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Essential Skills

Link Sets

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Phonics

Past Sets

Alphabet

Place Value

Fractions

Multiplication

Writing Paragraphs

 

Essential Skill Web Sets are groups of web resources on an essential skill 
students must master, researched and searched out for you and gathered 
together here in a group for your convenience.   Just click and you will find lots 
of ideas and resources to help you teach those essential skills in 
your classroom!  
(P.S. There is no set time for new Essential Skills to come out.  
I  am a teacher and a mother also, so my time is consumed 
by my children, both in school and at home!)


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


CURRENT ESSENTIAL SKILL SET

Phonics
(added 6/6/2005)

General Information

BIG Ideas in Beginning Reading
5 components of a good reading program - one of them is Phonics

Phonics Rules
Print this page for reference to remember phonics rules, like "i before e," soft sound g, digraphs, etc.

Phonemic Awareness
Links to activities, printables, explanations, and more.

Phonics
Links to activities, printables, explanations, and more.


Printables

Phonics and Phonemic Awareness
Includes lots of worksheets including

CVC rules
blends
final e rule
digraphs
2-letter vowel sounds
r-controlled vowels

Each sheet is listed in the order of skill level.

Consonant Sound & Consonant Digraphs Worksheets

Phonics Checklist
From Learn-a-Lot - tells you what to teach in what order and for use as an evaluation tool.

Phonics Workbooks ($$)
Pay to download phonics workbooks - varies in price from $2.00 to $8.50

Phonics Worksheets
Print worksheets on blends, consonants, digraphs, vowels, and misc.

Words to print
Words for each letter of the alphabet to print - for example, print "ant" copied 4 times or 6 times on a single sheet.

Initial Sounds worksheets

Phonics Sample Lesson
Download a 19-page phonics lesson on the letters c, o, s, a, and t

Phonics Sample Lesson 2
Letters m, d, r

Beginning Letter Flashcards

Reading Games
Print the cards and follow the instructions to play the games

Interactive Sites

Phonics and Word Study
This is a fantastic site!  Games are divided into three  sections: PreK-K, 1-2 and 3-4 and include many categories of interactive activities, such as

long vowels
short vowels
r-controlled words
consonant digraphs
vowel digraphs
suffixes
prefixes
homonyms
antonyms
synonyms
and much more....

Starfall
Lots and lots of interactive lessons and stories here, including alphabet sounds, stories using phonetic sounds, such as short vowel sounds (Zac the Rat is the story with short a)

Dositey Beginning Readers
Try the first unit of this program for free - includes interactive games and worksheets for short vowel sounds a, o, and i.

Dositey - Phonics endings
Games with word endings

Word-Picture Match
Match the word with one of three pictures given

Beginning & ending sounds, short vowel sounds

Practice Quiz on Phonics
Test your knowledge of phonics, or let students try.

Phonics Game Show
Play a game with phonics

Farm Phonics Game
Choose the beginning letter of the animal

Clifford's Sound Match
Choose the pictures that start with the same sound as the picture.

Words and Pictures
Phonics games from BBC - CVC patterns, consonant clusters, long vowel sounds, high frequency words

Phonics Games
Various games - matching picture to beginning sounds, digraphs, etc.

Phonics Games
Includes letters, vowel sounds, consonants, intermediate and advanced

Letter Sounds "movie"

Reading Games

Phonics Online Practice & Games

 

 

 


 

PAST ESSENTIAL SKILL SETS:

Alphabet
(Writing alphabet, alphebetizing, sounds of letters)

(added 6/16/2003)
(updated 6/5/2005)

BIG Ideas in Beginning Reading
5 components of a good reading program - one of them is 
Alphabetic Principle



Interactive Learning

Letter Sounds "movie"

Learn to Read
15 online stories that introduce a particular skill (for example, short a sound); children can read the stories themselves or click to hear each word being pronounced for them. There are games to go along with each story, and you can even order FREE printed materials  to go along
with each lesson.

Little Explorers 
Picture Dictionary

A to Z 
Online storybook to read - use a projector for your computer in the classroom to show the whole class at once!

The ABC Game
Choose the picture that starts with the letter given.

Learn the Letters
From Starfall.com, here's interactive "shows" for each letter of the alphabet - it shows things that begin with the letter as it makes the letter sound

Letter Sounds

Alphabet Action
Click the letters to hear their
names and to see a picture

Alphabet Fun
Click on the letters to see
words that start with each letter

Online ABC book
Letters and pictures

Letter of the Day
Help Cookie Monster
find items that start with
a particular letter

Fuzzy Lion Ears
Find the letter missing
in each word

Phonics Games

Poems
10 animated poems that deal
with long vowel sounds -- listen,
read, and do activities with each.

Snap!
Click on pictures that have
the same long vowel sound
as the letters shown

Sassy Seals
Pick the fish that has the 
same beginning sound as the
word pronounced for you

Reading Rover's Sound Check
Click the picture that has a
different beginning sound 
than the others

Begins With..
Game to find objects with
letters given

Letter Matching
Drag the letters to complete
each word

Alphy's ABC
Click a letter and Alphy
will show something that
begins with that letter

Consonant Capers
Learn the letter M
(other letters are available
through subscription only
at ToonUniversity- click HERE
for free trial and
membership details)

ABC Game
Click one of three pictures that
begin with the letter shown

Leo Loves to Spell
Match the letter with the
first letter of each word

ABC Gulp
Help the frog get flies to eat by identifying letters


Learning Letters:
Capital & Lower Case

Lug and the Giant Storks
A game to identify capital letters

Online Alphabet
Letter and picture

Rats!
Catch the correct letters in the basket

Rats!
Vowels & consonants

Rats!
Upper & lower case

Sesame Street-Find the Letter
(Click on the ABC semicircle)

Help Mr. Brown Color Letters
A Dr. Seuss game

Alpha-Bits
Find all the letters of the
alphabet hidden in the picture

Color by Letters

Concentration
Matching upper & lower case

Kangaroo Confusion
Match upper and lower case

Learn Letters - Upper & Lower

Alphabet Zoo
Match the baby animal with lowercase letter with the big animal with capital letter

Alphabetical Order

Alphabet Zoo
Put words in ABC order

Alphabet Garden
Click on the flower with
the missing letter

A B Cow
Type the missing letter

Alphabetizing simple words

Connect the Letters
ABC order to make a picture

Alphabet Library
Help the bear put books
back in ABC order

Put Words in ABC order

Put Bears in ABC Order

Connect the dots, A-Z

 

Printables

Tracer pages
Some are customizable 

Alphabet templates
Large block letters of each letter
of the alphabet, upper & lower case

Capital Letters

Lower Case alphabet

"Snow" theme alphabet

"Splash" theme alphabet

Alphabet flashcards

Tracing pages
One for each letter

Phonics Worksheets

Alphabet Worksheets
An activity sheet for each
letter of the alphabet

Alphabet Practice
Identifying letters

Alphabet Practice
Identifying things that begin
with each letter

More Alphabet Practice
Identify things that begin with
each letter

Alphabet Flashcards in Color
Letter and picture on each
(or black and white to color
yourself - click HERE)

Alphabet Flashcards
D'Nealian style
with pictures

Alphabet Flashcards
Zaner Bloser style
with pictures

Animal Letters
Color and practice writing

Desk Tape
Zaner Bloser - in color
(or black and white)

Alphabet Cartoon Characters
Lower case & upper case
Also, activities to go with 
each  letter - click HERE
And letter writing practice
--click HERE

Alphabet Tree

Color pictures for each letter
Several pictures for each letter
to choose from

Sesame Street Alphabet
Color pages to print

Alphabet Blocks
Print on heavy cardstock, color, laminate, then fold to make cute ABC blocks

Alphabet Pictures
Pictures for each letter of the alphabet to color or display

Cut & Paste Alphabet Fun
Cut small pictures and have children match the picture with its beginning letter

ABC Tracing Paper
One sheet for each letter of the alphabet to trace and practice writing letters

ABC Picture
A picture for each letter of the alphabet to color.

ABC Flashcards

Downloads

Learn Letters
Free software

Letter Sounds
Free software

 

Lesson Plans

Make an ABC Pop-Up Book

Playing with Sounds
Phonemic awareness
activities

List of ideas for each letter
Scroll down a bit on this
page to find the list of letters

Alphabet Activities
An activity listed for every letter

Listing of 22 Alphabet Activities

Alphabet Activities
List of lesson plans, activities,
songs, poems, printables, and more

Alphabet & Phonics Lessons

Alphabet, Punctuation, Sounds
List of lesson plans

ABC's Activities & Lessons

Alphabet Review Activities

 

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Place Value
(added 7/16/2002)
(updated 7/29/2003)

Interactive Learning

 

All About Place Value
Many interactive lessons for teaching and practicing place value.  From AAAMath

Place Value Puzzler
From Funbrain, click on the number that is in the right place value

The Number System
From Alfy -- a tutorial on place value

Place Value Game
Place digits in their places to try to make the largest number possible

 

Tutorials

Decimal Place Value & Number Line
An introduction to place values using decimal. A great chart to assist you to see place value on both sides of 0.

Lesson Plans

Place Value Made Fun

Understanding Decimal Place Value

The Place Value Game

I Am the Greatest!

Reinforcement Lesson in Place Value

Space Chase Place Value Game

Place Value Population Rounding Off

Practicing Place Value with Insect Facts
Requires students to use the Internet to get information

Place Value Strips

 

Worksheets

EdHelper Place Value Worksheets
A ton of worksheets to print to teach place value.  Best thing is, every time you print the same kind of worksheet, you get different problems!

Place Value Chart
Goes to hundred millions

Understanding Decimal Place Value Worksheet

 

Worksheets from Learn to MOUSE

Show students numbers in standard form (print numbers for your overhead).  Have students place number strips on their desks to show expanded notation.

Place Value Charts
Call out numbers to be placed in specific place values.  See if students can end up with your number.  (For example, write a 3 in the hundred thousands place, write a 9 in the ten millions place, and so forth)

Place Value Chart
Another place value chart

Cut & Glue Place Value
Students cut the numbers out and glue them where the worksheet instructs.

Match short word form with standard form
Print on cardstock and cut out  cards.  Students match the short word form of each number to the standard form.

Numbers in short word form
Print on transparency and have students write each number in standard form.



 

Fractions
(added 1/19/2002)
j01985941.wmf (34658 bytes)

Interactive Learning

All About Fractions
These pages are all about the operations
on fractions covered in K8 math courses.
Each page has an explanation, interactive
practice and challenge games about fractions.
A few of the topics included are basic
fractions, identifying prime and composite
numbers, divisibility rules, equivalent
fractions, operations with fractions,
and much more!  Very comprehensive!

Visual Fractions
Instruction and practice on identifying
fractions, renaming fractions, comparing
fractions, adding, subtracting, multiplying,
and dividing fractions.

Coolmath for Kids
Fraction Lessons

Lots of lessons on fractions with a "Try It"
section for each lesson.  Everything about
fractions from "What are They?" to
"Equivalent Fractions" to "Reducing
Fractions."  Also, lessons on operations
with fractions.

Soccer Shootout
FunBrain Fraction Game

Fresh-Baked Fractions
Funbrain Fraction Game

A Plus Math
Online Fractions Worksheets

Pizza Party

Flashcard Exchange
Adding fractions flashcards--
view online or print out

 

Lesson Plans

Lesson Planz
12 lesson plans on fractions

Fraction Action
Lesson plan with worksheets (pdf)

Alfy's Picks for Fractions
Activities and lesson plans

Equivalent Fractions

Teacher Vision Lesson Plans
Several fraction lessons
and activities

An Introduction to Fractions
Education World Lesson Plan

From Fractions to Percentages
using the book The Hundred Dresses

LessonPlanz
28 lessons and activities

Fractions are All Around Us
from LessonPlansPage

Equivalent Fractions Game

Fraction Conversion Bingo

Ask Eric Lesson Plans:

Fractions in Everyday Life

Equivalent Fraction Munch with Pizza Pie

Equivalent Fractions

Learning Fractions with M&M's

Mars Fraction Hunt

 

 

Worksheets & Printables

EdHelper Worksheets -- A TON!
Intro to fractions, decimals & fractions,
comparisons between fractions, improper fractions, mixed numbers, equivalent fractions, adding & subtracing fractions, prime factorization, GCF, LCM, reducing fractions, fraction number puzzles, and word problems.  Each time you return to print another page on the same skill, you get a DIFFERENT PAGE!

Math Facts Cafe
Make your own worksheets with the content you want, print premade worksheets, or print flashcards

Least Common Multiple
Choose how many on each page and also print an answer sheet.  Each time you return to print more, you get different problems!

Reducing Fractions
Choose how many on each page, the difficulty level, and either include improper fractions or not.   Each time you return to print more, you get different problems!

A Plus Math
Print worksheets on reducing fractions,
multiplying or adding fractions

Flashcard Exchange
Adding fractions flashcards--
view online or print out

The Fractions Game
(from Scholastic)

From RHL School:

Fractions (word problems)

Fraction Riddle Word Problems

Fractions, Food For Thought

Fractions & Mixed Numbers

Fractions & Probability

More Fractions & Probability

Fractions & Sets

Like Fractions

Using Like Fractions

from Tutorial World:

Fractions

Add & subtract fractions
and mixed numbers

Add & subtract fractions
and mixed numbers

Add, subtract, multiply & divide
fractions

Add, subtract, multiply & divide
fractions

Add, subtract, multiply & divide
fractions

 

Fractions Worksheets
from Teach-nology

Adding simple fractions, comparing
decimals & fractions, converting fractions
to decimals, converting decimals to
fractions, division of fractions, GCF, LCM, missing denominator or numerator,
mixed numbers, multiplication of
fractions, subtracting simple fractions

SuperKids Worksheet Creator
Print basic fractions worksheets (add, subtract, multiply, divide), reducing fractions worksheets, or improper fractions worksheets

Pizza Patterns
Pizza patterns divided into twelfths, halves, fourths, thirds, sixths, and eighths 


 

 

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Writing Paragraphs
(added 7/31/2001)
j0092321.wmf (7248 bytes)

General Tips & Guidelines


Paragraph Writing Tips
Tips and information about writing good
paragraphs, including topic sentences,
details, & closing sentences, writing,
prewriting, editing & publishing.
Also, tips on writing kinds of paragraphs
like definition, classification,
description, compare & contrast,
sequence, choice, explanation
& evaluation.

Guidelines for Paragraphing
Very short & sweet one page set of
guidelines for writing topic sentence,
details & conclusion.

Grading the Writing of your students
Tips and guidelines for how to grade
your students' writing

 

Lesson Plans

Paragraph a Week
Yearly Writing Program

Paragraph a Week is a yearly writing program
designed to give your fifth- and sixth-graders
practice with writing various types of paragraphs.
In addition it reinforces good study habits and preparation of long-term assignments. Moreover,
it involves parents in their child's Language Arts curriculum.

An Apple for Your Thoughts
A lesson plan for writing descriptive paragraphs
about apples.  This would go well with your
apple unit. 
(click here for more apple ideas)

Sentence Strips Lesson in
Paragraph Writing

Details on how one teacher got her
students to write better paragraphs.

Three Wishes Lesson Plan
When 4th - 6th graders are asked to write
a paragraph, the result is often a few short,
choppy sentences beginning with the, an, a, or I.
This activity guides students through the writing
process for a successful five-sentence
paragraph with varied sentence beginnings.
Repeating this process frequently with many,
varied topics teaches students to use variety
to create interesting paragraphs.

Paragraph Sandwiches
Teach students how to create a fantastic
paragraph with this wonderful "sandwich" idea.
It will allow students to learn the basics and get
them thinking about what is needed to write great
paragraphs for any audience!

Paragraph Matching
Lesson plan that teaches the parts of the
paragraph, and then has the students
matching the details to its main idea

Online Lessons

Paragraph Punch
Online lesson which leads you through
writing a paragraph.  You can save &
resume later, and when you're
finsihed, publish your paragraph!
Really cool site.

Printables

"Big Mac" Sandwich Paragraph Sheet
A sheet to print which organizes your paragraph
like a sandwich:  top bun is the topic sentence,
meat, cheese, lettuce are the juicy details
and the bottom bun is the conclusion.

Sticking to the Topic
(from RHL School)
Select the sentence that would go with the
rest of the paragraph.

Sticking to the Topic
(from RHL School)
Select the sentence that does not belong
in the paragraph

Paragraph Evaluation Form
(pdf file)
A form you can use to grade paragraphs.

Another Evaluation Form
(pdf file)
From the book, Writing Teacher's Book of Lists

Writing Descriptive Paragraphs
(pdf file)
Lesson on teaching paragraph writing
with elaborate detail, autumn theme.

Paragraph Matching
(pdf file)
Cut out the cards, then match the details to
their main ideas.

Color Description Worksheet
(pdf file)
Sheet that helps students come up with
descriptive words for writing about
paragraph about a particular color.

Paragraph Awards
(pdf file)
Give your students a pat on the back
for writing great paragraphs!  You can
print these out and stick a mint or a stick
of gum to thank students for their hard work!

Paragraph Writing Prompts
(pdf file)
Some ideas to get your students
thinking & writing.

Persuasive Paragraphs
(pdf file)
Ideas for getting students started with
writing a persuasive paragraph

Expository Paragraphs
(pdf file)
Ideas for getting students started writing
expository paragraphs.


If there's a paragraph site, printable or
online game or quiz that I missed, please
email me at
tanyafortenberry@hotmail.com
Thanks!

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Multiplication
(7/24/2001)

j02559331.wmf (1174 bytes)

Printables

Multiplication Pretest
Posttest

Multiplication Table
Small Times tables charts
Configure & print
Make custom mult. worksheets

Multiplication Riddles
(pdf file-requires Adobe Acrobat reader)
Times Table Mini-book (1's only)
(pdf file)
Print worksheets (Kidzone)
Print multiplication worksheets from simple to very difficult - all worksheets are dynamic - you can generate 
different problems with each
kind of worksheet!
SuperKids Worksheet Creator
Choose from easy to difficult
multiplication problems. 
Multiplication Practice
6 worksheets generators that give different problems each time (scroll down the page to find them)

Online Flashcards:
A + Math Multiplication Flashcards
Practice Times Tables
Quick Practice

Flashcards to print:

Configure & print flashcards
Create your own custom set of flashcards
Flashcards (print front & back)

Lesson Plans

Just Give me the Facts!
The Squares of numbers in Multiplication
Multiplication Story Problems
Mental Multiplicaton (challenging 5-8)
Properties in multiplication (3-5)

Online Interactive Games
Multiplication Math-O
Multiplication Hidden Picture Game
Multiplication Concentration
Online Worksheet
Math Baseball
TicTacToe Squares
Farm Stand
Multiplication Match
Batter's Up Baseball (select mult.)
Airplane Math (easy)
Coloring Multiplication
Click on Bricks (easy)
Stanley Park Chase
Black Dog's Multiplication Game
Multiplication Mystery
Hungry Frog Game

(note: at the top of the game, click
"Click here to change options," and change the operation to multiplication)
Teaching Tables
5 fun multiplication games

Classroom Games
Games

Multiplication Bingo

Misc.

Bulletin Board Ideas

Main Reference Sites

www.multiplication.com
www.aplusmath.com
www.funbrain.com
www.quia.com
www.alfy.com

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