Block Learning DIY Style!

Check out my newest idea: Block Learning! It’s pretty simple really, just grab some blocks of wood and some stickers – that’s it!

Now, I have to tell you I went to the craft store to grab my blocks of wood, and THOUGHT I was getting a deal.

Turns out they cost WAY more than I bargained for, but I needed them so I paid anyway. I can imagine you could get some really cheap by grabbing some wood at a Home-Depot style store and cutting your own instead.

Once you have your blocks, make sure to sand them down so there are no ragged edges. Splinters would not be fun to deal with in the middle of a lesson.

Then, choose some stickers you would like to add to the blocks. This is where the learning possibilities are endless!

For mine, I chose a jungle theme and an underwater theme. I could have the students either give me vocabulary words that the stickers represent from the unit or I could have them roll and make up a story using whichever images land on the top of the 6 “dice.”

Some other ideas:

Place foamy sticky letters on your blocks. Students roll and have to give a word that starts or ends with that letter.
Use numbers and have students use the numbers to create a number sentence, complete with the solution.
Use onomatopoeia words and have students roll and create a picture, with matching story that uses their rolled words.

Those are just a few of the ways to use these blocks. The possibilities are endless!

Reading and Language Arts Power Pack

11 reading and language arts resource sets that pack a punch!

This power pack includes the following 11 files:

Beach Activities Pack (K-6)
Chapter Book Reading Strategies Activities (grades 3-8)
Chrysanthemum Reading Packet (grades 2-4)
Contraction Packet (grades 1-3)
DI Spelling Menus Packet (grade 2+)
Never Ride Your Elephant to School Activities (grades 2-4)
Reading Bingo (grades 2-8)
Space Theme Reading Logs (grades 2-5)
Fiction and Nonfiction Story Maps (grades 2-6)
Vocabulary Bingo (grades 3+)
Writing Menu (grades 3+)

See more details HERE.

One you have your stickers in place, you will probably want to modge podge a coat or two over them in order to seal the stickers in (from picking fingers) and the splinters as well.

Another option is to paint them your classroom theme colors before adding the stickers. Plus, they will look pretty all shined up.

And of course we need something to store it in as this IS The Organized Classroom Blog, so I found this super cool bucket at the craft store, which I LOVE since it is clear to store them in.

Add a label – feel free to grab the free download of mine below) and some ribbon to match your classroom theme and you are set!

Have fun!