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Visual Learning Tools

PK-2 English

languagE arts

learning Module activity guide

reading & Writing 1

letter recognition & soundsBasic grammar & Punctuation

reading Comprehension handwriting

learning Module activity guide

reading & Writing 1

letter recognition & soundsBasic grammar & Punctuation

reading Comprehensionhandwriting


Learning Activities developed by

Keys to Learning, LLC

PK-2 English

languagE arts

© 2010 Varitronics®, A Brady Business. Brady Worldwide, Inc. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America.

The purchase of this activity guide entitles the individual school to reproduce copies of the information for use

in a single school only. The reproduction by any means of any part of this activity guide for other schools or an

entire school district, or for commercial use is strictly prohibited. No form of this activity guide may be reproduced,

transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any other language in any form by any

means without the written permission of Varitronics and Brady Worldwide, Inc. Any school determined to be

in violation of this limited permission will be subject to a fine per school in addition to all other available legal

remedies.

Varitronics® and VariQuest® are registered trademarks of Brady Worldwide, Inc. Other brands and trademarks are

the property of their respective owners.

c o n t e n t s

Table of Contents

the Foundation of VariQuest Learning Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Activity 1: ABc’s and abc’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Activity 2: Alphabet Line Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Activity 3: My Alphabet Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Activity 4: cVc Word Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Activity 5: Handwritten with care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Activity 6: Write a sentence. Write a sentence? Write a sentence! . . . . . 16

Activity 7: Using Apostrophes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Activity 8: Write a Friendly Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Activity 9: Main Idea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Activity 10: Parts of a story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Additional Activity Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Rubric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

content List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Work order template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

4

The FOUNdATION OF VArIQUeST LeArNINg MOdULeS

V ariQuest supports educators by providing countless opportunities to introduce a variety

of visuals and hands-on manipulatives into their classrooms. The use of visuals in the

classroom helps students understand and retain information, specifically abstract concepts.

Visuals can also help bridge the gap for students who struggle with vocabulary and/or language

barriers. hands-on manipulatives create learning experiences in which students interact with

knowledge kinesthetically. research shows that exposing students to a variety of learning

experiences, including visual and kinesthetic, will increase student retention and help students

learn to construct meaningful knowledge from information. The VariQuest Visual Learning Tools

enhance classroom teachers’ ability to provide learning experiences that meet the learning styles

of all students.

The aim of the following Learning Activities is to coordinate the VariQuest Visual Learning Tools

with lessons and activities that incorporate visual and hands-on learning strategies to reinforce

basic skills and provide fun and motivational activities that will supplement your school’s

curriculum. For best practices and additional information on how to customize VariQuest posters,

banners, flashcards, awards, cutouts and manipulatives, review the VariQuest Implementation

guide prior to use.

For the following learning activities, use construction paper for all cutouts unless otherwise

specified. Pre-laminating construction paper using a cold laminator adds durability to cut out

letters, shapes, numbers and collections.

5

reAdINg & WrITINg 1 OVerVIeW

This module covers alphabet skills, sound-symbol correspondence of initial letters and

short vowel word families. Children will also practice letter formation and general writing

skills using grammatical and mechanical conventions. Children will apply general reading skills and

strategies to identify the main idea and details and compare characters. The learning activities

in this VariQuest Learning Module are designed to meet educational standards in innovative and

creative ways. Before turning to the learning activities, familiarize yourself with general information

that will guarantee ease of use and flexibility.

ASSeSSMeNTFollowing the learning activities, you will find a rubric that can be used to guide you in making

observational assessments of students’ abilities related to the objectives outlined in the learning

activities. It is recommended that you make a copy for each student to guide your ongoing

informal assessments, making anecdotal notes on the back when appropriate.

VArIQUeST CONTeNTYou will find a complete list of all of the content included in this module between the rubric

and Work Order template. The content Id #s (ex. VIS001) for content referenced in the learning

activities are listed in the materials section for each activity and are color-coded to help distinguish

between templates for the Poster Maker (red) and Awards Maker (purple) and cutouts and

collections for the Cutout Maker (gold).

WOrK OrderSYou will also find a work order template on the last page of the Activity guide. This template

can be photocopied and used for placing orders for customized VariQuest posters, banners,

stickers, awards, cutouts and collections. It is designed to be submitted to the primary user of the

VariQuest Visual Learning Tools by those who may not have direct access to them.

A c t I V I t y o n e

Lowercase Letters PrE014

I Know My Uppercase Sticker

PEK009

I Know My Lowercase Sticker

PEK008

6

ACTIVITY ONe

ABC’s and abc’sobjectives Children will recognize and name all uppercase letters of the alphabet.

Children will recognize and name all lowercase letters of the alphabet.

Materials

Preparation Print and display Alphabet 2 Banner or one of the other alphabet

banners.

Print 8 ½” x 11” copies of Uppercase and Lowercase letters, one of

each for each pair. Cut copies into two-letter pieces: AB, Cd, eF,

gh, IJ, KL, etc. Mix up the pieces and place in envelopes marked

Uppercase Alphabet and Lowercase Alphabet. Tip: glue or tape the

title from the copy onto the envelope as a label.

Print I Know My Uppercase and I Know My Lowercase Stickers, one of

each for each child.

Alphabet 2 Banner Ban080

Alphabet Banner Ban081

ABC Banner Ban077

Uppercase Letters PrE028

POSTer MAKer:

Alphabet 2 Banner: Ban080

Alphabet Banner: Ban081

(optional)

ABC Banner: Ban077 (optional)

Uppercase Letters: PrE028

Lowercase Letters: PrE014

AWArdS MAKer:

I Know My Uppercase Sticker:

PEK009

I Know My Lowercase Sticker:

PEK008

OTher:

Large sticky notes

envelopes

Tape

7

ABc’s And abc’s

Whole class

Sing your favorite alphabet song and point to each letter on an alphabet

banner. Then have children close their eyes and put their heads down on

tables or desks. Use a large sticky note to cover one letter (upper and

lower case) on the alphabet banner. have children open their eyes and

name the hidden letter. The child who guesses correctly comes to the front

and covers a different letter with the large sticky note while other children

place their heads down. repeat several times giving different children the

opportunity to “hide the letters”.

center Activitygive each group an Uppercase and Lowercase Alphabet envelope of two-

letter pieces. have them put the uppercase letters in alphabetic order. give

them tape to attach the alphabet pieces together to make a mini horizontal

banner. repeat with lowercase alphabet pieces.

have children show you their mini alphabet banners, check for accuracy,

then reward them with I Know My Uppercase and I Know My Lowercase

Stickers.

ModIFIcAtIon

Print 8 ½” x 11” copies of Uppercase

and Lowercase Letters. Cut into

four-letter strips ABCd, eFgh, IJKL,

etc. Mix up the strips and place in

envelopes marked Uppercase Alphabet

and Lowercase Alphabet. have children

order the uppercase letters, and tape

them together to make a mini horizontal

banner. repeat with lowercase

alphabet pieces.

extensIon

Print 8 ½” x 11” copies of Uppercase

and Lowercase Letters. Cut each

one into multiple random pieces,

cutting between and through letters.

give children tape and the pieces for

one or both puzzles and have them

reconstruct the alphabet.

8

A c t I V I t y t W o

ACTIVITY TWO

Alphabet Line Up objectives Children will match upper and lowercase letters.

Children will order letters of the alphabet.

Materials

CUTOUT MAKer:

Alphabet Train Uppercase: CrF063

Alphabet Train Lowercase: CrF091

OTher:

Mural paper

glue

Art supplies

Preparation Cut out Alphabet Train Uppercase and Lowercase on magnetic

material. Tip: Cut out both collections at 30” for whole class activity.

Cut out several sets of the Alphabet Train Uppercase and Lowercase

collection, enough for each small group to have one set of each. Tip:

Cut out both collections at 24” for small group activity.

8

Alphabet Train UppercaseCrF063

Alphabet Train LowercaseCrF091

9

ALPHABet L Ine UP

Whole class

review the alphabet. Using the Uppercase Train magnetic shapes, place

the train engine on the far left side of a magnetic board. Place train cars and

uppercase letters randomly along the bottom of the board and position the

caboose on the far right side.

Line up children. have the first child put a train car behind the engine, find

the first uppercase letter of the alphabet (A) and put it on the car. Then the

child goes to the end of the line. repeat until the train is complete. The last

child checks the alphabet and adds the caboose. repeat another day with

Alphabet Lowercase Train.

cooperative Groupsgive small groups of children Alphabet Train Upper and Lowercase letters,

mural paper, glue and art materials. have them make a letter train or trains

(they may choose to combine upper and lowercase letters into one train or

make separate upper and lowercase trains), glue them to the mural paper

and use art materials to complete the scene. have groups write or dictate a

story about their mural. display murals with group stories in the hallway.

ModIFIcAtIon

Cut out Alphabet Puzzle Pieces

horizontal: CrF099 on cold-laminated

construction paper, and place in an

envelope. Make a separate envelope

for Alphabet Puzzle Pieces Vertical:

CrF155. have children match upper

case and lowercase letters. encourage

students to take home one set to

practice with an adult.

extensIon

give children Alphabet Train cutouts

without the letter pieces. give them

mural paper and art materials. have

them make train murals and write

the upper- and lowercase letters on

the train cars, then decorate their

train and the station and write a story

about the scene.

9

10

Q Alphabet Card: aBC017

r Alphabet Card: aBC018

S Alphabet Card: aBC019

T Alphabet Card: aBC020

U Alphabet Card: aBC021

V Alphabet Card: aBC022

W Alphabet Card: aBC023

X Alphabet Card: aBC024

Y Alphabet Card: aBC025

Z Alphabet Card: aBC026

Square Book Cover: BKs161 (Basic)

Square Book Page: BKs162 (Basic)

OTher:

drawing materials

Folders or large envelopes

Tape or glue

Alphabet-related children’s books

A c t I V I t y t H R e e

ACTIVITY Three

My Alphabet Books objectives Children will demonstrate understanding of initial sound-symbol

correspondence of the letters of the alphabet.

Children will identify pictures for the letters of the alphabet.

Materials

Preparation Cut out Alphabet Cards, A-Z, custom-sized to 3” x 4”, one set of 26

letters for each child.

Cut two (2) Square Book Covers out of cardstock and 26 Square Book

Cover pages out of lined paper, custom-sized to 7”, to create one book.

Cut out enough covers and pages so that each child has one book.

Store the Alphabet Cards, A-Z, blank book covers and pages for each

child in a separate folder or envelope.

Collect several alphabet books from the classroom or school library.

B Alphabet Card

aBC002

C Alphabet Card

aBC003

e Alphabet Card

aBC005

F Alphabet Card

aBC006

h Alphabet Card

aBC008

I Alphabet Card

aBC009

K Alphabet Card

aBC011

L Alphabet Card

aBC012

N Alphabet Card

aBC014

O Alphabet Card

aBC015

Q Alphabet Card

aBC017

r Alphabet Card

aBC018

A Alphabet Card

aBC001

d Alphabet Card

aBC004

g Alphabet Card

aBC007

J Alphabet Card

aBC010

M Alphabet Card

aBC013

P Alphabet Card

aBC016

CUTOUT MAKer:

A Alphabet Card: aBC001

B Alphabet Card: aBC002

C Alphabet Card: aBC003

d Alphabet Card: aBC004

e Alphabet Card: aBC005

F Alphabet Card: aBC006

g Alphabet Card: aBC007

h Alphabet Card: aBC008

I Alphabet Card: aBC009

J Alphabet Card: aBC010

K Alphabet Card: aBC011

L Alphabet Card: aBC012

M Alphabet Card: aBC013

N Alphabet Card: aBC014

O Alphabet Card: aBC015

P Alphabet Card: aBC016

11

M y A L P H A B e t B o o K s

Whole class review alphabet banners or other classroom art. Ask, “What letter does the

word apple begin with? What else begins with the same sound as apple?”

read aloud an alphabet book that has different pictures for each letter,

such as:

Animalia, by graeme Base

Dr. Seuss’s ABC: An Amazing Book, by dr. Seuss

Tell children that they will begin to make their very own

alphabet books. distribute envelopes or folders with

Alphabet Cards, blank book covers and pages to each

child. have children write a title on one of the book

covers (be sure the perforated side is on the left).

Then have children tape the A Alphabet Card to one of

the book pages, trace the letters and apple, then write

the word apple on the page. On the back of that same

page, have children draw pictures of other things that

begin with A.

help children use words from the alphabet books or words that are posted

around the classroom to label their drawings. encourage children whose

names begin with A to include pictures of themselves on the letter page.

remind them to use a capital letter for their names. Once finished with the

book cover and the “A” page, have children store their pages in large folders.

center Activityhave alphabet books available for children to use as reference. have

children work on creating pages by taping the remaining alphabet letter

cards, B-Z, onto pages and drawing pictures. Children should work on their

books during independent work time over the next few weeks and store

their pages in their folders.

When all children have completed their alphabet books, have them put

the pages in alphabetical order. Place the front cover on top and the back

cover at the end of the pages, then, help them staple the cover and pages

together. Invite volunteers to share their favorite letters and drawings.

ModIFIcAtIon

have children glue down, trace, and

label the Alphabet Card for each page.

extensIon

have children label their pictures and

highlight the target letter each time

it appears by tracing it in a different

color. Then challenge them to write a

sentence using as many of the picture

names as possible. For example: adam

the alligator has a lot of apples.

T Alphabet Card

aBC020

U Alphabet Card

aBC021

W Alphabet Card

aBC023

X Alphabet Card

aBC024

Z Alphabet Card

aBC026

Square Book Cover BKs161

S Alphabet Card

aBC019

V Alphabet Card

aBC022

Y Alphabet Card

aBC025

Square Book Page BKs162

12

A c t I V I t y F o U R

ACTIVITY FOUr

CVC Word Familiesobjectives Children will use phonics skills to spell and read words.

Children will apply phonics skills to spelling and writing rhyming words.

MaterialsPOSTer MAKer:

rhyme Time: PrE022

AWArdS MAKer:

good Spelling Award: aWD020

CUTOUT MAKer:

2 Piece Puzzle: PuZ068 (Basic)

OTher:

Large envelopes

Preparation Cut out 2 Piece Puzzle, custom-sized to 8” on cardstock. Make

enough so each child has 10 sets of puzzle pieces.

On the left puzzle piece write the following initial

consonants: b, d, c, f, l, m, p, r, s, w.

On the right puzzle piece write the following

word families: -an, -at, -ed, -en, -ig, -it, -ip, -ot,

-un, -ug.

Store the puzzle piece sets in envelopes, one

for each child.

Print and laminate the rhyme Time poster.

edit the good Spelling Award by changing the

“Spelling Award” to “rhyming Award” and adding

your school name. Use the Name List feature to

create a customized sticker with each child’s name.

Print one for each child and attach to cardstock.

rhyme Time PrE022

good Spelling Award aWD020

2 Piece Puzzle PuZ068

13

c V c W o R d FA M I L I e s

Whole class

review short vowel sounds. review word families, explaining that words

that end with the same sounds rhyme, pot-hot, man-can, etc.

distribute envelopes with puzzle pieces and have children spread out their

puzzle pieces in front of them. Then say a word family, and have them find

the puzzle piece with that word family ending on it and hold it up. Confirm

that children are holding up the puzzle piece with the correct word family.

Then give them oral clues to rhyming words for that word family. have

children find the initial consonant needed to complete the word and match

the pieces.

For example, tell the children, “This is something I wear on my head.” (hat).

have children find the “h-” piece and connect it to the “-at” piece, to spell

the word “hat.” repeat with other words in the –at family, then move on to

the other word families.

center Activitydisplay a blank rhyme Time poster. have children combine their puzzle

pieces, spell six sets of rhyming words, then record the words on the poster

with a dry erase marker. Check the words to make sure they are spelled

correctly and rhyme, then hand each child a rhyming Award sticker.

ModIFIcAtIon

Work with small groups of children on

a single word family per lesson time.

extensIon

Cut out lowercase Font Letters a – z

for each child. have children use

their letters to spell the word families.

Challenge them to spell rhyming

words using initial consonant blends.

14

A c t I V I t y F I V e

ACTIVITY FIVe

Handwritten with Care objectives Children will spell and write their names.

Children will use the correct letter formation strokes to write the letters

of the alphabet.


Alphabet 1 Banner: Ban097

Writing Lines: Vis259 (Basic)

AWArdS MAKer:

I Know how to Write My Name Sticker: stK261

handwriting 1 Sticker: stK366

OTher:

dry erase marker and eraser

Preparation Print and display Alphabet 1 Banner.

Print, laminate and display Writing Lines poster. Print 8 ½” x 11”

copies, two (2) for each child.

Print handwriting 1 Sticker, one for each child.

Print I Know how to Write My Name Sticker, one for each child, and

attach to cardstock.

Alphabet 1 Banner Ban097

Writing Lines Vis259

I Know how to Write My Name Sticker

stK261

handwriting 1 Sticker stK366

15

HAndWRItten WItH cARe

Whole class

display the Alphabet 1 Banner next to the Writing Lines poster at the

front of the room. review correct letter formation while writing each of

the upper- and lowercase letters on the Writing Lines poster with a dry

erase marker.

Pass out handwriting Sticker 1 to each child and have children place them

on an often-used folder or note book as a reference.

center Activitygive children Writing Lines to write their first names several times. have

them find their favorite and circle it. repeat for last names. Then, have

them write their first and last names on a new Writing Lines page, again,

circling the best handwriting.

When children have successfully written their first and last names, hand

them an I Know how to Write My Name sticker.

ModIFIcAtIon

give children Writing Lines to write their

first names several times. have them

find their favorite and circle it.

extensIon

give children Writing Lines to write their

first, middle, and last names and list

the names of the people and pets they

live with.

16

POSTer MAKer:

Punctuation 1: Org058


AWArdS MAKer:

exclamation Mark Punctuation

Sticker: stK205

Period Punctuation Sticker: stK210

Question Mark Punctuation Sticker:

stK213

CUTOUT MAKer:

Writing exclamation Mark: Wri035

Writing Period Wri038

Writing Question Mark: Wri039

OTher:

dry erase markers and eraser

Writing and drawing materials

Bag

A c t I V I t y s I x

ACTIVITY SIX

Write a Sentence. Write a Sentence? Write a Sentence! objectives Children will use conventions of capitalization.

Children will use correct end punctuation for different kinds of

sentences.

Materials

Preparation Print and display Punctuation 1 poster.

Print, laminate and display Writing Lines poster.

Print punctuation stickers: exclamation Mark, Period, Question Mark and

attach to cardstock. Print enough for each child to have one flashcard.

Cut out Writing exclamation Point, Period, and Question Mark on

magnetic material.

Punctuation 1 Org058


exclamation Mark Punctuation Sticker

stK205

Period Punctuation Sticker

stK210

Question Mark Punctuation Sticker

stK213

Writing exclamation Mark

Wri035

Writing Period Wri038

Writing Question Mark Wri039

17

WRIte A sentence

ModIFIcAtIon

give children period and question

mark flashcards, and drawing and

writing materials. have children write

a statement and end it with a period.

have them draw a picture to go with

their statement. Then have them write

a question and end it with a question

mark. encourage them to draw a

second picture that illustrates the

question. remind children to begin

their sentences with capital letters.

Also remind them to use capital

letters to begin the names of people

and pets.

extensIon

give children three pieces of writing

paper and exclamation Point, Period,

and Question Mark stickers to put at

the top of each piece. have them use

a favorite book and find three of each

kind of sentence to list. Then have

children read their sentences aloud

using the correct intonation.

Whole class

review three kinds of sentences: statements (telling sentences), questions

(asking sentences), and exclamations (sentences with lots of feeling). As

you review the types of sentences, point to the appropriate punctuation

mark for each type of sentence on the Punctuation 1 poster. remind

children that all three types of sentences begin with a capital letter.

display Writing Lines and magnetic punctuation marks, exclamation

Point, Period and Question Mark all on magnetic board. Using a dry erase

marker, on the first line write the sample sentence: we are in school. read

the sentence out loud; then, ask children to identify the kind of sentence it

is, telling, asking, or exclaiming (telling).

have them name the correct end punctuation and ask a volunteer to find

the magnetic period punctuation and place it at the end of the sentence.

Then have children tell what else needs to be done to make the sentence

correct (capitalize the “w”.) Let that child erase the lowercase “w” and

replace it with an uppercase “W”.

On the next line, write: are we in school and guide children to add a question

mark and capitalize the “a.” have children read the

sentence as a question. help them hear the rise in voice

at the end of a question. Talk about word order and how it

changes the meaning of a sentence.

repeat for an enthusiastic, exclamation-worthy reading

of We are in school!

center ActivityPlace end punctuation mark flashcards (exclamation mark, period, question

mark) in a bag. give children drawing and writing materials. have children

pick an end punctuation card from the bag and write a sentence ending in

that mark. Then have them draw a picture to go with their sentence. remind

children to begin their sentences with capital letters. Also remind them to use

capital letters to begin the names of people and pets.

18

A c t I V I t y s e V e n

ACTIVITY SeVeN

Using Apostrophesobjectives Children will use apostrophes to form contractions.

Children will use apostrophes to show ownership.

Materials

Preparation Print 8 ½” x 11” copies of Writing Lines, two for each small group.

Cut out Writing Apostrophe on magnetic material.

Cut out two sets of Font Letters, lowercase a-z and one uppercase

letter “I,” on magnet material.

edit Apostrophe Punctuation Sticker to read: “Shows ownership of

something” only and print one for each small group.

edit Apostrophe Punctuation Sticker to read: “Use it to show letters that

have been left out of a word” only and print one for each small group.

Place one of each Apostrophe Sticker at the top of a Writing Lines page

for each small group.


Apostrophe Punctuation Sticker

stK196

Writing Apostrophe Wri032

Font Lettersa-z

POSTer MAKer:


AWArdS MAKer:

Apostrophe Punctuation Sticker:

stK196

CUTOUT MAKer:

Writing Apostrophe: Wri032

Font Letters: a-z

OTher:


Independent reading level children’s

books with both contractions and

possessives

19

UsInG APostRoPHes

ModIFIcAtIon

give children three sentences showing

only the contraction use for the

apostrophe, written on Writing Lines

with the Apostrophe sticker explaining

how to use contractions on the top of

the page. Below each sentence, have

children list the contraction from the

sentence. help them write the two

words that form each contraction.

Then have them circle the letters the

apostrophe replaces. repeat with

examples of possessives.

extensIon

have children write a few of their own

sentences using contractions and

possessives.

Whole class review how to use apostrophes to form contractions. Use magnetic font

letters to spell words, such as cannot or I will on a magnetic surface. have

children take away letters and replace them with an apostrophe. repeat

with several examples.

review the use of an apostrophe to show ownership. On magnetic board,

write “Kevin has a dog named Spot.” have a volunteer rewrite the sentence,

adding an apostrophe to show possession (Kevin’s dog is named Spot.).

repeat with several examples.

center Activitygive each small group two pieces of Writing Lines paper, labeled with the

Apostrophe stickers at the top. give each group an independent reading

level book that has both contractions and possessives.

have children read the book together. Children should then work together

to copy two sentences for each use of the apostrophe (contraction and

possessive) with apostrophes on the correct Writing Lines page. Then, have

them write the sentence without using the apostrophe below the sentence

they copied from the book.

20

A c t I V I t y e I G H t

ACTIVITY eIghT

Write a Friendly Letter objectives Children will identify the parts of a friendly letter.

Children will use friendly letter-writing conventions.


Friendly Letter: Vis222


OTher:


Preparation edit Friendly Letter by replacing “Today’s date” with the actual date and

adding your school address. Leave a blank space to write a name after

“dear” (keep the comma), change “Sincerely” to “Your Friends” in the

closing and remove “Your Signature.” remove the “line space” text,

then print enough posters for each group to have one, plus one to use

for the whole class activity.

Print 8 ½” x 11” copies of Friendly Letter, without edits, one for each

child.

Print 8 ½” x 11” copies of Writing Lines, one for each child.

Friendly Letter Vis222


21

WRIte A FRIendLy LetteR

ModIFIcAtIon

Print a sample friendly letter using the

Friendly Letter template and cut it into

five pieces (signature, greeting, body,

date, salutation/closing). have children

put the pieces together. Then ask them

to point to and name the different parts

of the letter (signature, greeting, body,

date, salutation/closing). Also use the

letter to review capitalization, commas

and apostrophes in contractions and

possessives. Then work with children

to write a group letter to another story

character.

extensIon

have children work independently to

write a short friendly letter. remind

children to use friendly letter formatting,

capital letters to begin each sentence

and the appropriate end punctuation.

have children check each other’s use

of capitalization and punctuation.

Whole classdisplay edited Friendly Letter poster. Identify and label the different parts of

the letter: date, greeting, body, closing/salutation, and signature.

have volunteers circle the commas in the Friendly Letter (date, greeting,

closing). remind children that in a date a comma separates the number of

the day from the year. Commas are also used to separate three or more

things in a row (terrible, horrible, no good, very bad).

Then write a class letter to someone children know, such as the school

nurse or librarian, someone they met on a class trip, or a character from a

read aloud story, such as Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good,

Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst, used in the example below.

After writing the letter, have another volunteer draw a box around the

apostrophes and circle the additional commas. Also use the sample letter to

review capitalization rules.

cooperative Groupsgive each small group a Friendly Letter poster. have groups of two or three

children select a story character and work together to write him, or her, a

short friendly letter using the Friendly Letter poster to record and revise their

work. remind them to use capital letters to begin each sentence and the

appropriate end punctuation.

Check each group’s work and, when ready, hand out individual copies of

Friendly Letter and Writing Lines. have children write their own final copy of

their group’s friendly letter on Writing Lines paper, using the Friendly Letter

template and poster as a reference.

22

A c t I V I t y n I n e

ACTIVITY NINe

Main Idea objectives Children will identify the main idea in a story.

Children will identify supporting details.

Materials

Preparation edit Main Idea poster by changing the text of the

title to read: Main Idea of ____________________

by _______________, then print one poster and

8 ½” x 11” copies, one for each child.

edit reader Award poster by changing the text

on the books to read: “Books We Are reading”.

Change “Name” to “Title and Author”, change “# of

Books” to “# of Stars”.

edit Book List poster by deleting the list of book

titles and adding blank write-on lines. Print one

poster.

Cut out about 40 Stars custom-sized to one inch on colored paper.

Main IdeaOrg021

reader AwardrCg060

Book ListrCg004

Star Mth339

POSTer MAKer:

Main Idea: Org021 (Basic)

reader Award: rCg060

Book List: rCg004

CUTOUT MAKer:

Star: Mth339 (Basic)

OTher:


Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible,

No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith

Viorst or other age appropriate

children’s book

23

MAIn IdeA

ModIFIcAtIon

Select a book that children can read

independently. Using the Main Idea

organizer, fill in the Main Idea for them.

have children supply details that

support the main idea. have children

add their book to the reader Award

chart, listing the title and author. Let

them rate the story, giving it 1-4 stars.

extensIon

have children complete a Main Idea

organizer for each chapter in a chapter

book they are reading. have children

add their book to the reader Award

chart, listing the title and author. Let

them rate the story, giving it 1-4 stars.

Whole classreview main idea. remind children that the main idea is the big idea of

what a story is about. read Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good,

Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst, or other book. Then talk about the big or

main idea of the story: on this day, absolutely everything goes wrong for

Alexander.

display the edited Main Idea poster. Fill in the title of the book (Alexander

and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day) and the author (Judith

Viorst) on the blank lines. Write the main idea in the top box. Then ask

children to give four examples or details that support, or tell more about,

the main idea. Write each one in a details box.

Then have the class rate Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good,

Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst (or other book used for the activity). give it

1-4 stars and add the title and author to the reader Award chart.

When the reader Award chart is full, list the 3- and 4-star books on the

Book List chart. Add to the Book List chart weekly. display in the hallway

to promote reading school-wide.

center Activityhave pairs of children pick a familiar book and read it again. give them a

Main Idea organizer to complete for the story. remind them to record the

title of the book and author at the top of the page.

have children add their book to the reader Award chart, listing the title

and author. Let them rate the story, giving it 1-4 stars.

24

A c t I V I t y t e n

ACTIVITY TeN

Parts of a Storyobjectives Children will identify parts of a story.

Children will compare and contrast character traits.


Story house: Org030

Character Comparison: Org007 (Basic)

OTher:

dry erase markers

Officer Buckle and Gloria, by Peggy rathmann or other age

appropriate children’s book with two strong characters

Preparation Print Story house poster, print 8 ½” x 11” copies, one for each child.

Print Character Comparison poster, print 8 ½” x 11” copies, one for

each child.

Story house Org030

Character Comparison Org007

25

PA Rt s o F A s t o Ry

ModIFIcAtIon

Select a familiar book for these

children. Work through the Story house

organizer together, having children

dictate the main parts of the story. Write

the character names on the Character

Comparison organizer. Provide

sentence starters for similarities and

differences, as appropriate:

Both have ______, Both are ________,

Both like __________. have children

complete the chart by finishing the

similarities sentences and listing

differences, or dictating their ideas

to you.

extensIon

have children complete the Character

Comparison chart for two characters

from two different books.

Whole class

review the main parts of a story (setting, main character(s), problem,

solution). remind children that characters include the people or animals a

story is about. read aloud Officer Buckle and Gloria, by Peggy rathmann,

or other story with two strong characters.

display the Story house and Character Comparison organizers. Complete

the Story house organizer. have children identify two important story

characters (Officer Buckle and gloria).

Once the Story house organizer is complete, write the character names

in the boxes of the Character Comparison organizer (Officer Buckle and

gloria). Then ask children to think about how the characters are alike.

List their ideas in the Character Similarities box (both characters want to

help children learn about safety.) repeat for Character differences (Officer

Buckle is a person, gloria is a dog). display both organizers as a reference

for children as they work in partners.

center ActivityCollect classroom and library books with at least two strong characters.

Some examples include:

My Friend Rabbit, by eric rohmann

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge, by Mem Fox

Frog and Toad Together, by Arnold Lobel

Let partners select a book to read together and use for the activity. give

them a Story house and Character Comparison organizer to complete for

each story.

26

AddIt IonAL ActIV It Ies

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

PhONICS WOrd PLAYCreate sets of puzzle pieces, similar to those used in Activity Four, using 2 Piece Puzzle: PUZ068 (Basic)

with additional onset, rime and consonant patterns for children to work on other phonics and word analysis

activities. Create other phonics activities by cutting out letters using the “Connect” or “Underline” feature in

the VariQuest software. Cut letters out of magnetic material to show word making on a magnetic surface,

such as a white board.

CLASSrOOM LIBrArY Use cutout shapes: Child 3 reading: SAe192, Child 4 girl reading: SAe193, Child 2 Boy reading: SAe246,

Book Closed: SAe169, Book Open 2: SAe174, Book with Feet: SAe177 to decorate your classroom library

or reading corner.

dr. SeUSS CeLeBrATIONCelebrate an author that helped revolutionize children’s literature - dr. Seuss! Cut out dr. Seuss hat shapes:

hat dr. Seuss: SIW163, hat 2 dr. Seuss: SIW204, or hat 3 dr. Seuss: SIW205. distribute the hats to children

and have them write their favorite dr. Seuss book title on each hat, then make a display in the hallway.

ALPhABeT LACINg Cut out Alphabet Lacing: CrF170 and give children yarn and plastic sewing needles. have them lace the

yarn through the holes to improve fine motor skills and familiarize themselves with the shapes of the letters in

the alphabet.

SPeLLINg Bee review weekly spelling words with a spelling bee. Print Spelling Bee 2: rCg064 to list the participants. Print

multiple copies of good Spelling Award: AWd020 and attach to cardstock. give children an award for each

correct word they spell.

26

27

R U B R I c

cate

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tota

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prod

uce

this

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ric p

age.

)

28

c o n t e n t L I s t

reAdINg & WrITINg 1 CONTeNT LISTPoster Maker Id name Activities

BAN077 ABC Banner 1

BAN097 Alphabet 1 Banner 5

BAN080 Alphabet 2 Banner 1

BAN081 Alphabet Banner 1

Org028 Story Fish

Org029 Story Map

Org030 Story house 10

Org051 5 Ws Clown

Org058 Punctuation 1 6

Org082 Ladybug Story

Pre002 Alphabet Upper and Lower

Pre003 Alphabet with Images

Pre011 Learn Vowels

Pre014 Lowercase Letters 1

Pre022 rhyme Time 4

Pre028 Uppercase Letters 1

Pre031 My First Alphabet

Pre032 Letter of the Week

rCg003 Bookworm Award

rCg004 Book List 9

rCg040 Caught reading

rCg060 reader Award 9

rCg064 Spelling Bee 2 Additional

VIS003 Fortunately

VIS004 Unfortunately

VIS222 Friendly Letter 8

Awards Maker Id name Activities

AWd020 good Spelling Award 4, Additional

PeK002 I know my ABC's Award Plaque

PeK008 I know my Lowercase Sticker 1

PeK009 I know my Uppercase Sticker 1

STK033 hooked on Books Sticker

STK196 Apostrophe Punctuation Sticker 7

STK201 Comma Punctuation Sticker

STK205 exclamation Mark Punctuation Sticker

6

STK210 Period Punctuation Sticker 6

STK213 Question Mark Punctuation Sticker 6

29


reAdINg & WrITINg 1 CONTeNT LIST (cont.)

Awards Maker Id (cont.) name ActivitiesSTK298 Story Plot Sticker

STK299 Story Setting Sticker

STK300 Story event Sticker

STK301 Story Beginning Sticker

STK302 Story Middle Sticker

STK303 Story end Sticker

STK304 Story Conflict Sticker

STK306 5 W's Sticker

STK258 I Know My ABC's Sticker

STK261 I Know how to Write My Name Sticker

5

STK361 handwriting Sticker

STK366 handwriting 1 Sticker 5

cutout Maker Id name Activities

ABC001 A Alphabet Card 3

ABC002 B Alphabet Card 3

ABC003 C Alphabet Card 3

ABC004 d Alphabet Card 3

ABC005 e Alphabet Card 3

ABC006 F Alphabet Card 3

ABC007 g Alphabet Card 3

ABC008 h Alphabet Card 3

ABC009 I Alphabet Card 3

ABC010 J Alphabet Card 3

ABC011 K Alphabet Card 3

ABC012 L Alphabet Card 3

ABC013 M Alphabet Card 3

ABC014 N Alphabet Card 3

ABC015 O Alphabet Card 3

ABC016 P Alphabet Card 3

ABC017 Q Alphabet Card 3

ABC018 r Alphabet Card 3

ABC019 S Alphabet Card 3

ABC020 T Alphabet Card 3

ABC021 U Alphabet Card 3

ABC022 V Alphabet Card 3

ABC023 W Alphabet Card 3

ABC024 X Alphabet Card 3

30


reAdINg & WrITINg 1 CONTeNT LIST (cont.)

cutout Maker Id (cont.) name ActivitiesABC025 Y Alphabet Card 3

ABC026 Z Alphabet Card 3

CrF063* Alphabet Train Uppercase 2

CrF078* Letter Snowmen Uppercase

CrF091* Alphabet Train Lowercase 2

CrF092* Letter Snowmen Lowercase

CrF099* Alphabet Puzzle Pieces horizontal 2

CrF155* Alphabet Puzzle Pieces Vertical 2

CrF156* A to Z Uppercase

CrF168* A to Z Lowercase

CrF170* Alphabet Lacing Additional

FNT018** d'Nealian Manuscript

FNT019** Zaner-Bloser Manuscript

MNI037 Mini hat 1

SAe169 Book Closed Additional

SAe174 Book Open 2 Additional

SAe177 Books with Feet Additional

SAe192 Child 3 reading Additional

SAe193 Child 4 girl reading Additional

SAe246 Child 2 Boy reading Additional

SIW016 Book Pages

SIW163 hat dr. Seuss Additional

SIW204 hat 2 dr. Seuss Additional

SIW205 hat 3 dr. Seuss Additional

WrI032 Writing Apostrophe 7

WrI034 Writing Comma

WrI035 Writing exclamation Point 6

WrI038 Writing Period 6

WrI039 Writing Question Mark 6

*Indicates Cutout Maker collection **Indicates Cutout Maker font

31

VARIQUest WoRK oRdeR

VArIQUeST WOrK Order TeMPLATeThis template can be photocopied and used for placing orders for customized posters, banners, stickers, awards, cutouts and collections.

date Order Placed: __________________________________ Order #: _________________________________________

date Order Needed By: ______________________________ date Completed: _________________________________

Staff Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________________

room #: _________________________ Phone #: ___________________________________________________________

e-mail: ________________________________________________________________________________________________

special Instructions:

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________


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