Blackline Masters

Lap Reading is a monthly program that motivates parents and children to read every day! Jim Trelease states, "The child who is unaware of the riches of literature can have no desire for them." Lap Reading encourages parents to read to their children by providing monthly reading "tips" and a recording page to list the number of books and titles read during the month. The students return the recording sheets each month with an illustration of their favorite book. Children who return the Lap-Reading pages are given a monthly award certificate to validate their efforts. I explain to my parents that Lap-Reading is a gift of love to a child.

Celebrate Me consists of 8 black line masters that highlight each child. I complete these individual student books prior to Open House for the parents to view and take home.

Open House Tour Guide Visors are made at school and worn during Open House as the students take their parents on a tour of the room.

The Book of Names exposes students to beginning dictionary concepts by using their names on each page of the book. I introduce this book after reading Santa's Book of Names, by David McPhail. The Book of Names includes 1 black line master for each letter of the alphabet. After the students print their names on the corresponding pages, I place the book in my writing center for the students to utilize throughout the year. My students use the Book of Names often to make their own books, copy their classmates' names, and send letters.

Little Book of Names is a miniature book that children learn to create and utilize to practice reading and writing their classmates' names. Little Book of Names consists of 1 legal-sized black line master, folding directions and an idea page. This is one of my students' favorite activities! We repeat this activity often throughout the school year.

The Number of Days in School collection includes black line masters that encourage number writing practice, 100th Day of School activities, a grid to record the number of days in school, and masters for self-portraits to be drawn on the 10th, 20th, 30th…100th day of school. This collection is a favorite of kindergarten and first grade teachers.

Caterpillar Capers engages students in meaningful activities that revolve around Eric Carle's book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The set includes the Caterpillar Journal, science and art ideas, and array of black line masters that guide teachers and students to create individual books, a class stair step book, and an innovative big book using the melody from Eric Carle's, Today is Monday. Twelve pocket chart pictures printed on card stock are also included. (The caterpillar journal may be purchased separately.)

This collection of black line masters uses memorable rhymes, such as, One Potato, Two Potatoes, to involve students in illustrating counting books up to ten. These small booklets encourage students to develop their understanding of emergent concepts of print, including: directionality, word-to-word correspondence, and punctuation. There are four books in the set: One Egg, Two Eggs, One Ladybug, Two Ladybugs, One Potato, two Potatoes, and Bumble Bee stair step book. I encourage the parents to save these books in "Book Boxes" at home for the children to revisit often.