Match Mine!

So if you are reading this you probably can see that I am new in the blogging world. I have been so inspired by many teachers lately and would love to share my experiences in teaching as well. One thing I am really passionate about in my classroom lately has been cooperative learning. This summer one of my dear colleagues and I were chosen to attend the Kagan Summer Academy in Orlando Florida. Oh my was I flattered! It was the best professional development I have every attend. I  use at least one thing I learned from my sessions in my classroom daily. That is something to be said about PD, is it me or do you often leave thinking "And when will I use that?".

Have you every heard of Kagan? Well it is all about engagement! When students are engaged, they pay attention, they're motivated, they learn more, and the learning sticks. The biggest difference between the Kagan approach and teaching using traditional methods is the ability to engage every student.




Today I would like to share how I have used a structure called Match Mine to work on targeted concepts with my students .Why use Match Mine?

Basically each student has identical boards and pieces. A file folder barrier (or barrier of some kind) must be placed between partners. One partner will be the "sender" (giving directions) while the other partner is the "receiver" (listening and carrying out task). Directions are given to hopefully create a board that matches.  The roles will switch allowing for concepts to be practiced and communication skills to be strengthened by both partners.

I strive to keep activities novel in my classroom. Therefore I created a winter themed board for this structure (pictured above) that is editable. Be sure to check it out here. In the mean time consider following me. I will be back soon with more cooperative learning tips.

I'm back with iPad word work activities

Long time, no see.  I started this little blog a couple years ago in hopes to share ideas and activities from my personal classroom. I since have neglected my blog.  We purchased a new home, "Mini Me" has hit the "Terrible Toddler" stages keeping me BUSY, and I have embarked on a new adventure in my classroom of becoming a 1:1 iPad classroom in Kindergarten. Oh have I learned and grown over the past few years. So I decided to try my hand at this blog thing yet again.

 I am hopeful to gain some followers to interact with along the way.

Incorporating iPads into my instruction has been rewarding and challenging at the same time, especially with little learners. Let me explain that I teach ELA, Writing, and Social Studies to my littles while my partner teaches Math and Science. We both hold our own small reading groups.

Yes, you read this right, we switch classes in Kindergarten.

It too has been challenging and rewarding!

Today I would like to share with you a few ways I incorporated technology into my writing instruction and literacy stations.

The following activities require that you have a QR scanner on your device(s) that will be used for this activity.

iSpell is an activity I created to practice cvc words.

Students will scan a QR code. Look at the picture. Sound out the word. Write/trace the word onto the response sheet. Color the iPad image to match the iPad that was scanned. Short e, short I, short o, and short u will be coming soon. Anyone interested in a bundle?

Find it here!

Sight Word Theatre is an activity I created to practice sight words. My students LOVED watching a "movie" to practice their words. Students will receive an activity sheet and scan the QR code provided on the sheet. Students will then “watch the movie”. Students should be prompted to pause the movie after each word and find the corresponding word on their sheet to color to match the word that was just heard. There are 3 different movies.

Find it here!

Another activity I have created to practice sight words uses the app Doodle Buddy.

It is one of my favorite apps EVER!

Students will scan a QR code and practice the provided sight words by reading, tracing, writing, and then typing each word.

Find it here!

When your student write how many times do you say:

 " Did you finger space?"

"Did you use a capital?"

etc...

Well, I created this writing sheet so that your students can ask themselves the questions!

 After students complete their writing, they will use their QR scanner to scan each QR code checking if they have correctly formed sentences. Want to try it?

Well...it's a Freebie!





Here you go!

TPT Back to School Sale & Ready Confetti

I'm sure everyone knows about the Back to School Sale at TPT. My products will be 20% off & you will be able to use the TPT code listed below to receive an additional discount!

I've been preparing for Meet the Teacher.

I loved the idea of "Ready Confetti" that I have come across on Pinterest.

None really fit what I needed so I created something of my own.

I was able to assembly these for around $3!

I purchased these item from Wal-Mart.

(2 packages of confetti & these cute little bags found in the craft section)

I mixed the confetti and packaged it.

The poem was printed onto cardstock and cut out.

Then I taped a package of "Ready Confetti" to the back of each.

TA-DA! Cute gift for my new cuties...CHECK!

 Need something QUICK, CUTE, EASY, and, CHEAP? Here you go!!!

PS These CUTE graphics are from Melonheadz Illustrating!

Kindergarten Here I Come...

I have been trying to create and plan for the soon approaching school year. I love to "sneak" in a fun crafts when I can. So I usually read Kindergarten Here I Come by Nancy Carlson to my new kinders. Henry the Mouse (the character) is a cutie! So why not let my students create a mouse of their own? SO here you have...

Kindergarten Here I Come Craftivity!

This activity is great for the beginning of the year kindergartener!

(there are only a few pieces & the borders are “thick” for beginning scissor practice)

Students will practice cutting and directional skills along with name writing practice.

Would you like to create these too?

Here is the deal; for all my fellow teacher friends doing a little early planning,

 this item will be 75 cents until Friday evening! (sorry you missed it; but please still check it out!)

 Snag the deal here!

If you do so please join my blog and follow my TPT store.

 

MSV Cheat Sheet

Here with a quick post. When completing running records do you complete MSVs? (deciding if the error the student made was because of a misunderstanding of meaning, structure, or visual) This at times gets me flustered, so I made a “cheat sheet”.

I will print on colored paper and keep close by as a reference.

 Need it? Get it!

Fundations & Guided Reading Summer Reading

It has been a while! Summer is going great! Days playing with my Lil Diva, staying in sweats, browsing the net & enjoying time not thinking about or working on school stuff. Just kidding! Anyway I’m sure many are following along with the blog world and participating in  the popular summer reading of Guided Reading by Richardson. I being one of those people have decided to share some items I have created that are inspired by my summer reading. Anyway, if you are following along you know that the focus is currently on Chapter 3 focusing on Non-readers and Emergent Guided Reading. I was shocked about the significance of tracing letters for these early readers. I was also enlightened about the fact that these books and charts used should match that of the charts of letters in your class. So since our district uses Foundations, I decided to create some items inspired by this. First here is an alphabet chart. Found here!

 

 

*If you have downloaded this file and the pics for F & G were unclear; please click the link again.*

 It is fixed!

So when you click on the link and preview the pic for the letter G is funky.

 After you download and open the file; the picture is not distorted.

 Please let me know of any questions or concerns.

Also a checklist to use with your groups to determine who knows which letter; I have ordered them in the order in which we introduce letters using Foundations. (tip: print front/back for group)

get it here!

And lastly; the letter tracing book. Who else giggles at the m, man, mmmm; during the daily chant?

Can be found here...

I know I do! (insider to those who use the program)
 And who has gotten a "I, monkey, mmm"? (Again an insider!)

Please join my blog.

That’s all for tonight the lil one is whining for her midnight snack…

 

If you have no clue about the summer reading I am speaking of head over to

http://freebie-licious.blogspot.com/.
It will be worth the trip

Rewind to Easter, Fast Forward to Plants...

Here tonight sharing a modge podge of things.

First of all rewind to Easter. I realized I never shared these items. I really enjoy my frequent visits to the Dollar Store as do many other teachers. Around Easter I found these items and created activities to go along with them.

 

 chick containers= a dice addition activity

foam pieces= math story problems

bunny peg game= math activity (which is closer to 10)

candy: graphing and sorting activity

 

Check out the sheets here!

 

 

 We continue to work on subtraction practice, so I created this activity that I have posted about before. I create a picture and the kids will order the equation and record it. I print these which have the picture and pieces of the equation on the same page onto various colors of paper. This helps the students keep up with which pieces they are working with. My students really enjoy this and actually seem to grasp the order of equations when we do so.

Here is a copy of the Chick Subtraction Practice!

 

 

We have started discussing plants. I have seen many activities like this on Pinterest and decided to create something similar for my students.

 

Here are some of the pieces and labels. We just cut and ripped paper for the stem, soil, and water.

 A black marker was used to draw the roots.

Grab it here: Parts of a Plant

 

 

 

Keeping with the theme of plants/flowers, I done the following activity with my students. We needed to practice using punctuation in our writing. So I created some sentences on flowers using only sight words so that everyone could read them. :-) Students were to match the sentence to the correct jar of flowers with the correct type of punctuation. As you see in the picture for this particular group I made it self correcting by having the colors match correctly.

Wanna try it too? Here you go!

 

I have also uploaded this activity to TPT for Earth Day!

 Purchase it here for $1.00!

Until next time...

Spring Books

It's been a while since I posted. I tried to enjoy my break and not think to much about work. Didn't happen. But anyway I posted a few things on TPT and have something to share.
Here is what I posted:

 

2 readers with a spring theme

 

Here is what I have for you:

I plan to continue sharing spring books both fiction and non-fiction. Here are a few I plan to read:

I created this book, Spring Senses. We will record how we can use our senses to tell it is spring.

 

 

Spring Senses Book

As always, use it if you can!

 

 

Newspaper Eggs

Just wanted to share another idea.

 "Egg"cellent Newspaper Eggs.

They look like this:

 

Just die cut old newspaper into ovals. Let kiddos highlight sight words, capitals, punctuation.
The link for the recording sheet to be pasted after the activity is below.
(students will fill in blank with which color highlighter they used)

"Egg" Cellent Newspaper Eggs

Hip Hop Easter's On It's Way...

Good evening! Just sharing some items I have posted on TPT before I “hop” into bed (can you tell I am in the Easter mood?). We have K Orientation at my school tomorrow! Need all the rest I can get before the day ahead of me. Can’t wait to see all the potential KinderGators! Anyway…

Here is what I have posted.

 

Easter Themed Math & Literacy Activities

 

Who's Jellybeans?

 

Interested? Check them out. Just click on the links.

 

By the way; have I shared this Easter "chick"?

Meet Mya!

 

St. Patrick's Freebies & Bunny Tales Craft

 I wanted to share a few things I plan to do this week.

 Check them out if you are looking for a few last minute activities:

 

I created these 4 writing sheets with a St. Patrick's theme:

If you can use them click here!

I will also have a Green Food Taste Test.  All foods we taste will grow green naturally (apples, broccoli, grapes, spinach(raw), snap peas(raw), & cucumbers). No cupcakes, candies, cookies... ;-)

Anyway if you plan to do the same I have created this to help you do so.

 Check it out here! 

I have also posted a new craftivity; "Bunny Tales".

This activity practices Narrative Writing while creating a cute craft!

 

Bunny Tales

A Look at Read Across America Math Stations & Lion & Lamb Freebie

Just wanted to share a few of my math stations:

Ordering Addition Number Sentences

Students were given various colored cards with eggs & ham pictured.

They were to order the addition problem & record their answer.

(So I realize the 9 is upside down in this snapshot; but hey, we've come a long way!)

 Fox in Dot Socks

Students were to count the dots on the colored socks.

They were to then match the sock to the correct fox and record their answer.

Sorting Fish

Students were to color fish by color. Then sort them into the correct section of the fish bowls.

So moving right into March...here is a poem describing the theory of March winds.

If you can us it click here!

Hope to be back soon to share more!

Dental Health Freebie & New Craftivities

So we will be discussing teeth/dental health this week. I thought I would share one activity I plan to do with my kiddos. I went to the $1 Store and found these toothbrushes (4 in a pack with caps!) and grabbed some toothpaste.

 We will continue practicing informational writing by explaining the steps of brushing our teeth. Of course we will recall the steps of the process while doing so at school!
 I whipped up this sheet...

How To Brush Your Teeth Sheet

Use it if you can! Let me know how it goes for you. In the mean time wish me luck!

I also wanted to share these 2 craftivities I have posted on TPT:

Magic E

We have been discussing & practicing the use of "Magic E" what better way to wrap up the concept and check for understanding than a craft?!

Snaggle Tooth

Here is a fun craft to practice subtraction. Since we will be discussing teeth/dental health and young children can relate to loosing teeth; I created this to practice the skill and have a little fun!

Check them out!

Spinning Sight Word Race (freebie!)

Good evening! Lucky Ducky if you had the day off for President's Day! Anyway just posting a freebie and sharing a product. First here is a little something to help practice sight words. We are required to do a sight word activity each day so keeping it interesting is sometimes challenging.
My kiddos love spinners and markers so...

Spinning Sight Word Race

If you can use it click on the link!

 

 

President Activiites & Abacus Math

So tonight I have 2 things to share:

I have posted my Washington and Lincoln Themed Activities on TPT. I was sure to align each with Common Core Standards. Go check it out!

 

 

In the mean time here is a USA themed math activity.

Ordering Liberty Bells By 10s to 100 (CCK.CC.1)

 

Liberty Bells By 10s

 

 

I also attended a math workshop within my school system where I shared the following idea:

 

An abacus to work on addition. It covers the following standard:

K.OA.3   Decompose numbers less than or equal to 10 into pairs in more than one way, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record each decomposition by a drawing or equation

Thought I would share it with my visitors!   Find the activity here:

 

Abacus Math Activity

 

That's all tonight. Happy Early Valentine's Day! Since it is the wee hour of the morning...

Arthur Meets the President Craftivity

Just posted a new craftivty for the book Arthur Meets the President.

If you are like me and trying to stay ahead of the game you may be planning some President's Day themed activities. If so check this out at my TPT store. Hope to post some freebies soon...

Valentine Sort & Graph Activity

I know many of us teachers sort and graph conversation hearts with our students on Valentine's but I have found that the children do not enjoy them (me either, they taste like chalk if you ask me) and there are simply to many questions about the color, messages, etc.

So when I was at one of my favorite stores ($1 Store!!!) to check out materials for the upcoming holidays I came across these and created this sheet. (link below)

 

Cupid Heart Candy Sort & Graph

 Grab it if you can use it. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!