The provided source material documents a collection of free educational resources created by Greg Smedley-Warren, a kindergarten teacher based in Nashville, Tennessee. These resources, distributed primarily through his platform "The Kindergarten Smorgasboard," include classroom worksheets, craftivities, and emergent readers designed for early childhood education. The sources describe the creator's background, the nature of the specific freebies available, and the terms under which they are distributed. The materials are explicitly intended for use by educators in personal classroom settings.
Creator Background and Platform
Greg Smedley-Warren, often referred to as "Mr. Greg," is identified as an experienced kindergarten educator with a teaching career spanning approximately 15 to 20 years, depending on the specific source document. His background includes teaching fifth grade and second grade before transitioning to kindergarten, which he describes as his passion. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Education from Indiana University and an ELL Certification from David Lipscomb University. He has also participated in global teaching experiences, including summers spent teaching in Ecuador.
He is the creator and primary content provider for "The Kindergarten Smorgasboard," which serves as a hub for educational ideas, resources, and freebies. This platform is accessible via a blog at http://www.thekindergartensmorgasboard.com and a Teachers Pay Teachers store. The sources indicate that he actively encourages educators to follow his blog and store to stay updated on new materials.
Available Free Educational Resources
The source data details several specific free resources created by Greg Smedley-Warren. These materials cover various subjects, including math, geometry, reading, and social studies, and are designed for PreK through 2nd-grade students.
Counting and Math Activities
- Counting Ants Worksheet: A math worksheet designed to help students practice counting. The activity involves rolling dice, counting the dots, verbalizing the numbers, and coloring in ten frames.
- Shape Tracing/ Drawing: A geometry resource that includes two versions: one with blank pages for students to draw shapes and another with shapes already on the page for tracing. This activity is designed to meet Common Core standards for geometry.
- Community Helper Roll and Color: A "roll and color" activity focused on community helpers. This document includes copyright information stating that duplication for uses other than personal classroom use is prohibited.
Reading and Literacy Resources
- Holiday Sight Word Emergent Reader: A sight word-based emergent reader designed for the holidays. The document features a very easy pattern intended to allow students to be successful readers.
- Hanukkah Word Cards: A set of word cards created to introduce students to Hanukkah. These cards are intended for vocabulary development and "write the room" activities.
Craftivities
- "Aliens Love Panta Claus" Craftivity: A free craftivity pattern to accompany the book "Aliens Love Panta Claus." The download includes all necessary pattern pieces, pictures of the final product, and tips and directions.
- "Moosletoe" Craftivity: A simple craftivity pattern to accompany the book "Moosletoe." The download includes patterns for the head, antlers, eyes, moosestace, and a star.
Distribution and Usage Terms
The resources are distributed as free downloads. The creator requests that users provide their email address to receive updates on new freebies and products. The primary distribution channels mentioned are:
* The Kindergarten Smorgasboard blog.
* Teachers Pay Teachers store (www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/gregsmedley).
* Teachers Notebook shop (http://www.teachersnotebook.com/shop/gregsmedley).
* K12IRC resources page.
A consistent term of use across the described resources is that they are intended for personal classroom use only. The "Community Helper Roll and Color" document explicitly states that "duplication for any use other than personal classroom use is prohibited." Users are directed to contact Greg Smedley-Warren via email at [email protected] for questions, suggestions, or concerns regarding the products.
Source Reliability Evaluation
The provided sources include official pages from the creator's platforms, such as his blog and product descriptions on educational marketplaces like Teachers Pay Teachers. These are considered authoritative sources for information regarding the nature and distribution of these specific educational freebies. The information regarding the creator's background is consistent across multiple sources, including his profile on "Elevate Your Classroom" and his own blog. No conflicting information was identified within the provided chunks regarding the availability or description of the free resources.
Conclusion
The source material provides a verified overview of free educational resources available from Greg Smedley-Warren. These materials are specifically designed for kindergarten and early elementary educators seeking supplemental classroom activities in math, literacy, and art. The resources are distributed through established educational platforms and are governed by terms that restrict usage to personal classroom environments. Educators interested in accessing these materials can do so by following the creator's blog or store pages listed in the sources.