The educational resource marketplace, particularly platforms like Teachers Pay Teachers, offers a variety of free materials designed to support classroom instruction. Tara West, a curriculum teacher author known for her work with Little Minds at Work, provides several complimentary resources focused on math and phonics. These freebies are intended to assist educators, particularly those teaching kindergarten and early elementary grades, by offering samples of her larger curriculum programs. The available materials include interactive notebooks and full curriculum samples that align with Science of Reading best practices.
Overview of Available Free Resources
Tara West’s free offerings serve as samples or supplementary tools for her comprehensive curriculum units. These resources are generally available for direct download through the Teachers Pay Teachers platform. The materials are designed to be engaging and festive, often themed around seasons or holidays, and are suitable for Kindergarten through first-grade students.
Interactive Notebooks
A significant portion of the free resources consists of interactive notebook pages. These are designed to be fun and engaging for students while reinforcing math concepts. The specific freebies mentioned in the source data include: * KinderMath® and FirstieMath® Christmas Interactive Notebook: A 10-page resource suitable for K-1 students, offering a festive way to practice math skills during December. * KinderMath® and FirstieMath® Winter Interactive Notebook: A 10-page resource designed to help students through the winter season, following the same format and style as the interactive journals associated with the KinderMath and FirstieMath curricula. * Primary Themed K-1 Spring Interactive Notebook: A 10-page freebie suitable for K-1 students to use during the spring. This serves as a free sample of the "Primary K-1 Themed Interactive Math Notebook."
These interactive notebook freebies follow a controlled scope and sequence, supporting the skills taught in the corresponding full curricula. They are intended to provide a low-stakes, engaging way for teachers to introduce or review concepts.
Curriculum Samples and Bundles
Beyond specific seasonal activities, Tara West offers access to samples of her broader curriculum programs. * Guided Phonics + Beyond® Curriculum: While the full curriculum is a paid resource, the source material highlights its alignment with Science of Reading best practices. It provides a "one-stop solution" for whole-group and small-group phonics instruction, covering word mapping, high-frequency words, dictation, and word chains. The free resources in this category serve as an introduction to the methodology used in the full program. * Science of Reading In-a-Click Lessons: This is described as a comprehensive initiative for K-2 English Language Arts, Phonics, and Phonological Awareness. While the source does not explicitly list a free sample for this specific bundle, it is part of the product ecosystem that includes freebies. * Kindergarten and Pre-K Math Curricula: The source data describes KinderMath® as a comprehensive, yearlong kindergarten curriculum with 15 units and 150 academic days. Similarly, a Pre-K Math curriculum is mentioned. Free samples, such as the interactive notebooks, allow educators to preview the style and structure of these full curricula before purchasing. * KinderSocialSkills: This is a curriculum for teaching social skills, included in the list of resources, though the specific freebie mentioned in the source data is a math resource.
Eligibility and Access Requirements
Accessing these free resources generally requires a specific platform account and adherence to the terms of service for that platform.
Platform Account Requirement
The primary distribution channel for Tara West’s freebies is the Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) marketplace. To download free resources, users typically need to have a registered account on the TPT platform. The source material does not specify any additional eligibility criteria beyond having a valid account. There is no mention of geographic restrictions, age verification, or proof of educator status required to access the free downloads listed.
Pricing and Purchase Context
It is important to distinguish between free samples and paid products. * Free Samples: The interactive notebooks and other free downloads are offered at a cost of $0.00. These are intended to provide a sample of the author's work. * Paid Resources: The source data also details various paid curricula. For example, the "Science of Reading Fiction Decodables BUNDLE" is listed with an original price of $30.00 and a sale price of $15.00. The "KinderMath®" and "Pre-K Math" curricula are comprehensive, year-long programs that are sold as complete units. * Special Promotions: The source material mentions an "endless bundle" offering lifetime access to future phonics and math "$1 deals." These deals are described as resources normally priced between $3 and $6 that are offered for $1 for a 24-hour period. This is a promotional offer distinct from the free samples but is part of the broader pricing structure.
Product Details and Educational Philosophy
Tara West’s resources are built on a specific educational philosophy focused on closing gaps found in traditional "big box" curricula. The approach is characterized by research-based methodologies and practical classroom application.
Science of Reading Alignment
A central tenet of the phonics and reading resources is alignment with the Science of Reading (SOR). The "Guided Phonics + Beyond® Curriculum" is explicitly described as "aligned 100% to SOR best practices." This includes: * A comprehensive scope and sequence. * Explicit instruction. * Components such as phonemic awareness, word mapping, dictation, word chaining, and decodables in every lesson.
The "Science of Reading Fiction Decodables" are noted for their controlled scope and sequence, supporting decoding, fluency, and comprehension. They are designed for small groups, intervention, or independent practice.
Curriculum Structure and Content
The math curricula are designed to be comprehensive and easy to implement. * KinderMath®: Includes 15 units, 150 academic days, over 2,000 pages of lessons, daily partner games, printables, and assessments. * Pre-K Math: Features 15 playful units and 150 lessons, incorporating songs, movement, hands-on center mats, dramatic play integration, detailed lesson plans, assessments, and printables. * FirstieMath® Intervention: A 30-week comprehensive and systematic math intervention curriculum.
The "KinderSocialSkills" curriculum offers 75 kid-friendly lessons with stories, discussions, and hands-on practice.
Teacher Feedback and Validation
The source material emphasizes that the curricula have been validated by feedback from "thousands of teachers worldwide." This feedback is cited as confirming the effectiveness of the curriculum in enhancing student performance and gaining teacher support. The author, Tara West, is described as a curriculum teacher author who researches best practices and innovative teaching methods.
How to Locate and Download Freebies
Based on the provided sources, the method for accessing free resources involves navigating to the specific product pages on the Teachers Pay Teachers website.
- Access the Store: Users should navigate to Tara West’s store on the Teachers Pay Teachers platform.
- Search for Free Products: Within the store, users can filter or search for free resources. The source data lists several specific freebie titles, such as the seasonal interactive notebooks.
- Download: Once the free product page is located, users with a TPT account can add the resource to their library and download the files.
The source data provides direct links to some of the product pages (e.g., https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Downloads-Online-Catalog-Access-to-225-free-downloads--7303075), which likely serves as a hub or catalog for accessing free downloads. Another source link points to a browse page for "Tara West Math Journal," which would list relevant resources including free samples.
Conclusion
Tara West offers a selection of free math and phonics resources that serve as valuable samples of her comprehensive curricula. These freebies, primarily interactive notebooks for K-1 math, are available through the Teachers Pay Teachers platform and require a user account for download. They are designed to align with Science of Reading principles and provide engaging, hands-on activities for early learners. While the free resources offer a glimpse into the author’s teaching style and methodology, the full curricula for math, phonics, and social skills are paid products, with some available through special promotional bundles.