Aussie Waves

Make Christmas reading activities meaningful with this engaging collection of 3 Christmas reading comprehension stories, accompanying worksheets and decision-making activities. If you use Would You Rather questions, the first story is a must! Through Christmas stories and relatable situations, students explore choices and consequences, responsibility, mistakes, honesty and fairness, while developing essential reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. What's Included *3 Christmas-themed reading texts, one especially related to Would You Rather Questions *15 accompanying worksheets *Additional Decision-Making Activities *Oh No! What Now? – Students consider how to respond when a poor decision has unpleasant consequences. *Right or Wrong? – Students explore situations involving good intentions, unexpected outcomes, honesty, kindness and fairness. Rather than simply recalling information, students are encouraged to think deeply, make inferences, express opinions, consider different viewpoints and explain their reasoning. These printable Christmas literacy activities combine reading comprehension with social-emotional learning (SEL), making them ideal for meaningful classroom discussions and end-of-year learning. Reading and Thinking Skills These activities encourage students to develop: *Reading comprehension and inference *Predicting and drawing conclusions *Critical thinking and decision-making *Cause-and-effect reasoning *Explaining and justifying opinions *Considering different perspectives *Reflecting on mistakes and responsibility *Social-emotional awareness and communication Why I think you’ll like it *It is more than Christmas reading comprehension — I’ve tried to encourage students to think, choose, reflect and learn through engaging seasonal stories and meaningful discussions. *It is Print and Go: ready for whole class, small groups or individuals. *It is an interesting End-of-year literacy activity

Give students a handy, interactive reference for 12 essential reading comprehension skills with this printable Reading Comprehension Skills Fan! Designed so students can work independently during group time, with interrupting you with questions. This is a collection of mini anchor charts or posters, on an easy-to-assemble fan. It provides clear, student-friendly explanations to help learners recall and apply comprehension strategies. Students can keep their fans on their desks or in folders, ready to flick through whenever they need a quick reminder. What's Included 12 reading comprehension skill blades, covering: *Cause and Effect *Making Connections *Predicting *Sequencing *Comparing and Contrasting *Fact and Opinion *Identifying the Main Idea *Questioning *Justifying *Making Inferences *Visualising / Visualizing (a blade for each spelling options included) *Summarising / Summarizing a blade for each spelling options included) *Easy to assemble instructions Why I think you’ll like it *It encourages independence: Students can check explanations without always needing to interrupt to ask for clarification *12 essential skills in one handy tool *Flexible and differentiated: Select the blades that suit individual students or particular learning goals. *Easy to prepare: Print, cut out and fasten the blades together with a split pin (brad). *Reusable: Laminate for durability or print individual copies for students. *Internationally suitable: Includes both US and Australian spelling versions. Easy to Assemble Students can make them! Print the required blades, cut them out and secure them together with a split pin (brad). Students can help assemble their own fans, and additional blades can be added as new skills are introduced. I found that when students were assembling the fan, they were also reading and discussing the information: they felt ownership and used regularly. A practical, engaging alternative to traditional anchor charts — giving students the comprehension reminders they need, right at their fingertips!

Help students understand the language of word problems and develop confidence in choosing the correct mathematical operation! This engaging, printable resource introduces and reinforces key vocabulary associated with addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Students learn to identify common words and phrases used in word problems, helping them interpret questions and decide which operation may be needed. What's Included *4 vocabulary posters – addition, subtraction, multiplication and division *4 puzzles – one for each operation, reinforcing key vocabulary *40 task cards – for practising recognition and understanding of word problem language *1 interactive four-part wheel – a hands-on reference for the four operations *1 vocabulary fan – a handy desktop reference students can use independently Perfect For *Scaffolding problem solving activities *Introducing word problem vocabulary *Small-group hands-on activities *Independent learning and revision *Partner activities *Problem-solving lessons *Classroom displays and reference materials *Supporting students who need additional vocabulary reminders Why I think You Like it *Builds mathematical language: Helps students recognise and understand vocabulary commonly used in word problems. *Reinforces your lessons, without you having to repeat many times! *Supports problem-solving: Encourages students to interpret questions and consider which operation to use. *Multiple activity formats: Combines visual references, puzzles, task cards and interactive learning. *Encourages independence: The vocabulary fan provides a convenient reference during problem-solving activities. *Reusable and practical: Posters and task cards can be laminated for repeated classroom use. Give students the vocabulary tools they need to approach word problems with greater confidence!

Build strong number sense with over 340 base ten block task cards designed to help young learners develop counting, grouping and place value skills. Perfect for Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Year 1, these printable activities provide structured learning with ones, tens and numbers from 0–100. Students progress from counting small numbers to recognising groups of tens and ones, helping them develop confidence and a solid understanding of place value. What's Included *94 printable pages with black-and-white and colour options, featuring six types of activities: *60 multiple-choice cards (0–20): Count base ten blocks and select the correct number. *120 number identification cards (0–20): Identify the number represented by outlined base ten blocks. *40 counting cards (10–100): Count groups of tens and record the total. *40 tens identification cards (10–100): Identify the number represented by groups of tens. *40 place value cards (10–100): Count mixed tens and ones and write the number. *44 tens and units cards (10–100): Identify or represent numbers using tens and ones. Flexible Classroom Uses *Cut-and-laminate task cards for repeated use *Printable worksheets for independent work *Small-group or learning group activities *Partner activities and revision tasks *Fast finisher activities *Informal assessments of counting and place value skills *Students can respond using pegs (clothespins), counters, dry-erase markers or pencils, depending on the activity. Why I think you will like it *There is a lot here! *Differentiation: Progresses from numbers to 10, then 20, and finally 100. *Builds essential number sense: Reinforces counting, grouping, tens and ones, and place value understanding. *Flexible and reusable: Suitable for individual students, pairs and small groups. *Novelty: Students don’t always have to write their answers, they can use counters, pegs, *Low preparation: Print and use as worksheets, or laminate cards for repeated practice. *Printing ink options: Choose the format that best suits your classroom. Help students develop confidence with numbers to 100 through engaging, practical base ten block activities!

Make learning and recalling spelling words and multiplication facts more engaging with two printable Battleship-style learning games! These fun, competitive partner activities turn everyday spelling and times tables practice into interactive learning experiences. Both games are easy to prepare, reusable and ideal for students working independently in pairs. What's Included 16 Printable Game Boards, with How to Play instructions Spelling Battleship – a two-player game that can be used with any spelling word list Multiplication Battleship – a fun variation for learning multiplication facts and times tables Spelling Battleship Students practise their spelling words while playing a familiar Battleship-style game. Each player uses a game board and their own spelling list, making it easy to differentiate for different abilities. Players follow rules similar to traditional Battleship, but instead of sinking ships, they sink words! Multiplication Battleship Turn times tables practice into a fun partner challenge! Students use their multiplication knowledge to play against a partner, reinforcing number facts through repeated practice. Beginners can focus on a single multiplication table, while more confident students can combine several tables for an extra challenge. Why I think you will like it: Suits every child: play with any words and any multiplication facts Choice of 16 themed game boards Once students know the rules, they can play both games independently Spelling accuracy and word recognition Multiplication fact recall Strategic thinking and problem-solving Communication and turn-taking Confidence through repeated practice Two versatile, printable games that make essential spelling and multiplication practice more enjoyable — without needing a new activity for every word list or times table!

Bring festive fun and meaningful discussion into your classroom with 102 printable Christmas Would You Rather questions! These engaging This or That prompts encourage students to make choices, explain and justify their reasoning, and develop critical thinking and communication skills. Each card presents two Christmas or holiday-themed options, inviting students to choose. Ideal for morning meetings, literacy, small-group discussions, opinion writing, classroom debates, or quick end-of-year activities. What's Included 102 printable question cards featuring fun, high-interest Christmas and holiday themes 3 graphic organiser templates to help students organise their thinking, compare options, and explain their choices Task recording sheet for tracking completed cards Skills Students Will Develop Critical thinking and decision-making Logical reasoning and justifying opinions Persuasive and explanatory language Expressing ideas clearly and confidently Listening to and respecting different viewpoints Why I think you will like it An easy to prepare activity: Print, cut and Go So many uses! Whole class with one question: small groups, partners or independent tasks Conversation starters and oral language Opinion and persuasive writing Classroom discussions and debates Daily warm-ups or end of day fun time-filler Fast finishers and brain breaks End-of-year activities

Discover the strange, surprising and sometimes hilarious world of Christmas trees with 6 unusual but true news stories, reading comprehension questions and creative thinking activities! This Christmas literacy resource combines informational reading, critical thinking, inference and visual literacy with fascinating real-life events. What's Included 1. Six Strange but True Christmas Tree News Reports 6 short nonfiction reading texts based on real events Authentic, newspaper-style layouts Reader's Comments boxes for student responses Unusual and entertaining Christmas tree stories to spark curiosity and discussion 2. Reading Comprehension Questions Questions accompanying each news report A mixture of fact-finding, vocabulary, inference and opinion questions Opportunities for students to explain and justify their answers 3. You're the Reporter! – Creative Extension Activity Students choose between two activities: Research and write their own unusual Christmas tree news report Design an eye-catching poster inspired by one of the stories 4. Photo Detectives! – Visual Literacy Activity Students examine photographs to: Make careful observations Ask questions and make inferences Distinguish between what they can see and what they think might be happening Create a catchy newspaper headline Why I think you’ll like it It is a Print and Go activity It will engage students, because the stories are fun! Tasks encourage thinking, forming and justifying opinions It has a seasonal attraction: children are already interested in Christmas! Use is very flexible: whole class, small groups, or individual students. If your students enjoyed these unusual Christmas stories, please explore my other resources for more engaging classroom activities.