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!!

Valentine's Day Graphing

Our Valentine's Day celebrations were a blast. Earlier in the week we all had fun doing a fun Candy Heart Graphing. This was the perfect "Print and Go" activity. They were engaged, doing real graphing, and it was quick enough to have as a math center. Oh, and they L-O-V-E-D it. You can find this graphing activity here: Candy Heart Graphing If you want.

Candy Heart Graphing Here!

My sweet little gal helping her classmate who was absent. This was simple enough for my first graders to do independently. 

I'll "OWL" ways Love You

Super fun craftivity to do with your classroom. The owl is so cute. And Festive. We just wrote about who means everything to us and why we will "OWL"ways love them. Some of my kiddos wrote a two page paper defending their right to "OWL"ways love their dog. So cute. Ok, lots wrote about their parents too. Some even tried to write about me...

I said "Thank you," "You're the sweetest," I love that you want to write about me." But, UGGG....DON'T... This is NOT about ME! This is about digging a little deeper and looking at family...ok, and dogs. I couldn't say no to that. I just know how much joy and love dog can bring to your life. Ok, dog. Write about your dog. I could have easily written about my dog. I chose my parents. They really do mean the world to me. Maybe I will invite them to see mine on the wall so proudly displayed...

I can't wait to see the parents faces when they see their children's total dedication to them when they visit for parent teacher conferences. I am SO proud of my kids. They ROCKED THIS OUT. Find this cute craftivity here: I'll OWLways Love You Craftivity.

Candy Heart Graphing Activity

Valentine's Day Comes.  Ready or not. It is here. The kids love Valentine's day. We might as well mix a little fun in with the fun. Well, learning in with the fun. This is a perfect little graphing activity that hits quite a few of our common core standards for both kindergarten and 1st grade. And, they love it. And why wouldn't they. Find your link here: Candy Heart Graphing Activity