Coming in August 2026: What's New and Upcoming

 Coming in August 2026: 

What's New and Upcoming

Can you believe it's already going to be August in a few days? I am shocked! I don't know what happened to the summer, but it flew by! Now, we're wrapped up in school supply sales, clothes shopping, and getting back to work.

I have been releasing products on MessyBeautifulFun for a while now. So I thought it might be a good idea to keep this blog (and myself!) a little more organized by putting out a little post about upcoming projects and products each month. That way you'll know what I'm adding to both my blog (the freebies) and my shops (TPT, Etsy, HomeschoolResourceCo).

This update will be a little longer since it's the first!

The phonics booklets rewards chart

New on the Blog Right Now: Phonics & Math Booklets

I've loved seeing so many people enjoying my phonics resources! My hope in making these is to encourage early literacy skills in kids, whether in a classroom, homeschool, co-op, or online school. It's so important to get these skills down at the right developmental time, and I hope these will be helpful to both parents and teachers.

This month I released a full set of phonics booklets that can be used to help kids learn word families. These practice books contain pages for sounding out words, as well as vocabulary practice with sight words (which I call heart words).

Alongside these, I have also put up phonics stories. These are where the true magic happens - kids put what they have learned into action! These stories go beyond just simple phonics and help kids learn to read, recognize simple grammar concepts, and practice using literacy skills such as making predictions, reading comprehension, summarizing, making connections, and more - all at an age-appropriate level.

Another new addition in the past few weeks has been my I Can math booklets. I made many of these sheets when my kids were younger with a very particular purpose: to show their learning in our homeschool portfolios and assess skills we had covered earlier in the year. However you decide to use them, I hope you've enjoyed the series so far! I have heard from some teachers on TPT that they have really come in handy for struggling students, and that makes me so happy!

So far we have: Counting to 10, 20, and 120. These cover 2 Common Core math standards in kindergarten!

Coming up on the blog in August: Social Studies, More Phonics!

I can't wait until you see the new social studies I'll be putting out on the blog next week! Made with pre-k and kindergarten in mind, these units will focus on kids' worlds - thus the name, My World View! These units will include a small text (1-2 pages of simple, read-aloud texts) and 1-2 worksheets or activities to go with each text. They're open-and-go, simple units, so besides printing out the books, there's not much to do to prepare!

In this first unit, kids will go through their own world, learning about themselves and their preferences, their families, their phone numbers and addresses, and more. It's a great way to start the year off!

As I said earlier, I will also be releasing more phonics stories and math books! I took the month of July off, but can't wait for you to see what will be coming in the next few weeks :) 

Coming to TPT in August: Simple Grammar Units for Teaching!

I have slowly been releasing these grammar units and am so excited about how this simple curriculum is coming together! Made with teachers in mind who may not have much time to teach grammar concepts, these units include everything you need to teach grammar to grades 3-5 in just minutes per week!

Each unit includes a scripted minilesson, practice slides to project on your smartboard or screen, and some differentiated practice worksheets. These lessons aren't a huge deep dive into grammar concepts, but a way to introduce, practice, and be certain your learners understand them. 

What I am hoping is that the lesson can be taught on one day, the practice given as homework, and further practice sheets can be done later on in the year to review. The grammar concepts cover what is typically taught in elementary school from grades 3-5, and they are sold separately so you can choose which concepts you might want to teach.

These units also great for homeschool parents who would like to teach grammar concepts but feel short on time, or don't quite feel confident enough in their own grammar skills to teach them alone (we've all been there!) With my own kids, I would put practice slides on our TV or on my laptop for the kids to see, and we would go over them together. It was a fun and relaxed way to practice things together. 

Here is what we have so far that you can purchase right now:

• Common Nouns
• Proper Nouns
• Plural Nouns
• Possessive Nouns
• Plural Possessive Nouns
• Collective Nouns
• Nouns BUNDLE (Get 2 units free!)
• Personal Pronouns

Here is what is coming up in August:

• Possessive pronouns
• Reflexive Pronouns

This will give you plenty of lessons to start off the year! 

I'll have a more detailed post coming up about these soon, so stay tuned!

Coming to TPT this fall/winter: French Spell, Read & Write final units

I have been so happy to hear how many homeschool families, teachers, and tutors have successfully used my French Read, Write & Spell units so far! I am happy to announce that the final 2 units will be released in the coming weeks! These will focus on continuing to conjugate verb families in the present tense and writing paragraphs. 

Subscribe to stay informed!

I am so excited to be bringing you all of these new goodies in the coming weeks! I really hope they help you in your classrooms, homeschools - whatever teaching environment you're in! If you'd like to stay informed of everything that's coming up each week, you might want to subscribe to my newsletter. I'll be sending updates out each month as I post these update blog posts too, so you'll know what to expect every month and when new freebies or paid units are released.

Subscribe here

CVC Story 7: A Phonics Story for Beginner Readers (The Gap on the Map)

CVC Story 7: 
A Phonics Story for Beginner Readers 

 Another CVC Phonics story is here! Want to see my other phonics stories and resources? Check here!

Phonics story 7 is here! In this beginner reader book, your learners will focus on the -AP word family and a few new sight words too! You can pair this with my CVC booklets, as they follow the same sequence of new words!

What's A CVC Story?

Every one of my CVC stories comes with more than just a story for your beginner readers! Inside you'll find comprehension activities, simple lessons, and activities for your learners to use. These units bring together many parts of literacy to make sure your lessons shine and stick!

What's Included:

• A 6-page CVC Phonics/Sight Word Story
• Comprehension Questions to discuss after reading and make sure your readers understand their reading
• Literacy & comprehension activities (Making connections, making predictions, drawing comprehension)
• An optional grammar or language lesson that you can do (kept very simple for this age group!)

Download the Story Unit

You can download this CVC story unit below! You may use it in your classroom, school, on your smartboard or in your homeschool. You can also use it in virtual classrooms or lessons, and it's great for tutoring too!

All I ask, as per my terms, is that my website is left on each page (www.messybeautifulfun.com) as is.

Download the CVC Story 7 Here!

 I Can Math Booklets: Count to 120 
Counting and Cardinality Workbook

Another I Can Math Workbook is here! Want to see more? Check out my math booklet page!

If you've been enjoying doing these math workbooks with your learners, you're really going to love this one too! Full of plenty of practice that zeroes in on a standard, these workbooks help you assess your kids learning in an easy no-prep format!

Focusing on Math Standards

Instead of focusing on many things at once when learning about cardinality, this workbook will allow your learners to focus on one thing - counting from 1 to 120! All cut-and-paste or coloring activities, these worksheets take the focus away from writing numbers and only require kids to cut, paste, color, and count!

I find this method helps those kids who need a little more practice with number order or identifying numbers without making it feel overwhelming. Kids also LOVE that they get a cool certificate after completing the worksheets you decide to put into their books!

Counting to 120 Worksheets? Here's Plenty!

I put a lot of time into making these sheets really fun for your learners too! Lining up numbered seashells on a beach, digging up gems in a number mine, and setting a cupcake table for a party are just a few of the fun worksheets you'll find inside!

Plus, I have included counting charts that show kids only 20 numbers per page from 1 to 120 - a great way to focus on sets they may struggle with! You can use counter chips or blocks to cover up some numbers and have them tell you which numbers are missing, or you can have them count both backward and forward.

Download this Booklet Below!

You can download this booklet by clicking the link below! I really hope that it helps you in your classroom, homeschool, or tutoring sessions and that it brings a little bit of fun into your learning!

You may use it in your classroom, school, on your smartboard, or in your homeschool. You can also use it in virtual classrooms or lessons, and it's great for tutoring too!

All I ask, as per my terms, is that my website is left on each page (www.messybeautifulfun.com) as is.

Download the Math I Can Booklet Here!

CVC Story 6: The Cat and the Rat A Phonics Reading Story for Beginner Readers

 Phonics CVC Story 6: 

The Cat and the Rat

It's time for another phonics CVC story! Want MORE phonics stories? Head to my phonics page!

In this 6th phonics story, we are still focusing on the first two word families -at and -an. It also includes new and previously learned sight words! Like all my phonics stories, this one includes a simple story, comprehension questions for your beginner readers and after-reading activities to build those literacy skills!

What's Inside?

Inside this CVC phonics story, you'll find more than a simple story for your beginner reader! You'll find comprehension questions to discuss out loud, plus activities that build important literacy skills so your reader will succeed later on. You'll also find, as usual, an optional grammar lesson.

• A 7-page story to read
• Reading comprehension discussion questions
• A simple grammar lesson (A question mark means a question is being asked)
• A drawing comprehension activity (one with writing lines, one without) to see your learners understood what they read
• A literacy activity focused on a simple theme: was the story silly or serious?
• A 'Making Predictions' drawing page
• A 'Making connections' activity (Draw a question you have about the story)

Why go beyond reading?

Why bother to include comprehension questions and literacy activities in a 7-page story with barely any words? It's all about making those early literacy connections! Challenging our readers to not only just read words on a page but actually understand what they mean, whether they're serious or funny, asking a question or making a statement - these are all ways to prepare our learners for the bigger world of reading they'll face in upper grades. Finding themes, recognizing that stories go beyond what they say on paper - these are things we want our kids to know and realize.

So while you certainly don't have to include these activities (and definitely do not always need to do all of them!) it's a great way to help them build early reading comprehension and literacy skills.

Download the booklet below!

You can download this story unit below by clicking on the link.

You may use it in your classroom, school, on your smartboard or in your homeschool. You can also use it in virtual classrooms or lessons, and it's great for tutoring too!

All I ask, as per my terms, is that my website is left on each page (www.messybeautifulfun.com) as is.

Download CVC Story 6 Here!

Phonics CVC Story 5: The Man Ran

Want to see MORE CVC Stories? Visit my Phonics page here!

It's time for another CVC Story unit 🥳 This is booklet number 5, and the second book in the -AN word family series! In this story, your learners will explore -an words, sight words, and learn some new grammar and literacy concepts!

My CVC stories go beyond simple sounding out words. They include comprehension activities and questions, activities focused on literacy concepts like making connections, and even simple grammar lessons for beginner readers! Letting your kids practice reading these stories and doing these activities will not only help them learn to read, it will help prepare them for elementary-level learning.

What's Included in a CVC Phonics Story?

Inside each story unit you'll find:

• A story focusing on word families and sight words
• Spiral learning of previously learned phonics rules and words
• A simple grammar activity: In this booklet? Teach your learners all about the exclamation point!
• A 'Making Connections' activity
• Comprehension Questions to help learners understand what they are reading
• A Drawing Comprehension activity

All of these lessons and activities will help your learner realize that sounding out words is more than just busy school work, it's a way to help them express themselves and read stories, learn about new worlds and concepts, and even laugh at some silly texts (The cat ran on the man!' in this story is always a hit!)

Comprehension Activities Build Literacy Skills

When we show kids that reading is about more than words on a page, it helps bring home the fact that words and sentences can be made into stories or books. It's exciting! Once they know how to read AND understand a story, it's a whole new way to explore the world around them. Not only do the connections in their minds fire up at the thought that books are stories and a way to learn, but that reading and learning is all around them. Words on a restaurant menu, words on street signs or supermarket signs, words on home appliances...the list goes on! All of a sudden they begin to notice that words make up our whole world! (And later units will explore this more with making text to world connections!)

Why Grammar?

When teaching younger kids to read, you may not think of including something like grammar right away. But showing kids how words and sentences work in a very simple way helps them understand their reading better. For example, in the first CVC story (the cat on the mat) kids learn that words can be put together to make sentences. It's a simple oral lesson and they can look through the book and point to all of the sentences they read. In the second CVC story, they learn that sentences end with a period and this means we take a small pause. They can then practice reading sentences and noticing the periods at the end of each. 

These simple concepts build on one another and even though our young learners might not memorize them perfectly at first, it will help them when they start more formal grammar lessons in the future. It will also be just another way to point out that reading is so much more than just words.

Download CVC Phonics Story 5!

You can download this story unit below by clicking on the link.

You may use it in your classroom, school, on your smartboard or in your homeschool. You can also use it in virtual classrooms or lessons, and it's great for tutoring too!

All I ask as per my terms is that my website is left on each page (www.messybeautifulfun.com) as is.

Enjoy teaching our future readers!<3

Download CVC Story 5 Here!

Phonics CVC Story 4: The Van (AN words)

The newest phonics story is here!

This is the first one in the -an words series.

You can see the rest of the phonics books on my phonics page.

I am excited to have made the next booklet in the phonics stories series! It includes all of the things you found in the first few too, including a short story for beginner readers, some comprehension questions, a grammar lesson, and more!

Literacy is more than reading words

Being literate is more than just being able to read words on a page. It means being able to understand what you've read, and later on, read into the deeper meanings of texts. But before we get our learners there we need to start simple: building phonetic skills and helping them understand that texts have meanings.

A short little story like this might seem overly simple to us. The thought of taking meaning from it might seem ridiculous. But for our emerging readers its a small peek into a world of reading that can open up for them, stories that can make them think about other worlds, people, and scenes.

Inside a Phonics CVC Story

That's why inside each phonics story you'll find more than just a simple story for your learners to practice reading. These stories follow the same sequence of word family words and sight words that my CVC Booklets here do. Every week a new word family and new sight words are introduced. While the booklets are for basic practice and getting to know the words, the stories are to show that words can be sentences, stories and fun! Not only will they discover that they can read a story on their own, but they can learn to understand stories through comprehension questions and activities, learn to summarize through drawings, and even learn that we can make reading more exciting through grammar concepts.

Inside Phonics Story 4 You'll Find:

• A CVC Story
• An optional grammar lesson (Words can have more than one meaning)
• Comprehension Activities (Questions, Drawing Comprehension, Draw your van

Download CVC Story 4

You can download this story using the link below. It is perfect for us ein classrooms, virtual classrooms, homeschools or for tutoring. All I ask, per my terms, is that you keep my website (Messybeautifulfun.com) on each page.

Thanks for reading and enjoy teaching our future readers!

Download Phonics CVC Story 4 Here

I Can Math Booklets for Kindergarten Math 2: Counting and Cardinality Within 20

 

I Can Booklets for Kindergarten Math 2: Counting and Cardinality Within 20

This is booklet 2! If you want to see booklet 1 click here! 

To see more math books, go to my Math Booklets page!

Counting. Recognizing numbers. They seem like such basic skills, but sometimes they're difficult for kids to grasp. We often mix up counting with writing numbers, counting objects, etc. but sometimes our learners just need to count without focusing on writing or counting out groups of objects. 

That is exactly what these books focus on: All of the worksheets can either be done orally or with coloring, cutting and pasting. They're designed to focus on one skill at a time. In this case, counting within 20.

What's Inside an I Can Booklet?

Inside each of my math I Can booklets, you'll find worksheets and charts that focus on one skill (or a few interconnected ones). In booklet 1, learners focused on counting from 1 to 10. In this booklet the focus will be on counting from 1 to 20. Diving into numbers past ten prepare your learners to count up to 100, and by tens.

Inside you'll find:

• Oral practice charts: Learners practice counting to 20 out loud
• Worksheets: Worksheets are either cut and paste or color-in
• An achievement certificate: Once your learner has mastered the skill or finished the book, you can give them this certificate

Download the booklet here!

You can download the booklet by clicking on the link below. As per my terms, you may use it in classrooms, homeschools, for tutoring and virtual classes, but please always leave my website watermark (messybeautifulfun.com) on the pages. Thank you and enjoy learning to count!

Download I Can Booklet 2 Here!