Toronto Teacher Mom: Avery

DIY Magnetic Words for La poule Maboule AIM Kit

Last June, we put together a wish list for our French department and on that list was a French magnetic poetry kit. I thought it would be a great manipulative for students to use as part of a centre, for example, but then I got to thinking that the vocabulary wouldn't be as practical for beginners since it would likely be geared more towards those who are francophone. So when I came across Avery Magnet Sheets (affiliate link) during Amazon Prime Day, I thought I would try to make my own. Printable magnetic sheets? Who knew? These ink jet magnet sheets, which are specially coated for brilliant colour, are compatible with my new Epson EcoTank 2750 and so I gave it a shot. I changed the print quality to high and I was very impressed with the result.

During Prime Day, I was so ecstatic to have found CARL RM-12 12-Inch Cutting Mats (affiliate link) for my really old 12-inch trimmer, which I haven't been able to find in-store. Plus, they were on sale. With these fresh mats, it made cutting my magnetic words sheet into strips that much easier and the cut was much neater. Then I just cut the strips into words by making small vertical cuts with a pair of scissors.

For this particular set, I tried to fit in as many of the words on the PDL Gestured Word List for the AIM Language kit I use with my grade 1 students - La poule Maboule. I managed to fit around 90% of the words on a single sheet in a Google Doc, in size 14 font. I still need to make an additional sheet with punctuation marks, several copies of the higher frequency words, capitalized words that often begin a sentence and additional conjugations and verb tenses. I printed mine in colour using a variation of the colour code used for the Montessori grammar symbols:

light blue for articles
black for nouns
dark blue for adjectives
purple for pronouns
red for verbs
orange for adverbs
green for prepositions
yellow for interjections

For certain expressions, I decided to use grey. You can download a copy by clicking on the thumbnail below. I also created one in black and white.

The Avery Magnet Sheets pack includes five sheets only so I have a feeling I'm going to buy some more during one of the Staples Teacher Appreciation Days when I can save 15% off.

How to Make Your Own Magnetic Words

Materials:

Avery Magnet Sheets
inkjet printer (such as Canon, Epson, HP and other popular ink jet printers)
scissors and/or a paper cutter

Directions:

Design a table with multiple columns and rows, and type out the required words, adjusting column width as necessary. For the set I created, I created a Google Doc and used a Serif font called Bitter in size 14.
Load a magnetic sheet into the printer, ensuring that it will print on the correct side, and print.
Let it dry fully for a few minutes.
Cut out the words. I used a rotary paper trimmer but it is metal which meant that the magnetic sheet wouldn't slide as easily. So I used it to make the horizontal cuts and used scissors to cut vertically.

I plan on using these magnetic words after introducing the "Mets les mots en ordre" activity. Initially, I would limit the words in the tin to select words with which they can formulate simple sentences. They can work in their groups during IPG (Independent/Partner/Group) work, where each day a different group gets to work with them while the remaining groups work on the activities. Once a group member creates a sentence, other group members can act it out or illustrate it on a mini whiteboard. Then I would add more words when it’s time to create "Mes phrases folles."

Have you used magnetic words in the classroom? I would love to learn more about how you incorporate them and any storage ideas you might have.

Friday, July 20, 2018
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Getting Organized for School With Avery Canada

Avery

Back-to-school has come and gone but when it comes to organization, it's a year-long challenge. If you haven't already figured it out, an essential organizational tip is to label everything, especially your kids' belongings. This year, I'm using Avery No-Iron Clothing Labels to make sure their jackets, hats and other accessories make it back home. They're easy to use and come in assorted sizes. Simply write directly on the label with a permanent marker allow the ink to dry and place it on the garment. And yes, they are washer and dryer safe!

For school supplies, I am using Avery Kids Self Laminating Labels. These are available in neon and primary colours, and are smear proof and dishwasher safe. All you need to do is lift the self laminating seal and write using a permanent marker or pen, remove the white backer and press the laminated seal down before applying to a dry clean surface. These extra durable labels are also great for lunch box items, bottles, sports gear, electronic devices and more.

Avery Labels are great to help keep teachers organized at school, too. My favourite set of labels are the versatile Avery Address Labels, now available in Easy Peel. I use these every year to create name labels for the nearly 150 students I teach so they can easily find their French folders and notebooks. This year, I tested out the Avery Design & Print Online templates and found some really cute graphics and design ideas. I probably spent more time than I should have personalizing these labels but it was definitely worth it. Aren't they adorable?

Can I just say how much I loved designing these name labels with #Avery Design & Print Online? #socute pic.twitter.com/lW9GZ8SXvy
— Diana Mancuso, OCT (@TeacherMomOfTwo) September 10, 2016

And to save me some time, I used Avery Eco-Friendly Address Labels this year to print out a shortened URL that students and parents can access from home.

The link directs them to my FSL Symbaloo webmix that has a variety of cute videos, handy websites and various Quizlets that I have curated over the past year. By using these labels, I can quickly and easily adhere them to the inside cover of student agenda books and not have to fuss over cutting and pasting or having my youngest students copy down the URL incorrectly.

Because when it comes to French class, I need to maximize every minute while helping my students stay organized. Thanks, Avery Canada!

Disclosure: I received product to help facilitate this review. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Tuesday, October 04, 2016
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Back to School With Avery Canada

Arts and Crafts

'Tis the most wonderful time of the year! Or maybe not. I know I personally would love an extended summer vacation, as would both my kids. But gearing up for back to school has always been an exciting time for me regardless. And this year, it is even a little more exciting thanks to Avery Canada. We have been testing out some labels from their super cool lineup and other back to school products and today I share with you our first arts and crafts project using their Stretchable Fabric Iron-on Transfers.

My daughter is constantly asking to search up craft ideas online and so, when our Avery package arrived, I knew she was going to love the iron-on transfers. Using a photo she took on my SnapChat with the ever popular rainbow, we printed it directly from the tablet. In hindsight, I should have imported it into a document so that I could resize it and better adjust the placement so that I could fit a second or even a third image on the letter-size page. But we were too excited to wait! Also, something else to keep in mind, if you plan on printing out lettering especially, you will need to print out the mirror image. In any case, this was our first iron-on project and were so thrilled with how it turned out.

Stay tuned as we share more of our Avery projects. Also, find out #AveryGivesBack to schools across Canada.

In the meantime, I have an amazing Avery Canada prize bundle valued at $175 to give away. It includes: