Dear Sis,

Our Daily Reading

The first fiction selection is the widely popular book, Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by James Dean and Eric Litwin. As Pete’s favorite shirt loses buttons, your students gets some counting practice, and learns from Pete’s positive attitude that rotten luck is no reason to cry.

The second fiction selection, Grandma’s Button Box by Linda Williams Aber, is a story about a girl who spills her grandmother’s button box, while she is out. She and her cousins work together to find and sort all the buttons before she returns. Another great math story!

 “b” is for Button Letter Craft

Parent Preparation

• Print b if for Button Printable from Tag Sis, You’re It!
• Supply crayons, scissors, glue stick and liquid glue, assorted buttons, and a sheet of craft paper.

Student Assembly

• Color “b” with crayons.
• Cut out or ask your grown up to cut out your “b.”
• Paste “b” to sheet of craft paper with glue stick.
• Glue buttons to “b” with liquid glue.
• Write or ask your grown up to title, name, and date your work, for your homeschool portfolio.

Pete the Cat Groovy Buttons Game

Game Play

2-4 Players

Set Up for Each Player

• Cat figure place marker
• 1 Button Jar
• 2 Buttons (to place on Jar)

Rules of Play

• Youngest player spins first.
• Land on Green: add suggested number of Buttons to Jar.
• Land on Red: remove suggested number of Buttons from Jar and place them on Pete’s Shirt.
• Land on Blue: trade Jars with Player of choice.
• Land on Blank Green Space of Pete’s Shirt: take all the Buttons on the Shirt.

Game End

• Play ends when all buttons are collected.
• Any buttons remaining on Pete’s Shirt are divided among players, starting with the youngest player.
• Player with the most buttons wins!

Pete the Cat Groovy Buttons Game helps your student practice counting and number recognition for numbers 1-5.

Button Shape Sorting Jars

Activity Materials

• Print Button Shape Sorting Jars from ABCs to ACTs, on card stock.
  • Cut out and laminate for durability.
• Melissa and Dough Chunky Shape Puzzle

Our Process

• Review shapes using Shape Puzzle.
• Read shape names on jars to student and have them place the corresponding shape over the name. The Flower Jar will be the only one without a shape.
• Ask student to short buttons into the correct jar, saying the color and shape of each button as they go.

Lunch: Button Sandwiches

I used a glass to cut circles of bread and a drinking straw to create the button holes. William wanted PB&J, so I cut the bread first and then made the sandwiches. For ham or turkey and cheese, it would be easier to make the sandwich first and then cut it into a round. Just pull off the top slice and create the button holes before serving.

Love,

b