What's on your TpT Wishlist?

I have seriously been waiting all month for the big TpT Back to School sale. I have caved and already bought some things so that I could get a head start before school starts.

 

 

What are some things that you have wish listed? I could always use some great resources.

 

 

Here are some things on my wish list that I plan on purchasing on Sunday, and some things that I have added to my store this summer (just in case you missed some of them).

 

Items on my wish list:

 

Mrs. Wheeler's Writing Workshop Mini-Lessons Unit 1

 

 

Rowdy in Room 300's Writer's Workshop Folder

 

 

Mrs. Wheeler's B.O.Y. First Grade Assessment Pack

 

 

Jodi Southard's August & September Morning Work to complete my set.

 

 

A Cupcake for the Teacher's A Bright Year Craftivity.

 

And here are some resources that I have added to my store this summer. Each picture will take you to the direct link to my TpT store.

 

 

 

Word Work Menu {Freebie}

Today I would like to talk about Daily 5. More specifically my Word Work station. 

Daily 5 was my littles favorite part of the day. It was also mine too. I liked how little planning it took but yet it was so effective. My littles especially like Word Work.

My Word Work station started off a little shaky last year. First, I was used to the ability levels of second graders. It was definitely an experience adjusting to beginning of the year first graders. I had very little Word Work center activities that were developmentally appropriate.

By November everything was starting to fall into place. I had great hands on activities and my littles were really enjoying the Word Work.

December was even better. My littles were really aware of my expectations and they were completing the work with reasonable speed and accuracy.

Now, January and on things started to go backwards but I blame myself. The activities got boring for them and I didn't not do my part in changing them out often.

So, here's my solution. (Of course Pinterest inspired)....

I created my version of a first grade Word Work Menu. The menu consists of all the Word Work activities that will be available all year long. {Each month I will put out other activities coordinated to the current month.}

Each little will get a Word Work Menu to keep in their green work folder. They will color in each box as they complete each activity. This will keep my littles from doing the same activity every day.

The menu is pretty self explanatory. Check it out and tell me what you think.

The Silly Sentences is a sentence building activity that I created for my Word Work station. Click on the link to get your copy. The littles really enjoy creating silly sentences. The Read It, Write It, Stamp It! is an activity that I purchased on TpT last year but never really used.

 

I did create some recording sheets to go with my Word Work Menu. I'm not too sure if I really like them or not. They don't exactly meet my "cuteness" standards.

 

My Word Work Menu is a freebie in my TpT store. Make sure you get your own copy so that your Word Work station gets started on the right foot.

 

 

I love to hear your feedback.

 

Yours in Teaching,

ThrowBack Thursday...My Grammar and Punctuation Rule Book

I decided to link up my best TpT Seller, My Grammar and Punctuation Rule Book.

This is one of the best things that I have implemented in my classroom. By using this book I know that I have covered all the grammar and punctuation rules that I need to.

Each week, starting the first week of school, I introduce one new grammar or punctuation rule. The rules start out with the simplest first and then get harder as the weeks go by. There are 25 different rules.

I am also currently working on extension activities to go with my rule book.

So far I have come up with these: Click on the pictures to get your copy!

 

 

 

 

Here is my original post!

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Sunday, July 8, 2012

Grammar and Punctuation Rule Book

I didn't get nearly as much done as I had hoped today. Thanks to Lifetime Movie Network, I ended up watching 2 movies today. Yikes!! But I can honestly say that today was the first time I laid around and watched t.v. this summer plus I didn't get out of bed until 10:30. Ooops!

Anywho, last night while the Mr. watched the race (Yes, I know embarrassing. He is a NASCAR fan and I am...NOT!!) I worked on my Grammar and Punctuation Rule Book. I am sooooo happy with the way it turned out!

I designated 15 minutes, one day a week, to focus on grammar and punctuation rules. Yea, I know what your thinking...only 15 minutes, one day a week, to teach grammar. Don't worry I'm not crazy. My littles will still be exposed to grammar and punctuation throughout the day at centers, reading groups, writing workshop. This is just an extra supplement.

That 15 minutes will be used souly for the rule books that I created. I plan on introducing or reviewing a rule, modeling how to write a sentence using the rule, and then my littles will write a sentence of their own and illustrate it.

I did something very similar when I was student teaching 3 years ago (omg, it seems like just yesterday) and I saw great results from it.

Here is what an example page looks like. There are 25 rules total. This is great practice for first graders and can be used as a review for second graders. In the packet, I also included cover pages so that a complete book can be made.

Your littles will be exposed to basic sentence structure, nouns, plural nouns, proper nouns, verbs, contractions, compound words, pronouns, capitalization, punctuation, and MORE!!!

Get it here at my TpT store!!!

I also finished the second 100 HFWs Word Wall Cards in the Bright Stripes.

Get your set here at my TpT store!!!



 

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Yours in Teaching,

Pirate Vs. Princess: A Fiction Book Study Unit...Plus a Buying Bonus!

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O.M.G! It is finally finished! My Pirate Vs. Princess Fiction Book Study Unit is done! 66 whole pages of graphic organizers, writing prompts, math activities, word work centers, and a glyph!



 

 

I have had this unit in my mind for over a year and I did something very similar during student teaching. I just couldn't wait any longer to put my resources all together for others to use.

 

In the past, my students have absolutely loved this unit. Who doesn't like  pirates and fancy things! I can't wait to implement this next school year now that I have a plethora of resources.

 

I plan on spending at least two weeks reading and writing all things pirate and princess. Included in my packet is an outline of what my two weeks may look like. Of course there are more activities, writing prompts, and graphic organizers in the unit plan than I would use, but I always like to have options. You never know what my littles will be like next year. I need to have options!

 

 Here are some of the resources included in the pack:

 

 

I can't wait to make this pirate glyph. Here is a snapshot of what the glyph consists of (plus there is more but it's not pictures). Once I get back into the school and get my hands on some construction paper I will create one.

 

 

This snapshot shows an example of some of the math activities that are included. There is a I Have, Who Has: Pirate Place Value and Roll & Color: Addition and Subtraction boards for princesses and pirates. These will be great to continue the pirate vs. princess theme into math centers.

 I also wanted to send home a letter informing the parents what we are learning and to remind them to wear pirate/fancy clothes for our culminating party! It will be a blast. We will dress like pirates and princesses/princes and eat fancy foods and foods that pirates might eat!

 

 

Here is a snip-it of my Search/Read/Write the Room: Pirate and Princess Style activity. You could either do this as a class or include it in your Daily 5 Word Work Station or Literacy Centers.

 

 

This is just one of the 7 graphic organizers that are included to go along with the suggested read alouds.

 

 

And last but not least, my writing prompts (I'm not sure why the lines look funky, but they don't look like this in the packet). There are 9 different writing prompts that go along with the suggested read alouds. They have the first grade common core writing standard at the top, but they could most definitely be used for 2nd and 3rd grade too.

 

If you just can't wait to get your hands on this unit check it out at my TpT store. It will be on sale for 48 hours! Hip - Hip - Hooray!

 

Plus, If you purchase my new Pirate Vs. Princess Book Study Unit, leave a comment about it here, follow my blog and TpT store, and rate it in my TpT store I will send you one other product of YOUR CHOICE for FREE. Hurry this offer only lasts until next Sunday!

 

So you must do all 5 things:

1. Purchase my Pirate Vs. Princess Unit

2. Leave a Blog Comment (leave me your email address too)

3. Follow my blog

4. Follow my TpT Store

4. Rate your purchase in my TpT store

 

I'm also going to count this post as my Monday Made It. I didn't have a chance to get crafty because I've spent so much time on the computer.

 

 

 

Yours in Teaching, 

Back to School Sale!

Everything in my store will be 20% off. Plus use the code to get an extra 10%. Who doesn't love a great sale!

Here is just one item in my TpT items that you can get for a total of 30% off!!

My Hunks and Chunks Word Wall or Sorting Activity Cards.

I'm Alive and Classroom Overhaul Again

Where have I been all my life?!?!? Why, in my classroom of course. I apologize for being absent for the last week, but I have been extremely busy since summer school started on Monday. I feel tired exhausted when I get home. I'm hoping once school starts that it will be an easier transition. Doubtful but I'm hopeful!

Ok so I keep thinking I'm done setting up my room and then I get on pinterest and your wonderful blogs and I keep giving myself more and more to do. I have to stop! I. will. am. going. CRAZY!!!

Here are some updated pictures of my bright polka dot/owl themed first grade classroom. :) (P.S. - I am a horrible picture taker. Hopefully I get a nice camera for Christmas.)

Here is the view from the door. I scored the bins, to the left, at a garage sale and I spray painted them to match my room. I'm kinda loving that I am going to have tables now.

Thanks to an awesome second grade teacher at my school, she solved my dilemma that I was having with name tags. I bought the table organizers and I am just going to have my littles place their name tags in the organizer, and they can pull them out when they are at their seats. That way I can easily move seats if and when needed. Problem Solved!



Here is another view from the door. I'm loving that the cubbies are ready, minus my littles data folders. I am waiting dreading putting them together. I'm thinking that it will have to be my last thing to do.

You can also see my pocket chart. I'm going to have my littles rearrange our poetry. It will be one of the read to self options that they can choose. Behind the pocket chart is my table for the word work station.

Look at my amazing new bookshelf that my DAD made for me! :) I am one happy girl. I love that there is a shelf on the bottom and three more shelves on the back. Yay for more storage!

Behind the shelf is my listening center BTW!

Here is a picture of what the insides of the cubbies look like and my word work and math center organizers. I'm loving the owl name tags and the book bins. I made the bright polka dot number labels for the book bins. You can get your free copy here.

I will do a post soon about how I organize my word work. Promise!

Ok, so it's a bad, bad picture. I warned you. Here are my rules. This was definitely pinterest inspired.

I spent 6 hours, yes 6, at school today organizing. Here is a section next to my teacher area. I created tubs for guided math and guided reading supplies. That way I can just grab any manipulative I have to help instruct my littles. In between the green tubs is my task cards. I usually use these for when I have a spare minute or two. Which hardly ever happens. On the bottom shelf are my birthday supplies, thank you cards, reading logs, AIMS Web papers, hunks and chunks cards, and some extra supplies.

This tub is located behind my kidney table. The top four drawers are labeled with color groups. I am going to store my guided reading supplies in them. The bottom shelf is labeled CAFE Strategies. That is where I house my strategy cards and any other items I might use to introduce or provided extra instruction on specific strategies.

Lastly, I bought these tubs at Big Lots to store those ugly and awkward  clip boards in. I just put them on top of the cubbies for now.

And as an extra added bonus....

My beautiful bean, Olive! I call her Bean even though her name is Olive. I saw these adorable froggy baby jammies and I couldn't resist. I put them on my bean and they fit perfectly. Isn't she just the cutest thing you have ever saw!?!? P.S. She's 2 years old and weighs 4 pounds, so she is not a puppy. She's just little (like a bean). :)

P.S. Check out my latest TpT Product. Hunks and Chunks Word Wall Cards or Sorting Activity. I will do a write up in a few days or when school starts.