Hello SUMMER! We have over 100 activities that we have used summer after summer. I hope you will join us for the Summer Fun.

Here are some ideas to help you plan for the summer. Each week we will be cooking, sharing family activities, get outdoors, and so much more. 

• Scavenger Hunts
• Flashlight Tag
• Board Games, card games, puzzles, summer bingo, and painting
• Puppets, plays, movies, books, and projects
• Trying new sports, hiking, biking, and replays
• Cooking and MORE!

Here is the link to the store to get your own FREE copy today.

Follow us on our Instagram, @asknanaanything for our examples of many of these fun ideas in action. We would love to see your ideas in action, too.

Here is to a SUMMER OF FUN!

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This fun math set is colorful, interactive, and it focuses on planting seeds using the Growing Vegetable Soup (we bought ours in s set), book by Lois Ehlert (book not included). Reading the book first sets the stage for these seed planting math activities.

The book that inspired it all, Growing Vegetable Soup is a fun, colorful book with incredible illustrations. The author and illustrator, Lois Ehlert did an excellent job showing the process, tools, and mediums for planting a garden, growing a garden, and finally picking (or digging up) a garden to make the famous soup. Students love to look at the illustrations and learn the process. This is a nice book for sequential processes as well.

This set takes a student from early number, counting, and matching, through addition problems (36 cards provided). The focus is on the three types of “joining” (CGI) problems using tools to help the student visually see the missing number. There are 12 examples provided for each problem type; the missing sum and missing addends (start and change) with blanks on 12 cards for endless possibilities and combinations as the problems need to be extended to larger numbers. Students will love the colorful theme, garden setting, and the seed manipulatives.

You can purchase this today in our store: Nana’s Classroom

Note: The seed cards in this set are designed to move from real seeds (if available, not provided), to photos of the seeds, then illustrations of the seeds and finally, student-created (templates provided) or abstract seed drawings.

There are dozens of ways to use this set. It can be used in early number development to just count or match the number to quantity, counting using dot cards and then digit cards. A variety of manipulatives can be used, but the suggested, real seeds to abstract drawing or manipulative (snap cubes or blocks as seeds) might be the best process developmentally. We purchased seeds at Home Depot for less than a dollar to use as manipulatives and to use in a science center. Some students have never seen real seeds much less held them or used them to count. In the set, there are several forms and templates to choose from depending on your goals. This set can be extended all the way to double-digit numbers for addition on the open cards if students are ready for those skills.

Included in the Set:

Let’s Get Started…Page 2

How to Use this Program…Page 3

Photo Gallery of Examples…Page 4

Items Included in this Set with Additional Comments and Suggestions…Page 5

Sample Worksheet…Page 6

Blank Worksheet Format 1…Page 7

Blank Worksheet Format 2…Page 8

Blank Worksheet Format 3…Page 9

Overview of the Missing Sum Problems…Page 10

Missing Sum – Problem Type Problem Cards (Joining)

Results Unknown…Pages 11-16 (Two Problem Cards Per Page)

Overview of the Missing Addend Problems…Page 17

Missing Addend – Problem Type Problem Cards (Joining)

Change Unknown…Pages 18-23 (Two Problem Cards Per Page)

Overview of the Missing Addend Problems…Page 24

Missing Addend – Problem Type Problem Cards (Joining)

Start Unknown…Pages 25-30 (Two Problem Cards Per Page)

Manipulatives and Mats…Pages 31-33

Digit Cards,
Blank Cards, and
Dot Cards
Alternative Mats…Pages 34-36

Number Sentence Cards…Page 37 (Four Per Page)

Seed Packets for Manipulative Labels or Seed Packets…Pages 38-40

Student Work Mats…Pages 41-45

Watering Can
Flowerpot
Soil Mat
Blank Soil Mat (Student Colors or Cardstock)
Soil with Seed Holes
Various Seed Counters…Page 46-55

Photos – Peas, Beans, Squash

Illustrations – Beans, Peas, Corn, and Squash

Number Words (Optional)…Page 56

Thanks – Grant Avenue and Educlips

Graphics Credits for the Unit:

Educlips: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Educlips

Grant Avenue: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Grant-Avenue-Design

Texas Standards Addressed: K(3)A, K(3)B, K(3)C, 1(3)A, 1(3)B, 1(3)F, 2(4)A

Common Core Standards Addressed: K.OA.A2, K.OA.A5, 1.OA.A1

The post Growing Vegetable Soup – Math Companion appeared first on Ask Nana Anything.

I TOOK A CHALLENGE OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS TO READ A CERTAIN NUMBER OF BOOKS EACH YEAR. THIS YEAR I HAVE STARTED A NEW CHALLENGE. HERE ARE JUST A FEW BOOKS I COMPLETED THIS YEAR. EACH MONTH I HAVE A NEW BOOK, THE LATEST AND GREATEST JUST WAITING ON ME. I CAN PREORDER BOOKS AND HAVE THEM THE FIRST DAY THEY COME OUT.

WHY AUDIOBOOKS?

I JUST FINISHED THE BOOK, “TOM LAKE” AND IT WAS NARRATED BY MERYL STREEP, IT WAS FUN TO HEAR HER PLAY THE VARIOUS CHARACTERS.

OR, IT IS GREAT TO HEAR THE DIALECT OF THE YOUNG GIRL IN “WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING” MAKES THE BOOK COME ALIVE.

I LISTEN ALL THE TIME, WHILE DOING CHORES, ON MY FIRE TV AND ESPECIALLY IN MY CAR. IT PICKS UP ON MY PHONE RIGHT WHERE I LEFT OFF SO I CAN LISTEN WHILE FLOATING IN MY POOL.

I HAVE ALSO CHECKED OUT SOME TOTALLY FREE BOOKS AND SOME CLASSICS THAT I ALWAYS WANTED TO READ. THIS IS MY 5 YEAR AND I HAVE READ OVER 500 BOOKS AND 122 OF THOSE WERE SINCE 2021.

BELOW ARE JUST A FEW OF THE MANY BOOKS I HAVE READ THIS YEAR. I AM CHECKING OUT NEW AUTHORS AND FINDING SOME THAT I REALLY LOVE AND WANT TO READ MORE OF WHAT THEY WRITE.

IT IS SO EXCITING AND FUN TO READ/LISTEN TO THESE NEW AND EXCITING BOOKS AND I CAN NOT WAIT FOR THE NEW ONES TO COME OUT THIS MONTH.

     

        

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WE HOPE YOU JOIN US!

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT FACT MASTERY AND WHY THIS 10 DAYS PROGRAM IS DIFFERENT, HEAD OVER TO THIS PAGE FIRST. 10 DAY INFORMATION LINK

If you are ready to get started, here we go.

Here is the challenge.      

1️⃣ Order the student booklet  and Wrap-Ups Combo in red below. (68-72 pages depending on the operation, with everything prepared and ready to use).

2️⃣ Follow the 10-day plan, focusing on the areas of need, and practice time needed.

3️⃣ Use the daily charts and pages given in the workbook to show progress, speed, and accuracy, that is improving each round. (Consider rewards and goals for completed elements)

4️⃣Celebrate mastery of the facts, and allow additional practice pages for to maintain that mastery.

BELOW ARE THE SPECIAL LINKS – USE THIS CODE FOR 10% OFF. “nana”

Addition 

Subtraction

Multiplication

Division

If you have an active learner, they will LOVE the Wrap-ups! They will use them all YEAR, looking at the correct answers rather than guessing and learning them wrong. So, mastery is solid, fast, and accurate. The Wrap-ups will be used with the “10 Days” booklet for even better transfer and mastery of the facts.

Just think, in less than 2 weeks, facts could be mastered this YEAR.

We hope you join us and see a major difference in math understanding because of the mastery of their facts.

Don’t forget to use the code, “nana” every 10% helps.

Please follow us @asknanaanything on Instagram for more tips, and helpful ideas. Please share with us that you are in the Challenge so we can give you a shout out and celebrate with you.

The post <strong>FACT Mastery Challenge</strong> appeared first on Ask Nana Anything.

Here is the suggested process we followed.

Download the Playground Passport (in my members site full of freebies, click HERE)

Page One = Cover

Page Two = Inside pages

1. Print it out. Add as many of the Page Two as you want. (Note, we did 3 pages for 12 parks)
2. (Optional) Print the cover on color cardstock
3. Cut out the pages along the black line and fold.
4. Insert the folded page two, into the cover and staple.
5. Write your name and details inside and either glue or draw a picture of the child. (Note: One parent even added an extra Passport photo of their kiddo, so cute)
6. Print out the surrounding playgrounds on google map. Just type in playgrounds near me.
7. Take the Passport along on your playground adventures.
8. Review each playground, (1 is the lowest, and 4 is the highest).
9. Be sure and list any fun features of the playground. (Ex. water feature, hiking trails, rock climbing, etc.)
10. When you are finished, select your favorite playground.
11. (Optional) Add travel stickers for each playground. You get over 400 stickers for just $5.97.

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• FIRST: Decide today what you want to accomplish. 
• SECOND: Write down 3 things it will take to get started, 
• THIRD: What is ONE thing on your list that you can do today? Just one. 
• FINAL: Each day foe the next week, just do one thing.
• When you accomplish one, add a new on to the list. 

Be sure and contact me with your ONE thing, and I will send you the worksheet and some support items. 

You can do this, just picture yourself in 90 days! Welcome to the Challenge!

The post THE JUST ONE THING – 90 DAY CHALLENGE appeared first on Ask Nana Anything.

The cards can be used for ordering and comparing fractions or added to the Percent & Decimal set for more advanced matching, comparing, ordering, and finding equivalents.

The spinners can be used to vary the games and increase the levels for the players.

Head over to my store to check out this game set and the other two.

THE FRACTION GAME  FREE THIS WEEK! CLICK THIS LINK! 

If you download the FREEBIE, would you be so kind as to leave us a review on TpT? That would be amazing!  Also, if you follow us on TpT and Here (at the top of this page in purple), we will be sending out more freebies soon. Thanks again for all that you do to teach our kiddos. 

THE FRACTION – DECIMAL – PERCENT GAMES

The post THE FRACTION – DECIMAL – GAME appeared first on Ask Nana Anything.

2023 FALL FUN WEEKEND IDEAS

Join in the FALL FUN! 

Get outdoors, camp, cook, enjoy the fruit of the season, and spend time with family and friends. 

You can follow along with us on Instagram @ASKNANAANYTHING

Here are just a few items to consider…

OUTDOOR

Build a Fire – S’mores, hot dogs, and marshmallows

Hikes

Rake Leaves

Bear Hunt

FAMILY

Play Cards

Board Games

Dominos

Give Back Project

CREATIVE

Camping

Puppet Show

Leaf Art/Rubbings

Kindness Project

COOKING (Yes, we will be cooking PIE!)  &  CHALLENGE items as well! JOIN US!

For the complete list, click the link. 2023 FALL FUN WEEKEND IDEAS 

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 MORPHUN (MORE FUN) BLOCKS – Just a few weeks ago we stumbled on to these amazing blocks.

They are STEM certified and you can build with them both vertically and horizontally. They connect on the side, top and bottom.

They can make curves, circles, and all the letters of the alphabet (See Freebie below) with the Junior Xtra 100+ Model set.

It has over 200 pieces, wheels, connectors, squares, triangles and more.

BENEFITS & FEATURES

• Eye-hand coordination
• Sequential thought
• Spatial relationships
• Creativity
• Fine motor skills
• Visual processing
• Color identification
• Visual and Tactile Learning Styles
• Develops Counting Skills
• Sorting Skills
• Patterning
• Matching
• Problem Solving
• Cause and effect
• Critical thinking

GEARS, PULLEYS, and MORE

Plus, the more advanced sets offer so many creative options with gears, pulleys, and chains. There are science and math skills applied in many of the directions as well as in the discovery of creating their own endless options for designing various objects.

One aspect that we loved was the “T” bars that allow the blocks to take a 3-D effect moving the direction of the blocks in a totally different direction. This allowed us to make a dinosaur with a tail that curves around the front.

GET YOUR SET TODAY!  LINK TO ORDER

Just to say thank you, check out our freebie site, for the complete set of the Morphun Blocks,  Alphabet Letters.

The post <strong>MORPHUN – These Blocks are Amazing</strong> appeared first on Ask Nana Anything.

Saturday Surprise Box

TOPIC: To-Do Lists, Files, and Piles of Paperwork

Okay, I asked what you wanted to organize, and hands down, it was taking care of the piles of paperwork and reducing the TO-DO Lists! So, if this sounds like you, check out this post!

To-Do List will be one of the LAST items we address. No worries, we will get there and take care of it all.

PILES OF PAPERWORK:

Let’s start with the paperwork piles. These are household and personal items only (if you have work-related items, set them aside). We are beginning with personal items first.

You may want to collect these items before you get started.

1. A collection bucket (just for today)
2. A pretty box that you can put in a central location, big enough for full-sized papers and cards. We are going to call this your “Weekly Surprise Box.”
3. 3 x 5 cards, stickies, paper clips, clips, rubber bands, and pens

Now, go get your personal and household paperwork, and put it in the bucket. Yep, just stack it in the bucket—plan at least 1.5 hours per bucket for this first round. Yes, per bucket, I have no idea how much paperwork you have. But, if it is more than three buckets, you should break this up into two days.

Here we go!

• Take each piece of paper out of the bucket.
• Decide on one of three things

Is it a KEEP, FILE, OR FIX ITEM?

Start a stack for each! I put sticky notes on mine if specific actions need to be taken, but keep it moving fast. Try not to get distracted. If it is not any of these three, then can it be recycled?

If it is one of these, can it be done fast? If so, start a “do fast” list on a single piece of paper and add it to the list to be done today. If not, put it in your Saturday Surprise box.

Once you have sorted the first box into the three stacks or recycle, now is the time to take action. ASAP.take action on the things that can be done fast (in just a few minutes), and when completed, then file the paper or recycle it if no longer needed.

1. Fix – Please, please, please do any and all fast things first, and then you can move that completed items to the paper to the file stack or the recycle stack if the completed task is no longer needed.
2. File – Go ahead and file any and all things that need to be filed. Try to keep up the pace and not get stuck on filing decisions. If you need a new folder, make one, and keep going.

That leaves you with a few things that…

• need more time to take action on
• you want to keep for later to read or reference
• it has no home

So, let’s address these three things now.

A. If you need more time to take action, can it wait until you are ready to address your weekly Surprise box?

• If not, do it now.
• If so, put your first thing in the weekly Surprise box to be addressed the next day you work on the box this week.

B. Can you add it to a file? If so, do it now. If not, can you snap a photo of it and add it to a digital system like DropBox, Evernote, or something else? That way, you will have it when you are ready to use it, and it is not in a pile on your desk. I will be covering the digital system next week; stay tuned.

If not, start a single file for “to read” and file it! Now, add that folder to the surprise box, so each week, you will read at least one item in that “to read” folder. Once it is read, file it, take a photo for reference later, or recycle. Warning – You do not want this box to become a catch-all box. The goal of the Saturday Surprise Box is to empty it each week in one relatively fast sitting. This weekly box review keeps you from doing drips and dabs each day and stressing that you have so much to do.

C. If you just have a piece of paper you want to keep for reference, then create a home for it to live. It can be a file folder, digital file, or a binder for warranty and reference (stay tuned for that class). Again, if it needs action goes back to the solution “A.”

Whew! Your bucket should be empty! Either you are done or ready for bucket two.

Either way, WAY to GO!

TO-DO LISTS:

Now, go and get ALL of your personal, household (not work) To-Do Lists (yes, all those scraps paper, post-it notes, or anything that you jotted stuff down on that you need to do) and get ready to knock them out. Note- This first round takes longer, but in the future, this will be faster and easier; stay with me; you will be GLAD that you did.

Here we go, now follow these steps with each of the lists.

• If it can be completed in just a few minutes, do it now. If not, and it can wait for your weekly surprise day continue to the next bullet
• grab a 3×5 card and write each item down on the card with any details or steps you need to remember and add it to the surprise box (yes, you could have just thrown the note in the box, but we are starting a new habit, so use the 3 x 5 card)
• Then throw away the piles of lists, notes, and slips of paper floating around.

Moving forward, when something you need to do comes up, and it can wait, grab a 3 x 5 card and write down the details, and add it to the Saturday Surprise Box immediately. It is fantastic not to have the same seven lists written seventeen different ways floating around in piles making you feel bad because it never gets done.

When you finish sorting, take out all the 3 x 5 cards and take one minute to order them based on urgency—the most important on the top. I use a rubber band or clip (depending on the size) to keep them together, but feel free to do this however you want. Replace them in the box to be addressed on the next Surprise Day.

Note: Special holidays and events may need a different holiday box because they may follow a strict timeline to complete some items. So, a timeline or calendar in your holiday box might be required with the cards. I also add any deadlines or dates as reminders on my phone, so I am not worried I will miss them.

I have some free event planning pages in the “FREE” tab on this site if you need planning help. But, add that list to the weekly holiday surprise box, don’t pile up more To-Dos.

MAIL:

During the week, each day take about five minutes to open all the mail and do one of these three things right then. Yes, right then!

• Trash
• Address it right now (only for things that can’t wait)
• Add to the Surprise box to address later in the week. But, you may want to keep post-it notes nearby to add a message to yourself, so you remember what needs to be done.

If you do not have time to stop and look at the mail right that minute, put it in the surprise box and pray that there are no time-sensitive issues in the mail. Yes, at least opening it and sorting it is best.

SATURDAY SURPRISE DAY:

In the near future…

Plan at least one hour (on Saturday or whatever day of the week you want) to clear out the Saturday Surprise box. That will be your set weekly day. I do mine Saturday morning unless I know that many of my action items involve calling someone or a business closed on the weekend. Then I do the Surprise box on Friday or hold the cards and only the cards on my desk until first thing Monday morning.

You can start any way you want, but I open all of the mail that I have not addressed and decided on the action. Also, I hate filing, so I start there most days that I don’t have mail. Surprisingly, (See why I named it the Saturday Surprise Box), it can sometimes pile up during the week. It feels good to get rid of the mail and filing.

Next comes the ACTION CARDS. I take a quick look and start with the most urgent and most challenging. I act right then and there. Also, I add any notes or information that I learned during the action. When I finish the card, I mark it with a red “X.” If it is complete, I add it to a recipe box I keep in my office cabinet. If I think it needs to be filed, I file it. If I will not need it again, it goes in the recycle.

Here is an example of two 3 x5 action cards and the process.

When you finish with the Saturday Surprise Box, you should have NO ugly piles of paper and NO long To-Do Lists. From this day forward, you should be adding things to the Surprise Box rather than allowing them to hang around and stress you out or make you worry.

Next Steps:

• Big Project Planning
• Filing Systems (Yes, you need two)
• Using Technology to Get Organized
• Warranties and Important Files
• Organizing your Email
• Other 😉

FREE EVENT PLANNING GUIDE

The post <strong>COUNTDOWN WEEK 3 – TO-DO LISTS, FILES, & PAPERWORK</strong> appeared first on Ask Nana Anything.