Just a Few Hours Left

I finished my Lucia's Neighborhood packet for the Journeys reading series.

 

 

 

I really like customizing my word work for my class. I can choose what we need help with. I also get to specifically target our grammar skill (adjectives this week) and other skills such as alphabetical order.

 

This was created to accompany the Journeys reading series. This is from Unit 1, story 4 Lucia's Neighborhood

Included in this packet:

spelling practice pages
mats to laminate for clay
identifying spelling words
identifying high frequency words
word family pages
alphabetical order practice
word search
spelling pretest template
practice spelling test template
spelling test template
2 vocabulary test templates
1 partner game (spin, read, and cover) 


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It's okay to let your firsties play with shot glasses, right?

So last week was a short week. No school on Monday because of Labor Day (woohoo!). I also had an ALL DAY curriculum mapping meeting on Tuesday....so sub plans had to be made. In July I made a doctor's appointment well that was on Thursday....more sub plans had to be made. I don't know about you but my sub plans seem sooooo long because I feel like I have to be so detailed.

So basically I was with the kiddos 2 days last week. The kids part is the fun part of my job and I missed it. It's really more work to not be there than it is to be there.

Anywho.

I think I'm finding my stride with Journey's Reading. Monday is jam packed so I may have to reschedule a computer lab time. :/

I'm really enjoying my word work time and the activities I made to use with Journeys. I finished up my newest one just moments ago.

click here to get it on TpT

It has very similar activites to my sets for What is a Pal? and The Storm. Actually most of them are carbon copies but with the short o vowel, new vocab, and new spelling words. There is a verb worksheet and a noun/verb sorting page. I also made a new partner game like the freebie I posted a few months ago.

(the next picture is not included in the Curious George at School packet but I made a game  like the ones included below especially for the packet. Click the image to learn more about the freebie.

Click here to get this product for free

A run-down of what is included:
spelling practice pages
mats to laminate for clay
identifying spelling words
word family pages
noun/verb sorting
word search
spelling pretest template
practice spelling test template
spelling test template
2 vocabulary test templates
verb worksheet
simple sentence unscramble
2 partner games (spin, read, and cover)

Also on the word work front...it's okay to let your firsties play with shot glasses, right?

So I found these sets of plastic shot glasses at the Dollar Tree the other day. I just knew I could do something with them....and if not I'd have colorful disposable shot glasses.

I used a wet-erase (old school overhead Vis-A-Vis) marker to write on them. I wrote our 6 vocab words for the week on one set. The kids will need to read the word and with each word they read they can add a piece to the stacking tower.

I'm going to test the word work choice out before I make more permanent/pretty labels for the shot glasses. You could also use dry erase but I was afraid that would smudge with their fingers. I may use those circular (yard sale) stickers and affix them to the bottom and write the word. You don't want to stock up on hundreds of shot glasses at the Dollar Tree though..looks weird, lol.

My other idea was to practice spelling with these. I wrote the consonants on blue and the vowel on the pink glasses. Students will need to find the letters to spell the word.

Oh and my dry erase circles came from Amazon this week! I put them on my group table. (Pardon the mess remember, I was gone most of the week) I have some with air bubble that reallllly irritate me but they work great and I can't wait to use them with the kiddos. (They are removable and won't cause damage but I'm not sure how many times you can re-stick them)

Oh and thank you Amy for the amazing feedback. This is a big reason we do what we do!

Gearing Up to Go Back

I know...I know...I said it. I don't go back until the 7th but I need to go in and have a little 'work day' for myself. I have plans, copies, rearranging desks, taking down decorations, and gr...grr...grading. (eek)

I'll need some new centers and word work activities for my kiddos when they return. Can't keep doing stuff with Santa and elves on them!

Here's what I finished up from the comfort of my couch in a chihuahua sandwich.

Oh, and yes some are common core aligned but as you all know there are tons of things we need to teach that are not standards.

You'll get 5 reading focused centers and 5 math focused centers

click here to check it out on TpT

click to enlarge

sort words by their real spelling or their sound-out spelling

 

nonsense word game

 

sort the sentences by the punctuation they should have

 

put words in ABC order

 

complete the number patterns (counting forward and backward)

 

fill in the missing part or whole

 

read the number sentence to decide if it is true or false

 

match number sentences to their answer

 

count the coins and match them to their written representation

 

unscramble the sentences

 

If you like this please pin one of my (many) images. Leave the link to the pin and I'll follow you on pinterest and pick someone to get a free copy! 

Get it at my TpT store

September's almost over?!

When did that happen? Where did the beginning of the year go? When did my summery bright decorations get replaced with apples and fall foliage colors?

Well, another busy week in 106 with me. I'm up to "Daily 3" lol. Not quite at the 5 but what I do have is going smoothly. My PowerPoint to transition stations is working well. I added animations and a background to my classroom ppt and the kiddos are really being independent when switching and I'm getting One-to-Small Group time with each kid nearly every day. I really love the small groups I've been able to pull but am struggling to get through the reading series materials now.

This week we started Mountain Language

Stock Photo.

Mountain Language is a program that teaches and practices different language arts and phonics skills weekly. This is the 5th year I've used it and I really enjoy it. By introducing and practicing with some of these topics now it's so much easier when I get to them in a few months. (i.e. contractions, naming part, telling part) They also make a Mountain Math. Check it out.





 We started Centers (which follow Mountain Language)

I currently do Centers during our RTI time. My school is not a Title I school so we may do things differently than many of you. During this time students are pulled out and work in leveled groups. I'm left with the median kiddos mostly.

I have a pocket chart (to the left) that came with our reading series. It's purple which is a bit nicer than all those blue ones I have. I mainly like it because of the deep pockets.

As you can see I have 5 groups. They are color coded (because the containers for the activities are colored) The kids are in that color all week but may do or redo any activity they'd like within their group. I pull kids during this time as well.

I also have a group that does computer time. Right now they're doing Reading Eggs. 

Here are my magazine boxes filled with center activities. They do math and reading activities during this time but I have a separate set of Word Work choices for  D5 time. 

 Do your kids bring in tissue boxes? I love the ones with the plastic guard. I use these for my math and nonsense word fluency games They're great! (and free) I put the cards in there and the kiddos draw one out. This box is cute but some of the other boxes get a butcher paper/wrapping paper makeover.





Oh and those of you that have purchases my Spelling Packet I wanted to let you know that I updated it to include traceable pages to practice heading a spelling test.

 

Google Docs is now Google Drive so I'm not 100% sure about imbedding a document anymore but if you go to TpT and download the preview of this item you'll get this freebie. The whole packet is only $2. 

 

Spelling

School starts tomorrow...well at least meetings (early ones!) and Open House. Then on Tuesday I can resume a normal staying up/sleeping schedule. It'll be a system shock but I need a routine.

Anywho.

In first grade we do a few weeks of kindergarten review. Shortly after that we introduce the kiddos (and parents) to spelling...and practice tests....and real tests. My school uses (and loves) Spelling City. You can do some great games and make printables. I <3 the handwriting one. I'd make the handwriting one a morning work assignment, usually on Wednesdays. By May the kiddos were tired of doing it and I was tired of grading work that I knew wasn't their personal best.

I came up with a fun activity so they'd still practice writing their words but there was a math component to it...and some variety for us all.

1. Grab a spelling list
2. Grab 2 dice 
3. Roll the dice and find the sum
4. Write the spelling word that many times

Some kids were much luckier when it came to rolling small numbers than others. It helped not only with spelling but since teachers are sneaky they were practicing counting/adding as well.

I made a template for the beginning of the year using only 1 die. The backside has words 6-10.

I've put both version of this game (1 die and 2 dice versions) into a small spelling packet I've made.
It also includes:

This page (which is two-sided) is to have the kiddos sort their words by the beginning letter. 

This page was created to help kiddos with sorting their words as well. However, they won't solely by beginning letter. Just like in a dictionary they'll sort by guide letters. 

This is one of the five templates of the heading a spelling test portion. It slowly scaffolds the students into learning and remembering the steps of heading a spelling test paper. I've created it to replicate the paper I use including the blanks at the bottom for when I introduce sentences.

Click image to go directly to this product in my TpT store

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