Writing

Well, I did it. It took down the old WORD WALL. I have debated this for years, and so last year I REALLY paid attention to the kids and their use of that prime real estate! Not much use... except when I would walk to the wall...point.. there it is... or tell them, "use your word wall." The amount of independent use was not impressive. I THINK I CAN DO BETTER. Years ago I made this Words for Writing Journal. I made it with two options... words already in a teaching font, and the dotted words. This year I am making the dotted word version of the book. As kids master their sight words, they will trace over their words and OWN THEM. This will become more interactive. They will keep their writing books in their writing folder to use when ......WRITING!!! I think this is going to be super. I can't wait to see how it works in action.

Find THE WORDS FOR WRITING JOURNAL in my TPT store. Easy to put together and super as a reference the kids can keep.

And then the same page in the dotted font. This can work dual purpose.....for writing and working on sight words. I love it!

Two options (Lined font & Dotted lined font)

My classroom library is getting ready. I have leveled and labeled all my books so my kids can independently choose the right-fit book. I do have my non-fiction in separate bins. I haven't gotten all of my chapter book series up yet, but it's coming along. I added the Chalkboard and Burlap READING banner. I hung it up on jute with cloths pins. I also made the EXPLORING banner since all of the tubs with the white lids are our manipulative exploring boxes. I still have a few labels to put on the bins. I made GUIDED READING LEVELED LABELS for the bins. This will make independent choice.... EASY!!! The kids individual book boxes are on the sitting bench by the back wall right now. No posters yet.. I know... a bit bland without the kids and their "special touches," but I'm pleased with how my room is coming together after the summer clean-up!!

DAILY 5 - Word Work (Drawer Labels)

Well, I have been working on getting my Word Work organized. Seamless. That's the goal. It's nice to have goals. Seamless almost never happens, but...... with having your Word Work drawers organized for the year, it's about as seamless as it gets... in 1st grade.... with kids that are 5 and 6! Anyway, I now have everything in place and a place for everything... WORD WORK anyway... I have my drawers all labeled. Check out the different options I have. I'm going with the BURLAP, CHALKBOARD, AND LIME GREEN labels theme this year. Matches most of my classroom. Anyway, the drawers are labeled and ready for the little kiddos to EXPLORE!! I also made the BURLAP, CHALKBOARD, and WHITE labels.

These labels are attached to the 3 drawer Sterilite drawers. I printed them on the full page Avery 5265 shipping labels and cut them black lines, and WOLLA!!! The perfect set-up for the kids to be independently choosing their Word Work options.

I also have white labels with white writing and white labels with black writing.

Decoding Strategies Posters!

I made these decoding strategies posters to go with my classroom and just what I wanted my students to see/hear. I also made the bookmarks and coloring pages to match. I like to give my kids a coloring page as I introduce each of the decoding strategies. It helps them connect with how they should actually attack their unknown words. They LOVE them. I even have coloring contests with the introduction of each new decoding strategy. I hang each of these posters as the decoding strategies are introduced. I also have all of the corresponding Ty Beanie babies that I put on our Guided Reading table as we are working with instructional level reading. The kids really connect with the posters, coloring pages, bookmarks and stuffed animals. 

Included are:

Lips the Fish

Eagle Eye

Stretchy Snake

Flippy the Dolphin

Skippy Frog
Listening Lion

Chunky Monkey

and Helpful Kangaroo

Check them out HERE!

It's About Time!

I have a ton of different activities to help my kiddos practice time. One activity they love is to "solve" these task cards. You can give your students the recording sheet and let them go, or you can play a game of scoot. My kids love both ways, but scoot gets them up and moving. There are 24 cards covering both hour and half hour increments. Download them HERE!

New Additions to Daily 5

I have created a few more WORD WORK options for my Daily 5 Word Work packet. I now have 4 and 5 Way Words, a second option for Graphing Words, another option for Rainbow words, more options for swirl words, a Word Sentences page, and seven options for the bingo card - including blank grids where you can add your own options. Check out the bundle. There are now 15 different options and 9 bingo card options. Just add your words of the week / spelling words / phonics focus words (Whatever you call them) and GO!! This bundle will get you through the ENTIRE YEAR. BAM! DONE! Print and Go! Check it out here: WORD WORK BUNDLE

RAINBOW WORDS WITH 3 OTHER OPTIONS

BOTH 4 and 5 WAY WORDS

SWIRL WORDS - SEVERAL DIFFERENT OPTIONS INCLUDED

Cupid's Arrow Launch!

Cupid's Arrow Launch ----> ROCKED!! One of the many (Minute-To-Win-It ) games we played for our Valentine's Day party was "Cupid's Arrow Launch." Here is how it went. Goggles for safety. Of course. Straws. For the LAUNCH!! Air. From our awesome lungs, and Q-tip..(500 of them) for the ARROWS!! Just visualize...a class full of first graders (Many spirited moms, dads, and even siblings) with straws loaded with a "LOVE ARROWA." The game was for each of the two teams to LAUNCH as many arrows into their team's bucket as possible in 1 minute. BAM! GO! It's like spit-wads. Holy Cow, who doesn't remember those from our childhoods? Horrible little things, right? Well, this was a FANTASTIC.....altered version of spit-balls. So... Ready. Set. Go! And they were BLASTING these arrows through the air - mostly toward a bucket...Goggles for safety... of course... laughter, rushing to reload our straws, chaos, hollering, miss-shots, and giggles....STOP! And we found a winner... of that round...

OK. Now comes the real fun. This is when I told the kids that my little "CUPIDS" were ready for their "Real" MISSION....Spread the love. To OTHER CLASSES. YES!  Permission from teachers of unsuspecting students. And we ready our army. Line up... and RUN.. we did. Don't tell. Run. Down the halls. We bombarded two third grade classes and two first grade classes. Our kids laughed their heads off. Well, not OFF. Some kids laughed so hard they even "made tears." True story. Enjoy the pictures. I am sure my parents felt the increased CrAzzzINesS when their sweet Cherub went home. I loved it. They loved it. We WORK so HARD. Sometimes it's important to PLAY HARD too! Thanks for letting me share some of my childish personality with you. And my class. Ok, A - LOT of childishness. Thanks. WHEW..Now resting!

My fun-loving parents are always "game" for my CrAziNeSs

Practicing our "Cupid" skills

I'm sure I was instructing the kiddos on "running" down the hall. I don't know. Hideous picture. Oh well. 

Sacrificed my own eyesight so all kids had goggles. It's O.K. I wasn't scared. I wear make-up. I have had MANY Q-tips near my eyes. All good. Eyes still intact!

Lined up and almost ready to RUN down the hall

Most pictures of classrooms are from our last visit. It was difficult to capture evidence of such a raid!

Discussing our VICTORIES!!

Disarming

and... BAM!!