Kinder Craze

A Kindergarten Teaching Blog

#ColorizeYourClassroom with Astrobrights – Flashcard Freebie

238 Comments

This is a sponsored post. Kinder-Craze has received payment, trade and/or products from Astrobrights in exchange for promoting, however all opinions stated are my own. This post also contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase through one of my links, which helps to support the blog.

Summer is the time to gear up for the new school ahead and DREAM of how beautiful your classroom will be in the fall. So when Astrobrights contacted me to help launch their #ColorizeYourClassroom campaign by inspiring my readers to include more color in their classroom and host a giveaway, I couldn't say no.
COLORIZE your classroom with Astrobrights papers GIVEAWAY
It's no secret that I have a bit of a love affair with bright colors. My entire classroom is designed around Melanie's Rainbow Chalkboard collection at Schoolgirl Style. Yes, it safe to say I love to surround myself in COLOR.  In addition to my personal preference, there are several convincing arguments for the value of including lots of bright colors into the learning environment.
According to the Color Marketing Group, studies have shown that:

COLOR can make learning a more fun and impactful experience
COLOR accelerates learning by 55 to 78 percent
COLOR increases student comprehension by 73 percent

kinder craze classroom
Now that you know a little about my color obsession, imagine my delight when I opened a giant box FILLED with all of these gorgeous paper and cardstock colors.

astrobrights paper colors
The sweet people at Astrobrights were even generous enough to supply me with a $50 Gift Card to Office Depot. I ran right out and stocked up on another one of my classroom essentials: Avery 5163 labels.
Enter to WIN an Office Depot gift card
Fans always take note and ask about the beautiful alphabet word wall they see in the back of my classroom and I am frequently asked to share more detailed photos of the word wall.

At the beginning of the year, my word wall looks like this. Just a bunch of blank letters of the alphabet on an otherwise empty board.
bright kindergarten word wall
As new sight words are introduced in class, they are added beside the appropriate beginning letter. The actual letters fill with collages throughout the year as well. You can read more about the alphabet aspect of my word wall by checking out this blog post. 
colorful kindergarten word wall
Each of the words on the word wall is easy to create using two of my favorite classroom supplies: Astrobrights cardstock and Avery 5163 labels. I'll walk you through the process in the next few photos.

I printed my desired sight words for my word wall on the Avery 5163 labels, and I used my trusted paper cutter to cut cardstock into 3×5″ pieces.
create your own brightly colored flashcards
These brightly colored cards grab a lot more attention that your standard white or pastel index cards.
create your own brightly colored flashcards with Astrobrights papers
From there, its as simple as “peel and stick” to create the words to display on my classroom word wall.
create your own brightly colored flashcards create your own brightly colored flashcards
What I love most about the multicolored word backgrounds is that the colors are SOLID. Some critics of color argue that the use of bright colors in the classroom can lead to overstimulation and be distracting for children. I believe that colorizing with a PURPOSE has a tremendous value.

These sight word cards are a bold addition to my word wall, but the fact that they do not have a busy pattern around them helps hold student attention. I love that when a student is staring at 6 different words by the letter W, struggling to find “was”, I can instruct that student to look at the blue word. That instant recognition is the key to helping my students master their sight words without staring blankly at a wall of uniformly colored words.
IMG_9391
After seeing how GORGEOUS these word cards turned out, I have also decided to create a duplicate set of words with the exact same colors to use as flashcards in the classroom.

Now my sight word flash cards will go from this:
flashcards in the kindergarten classroom
To this:
create your own brightly colored flashcards
Which do you think my students will prefer? Also, if a student always confuses the words “look” and “like” but I keep reminding the student that “like is the purple word,”which set of flashcards will be help that struggling student to master the word “like” more quickly?

 

Download FREE Sight Word Labels

Use color to teach your students sight words. Dolch Sight Word flashcards (just like mine) are available as a free download! Now you can print, peel, and stick to help your students master their sight words too! Each set of flashcard labels has been formatted to print on Avery 5163 labels. Click the image below to download your free Dolch Sight Word Flashcards.

 

Astrobrights and Office Depot Giveaway

Now that you have seen the impact that color can have in the classroom, are you ready for an amazing giveaway? Astrobrights will award one lucky Kinder-Craze fan with a customized package of Astrobrights papers PLUS a $50 Gift Card to Office Depot, which carries the largest selection of Astrobrights papers of any retailer – all aimed at helping you colorize any project.

Astrobrights Paper GIVEAWAY
Sorry, this giveaway has ended.

#ColorizeYourClassroom Inspiration

Looking for more ideas on how you can Colorize your classroom? You'll find hundreds of submissions on the Colorize Your Classroom Challenge website. Stop by and get inspired!

For more information on how to add color to your classroom, visit facebook.com/Astrobrights.

 

How do you intend to COLORIZE your classroom? 
create your own brightly colored flashcards

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Comments

  4. I’m changing my this coming year to all black with bright color accents, so this paper would work so well. I would go with a rainbow of brights: pink, orange, yellow, lime green, blue, purple, similar to what you used.

    -Brittany
    inspirelovelearn.blogspot.com

    Reply

  5. I love the astrobrights!! I also use them to back labels. I think I should have taken out stock in Astrobrights and Avery. I would use them to make my welcome banner, I photocopy our math investigation games on them by color coding by geometry, counting and cardinality,etc.

    Reply

  10. I am in the process of organizing my classroom and using brights – pink, lime green, blue, yellow, blue, orange, and purple.

    Reply

  11. I have never heard of Astrobrights paper. Thanks for posting this. I am excited to look into purchasing some. I love how bright the papers are. I use a lot of green and yellow in my room and these papers would go perfectly!

    Reply

  14. I can’t wait to have a neon/black chalkboard themed classroom next year… the brights in all of your TPT black series are my inspiration!

    Reply

  23. I do the same thing with the words on my interactive word wall {on our lockers…LOVE being able to say “the yellow word” after a kid is struggling!!} And I totally agree about the color…there’s nothing like a bright, inviting room to encourage kids to learn! P.S. totally LOVE the pictures that you put on the letter of your word wall..haven’t noticed that before!!
    Nicole
    Rowdy in Room 300

    Reply

  36. The Astrobrights colors I NEED/WANT/DESIRE are Jupiter Java, Martian Green, Lunar Blue/Terrestial Teal, Galaxy Gold, Orbit Orange, and Plasma Pink. Those would be perfect. And I love the sight word labels- thank you!
    ~Heather
    The Meek Moose

    Reply

  38. I use Astrobrights paper for everything! The colors I always use up the fastest are the blues. Thanks for sharing the sight word labels!

    Reply

  40. LOVE Astrobrights paper and the huge variety of bright colors! I love using all sorts of different colors but I have been big on greens, blues and purples for my classroom.

    Reply

    • I have a classroom theme of red, black and white. These are our school colors. I would use the following colors on my word wall: red, blue, yellow, green, orange, and purple

      Reply

  50. Purple, pink, lime green and turquoise – I got a class set of Sit Spots in these colors and some hanging lanterns too – nice and bright!

    Reply

  53. I just got my first teaching job and am knee deep it collection and preparing everything for my Kindergarten classroom! This giveaway would be perfect 🙂 Thank you for the opportunity!

    Reply

  62. I love astrobright! We used it at my old school for the grade level colors!
    I would love to get the blues and reds 🙂 I’m doing a patriotic/nautical theme this year in my class 🙂
    PS. I ADORE your sight words and will be making them soon! Thank you!

    Reply

  78. I’m going for a black and brights theme in my room this year now that I’m moving to a new school and district. COMPLETE overhaul. I’d go with pink, purple, lime green, and turquoise. LOOOVE!

    Reply

  90. I am drooling over that gorgeous stack of Astrobright paper! Seriously…drooling, like I should be concerned about the state of my keyboard. I love to incorporate my bright classroom colors of magenta, organge, lime, teal, and purple with pops of yellow anywhere I can in my classroom environment and learning! Color is on my walls, hanging from the ceiling, on my student desks, in my writing, and even in my students’ notebooks!
    Have a blast in Vegas!
    Erin
    Short and Sassy Teacher

    Reply

  93. Green and blue are my favorite colors, so anything in those color families would be used in my class. I would probably add yellow as a complimentary color. This is so exciting! Thanks for. The opportunity!

    Reply

  100. Thanks for all the great ideas! I would use lots of different colors to help with my rainbow color scheme I’m using this year! Thanks for hosting this giveaway!

    Reply

  104. I love Astrobrights! I love how you used them on the word wall. I could use all the colors since my decor is black and white.

    Reply

  110. I just finished my first year of teaching so my room is a little bit of what-was-left, what-deals-I’ve-found, and what-I-can-steal-from-home. I’ve embraced a rainbow color scheme so everything fits in (and I think all the bright colors are fun!) I love the idea of making a collage on your word wall! I’ll be borrowing that idea 😉 kristinbrehm@gmail.com

    Reply

  113. I LOVE all of these colors but use a lot of blue in the classroom because it calms me! I think that I am a better teacher when I am calm and I hope it calms the kiddos a little too! I use yellow and black to add a “pop” to the blue and it looks great.

    Reply

  115. I love Astrobright paper & cardstock. I should probably buy stock in the company! I love to accent everything I place on my walls w/ color. I feel the bright colors make everyone happy.

    Reply

  116. I’m totally changing my color scheme this year to teal, yellow, and gray, so I would use those colors to update all of my labels and signs. Thanks for the chance to win!

    Reply

  117. I love Astrobright cardstock. I use a lot of primary colors but love using the bright colors in projects with my kids.

    Reply

  135. I am a first year teaching starting this fall. These colors would definitely be a welcome addition in my new classroom! I especially love the turquoise!

    Reply

  136. I personally love the hot pink ams neon green. But have used all the colors of the paper to build flip word books. The words are divided in to when they are studied using a color foe each section. I haven’t used their card stock yet.

    Reply

  138. Oh my goodness! Talk about perfect timing! I am just revamping my word wall and planning to do color coded sight word flashcards!! How awesome would this be!

    Reply

    • So excited about the giveaway I forgot to tell my color…I’m a rainbow freak so I’d have to use every color…in rainbow order of course!

      Reply

  140. WOW I love all of the bright colors! I would use the bright pink, aqua, bright green, and yellow. These are my new colors for this upcoming year! I wish I could get into my school and start decorating!!

    Reply

  141. I am a huge fan of Astrobright paper! They have been a great feature to my interactive notebooks and love how you have incorporated their paper into decorating your classroom! Colors that I would use this year are blues, reds, green, and yellow. Superheros theme this year!!

    Reply

  146. I LOVE how simple Astrobrights cardstock colors look while still giving an extra bit of oomph to anything & everything in the classroom! Pre-kinders definitely thrive in a colorful & organized atmosphere.

    Reply

  147. Love the colors included in these packs! I typically use construction paper to back plain white papers in my room, but this cardstock will be even better!

    Reply

  148. I would use bright red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple! Love those bright colors and Office Depot too. I order from them at school all the time!

    Blessings, Vicky

    Reply

  149. I get so excited about paper and these are gorgeous! I especially love the hot pink and lime green. Thanks Maria for sharing another wonderful product!

    Reply

  152. I love all of the colors! I would definitely use any of the pink, purple, bright green, or bright blue shades! Love them! I will be making a trip to Office Depot soon. It would be awesome to win too!

    Reply

  154. Thank you for this Giveaway. I love all of the bright colors, but the pinks would be my favorites, especially the bright ones.

    Reply

  156. I LOVE Astrobrights! I would use the green, blue, orange, purple, and yellow for my Kindergarten classroom! Such fun and bright colors! Love it!

    Reply

  159. This year my classroom is going to be jungle themed, and I used my Silhouette Cameo and Astrobrights paper to cut out brown monkeys, yellow bananas, and green leaves for a big word wall tree! Can’t wait to see it up on my wall! Love this stuff! 🙂

    Reply

  162. I have used Astrobrights for years. Our school colors are purple and gold. I use Solar Yellow for our weekly study sheets, and Planetary Purple for my weekly parent newsletters. This helps parents know what to look for in folders. I also use many other colors of their paper and card stock. They are always on my back-to-school shopping list! kimworthey@yahoo.com

    Reply

  165. Thanks so much for the chance to win! You are right–the bold colors would definitely “pop” more than just plain index cards!

    Reply

  168. I love the word wall words! It would be so helpful to be able to say it’s one of the blue (or red, or green, etc.) words instead of pointing it out, and that would still give my students the responsibility of figuring out which one is their word with a more limited choice.

    Reply

  172. I love all Astrobrights colors! I also love the quality of their paper! Nothing is as good! I wish I could afford to get loads of it to for my classroom!
    Quick question…where did you get your paper cutter?

    Reply

  173. I love all of the Astrobright colors! I have a habit of putting things in rainbow order in my classroom so I would use every color! I also LOVE your sight word cards! What a great idea!

    Reply

  181. That paper looks amazing! I would use lime green and sky blue in my room. I may redo my word wall cards to look like yours, they are so pretty!

    Reply

  183. Love all the bright colors! My furniture, floors, and walls are neutral, so I have plenty of room for bright bulletin boards, decorations, games, and flash cards!! =)

    Reply

  200. My main colors in my room are a turquoise, limish green, and hottish pink…Although, I think I would add more colors in there for extra oomph 🙂
    Thanks for this awesome giveaway!!

    Reply

  201. I just bought a new decor from PinkCat Studio on TpT (circus owls) and it has very vibrant primary colors with splashes of pink, teal and purple. if I won Astrobrights, I would definitely use Re-entry Red, Blast Off Blue, and Sunburst Yellow as my main colors. Then I would put pops of colors throughout my classroom with Gravity Grape and Plasma Pink. These are great colors, thank you for the giveaway!

    Reply

  208. I would use similar colors you use (right pink, yellow, blue, green, purple,etc) as those are what I currently use in my room. I plan to keep the same color plan for next year. Thank your for the opportunity to win.

    Reply

  211. All of these are wonderful! I would love to use them to color-code my centers and book bins in my library! Oh and maybe to make library sticks for my students too! Oh my so many options!

    Reply

  219. Astrobrights makes the best paper! I buy their cardstock all the time. I will be teaching 1st grade next year and I am changing my word wall. I think I will use your idea for the labels and then stick them to the color of the week I am assigning each week/unit’s sight words. I will be using rainbow colors.

    Reply

  222. Thanks for the idea! Also, thanks for including a set for third grade since I will be MOVING TO THIRD! I’m so excited. I’m glad to see that your blog is doing so well. Hope you’re enjoying your summer!

    –Sarah

    Reply

  223. You have inspired me so much!! I love Astrobrights paper and it works amazingly well with my Cricut. I just made a brand new alphabet using the paper and entered it in the contest. I’m doing a modified Rainbow Chalkboard from Schoolgirl Style with Wizard of Oz in my room this year. I drew on your room for lots of ideas! For example, I drew silhouettes of Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion on black paper and glued them on the cloud paper to hang above my windows. Can’t wait to see the finished product!! I’m new to blogging over this past year so I am loving your blog. Thanks and keep up the terrific work!!

    Jessica
    Pride and Primary

    Reply

  224. Love the colors! Thank you too for the sight words. Mine have needed an update. I have some additional words to do and would like to use the same font. Could you publish what you used?
    Thanks!

    Reply

  225. These are amazing and I was wanting to add some more words to the bunch but wanting to use the same font and size. I am curious to what the font and size is so my OCD will drive me crazy? Thank you in advance!:)

    Reply

    • Hi Karen, I’m so sorry to hear that you are having trouble! I just tested all of the links and they seem to be working just fine. You may want to try using a different browser. If that doesn’t work, send me an email at kindercraze@gmail.com and I will email it to you. Thanks!

      Reply

  227. Hello, Maria! Thank you for the freebie! Would you mind leaving the name of the font and size you used so that I may customize my word wall?

    Reply

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