Back to School with Oriental Trading! I was fortunate enough to be given some very special gifts from Oriental Trading for Back to School. I want to share them with you because they are perfect for BTS and the rest of the school year. Meet the Teacher is one of those nights that I LOVE and sort of HATE at the same time…the crowds, the
Sight Word Station Freebie
Sight Word Station Freebie: Sight Word Station Freebie: If you are anything like me, you struggle to teach sight words to students in an engaging and fun way. I used Astrobrights Papers to create “computer monitors” to go with an old keyboard. I love how bright and fun the papers make the monitors look. My current favorite color papers to use are: Vulcan Green
Kindergarten Literacy Center Ideas
Kindergarten Literacy Center Ideas {Beginning of the Year Edition} Kindergarten Literacy Center Ideas for the beginning of the year: Stations are something *All* Kinder teachers are in search of…why? Well, simply put, literacy stations for Kindergarten at the beginning of they year can be, let’s say, difficult (and that’s putting it mildly). The kids are confused. The teacher is exhausted answering the same questions over
Back to School FREEBIES: ABC Caterpillar and Banner
Back to School FREEBIES: ABC Caterpillar and Banner Back to School FREEBIES: ABC Caterpillar and Banner This is not an original idea, it is one I first used when I student taught and my cooperating teacher showed me the version she had made (without the use of a computer!) It is a station activity that my Kinder (and beginning of the year Firsties) L.O.VE. It’s
Valentine’s Day, Cinquain Poems, Word Work FREEBIE
Valentine’s Day, Cinquain Poems, Word Work FREEBIE Valentine’s Day, Cinquain Poems, Word Work FREEBIE: Nothing like a last minute idea on a holiday…that also happens to be Friday the 13th. I used Lyndsey’s pattern for her “snowflakes on my tongue” craft {here} and just changed it up for a cute craft to go along with my all-time fav kids’ book, Where the Wild Things Are!
Farm, Pout-Pout Fish, and Parts of a Sentence {FREEBIES}
It has been a busy week and there is very little hope of it slowing down anytime soon! Each year I take a picture of each of my students giving their best “pout”. Here’s Jack’s: We read 3 Pout-Pout Fish books since “pouted” was one of our vocabulary words this week. The latest one, Pout-Pout Fish Goes to School is MY FAVORITE so far!!
Reading Corners {Oriental Trading}
When Oriental Trading contacted me about creating a Reading Corner in my classroom, I was a little surprised. I know their company mostly for their party supplies and craft goodies…but after visiting their website’s special section for Reading Corners, I realized I hadn’t been paying very close attention to their site! I spent a lot of time looking at all the different products and I
{A Bright Idea} for Foreign Language Children’s Books and Daily 5!
My bright idea is something I have used for years and recently started using it with Daily 5: 3 Ways to Read a Book, specifically “I can read the pictures”. Upon introduction of the 3 Ways to Read a Book (book study blog post {here}) I show students one of my foreign language children’s books and ask them if they think I can read the
Hot and Fresh Sight Word Cookies {and a Freebie}
Need a station activity to keep your kids engaged this winter? Yes, I said ‘winter’! My kids have loved these cookies so much, they asked if we could still use them after Christmas…how could I say no?? This is a great, engaging activity pack using the first 100 Fry words. Add cheap aprons (I got mine at Target), plates, cookie tins, and a spatula for novelty and your
Blend Friends Update
I tried really hard to get back into the swing of things today using my Blend Friends Pack to work on initial blends. My firsties are making some great connections about how some letters come together to make one sound…and my pack has been perfect for small group, intervention, and stations! It just depends on where that child is, they may see it as a