Blog Archive

How to Change an Improper Fraction to a Mixed Number Visual

We continue to enjoy learning about fractions. This week the kids have been learning how to change an improper fraction to a mixed number.

They are now experts at long division, so the actual process to find the answer is quite easy for them.  However, remembering which number goes where has proven to be a challenge, especially for Bulldozer.

Both my husband and I have been working to try to help him with this process, but after three days, he's still really struggling with it and becoming a bit frustrated.  For this reason we decided to make a visual for him.


FREE How to Change an Improper Fraction to a Mixed Number Visual

How to Change an Improper Fraction to a Mixed Number Visual


This visual was designed with Bulldozer's learning style in mind.  He is extremely visual and loves colors. 


To help him understand what numbers go where from start to finish in the process, I color coded them.  Bulldozer is thrilled to have this resource to use, until he feels more confident in his skills and abilities.


It can be printed out in full page form, or two to a page to fit in a notebook. This resource is also great when teaching online.


The How to Change an Improper Fraction to a Mixed Number Visual is a Subscriber Only Freebie. For your free copy, follow the directions at the bottom of this post.

Improper Fractions and Mixed Number Clip Cards Printable Pack

Improper Fractions & Mixed Number Clip Cards Printable Pack


The How to Change an Improper Fraction to a Mixed Number Visual works beautifully with the Improper Fractions & Mixed Number Clip Cards Printable Pack


This printable pack includes 100 clip cards, 50 of which require reduction, and 50 that do not. 


After using this printable pack and visual, children will feel so confident in their ability to work with improper fractions and mixed numbers.


How to Reduce Fractions Visual


FREE How to Reduce Fractions Visual


The Improper Fraction to a Mixed Visual is not the only visual we have created to help children learning fractions. 


Children learning to reduce fractions can use our How to Reduce Fractions Visual along paired with our Fractions: Reduction Clip Cards Printable Pack.

These are fabulous resources that will ensure all students master reducing fractions.

FREE How to Solve Addition Fraction Problems Visual

FREE How to Solve Addition Fractions Visual


When teaching addition of fractions, consider the How to Solve Addition Fractions Visual that works perfectly with our Fractions: Addition Clip Cards Printable Pack.


Both of these resources are sure to be of help when learning how to add fractions in all situations.


Before you leave to go grab all of these other fabulous free visuals, print your copy of the How to Change an Improper Fraction to a Mixed Number Visual by following the directions below.


Directions on How to Obtain Subscriber Only Freebies

1. Click on the Subscriber's link at the bottom of this post.

2. Subscribe to our free newsletter.

3. Open the thank you message you receive in your e-mail, after subscribing. (Be sure to check your spam folder, as sometimes it ends up there.)

4. Click the confirmation link in the thank you message.

5. Once the confirmation is complete, you will receive another e-mail message with the Subscriber Only Freebies.

6. Click on link.

7. Find the printable pack you are looking for listed in alphabetical order, click on it, and voila!

We hope you enjoy your free printable.

Note: If you are already a newsletter subscriber, open your most recent newsletter. At the bottom you will find a link to the Subscriber Only Freebies page, along with the password in case you forgot it.


If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy the posts below.

FREE Fraction Reduction Chart FREE Prime Number Printable Pack Montessori-inspired Introduction to Fraction Activities Fractions Activities and Printables Montessori-inspired Intro to Fractions Printable Pack Fractions: Equivalence Clip Cards Printable Pack Fractions: Subtraction Clip Cards Printable Pack Fractions: Multiplication Clip Cards Printable Pack Fractions: Division Clip Cards Printable Pack
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Montessori Chinese New Year Activities for Preschoolers

 Chinese New Year is one of my kids' favorite holidays from around the world to celebrate.  They look forward to it every year.   

I've shared several activities that we've had on our shelves during the Chinese New Year, but the majority of them have been geared towards older preschool and elementary students.

Today I'm sharing our Montessori Chinese New Year Activities for Preschoolers. These activities have been specifically designed for little ones.  


Montessori Chinese New Year Activities for Preschoolers


Before moving forward with our activities I wanted to mention that we have chosen to use the term Chinese New Year because these activities specifically focus on how the holiday is celebrated in Chinese culture.

The activities do not include a focus on other Lunar New Year celebrations around the world, especially those that do not take place on the same day.


Montessori Chinese New Year Activities for Preschoolers


Chinese New Year Nomenclature Card Activity


Chinese New Year Nomenclature Cards


There's nothing quite like learning about Chinese New Year culture with hands on manipulatives!  It makes the experience so much more fun.  In this activity students match up objects with nomenclature cards.


Over the years I've had a ton of fun collecting little trinkets related to Chinese New Year on Amazon.  If you're able to get your hands on them too, the kids will love them.  


But, if you're not able to afford the real deal or have no access to objects, you always have the option of matching picture cards.


Source: The printables used for these activities come from the Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Printable Pack.


Chinese New Year Animal Matching Activity


Chinese New Year Zodiac Animal Match Up


Our kids are huge fans of animal figures incorporated into learning activities.  The Safari LTD Chinese Zodiac Toob was the perfect addition to our collection.  


The figures provide a great matching activity for little ones who can't read.  At the same time the activity provides an introduction to animal words.


If you don't have the figures, you can always use the cards as nomenclature cards or a simple memory game.


Depending on where your students are at, you could use the cards or figures in combination with the moveable alphabet to practice spelling.


Source: The printables used for these activities come from the Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Printable Pack.


D is for Dragon Tissue Paper Activity


D is for Dragon Tissue Paper Activity


This activity is a fabulous way to introduce letters and sounds to little ones.  The printable comes with both uppercase and lowercase options for selected letters related to Chinese New Year.  

Kiddos open the container of glue, paint the letter with glue, and stick on pieces of red and yellow tissue paper.

If you have a little one who is starting to cut, she could cut the tissue paper strips herself in preparation for the activity.

Source: The printables used for these activities come from the Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Printable Pack.


Chinese New Year Writing Strips


Chinese New Year Writing Word Strips

Ever since Sunshine could hold a crayon, she has always loved to write, even when she didn't know how.  For this reason, I began creating writing strips with a majority of our unit studies.  Chinese New Year is no exception!

Before Sunshine felt confident forming her own letters on lines, I would provide only the tracing letter option of the writing strips.  Once she felt comfortable writing letters on her own, I would provide the control and the blank wordstrips for her to use.

Source: The printables used for these activities come from the Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Printable Pack.


Chinese New Year Counting Activity


Chinese New Year Counting Activity

For those learning to count, these cards and tiny ingots are a delight to work with.  Cards for numbers through twenty are provided.

Source: The printables used for these activities come from the Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Printable Pack.

Chinese New Year Character Painting Activity


Chinese New Year Writing Activity

This is by far the most favorite activity on our Chinese New Year shelves each year. The kids love writing in Chinese.  

Depending on the age of your little one and how long you want them to be painting, you can use one card or all twelve.  Be sure to laminate them, if you are able, to protect them from the mess that will occur as the painting occurs.

I usually provide a container of black paint, paint brush and small pieces of red construction paper for this activity.  The kids know they may use one piece of paper per character.

Source: The printables used for these activities come from the Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Printable Pack.

Apple Cutting Activity


Apple Slice Cutting Activity

Chinese New Year celebrations include many special fruits and vegetables. I have created cards for each and every one.  Depending on what produce is available in your area, you can create several fruit and vegetable themed practical life activities.  

If you're not able to obtain fresh produce, cards can be used in matching games or as nomenclature cards.

Did you know that apples are special to Chinese New Year celebrations?  In this activity little ones will practicing cutting apples using the slicer in the picture.  

Because little ones often don't have the strength and motor skills to cut through an entire apple, we provide apple slices for them to cut instead.

Source: The printables used for these activities come from the Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Printable Pack.

Orange Peeling Activity


Orange Peeling Activity

Mandarin oranges also have a special place in Chinese New Year celebrations.  

Learning to peel an orange can often be a bit tricky for little ones.  

In this activity, I make cuts in the orange peel ahead of time.  Kiddos then practice peeling the orange, placing peels in one bowl and slices in another.  I used clementine oranges. They're the perfect size for little hands.

 Source: The printables used for these activities come from the Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Printable Pack.

Pomegranate Seed Spooning Activity


Spooning Pomegranate Seeds Activity

Pomegranate is such a fun fruit to work with. Like the mandarin orange and apple, it has a special place in Chinese New Year celebrations.  

Little ones practice spooning pomegranate fruit from one bowl to the other using the spoon provided.

Source: The printables used for these activities come from the Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Printable Pack.

Pomegranate Fruit Extraction Activity


Extracting Pomegranate Seeds Activity

For little ones with a bit more coordination and strength when completing fine motor tasks, extracting the edible pomegranate fruit pieces is a fantastic practical life activity.

A spoon is provided so kids don't have to use their hands. The spoon is super tiny to ensure success.

Source: The printables used for these activities come from the Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Printable Pack.

Chinese New Year Flower Arrangement Activity


Flower Arranging Activity


Chinese New Year celebrations include several beautiful blossoms. I have created picture and description cards for each of these blossoms.


Depending on what blossoms are available in your area (real or artificial), will depend on the variety you can include in your flower arranging activity.


I don't have access to many at all where I live, but was able to find these beautiful plum blossoms online.  Little ones love making flower arrangements to use decorate the classroom.


If you have access to all of the blossoms and various plants, you could use the cards I created in a matching activity.  


If you can't find any blossoms and plants, you can always use the cards for matching games or as nomenclature cards.


Next year I may include a lucky bamboo plant in our studies and teach the kids to care for it.


Source: The printables used for these activities come from the Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Printable Pack.


Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Printable Pack

All of the printables in the activities in this post come from our Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Printable Pack.  There are so many amazing resources for children in Montessori preschool and elementary classrooms.


For those who would like more Montessori printables and activity ideas for preschoolers, be sure to subscribe to our FREE newsletter by clicking the link below.


If you enjoyed this post and are looking for more Chinese New Year activity ideas using the Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Printable Pack, be sure to check out the resources below. All you need to do is click on the images.

Chinese New Year Math Activities Chinese New Year Language Activities Chinese New Year Culture and Science Activities Chinese New Year Preschool ActivitiesChinese New Year Printable Pack
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Martin Luther King Jr. Family Member Nomenclature Cards

 Martin Luther King Day is coming soon.  It can be hard to figure out how to introduce such an amazing figure in history in a way that young ones will relate to.  

There are so many big words that surround his name, what he stands for, and what he did for our nation.

So this year, why not start with a concept children will understand!  

Family. 

The Martin Luther King Jr. Family Member Nomenclature Cards are sure to be a hit!


Martin Luther King Jr. Family Member Nomenclature Cards

Martin Luther King Jr. Family Member Nomenclature Cards


Martin Luther King Jr. couldn't have done all he did without family support.  After his death, it's his family who has carried on his work.  All of them are so important to his story and our nation's history.

As we created this printable we used the absolute best pictures we could find.  There are very few and far between, three of which aren't the highest quality.  We felt, despite the quality issues, all family members were equally important to include.

We hope you enjoy this printable as much as we do!


The Martin Luther King Jr. Family Nomenclature Cards are a free printable. for your free copy click the link below.


For those who are looking for more Black history printables and resources, be sure to subscribe to our FREE newsletter!


If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy the resources below.

6 Ways Your Family Can Show Black Lives Matter Black History Unit Montessori-inspired Kwanzaa Printable Pack Montessori-inspired Kwanzaa Printable Pack II Montessori-inspired Friendship Printable Pack Montessori-inspired Family Printable Pack
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Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Culture and Science Activities

Culture and Science activities are always a favorite in our classroom.  The kids always learn so much and love studying each and every card.

The Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Culture and Science Activities are no different, especially when they're paired with real life experiences.  

They have gone perfectly with all of our other Chinese/Lunar New Year activities.

We thoroughly enjoyed going to a Chinese restaurant and making Chinese food to taste test authentic dishes.

The kids also loved tasting some of the fruits and vegetables associated with Chinese New Year.

There are no limits as to how these cards can be used!

Chinese New Year Culture and Science Activities

Before moving forward with our activities I wanted to mention that we have chosen to use the term Chinese New Year because these activities specifically focus on how the holiday is celebrated in Chinese culture.

The activities do not include a focus on other Lunar New Year celebrations around the world, especially those that do not take place on the same day.

Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Culture and Science Activities


Chinese New Year Blossom Picture and Description Cards


Chinese New Year Blossom Picture and Description Cards

For kids who love botany, this activity is sure to please, especially if you're able to include live or artificial blossoms for kids to match up with the cards.  It all just depends on where you live and what's available.

The kids matched up the blossom cards with the description cards, learning about each blossom and why it's part of the Chinese New Year.

When presenting to Sunshine, we used the nomenclature version of this activity instead of the description cards.

Source: The printables used for these activities come from the Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Printable Pack.

Chinese New Year Fruit and Vegetable Picture and Description Cards


Chinese New Year Fruit and Vegetable Picture and Description Cards

Just like the blossom cards, the fruit and vegetable cards are a fantastic way to include botany in your Chinese New Year studies.  

The activity comes alive if you're able to find the fruits and vegetables on the cards to include with the activity. 

We served some of them as a snack to our co-op friends, during this unit study.  They loved the experience.

When presenting this information to Sunshine, we used the nomenclature version of the cards, which she loved.

If Sunshine were with us right now and we were reintroducing Chinese New Year concepts, I would go all out and order all I needed to plant Lucky Bamboo with her since she loves gardening right now.  

Source: The printables used for these activities come from the Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Printable Pack.

Chinese New Year Cuisine Picture & Description Cards


Chinese New Year Cuisine Picture and Description Cards

The Chinese New Year Cuisine Picture and Description Cards were a huge hit in our classroom. There's just something about food cards that the kids love.  

We read through the description of every cuisine card and matched it to its picture card during the presentation. The kids then used these cards to play a memory game with peers.

When our class decided to celebrate Chinese New Year, we went to our local Chinese restaurant where the kids were actually able to try some of these dishes, which was quite a treat!

Source: The printables used for these activities come from the Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Printable Pack.

Chinese New Year Spiritual Belief Nomenclature Cards


Chinese New Year Belief Nomenclature Cards

There are a lot of different belief systems in China today and in the past.  This activity gives a brief introduction to the beliefs and symbols associated with them.  

Younger kiddos in our co-op loved these cards because of the symbols introduced, especially those they had seen before.

Source: The printables used for these activities come from the Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Printable Pack.

Chinese New Year Spiritual Belief Picture and Description Cards


Chinese New Year Belief Picture and Description Cards

The older kiddos in our co-op enjoyed the introduction to various belief systems in China in the past and present, matching up the descriptions with their signs.  Controls from the younger kiddos' activities were used to help them when necessary.

Source: The printables used for these activities come from the Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Printable Pack.

Montessori-inspired Chinese New Year Printable Pack

As you can see there is so much to be learned about Chinese New Year in the areas of culture and science presented in this post. 


For those who would love more holiday printables, be sure to subscribe to our free newsletter by clicking the link below.


If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy the resources below.

Chinese New Year Preschool Activities Chinese New Year Math Activities Chinese New Year Language Activities Chinese New Year Preschool ActivitiesChinese New Year Printable Pack
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