Celebrate dad with this Father's Day award card for 1st grade: kids fold the card and finish sentence starters to write a proud, loving note telling him why he is the best.
Celebrate Dad with this Father's Day card for 1st grade: kids fold the card and finish friendly sentence starters to write a heartfelt thank-you note.
Hooray for the dads and grandpas!
Father's Day, the third Sunday in June, is a sweet chance for first graders to write from the heart. They write short sentences that tell why someone special matters: My dad is fun because he plays ball with me. They practice describing words, capital letters and end marks while they make cards and awards. Many classes celebrate any special grown-up, like a grandpa, an uncle or a family friend. The click moment is a child reading their card aloud and beaming with pride.
We turn the card-making into real writing practice, and the kids never notice!
Write your own example on the board: "My grandpa is the best because he tells funny jokes." Underline the word because. Kids copy the frame and finish it with their own reason. A sentence frame gets even reluctant writers started.
Why it works: handing over the work step by step, from teacher to student, is one of the most widely used teaching frameworks (Pearson and Gallagher, 1983).
Try it withFather's Day No. 1 Dad CardWorksheetsOpen it →Brainstorm awards together: Best Pancake Maker, Super Tickler, Top Fixer. Kids pick one for their special grown-up, draw a picture and write one sentence telling why. Drawing first helps them plan what to write.
Why it works: children learn more from words and pictures together than from words alone (Mayer, 2009).
Try it withFather's Day Award CardWorksheetsOpen it →Each day the week before, kids add one fact to a mini book: his favorite food, color, game and what you love to do together. Small daily pieces make a finished gift without one long writing marathon.
Why it works: spreading practice out over days is one of the two most effective study methods in a major research review (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013).
Teacher favorites right now: Father's Day Award Card and Father's Day No. 1 Dad Card.
In the United States, Father's Day is the third Sunday in June. Many schools are already out, so classes often celebrate in the last week of school.
Cards, award certificates, coupon books and all-about-my-dad mini books are great choices. Each one includes a little writing and a little art.
Invite kids to celebrate any special grown-up: a grandpa, uncle, mom, stepparent or family friend. Saying "special grown-up" keeps everyone included.
Kids write complete sentences with a reason, using a capital letter and end mark. Describing words like funny, strong and kind grow their vocabulary too.
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