Compound Eyes! We looked at our friends through a bug viewer and then drew what an insect would see. In addition to Nonfiction books we are reading some fun fiction books about insects and working on story elements and identifying the theme of the stories. Here are some fun math prompts that you can download as a freebie. Just click on the picture below. ... continue reading...
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Compound Eyes
We had a lot of fun looking at the world through a bug's eyes! We did the science exploration from my insect unit and then created this anchor chart to show what we found out. My sweet little friends Lucy and Caroline did the drawings for the chart. ... continue reading...
Phonological Awareness Assessments
Do you get anxiety over knowing how many assessments students need each year? Or, how much data do you need to collect? You are not alone in these concerns! Elementary students have to undergo so many assessments each year to ensure they show academic growth. Thankfully, this year-long process does not have to be miserable for students! Students will be smiling and happy while completing these Phonological Awareness Assessments. The Importance of Phonological Awareness Does ... continue reading...
How to Start Teaching Writer’s Workshop in Kindergarten & First Grade
Do you struggle with how to get started? Writer's Workshop in kindergarten and first grade classrooms is one of the most powerful components. In Writing Workshop in kindergarten and first grade, students are encoding words that come from their thoughts and feelings, which is a much easier skill than decoding. Successful writers become successful readers! So, how do you get started? The answer is simple. Just jump right in!! I usually start at the beginning of the ... continue reading...
Teaching Phonological Awareness | Syllables
Teaching Phonological Awareness Syllables in kindergarten and first grade. Teaching Phonological Awareness - Syllables Research tells us that reading and writing starts with a strong foundation in phonological awareness. Understanding syllables is a significant part of that foundation. There are three strategies I use when introducing and teaching syllables in kindergarten and first grade. For resources to teach phonological awareness in your classroom, click Phonological & Phonemic ... continue reading...
5 Math Games You Can Make From the Dollar Store
This week I had 13 of my sweet friends staying at my house for the Teachers Pay Teachers conference, and we had a blast!! Some of my friends went home on Friday morning so the rest of us decided to hit the Dollar Tree to see what we could find!! We decided to do our very first Facebook live video and share what we found. Many of you asked us to do a follow-up blog post so you could grab the pictures of our ideas, so we decided to do a blog hop. Be sure and visit all five blogs to see all 15 ... continue reading...
Illustration Techniques: In Pictures and In Words
Welcome back to the second week of our book study which covers the 50 illustration techniques that demonstrate "Good Writing" I have to give a shout out to Deedee Wills for working so hard to get this book study up and running! Katie Wood Ray does suggest book titles, but merely as a way to introduce these illustration techniques. She recommends searching your current book collection and reading these books with a new eye... the eye of an illustrator/writer. Each illustration ... continue reading...
Book Study Part 1: In Pictures and in Words
Deedee Wills kicked off our book study and she did such a great job that I just want to add a few little snippits. By sharing some pictures of student writing from my classroom. One thing that really stood out to me in this book is the idea that it is OKAY to slow down and take our time. Writers don't have to jump right in and start writing "words" to create meaning. Each time they pick up a pencil or a crayon they are making meaning through their illustrations. I'm excited about really ... continue reading...
Creating Mental Images
Creating Mental Images is one of my favorite units to teach. It gives readers a chance to interact with the text in a way that's personal to them. We begin our unit with very simple poems and stories and gradually add stories which require them to use their schema and background knowledge to conjure up an image. My Neighbor's Dog is Purple is a great poem to use to begin this unit. Not only is it very simple and fun, but it also shows readers that Mental Images can change as you read. I read ... continue reading...
The Best Phonological Awareness Lessons for Your Primary Students
Improve phonemic and phonological awareness skills with lesson plans for kindergarten and first grade. These daily, 10-minute lessons will lead to reading and writing success! Lesson Plans for Teaching Phonological Awareness Skills Phonological awareness skills are the foundation for reading and writing success. Students with phonological awareness understand that language is made up of words, rhymes, syllables, and sounds. Comparatively, phonemic awareness focuses on identifying, ... continue reading...
Leonardo the Terrible Monster Reading Lesson Plans for K-1
Leonardo the Terrible Monster reading comprehension lesson plans with student response activities. Print and teach lessons to engage your students in reading! Leonardo the Terrible Monster This story by Mo Willems is one of my favorite stories to read, especially in October around Halloween. If you are not familiar with this book, it is about a monster named Leonardo. Leonardo is not a scary monster, no matter how hard he tries! He does some research and thinks he finds the perfect little ... continue reading...
FREE Spine Labels for Binders: Getting Organized!
This is a throwback post that I did awhile back about getting our Guiding Readers units organized. Since this post, I've had quite a few requests to make matching spine labels for the Writing and Math units. So HERE YOU GO! Sorry, it took me so long! We also have a Free Year-Long Curriculum Map for Kindergarten and First Grade. (Scroll to the bottom of this post to grab the map and spines) If you want to read the throw back post carry on! If not, Happy Organizing. ... continue reading...
Engaging Readers: Getting it ORGANIZED!
Hey There! Happy Hump day! We've had a few questions about how we organize our new Engaging Readers units so I thought I'd do a quick blog post to show you! These are the supplies I used to organize mine. I used a 1" binder sheet protectors Binder pocket (one pocket holds all four books) ziploc baggies Clear packing tape Printables for the spine and fronts of sheet protectors click HERE to get yours. First, I put our cutie patootie cover (thanks to ... continue reading...
Common Core Standards Organization and Wishy Washy!
I've had a lot of questions about how I organize my Common Core Standards and Essential Questions. I display them on posters which are hot glued to ribbon. The standards are attached with velcro so that they are easy to change in and out. (Please excuse the bad picture above. The standards shown are from the 1st grade set. Notice that the clipart images match the standard and that the essential question clipart also matches. This helps the little ones who can't read understand the ... continue reading...
Oceans of Fun!
I got up bright and early this morning and drove 2 hrs. in search of the perfect wedding dress for my daughter Taylor. SUCCESS! But, I'm one tired mamma so this is going to be a super quick post! We just started our ocean unit. Nothing gets boys excited more than sharks! (okay...maybe dinosaurs...but they still LOVE sharks too). We used interactive writing to label the parts of a shark. Comparing sharks and whales. Schema Chart Writing ... continue reading...