tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78597991612668961152024-03-15T19:26:40.444-04:00Growing Little MindsEricahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-30712182805497039892021-07-31T14:59:00.002-04:002021-07-31T18:19:02.478-04:00Containing all the STUFF: Ideas for Organizing Math Manipulatives<div class="p1">
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<span class="s1">I don’t know about you, but one of the hardest parts of my math block is all the STUFF.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Between cubes, pattern blocks, 2 color counters, base ten blocks, and all the rest, it can be such a pain in the neck to distribute and store all those math materials in a way that keeps both you AND your students organized! <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>And I’m tired of plastic baggies- they rip, or stop zipping, and then they don’t hold anything.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Over my many years of teaching, I’ve figured out so many ways to organize these items- and best of all, they don’t break the bank! <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">I don’t know about you, but I HATE organizing cards and making sure that each pack has the same cards in it.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>When I found a stray one on the floor, I never knew where it went, so it would end up in the drawer where I store them </span>all, or just stuck in some random stack of cards somewhere.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>So I started color coding my cards.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>With my playing cards or sets of cards that came with our math program, I simply used Sharpie markers to put a small colored dot in the corner of each card.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>One set is purple, one set is blue, one set is red, etc…<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Then when I find a stray card around, I just find the set it goes in and return it.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Seriously, this was <u>life changing</u>.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>No more stray cards laying around.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I just put it back with the matching cards!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwZ5SCL54R4zFkCm461Q3PpdwnD_MI6rVOidi3l0k1myu17AkWQH6EKnhynn0FSpYre5jwYQ2J2RL2Vw6HD9XpNWmA7uul-nv-l881ANxp6mfDYrSF8qtD1h9pXFsMXI3ZgwcRHp-PdOw/s1600/math+manipulatives+blog+post+photos2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwZ5SCL54R4zFkCm461Q3PpdwnD_MI6rVOidi3l0k1myu17AkWQH6EKnhynn0FSpYre5jwYQ2J2RL2Vw6HD9XpNWmA7uul-nv-l881ANxp6mfDYrSF8qtD1h9pXFsMXI3ZgwcRHp-PdOw/s400/math+manipulatives+blog+post+photos2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="s1">I also keep sets of regular number cards in my classroom.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Those, I also color coded by printing each set on a different color of cardstock.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Then, when I find a stray card, I can just match up the color.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>This also helps if multiple students are working with sets of cards at one table, because the kids know which cards are their own quickly by looking at the color.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Sometimes I find it necessary to differentiate my math centers, and I have found that color coding things makes it so much easier.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>For example, in first grade, I had the purple group, the green group, and the blue group.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>If I needed to provide different activities for them, I would print them on paper that matched their group color.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>This helped them to know which activities they were supposed to be doing and helped them locate the items they needed more quickly.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Containers are ALWAYS a precious commodity in my classroom</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8138UFfF_WFBYMA5UUdTdwOr2TwQv8HyygoMAS2Egvy3S3fCcZXhbLs5p0NQDu4uXLElr9sECpjCWS2Wkr0hqyvwo-Cn2TtcYlH7ryYmsQWhTVuqmycgTH7IAdXlGFvM4fJ4YRgDKhg27/s1600/math+manipulatives+blog+post+photos.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8138UFfF_WFBYMA5UUdTdwOr2TwQv8HyygoMAS2Egvy3S3fCcZXhbLs5p0NQDu4uXLElr9sECpjCWS2Wkr0hqyvwo-Cn2TtcYlH7ryYmsQWhTVuqmycgTH7IAdXlGFvM4fJ4YRgDKhg27/s400/math+manipulatives+blog+post+photos.png" width="400" /></a><span class="s1">Pill bottles are perfect for holding lots of small items like 2-color counters, pennies, centimeter cubes, and even mini-erasers.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Of course, you need the kind with child-friendly caps so that students can open them!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>They come in a variety of sizes as well.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Pencil slider cases are another great way to contain items.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I love how they slide out so the items inside stay contained.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I have used these for tens and ones blocks (unfortunately they aren’t big enough for a hundred) and I found they work great for centers.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Of course, a pencil slider box also works great for a dry erase marker and an eraser too!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I use these slider cases to hold supplies for my Fact Fluency Flip Books. </span><br />
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<span class="s1">Snack containers like the ones you can get at Dollar Tree, Walmart, etc… are also great for containing small items or pieces for math games.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>A pack of playing cards also fit perfectly into a snack container!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8KUJwB1XL6wT5FFTEzWtU6xiunCZng6khAlfzMlJdu7ddEvY7OjtMBxG-daFYJLH2hgwLur5AgDuIqp1rC-p0Y6ygESv1mOQy7PQPfAD8jtYRNQMdJomtdxSmKnaYOdJcC-fdirs2UpF/s1600/math+manipulatives+blog+post+photos4.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8KUJwB1XL6wT5FFTEzWtU6xiunCZng6khAlfzMlJdu7ddEvY7OjtMBxG-daFYJLH2hgwLur5AgDuIqp1rC-p0Y6ygESv1mOQy7PQPfAD8jtYRNQMdJomtdxSmKnaYOdJcC-fdirs2UpF/s400/math+manipulatives+blog+post+photos4.png" width="400" /></a><span class="s1">Tupperware containers are also an inexpensive way to contain materials and pass them out to students.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(Am I showing my age that I call them Tupperware containers?)<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The Dollar Tree has a huge selection of inexpensive plastic containers that can work for pretty much any manipulative you need to store or organize!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Base ten blocks fit into these containers.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Leftover food containers like dog food containers or yogurt containers can also be a great way to store math manipulatives for students.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Yogurt containers with lids (usually the kind that contain some sort of topping) are absolutely the BEST.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Some dog food brands also have containers with lids as well.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I’ve been known to buy my dog a certain type of food simply because I needed that color lid.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Other containers, such as butter containers or lunch meat containers are also cheap ways to store manipulatives and they hold larger items such as cubes or pattern blocks.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6TTKiABNKmA5z-MJJz5znXoyURB3nvjWraYudiAG5OMMwoipbdnnNqLeL0tIERqkO7kDLGuHnCKa9-B5AKgYIsAO49R_zuDg4KFoXoc43F1cmBuPNOvRx7pMTtNZSkdGhyp7YywGUx7w/s1600/math+manipulatives+blog+post+photos5.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6TTKiABNKmA5z-MJJz5znXoyURB3nvjWraYudiAG5OMMwoipbdnnNqLeL0tIERqkO7kDLGuHnCKa9-B5AKgYIsAO49R_zuDg4KFoXoc43F1cmBuPNOvRx7pMTtNZSkdGhyp7YywGUx7w/s400/math+manipulatives+blog+post+photos5.png" width="400" /></a><span class="s1">Plastic cups are also a great way to organize math materials for games or activities.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The small red “shot glass” cups from Dollar Tree are perfect for holding a few dice for a game.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Bigger cups can hold cubes, Base 10 blocks, and other larger items.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>These are a bit more likely to break than some of the other options, but they are also fairly cheap to replace. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Buckets, like the small metal ones that are generally plentiful in the Target dollar spot, work well for holding student materials as well. You could toss in a dry erase marker, some cubes, base ten blocks, or whatever other supplies your students need. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">I like to have my math materials organized and ready to go for myself and my students at all times so that I can just grab what they need and go. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Cubby bins are BY FAR my favorite way to store my math manipulatives.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I make a label for each bin and keep them all on my cubby shelf.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I replaced my bins this summer with some inexpensive ones I found online, and now I have bins with lids.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I have a bin for all of my manipulatives that will fit!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Buttons, color tiles, pattern blocks, wooden shapes, cubes, dice, tangrams, and other items like that all have their own cubby bin. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Plastic shoe box containers are also a great way to store manipulatives, and they stack nicely on a shelf if you don’t have anything like a cubby bin to house them.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>They have lids which help keep items contained.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Bigger bins can be used to store bigger items as well. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Plastic drawer units are also inexpensive ways to store a lot of things, and they come in a variety of sizes too.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>For example, you can use smaller drawers uses to hold things like dice or playing cards.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Larger drawers can store cubes and wooden blocks.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>They can stack so they don’t take up a ton of space either. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">The best part about storing math manipulatives is that you can mix and match the methods that work best for you! <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Did you find a new tip you hadn’t thought of, or have a new tip to share?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Leave a comment below!</span></div>
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<br /><br />Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-5613941325061283492020-08-03T14:30:00.000-04:002020-08-03T14:30:00.390-04:00Working with Shapes: Hands on with 2 and 3-d Shapes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We've been working on shapes. And I spent tons of time planning lots of fun, engaging learning activities to help them practice identifying shapes, finding shapes in the environment, and making things with shapes. Well, this year, I threw caution to the wind and did two things I've never done before: I let my kids build flat shapes with geoboards, using geoboard task cards. Usually we build shapes on the geoboard while I model the shape or tell them what to build. This year, I actually let them build shapes. I also did something I've never done at all before: I let my kids build 3-d shapes with marshmallows and toothpicks!</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">First, we practiced building shapes with the geoboards. I got these </span><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Geoboards-Task-Cards-1422722" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">geoboard cards</a><span style="text-align: center;"> from my friend Susan from </span><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/My-Happy-Place" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">My Happy Place</a><span style="text-align: center;">! They worked out great- I pulled out the cards I wanted to use, and I laminated them and put them out on the table. The kids really loved being able to use the geoboards to make different shapes. I was really impressed at how focused they stayed. Believe it or not, there weren't any rubber bands flying around the classroom! We had practiced making different shapes as a guided whole group lesson before, so they had some experience with the rubber bands and geoboards before I set them loose.</span><br />
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I like these geoboard cards because they allow them to make different objects using shapes. For example, this umbrella is a trapezoid.</div>
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And this butterfly is made of triangles! </div>
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You can find these Geoblock cards <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Geoboards-Task-Cards-1422722" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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Then, we practiced making both flat and solid shapes with marshmallows and toothpicks. I've never done this in the past, because I've always imagined toothpick sword fights and kids building things they aren't supposed to! But this year, I went ahead and tried it. And I'm so glad I did!</div>
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I created both flat and solid <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Shapes-2339535" target="_blank">Shape Building cards</a>. I laminated them and cut them out. I had 2 of each card at the table, so multiple kids could build the same shape at the same time. I color coded the cards: red for flat shapes, and blue for solid shapes.</div>
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I modeled how to create the different shapes with the toothpicks and marshmallows. I showed them how to build the flat shapes first, before graduating to the solid shapes once they felt comfortable building the flat shapes.</div>
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Then, I just let them build!</div>
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I love how this little sweetie is studying that card, trying to figure out how to make this 3-d shape.</div>
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They took different approaches. </div>
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I put plates on the tables to help contain any stickiness, but clearly the kids didn't even bother to use them!</div>
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The best part is, they were all successful!</div>
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I was so surprised and impressed with how well they did. Even with the solid shapes, which I expected they would have some trouble with.</div>
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And VOILA!</div>
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I like how she created 2 shapes and put them together to make a house.</div>
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I will definitely be doing this again next year! I was so impressed with how well they did with the shapes, and they had a great time!</div>
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What is your favorite way to teach shapes?</div>
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<br />Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-88263457700619944672020-07-29T12:56:00.000-04:002020-07-29T12:56:00.382-04:00How to Begin a Fact Fluency Program in your Classroom... in 4 steps!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Setting up a fact fluency program in a classroom can be daunting- where do I store it all? How do I keep track? How do I determine if students are successful? What do I do if they aren't making progress?<br />
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I have set up and run a fact fluency program in my classroom for a few years now, and while I was overwhelmed at first, I found that it's not as hard as you think to help students become fluent in math! It just takes 4 simple steps to get your fact fluency program up and running.<br />
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<b>Get Organized:</b></u><br />
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I find that everything goes so much more smoothly if I am organized before I begin anything, and that's especially important when running a fact fluency program. Having assessments ready, keeping track of student data... it can be really overwhelming. I personally use a two part system for keeping myself organized, and I find that it really works.<br />
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First, I printed out all of the testing originals for both <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fact-Fluency-Timed-Tests-Addition-and-Subtraction-1003747?utm_source=Growing%20Little%20Minds&utm_campaign=Fact%20Fluency%20post">addition and subtraction</a>. I like having the originals all in one place because then I don't have to find the file on my computer, print out the page I need, run down to the copy room to make copies... I just grab my binder when I need more copies and take it to the copy room, make all the copies I need, and put the originals back in the sleeve when I'm finished! I hate trying to find things on my slow computer, so this works for me.<br />
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I used to keep the student assessments in the binder as well, but I found that having all those extra pages in there was a little less organized than I would like it to be. So I decided to use hanging file folders in a crate to organize assessments. And since I really love it when things are color coded, particularly in color order, I created tabs that matched the color of each level. Inside the files for each level are the different assessments, the flash cards for that level, and copies of the reward certificate ready to go. When a student passes a level, I can easily grab the next set of flash cards and the reward certificate, staple them to their completed assessment, and send it home! It is also really easy to see how many more copies I may need of a particular assessment, and it's easy to slide them down in there once I've copied them.<br />
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It is also important for you to determine what fluency looks like in your classroom. How long do they have to complete the assessment? Do they need to get them all correct? How many problems do they need to do- 25 or 15? 3 seconds per problem is considered "fluency" based on what I've heard. I give my students the 25 problem sheet. If a student does not complete 2-3 problems but gets the rest correct, I usually consider that "fluent" since it's above 80% mastery and let them move on. However, if the student is making computation mistakes, I don't. Of course, you will have to choose what works in your classroom!<br />
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<b><u>Practice, practice, practice!</u></b><br />
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An important part of fact fluency is giving your students time to practice! I always begin our program with a letter to parents letting them know that we are going to be using the program this year. Attached to the letter is a copy of the 0s facts for them to practice with their child. I usually give them a few days or so to practice their facts at home and in the classroom before we do the first assessment. In the classroom, I like to integrate our fact fluency practice into our Fast Finisher activities, as well as math centers when appropriate. Several of our Fast Finisher activities involve some sort of fact practice.<br />
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Flash cards: We began with the option of flash cards first- they are easy and since mine are color coded, the kids could just grab the color that matches the level they are working on.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fluency-Flip-Books-Bundle-4220916?utm_source=Growing%20Little%20Minds%20blog&utm_campaign=Fact%20Fluency%20Flip%20Books" target="_blank">Fact Fluency Flip Books</a>: A second option for my students are <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fluency-Flip-Books-Bundle-4220916?utm_source=Growing%20Little%20Minds%20blog&utm_campaign=Fact%20Fluency%20Flip%20Books" target="_blank">Fact Fluency Flip books</a>. These are little books that students can grab and work on. Each book contains 8 pages with 11 different activities for practicing facts. For example, there is a page of number bonds, a page of number lines, etc... These are probably best for saving to use after you've taught addition strategies. I have 4 different books for each level, so students can grab a different book each time they use one.<br />
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Games: I use lots of addition and subtraction games with my students that help to build fluency. Most of these games are simple as well! Games like <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Counting-and-Number-Sense-0-20-Games-and-Activities-2811446?utm_source=Growing%20Little%20Minds&utm_campaign=Fact%20fluency">Bump or Roll and Cover</a> give students fluency practice while making it fun. War is another fun game, where students choose two cards, add the numbers together, and decide who has the higher sum. Other games where students are practicing adding together or subtracting two numbers are perfect for increasing fluency and providing students with practice!<br />
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Boom Cards: My students LOVE <a href="https://wow.boomlearning.com/" target="_blank">Boom Cards</a>, and if you haven't checked them out, you should! There are a ton of both free and paid options available both on the <a href="https://wow.boomlearning.com/" target="_blank">Boom website</a> and <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/" target="_blank">Teachers Pay Teachers.</a><br />
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<a href="https://amzn.to/2nLWKxH" target="_blank">Hot Dots:</a> <a href="https://amzn.to/2nLWKxH" target="_blank">Hot Dots</a> are something my students love to use. <a href="https://amzn.to/2maIBKj" target="_blank">Power Pens</a> are another similar option and the pens can be used interchangeably with the different card sets. I got mine through <a href="https://www.donorschoose.org/" target="_blank">Donors Choose</a>, so if this is something your school allows, it's definitely an engaging option to check out! There are <a href="https://amzn.to/2maoYC6" target="_blank">addition</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/2nQN3yb" target="_blank">subtraction</a> and Power Pens <a href="https://amzn.to/2mjiMaP" target="_blank">addition</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/2nQKNab" target="_blank">subtraction</a> sets that you can purchase. There are also <a href="https://amzn.to/2nS5HFZ" target="_blank">Power Pen stickers</a> that you can purchase to create your own.<br />
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I find that having lots of choices increases student engagement and keeps them from getting bored using just one method to practice their facts. If they're tired of Boom Cards, they can use Hot Dots that day.<br />
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<u><b>Track Progress</b></u><br />
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Of course, tracking your students progress is important to continuing to increase fluency! There are so many ways to track student progress. You can do a whole class board where students move their name to the level they are on, or write their name on each level once they've passed it. Or you can choose to make it a bit more private. Or you can choose not to track at all! In my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fact-Fluency-Timed-Tests-Addition-and-Subtraction-1003747?utm_source=Growing%20Little%20Minds&utm_campaign=Fact%20Fluency%20post">Growing Fact Fluency pack</a>, I've included tracking sheets for the teacher to use, as well as fun tracking sheets that the students can use to track their own progress. I also have included sticker charts, reward tags, and certificates to both track and celebrate student progress!<br />
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Tracking also helps alert you to any difficulties a student may be having. When I realized that two of my students were really struggling with making it past their 1s facts, I knew that I needed to work with them and give them more opportunities to increase their fluency. I downloaded Boom Card games that just practiced adding one. One student was not actually adding one and did not understand the concept, so I taught a small group lesson on how adding one is just counting up one more. I have also included options for differentiating, so struggling students can be given the page with only 15 problems while everybody else has 25. By keeping track of their progress, I was able to identify those difficulties and work on those particular skills.<br />
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<b><u>Reap the Rewards</u></b><br />
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I am not usually one for extrinsic rewards, and generally my Fact Fluency program operates in that same manner. For most students, knowing they've passed that level and are moving on to the next level is enough for them to be motivated. That being said, I do think it's very important to acknowledge their progress. I send home a certificate with the students once they've passed a level. If possible, I send it home that day. Attached to that certificate is the next set of fluency flashcards to begin working on. I also move their clip to the next level on our bulletin board so they can see their progress. They also get to move to the next set of Fact Fluency Flip Books, which they seem to find exciting.<br />
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You can choose to do any sort of rewards you want to do with this program, and that's one thing I love about it. I've used this program different ways with different classes. I have options for different ways to track and reward, including sticker charts and reward tags, along with the certificates.<br />
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Also, you can take the pressure off your students and not worry about levels, or tracking, or time, and just have fun with learning facts! Play the games, randomly use the fact fluency assessments for fun, or don't. All that matters is that your students become more fluent with their math facts and use them to become better and faster at math in general. How you choose to approach that is up to you and what works best for your students.<br />
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<br />Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-26122642414936438952020-07-23T19:19:00.001-04:002020-07-28T14:22:54.606-04:00Social Distancing in the Classroom: Keeping Literacy Meaningful and Engaging During a Pandemic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Though my district is going back using distance learning for the first 6 weeks, I know that I was very worried and nervous about how I could still "do" school where the kids can still do fun activities while keeping their distance. So things like laminated centers, bins of materials, and things like that were probably going to be a no-no for at least most of this school year. And I panicked, like I'm sure so many teachers out there are! I want to be prepared for when we return to school in person with some great ideas that I can use, especially if they are things that I already have!<br />
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I've been doing a lot of thinking about things that I already use that are no or low touch, so I wanted to share some center ideas and things that you might be able to use as well. These are activities that will help keep your students engaged, learning, and having fun while not sharing germs! While these are great for a pandemic, they might also be useful during flu season as well.<br />
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I do so much hands on with shared materials during my literacy centers, whether it's laminated sorts, or word building activities with <a href="https://amzn.to/3jyIxga" target="_blank">magnetic letters</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/3eTflNh" target="_blank">stamps</a>. I know that it will be so difficult to do these activities safely without having to do a ton of disinfecting- and I know that disinfecting <a href="https://amzn.to/2WP6lmd" target="_blank">wooden word tiles</a> and magnetic letters will be a nightmare!<br />
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One way around this is to use <a href="https://amzn.to/2WScVrY" target="_blank">cardstock</a> to create sets of letters for your students. Then you can laminate a set for each child and keep them in a personal container for that child. I love <a href="https://www.dollartree.com/plastic-snack-containers-with-lock-top-lids-3ct-packs/207324">Dollar Tree's snack boxes</a> for individual items. I love them so much, I have a <a href="http://www.growinglittleminds.net/2019/09/12-uses-for-dollar-store-snack.html" target="_blank">whole post on how to use them</a>! Of course, any small box or even a baggie will do. With the individual boxes and letter sets, my students can still practice building sight words and making words. It may not be nearly as fun as stamping sight words and building them out of play doh, but at least it's still hands-on. You could also add a few small rings or <a href="https://amzn.to/3jDpAcm" target="_blank">links</a> to their individual containers and punch holes in the cards so they can still build the words by linking them together.<br />
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If you had enough sets of magnetic letters, you could create letter boxes for each child and label them with each child's name. Then they could pull out their box when they were doing a making words or building words center. I would have students keep this in their book box as well. </div>
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Individual book boxes are going to be a huge part of how I stay organized this year. I have used individual book boxes for several years now. I've used both <a href="https://amzn.to/30DOAHy" target="_blank">plastic</a> and <a href="https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/flyt-magazine-file-white-50022354/" target="_blank">cardboard </a>book boxes throughout the years, but now I have a nice set of <a href="https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/products/teaching-resources/bins-organizers/neon-connect-store-book-bins/p/TT769X" target="_blank">plastic ones</a> that are easy to wipe down with a wipe to clean off if necessary. My students keep their books they are reading, poetry notebooks, reading notebooks, and their independent books in their book boxes. I may also add things like individual <a href="https://amzn.to/30FtuZn" target="_blank">clipboards</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3jwGaKF" target="_blank">dry erase pockets</a>, and sets of magnetic letters or laminated letters in their book boxes as well. That way, all their materials are on hand and easy to grab.<br />
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Numbering items that you don't normally assign to your students individually might be a great way to make sure each student is using their own "stuff" while not writing student names all over it. I assign my students a number for their mailboxes, lockers, etc... anyway so it wouldn't be too much extra work to write numbers 1-24 on the back of my class set of clipboards or in the corner of my dry erase pockets.<br />
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If you don't have individual items like clipboards, book boxes, and dry erase pockets for each student, and you don't want to purchase them yourself, or simply can't afford to, you could use Donors Choose or even an Amazon wishlist to ask friends and family (or total strangers) for help!<br />
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For literacy centers, activities that are printable, or something I can slip in a <a href="https://amzn.to/3jwGaKF" target="_blank">dry erase pouch</a> and easily be disinfected are the way to go. I hate using so much paper, but I simply don't think I'll be able to constantly disinfect laminated items like I usually use. So anything that can be printed in black and white for individual student use will definitely be my go-to once we return to the classroom!<br />
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One of my favorite activities to do with my students are <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sight-Word-Stories-Printable-Interactive-Sight-Word-Books-Growing-Bundle-2886888?utm_source=Growing%20Little%20Minds&utm_campaign=Sight%20Word%20Stories%20bundle" target="_blank">sight word stories</a>. These sight word stories give my students practice with a sight word they are learning or need extra practice with, and when they are finished creating their book, they have something they can read over and over again. I have them keep them in a pouch in their book boxes to read whenever they have independent reading time. You can grab a freebie of my sight word story, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sight-Word-Books-I-GET-Ready-Interactive-reader-3002936?utm_source=Growing%20Little%20Minds&utm_campaign=Sight%20Word%20Stories%20Freebie" target="_blank">"I Get Ready"in my TPT store</a>.<br />
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The pouches I use were donated to our school several years ago and look like the bags that sheets or pillowcases come in, but you could use something like <a href="https://amzn.to/30DRf4c" target="_blank">cosmetics pouches</a> or even the <a href="https://amzn.to/3g8DIYZ" target="_blank">mesh zipper pouches</a> you can find really inexpensively on Amazon. Even ziplock bags could work, though they might not be quite as durable.<br />
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I also love phonemic awareness and phonics <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Word-WorkPhonics-Phonemic-Awareness-Cut-and-Paste-Sorting-Bundle-2974059?utm_source=Growing%20Little%20Minds&utm_campaign=Sorts%20Bundle" target="_blank">sorts</a>. They are easy, and they really show me how my students are doing with beginning sounds, or hearing middle vowel sounds, or whichever phonics skill we are working on. Best of all, because these sorts are printable, they are really easy to differentiate. I give different students sorts based on their levels, so that students who are struggling with a skill can get extra practice while students who are ready to move on can.<br />
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I really like center games like this Spin a Word Family game. All students need is a spinner (which should be easy to keep disinfected if you have <a href="https://amzn.to/3hwcHPa" target="_blank">plastic ones</a>, or they can just use a paper clip and their pencil.) Their work is their recording sheet, so you don't have to worry about reusing any laminated items with another child. You could also place this in a dry erase pouch and they could use their dry erase marker to write the words. You can grab a free <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Word-Family-activities-ing-2622329?utm_source=Growing%20Little%20Minds&utm_campaign=CVC%20Word%20Families%20Freebie" target="_blank">Word Family pack</a> for the -ing word family in my<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Word-Family-activities-ing-2622329?utm_source=Growing%20Little%20Minds&utm_campaign=CVC%20Word%20Families%20Freebie" target="_blank"> TPT store</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFzWXYA17H0lgz6nFNMW9UwNYOc0T2Uh-BmWP8bw2RyoDnfFsRI84TwnmsM_7q4uHrxq8fNGUVAzPHQxXyVWLp4z6cPXSFEXdU4MNSiIh_WZ4hj0iL3HunAGJst0Uvebb75YOv5eCbUS3/s1600/no+germs+post+photos8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFzWXYA17H0lgz6nFNMW9UwNYOc0T2Uh-BmWP8bw2RyoDnfFsRI84TwnmsM_7q4uHrxq8fNGUVAzPHQxXyVWLp4z6cPXSFEXdU4MNSiIh_WZ4hj0iL3HunAGJst0Uvebb75YOv5eCbUS3/s1600/no+germs+post+photos8.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Alphabet-Mini-Books-1367079?utm_source=Growing%20Little%20Minds&utm_campaign=Alphabet%20Mini%20Books" target="_blank">Alphabet</a> and <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/CVC-Word-Families-Bundle-1803655?utm_source=Growing%20Little%20Minds&utm_campaign=CVC%20Word%20Families%20Bundle" target="_blank">word family books</a> are something I used <a href="http://www.growinglittleminds.net/2014/12/centers-kindergarten-style.html" target="_blank">a lot in Kindergarten</a>. I've used these both as a center and for practice when I'm teaching a certain letter or word family. Like the sight word stories, when they are finished with their books, they put them in their plastic pouches in their book boxes to read again and again.</div>
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Poetry notebooks are an awesome "on your own" center that students can complete fairly easily. I've used songs we sing in class, greetings we do during morning meeting, and <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/CVC-Word-Families-Bundle-1803655?utm_source=Growing%20Little%20Minds&utm_campaign=CVC%20Word%20Families%20Bundle" target="_blank">phonics poems</a> as well. I just type them up so that two poems fit on one sheet of paper. Students glue the poem in their notebooks. For phonics poems, we look for words that follow that phonics pattern. Sometimes we look for sight words, or certain letters, or they just read and illustrate the poem. Poetry notebooks can be kept in their individual book boxes as well. Poems are easy to find and students just love reading their poems in their poetry notebooks! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZcZX67dPCvEH_YSKixXrXcwZMsBQPY3uU1qS4Cw3viqRidFNgzYman573HIUO7VDpvhGbspsJmxYZrl78vaundpwfAfnoXGSt85oP_c0gZsWGF8fmzc927i6TG3TbqulBZYrEr1aBXyK/s1600/no+germs+post+photos7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZcZX67dPCvEH_YSKixXrXcwZMsBQPY3uU1qS4Cw3viqRidFNgzYman573HIUO7VDpvhGbspsJmxYZrl78vaundpwfAfnoXGSt85oP_c0gZsWGF8fmzc927i6TG3TbqulBZYrEr1aBXyK/s1600/no+germs+post+photos7.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Erica-Butler/Category/ELA-Write-Around-the-Room-187071?utm_source=Growing%20Little%20Minds&utm_campaign=Write%20Around%20the%20Room" target="_blank">Read/Write around the Room</a> is another center that is pretty much hands-off and could be used socially-distant in a classroom. I would hang the cards in places that they wouldn't be near other students- on our lockers, for example, or near the classroom door, by the sink, etc... Then students could go around the room with their clipboard and write the words they found on their recording sheet. My students love this activity because it gets them up and moving! </div>
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Of course, we can't forget digital centers! If your school is 1-1, this is an easy center to keep germ free! If your school is not, you could wipe down devices after each use. Our students use different online programs and apps during center time. Boom Learning is one of my favorites but I intend to try to incorporate more Google Classroom activities during our center time this year, since it uses no paper, has very little prep, and the kids enjoy anytime they get to use a tablet or computer.</div>
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I plan to use my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Erica-Butler/Category/Digital-Phonics-Phonemic-Awareness-Sorts-for-Google-Slides-460128?utm_source=Growing%20Little%20Minds&utm_campaign=Digital%20Sorts%20for%20Google%20Slides" target="_blank">Digital Sorts for Google Slides</a> during distance learning once again, but I also plan to use them once we are back in the classroom for a quick check in activity for students to do, or as one of their center choices. I like how I can check their work and provide feedback before I return it to them via Google Classroom. Now that I've had a chance to use it during NTI, I am excited to use it more to differentiate instruction for my students.<br />
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I mentioned above that my students and I love Boom Cards. I have created digital versions of several of my Sight Word Stories for <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/DIGITAL-Sight-Word-Stories-Interactive-Books-Growing-Bundle-for-Boom-Cards-5420115?utm_source=Growing%20Little%20Minds&utm_campaign=Boom%20Cards%20Sight%20Word%20Stories%20bundle" target="_blank">Boom Cards</a> to assign to my students as well. If I notice they are struggling with a word, or just want them to have extra practice with a word, I have them complete the sight word story book for that word. Now that I have digital versions, they can practice them again and again at home or at school. For a hybrid model, I would assign digital sight words to some students while assigning paper copies to my in-person students. I also love these Boom Cards because you can assign them to your students and they can practice reading their books on any device! If you don't use Boom Cards in your classroom yet, you really should! You can download a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/DIGITAL-Sight-Word-Stories-How-Will-You-GO-to-School-Interactive-Boom-Cards-5402901?utm_source=Growing%20Little%20Minds&utm_campaign=Boom%20Cards%20Freebie" target="_blank">free Boom Cards Sight Word Story here.</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/DIGITAL-Sight-Word-Stories-How-Will-You-GO-to-School-Interactive-Boom-Cards-5402901?utm_source=Growing%20Little%20Minds&utm_campaign=Boom%20Cards%20Freebie" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQo6KvYhJzWyp7s980ywkI0zZyNmqh-_S3dnezD7E_URDnf90GsvH1dJpxdbL6jyWzj4r4LnJZFaQWfxbSDphPb1ibhLwvCGAMdp6JV45-h2OQ8qwvSxzpHyH0J7ROLQ20kVvSwXpw3nU/s1600/no+germs+post+photos21.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Going back to school in person this year is going to be difficult and so different, but I am doing my best to find ways to make our literacy centers engaging and meaningful while keeping my students socially distant. Stay safe and healthy!</div>
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<br />Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-48144831008510562042019-09-27T11:12:00.000-04:002020-07-24T17:05:59.276-04:0012 Uses for Dollar Store Snack Containers in Your Classroom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I absolutely love the dollar store for picking up things for my classroom. They have so many different things you can use at school. While there are things to avoid buying at the dollar store, you can grab cheap craft supplies, classroom decor and borders, inexpensive snacks, and a whole bunch of other things you might need at school. One of my favorite things to buy at the dollar store are containers! I absolutely love containers, so I get really excited when I find some great ones!</div>
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One container that teachers have been (rightfully) going gaga over are the mini snack containers that Dollar Tree carries! Though you can typically find these year round at some Dollar Tree stores, they are usually in stock during Back to School. Usually, you get 2 for $1, making these containers 50¢ each, but during BTS, they usually come in a pack of 3, making them about 33¢ each! Crazy, right? If for some reason you can't find them at your local store, or you are unlucky enough to be far away from a Dollar Tree store, you can order a case of these online. A <a href="https://www.dollartree.com/plastic-snack-containers-with-lock-top-lids-3ct-packs/207324?cm_mmc=Product+Feeds-_-Google-_-n%2Fa-_-207324&gclid=Cj0KCQjwyerpBRD9ARIsAH-ITn8gBJgnQIwsDAwsRnS82ieVOFG5XUcQOUyMB7_lrSB0q4LP_reNQocaAoKcEALw_wcB" target="_blank">case</a> is 24 packages of 3, so you'll receive 72 of these awesome snack containers. You might consider splitting a case with a friend if you don't think you'll use that many, but then again, you might want to keep them all for yourself!</div>
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I have found so many ways to use these handy containers in my classroom, and I thought I would share a few of the ways I've found with you! </div>
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1. Holding playing cards: I used to use Ziplock baggies to hold the cards I used for math games. I used to <a href="https://amzn.to/2mko1Hk" target="_blank">separate sets of cards</a> and put them in Ziplock baggies, but little Kindergarten and first grade hands made quick work of destroying the baggies and getting cards everywhere. It drove me crazy! Now, I just place each set of cards into a mini container and snap the lid closed. The students can keep the cards inside the container to play a game and just pull one card out at a time, which makes everything so much neater! Lost cards happen so much less frequently that way.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivyWLe8XUlKgDJzaLnqFnmvOil0EbmoH5bWW6iUAFt1xSXzF0PexL9PI6lkq55SP4Ivx4wb139dBQCS2Lu3SMlhZEOpymxMfsCrHMn01xvDL-7I0MQX3CpZhZfy4F5oFO3nPHULN68gL9r/s1600/snack+container+blog+post.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" data-pin-nopin="nopin" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivyWLe8XUlKgDJzaLnqFnmvOil0EbmoH5bWW6iUAFt1xSXzF0PexL9PI6lkq55SP4Ivx4wb139dBQCS2Lu3SMlhZEOpymxMfsCrHMn01xvDL-7I0MQX3CpZhZfy4F5oFO3nPHULN68gL9r/s1600/snack+container+blog+post.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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2. Crayon holder: A 24 pack of crayons fits perfectly into a mini snack container. Throw away those boxes and place your crayons into these handy containers! You can keep them at centers, or give a box to each student to keep. I usually have around 24 students, so an entire class set costs me about $8 if I stock up when they are a 3 pack! You can label the lid with the child's name so they don't get mixed up.</div>
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This would also be a great way to store multicultural crayons. Just place the set of crayons in one of these boxes and have them handy for students to grab during writing time, or whenever they are drawing pictures of people. I like to keep mine separate just for this purpose.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUG-z9yaMl_i0-tcvjEHl2ZIToNZRqaV1NGfpaIQ5y5XX88pDhE6cca8FcUZezruP18IJrzvkpE7NEreuoa3Zb3WRhVAccwzgN9U7S3GvR36dimX8qQtrtFXJw7pJ5ecYLrr0IgvHIhvmg/s1600/snack+container+blog+post2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" data-pin-nopin="nopin" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUG-z9yaMl_i0-tcvjEHl2ZIToNZRqaV1NGfpaIQ5y5XX88pDhE6cca8FcUZezruP18IJrzvkpE7NEreuoa3Zb3WRhVAccwzgN9U7S3GvR36dimX8qQtrtFXJw7pJ5ecYLrr0IgvHIhvmg/s1600/snack+container+blog+post2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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3. Mini eraser storage: I am just as wild about those little mini erasers as most teachers seem to be right now, but storing them has always been an issue! I've tried a few different ways, but these mini snack containers are a great way of storing mini erasers. Since these containers are so inexpensive, it's easy to grab a bunch and store all your erasers without breaking the bank! You can also use them to put in erasers as game pieces or manipulatives for students to use during math or literacy centers. When they are finished, the students just clip the lid back on and put them away. It helps eliminate the chance of those little erasers spilling all over the floor too!</div>
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4. Math games or centers: I always try to keep my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Number-Sense-Centers-Bundle-Print-and-Play-2811446?utm_source=Growing%20Little%20Minds%20blog&utm_campaign=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.teacherspayteachers.com%2FProduct%2FNumber-Sense-Centers-Bundle-Print-and-Play-2811446" target="_blank">math centers</a> as contained and neat as possible. I'm a little neurotic about my math centers being neat with all pieces present and accounted for. My students know this too! I keep my math centers in a bin where the students can just go grab what they need and take it to a table to work, so I like to have everything contained to avoid pieces spilling out all over the place or getting mixed up. These little boxes will hold dice, counters, pennies, erasers, even a few counting bears! All they need is the game board!<br />
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5. Storing magnetic letters and numbers: These are a great way to provide your students with magnetic letters for spelling words or magnetic numbers for completing math problems, matching, etc... When they need a set of magnetic letters, they can just grab them! These magnetic numbers came from the Target dollar spot, but you can use whatever you have!</div>
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6. Mini reading kits: I just LOVE having things handy, and during Guided Reading is no exception! Inside these little mini reading kits, I have a pointer finger for 1-1 matching, a Slinky for stretching out words, and erasers to use for sliding sounds in Elkonin boxes. I can even add the magnetic letters for the word we are learning that day to the box if I'd like. I just give each student a box when they sit down and they have what they need for a quick phonemic awareness lesson before reading.</div>
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7. Making Words: I do a lot of Making Words with my students using the phonics sound we are using for the week. Sometimes we do it in small group, and sometimes we do it in whole group. I can put the letters that they will need for our Making Words lesson in these containers and hand one to each student. By doing this, I make sure they have just the letters they need so there are no distractions, arguments, or somebody saying they can't find something!</div>
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8. Name Boxes: Do you have a student who is struggling with spelling their name? Use these handy containers for name boxes! Just place the letters of their name in the box and tape their name to the lid. Then they can practice their name using the model on the top of the box, and once they start to get the hang of it, they can try it on their own. I used to use my assistant or our volunteer Granny to pull students to work with struggling students on their names.</div>
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9. Name Puzzles: This is similar to the name boxes idea, but instead of magnetic letters, you can make a name puzzle for the student. I have <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Name-Game-1445272?utm_source=Growing%20Little%20Minds%20blog&utm_campaign=The%20Name%20Game%20blog" target="_blank">Name Puzzle templates in my Name Game activities </a>pack in my store. Write down the letters in the child's name, cut it apart, and place the letters inside the box. Like with the Name Box, tape their name to the lid as a model. They can take out the puzzle, build it, and use the model to check for accuracy.</div>
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10. Letters I know/Letters I don't: As students learn letters, it is suggested that they work in their zone of proximal development- that is, learning a few new letters at a time while continuously practicing the ones they do know. You can make your students a personal letter box using a snack container. In each box should be the letters in the child's name as well as letters they already know. If a child knows less than 10 letters, you should add two of each letter to the box. Once they have learned at least 10 letters, you can remove the duplicate letters from the box. When they learn new letters, add those letters to the box until they have learned them all. </div>
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11. Word Work Boxes: These boxes are perfect for mini word work centers! For this center, I typed up the letters for each word in a box, cut them out, and punched holes on either side. Then I added links. The students practiced spelling words- either our sight words for the week or extra practice with our phonics sound for the week. </div>
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12. Mini Fluency Boxes: Grab a <a href="https://amzn.to/2lBBASg" target="_blank">sand timer</a>, a set of dice, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fact-Fluency-Timed-Tests-Addition-and-Subtraction-1003747" target="_blank">flash cards</a>, or a <a href="https://amzn.to/2nJlRRN" target="_blank">spinner </a>and make a mini Fluency box! Fact fluency is a big deal in my classroom, and I am always giving students time to play fluency games or practice their facts. These mini fluency boxes are easy for students to grab or just keep in their desk! They can practice rolling the dice and adding the numbers together or subtracting the smaller number from the bigger number. The boxes will keep their flash cards handy and safe. With the sand timer, they can time themselves on practice quizzes or flash cards. </div>
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Does anybody else want to RUN to their nearest Dollar Tree and grab some more of these awesome little boxes? I know I do! What is your favorite way to use these handy little boxes?</div>
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<br />Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-8709799379476785362019-07-17T17:42:00.000-04:002019-08-24T10:16:48.472-04:00Categorizing and Sorting in Kindergarten<br />
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One of the Common Core Standards for Kindergarten is to classify objects into categories and count the number of objects in each category. We begin our school year with this standard because it's an easy one that all the students can usually master.
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We actually begin by introducing our math manipulatives in exploring centers- I get out the different manipulatives and let the kids explore them. I've actually covered that <a href="http://blooming-in-first.blogspot.com/2014/08/getting-ready-for-math-in-kindergarten.html" target="_blank">here</a>, if you want to see how I introduce math manipulatives and centers to my students.
Our first official lesson is matching socks based on their attributes. I gathered several socks of different patterns, colors, and sizes. (Snagging some worn out old socks with holes in them works really well!) Then I gave each child a sock and they found a partner who had the same sock. <br />
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After we played that game a few times, we talked about the socks and how they were the same and different. We used "These socks are the same because ______" and then they had to fill in the blank with a physical attribute of the socks. Another fun activity is to find socks that are similar to each other but not exactly the same- like one sock that has blue stripes and one that has black, or one sock with orange cats and one with blue. Then you can play the "these are the same because ______ but they are different because ______." Basically, I just like to get my kids noticing how things are the same and different. <br />
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The second day, I gathered materials where the objects were similar but had something different- for example, two pencils where one pencil was sharpened, or two crayons but one was blue and one was red. I just gathered objects from around the classroom. We used these objects to talk about how they were "the same, but different because this one is ______ and this one is _______." For example,"they are both markers but they are different because one is blue and one is red." It really helped them look more closely at the objects to tell why they were the same but different.
Then we sorted with attribute blocks. If you don't have these in your classroom, they are great for sorting!<br />
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First, we started talking about how we could sort our attribute blocks. The first way we decided to sort was by color. Note: I didn't use all the attribute blocks to sort, to avoid overwhelming them. <br />
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Then the students decided we needed to sort by shape. </div>
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We also sorted by thick and thin.</div>
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Then we sorted these utensils. I purchased 4 packs of utensils from the Dollar Tree in 4 different colors. (The best part- the rest of the utensils were perfect for eating lunch!) I gave each of my students a utensil, and we talked about how we wanted to sort. </div>
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We sorted by type of utensil first, forks, knives and spoons. Then I asked them how we could sort them a different way, and they suggested color. So we lined up on our carpet in rows- blue utensils stood on blue, green stood on green, and so on. </div>
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After switching up our utensils and doing this a few times, we worked on our anchor chart.</div>
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We made an anchor chart about all the ways we could sort. We added to this cart as we sorted more and more objects. </div>
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Then we got to do some sorting in centers! I purchased or pulled out several different things the students could sort- foam shapes, pom poms, google eyes, buttons, shape buttons, and attribute blocks. We didn't end up using the google eyes or shape buttons this year, but I saved them for next year- just in case. The cookie sheets and sorting containers all came from the Dollar Tree.</div>
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Our first sorting activity was sorting these foam shapes. I gave each student in the group a small cupcake pan and foam shapes in a cup. There were 6 different colors, several different shapes, and different sized shapes.</div>
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Sometimes they sorted by color... </div>
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Or by shape... </div>
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And even by size!</div>
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When a student was finished sorting, I would ask them "how else can you sort these?" to get their brains thinking about other ways they can be sorted.</div>
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I also gave the students the opportunity to sort the attribute blocks. We used cookie sheets for sorting. </div>
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Some students sorted by color... </div>
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They lined them up and stacked them.</div>
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Some sorted by shape... </div>
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I also had buttons for the students to sort. They could sort by number of holes, or color, or size.</div>
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This student sorted by number of holes (2 holes, 4 holes, and some sets had no holes)</div>
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Size (tiny, small, medium, and big)</div>
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Color</div>
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As they sorted, I walked around and asked them how they sorted their objects. This student is explaining that she sorted by how many holes the buttons have.</div>
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We also sorted pom poms. They could sort them by size or color. Once they finished sorting their tray of pom poms, it was easy to switch with somebody else at the table. Next year, I'd like to add the shiny pom poms to this to give them another attribute to sort by!</div>
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Some students sorted by size...</div>
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Some sorted by color<span style="font-size: 16.8px;"> </span></div>
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We also did some sorting with other types of attributes. This is a sort based on whether food is healthy or not healthy. There are several of these sorts in my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Vocabulary-Concept-Sorts-1422200" target="_blank">Vocabulary Concept sorts</a>, including some cut and paste sorts.</div>
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This game is called "What's Missing?" and it's a great way to get students to look at physical attributes and use them to figure out what is missing. The student takes one object and hides it behind their back, and the other student has to figure out which object is missing. I used foam shapes, buttons, crayons, red objects, numbers, and erasers for the different "What's Missing?" boards. I just make sure the objects are related in some way. </div>
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To make the trays, you can just take a plate or aluminum pan and separate it into 9 spaces. I got fancy and taped straws to mine to make the separate spots, but a permanent marker works as well! Then collect 9 related objects, put them on the pan or plate, and you've got a game! </div>
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I hope you were able to find some engaging, useful ideas for teaching categorizing and sorting with your students! Leave a comment with your favorite way to teach these skills!</div>
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Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-39690019320193877892017-06-16T10:30:00.000-04:002019-07-11T12:40:14.764-04:00How I Organize My Guided Reading Supplies using an IKEA Raskog cart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg026R50wiMVAwnngvTVap7X_gbdkCx3w7TRhjkIdm_8rwjXLG6lH5FEoSlZ4P9F5Ij2Xn6064pvYB5uH7TOZYdFx2ZXuMjwLOchqRafVyA59TprvLCuCMao3-ZBk2M-YT9yG8fyMnNTctd/s1600/how+i+organize+my+guided+reading+materials.jpg"data-pin-description="Guided Reading Organization for Kindergarten or first grade classroom using a cart! I use mine to hold my phonemic awareness and phonics activities, lesson plans, and more! #guidedreading #guidedreadingorganization" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="984" data-original-width="1600" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg026R50wiMVAwnngvTVap7X_gbdkCx3w7TRhjkIdm_8rwjXLG6lH5FEoSlZ4P9F5Ij2Xn6064pvYB5uH7TOZYdFx2ZXuMjwLOchqRafVyA59TprvLCuCMao3-ZBk2M-YT9yG8fyMnNTctd/s400/how+i+organize+my+guided+reading+materials.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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When I saw the <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?query=raskog+cart" target="_blank">Raskog cart </a>at IKEA a few years ago, I told myself I HAD to have it... if I could come up with a reason to use it! Finally, I came up with a great reason to use it- to store my guided reading supplies!<br />
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First of all, let me just tell you how well made this cart is. It was easy to put together, and it is very sturdy. It doesn't wobble at all. And the wheels are very smooth, so it is easy to pull it out to use it and roll back when I'm finished. So I'm 100% thrilled that I purchased it, and I'm looking for a reason to purchase a second one. <br />
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The Raskog cart has 3 tiers, and they hold a ton of stuff! The only things I don't have on my cart are my Guided Reading books and my big container of magnetic letters. I have a separate bookshelf for my Guided Reading books.<br />
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So... on to the cart! The top tier holds the stuff I tend to use the most often. It has my Guided Reading binder which contains my Running Records, letter ID assessment forms, and group information. In the <a href="http://www.sears.com/craftsman-12-in-tool-tote-green/p-00937545000P?TecPara=145_" target="_blank">toolbag</a>, which used to sit on my desk, I have various other supplies for teaching reading. (This <a href="http://www.sears.com/search=craftsman%20tool%20tote" target="_blank">toolbag</a> is seriously the best- I have one at home for my tools too! It comes in several other colors, including pink, if you're into that.)<br />
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1. Guided Reading Binder- I keep my Guided Reading plans in a binder, separate from my regular lesson plans. Each group has their own tab with their lessons. I also keep running record sheets, letter ID assessments, and other stuff there as well. It tucks there nicely next to the toolbox.</div>
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2. Phonics Dance song- We use a program called the Phonics Dance, and I use my Guided Reading time to practice the Phonics Dance. At the beginning of the year, I do it with all the students, and later in the year, I use it with my struggling students who need extra practice with their sounds. This is also something they can do independently while I do a running record.</div>
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3. Timer/Clock- My classroom clock is behind where I sit, so having a clock is handy. I also use the timer to make sure I keep my groups within 15-20 minutes each. And yes, I took that picture at 7:31pm. </div>
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4. Dry Erase Markers- I use these to let the students practice writing words on my dry erase boards. </div>
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5. Magnifying Glasses- We use these for finding words, sounds, or chunks in our books. It makes it much more fun because they feel like detectives. </div>
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6. Sight Word Flashcards- I keep these handy on a ring. We practice our sight words first whenever we come to the table. </div>
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7. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mini-Hand-Pointers-Set-3/dp/B001646V2A/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1484428024&sr=8-7&keywords=pointers" target="_blank">Pointers</a>- I have a variety of fun pointers that we use for finding words, sounds, or chunks. I like to mix it up. The kids love the different ways they can look through their books for different things. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0xBwpDz9lKQbZ8Q8vAw5FzJXpUpOgnIcfrn9gi8cpjdDGG7MWR4PjEi9RsOoNn_KqlGM4n__37C6h8grxD5x3Zp6dO0wroESCYXez2Cbc8Vd_HJ_zu6zCGZgVQ5GXtfpV17yZqUcK_Nx0/s1600/guided+reading+organization2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0xBwpDz9lKQbZ8Q8vAw5FzJXpUpOgnIcfrn9gi8cpjdDGG7MWR4PjEi9RsOoNn_KqlGM4n__37C6h8grxD5x3Zp6dO0wroESCYXez2Cbc8Vd_HJ_zu6zCGZgVQ5GXtfpV17yZqUcK_Nx0/s640/guided+reading+organization2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Inside the toolbox, I have some other items that I like to keep handy. </div>
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1. and 5. Dry Erase Boards and Erasers- I love the smaller dry erase boards. They came from the Target Dollar Spot several years ago, but I've seen them since I purchased these. The dry erase erasers also came from Target. They are usually available around back to school.</div>
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2. <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Reading-Buddies-for-Teaching-Reading-Strategies-835370" target="_blank">Reading Strategy cards</a>. These have a different reading strategy on each card that I can display when I am teaching them a new strategy. I printed these 4 to a page so they are small. </div>
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3. <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Alphabet-Flashcards-1367000" target="_blank">Alphabet Flashcards</a>- I keep these handy for all students at the beginning of the year, and I taper them off as we go. We use them to practice letter recognition and sound recognition. </div>
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4. <a href="http://amzn.to/2ioGSxN" target="_blank">Pointer fingers</a>- These are especially helpful at the beginning of the year, because it helps the students remember to use their finger and point to each word. </div>
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6. We use<a href="http://amzn.to/2jkFfjY" target="_blank"> Slinkies</a> for breaking and stretching out words. We s-t-r-e-t-c-h out those words and use the Slinkies to help. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_A4nphqv5DznOtNaT8msWyqRV8IUez9NZPNMUQcrO97v3seRCrA-9CL-s1S5jxKvJjHOFEWcsNrxO9YwyZTzWK5G09k8Eh0iL1J5TmOgDLE7m1DCYIngJBbRsbO0m72E01zlURUoV0bgs/s1600/guided+reading+organization6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_A4nphqv5DznOtNaT8msWyqRV8IUez9NZPNMUQcrO97v3seRCrA-9CL-s1S5jxKvJjHOFEWcsNrxO9YwyZTzWK5G09k8Eh0iL1J5TmOgDLE7m1DCYIngJBbRsbO0m72E01zlURUoV0bgs/s640/guided+reading+organization6.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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My toolbox has little side pockets that are great for holding cards. </div>
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1. Oddity Task Cards- These are a quick and easy way to help my students with phonemic awareness and sound discrimination. The ones you see are Beginning Sounds, but I also have Rhyming Words, Middle Sounds, and Ending Sounds as well. I switch them out as needed throughout the year. </div>
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2. <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Reading-Buddies-for-Teaching-Reading-Strategies-835370" target="_blank">Word Attack Strategy bookmarks</a>- Once we've learned a few strategies, I use these with my students so they can try using more than one strategy. We go over which strategies we've already learned and they can reference it while reading.</div>
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3. Elkonin boxes- These are great for breaking and segmenting sounds.</div>
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The BEST thing about the Raskog cart is that it has 2 more tiers for lots of Guided Reading materials!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMp6pEOWLoD7HVfUI22EbzXoD6nif-Qe0C7ygch8KPHVAw7X4ozRyK9cX9nEGnKrv0_1wqHHHh4I4qdmxpf6Q6yQK3vAI2hSmImPCNtupiHk8qZGW-NI_7x4Fy429WZ0_5bFmUbz4xcR1/s1600/guided+reading+organization3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMp6pEOWLoD7HVfUI22EbzXoD6nif-Qe0C7ygch8KPHVAw7X4ozRyK9cX9nEGnKrv0_1wqHHHh4I4qdmxpf6Q6yQK3vAI2hSmImPCNtupiHk8qZGW-NI_7x4Fy429WZ0_5bFmUbz4xcR1/s640/guided+reading+organization3.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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1. Glue Sticks- I use these if we do printable sorts, sight word scramble pages, etc... </div>
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2. Retelling gloves and strings- We use these for retelling stories after we've read them. </div>
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3. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Teacher-Created-Resources-Timers-20663/dp/B00KQ6IF3W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484427924&sr=8-1&keywords=sand+timers" target="_blank">Timers</a>- I use these to do quick activities. One activity my students love is where they have one minute to write as many words as they can. </div>
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4. Cookie Sheets- I bought these small cookie sheets at Ollie's. They are great for doing a sight word mix and fix activity. I can put the letters they need on the cookie sheet and hand it to the student. The magnetic letters stay on the cookie sheet and can be passed back to me easily.</div>
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5. Smarties- I give Smarties as a treat when a student does a great job. I call them "Smarties for my Smarties" and I hand out a few whenever a student or a group does a great job. </div>
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6. <a href="http://amzn.to/2jJRjbf" target="_blank">Scentos Markers,</a> because... why not? </div>
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7. Pencils and erasers are great for writing activities that we do in my small groups</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjq-ynYhWyRFHaGCoRaYuBGolEeXW4gDQZeuWxzm7wbpsNPS_muRBpLJbICE7iurdkNlkDGCIh5i6bpU6Y-fOX1b1ziagD5pFBaw62T4lMjtqmaMA1SiDgFSvV-AlhhZagXQ1SOMJal0uX/s1600/guided+reading+organization5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjq-ynYhWyRFHaGCoRaYuBGolEeXW4gDQZeuWxzm7wbpsNPS_muRBpLJbICE7iurdkNlkDGCIh5i6bpU6Y-fOX1b1ziagD5pFBaw62T4lMjtqmaMA1SiDgFSvV-AlhhZagXQ1SOMJal0uX/s640/guided+reading+organization5.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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1-4. This is something I had brand new this school year, and I absolutely loved it. I made different cards for each sound that I teach, and organized them in library pockets. Whenever we are working on a sound, or they need a review, I can pull out the cards I need and we can do an impromptu sort. </div>
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5. M&Ms- I keep these as a treat for a group that does a great job. They are also great for using with Elkonin boxes.</div>
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6. Erasers- I have a bucket full of small erasers that I keep at my table. I use these for Elkonin boxes. They slide the erasers into the boxes to blend the sounds together. I switch these out with the seasons, so sometimes they are pumpkins, or snowmen, or hearts!</div>
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So that's how I organize most of my Guided Reading Materials on one handy cart!</div>
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Apparently IKEA doesn't sell the<a href="http://amzn.to/2iUeaBe" target="_blank"> turquoise RASKOG</a> cart anymore (tear), but they do carry it in a <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20271892/" target="_blank">beige</a>, <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50331762/" target="_blank">a redish-brown</a>, and <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90333976/" target="_blank">black</a>. There are also several other carts that would work if you really have your heart set on blue, like I did. I've also heard that other stores carry similar carts. Or you could purchase one of the IKEA carts and paint it to whichever color your heart desires. <br />
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Here are a few different options from Amazon that aren't too expensive.<br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2jkpgSQ" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5utcARJexRFgqcugglE7wSSBiBAvsbNBRv_n8E-SpA8bOnnlvhhU_6tdfHSwXR5EmITWe9sGsK4KplP5vpJFFcHfuQiTV9XZAFmYAcF7neCNARBahuo89lklDX4X6RZj9lldYKszp4If/s200/71otLeuM9BL._SL1500_.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2jjo6Yp" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ZI_jCppaycGk8JqXaywhY2DHNhjtFrqXTiF9OITGcqa0xiBf9LcBEHeh8uGaulVrTxfgazWUTiNs8kQjwZ213Y2UOLjywcGhQOCs9Mn2KRWrt13kiDFBKao9Ufw4-GNFdyFBzagkQ5hN/s200/91AhQDhLu3L._SL1500_.jpg" width="123" /></a></div>
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And this one from Michaels is also an option!</div>
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<a href="http://www.michaels.com/mint-lexington-3-tier-rolling-cart-by-recollections/10503531.html?productsource=PDPZ1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1004" data-original-width="656" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiwhq8-QpqAVhv9GQkZpN-yWl7yvoeeTuYcA9iI_AiLr_kOoWyQfOPd8ueMsOP7StPDix1Kt7BIM6OAJl_K5oVmInLpx-41OGsxqpxVYHjpsaTQwOjPhlIF3VMGXFHtYS2AEpZiaUI0U_/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-06-11+at+12.11.19+PM.png" width="209" /></a></div>
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I hope this post helped any of you who are struggling with keeping your guided reading materials organized and accessible! Having so much necessary stuff is a struggle, but it helps to have everything at your fingertips so that you can get your groups running and ready to go quickly!</div>
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Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-65675315292738221262017-01-14T11:36:00.000-05:002017-01-14T12:41:54.825-05:00Making a 100th day snack!<div style="text-align: center;">
I posted about our 100th day of school and some fun activities we did for the 100th day in this post, so you can check out that post if you need more ideas!<br />
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<a href="http://blooming-in-first.blogspot.com/2016/01/100th-day-fun.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHUPQOQntZPV7k-fC6paycW0DV2b-lwwdHEBVenJ0WfptFAioWOBLJi6G8pZyNetsli16GlcFQxKna5nFesX5aVhBPp1aGaVB9NrRJksFxnlxUpZHridtunviorrYEIXTKnDSAoljC8-0S/s200/100th+day+collage.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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The last fun activity we did on the 100th day of school was a 100th day snack. I had some questions about how I manage the 100th day snack, because it all seems overwhelming, so I wanted to let you know: IT'S NOT THAT BAD! I've been doing it for years with both Kindergarten and first graders, and I've never had any problems with it. If you can get parents to donate items, you'd be even better off.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-LHQqTR18jX719fsxtfPPkL_WnbknsjMkia3mOsKbUFzELnAuO47Q-5rl6rfg2oJY-CwwdtaC9Z5YOX9JnmrWKNEpKRHcn6iqnEF29zSVYQ39KE-B6mGRHXvvgugInlwNuj2IB9DLpuVT/s1600/100th+day+snack+blog+button.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-LHQqTR18jX719fsxtfPPkL_WnbknsjMkia3mOsKbUFzELnAuO47Q-5rl6rfg2oJY-CwwdtaC9Z5YOX9JnmrWKNEpKRHcn6iqnEF29zSVYQ39KE-B6mGRHXvvgugInlwNuj2IB9DLpuVT/s400/100th+day+snack+blog+button.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>
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The key is organization. I have my students working on another activity while we do their snack bags. I've had graphing activities, 100th day books, etc... that the students can do independently while I pull a few students at a time to my table. I usually only pull 2-3 in Kindergarten, because they need a little more supervision. I try to pull a few independent students so that I can help the ones who need a little bit more help.</div>
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We created these placemats with 10 colored circles glued to a piece of black paper and laminated. The students were instructed to put 10 of each food item in one of those circles. This works best in Kindergarten because the students can see how many of each item they've counted. In first grade, I just allowed them to put the items in their baggie.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhq5b6wU6hmK-vWGTn08WKpMgxAxARl_zHvZEE3dCItUlAtMEdLw1RbrXRHhKQST55g9leo6iN7mvY7NAlZc-KLWlU5YdXTA7cX7sSXxiJI-eGi91lenqZUmmp9Sb5bmzmLNmuBY06LdQV/s1600/IMG_20150128_152330151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhq5b6wU6hmK-vWGTn08WKpMgxAxARl_zHvZEE3dCItUlAtMEdLw1RbrXRHhKQST55g9leo6iN7mvY7NAlZc-KLWlU5YdXTA7cX7sSXxiJI-eGi91lenqZUmmp9Sb5bmzmLNmuBY06LdQV/s1600/IMG_20150128_152330151.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
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We had quite a variety of items to make their snack. The students take 10 of each item and place it on their mat. Last year, I placed the items on a plate, but I prefer bowls or plastic containers because they take up less space. </div>
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Every year I struggle with which items to use in my 100th day Trail Mix, so I created a list of different items that I can choose from. I try to choose a variety of options- some candy, some cereal, some snack foods, and some baking goods.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFkiKS3PO_wYRAOCg7VK_06obzlJ-SLTLv4p_DyPI7TAVOIXFf3YGFVCNH0l7N19sgmO3U8CSPbRfR-x3C30N_fA76xWyPCcgwSvfzMPzQNDPV1GQvuRy4ZLud5ITbQYfjuhfhoYPJ5NX/s1600/100th+day+snack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFkiKS3PO_wYRAOCg7VK_06obzlJ-SLTLv4p_DyPI7TAVOIXFf3YGFVCNH0l7N19sgmO3U8CSPbRfR-x3C30N_fA76xWyPCcgwSvfzMPzQNDPV1GQvuRy4ZLud5ITbQYfjuhfhoYPJ5NX/s320/100th+day+snack.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTzEADTdheUZQ7-WhYmGox8ub-Psl8WaWYMAdsQ6F2pGgfcT67aG40tZpFY2FFX1PtBlxtDgqH7SdVt0NU9ou9Pgr0r4eh7aN86qG46ebGn7cjDGQg9Fmw2b4fetG4Cce_1TogkqQOGSl/s1600/IMG_20150128_152335963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTzEADTdheUZQ7-WhYmGox8ub-Psl8WaWYMAdsQ6F2pGgfcT67aG40tZpFY2FFX1PtBlxtDgqH7SdVt0NU9ou9Pgr0r4eh7aN86qG46ebGn7cjDGQg9Fmw2b4fetG4Cce_1TogkqQOGSl/s1600/IMG_20150128_152335963.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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Once the students had 10 of each item in their circles, I checked them and put them into a baggie with their name on it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0lYwlP2Z2jrdvUN8EIUnHoz0Z3QIZwVucwNokt0wEPB3sLwwikyD3osnaPYWtCojoZT7G6wyFS0k3w3nTtfaPleHK4vORW6TPBaE7i8kDbCt68I1HGrIMohOkr8pvNJlLJJmEujDomF0/s1600/IMG_20150128_152507253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0lYwlP2Z2jrdvUN8EIUnHoz0Z3QIZwVucwNokt0wEPB3sLwwikyD3osnaPYWtCojoZT7G6wyFS0k3w3nTtfaPleHK4vORW6TPBaE7i8kDbCt68I1HGrIMohOkr8pvNJlLJJmEujDomF0/s1600/IMG_20150128_152507253.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
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Then they got to take their snack home!</div>
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I love the counting mats because I can easily see how many more items each child needs to count out, and they can be picked up easily and the items can just be dumped into their baggies. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxMgM4weHPnJfVUCykBSf2H66jm9O_A5AWu9SWiqwrxJLBC2dOM7gdiD65iUG3gkRnxhTw6FjYP8m5j1yDGUQhaF0AUk4ntBLcAiV4wFZWDYVV1-PPxdUJATeEzhltGWH4CMtBROnX7oV/s1600/IMG_20160129_150924354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxMgM4weHPnJfVUCykBSf2H66jm9O_A5AWu9SWiqwrxJLBC2dOM7gdiD65iUG3gkRnxhTw6FjYP8m5j1yDGUQhaF0AUk4ntBLcAiV4wFZWDYVV1-PPxdUJATeEzhltGWH4CMtBROnX7oV/s320/IMG_20160129_150924354.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2z4mLs3aUKgZf7t-LGwjAW4OisYk98xk6rz1cat-xAXTUUHmipZWrxjXd5OOfeEKmeH7fyNSVFl__TMcdId_jhtFxifKHeuSg0vZVq09tJw8YiKchHDlrAlS_C0pbYR1EL-VP3Kz7ld7S/s1600/IMG_20160129_150851384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2z4mLs3aUKgZf7t-LGwjAW4OisYk98xk6rz1cat-xAXTUUHmipZWrxjXd5OOfeEKmeH7fyNSVFl__TMcdId_jhtFxifKHeuSg0vZVq09tJw8YiKchHDlrAlS_C0pbYR1EL-VP3Kz7ld7S/s320/IMG_20160129_150851384.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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Another way I control the chaos is by telling the students that I will only choose students who are working hard and being quiet. If I notice a child is out of their seat or not working, then I skip over them- and they know I mean business! :-)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-lVYGFJ4y0xOL8Oftw0XiYDx1H9VTd5fw9hE_b_5XRm1ZnQXBpdoRK0AAf0sDZCaDtvrfUwsuZSSis0ve1Ph_TPwnSv9nzCqjoUw1d2sqq1LyfX3GWbtaG1QTK_9N__rdXk5bsDspbYp/s1600/IMG_20160129_150913107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-lVYGFJ4y0xOL8Oftw0XiYDx1H9VTd5fw9hE_b_5XRm1ZnQXBpdoRK0AAf0sDZCaDtvrfUwsuZSSis0ve1Ph_TPwnSv9nzCqjoUw1d2sqq1LyfX3GWbtaG1QTK_9N__rdXk5bsDspbYp/s320/IMG_20160129_150913107.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
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So that's how I manage the 100th day snack! </div>
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The kids are always so excited about making their own snack, and they can't wait to eat it when they get home. If I have extra items left (and I usually do!), I throw it all in a bowl or bag, mix it up, and give them a handful to taste at school. </div>
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<b>Have a Happy 100th Day of School!</b></div>
Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-6099032832314057062016-07-08T19:16:00.003-04:002016-07-08T19:17:08.501-04:00A Quick Tip: Control Loose Notebook Coils!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I hate notebooks.</div>
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There, I said it. </div>
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I know I can't be the only one who feels this way. Notebooks with coils usually end up tangled and pulled out until half the pages are loose, or the metal is used as a weapon. Notebooks where the pages can be torn out usually end up with the pages falling out. It's horrible. Composition notebooks are great, but they are more expensive than regular notebooks and therefore just not in my budget! </div>
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I've battled this problem because I always use notebooks with my students. I felt like I spent too much time fixing notebook coils when some student decided to shove their pencil up in the coils even after I told them it was a "no no".</div>
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Even after setting down ground rules, including don't put your pencils in your notebook coils, your coils aren't toys, and other such completely worthless directions, I had to come up with a solution. And finally, one day, I did!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR2NsfMuNXO19G9PgkijgJZNI2nqh2MxUiHdkbwfmJ8ve-uKTyqKeRTR6oGgGulmaT06vSgkolfImhC3mS89uMs5R5Fg3FvibToAkbCsOhBwAAH4GTSAyv_zBoReRD-38o6DmY5d9Tc9hC/s1600/quick+tip+notebook.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR2NsfMuNXO19G9PgkijgJZNI2nqh2MxUiHdkbwfmJ8ve-uKTyqKeRTR6oGgGulmaT06vSgkolfImhC3mS89uMs5R5Fg3FvibToAkbCsOhBwAAH4GTSAyv_zBoReRD-38o6DmY5d9Tc9hC/s320/quick+tip+notebook.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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These are actual student notebooks. The plastic coils are even worse than the metal ones. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkD6ntb_FNAaYhh8Lu-1y0h538M6kRuHQZC7wkPMC_MbjyxogCqx2-wHZoh75BZFxaUx-AY1aj4MCJJ182kp3oLr93IU-sFhEIaxcoICpDFhhjoWBAAUy-5Un69JezZaKI_YWY9ASHLlm/s1600/IMG_20150914_173447055s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkD6ntb_FNAaYhh8Lu-1y0h538M6kRuHQZC7wkPMC_MbjyxogCqx2-wHZoh75BZFxaUx-AY1aj4MCJJ182kp3oLr93IU-sFhEIaxcoICpDFhhjoWBAAUy-5Un69JezZaKI_YWY9ASHLlm/s320/IMG_20150914_173447055s.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
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The students even had difficulty opening to the correct page because the coils were in the way.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0CIZS5EV1W2e9WMdMVNVpAbAfnyDKPCw0mq6FBdhzeqDC6zCY-BVTqWmW2JTAICQ9QvVHj_QeI-h3V3ILBHq1UzpvpzArEDfZR-dzNZkbRV_GQXzysuiEMdOO2lp_0XpVmo0UHio7QP_U/s1600/IMG_20150914_174926031s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0CIZS5EV1W2e9WMdMVNVpAbAfnyDKPCw0mq6FBdhzeqDC6zCY-BVTqWmW2JTAICQ9QvVHj_QeI-h3V3ILBHq1UzpvpzArEDfZR-dzNZkbRV_GQXzysuiEMdOO2lp_0XpVmo0UHio7QP_U/s320/IMG_20150914_174926031s.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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All you need to fix this problem? 2 plastic beads and a hot glue gun!</div>
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One bag of beads will do multiple notebooks and they are cheap! </div>
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You can do it two ways, but I found it easier to put the hot glue inside the bead and slide it onto the coil. I put one bead on each end of the notebook. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhar-RVQpZzIlrm32HFns5j_GUPuudNnuGhhQPKz8H15DdoQ_NpuQ8SMu4Vx3eA5PHDXlgSOOIVaGrGPw7iIK1hjgq_R1Zck9zli_Kx0oF7IhoSzTUWzVyU1zU9GCwbtlsSRr2aX8xQcLe/s1600/IMG_20150914_180317921s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhar-RVQpZzIlrm32HFns5j_GUPuudNnuGhhQPKz8H15DdoQ_NpuQ8SMu4Vx3eA5PHDXlgSOOIVaGrGPw7iIK1hjgq_R1Zck9zli_Kx0oF7IhoSzTUWzVyU1zU9GCwbtlsSRr2aX8xQcLe/s320/IMG_20150914_180317921s.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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Voila! </div>
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Even with Kindergarten students using these notebooks, the coils stayed put. It only took about 15 minutes of my time to do an entire class set, and they would keep the coils from falling out. I just told my students they were not allowed to pull them off, and miraculously, they didn't!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpy04tpaaeklHKUow_9gMLyWfm1ehyphenhyphenOUtvvCkvJJ4QaFWbM3mJ-0Dd7hDC50vo6FemHwiLmf_0_eptApZUOtJ6JdsQC_53LqD8chA2T5stwGT0kyHERFuF_KBXT4MRfTxAuvZ8jDvycSUD/s1600/IMG_20150914_180331599s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpy04tpaaeklHKUow_9gMLyWfm1ehyphenhyphenOUtvvCkvJJ4QaFWbM3mJ-0Dd7hDC50vo6FemHwiLmf_0_eptApZUOtJ6JdsQC_53LqD8chA2T5stwGT0kyHERFuF_KBXT4MRfTxAuvZ8jDvycSUD/s320/IMG_20150914_180331599s.jpg" width="197" /></a></div>
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And that, my friends, is how you get closure on those loose notebook coils!</div>
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I hope this was a helpful tip!</div>
<br />Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-3005598612701669032016-04-24T11:43:00.000-04:002016-04-24T11:43:32.507-04:00Keep Calm and Derby On!I live in the Derby City, and the Kentucky Derby is a HUGE deal here. Most people who live outside the area don't really understand the significance of the Derby, unless they happen to be horse racing fans. Growing up an hour and a half away from the Derby, I knew NOTHING about it. But now that I live here, I love everything Derby!<br />
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And just so I can put it into perspective how big of a deal it is here vs. other places:<br />
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I was at a Teacher/Blogger Meetup in Nashville a week ago, when American Pharoah won the Belmont Stakes and became the first Triple Crown champ since 1978 when Affirmed won the Triple Crown. That's a huge deal, right? I had 23 people post on Facebook about it- and those are just the posts I saw! Some of the other girls were checking their Facebook pages, and they had- you guessed it- NONE! So yeah, you can say we pay attention around here. :-)<br />
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Anyway, I just simply can't ignore the Derby, so we always have some Derby fun each year in the 4 days leading up to the Derby. We only have 4 days during that week because Friday is Oaks Day, and we have to have it off!<br />
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We used this book during the week. There are very few Derby books out there, but I like this one. I don't usually read all of the words, because it can be kind of wordy, but it has good pictures and a lot of good information.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmQWgI19P-UyQ0sNKMMVb1HXMsje3HESg2vltzou9vBbuWDwAgDsb0sHotHWVX6J_uhUhyP3rWRT94mkXFq_jfyttyO55TOsSkfRbresvYQpS0STd5h4_O6SJfmvlE4tbMc8Pxqqcmc3g/s1600/618a3QN9EeL._SX258_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmQWgI19P-UyQ0sNKMMVb1HXMsje3HESg2vltzou9vBbuWDwAgDsb0sHotHWVX6J_uhUhyP3rWRT94mkXFq_jfyttyO55TOsSkfRbresvYQpS0STd5h4_O6SJfmvlE4tbMc8Pxqqcmc3g/s1600/618a3QN9EeL._SX258_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" /></a></div>
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We made these adorable jockeys. I love their cute little faces. They turned out so cute! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZenxhinJAjuloqy0ptlhaSdHHHsmYXiovuDs4UHRYCTC6CDbLla_OKGFDxf-GcNsxpDRqgkKOjaeesuxdtz1F0NXZeKvprBcgZ6wCik_YJFc2XX_y9Ux_icTQEJ9BjfB2bo3f_6MmLQPf/s1600/IMG_20150429_182540882.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZenxhinJAjuloqy0ptlhaSdHHHsmYXiovuDs4UHRYCTC6CDbLla_OKGFDxf-GcNsxpDRqgkKOjaeesuxdtz1F0NXZeKvprBcgZ6wCik_YJFc2XX_y9Ux_icTQEJ9BjfB2bo3f_6MmLQPf/s320/IMG_20150429_182540882.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We also voted for the Derby horse we thought would win the Derby. Several of my students voted for "Far Right", and I even had 2 choose the Derby winner, American Pharoah! They got a rose from me when we got back to school on Monday for choosing the Derby winner.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKITzd1qOyCUyB8_1Zt9khLxYn-mZfIUqIvibEQwp9H9OdaIK3bjy1algsaSgXzK608Scu0wEGH9HHomXSGbE_KZ8b9dPHAAMoktrWa1dBYT5UsHLrFk1BMSNrGUQ77IXodzAgJXusfFJv/s1600/IMG_20150430_174000532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKITzd1qOyCUyB8_1Zt9khLxYn-mZfIUqIvibEQwp9H9OdaIK3bjy1algsaSgXzK608Scu0wEGH9HHomXSGbE_KZ8b9dPHAAMoktrWa1dBYT5UsHLrFk1BMSNrGUQ77IXodzAgJXusfFJv/s320/IMG_20150430_174000532.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We also designed and made our own silks like the jockeys make. I pulled up images from the internet of different jockeys and their silks, and we talked about the purpose of the colors and patterns on the silks.</div>
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Then they got to make and wear their own silks out of poster paper. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxwd9j73LaRrlA8rS4jSFvsOXDouoNYJpqsOYuDwwQ-sYHeoS9AtBqhgT_vDVbO6DyrzhsqSO2m7YddSWtLP0lJt7ioE9pi1EDaB5Rme7AGaW9p_6fuak-4E4DTmUwCcCZtRSE2NJ9X1Q/s1600/IMG_20150430_152522096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxwd9j73LaRrlA8rS4jSFvsOXDouoNYJpqsOYuDwwQ-sYHeoS9AtBqhgT_vDVbO6DyrzhsqSO2m7YddSWtLP0lJt7ioE9pi1EDaB5Rme7AGaW9p_6fuak-4E4DTmUwCcCZtRSE2NJ9X1Q/s320/IMG_20150430_152522096.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68KCoxLzLzcdxYHrzOpW70vzx55w1iaREARamKPVn7NUOZ0Mwmlt-DKXIOaW_AlskxQr_IFAt4mr1PjINxUjO6PMkTlT1lcWNx852BAGhS6SrhXBseGE_yCyYJ35Tnwen25gM-cYU10Gu/s1600/IMG_20150430_152535464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68KCoxLzLzcdxYHrzOpW70vzx55w1iaREARamKPVn7NUOZ0Mwmlt-DKXIOaW_AlskxQr_IFAt4mr1PjINxUjO6PMkTlT1lcWNx852BAGhS6SrhXBseGE_yCyYJ35Tnwen25gM-cYU10Gu/s320/IMG_20150430_152535464.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Aren't they cute? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zxpqAnVJKKqXZMaD2zpm-0GRE_iQodr5T-Bp7agaBTetik85Hj9sM_uqtN4_SbhJE_MYfq8MzmRec6DqEiCyz6_lsfhVvTZANT7UiEh-W55I9KCTfLGQrJEOBrac49l9mCl7vPH_GK_e/s1600/IMG_20150430_152552823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zxpqAnVJKKqXZMaD2zpm-0GRE_iQodr5T-Bp7agaBTetik85Hj9sM_uqtN4_SbhJE_MYfq8MzmRec6DqEiCyz6_lsfhVvTZANT7UiEh-W55I9KCTfLGQrJEOBrac49l9mCl7vPH_GK_e/s320/IMG_20150430_152552823.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Once we finished making our silks, we had a silk contest. We chose 4 of the best silks, one from each table. I brought each of these students a rose for winning.</div>
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Then we watched our pre-school classes in their parade! One of the Kentucky Derby festival events is the Derby Festival parade, so usually the pre-school does one every year. </div>
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If you are looking for more fun Derby activities, I have another post <a href="http://blooming-in-first.blogspot.com/2013/04/its-derby-time.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://blooming-in-first.blogspot.com/2013/06/talk-derby-to-me.html" target="_blank">here</a> with several more activities and ideas! I also have a fun Derby freebie that you can find at <a href="http://blooming-in-first.blogspot.com/2013/05/kentucky-derby-freebie.html" target="_blank">this post</a>!</div>
<br />Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-16571287046538489042016-01-31T15:00:00.002-05:002016-01-31T15:00:15.509-05:00100th day fun!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We celebrated our 100th day of school a yesterday, and we had tons of 100th day fun! I have a few pictures and activities to share with you. It was such a busy day that I didn't get pictures of everything, so I'll share the things that I did get pictures of.</div>
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I made this 100th day sign to hang on the door. The kids LOVED coming in through the paper. </div>
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We began our day by making our 100th day collections!</div>
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We asked each student to bring in 100 items. We encouraged them to bring in small items that could be glued to a sheet of paper, such as pasta, cereal, cotton balls, etc... We had a wide variety of items that included soy beans (that's a new one!), cereal, popsicle sticks, q-tips, and more! All of my students except 2 brought in something, so I just had some extra cereal on hand for those who needed some. </div>
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Then they used glue to put these items on a number 100 on their paper.</div>
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Then we made 100th day hats!</div>
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We use 10 strips of paper and I have my students draw 10 pictures on each strip. You could also do stamps, stickers, or other small items and glue them on the hat as well. </div>
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They made sure to count the number of pictures they had drawn on each strip before moving onto the next strip.</div>
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The hats take awhile, but they look so cute when they're finished!</div>
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Then we glue the 10 strips to a sentence strip, attach a little piece of paper that says "100 Days Smarter!" and I staple their hats together. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHt9V4UTgkVO8CzPFY_P-hwFrg0xYAdTvqGKKua0k2QY63IdcEmW4uH_StZ7P3VSwzuSh4Yy12wOWmooq2nxiolEBSJyicBE_jfj1P2Gbf5DYz719b1s7LaKKhEYDHzKMbi0U3oRczi1t/s1600/IMG_20150128_102936432_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHt9V4UTgkVO8CzPFY_P-hwFrg0xYAdTvqGKKua0k2QY63IdcEmW4uH_StZ7P3VSwzuSh4Yy12wOWmooq2nxiolEBSJyicBE_jfj1P2Gbf5DYz719b1s7LaKKhEYDHzKMbi0U3oRczi1t/s1600/IMG_20150128_102936432_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Voila! A 100th day hat! </div>
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(You can see them in this picture, because of course, I forgot to take one!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2z4mLs3aUKgZf7t-LGwjAW4OisYk98xk6rz1cat-xAXTUUHmipZWrxjXd5OOfeEKmeH7fyNSVFl__TMcdId_jhtFxifKHeuSg0vZVq09tJw8YiKchHDlrAlS_C0pbYR1EL-VP3Kz7ld7S/s1600/IMG_20160129_150851384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2z4mLs3aUKgZf7t-LGwjAW4OisYk98xk6rz1cat-xAXTUUHmipZWrxjXd5OOfeEKmeH7fyNSVFl__TMcdId_jhtFxifKHeuSg0vZVq09tJw8YiKchHDlrAlS_C0pbYR1EL-VP3Kz7ld7S/s320/IMG_20160129_150851384.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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Another project we completed was 100 day gumball machines. We used 10 colors of paint to put 100 "gumballs" on a plate. We attached a red trapezoid at the bottom, and we had a gumball machine!</div>
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It was kind of fun watching the kids put the paint on their plates. Some of them put their 10 dots in neat rows, while some of them just painted willy-nilly all over the plate. </div>
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I was there to help them make sure they had 10 dots of each color and also for paint control! </div>
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We also made necklaces with 100 fruit loops. I've made these in Kindergarten and first grade, and the kids LOVE them. In Kindergarten, they used 10 of each color (obviously with some repetition!) So they may have 10 red, 10 yellow, 10 purple, etc... In first grade, we did 20 of each color, and they used 5 colors. </div>
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Of course, I don't have a picture of the necklaces, because I was busy helping students and I didn't get a single picture, but you can see them in this picture below! </div>
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The last activity of the day that we did was our 100th day snack. Check back and you'll see how I manage the madness that is our 100th day snack! </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Happy 100th day of school!</span></b></div>
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Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-32131272203206639622016-01-24T11:00:00.000-05:002016-01-24T11:00:09.250-05:00Making Shape Creatures!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGrnD1GARijvc8ikmhYsdZs6rnoart28vyMh7yFVEvH0lzkHfyPBrDACcEBn270lVFQ7u9NGTGgJQf-7CSmH9Ja84g5NvmiScegbKDJCV90TJ-vOaVbeEMOq0SON6wI4u3tMPNAJVSghn/s1600/shape+blog+buttons2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGrnD1GARijvc8ikmhYsdZs6rnoart28vyMh7yFVEvH0lzkHfyPBrDACcEBn270lVFQ7u9NGTGgJQf-7CSmH9Ja84g5NvmiScegbKDJCV90TJ-vOaVbeEMOq0SON6wI4u3tMPNAJVSghn/s320/shape+blog+buttons2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We have been working on shapes at school, and I determined that our math program, Engage New York, doesn't do nearly enough to help my kids learn their shapes. I also wanted to make learning about shapes fun and hands on. I wanted them to find shapes in the world around them and use shapes to make things too. I feel like we don't get the opportunity to let our kids be creative enough with our current school climate, so I was really excited to let my kids just have the opportunity to be creative!</div>
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So I decided we were going to make Shape Creatures! </div>
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I used our Ellison die cut machine to cut out a ton of shapes on construction paper. We have a few dies that have different sizes of squares, triangles, circles, and rectangles. We also had some larger sized Ellison shape dies, so I cut out a bunch of those as well. I put a ton of shapes in a basket at each table, and provided each student with a big white piece of paper for mounting their creature. You could also use a die cut machine, such as a Silhouette or Cricut, or just cut out shapes the old fashioned way. </div>
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Once I got all the materials prepped and ready, I just let them go to town, using as many shapes as they wanted. I also put some scrap papers out just in case they wanted to cut out shapes for arms or legs or hair or whatever. This is totally against my Type-A, has to be in control of everything, personality. </div>
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But I let go. </div>
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And they got creative!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGol3lKx-T750e5kpk1pv-Bo3lsjWl9vmDCiXWSpagd-tmKYEnVhBtrwvAEnX9DuDBli6Mf3NuWK7bT42w_k-rFVn_1zVEW0Jc7140lx-S6cYwzWZJ2uy83-uose2_39MOBQbpdCBQZTS/s1600/IMG_20151117_110429915_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGol3lKx-T750e5kpk1pv-Bo3lsjWl9vmDCiXWSpagd-tmKYEnVhBtrwvAEnX9DuDBli6Mf3NuWK7bT42w_k-rFVn_1zVEW0Jc7140lx-S6cYwzWZJ2uy83-uose2_39MOBQbpdCBQZTS/s320/IMG_20151117_110429915_HDR.jpg" width="273" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKmALbgUM_wQA1LFCyefgGhvHXHwLKMz9WlHPRaUMAcuu5ioDr1oc4NH6x23U4iTYiQjTpj6byWeixGABmMokO062Jho81ukKMAp-CniN0LoNfiKpAJ52NK7biplM2dgAI6h-4gwGdTBW/s1600/IMG_20151117_110434715_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKmALbgUM_wQA1LFCyefgGhvHXHwLKMz9WlHPRaUMAcuu5ioDr1oc4NH6x23U4iTYiQjTpj6byWeixGABmMokO062Jho81ukKMAp-CniN0LoNfiKpAJ52NK7biplM2dgAI6h-4gwGdTBW/s320/IMG_20151117_110434715_HDR.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
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Once they finished making their creatures, they counted how many of each shape they had used on their creation. </div>
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Then they filled out a sheet with how many of each shape they had used to create their creatures.</div>
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Then they decorated their creatures with some crayons to create lips and hair, if necessary.</div>
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I love how unique each one is! </div>
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I love how easy this activity is to prepare! Just cut out some shapes and let them go to work! I loved watching them be creative with their creatures.</div>
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Looking for more shape activities? I have many more activities for flat and solid shapes in this shapes pack.</div>
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<br />Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-7992067649503947932016-01-21T14:03:00.001-05:002020-07-24T16:46:33.840-04:00Fun with Shapes in Kindergarten<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Each year, after we learn about properties and numbers, we dive into shape fun. I think it's the perfect time to learn about shapes- it's fun, and even the struggling kids enjoy it. I enjoy planning activities to let the kids work with both solid and flat shapes. We use manipulatives and play games and just generally have fun while learning.</div>
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We use Engage New York for our math program, and it's definitely not my favorite. It doesn't hit certain areas very hard, such as shapes, which is a topic Kindergarten students love. So I have to supplement with some other things I've found or used before, so that I can make sure my students really understand whatever concept we're studying. We do fun activities in centers to give them hands-on experiences with whatever we're learning. And the same goes for Shapes.</div>
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For example, I really love these Pattern Block Puzzles from our old math program, Investigations. I pulled them out to let the kids experiment with filling in the pictures with different shapes. And if they used too many hexagons, I made them fill in that space with other shapes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sAIpzLa4N7jrTC0GkFNdXGaw4-6mgjKYGcej6IKTYzKi63T4_TJgvGhTlaZYAPaBXU4gQq3LshAUEax17HorNY4M1MLaPQxNuDQofb36rx6F6bqRPAoVCjlY0Oysxs2Pgi_QNifjwRmx/s1600/IMG_20151112_113322273_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sAIpzLa4N7jrTC0GkFNdXGaw4-6mgjKYGcej6IKTYzKi63T4_TJgvGhTlaZYAPaBXU4gQq3LshAUEax17HorNY4M1MLaPQxNuDQofb36rx6F6bqRPAoVCjlY0Oysxs2Pgi_QNifjwRmx/s320/IMG_20151112_113322273_HDR.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
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Another fun activity we did was make our own pattern block pictures. They made the pictures with pattern blocks, and then they used paper pattern blocks to glue their creations to the paper. <span style="text-align: center;">Then they got to draw things to add to their pictures, such as clouds or eyes, to make them more realistic.</span></div>
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They made people and trees and flowers.</div>
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I love seeing how creative they can be! </div>
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We also played a little game called "Shapes Spin and Cover." There is a flat shapes version and a solid shapes version. The kids spin a spinner with different shapes on it, and they have to cover an object on their board that is the same shape. The first one to cover their board wins.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdaIErwP-N4aYRAAUsrugD4_yOapfDc1GsFsv7lOyK4c7HAIsz7MBhOSA2EnAR_Vcy6YIk75GwQTIuoBl9K23wGztia3bTnnekPcLgqetrb0OMWKUQw7-iPrTgP1qwKlj1gGhJ1ebo_ie/s1600/IMG_20151120_104342720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdaIErwP-N4aYRAAUsrugD4_yOapfDc1GsFsv7lOyK4c7HAIsz7MBhOSA2EnAR_Vcy6YIk75GwQTIuoBl9K23wGztia3bTnnekPcLgqetrb0OMWKUQw7-iPrTgP1qwKlj1gGhJ1ebo_ie/s320/IMG_20151120_104342720.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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They also loved this "5-in-a-Row Shapes game. You use a regular 6-dot die for this game. The kids roll the die and cover a shape that has the same number of sides as the die they rolled. They cover the shape. The first player to get 5 in a row wins. </div>
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I like this game because there is a little bit of strategy to it. If you aren't careful of which pieces you cover, you won't win, because you can't move the piece once you've set it down. So you have to choose which shape you are going to cover, since there are multiples of each shape on the board.</div>
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Another great game I pulled out from our old Investigations curriculum is called "Build the Hexagons." The kids roll dice with shapes on it, and they have to fill their hexagons with that shape. They have to figure out which shapes will fill their hexagons without anything overlapping or not fitting within the bounds of the hexagon. This is a great way to see which shapes fill a hexagon that are not hexagons.</div>
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(I found a freebie of this game from Shari Sloane at <a href="http://www.kidscount1234.com/">www.kidscount1234.com</a>. Just do a google search for "fill the hexagons" and it should pop up. I couldn't find a link on her website to download it from, but if you search, it pulls up!)</div>
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I noticed that some of my students were struggling with understanding if some objects were solid shapes or flat shapes. So I made some sorting cards so we could practice sorting shapes by different attributes. The kids all got a shape card and they got to come up one at at time to sort their picture and tell me why it fits in that category.</div>
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We did this several times. </div>
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We sorted by shapes.</div>
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We sorted by whether or not a shape is a solid or flat shape. We also sorted by curved and flat sides, rolls or doesn't roll, and stacks or doesn't stack. We did this as a whole group, but you could also do it as a center.</div>
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You can find the "5-in-a-Row Shapes" game, the "Spin and Cover" game, the sorting cards, and MORE in this shape activity pack available in my store.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Shapes-2339535" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6Oy4hDVxXFhW9f3jIEN2vPIWskI3aQcjo5NC3RLll491U2PdQzrFjz9untOUxE3q_4hJicZmKsIXDqGAwCSuRlsKlae50zmi4OXlV7OWRXEWN2LRAmSry3pZELkGGpk3qITSlcjV55uW/s320/shapes+cover.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-29469855861650009442015-08-01T12:49:00.000-04:002019-08-03T22:20:09.648-04:00The Simple Tip that Changed My ClassroomI have been teaching for 7 years, and I have always hated when we get out the scissors and start cutting. It leaves a huge mess all over the table. There are scraps everywhere, including all over the floor. And it always seems to be an invitation for some kid to begin cutting his or her scraps into miniscule little pieces all over the place. YIKES!<br />
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Then, last year, when I was teaching first grade, one of my students gave me the BEST idea.<br />
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Seriously, it was life changing.<br />
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She said to me, "Ms. Butler, why don't we have a trash basket?"<br />
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I said, "A what?!"<br />
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She said, "You know. A basket to put our scraps in."<br />
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You know on TV when someone gets and epiphany and the music goes "Ahhhhhh!" and the lights get super bright? I swear, that happened. That day changed my life. I immediately went to my stash of extra baskets that I pull out whenever I need one, and I placed one in the center of each table.<br />
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<i>And guess what?</i><br />
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<b>The kids each placed their paper scraps into the basket.</b><br />
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<b>There were less scraps all over the table.</b><br />
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<b>There were less scraps falling onto the floor.</b><br />
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<b>There were less children cutting up scrap paper into a million little pieces.</b><br />
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<b>BEST. IDEA. EVER.</b><br />
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This year, when I hit up the Dollar Tree, I purchased 4 small baskets that were about 4 inches deep and about half the size of a sheet of paper. Every time we did an activity that required cutting, one of my students would go and get one of the baskets and put them on their table. At the end of the activity, cleaning up was so easy. One student from each table would go dump the basket in the recycling bin and put it away.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhG9XCuc0zPeCeOqU-5nqmBGJoOjyMABMk3dqFKM3DGaOlBvS5SDfG4joHuh1AxRW1WQub9TvWNi-P2gt40YH8QNCgJeVVom7tEbnNIzzEvW0Yeu-CEPasyPMuThb4WQcnOu2Q8mzhuIMn/s1600/IMG_20141120_114429360+arrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhG9XCuc0zPeCeOqU-5nqmBGJoOjyMABMk3dqFKM3DGaOlBvS5SDfG4joHuh1AxRW1WQub9TvWNi-P2gt40YH8QNCgJeVVom7tEbnNIzzEvW0Yeu-CEPasyPMuThb4WQcnOu2Q8mzhuIMn/s320/IMG_20141120_114429360+arrow.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
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My classroom is so much neater at the end of the day, and my sanity has been saved!<br />
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If you don't have trash buckets for your table, here's my suggestion: RUN, don't walk, to your nearest Dollar Store or discount store, and purchase them immediately! <br />
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Look at how neat the table is! Look how all the scraps are neatly in the baskets!<br />
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And that is my helpful tip for the day, just in case you are clueless like I was!<br />
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Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-82770177748002896842015-06-23T10:00:00.000-04:002015-06-23T17:56:54.710-04:00Working with Word Families, Part 2.<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">I shared the weekly breakdown of how I teach Word Families in my students in a previous post, which you can find <a href="http://blooming-in-first.blogspot.com/2015/06/working-with-word-families.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I also wanted to share some other ways we practice word families as well. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">During our study of word families, we cover each vowel sound by studying a few word families in a row. Then we spend some time comparing word families with different vowel sounds as our students become more proficient with using word families, blending and substituting sounds, etc... </span><br />
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We do a lot of our word family practice in our literacy centers and during guided reading groups, but I introduce and teach the word families whole group during phonics.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Making Words with Different Word Families:</u></b></span></div>
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As my students became more sophisticated in substituting beginning sounds to make different words using the same onset and rime, we did some different activities that allowed them to practice substituting different ending sounds as well. During one "short week", we took some time to review some of the word families we had already learned. We did a making words activity in which the students had to practice substituting both beginning and ending sounds. For example, they made the word "ham" and changed the ending sound to "hat". Then they changed "hat" to "cat." </div>
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They actually did pretty well with it! I was quite proud of them! </div>
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<b><u>Word Families During Literacy Centers:</u></b></div>
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We also practice our word families during our centers. This gives the students extra reinforcement of that sound. We teach a sound the first week, and then the next week, there was usually some sort of word family activity in at least one of the centers. </div>
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<b><u>Spin a Word Family: </u></b></div>
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One activity they really liked was this 'Spin a Word Family' activity. The students had to use a spinner to spin a beginning sound, and then blend that beginning sound with the rime. Then they had to write the word. </div>
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<u><b>Poetry Notebooks:</b></u></div>
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Each week, they also added the poem from the previous week in their Poetry notebooks during their Poetry center. They had to cut it out, glue it in their notebook, and highlight both the word family words and their sight words in different colors. We did this together as a class the week before, and we read the poem several times, so most of the students could complete this task independently.</div>
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After gluing the poem in their notebook and highlighting their word family and sight words, they had to read the poem to a grown up. Usually this was my fabulous assistant or our "Foster Granny." Here, you can see my assistant helping one of my students read her poem. </div>
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The kids loved their poetry notebooks. They would practice reading each of the poems they put in there when they had some free time. It was always fun to hear them try to read with expression, since we practiced that when we read all of our poems together.</div>
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<b><u>Word Family Sorting: </u></b></div>
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We also did word family sorting activities as well. We sorted word family vs. word family. Our first word family sorts had the same medial vowel sound, but we worked our way up to word families with different vowel sounds. We also did some differentiation, where we had some students working on sorting with different vowel sounds, while some of them were sorting with the same vowel sound because they were still struggling. I was able to tell who was still struggling by looking at their center work, as well as classroom observations. </div>
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I'm pretty sure their favorite part of doing the sort is coloring the pictures afterwards!</div>
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<b><u>Onset-Rime Word Building:</u></b></div>
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We also did an <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Themed-Onset-and-Rime-Matching-1858639" target="_blank">onset-rime word building and blending activity</a> that the kids loved. We used familiar word families and the students had to build words and write them.</div>
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The onsets and rimes to build different words were in this little bucket from the dollar store. The students found an onset and a rime and put them together. </div>
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If the onset and rime made a real word, the students had to record it on their recording sheet.</div>
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Then they practiced reading the words they wrote on their recording sheets.</div>
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<u><b>Word Families in Guided Reading:</b></u></div>
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We also practiced word families in our Guided Reading groups. One way we practiced is by doing Making Words using some of the sounds we found in the books we were reading. I gave the students each a set of magnetic letters, and we manipulated the words together. As we made new words, I wrote them down for us to practice reading later.</div>
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We also did Making Words using a whiteboard and marker. Instead of manipulating the letters to make new words, we just used a whiteboard and changed the letters on the board. Since we all know how much our kids love dry erase boards and markers, this was a huge hit!</div>
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I also have these "Build a Word" cards and "Change It!" cards that we used during our Guided Reading. I thought I had a picture of my kids writing on them, but I guess not. Do you know how hard it is to stop and take pictures when you're trying to teach reading?! VERY!!!</div>
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Anyway, the Build a Word cards are very similar to Elkonin boxes and can be used that way, where the students push up the sounds into the boxes. They can also become wipe off cards if the student is given a dry eraser. Or the students can build the word with magnetic letters. These are so versatile, I used them in different ways for different groups of students.</div>
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The "Change It" cards allow the students to practice substituting beginning sounds. They start off with one word, and they have to change the beginning sound to make a different word. These can also be used with a dry erase maker. I like these because they can be a quick 30-second assessment activity. Give each student a "Change It" card.and allow them to practice substituting different beginning sounds until they've learned them all.</div>
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And of course, I couldn't write a whole post about word families without a freebie! There are 4 different sorts included in this freebie. To download, just click on the cover.</div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3clTw5jXLjtYV9BM3pEalQ5Qjg/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgt1UyMbIsorAmi40ie8PrAzGz491uctARCuBt0A3jXpxTaSPqO5GKloY-YJOAlUx6IH2GzfG1Pwfmx3QmCk5fFo9Oggpj_MyGac3On0xCu_BzjS-pz1G4EpIqE0OM1A4l8KIAaqcSM9Qa/s320/an+ap+am+sort.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHuv9vyFzr-s5zOGAOeOLFaIeLRekaCuWlVqzVSbD2U5sMoQAN6yiqfBWiaco_A_psXuDK1PiGz9pW58NnwjcTpK_Gzj7Etz-f7dw3faWt2V_YdQe8WNIOYOhKUyDJf1kHwvAclsCJqb-H/s1600/an+ap+am+sort3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHuv9vyFzr-s5zOGAOeOLFaIeLRekaCuWlVqzVSbD2U5sMoQAN6yiqfBWiaco_A_psXuDK1PiGz9pW58NnwjcTpK_Gzj7Etz-f7dw3faWt2V_YdQe8WNIOYOhKUyDJf1kHwvAclsCJqb-H/s200/an+ap+am+sort3.jpg" width="154" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-lnlzmiWa4QwGUIAsNrJ_mucvx0oqzMg3d_g05alcDtIS_FmEk7DxHAeIWgYZA9IlWS_3UepoBEfGIs3diBKxlODSJcF1LWTu6yOy82VbviXbD8UNmNQMvswT6hdVOj4AdZST0Rj4rbi/s1600/an+ap+am+sort2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-lnlzmiWa4QwGUIAsNrJ_mucvx0oqzMg3d_g05alcDtIS_FmEk7DxHAeIWgYZA9IlWS_3UepoBEfGIs3diBKxlODSJcF1LWTu6yOy82VbviXbD8UNmNQMvswT6hdVOj4AdZST0Rj4rbi/s200/an+ap+am+sort2.jpg" width="154" /></a></div>
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You can find the activities mentioned in this post in my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Word-Family-Bundle-1803655" target="_blank">Word Family Bundle</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Word-Family-Bundle-1803655" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbSXfxlqd2grvXUsghODXA778Tz-TWTtjKepAPH_wEgiTeq68Tgb_swi0FRLfRPvERn29ZMEXVsr8ymWCwxou4rpOcEG9HXVKojTm6hL8cw6l3TFSTbQeu13XnZgUXvx0l2m4qgYr-MS4/s320/bundle+cover.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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Thanks for reading! If you want to read how I introduce and teach word families each week, you can check out my post <a href="http://blooming-in-first.blogspot.com/2015/06/working-with-word-families.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBlrUonYfLg2zj8pj3qJ0lCVrDP2AiES_ciS7ADglWsMD9czRCDQyB7Gqvi2WkYIy8C_uiFyW6mfXSbp3iCpYFaS9YFsGKyRPvsIZCkCQte399Q3HffDQgvhUMoyPm-_eUokcSBLXLEvtO/s1600/word+family+button+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBlrUonYfLg2zj8pj3qJ0lCVrDP2AiES_ciS7ADglWsMD9czRCDQyB7Gqvi2WkYIy8C_uiFyW6mfXSbp3iCpYFaS9YFsGKyRPvsIZCkCQte399Q3HffDQgvhUMoyPm-_eUokcSBLXLEvtO/s320/word+family+button+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com88tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-13933415502530087332015-06-20T11:09:00.001-04:002019-07-27T10:30:04.485-04:00A 'Bright Idea' for Washi Tape!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKuxRA2X9cDkcuee1II59rAUvRl6UKHWrDhu30vDizqzQF_G0U53L1-1nVs0GMT7aV4G9tcFseEhstEHZkjYTm22IzEh8kW70F4Li9FnokqsNy06behi368IHUhAyiiX-r6Ey5MvtTQhu2/s1600/pinterest+pins+29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKuxRA2X9cDkcuee1II59rAUvRl6UKHWrDhu30vDizqzQF_G0U53L1-1nVs0GMT7aV4G9tcFseEhstEHZkjYTm22IzEh8kW70F4Li9FnokqsNy06behi368IHUhAyiiX-r6Ey5MvtTQhu2/s400/pinterest+pins+29.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I absolutely LOVE washi tape! I love the bright colors and patterns, and I love that it's a pretty inexpensive way to brighten up everyday objects. However, I never know when to use washi tape, because it's really not all that useful, except for decorating stuff. Which stinks, because I have a lot of it, in several different colors and patterns.<br />
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I also love to make anchor charts! However, I have one problem with making anchor charts that makes me crazy! It happens most often when I am making a graphic organizer t-chart, like a box and t chart or a story elements chart.<br />
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MY LINES ARE CROOKED.<br />
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It makes me crazy, but I'm far too lazy to get out the yardstick and trace straight lines on my anchor charts. But then I have anchor charts with crooked lines. <br />
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Then one day, I came up with the best idea.<br />
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Why not use washi tape to make my graphic organizer charts?<br />
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It's bright and colorful, and I have tons of it! A little bit goes a long way too!<br />
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So I tried out my brilliant idea. And this is what I found:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXRlCwgIr6ddYhWPh4m6lbj4W4xKxvDhZypt0QVHkBSEHVExQIuXIumMjXb7laAX0l7cTg8cqCr199RWr8GcDH_ObCopnwHnEMwIN9K62DmNGy0kuF-WZWRnxq_GOuYa6Kgiy2JnHaOQ2c/s1600/IMG_20150501_213640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXRlCwgIr6ddYhWPh4m6lbj4W4xKxvDhZypt0QVHkBSEHVExQIuXIumMjXb7laAX0l7cTg8cqCr199RWr8GcDH_ObCopnwHnEMwIN9K62DmNGy0kuF-WZWRnxq_GOuYa6Kgiy2JnHaOQ2c/s320/IMG_20150501_213640.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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The chart looks <strike>really</strike> cute. It is definitely brightened up by the washi tape.<br />
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My lines are pretty much straight.<br />
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And I finally found a use for that washi tape!<br />
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What do you think? Is this something you would try?<br />
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What is your favorite way to use washi tape?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3VEyFz1Aika86bUBf3Gjg4Ryp2-JdyzunFQHlPslwdVEHRk3kV2Q8WUFakQoXzQqrr6Ggm2SdAdPQ6uDe-osbgVZR2zbdC2RCS9doTHir-sy3ZoAJ4Yy_AGDVMlnCvndcjfv3X3uwRMF/s1600/bright+ideas+washi+tape.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3VEyFz1Aika86bUBf3Gjg4Ryp2-JdyzunFQHlPslwdVEHRk3kV2Q8WUFakQoXzQqrr6Ggm2SdAdPQ6uDe-osbgVZR2zbdC2RCS9doTHir-sy3ZoAJ4Yy_AGDVMlnCvndcjfv3X3uwRMF/s400/bright+ideas+washi+tape.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you enjoyed this bright idea, please
consider joining me on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BloomingInFirst?ref=hl" target="_blank">Facebook</a> or <a href="https://instagram.com/bloominginfirst/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> for more great ideas.
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For more bright ideas from other bloggers,
please browse through the link-up below
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-21449550061257766682015-06-14T18:36:00.002-04:002017-08-08T09:45:41.038-04:00Working with Word Families <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0s2abPg1Fj2RJ5AD3O_Or0WyhACR83PB91PwD1BDPjOqJK4LSmdezA6o6sdKrM_B9RYMO3d2WfxMYq1Bb_Pb9HyiyKBKWt1jIpyvmWHASciI5s-k7dfJs_QfPFAUkdK_eBvkVCRK5Ri9K/s1600/IMG_20150312_123711527+button.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0s2abPg1Fj2RJ5AD3O_Or0WyhACR83PB91PwD1BDPjOqJK4LSmdezA6o6sdKrM_B9RYMO3d2WfxMYq1Bb_Pb9HyiyKBKWt1jIpyvmWHASciI5s-k7dfJs_QfPFAUkdK_eBvkVCRK5Ri9K/s320/IMG_20150312_123711527+button.png" width="274" /></a></div>
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Being back in Kindergarten has meant a huge change in what I teach! As a first grade teacher, I was used to teaching things like vowel patterns and digraphs and blends. Of course, we reviewed word families as well! But teaching Kindergarten meant going back to the basics- and at the end of Kinder, that meant teaching word families.</div>
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<b><u>Why Teach Word Families?</u></b></div>
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Sorry, this is the "boring" part. :-)</div>
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Teaching word families is a great way to get your students reading. Word families use the natural rhyming ability of most young children to help them read simple words. Learning how to use the spelling patterns in simple CVC word family words will help students be able to use these same patterns in more difficult words. For example, a if a student learns words from the -at word family, they would be able to use the pattern to help them decode "category" or "acrobat". Notice I said HELP! We, of course, must do more than teach them word families to help them decode tricky words! </div>
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<b><u>When do I teach Word Families? </u></b></div>
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Students who are at various stages of spelling can all benefit from instruction in word families. Students who don't hear medial vowel sounds can benefit from instruction in word families that have the same vowel sound, such as ip, it, and in. Students who hear some medial vowel sounds and can hear some blends/digraphs can benefit from comparing word families with different vowels. Students who hear the medial vowel sounds would benefit from long and short vowel sounds. I've taught word families in both Kindergarten and first grade, because first graders can often use a refresher and the opportunity to practice these patterns again, especially after a long summer off. And obviously, most Kindergarten students haven't even been exposed to them!</div>
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I begin teaching word families when most of my students know their beginning and ending sounds but may still be struggling with medial vowel sounds. We begin with short a word families. Each week, we introduce a new word family. We study each word family for an entire week, and we have a different activity we do each day to reinforce the spelling pattern and give them practice with it each day.</div>
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<b><u>Here's a typical week in my Kindergarten classroom:</u></b></div>
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<b><u>Monday:</u></b> </div>
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On Monday, I introduce the new word family in two ways. First, I introduce the poem we read each week. I read the poem aloud twice, and then invite the students to read the poem with me the third time. Then, we practice making words using the vowel pattern. I have a cookie sheet with the word family pattern already on it.</div>
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We practice reading the poem a few times. I usually read it the first time, and then I invite the students to read it with me the second and subsequent times. We practice reading fluently at this time as well, so we incorporate some fluency practice into our phonics! Win win!</div>
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Then we practice making words with the magnetic letters. The kids love this part. After doing this for a few weeks, they really caught on to how to blend the words together to make new words. Usually they've already read the word as soon as they see me pick up the next letter!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzR8zcD1EaHvdfHfDh8l0lEV1iYpBVltdfi9kAYi08ggDW5D6QdAv6BumzxT7XXKFY4nTXTECIgDAhRdZizH9uhz7cF7GSG5mLbHzjjf_M5QK0hbe_HmAueHs8awoA_RmNHkfiQxv6h8Kk/s1600/IMG_20150427_173338389_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzR8zcD1EaHvdfHfDh8l0lEV1iYpBVltdfi9kAYi08ggDW5D6QdAv6BumzxT7XXKFY4nTXTECIgDAhRdZizH9uhz7cF7GSG5mLbHzjjf_M5QK0hbe_HmAueHs8awoA_RmNHkfiQxv6h8Kk/s320/IMG_20150427_173338389_HDR.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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I use digraphs and sometimes blends as well with our making words. This allows my students to practice those sounds as well, since we've taught them and practiced them already as part of our Phonics Dance.</div>
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<b><u>Tuesday:</u></b> <br />
On Tuesday, we do a picture sort using picture cards. We sort whether a word ends with the given word family or doesn't. I have a pocket chart that I use to sort them. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-xagxj3b6ibjBzSVHlbSaN6hBfBJ_beTyyqvxBp_AXunm9yabhZD9WD1HR1m7hBOSqhMetQm6rdrMyToXVK9mQpaeCxejXFJM6eo4DFQs6L7s8fxbPPILw4GobQ4hreb0KG-M3MB8m0YR/s1600/IMG_20150424_201037172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-xagxj3b6ibjBzSVHlbSaN6hBfBJ_beTyyqvxBp_AXunm9yabhZD9WD1HR1m7hBOSqhMetQm6rdrMyToXVK9mQpaeCxejXFJM6eo4DFQs6L7s8fxbPPILw4GobQ4hreb0KG-M3MB8m0YR/s320/IMG_20150424_201037172.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
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Then, I give them a chance to do a Making Words activity using their own letters. We use this Making Words sheet for each of the word families. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_FtN8oYHSxjcxt-DJBoejZRKEJ8Rg_P7DBEtehXmte8biFDUjeGGe1C8vsKDq7ru8acZoWibxMWtP_PRspUHX4u6IgqHeMkOmERa1Am92DThSGjcMUeN1pwMxAYG1beA9HPlfqWYOdta/s1600/IMG_20150319_150747386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_FtN8oYHSxjcxt-DJBoejZRKEJ8Rg_P7DBEtehXmte8biFDUjeGGe1C8vsKDq7ru8acZoWibxMWtP_PRspUHX4u6IgqHeMkOmERa1Am92DThSGjcMUeN1pwMxAYG1beA9HPlfqWYOdta/s320/IMG_20150319_150747386.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As I model making the word on the cookie sheet with the magnetic letters, the students follow along using their own letter cards. When I do making words with the students, I just place the exact same letters the students have on the board. Then I manipulate the letters to make different words using the same word family.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZlJCDA5gonO36g5tEdVQdci_fB-UtRpiCIq4usIPvh4N-5VZxg8MEEfV1y9DtwieyZR18u_MJAltCwM16tvLcEdEbChMqvGOSmE2vmhXqQcdEZE2uLvLG0PRhV-RKg96s4MKXTn-v_PnE/s1600/IMG_20150319_150758607%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZlJCDA5gonO36g5tEdVQdci_fB-UtRpiCIq4usIPvh4N-5VZxg8MEEfV1y9DtwieyZR18u_MJAltCwM16tvLcEdEbChMqvGOSmE2vmhXqQcdEZE2uLvLG0PRhV-RKg96s4MKXTn-v_PnE/s320/IMG_20150319_150758607%25282%2529.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>
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They like being able to manipulate the letters to make different words, and they really love trying to guess which word I'm going to give them next!</div>
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<b><u>Wednesday:</u></b><br />
On Wednesday, we re-read the poem, and then we spend time highlighting the sight words and word family words in the poem as a class. For the first few weeks, we also did this sheet together, just blown up as a poster. We determined which words were real words and not real words. I asked them if they could use the word in a sentence, and if they couldn't, then it probably wasn't a real word. They put their thumb up for a real word, and down for a non-sense word. (They LOVE that! Seriously- who knew?!)</div>
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Then, once they got the hang of it, we practiced it together, and eventually I got to the point where we got to go over it before they did it on their own. Yay independence! </div>
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<b><u>Thursday: </u></b><br />
On Thursday, we did the word family book. They really liked doing the books, and they got to keep them in their book boxes for independent reading. Since the books were very simple, most of the kids could read them on their own. </div>
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The books had a matching page with 4 pictures and 5 words. I did this on purpose to make it a little bit of a challenge. A lot of students will match a few of them, and then guess on the others. But with an uneven number of pictures and words, they actually had to think about what the word said, because they didn't match up. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4UQDHX610nZdOCQt4W9uK8cETOA2iSGWLMRTdxnDAoyhl5OJTweFWRScyNBWNr7WED7SG3rFdFl-CfyYNFqJCSQRr9upW5ZCO6fBJz_iaGA0MK9oadXf75WmLZTz6Cx7srw5wsy5_yLw/s1600/IMG_20150313_153425290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4UQDHX610nZdOCQt4W9uK8cETOA2iSGWLMRTdxnDAoyhl5OJTweFWRScyNBWNr7WED7SG3rFdFl-CfyYNFqJCSQRr9upW5ZCO6fBJz_iaGA0MK9oadXf75WmLZTz6Cx7srw5wsy5_yLw/s320/IMG_20150313_153425290.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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They loved having their own books to read. </div>
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<b><u>Friday:</u> </b> Assessment day!</div>
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On Friday, we used this Word Family house as a mini-assessment. They had to use the letters at the bottom of the page to build the word family words. I like this little assessment because it allows me to see what they can do without it really feeling like a test. You know, since they are allowed to color the pictures after they are finished. </div>
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I always found it really interesting to watch how they made their words. This sweetie made all the word family endings on his page first, and then went back and did the beginning sounds.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKQcSbOOUSvAG4CNbL_BrlaWuFwBKlHWw7DxoQW8Q3_MiX5MtLqLW-zlMHk7fXzfoza7DmR63Iml4GnEhTSnvXOOrJxlr8tO4XdN3s5MIglXtWJfPtVzUcMScyWuYjCIRGwazlVubf8R-/s1600/IMG_20150522_143308942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKQcSbOOUSvAG4CNbL_BrlaWuFwBKlHWw7DxoQW8Q3_MiX5MtLqLW-zlMHk7fXzfoza7DmR63Iml4GnEhTSnvXOOrJxlr8tO4XdN3s5MIglXtWJfPtVzUcMScyWuYjCIRGwazlVubf8R-/s320/IMG_20150522_143308942.jpg" width="254" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3M1uZomLfiAir4hecLRQOnqjV5opr1M3oucpGEGtGnC05RYBOV8Nbvn5ASqYTRHIT2lG-ZXfI8DKsVm730pOPB3x742XcrLPkwx8peLg6ZYgbFzoDpjCNXXR_gUgBjHOMq5tjXtmStHu/s1600/IMG_20150413_145832390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3M1uZomLfiAir4hecLRQOnqjV5opr1M3oucpGEGtGnC05RYBOV8Nbvn5ASqYTRHIT2lG-ZXfI8DKsVm730pOPB3x742XcrLPkwx8peLg6ZYgbFzoDpjCNXXR_gUgBjHOMq5tjXtmStHu/s320/IMG_20150413_145832390.jpg" width="294" /></a></div>
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This little cutie pie made each word in its entirety, one at a time.</div>
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Now, I know what you're thinking! Wow, it's all sunshine and rainbows in there, and all the kids get it! Right? WRONG. There were a few students that still really struggled with the patterns. You can see me pointing to this little guy's paper to show him the picture of the word he's supposed to be building. There were students I had to work with independently or pull in a small group to work on these particular pages because they simply couldn't do them independently. As the weeks went on, this number became smaller and smaller. But yes, I definitely had a few who struggled!</div>
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One thing I really liked about these activities is that, while they seem repetitive to us, they allowed my students to gain more and more independence as they worked each week on a different word family. Their familiarity allowed the students to focus more on the words and not the activity they were doing.</div>
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I will say that those activities definitely helped my students. At the beginning of the year, we had to give an assessment called the Phonemic Awareness Test (I think!- we just called it the PAT). I was taking a class through a university through my school, and that was one of the requirements. At the beginning of the year, of course, my students could not blend and segment sounds, except for a few. At the end of the year? NAILED IT! It is so exciting to see that growth and to know that these activities helped them get there! </div>
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You can find these activities in my store. I have 16 word families included in the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Word-Family-Bundle-1803655" target="_blank">bundle</a>, or you can find the activities<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Erica-Butler/Category/Word-Families" target="_blank"> listed individually</a> as well. These activities will be on sale through Wednesday for 20% off if you want to snag them now for next year! </div>
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Also, there is a 3 page freebie in the preview! You can download the preview for these 3 freebie pages. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Word-Family-Bundle-1803655" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMuVFQ1AaPjOaihQ2e1FNNEz3d5eqiL2e68gLhxW7x4HsAyguY7j_i3b4SfjVk_qzTvSOqZBiKIVV7YhcgmlXL2nQT9ZBNOGbxfboR8G-rkqiCR544ZnURlE5-IvgR1LtzE9x2vtq8qYAQ/s320/bundle+cover.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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Of course, I know that those few exposures to those word family words aren't enough! I have another post coming with some more ways we practiced word families in my classroom. You can find it <a href="http://www.growinglittleminds.net/2015/06/working-with-word-families-part-2.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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Thanks for reading!</div>
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Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-89112961897407016122015-03-31T17:54:00.000-04:002017-03-31T13:36:33.154-04:00Making Learning Fun with Easter Eggs- and FREEBIES!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Guess what?! I'm BACK with more adorable Easter egg ideas for your week! Even if you don't get to these activities this week, you could do them next week as well. That is, if you aren't on Spring Break like me! I have so many ideas, I can't possibly do them all, but these are a few of the activities that we're doing this week. If you want some more ideas, I have another post <a href="http://blooming-in-first.blogspot.com/2015/03/a-peek-at-my-week-plus-freebies.html" target="_blank">here</a> all about Easter eggs. <br />
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In <a href="http://blooming-in-first.blogspot.com/2015/03/a-peek-at-my-week-plus-freebies.html" target="_blank">this </a>post, I showed you how I was planning on adapting a game called "Hidden Partners" with Easter eggs. Well, I was working on some other stuff last night, when it hit me that I could use those adorable erasers I purchased instead. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDHH9Mmx8OyvVezgTVTO7CKox9Z333xY1efGNjKPEMfkSfB6JiBa8Qen26zfQ_U-ijSFtKiy_yHeC6aT2yFUdUFCa-2J1JwOhYkKkpQ6hQ6RigK-ZTNbEofQho7Y3x9-Qo-dC9_KFny9x/s1600/IMG_20150330_184711456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDHH9Mmx8OyvVezgTVTO7CKox9Z333xY1efGNjKPEMfkSfB6JiBa8Qen26zfQ_U-ijSFtKiy_yHeC6aT2yFUdUFCa-2J1JwOhYkKkpQ6hQ6RigK-ZTNbEofQho7Y3x9-Qo-dC9_KFny9x/s1600/IMG_20150330_184711456.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Voila! The kids loved it!</div>
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I love the way these adorable eggs look in the basket with the Number Story Mats. I'm not sure which one I love more, the basket or the eggs. :-) I know, I'm such a nerd, but OMG! You can find out more about the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Addition-and-Subtraction-Spring-Story-Mats-1787915" target="_blank">Number Story Mats</a> <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Addition-and-Subtraction-Spring-Story-Mats-1787915" target="_blank">here</a>. I purchased some erasers at Target that I filled these with. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSh_t5OioYkDUwJEYYMIzl4eFe7-0d4Kjk0jHMByFxrNrfczU0PXi9Kb0se62uTNwxWAC0gdDMM-o-FIMT4KyMDyRZcpPfHd5PSUUqMzYv_fkqy4D9s9GKYDKpstRwj9AoYuN6IdSLOZmW/s1600/IMG_20150330_184651567.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSh_t5OioYkDUwJEYYMIzl4eFe7-0d4Kjk0jHMByFxrNrfczU0PXi9Kb0se62uTNwxWAC0gdDMM-o-FIMT4KyMDyRZcpPfHd5PSUUqMzYv_fkqy4D9s9GKYDKpstRwj9AoYuN6IdSLOZmW/s1600/IMG_20150330_184651567.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5cjiw1iQju2JNVf-wMAj9r1DvddxhJvbUQF5jv0Vhngj-RmmXgialTf3ZnIdT2gCajd7NpUWQGMCnspDpM_vMj8z9ydlXye_iz0HBNYjxhA6WvhCXng08ba4Pm4Tni29NXK2ofZsUR9mX/s1600/IMG_20150329_190334847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5cjiw1iQju2JNVf-wMAj9r1DvddxhJvbUQF5jv0Vhngj-RmmXgialTf3ZnIdT2gCajd7NpUWQGMCnspDpM_vMj8z9ydlXye_iz0HBNYjxhA6WvhCXng08ba4Pm4Tni29NXK2ofZsUR9mX/s1600/IMG_20150329_190334847.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I also adapted another one of my favorite games for Easter. This one is called "Spill and Add 10" or "Toss the Chips", depending on which math program you use. :-) Usually, I use 2-color counters for this game, but I used a few of the lima beans I had to make 2-sided "jellybeans" to use. The kids loved them. You don't have to use 10 counters- you can use whichever number you want!</div>
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First, you place all 10 counters in the egg and shake it up. Then you spill the counters on the table. </div>
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Sort the counters into groups based on which side is up when they landed on the table. For some kids, this is enough for them to be able to record. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSq55av_DxcCUzWJbUVhuFatv6Tv0wrPpFz4eikqkenBcwDXxBCNhxGxUK4ZDlhouy_lplQQVSkI4IKPzgDHHFG-J-jbQqGPVT26hTuKCNBkjpE5PLvJMctKh17XCMbcvhoj5I71M8zl7/s1600/IMG_20150330_185158549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSq55av_DxcCUzWJbUVhuFatv6Tv0wrPpFz4eikqkenBcwDXxBCNhxGxUK4ZDlhouy_lplQQVSkI4IKPzgDHHFG-J-jbQqGPVT26hTuKCNBkjpE5PLvJMctKh17XCMbcvhoj5I71M8zl7/s1600/IMG_20150330_185158549.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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But for some students, I give them a ten frame to place their counters on. This helps them keep track of how many counters they have, and it also helps them see how to make 10. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwngMv9eDIpT-oerdvTu8UuoFOnmZo48QK2fVS_eRwol-0RGYxnxF5bfbB0iPd2tk1yeYpw7TM9d_f3z7fapDHTpVmpg2ihlkb98uVKh7x53wR2l7BegAx113XqAMKSJIVvRJikuOkiVG/s1600/IMG_20150330_185233514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwngMv9eDIpT-oerdvTu8UuoFOnmZo48QK2fVS_eRwol-0RGYxnxF5bfbB0iPd2tk1yeYpw7TM9d_f3z7fapDHTpVmpg2ihlkb98uVKh7x53wR2l7BegAx113XqAMKSJIVvRJikuOkiVG/s1600/IMG_20150330_185233514.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then, they can record the ten frame and the equation on a recording sheet. Guess what? This is a <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3clTw5jXLjtNHUzQjUwdnFodEU/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">freebie</a>!</div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3clTw5jXLjtNHUzQjUwdnFodEU/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvPL-lnlNx3K0dZLqaAeHLYLK5aY8dLaxq-sgsmyGM-TNbzk-GteX8mBrHn-nfjpvUxCtEcVfTcryBpuxpcZzpWyBLKwHNfg6XvZ79KEQru2n-nC0DqxJcdUO6vc13thLS8SP6erf1vsw/s1600/jellybean+spill+and+add+ten+frames2.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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You can snag this freebie here!</div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3clTw5jXLjtNHUzQjUwdnFodEU/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikvIFYc-cWWC3lYBfEpTBmxekYkCe1A7d23darapJHLtm54usL-3NYS11l1nFaNNS4IBghRVhnjIhIDucoIxw7WFJvAe-fmdOehsYb_2LSgV32flHYVvPtCoIOLzVUAInVMPWA72gdmndR/s1600/jellybean+spill+and+add+ten+frames.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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I couldn't pass up these adorable chick Easter eggs too. We are using this with a freebie recording sheet from <a href="http://www.thekindergartensmorgasboard.com/2014/04/a-kindergarten-smorgasboard-egg-citing.html" target="_blank">Mr. Smedley</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWBlQi5Vi_V2qLAYKhDHr_meG6CgouluXEZnSk0un9Q3fSt8-cY3TUcP9KkcEBenb79P0oKQBuvRCkeel4Q3LKKlLD4-IOawrtDBdy7jHwMDA8A4kIzdnVoadtfvyoHVT5RaV_oxsvbzuh/s1600/IMG_20150330_185611419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWBlQi5Vi_V2qLAYKhDHr_meG6CgouluXEZnSk0un9Q3fSt8-cY3TUcP9KkcEBenb79P0oKQBuvRCkeel4Q3LKKlLD4-IOawrtDBdy7jHwMDA8A4kIzdnVoadtfvyoHVT5RaV_oxsvbzuh/s1600/IMG_20150330_185611419.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This game is very simple. Fill the egg with jellybeans, or in my case, "jellybeans" because I don't like sticky messes! The students sort the jellybeans by color, and then record on the recording sheet. I love how it makes them color in the jellybean colors on the recording sheet.</div>
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For our phonics center for the week, we practiced building word family words. We have already covered ap, am, and at, so we used Easter eggs to build the words. (Another one of those baskets. I LOVE them!) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURwkL_46OfeoM6QGgJq_SyAlpzoHtzx0UKYJLu5jRnAyTDN-w8l4EHW5gjE_5sELBTAm3ryWlBSOBNyw3RYMaZtKeeuqJPpAwgkU8upWL1D14Jjmlt2zgLf19tKTmPKy2bZ3eH9btSIlq/s1600/IMG_20150330_184736310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURwkL_46OfeoM6QGgJq_SyAlpzoHtzx0UKYJLu5jRnAyTDN-w8l4EHW5gjE_5sELBTAm3ryWlBSOBNyw3RYMaZtKeeuqJPpAwgkU8upWL1D14Jjmlt2zgLf19tKTmPKy2bZ3eH9btSIlq/s1600/IMG_20150330_184736310.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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When the kids put the parts together, they built a word. These Easter eggs are so pretty, but man, they were super hard to get a good picture of! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxHxk0b_2dGcp6Bd9t4Y2ivQp60_YsVtZqjT75cc-mP9TvVmPc-epg2bOgx01AWu-kW4ghCishC1sR7V9MLQ14nxAL6Bcypiql7GQr7EDNaNQg03UBgrT034KKtjg9LdxLJCTUQvCAeCk/s1600/IMG_20150330_184858020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxHxk0b_2dGcp6Bd9t4Y2ivQp60_YsVtZqjT75cc-mP9TvVmPc-epg2bOgx01AWu-kW4ghCishC1sR7V9MLQ14nxAL6Bcypiql7GQr7EDNaNQg03UBgrT034KKtjg9LdxLJCTUQvCAeCk/s1600/IMG_20150330_184858020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<u><b>Tip:</b></u> I used a Professional Sharpie to write on these eggs. I've written on Easter eggs in the past, just to have the writing be smudged off. I got my Professional Sharpie at Home Depot. I'll keep you posted on how well it works. So far, so good!</div>
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They wrote their words on an Easter basket recording sheet. You can download this as a <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3clTw5jXLjtWHhuZlpwT3BrT28/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">freebie</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3clTw5jXLjtWHhuZlpwT3BrT28/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyi2T0z1wrSG2COzq9iUqpXdqJrodrNfhssgmaM1HPU4O5A8XbGoeTLnSbT76h07naAQZHclJNHnCIKMaWvyTONXahaJLscBNUUXO1Nfk26nA22gc0cT9M7T2Ox3OdE6LJv1uy9fWqIsC_/s1600/easter+basket+freebie2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3clTw5jXLjtWHhuZlpwT3BrT28/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SrgXezNYB9WyZKR8Hn4Vu5FObwSVOD1sZeew6TlzASGE-9Aannpj6phTkDfQLsnwhZzJLglN-LQlnOleBfTlyH4Auh5Oxtk8ulv8GCyNop6AO8KWx4XpvYKNgtqZ7vfNYAoiQhgzwzW6/s1600/easter+basket+freebie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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For our word work center, the kids practiced making word wall words and writing those words in a sentence. </div>
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Inside each egg were the letters written on a "jellybean". Instead of purchasing sticky jellybeans, I bought some lima beans and spray painted them. Then I wrote a letter on each "jellybean" and placed them in the egg. You could use letter tiles or magnetic letters or even letters typed up on a piece of paper.</div>
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The kids put the "jellybeans" in order to make the word. Then they wrote it in a sentence. </div>
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If you are looking for a few more great ideas, I have another<a href="http://blooming-in-first.blogspot.com/2015/03/a-peek-at-my-week-plus-freebies.html" target="_blank"> post</a> with a few more Easter/Easter egg ideas <a href="http://blooming-in-first.blogspot.com/2015/03/a-peek-at-my-week-plus-freebies.html" target="_blank">here</a> that you can check out. There are a few FREEBIES there as well!</div>
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Have a great week!</div>
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<br />Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-72021949963480775112015-03-29T22:00:00.000-04:002020-07-25T12:59:58.258-04:00Easter Egg FUN!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week is our last week before Spring Break, and we're going to have so much fun! I wanted to share a few of the things we'll be doing this week in hopes that some of you can have some fun with your kiddos as well. I have included a few freebies too!</div>
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Lots of the activities we're doing involve Easter Eggs! I stocked up on fun Easter eggs at the Dollar Tree this week, much to the dismay of my wallet! But they were so cute, and I can use them again, so I don't feel THAT bad about it. <br />
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Eggs, eggs, and more eggs.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5DmhTUahG3HdL4pOCaVL8UevAeT8oQxtAwaNN45LiG6x08rkflpooROkuKGfNCjdi4TSORObxD2__96yTn-AN85izN_Y0SmRpcCO5aPpBq2y-c88-PCJtDmsedLg45PzOU4-imdzNeKt/s1600/IMG_20150326_210907467.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5DmhTUahG3HdL4pOCaVL8UevAeT8oQxtAwaNN45LiG6x08rkflpooROkuKGfNCjdi4TSORObxD2__96yTn-AN85izN_Y0SmRpcCO5aPpBq2y-c88-PCJtDmsedLg45PzOU4-imdzNeKt/s1600/IMG_20150326_210907467.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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But they are so CUTE! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKx-JkRYe8IA41mQkCf3HLhPW_U9jRhEGZIanCV002i8LEjb9Fi0uf1A6UP7h1MLuis4lZ-o5xdD_IewP380ptqYKlvajJlT44cymnI5MfKzH7eIXghOsEEEVsnGLS83Tf2rLPb16HUor/s1600/IMG_20150326_210931191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKx-JkRYe8IA41mQkCf3HLhPW_U9jRhEGZIanCV002i8LEjb9Fi0uf1A6UP7h1MLuis4lZ-o5xdD_IewP380ptqYKlvajJlT44cymnI5MfKzH7eIXghOsEEEVsnGLS83Tf2rLPb16HUor/s1600/IMG_20150326_210931191.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's a good thing I have this amazing bag to hold them all in! </div>
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I have a TON of Easter egg games planned for math. We are working on addition and subtraction, so our math games are all centered around decomposing and composing numbers, adding, subtracting, etc... We also have a little bit of graphing thrown in there as well! I'm sharing a few of them with you now, and I'll be back at the end of the week to share the rest.<br />
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You can find this graphing freebie in my TPT store. My kids LOVE graphing, especially when it involves candy! There are 3 different versions of the graph, including a blank one, just in case your jellybean colors don't match up with what I have! There is also a sheet full of questions that your students can answer about their data. It's perfect for firsties! My students totally rocked it last year when we used it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiai1qRhB0SAf-ygWJ1hB91ckRO3ofYhxemRZrIGtVZQ_a87fXYoIcXn6keo_FuAfGGRqHdU86XfazM22dGR6FIugIdkH_sY6tWZiV6O5upVaj1CFhzqS6rOI8dHzcKuG-cT8RaUE2HCn6T/s1600/sweet+jellybean+graphing3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiai1qRhB0SAf-ygWJ1hB91ckRO3ofYhxemRZrIGtVZQ_a87fXYoIcXn6keo_FuAfGGRqHdU86XfazM22dGR6FIugIdkH_sY6tWZiV6O5upVaj1CFhzqS6rOI8dHzcKuG-cT8RaUE2HCn6T/s1600/sweet+jellybean+graphing3.jpg" width="154" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlZSIi7wgDlAiqCwm5Ut-cI7Vc7nZU5KCvhMZCSddPDRbT2ZuoUecZ62miCRJJu1HE9uE6tmz_XwRKVBBc-3GzN36iGGrPkzPitCsKa4qmnd0pcOpC3dqYpVWZ1el6RG1AP98TXRaI1ug/s1600/sweet+jellybean+graphing4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlZSIi7wgDlAiqCwm5Ut-cI7Vc7nZU5KCvhMZCSddPDRbT2ZuoUecZ62miCRJJu1HE9uE6tmz_XwRKVBBc-3GzN36iGGrPkzPitCsKa4qmnd0pcOpC3dqYpVWZ1el6RG1AP98TXRaI1ug/s1600/sweet+jellybean+graphing4.jpg" width="154" /></a></div>
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You can find this awesome freebie here!</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sweet-Jellybean-Graphing-FREEBIE-635951" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPlgH8ZWHkoBogEAdLuBdtM6uJMx27gv4Bu-5vIXMr6qGue5JjNwNZutEqGjc_w8xlHKRk-pro0wWWSYm-iSw0_W3xBHDsvZO3n2vTmOkHeLWckrwPJv-Tja-qYXcGY9FFo7z5UKKRU4J/s1600/original-635951-1.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
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I also found these adorable erasers from Target that I just couldn't wait to use! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTwVz9TbbxE-NTH4MSNzM43deUzc2_rdlfBbDF8Rocd086hjV32zwFTHep1NjudcFdeOz-EAWeehiJkTL6QVJfF0voMqAUInjxCFxxEHQWVS7g9icHDsMYE7_k49g1J61r0cHog9fczPq/s1600/IMG_20150329_165059768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTwVz9TbbxE-NTH4MSNzM43deUzc2_rdlfBbDF8Rocd086hjV32zwFTHep1NjudcFdeOz-EAWeehiJkTL6QVJfF0voMqAUInjxCFxxEHQWVS7g9icHDsMYE7_k49g1J61r0cHog9fczPq/s1600/IMG_20150329_165059768.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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I created these Spring Number Story Mats so that my students can practice addition and subtraction stories and use the erasers I bought. There is also a mat that uses jellybeans as well. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhfmA5-5CkFCmsC0GkOf_F7Ci6MkXq-QWX2_89f2kzrpUSDQUNKVmN-zGWwMBxJRbiatt5zwt-nv7_g9qLmNnzc3lqLbCWDoR6TaFRibpvn1wzbpd9cKCVxaqJcqZ3hNYszDKEBxp6vtB/s1600/number+story+mats3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhfmA5-5CkFCmsC0GkOf_F7Ci6MkXq-QWX2_89f2kzrpUSDQUNKVmN-zGWwMBxJRbiatt5zwt-nv7_g9qLmNnzc3lqLbCWDoR6TaFRibpvn1wzbpd9cKCVxaqJcqZ3hNYszDKEBxp6vtB/s1600/number+story+mats3.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
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I also have some paper manipulatives that can be printed on colored cardstock or construction paper for those of you who don't have a Target near you. (Sad times) Or maybe you're just not crazy like me and think you need to go out and buy 6 packs of erasers. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfqy2_uvnfR5C1vHpb6aCMD3jCd3-SgAjzNsTu_AyBK09T8Hz_d5fz-kNdYPj-t6d7DpN8u6xYWHbklV1FX5rUh-ka64CTLGLlOhmc52RwFwFgRrnssTIDN09JimMItpaBFsDi469XrznU/s1600/number+story+mats19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfqy2_uvnfR5C1vHpb6aCMD3jCd3-SgAjzNsTu_AyBK09T8Hz_d5fz-kNdYPj-t6d7DpN8u6xYWHbklV1FX5rUh-ka64CTLGLlOhmc52RwFwFgRrnssTIDN09JimMItpaBFsDi469XrznU/s1600/number+story+mats19.jpg" width="154" /></a></div>
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It also comes with several spinners so that you can choose the best way to use them with your students. I know my students will love these adorable bunny spinners.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwBpGPld5HbtY8KSZXiipcDKmaM9mrkgsdt4jXb6p49zRSOsiWdSUM0fFvo7SSznoNRj_TMrf9UEK9S1VMPFCSCVdJZjbJuVXyRDET9UslBJ8FvekYAv8tip11eEw-QnrZMvR2mZil0nz/s1600/number+story+mats8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwBpGPld5HbtY8KSZXiipcDKmaM9mrkgsdt4jXb6p49zRSOsiWdSUM0fFvo7SSznoNRj_TMrf9UEK9S1VMPFCSCVdJZjbJuVXyRDET9UslBJ8FvekYAv8tip11eEw-QnrZMvR2mZil0nz/s1600/number+story+mats8.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>
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I put the erasers in these adorable eggs from the Dollar Tree. The bunny erasers are in the bunny, the chicks are in the chick, etc... Then they can grab the correct set of manipulatives to go with their story mat.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhQVOYLl0WrBmfCEXTrebN8aPg3uUb8hoXSoroQduJ2O4y50byJaASb42QqZ-V2cFpg7rLlqEunXxNVxg2gODWhLomckb2wTXN76cT4nQne0gh_lOhVPIPkdRf8qr_9D4WaiAXaiY_au-/s1600/IMG_20150329_173516520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXhQVOYLl0WrBmfCEXTrebN8aPg3uUb8hoXSoroQduJ2O4y50byJaASb42QqZ-V2cFpg7rLlqEunXxNVxg2gODWhLomckb2wTXN76cT4nQne0gh_lOhVPIPkdRf8qr_9D4WaiAXaiY_au-/s1600/IMG_20150329_173516520.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The best part about these is that they are spring, not Easter themed, so they can be used all season! You can find them in my TPT store as well. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Addition-and-Subtraction-Spring-Story-Mats-1787915" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OHfsxh8bgbaYmxVkyiw93vTBooEKN1iNMp5Vul0Qkt8x-3e0ODg9TH7qTDcd-e-hye4bhZaYFHX7gfPNC80vNFLzObEW7gptjnUB2rPQlI9fA8JvawE2AiipUzU0PKuEfTvgcQGAOQ87/s1600/number+story+mats.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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I am also adapting one of my favorite games for Easter. It's called "Hidden Partners." Usually this game is played with cubes and the students hide the hidden partner behind their back, but I thought it would be fun to play with Easter eggs and jellybeans. I also decided that I didn't want to buy a ton of jellybeans for them to get sticky, so I spray painted some lima beans instead to be my "jellybeans" because I'm weird like that.</div>
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There are 10 "jellybeans" in each egg. The student covers up some of the jellybeans, and their partner has to figure out how many jellybeans are underneath the egg (or behind their back) by using the number of jellybeans that are left. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wwPu4OdM4Gw8wv9ceCTJ0SkOpjK__qsPNfKAJYza4MXFGP4qqAmSdtBiTf9hJduHQVO94eGUbMIywFsX-_7jv0jjo61cKHe1GHhYa238eUnkqA22yvBDvFSFsF7sKb0Hz2XvtjM9_1JI/s1600/IMG_20150329_171614481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wwPu4OdM4Gw8wv9ceCTJ0SkOpjK__qsPNfKAJYza4MXFGP4qqAmSdtBiTf9hJduHQVO94eGUbMIywFsX-_7jv0jjo61cKHe1GHhYa238eUnkqA22yvBDvFSFsF7sKb0Hz2XvtjM9_1JI/s1600/IMG_20150329_171614481.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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If the student gets the answer right, their partner lifts up the egg to show them the answer! I love that this game is easy to prep and practices some excellent number skills. You can use any number besides 10 as well, so it's easily adaptable. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAMxqVqENUdrUM7Oe03Uzh3MwliDJNnoZbpja_jHuOrEcVq6aKd2vBtlevpzpePzIbPZ8JUqC7PPgJhIUFDf1kTT7P1IHLkjy9RFa2kNXYWSQSQa2NoPTWOQH6RZVygc8WuXu4r_gB9MB/s1600/IMG_20150329_171711312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAMxqVqENUdrUM7Oe03Uzh3MwliDJNnoZbpja_jHuOrEcVq6aKd2vBtlevpzpePzIbPZ8JUqC7PPgJhIUFDf1kTT7P1IHLkjy9RFa2kNXYWSQSQa2NoPTWOQH6RZVygc8WuXu4r_gB9MB/s1600/IMG_20150329_171711312.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqtQf0daz-a-N_v1hYqJTWGHICPR7R4I2QBphDI2rqW3CfYgN2I79prkQW4owRtdGyB57lF6gnwuriPIkEX9tKIdNZzfHU7oFouVRO76l1bE2ocRKAdI6hLKtdZ3dOcXDZ826G9lMnWZB9/s1600/IMG_20150329_170105456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqtQf0daz-a-N_v1hYqJTWGHICPR7R4I2QBphDI2rqW3CfYgN2I79prkQW4owRtdGyB57lF6gnwuriPIkEX9tKIdNZzfHU7oFouVRO76l1bE2ocRKAdI6hLKtdZ3dOcXDZ826G9lMnWZB9/s1600/IMG_20150329_170105456.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3clTw5jXLjtWEpWYmhIckxBbTg&authuser=0" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjqrbviHPj4-U_INmYKhP3ZmBRdw1coaM-xiJgyPxh5yrRRg7iPajHD30ctgsHfuqp54-upuKYmYpZWCtJXJsispXHlnnLp5gXLwIztt6t8R3GqaIEVmxzNSrTDOmi5xrhJ1ayWYYk6YW/s1600/easter+egg+ten+frames2.jpg" width="246" /></a>We've been working with the number 10, so we're going to play a fun game with Easter eggs and a ten frame made out of an egg carton. I've been wanting to do this for awhile, so I've been saving up my egg cartons. I made a little recording sheet for this game. The students will roll a 6-dot dice and put the eggs in the egg carton. Then they will figure out how many more eggs they need to make 10 and add those eggs in a different color. On the recording sheet, they will color in the eggs and write an equation. <br />
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If you want to play this fun game with your students, you can get this recording sheet as a freebie. Just click on the image to get it! Sorry, egg cartons and eggs are not included.<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3clTw5jXLjtWEpWYmhIckxBbTg&authuser=0" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVESOOwn5sksry4LwFWW9TsoETaT-HgT1JxHO_SIvS5ntpoU5WAdwb6XxOPE6PeF_F-4XtFj-uq4gkoNzMKuy4Dsiw3K3mem00YE6qqVO1ESh4EJcGjj9oaw42MMnJJ-Q3qRYqIf8zaiq/s1600/easter+egg+ten+frames.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlrE9oX8A4g93b4I8CJjUZznmnPCgCIhiCRhjPAEOMzysW39c8LL3ONRiBapjfrnD_5mvmhRKj7fKU50monx-ydLApG1DzMg_frQxGMHeI1p5D7vq4DK8U3YOucvEIsZpPTmUc4EwMdPB/s1600/spring+sound+read+around+the+room+short+a+word+families3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlrE9oX8A4g93b4I8CJjUZznmnPCgCIhiCRhjPAEOMzysW39c8LL3ONRiBapjfrnD_5mvmhRKj7fKU50monx-ydLApG1DzMg_frQxGMHeI1p5D7vq4DK8U3YOucvEIsZpPTmUc4EwMdPB/s1600/spring+sound+read+around+the+room+short+a+word+families3.jpg" width="247" /></a>We've also been working on our word families a lot the past few weeks. We're working on the -an word family this week. We also review other word families that we've already done so that we don't forget those sounds! It's so important to continue to practice these sounds and allow the students to continue to work with them. Since we love to get our kids up and moving, I created a fun Write Around the Room game to help practice the sounds we've been working on. The kids will find the eggs "hidden" (in plain sight!) around the room. Then they will say the word and figure out which sound they hear. They will write the word on the recording sheet in the correct basket. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3C_-VZ0wWHMp_2eyE6pbRsxGWCG7D6CVJQbsbKynX8UIi44g_ajRv4sZM2nCghyYA2kHJnZYaZnEwiKN7zuHQahnpruwmuZaCAAxPbqB9iGXleWpn3gC87NgBNFy0SFIb6NZZCiP_WSo/s1600/spring+sound+read+around+the+room+short+a+word+families27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3C_-VZ0wWHMp_2eyE6pbRsxGWCG7D6CVJQbsbKynX8UIi44g_ajRv4sZM2nCghyYA2kHJnZYaZnEwiKN7zuHQahnpruwmuZaCAAxPbqB9iGXleWpn3gC87NgBNFy0SFIb6NZZCiP_WSo/s1600/spring+sound+read+around+the+room+short+a+word+families27.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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You can find the Short- a word family version here in my TPT store. I also created a version that practices <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/L-blends-Write-Around-the-Room-1787034" target="_blank">L-blends</a> and <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/R-blends-Write-Around-the-Room-1787029" target="_blank">S-blends</a> for my first grade friends. They are also available in my TPT store.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Short-A-Word-Families-Write-Around-the-Room-1787038" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpRTGpcq4qd1T5JJ71FBHccC0VnIQyGMmFWJvw6inSgFsD8eZxOpHY0Qi-t7tai-WXVlz8qU844PzAeZhf4oimSloY3Ew5VMeKtcM39IiSrQZu4cDs2RiP5bLP7AZA6Y-K_xvLGU2Ce1P/s1600/spring+sound+read+around+the+room+short+a+word+families.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<br />Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-33175456193640367752015-02-08T20:07:00.002-05:002015-02-08T20:07:47.783-05:00Winter Fun!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It's 57 degrees here today, so I'm not sure if naming this post "Winter Fun" is appropriate, but that's just too bad. We've been doing some winter-themed stuff in my classroom the past few weeks, and my students have had a lot of fun! I just wanted to fill you in on a few of the fun activities we've been doing!</div>
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We've been working on consonant digraphs, ending sounds, and medial vowel sounds. We've been doing a whole lot of blending sounds together and segmenting sounds to write. We've also been doing lots of sorting too. These are a few of the sorts we've been doing. We also sorted the "th" digraph and several other ending sounds. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhogUdRNiInBngf4dZVdyzEizraqQOYFVtG_jvS-mmHnl3gHLMNKiI0Lytd0tV_VoJXiut1weZ1ez6-_sh2yy3MGlldBd4sgiwyxy1YlJBrjJUcN3wc8kEENGloSv2rfGxuvN0syE2ALCLn/s1600/IMG_20150112_181235069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhogUdRNiInBngf4dZVdyzEizraqQOYFVtG_jvS-mmHnl3gHLMNKiI0Lytd0tV_VoJXiut1weZ1ez6-_sh2yy3MGlldBd4sgiwyxy1YlJBrjJUcN3wc8kEENGloSv2rfGxuvN0syE2ALCLn/s1600/IMG_20150112_181235069.jpg" height="320" width="253" /></a></div>
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The kids loved helping me sort these pictures. These are all available in my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Kindergarten-Winter-Bundle-1632911" target="_blank">Winter Bundle</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVapsruG7-00LPYLP7nOk3IdpLVqTYj5O1sB2vJggtfSfpdXdylH7kopEn4xaHZNgymqoVlWx9ha4NZJW3xH8_Oi_DgBa24k8cgJtG1KquWz6Qc3xk-vb110tEIlFcBuvaaXJCHjhaX8h/s1600/IMG_20150112_181459218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVapsruG7-00LPYLP7nOk3IdpLVqTYj5O1sB2vJggtfSfpdXdylH7kopEn4xaHZNgymqoVlWx9ha4NZJW3xH8_Oi_DgBa24k8cgJtG1KquWz6Qc3xk-vb110tEIlFcBuvaaXJCHjhaX8h/s1600/IMG_20150112_181459218.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></div>
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We've been working really hard on our word wall (sight) words. Our word work center one week required our students to practice their sight words. They loved finding the letters to make the words they were trying to spell. Each snowman head had a sight word we've been practicing written on its hat. They had to pull the letters out of the cotton ball snow and build the word with the correct letters. The kids LOVED this center! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdY_9T9XdpPWcWyLaqVWHumrOZ8r07SkLm_7XyitvJbVXZvNJhDJhRhw-Y4nQ_4qjRCpqtRr9kbFzvdzlP5V1jclzNS8n6DHcwgcrLvGEcwBmcSFjSn7kyZED0MQOkdfvepYnOHs18xWyo/s1600/IMG_20150113_123904052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdY_9T9XdpPWcWyLaqVWHumrOZ8r07SkLm_7XyitvJbVXZvNJhDJhRhw-Y4nQ_4qjRCpqtRr9kbFzvdzlP5V1jclzNS8n6DHcwgcrLvGEcwBmcSFjSn7kyZED0MQOkdfvepYnOHs18xWyo/s1600/IMG_20150113_123904052.jpg" height="320" width="250" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-TzsY-qlH1E8j2Cp6u3hifAgr11edvzvT5I8aC9BL7mYD4TFrBl9EyTRVxlTPGk__AVQSLW1u0Z0I99JpAlRC6wHOrzh3fWix0r4rRM-t-8TC1pljQFx4K-0nUD2KQOOKKUfTFxdQXaA/s1600/IMG_20150113_123910048v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-TzsY-qlH1E8j2Cp6u3hifAgr11edvzvT5I8aC9BL7mYD4TFrBl9EyTRVxlTPGk__AVQSLW1u0Z0I99JpAlRC6wHOrzh3fWix0r4rRM-t-8TC1pljQFx4K-0nUD2KQOOKKUfTFxdQXaA/s1600/IMG_20150113_123910048v2.jpg" height="320" width="243" /></a></div>
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They built the words... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVdg_tNRdHInd3A7d6-xUdRWCc-2hg30J9Rifwbux-YRe3wFFIGZ3ibYB6gNZdZGgL8WTPexedjdooQh6lAu7aCOZCecV7QAAsffdaKntTjUC4avJB_p8yLvngQA1y0kSV0DDdoHf5m9J/s1600/IMG_20150114_123733741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVdg_tNRdHInd3A7d6-xUdRWCc-2hg30J9Rifwbux-YRe3wFFIGZ3ibYB6gNZdZGgL8WTPexedjdooQh6lAu7aCOZCecV7QAAsffdaKntTjUC4avJB_p8yLvngQA1y0kSV0DDdoHf5m9J/s1600/IMG_20150114_123733741.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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There is a recording sheet as well, so they can write down the words they practiced. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLhiVQSUrXg8OlLuS-uEZzOXCayFr0epAopgg3nFrwQ-MmL1LcshSLjR4F-panJgx_kCpPiHuoKGDESq441_EQqNyO1GwwcA7HZaqtPIqI4tg6HN2Ab9nemqlWDDKV0kUVvTak5XHlkG0/s1600/IMG_20150114_123740595(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLhiVQSUrXg8OlLuS-uEZzOXCayFr0epAopgg3nFrwQ-MmL1LcshSLjR4F-panJgx_kCpPiHuoKGDESq441_EQqNyO1GwwcA7HZaqtPIqI4tg6HN2Ab9nemqlWDDKV0kUVvTak5XHlkG0/s1600/IMG_20150114_123740595(2).jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></div>
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Both the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Snowmen-Sight-Word-Building-Primer-1647477" target="_blank">Primer</a> and <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Snowmen-Sight-Word-Building-Pre-Primer-1645186" target="_blank">Pre-Primer</a> versions of this game are available in my store.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJ5Yk7STcO5zYXEO1uE5q4yvObrKC4eMntjnsO8rHUg8teV3vxxGf4Bh836ujWVv9I7I7jQbISfPevGmUBIJ7ea2uyxRpY_6vhx0MGXG8BHj_eCp6oFA8fSQbjiZ9d9TUYyovzczENI5d/s1600/building+word+wall+words+snowman+cover+primer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJ5Yk7STcO5zYXEO1uE5q4yvObrKC4eMntjnsO8rHUg8teV3vxxGf4Bh836ujWVv9I7I7jQbISfPevGmUBIJ7ea2uyxRpY_6vhx0MGXG8BHj_eCp6oFA8fSQbjiZ9d9TUYyovzczENI5d/s1600/building+word+wall+words+snowman+cover+primer.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></div>
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We also read some Jan Brett books, including The Mitten, The Hat, and The Three Snow Bears. The kids really enjoyed reading her books! We did some fun activities with these books, including writing and math! I wish I had pictures of all of them!</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/039921920X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=039921920X&linkCode=as2&tag=growlittmind-20&linkId=3SJC4T2WSFLPUBFO" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaLT7JjW_rVBTavVhu2QPq-qQdoDjv3By7mvmZlx4rB-NWXgTv5MmPr9H1CvebRUkhjW4JVkAn26hbhUG5r8be9GKsJuhpapOmWC1bTd_taMMBe7GSIz4m2ccmQCtbX1rDxUHyb6XtERIG/s1600/51iYZCZ7HHL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" /></a></div>
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This was one of our math centers. The kids had to see how many animals would fit in a mitten. I just bought some animal crackers from Kroger and we used those. First, they had to estimate how many animals would fit in a mitten, and then they had to put the animals in the mitten to see if their estimate was correct. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2wR3ydHilNMSQd2FdyoWHZj1qWjgTcn4_nTq5K965ib2nGfUEpQHHfvVoBddN55vWkHW3CqM7DmUw691HATEyk9uStC4Kwr3WA-do874OIj0-MINs6PiZWF72Ql_y4m-4O8Wks0mw7fEd/s1600/IMG_20150115_104909439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2wR3ydHilNMSQd2FdyoWHZj1qWjgTcn4_nTq5K965ib2nGfUEpQHHfvVoBddN55vWkHW3CqM7DmUw691HATEyk9uStC4Kwr3WA-do874OIj0-MINs6PiZWF72Ql_y4m-4O8Wks0mw7fEd/s1600/IMG_20150115_104909439.jpg" height="320" width="227" /></a></div>
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We also did a little hot chocolate math with marshmallows! They rolled a die for the first number and a die for the second number. Then they had to write an addition problem and show their work. These look really cute hanging up in the hallway! We finished up this day by making hot chocolate and eating some animal crackers! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr00HosG1dzpzRANlxSCQg9_xzPoYbN8q-CI08DPmbX3FxtnJUuR-tfAbD8X2bl41NsQJFp0jF3vYA86SyPYg3_62TzFrqSUNbu3lqJl9QalgzblrM3QHHwTLZat80s26U5EQTJsX7uaAK/s1600/IMG_20150116_102151915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr00HosG1dzpzRANlxSCQg9_xzPoYbN8q-CI08DPmbX3FxtnJUuR-tfAbD8X2bl41NsQJFp0jF3vYA86SyPYg3_62TzFrqSUNbu3lqJl9QalgzblrM3QHHwTLZat80s26U5EQTJsX7uaAK/s1600/IMG_20150116_102151915.jpg" height="320" width="276" /></a></div>
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We also did a cute little Polar Bear positional words book. The book came from The Mailbox magazine. The kids added the finished book to their book boxes to read when they have free time!</div>
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So there's one week of winter fun! What fun winter activities did you do with your students? I'm hoping the winter fun isn't over yet- I want to make <a href="http://blooming-in-first.blogspot.com/2013/03/five-for-friday.html" target="_blank">snow!</a> </div>
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Have a great week, everybody!</div>
Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-4447731587814038882014-12-27T00:46:00.000-05:002014-12-27T00:46:00.292-05:00Centers, Kindergarten style<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We've finally gotten into the "swing" of centers in Kindergarten. It's definitely much different teaching Kindergarteners how to do centers than it is first graders! First graders definitely have some experience with centers, while Kindergarteners do not! I also gave my firsties a lot more freedom when it came to centers than I do my Kinders, not that it's a bad thing!</div>
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So I thought I'd share how I'm running my centers now that I'm back to teaching Kindergarten.</div>
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In first grade, I was basically forced to use homogeneous grouping (something I did NOT like), but in Kindergarten, we use heterogeneous grouping. I arranged my center groups so that I have a high, medium, and struggling student in pretty much every group. There are 3 kids per each center group, and there are 8 groups of students. </div>
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Our center rotation chart tells the students where they are going. I dismiss them to their centers, and then I call one of my reading groups to my table to work on reading. This means that they do miss one of their center activities, but I feel it's more important that students are learning how to read with me than completing some work that they may complete incorrectly anyway.</div>
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In word work, we have been doing a lot of different activities with books and our sight words. We have made alphabet books, and now we're moving on to different sight word activities, such as sight word books, read/make/write boards, and Roll a Sight Word activities! The kids love learning these new words and then finding them in the books we read.<br />
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Read/Write Around the Room is another activity the kids love! So far, we've been doing different <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Erica-Butler/Category/Write-Around-the-Room" target="_blank">Write Around the Room</a> themes, such as <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fall-Into-Kindergarten-1498176" target="_blank">fall words</a>,<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Thanksgiving-Write-Around-the-Room-1559951" target="_blank"> Thanksgiving words</a>, etc... The kids have to write the word and draw a small picture next to it. If they finish, they can write a sentence on the back of their paper using one of the words. Soon, we're going to alternate these vocabulary building Read Around the Room activities with sight words around the room. :-)</div>
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In Phonics, we've done a ton of sorting activities. We've sorted beginning sounds, rhyming words, syllables, even ending sounds. We've differentiated some of the activities for different students, so some students may be working on rhyming words while others may be working on beginning sounds. </div>
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These two alphabet sorts are from my <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Alphabet-Printable-Sorting-Pages-1367199" target="_blank">Alphabet Printable Sorting Sheets</a> available in my <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Erica-Butler" target="_blank">TPT store</a>.</div>
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We also have two reading centers, since reading is so important! We have "Read to Self" and "Buddy Reading" in our center rotation. One important thing we need for these centers are our book boxes! I buy the magazine holders from IKEA and allow my students to decorate them however they like. </div>
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Inside their book boxes, they get to keep the books they borrow from me, as well as the books they've made in the classroom, and then any books I give them to keep in their book boxes. We have these little bags to keep our "just right books" in. These are the books they've made in the classroom and can pretty much read on their own.</div>
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We do Read to Self in our book nook. I like to have lots of different places for the kids to sit down and read. </div>
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We do Buddy Reading on the carpet. Sometimes we have 2 students in a group, but usually we have 3, so it's usually "group reading" instead of buddy reading. It usually works out. </div>
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We also have a poetry center! We put a new poem in our notebook every week! The poems are all songs or poems we've sang or read in our classroom. For example, this apple tree poem is something we did as a choral reading activity. The kids glued it into their notebooks and drew a tree to match each part of the poem. Then they practice reading their poems to an adult.</div>
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The other centers that we do are writing and computers. Computers are pretty self-explanatory- the students get on Successmaker and complete that program. For writing, we usually do a response to a book that we read, such as writing about our favorite character or telling what happened at the beginning, middle, and end of a story.<br />
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I have not added Listen to Reading (mostly because I'm lazy!), but someday, I plan on adding it as well. I just really need to take the time to get all my CDs uploaded to iTunes and then have them synced to the iPods. We may add that one after Christmas!<br /><br />I hope you enjoyed this little peek into my classroom!<br />
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<br />Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-14206031760115898232014-12-22T22:04:00.000-05:002014-12-23T09:33:12.079-05:00Christmas Questionnaire Linky Party 2014I decided to link up with Fabulous in First for her Christmas Questionnaire Linky Party!<br />
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<a href="http://fabulousinfirst.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-christmas-questionnaire-2014.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOlCH8V-sTi9PNKhMVFcnergNsAqooIQPQmuvgAYP6fwvAtga7oMonS9XpyVEaVvkzBdrQRq5S3X8N1BySMHMfGqBecs5U50SmjhyphenhyphenGmQryi6dA0NE8IzdGMnJhJr1FstrXNGPM5Ut_yCS/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-12-12+at+7.17.03+PM+(1).png" height="189" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>1. When do you decorate?</b></span><br />
I usually decorate the week after Thanksgiving. I usually refuse to decorate before Thanksgiving. I broke my own rule this year and put up one of my trees before Thanksgiving because I knew I was having surgery in December and wanted to be sure I had enough time to get it all done!<br />
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This is my "big" Christmas tree and some ornaments I've made for it. </div>
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My mantel, front door, and side table in the living room.</div>
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Lots and lots of trees! I love trees!</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Decorations in the Dining Room. </span></div>
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I tried putting lights on the tree outside. Short people shouldn't put lights on trees. :-)<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>2. Elf or no elf?</b></span><br />
I don't have any children, and the dog doesn't care, so I just have an elf in my classroom. Her name is Twinkle Snowflake, and I wrote about our adventures with her last year <a href="http://blooming-in-first.blogspot.com/2014/01/fun-with-elf-who-sits-on-shelf-part-2.html" target="_blank">here</a> and<a href="http://blooming-in-first.blogspot.com/2013/12/fun-with-elf.html" target="_blank"> here</a>. <br />
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This year was eventful for poor Twinkle! One of my students decided to beat the pulp out of poor Twinkle Snowflake and she was pretty battered!<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>3. Christmas Cookies or no baking for you?</b></span><br />
My mom does tons of Christmas baking, so I usually don't do much. In the past, I have made Peppermint Bark and Chocolate Covered Pretzels. This year, I didn't do anything since I had surgery this month.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>4. Favorite Holiday Tradition?</b></span><br />
Staying home! When I was a kid, we used to get up, eat breakfast, open gifts, and pack up and leave to sit in the car for 4 hours to go to my Grandparents. It was horrible. While I don't wake up in my own house, at least I don't have to sit in the car for 4 hours anymore!<br />
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I also like to make something for my home each year. New ornaments, a decoration, something pretty and festive! These are some things I've made in the last few years.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>5. Favorite Christmas Movie?</b></span><br />
I guess that would have to be The Grinch Who Stole Christmas! :-) We also have to watch Scrooged every year, because my dad loves it.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>6. Snow or no snow?</b></span><br />
I hate snow, so I'll go with no snow!<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>7. Favorite Christmas song?</b></span><br />
I am so not a fan of Christmas music. I am one of those people who hates hearing Christmas music before Thanksgiving! I will only listen to it willingly if I am at work making Christmas crafts with the kids! We do listen to <a href="http://www.trans-siberian.com/" target="_blank">The Trans-Siberian Orchestra</a> CD on Christmas, and I don't mind that. I'm just a bit of a Grinch when it comes to Christmas music!<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>8. Favorite Gifts to Give and Get?</b></span><br />
I like to give handmade gifts or gifts purchased from local shops or artists. I got a few gifts that I'm giving to family this way! I also like to find great gifts for people. Sometimes I do a great job, and sometimes I don't! I am making a wreath for my mom (once my wrist heals!), and I found a cute handmade hat for my sister. Shhhhh!!!!<br />
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These are some gifts I made for my coworkers this year. I filled the mugs with homemade hot chocolate. Some are regular, and some are peppermint. Yum!</div>
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For Christmas, I wanted one of these. :-) I know I won't get one, but I still asked Santa anyway!</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bose-SoundLink-Mini-Bluetooth-Speaker/dp/B00D5Q75RC" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9FNH62fbnxryunHsGAORQhsNgdbKB4zw4QKH6LTlBzL1a0Y2415P7oupnkHrntveR0Iv0N2eCiygtwtCySoq8weBWu6gXSRy-eMIEFz53OSZU8quLNG3MWEu4Q81jv_MI9gF_Ci5PbJHy/s1600/61Cf8EJHBFL._SL1000_.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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I also asked for socks and a green sweater, which I got from my fabulous assistant! She's a mind reader, I swear!<br />
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I want this for my dog Molly. It was on tv earlier. Isn't it cute? :-)</div>
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Don't forget to go link up!<br />
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<a href="http://fabulousinfirst.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-christmas-questionnaire-2014.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0NNA4EDdsI04jDFKIdw8CmRYXukorYWlcK74wNs7hk4nAjnkBF4xSCsZifhavggtL9WSiqay07bvXgh8pIpL-4Zuc3USkz5DMRQ6iO9BILzERw_Loa8zS8__wWJZ72j9BhgWlZkvqwGw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-12-12+at+7.18.46+PM+(1).png" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-32114875176937431282014-11-23T13:55:00.001-05:002017-07-27T14:35:32.812-04:00Working with Numbers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WRj8dLsSNtNOR-iohc5M23ecaWfgxzK_GhaZbOGSkmDA17a-__UC0mpNgDp8vsK-1-aSJH09uBTivFBfx8WHz1SMO1BrzFu4NH-m6mUeKYB_t3l0lUX3XxDZNInv7HWyGzL1x6EBGx0a/s1600/teaching+number+sense+in+Kinder.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WRj8dLsSNtNOR-iohc5M23ecaWfgxzK_GhaZbOGSkmDA17a-__UC0mpNgDp8vsK-1-aSJH09uBTivFBfx8WHz1SMO1BrzFu4NH-m6mUeKYB_t3l0lUX3XxDZNInv7HWyGzL1x6EBGx0a/s1600/teaching+number+sense+in+Kinder.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Graphics by <a href="http://whimsyworkshop.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Whimsy Workshop</a>.</div>
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We've been working a whole lot on number sense! Lots of counting, subitizing, ordering numbers, making numbers, etc... </div>
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Our math program is Engage NY (don't ask me my opinion on THAT!), so we have a whole group lesson each morning that requires using a ton of manipulatives that my students love to lose. :-) We worked on building numbers and then figuring out different ways to make that number. I do all my whole group lessons on the carpet. We also supplement a LOT with center activities, because I'm sorry, but my Kinders can't sit through a 30 minute whole group lesson without being antsy, and I know they're not getting much out of it at that point.</div>
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We also use the problem sets and put them in our math journals. Unfortunately, there are mistakes in the Engage NY materials and the directions don't always make sense, or the pictures are terrible, so sometimes we have to make our own versions of stuff. Frustrating. </div>
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One activity we did was a <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Counting-Book-1445322" target="_blank">counting book</a>. The kids really enjoyed this, and it was good to see who was able to finish their counting book correctly and independently. You can find this version of the <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Counting-Book-1445322" target="_blank">counting book</a> in my <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Erica-Butler" target="_blank">TPT store</a>.</div>
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(I love her colorful stars!)</div>
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We played Memory with number cards. They matched the number to the number of objects on another card. </div>
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We also used my differentiated <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Number-Clip-Cards-1527867" target="_blank">Number Clip Cards</a>. Counting a number, counting one more than a number, and counting one less than a number are included. Plus, using the closepins forces them to strengthen their hands, and they love them!</div>
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We have also played lots of number games! Roll and Color, Roll Count and Color, and Race to Trace are a few that we used. I found these in various places around the internet, but they were all freebies. I know a few of them came from this <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fall-Math-Pack-FREEBIE-326666" target="_blank">freebie</a> from The Moffatt Girls. </div>
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We also did quite a bit of number ordering. We ordered both pictures with a certain number of objects, as well as just the numbers themselves.</div>
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The kids loved being able to cut them out and put them in order, but they really loved being able to color them! You could also make these into a hat. (My kids LOVE hats!) This activity can be found in my <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fall-Into-Kindergarten-1498176" target="_blank">Fall Into Kindergarten </a>pack, along with several other number activities.</div>
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This Skip Counting Freebie can be found in <a href="http://tunstalltimes.blogspot.com/2012/09/skip-counting-freebie-and-my-week-in.html" target="_blank">this post</a> from Reagan Tunstall. There are 4 different versions available!</div>
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We even used cubes to build towers that had "one more" with each consecutive cube. </div>
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And when we finally figured out how to put our numbers in order, we expanded on that skill!</div>
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Here we are playing "What's Missing?" with a partner. We put the number cards in order 0-10, one partner closes their eyes, and their partner hides one of the cards. They have to figure out which number is missing. Once they get better at that, we allow them to hide 2 cards.</div>
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We also played this with towers of cubes from 1-10. The student hid a cube tower and the other student had to figure out which tower was missing. (Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of this. Sorry!)</div>
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We also played "One More, One Fewer" to help reinforce this skill. The students choose a card and count out that number on the ten frame. Then they rolled a +/- dice to see if they added a number or took one away. This game comes from our old math program, Math Investigations 2, but it would be super simple to play in your own classroom!</div>
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Bobbing for Apples was a hit as well! The students chose a number 1-20, and they had to figure out where on the paper that number went and write it down with a pencil. They had to check to make sure their number was in the right spot on their by counting from the first apple to the number they had and check that it was in the right place. Some more sophisticated thinkers used the numbers that were already on their paper to figure out where a certain number went. I am sure this game could be created for different seasons as well, especially now that we are beginning to hit our teen numbers and work on them.</div>
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I hope this post helped you with some great math ideas for your Kindergarteners! We are now doing a brief unit on shapes, so I will hopefully be back with some fun ideas to share about those soon!</div>
<br />Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-4676562655363781362014-10-01T23:39:00.000-04:002014-10-01T23:39:06.963-04:00What I learned from a thank you cardOne of my Kindergarteners moved today. When her mother informed me that today would be her last day, I was sad. I really hate to see my students leave. She was a great kid. She had all of the qualities that teachers absolutely love in kids! Sweet. Kind. Smart. Funny. Caring. Hard-working. You know, the kind of kid all teachers want a class full of. Of course I didn't want her to leave! I cry when any student leaves, so I knew I was in for tears today.<br />
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When she came in today, she handed me a card. I immediately opened it, because, lets face it, I have no self control sometimes. What I saw inside made me start welling up with tears immediately.<br />
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This is what it said:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRRg6ej5584tEOWjBU2hRx-X1qZ9_w8HsdLWpQfXLYv27Iv2UnNaoZmbb9PkxTmWG5AXwEobF7miTCScuf3UED9OA4zQE4Q1Pcp974RmKzctUMrEIFJBQ2Ez2zJAqhwX3o8i5MkhscS33/s1600/IMG_20141001_181102600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRRg6ej5584tEOWjBU2hRx-X1qZ9_w8HsdLWpQfXLYv27Iv2UnNaoZmbb9PkxTmWG5AXwEobF7miTCScuf3UED9OA4zQE4Q1Pcp974RmKzctUMrEIFJBQ2Ez2zJAqhwX3o8i5MkhscS33/s1600/IMG_20141001_181102600.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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Thanks for being my 1st teacher. </div>
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The words, while simple, struck me in a strange way. I had never thought of myself as someone's first teacher. I knew that several of my students had not been to school before. I knew that several of my students came in to school with a different set of knowledge than we hoped they would due to their inexperience with school. I even knew that some of my students had been to pre-school, but this was their first experience with formal schooling.</div>
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But it never, ever occurred to me, not in a million years, that I was their first teacher.</div>
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The enormity of this responsibility is astounding. As I came to this realization, it weighed on me heavily. I have a responsibility to these students. More than I ever realized.</div>
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Yes, I know that, as a Kindergarten teacher, it is my job to set the foundation for the rest of their school career. The skills I teach my 24 (now 23) Kindergarten students will help set them up for success or failure throughout school. It is my job to make sure that my students leave Kindergarten armed with the skills they will need to tackle first grade and beyond. That right there is a huge responsibility.</div>
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But what that card implied was a responsibility even bigger than I imagined. </div>
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As their first teacher, it is my job to make sure they are hungry. I need to ensure that they need to learn more and more to satiate that hunger. I need to create a hunger that will never be satiated, no matter what happens to them in first grade, second grade, or even in middle or high school.</div>
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As their first teacher, it is my job to create that love of learning. That love of reading. I need to guide them towards the answers to their questions. Towards the books they won't want to put down. I have to show them that it's ok to love learning from the start. They will need that love when things get tough.</div>
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As their first teacher, it is my job to make them independent. They have to learn how to do things on their own, without the assistance of their parents. It's time to grow up and move on now that we're in school. I gently guide them towards independence while still allowing them to depend on me for guidance and support. I help them amaze their parents with all the wonderful things they are capable of doing.</div>
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As their first teacher, it is my job to make their first experience with school a positive one. It is my responsibility to make sure they go home each day with a skip in their step and a smile on their face. I need to ensure that they are excited to share what they learned in school that day with their families.</div>
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As their first teacher, I am their first experience with school. My attitude and how I handle myself can make or break that child's school experience. It may be for just this year, or it may be forever. I don't have any idea how much of an impact my words and actions may have on that child. I have to be careful what I say and how I say it. I need to nurture these students through their first experience with school. I need to make sure they want to come back each day. If they have a negative experience with school in Kindergarten, it does not bode well for the rest of their educational experience.</div>
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Though this responsibility falls on Kindergarten teachers, there is something we must remember. Each and every day can be a child's "first day" of school. Each and every one of you, whether you teach Kindergarten or seniors in high school, can be a child's "first teacher." YOU can be the one who makes a difference in the life of a child. YOU can change their educational experience from a negative one to a positive one. </div>
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No matter what you heard about that student from their previous teachers.</div>
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No matter what the other students tell you about that student.</div>
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No matter what kinds of behaviors that child has displayed in your classroom.</div>
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YOU can make the difference. YOU can allow that child to restart their educational experience within the confines of your classroom. You can be their cheerleader, urging them to do the best they can. You can teach them independence. You can help ensure they love learning and will never be satisfied with what they know, no matter what.</div>
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Tomorrow could be the first day of school for one of those students in your class. It could be the tough one who can't keep his hands to himself, or the little girl who feels like a failure because she struggles with learning to read. You can find that way to connect with them and make them successful. YOU can change their educational experience from a negative one to a positive one, and set them on a path to success.</div>
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Can you be a child's first teacher?</div>
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Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7859799161266896115.post-24190833291307351852014-09-16T00:18:00.001-04:002017-06-21T18:16:39.513-04:00What's In a Name? Being a first grade teacher for the past 3 years, moving back to Kindergarten was quite a shock to me. I had gotten used to the independence that first graders have: Little things like knowing how to walk in a straight line and write their own names- skills that most of my Kindergarteners don't have coming into school! Even though I knew what I was getting myself into, I really forgot what I was getting myself into!<br />
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So we have hit the ground running with our students! We have been doing lots of activities to help our students learn their names. I have some students who can't even recognize their own name, so working with our names and the letters in them is so important! <br />
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We did a few fun art activities where the students had to decorate their names with different items. We did both torn paper names and Bingo dauber names. <br />
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The torn paper names helped us see who was able to tear the paper (a few of them couldn't!), who could follow directions, and who could trace their names. They turned out really cute. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSW1dSJ4jdmevt7nz2j7W0NStSlWWbI5m2zr5ZFyHutUYODWmsqIrl1lPACHpl2eQ50JmB6vluls9VOF4teymHb_gMiCHE_nGDQiqX1k-KSKqsK_lc6ibET1Xznqz5LJLjRUECJm57qtp/s1600/P8144184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSW1dSJ4jdmevt7nz2j7W0NStSlWWbI5m2zr5ZFyHutUYODWmsqIrl1lPACHpl2eQ50JmB6vluls9VOF4teymHb_gMiCHE_nGDQiqX1k-KSKqsK_lc6ibET1Xznqz5LJLjRUECJm57qtp/s1600/P8144184.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9pPfQc9lA0u6XEpmNaocjFTthfJ_UEKRotZ12-Us3sznSfLGDI5Eu_7wp_5FJXj5NiAlc6n4_2A2oqnJygp76Q9gJprFoQf7dctZyReP7IxAM218uALCxSVgCrhSVTXvc_Rs9ezVL1R6g/s1600/P8144191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9pPfQc9lA0u6XEpmNaocjFTthfJ_UEKRotZ12-Us3sznSfLGDI5Eu_7wp_5FJXj5NiAlc6n4_2A2oqnJygp76Q9gJprFoQf7dctZyReP7IxAM218uALCxSVgCrhSVTXvc_Rs9ezVL1R6g/s1600/P8144191.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We also used Bingo daubers to stamp our names. These also turned out really cute. We had to practice with the Bingo daubers on a scrap piece of paper before we started stamping on our papers. Doing that really helped the kids learn how to use them so they didn't mess up their white papers!</div>
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They turned out really cute!</div>
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We also did some other activities with our names and with letters. </div>
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We did a capital/lowercase letter sort.</div>
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We did a "Letters In My Name/Letters In My Friend's Name" activity.</div>
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We did name puzzles and counted the number of letters in our names.</div>
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We also sorted the letters in our names and the letters that weren't in our names. It was very interesting to see who knew the letters in their names versus the letters that weren't in their names. Some of my students were very confident, while others really had no idea. We've definitely got our work cut out for us this year- but I know we will get there!</div>
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We also made these cute name trees. I don't know where the template for this came from, but it would be super easy to make your own!</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">One of the last name activities we did was decorate the beginning letter of our first names with something that begins with that letter. They turned out really cute- except one of my kiddos, whose name starts with a J, had to redo her letter because the jellybeans we put on her J got super gross and then fell off! But the kids really loved decorating their letters, and they looked adorable when I hung them up.</span><br />
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One of my parents from last year gave me about 6 of these palm trees, so I decided to use it for my Chicka Chicka Boom Boom tree. It looked adorable with their letters on it!</div>
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Do you have students who are struggling with their names? I put together some of these name activities and they are available in my <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/erica-butler" target="_blank">TPT store.</a></div>
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I included the Name Sorts (Letters in My Name and Letters in My Name/Letters in a Friend's Name), Name Puzzles, Counting the Letters in My Name Activity, and the Decorate a Letter activity, complete with ideas for decorating your letters and the templates for all 26 letters of the alphabet. Sorry, the "coconut tree" isn't included! If you're interested, you can check it out by clicking on the picture!</div>
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What are some fun things you do to help your students learn their names?</div>
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Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05278320000310171508noreply@blogger.com2