Buttons & Brains
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Lisboa, Portugal
About the store
Hey there! I’m a former classroom teacher who spent 7 years teaching everything from pre-K to 6th grade. I’ve lived the teacher life—endless to-do lists, last-minute lesson planning, and the constant goal of giving students your very best.
Now, through buttons & brains, I create thoughtfully designed teaching resources that save you time and spark curiosity in your students. My goal? To help you keep being the amazing teacher you are—while giving you back a bit more time (and sanity!) in your day.
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CVCC and CCVC Words | Phoneme Blending & Segmenting | Elkonin Boxes 4 Sounds
Kick off phoneme mapping with a no-prep, SoR-aligned set of 4-Sound Elkonin Boxes—built to be clear for students and fast for teachers. Perfect for CCVC & CVCC practice! What’s Inside:50 Elkonin Box Mats (4 sounds)Answer Keys — use for quick teacher checks or place at the center for student self-check Skills Students Practice:Segmenting & blending 4 phonemes in CVCC & CCVC wordsSound–symbol mapping (orthographic mapping)How to Use:Say the word; tap 4 sounds.Map with chips (one per box).Place on
K - 2nd
Phonics & Phonological Awareness, Reading, Science of Reading
Classroom Jobs with Pictures, Class Helpers, Editable Name Tags | Back to School
Create a smooth classroom routine with this colorful Editable Classroom Jobs & Helpers Set — perfect for preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary grades! Assign responsibilities while building classroom community and independence. ✅ What’s Included: 32 Classroom Job Cards (e.g. Line Leader, Greeter, Clean-Up Crew, etc.) Matching blank templates to add your own custom jobs or student names Editable Google Slides file with easy-to-use formatting Two layout options: rectangle and squar
PreK - 2nd
For All Subjects, Not Subject Specific, Other (ELA)
Tangram Puzzles | Printable Tangrams | Geometric Shapes | Tangrams
Engage learners with Tangram Puzzles | Printable Tangrams that grow spatial reasoning, 2D shapes, and problem-solving. Easy to use for math centers, early finishers, morning tubs, STEM bins, or sub plans. What’s Inside:Printable tangram sets20 Designs/Silhouette Task Cards IncludedHow to prep:Print 1 tangram per student (Tip: Print an extra class set so lost pieces don’t stall a center)Print the matching solution pagesHow to use:Model one card: Place tans, think aloud (Which corner fits? Can I
K - 3rd
Geometry, Not Subject Specific, Other (Math)
Animal Movement Cards | Movement Break Cards | Brain Breaks
Bring instant fun (and quick focus!) to your day with these Animal Movement Cards, perfect for Preschool, Kindergarten & 1st Grade brain breaks, transitions, indoor recess, and anytime your class needs a reset. This set includes 50 animal actions with simple directions that are easy to follow and quick to use—no extra prep, materials, or screens needed! What’s Included:50 Animal Movement Cards (Full-Color Version)Black & White Set Version 🎨 Bonus: Students Can Help!Use the black & white set as
PreK - 2nd
For All Subjects, Not Subject Specific
Winter Writing Paper with Picture Box | Blank Winter Writing Paper
Bring a little winter magic to your writing block with these winter writing paper with picture box pages. A simple, no-prep way to bring winter fun into your writing routine! With 20 winter-themed page designs, have your students pick their favorite option and make writing feel more fun :)
K - 3rd
Creative Writing, Informational Text, Writing
CCSS
W.K.1
, W.K.2
, W.K.3
+15
November Morning Work Kindergarten 1st & 2nd Grade | Mazes, I Spy, Color by Code
Kick off Fall season with a cozy mix of printable, no-prep activities your students will actually want to finish. Perfect for September, October and November, this Fall pack includes I spy, color-by-code, mazes, word searches and coloring pages! What’s inside:2 Color-by-code worksheets2 I Spy worksheets 2 Mazes with two different difficulty levels2 Fall word searches with two difficulty levels2 Coloring sheetsAnswer Keys included for I Spy and Word Searches (open-ended pages like coloring & maz
K - 2nd
For All Subjects, Other (ELA), Other (Math)
Also included in: November Activity Packet | Fun Fall Worksheets, Word Search & Bingo!
CVC Elkonin Boxes | Building CVC Words | Science of Reading Aligned | SOR
This Science-of-Reading (SOR) aligned set guides students through a clear, repeatable routine to practice segmenting, blending, orthographic mapping, and short vowel accuracy. Perfect for centers, morning work, small groups, intervention/RTI, and early finishers. What’s Inside:80 Elkonin box matsCVC words and short vowels Answer Keys — use for quick teacher checks or place at the center for student self-checkSkills Students Practice:Segmenting & blending 3 phonemes in CVC wordsHearing and identi
K - 2nd
Phonics & Phonological Awareness, Reading, Science of Reading
Blending and Segmenting Printable Blank Elkonin Boxes, 3 and 4 sounds, CVC, CVCe
Give your phonemic awareness block/Science of Reading a clear, consistent routine with these blank Elkonin boxes mats — perfect for phoneme segmentation, mapping, and blending. Designed for small groups, centers, intervention, and 1:1 practice, these mats keep students focused! What’s Inside: Elkonin box - 3 sounds (in two different sizes)Elkonin box - 4 sounds (in two different sizes)Elkonin box - 5 sounds (in two different sizes)Elkonin box - Magic E (in two different sizes with dedicated layo
K - 2nd
Phonics & Phonological Awareness, Reading Strategies, Science of Reading
CCSS, TEKS
RF.K.1a
, RF.K.2
, RF.K.2d
+35
Halloween Fun Packet | Busy Work | Word Search, Mazes, I Spy, Coloring
Kick off spooky season with a fun mix of printable, no-prep activities your students will actually want to finish. Perfect for October, this Halloween Activity Packet includes I Spy, color-by-code, mazes, word searches, and coloring pages! What’s inside: 2 Color-by-code worksheets 2 I Spy worksheets 2 Mazes with two different difficulty levels 2 Halloween word searches with two difficulty levels 2 Coloring sheets Answer Keys included for I Spy and Word Searches (open-ended pages like color
K - 3rd
Coloring Pages, Other (ELA), Other (Math)
March Busy Work | Spring Break Packet | Early Finishers | Spring Writing Prompts
Make March easy and fun! This March Activity Packet includes a mix of St. Patrick’s Day + Spring printables, perfect for morning work, centers, fast finishers, and sub plans. It includes a variety of no-prep activities such as I Spy, mazes, word searches, writing prompts and more. What’s Included: 2 I Spy2 Mazes2 Word Searches2 Symmetry Drawing2 Writing Prompts3 Coloring PagesAnswer keys included for pages that need them (ex: word searches, I Spy) If you need a low-prep, high-engagement packet f
K - 3rd
Creative Writing, Other (Arts), Other (ELA)
Thanksgiving Activity Packet Busy Work | Word Search, Bingo, I Spy | Halloween
Get activities you can include in your centers, games, morning work or busy work for October and November in one budget-friendly NO-PREP bundle! Make Halloween and Thanksgiving easy. Includes:Halloween Count the Room (1–20): differentiated for students from K to 2nd!October Activity Pack: word searches, mazes, I Spy, coloring and more!November Morning Work: (K–2): word searches, mazes, I Spy, coloring and more!Fall/Thanksgiving Bingo: cards + call-out cards+ Pumpkin Life Cycle (3-in-1) as a supe
K - 3rd
Other (ELA), Other (Math)
Back to School Circle Time Songs, Colorful Cards for Preschool & Kindergarten
Bring more engagement to your morning routine with these Circle Time Song Cards! Designed for preschool through Year 1, this resource includes 18 printable song cards featuring classic classroom favorites and visual cues to support young learners. Simply print, cut, laminate (they last forever!) and pop the cards into a box or basket—then let a student draw the daily song! Whether you use it during circle time, transitions, or end-of-day reflections, this tool is sure to build classroom commun
PreK - 2nd
Classroom Community, Music, Speaking & Listening
February Fast Finishers | February Morning Work | Valentine’s Day Fun
This February fun fast finishers packet is perfect for the winter weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day and is packed with no-prep I Spy, mazes, word searches, writing practice and themed coloring pages! What’s inside:4 winter I Spy worksheets2 Mazes2 Valentine's Day word searches2 Valentine’s Day writing practice sheets5 Valentine's Day coloring sheetsAnswer keys for I Spy and word searchesHow to use:Morning work / morning tubs Fast finishers Small-group warmups Literacy or math centers Sub plans
K - 3rd
For All Subjects, Other (ELA), Other (Math)
Magic E Game | Silent E Game | Magic E Write the Room | CVCe Words
Make Magic E word practice active, engaging, and meaningful with this Write the Room phonics game designed to help students apply the Silent E rule through movement and hands-on spelling. Students will practice:Reading and spelling CVCe (silent E/Magic E/Bossy E) words;Noticing how magic E changes the vowel sound;Handwriting, spacing, and accurate recording.What’s included:22 Magic E picture cards to post around the room (a_e, i_e, o_e, u_e patterns);(Optional) consonants already printed on the
K - 2nd
Phonics & Phonological Awareness, Science of Reading, Writing
CCSS
RF.K.3
, RF.K.3b
, RF.1.2c
+6
Math Word Problems Addition and Subtraction Within 20 | Kindergarten & 1st Grade
Word Problems Within 20 — addition & subtraction with ten frames, number line to 20, drawing box, and equation line. No-prep, printable pages for math centers, small groups, RTI, early finishers or homework! Adequate for Kindergarten and First Grade. Students will practice:Solving addition and subtraction within 20Showing work with ten-frames (fill, add, or cross out)Using a number line 1–20 to count on/back with labeled jumpsRepresenting the situation with a quick drawingWriting a matching equa
K - 2nd
Basic Operations, Numbers, Other (Math)
CCSS
K.CC.A.3
, K.CC.B.4
, K.CC.B.4c
+10
CVCC & CCVC Words | Elkonin Boxes | Blending and Segmenting Mini-Freebie
This mini-set lets you test-drive the routine before committing to the full pack. Students use Elkonin boxes to segment, map, and blend CVCC and CCVC words! Perfect for centers, morning work, small groups, intervention/RTI, and early finishers. What’s included in this freebie:2 decodable CVCC word mats2 decodable CCVC word matsSkills students will practice:Segmenting & blending 4 phonemesIsolating initial, medial (short vowel), and final soundsOrthographic mapping: matching sounds to lettersBuil
K - 2nd
Other (ELA), Reading Strategies, Science of Reading
Kindness Week | How Full is Your Bucket Activity
Perfect for Kindness Week or Valentine’s Day! This simple SEL kindness activity supports classroom community, empathy, and positive peer interactions. What’s Included:2 Bucket templates (print one per student)Heart pages (color & B&W)Student note cards in different styles, such as: “You are a bucket filler when…”, “I noticed you…,”, “You helped our class by…,” etc.Teacher Guide (step-by-step, low-prep)Discussion prompts for whole-class reflectionSkills & Standards Support:SEL & classroom managem
K - 3rd
Classroom Community, Other (ELA), Social Emotional Learning
CVC Roll and Read | CVC Fluency Practice | Short Vowel CVC Board Game
Get your students reading and practicing CVC words with this Roll and Read Game! This no-prep phonics center helps students strengthen CVC decoding while staying engaged. Perfect for literacy centers, partner work, RTI/intervention, tutoring, early finishers, or a quick phonics review—and it’s easy to reuse all year! How to Play:Each player chooses a game piece/pin (not included) and places it on START.Player 1 rolls the die, moves, and reads the CVC word on the space they land on.Players take
K - 2nd
Phonics & Phonological Awareness, Reading Strategies, Science of Reading
CCSS
RF.K.2d
, RF.K.3
, RF.K.3a
+2
Write the Room CVC Words | CVC Words Flashcards with Pictures
Get your students moving, reading, and writing with this write the room activity that comes with recording sheets and CVC words flashcards with pictures! What’s inside:80 CVC word cards (color and B&W)25 student recording sheets — organized by vowel (a/e/i/o/u) or mixed3 Ways to Play (differentiation built in):Record & Hunt — Students carry a recording sheet, find each card, and write the word.Write & Check — Students write words first at their seats, then walk the room to self-check against the
K - 2nd
Phonics & Phonological Awareness, Science of Reading, Writing
Pumpkin Life Cycle with Real Pictures | Kindergarten & First Grade
Turn fall science into hands-on learning with pumpkin life cycle cards students can match, sequence, and retell. This print and go flexible life cycle of a pumpkin set works for centers, small groups, whole-group mini-lessons, early finishers, homework, and sub plans—perfect for Kindergarten and First Grade. What’s inside: 7 Real-Photo Stage Cards: seed, germination, sprout, vine/plant, flowers, green pumpkin, orange pumpkin 7 Matching Label Cards: stage names for picture↔label pairs (Memory
PreK - 2nd
Earth Sciences, Other (Science), Vocabulary
Showing 1-20 of 55 results
About the store
Experience
Hey there! I’m a former classroom teacher who spent 7 years teaching everything from pre-K to 6th grade. I’ve lived the teacher life—endless to-do lists, last-minute lesson planning, and the constant goal of giving students your very best.
Now, through buttons & brains, I create thoughtfully designed teaching resources that save you time and spark curiosity in your students. My goal? To help you keep being the amazing teacher you are—while giving you back a bit more time (and sanity!) in your day.
My own education history
My path started with Psychology and led to a degree in Education, because understanding how kids think is just as important as knowing how to teach them.
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