End of the Year Assessment: Find more time with when you use this 1 RESOURCE

I know that when it comes to end of the year assessments, it can be a struggle.  At times it can feel like you are up against a wall with the pressure of time.  You are out of time and the testing has to get done.  Sometimes kids must stay in centers a little longer than usual so you can finish up that last 3-4 minutes of assessments with a student.  From experience and from listening to other kinder and 1st grade teachers, behavior can take a nose dive as you devote time to assessing while students must manage themselves.  

This means you need engaging activities that students can complete on their own so they do not interrupt you.  I have found that these "End of the Year" summer linking cube pictures do just that.

Here are 3 Reasons you'll love this activity:

• Your kids will stay engaged for 30-45 minutes or more at a time giving you more time to assess.

• You will be guilt FREE because your kids are kids are engaged in counting, spacial reasoning, fine motor, symmetry, patterns, critical thinking and creativity while they re-create the pictures in 3D.

• These require little to NO prep depending if you project the pictures or print and laminate.

                   

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                         more pictures are included but not shown

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Another way to use these is to pair the pictures with stories. Students work on the pictures that go with the story for that day.  So, if you need to,

• Pair different linking cube picture mats with different stories. This will enable you to get 30 minutes or more of testing in a day for at least 2 weeks!
• Read a story a day and project the linking cube picture mat to eliminate prep.
• Read a story and place 1-3 linking cube picture mats in a center.

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What Kids Do

• Some students lay the cubes flat.
• Others build the picture and stand up.
• Students must use critical thinking skills to turn the cubes so the entire unit stays together.

What Kids Are Working On
Kids love these.  Kids spend a long time creating the pictures. Kids can spend an entire week building these.  But . . . kids are also working on:

• counting
• estimating
• fine motor
• spacial reasoning
• patterning
• even and odd numbers

If you don't believe me, try it out for yourself.  Click on the picture to download 3 of the Summer Build It Linking Cube Picture Mats below.  

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If you find you really like them you may want the BUNDLE to use throughout the year or to go with your themes.  I'm adding more to it and you'll be able to download all the extra build it units for FREE (Now includes 8 Units).  You can take a look at it by clicking on the picture below.

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If you are looking for more end of the year resources check out this FREE Reading Seed Poem to send home with your kids at the end of the year. It is super cute and can be sent home as a gift.  

If you are looking for more low or NO prep activities that are great for the end of the year, try this FREE spinning top STEM activity that uses linking cubes and comes with lesson plans and teaching tips!

Happy end of the year and have a wonderful SUMMER!