reduce the number of times you can asked to spell things during writing time.
If you like this freebie, then you are going to love the Personal Dictionary. This resource includes 10 monthly word banks, 4 seasonal word banks, 11 thematic word banks and beginning sound word banks for every letter of the alphabet. It is the perfect way to get your students interacting with new words during writing and building their vocabulary at the same time.
February Resources for Math Skills
Keep the fun rolling with these February resources that focus on math skills for primary learners.
6. Valentine's Day Number Charts
Number sense can be a challenge for primary students, which is why it's crucial to find fun ways to practice. I love using these Valentine's Day Number Charts to target numbers 1-120. These charts feature various sequences of numbers 1-120. Students will look at the numbers included and fill in the number with the colorful heart. I like to laminate these cards and have students use dry-erase markers to complete them. This makes them a great center-time activity.
I have also included differentiation options to tailor this to your students. Options with more support include most of the numbers in the sequence. Students will only need to fill in a few missing numbers, making this a great option for students who might be struggling with this concept. On the other hand, options with less support include fewer numbers, making them a bit tricker.
7. Valentine's Day Pattern Clip Cards
Help your students work on patterns in a fun way with these Valentine's Day Pattern Clip Cards. This activity is super simple to prep and can be used again and again, making it a great center-time activity! Simply print, cut, and laminate the cards for durability. Place them in a bin along with a set of clothes pins and you're ready to go!
To play, students will read the pattern and then use a clothespin to select the answer for the item that comes next in the sequence. There are many different pattern options included such as AB, AAB, ABC, ABB, AABB, and more. You can even make this activity self-checking by using a highlighter or marker to draw a smiley face on the backside of the card where the correct answer is. Students love being able to check their work as they play!
February Resources for the Teacher
Last, on this list of February resources, I've included some of my favorite things to use to celebrate Valentine's Day with my students.
8. Valentine's Day Crazy Straw Gift Tags
If you're looking for a super simple Valentine's Day student gift that everyone will love - look no further! And even better, this one doesn't even use candy! These Valentine's Day Crazy Straw Gift Tags are super simple to prepare and everyone will love this fun gift.
Included, you get 4 different colorful gift tag options to choose from. Simply, print, cut apart, and place together with a crazy straw to complete the gift. There are spaces to personalize the tags with each student's name and your signature to make each child feel special. Then, pass these out on Valentine's Day and watch the smiles spread across the room!
9. Eyeball Ring Valentine's Day Card
This is another great non-candy option that is inexpensive, easy to prep, and will make your students smile!
10. Valentine's Day Cards
This final February resource can be used in many ways! These Valentine's Day cards are great for your writing center, to give out to students, or to keep on hand for students who forget to bring Valentine's Day cards for their friends. Included, you get 20 different colorful Valentine cards that print 2 to a page. Many different adorable sayings are included on each one including:
- Bee Mine
- You are Monsterrific
- You Make My Heart Race
- I Love You To The Moon and Back and many more!
Place these in your writing center for students to fill out for friends and family, give them out to your students, or print some extras for kiddos in your class to use during your card exchange. No matter what you choose - these are sure to be a hit!
Have Fun with These February Resources
I hope you have fun with these February resources and find something new to try in your classroom! Over the years, I have found that embracing a Valentine's Day theme all month long really adds to the fun and engagement! Don't forget, you can find all of these February activities and many more in my TPT shop! Happy planning!
Save This Post
Be sure to pin this post on Pinterest to keep all of these February resources at your fingertips!
No comments:
Post a Comment