10 September Essentials Every First & Second Grade Teacher Needs (and They’re on SALE!)

September is almost here and if you’re anything like me, you’re looking for easy, ready-to-go resources to keep your days smooth and your students engaged.

So I’ve rounded up my 10 September Essentials...the things I reach for year after year.

And here’s the best part…

💸 They’re all going to be an extra 25% off during the TpT sitewide sale!
Grab them now, and you’re set for the whole month (and beyond). All of these for only 17.63 today! That's saving $24!

🍎 My Top 10 September Must-Haves

1. Morning Meeting Slides – Start the day calm, connected, building community and ready to learn.

2. Fall-Themed Math Number Sense Centers – Hands-on and no-prep for instant engagement. Use any time of the year.

3. Writing Pick-a-Prompt – Perfect for early finishers or writing stations. After I model a few for them, they can do these early on! Trust the process.  (I allow pictures only if they want and then they orally share.)

4. September Goals and Craft – SIMPLE craft, instant Bulletin Board. Can you or not use goal. Up to you!

5. The Power of Yet Bulletin Board – Mine stays up all year. Read about it here.

6. September Class Books – Several books included. Differentiated. They go in class library and we divide them up at the end of the year.

7. September Open-Ended Math Questions – I LOVE these! Perfect easier ones to start the year off right with deep thinking skills.

8. September Crowns – I've included so many options! Fun! 

9. Which One Doesn't Belong? – A favorite class activity! 

10. Editable Slideshow – For Back-to-School Night, Open House...ANY slideshow you need!

and although free, I've included my 20 September Poems and Songs so they are all in one place. 

💡 Why These Work

• They save time – Less planning, more teaching.

• They keep kids engaged – Seasonal themes = instant buy-in.

• They’re flexible – Use whole group, small group, or independently.

✨ Don’t Miss the Sale

If you’ve had any of these on your wishlist, now’s the time. During the sale, you’ll save big plus they’re already budget-friendly to start with!

I'm off to buy some clip art at the TpT sale...

Make Morning Meetings the Best Part of Your Day (And Save Tons of Time!)

LET'S BE REAL: There’s a lot on your plate at the start of a new school year. Between prepping supplies, organizing your classroom, and learning a whole new batch of personalities, it’s easy to let routines like Morning Meeting slide to the bottom of the to-do list. This is especially true if YOU need to come up with your own components. All. Year. Long.

But what if I told you that Morning Meeting could actually make your days smoother, your classroom community stronger, and your lesson planning easier?

Let me show you how easier your Back-to-School season can be! 

🌟 What is Morning Meeting and Why Does It Matter?

Morning Meeting is a simple but powerful daily routine that sets the tone for learning. It helps students feel seen, safe, and connected and when kids feel connected and part of a community, everything runs more smoothly.

Each Morning Meeting lasts around 15 minutes and includes:

• A Greeting to build connections

• A Share to build confidence and communication skills

• An Activity to promote teamwork and laughter

• A Message to set expectations and/or spark conversation

I’ve written in-depth posts on each of the four components, so if you're looking for ideas or inspiration, you can dive deeper here:

• All About Morning Meeting Greetings

• Meaningful Share Prompts for Morning Meeting

• Quick & Easy Morning Meeting Activities

• How to Write a Morning Message That Matters

⏱️ Save HOURS with These Ready-to-Use Slides

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel every morning! 

My Monthly Morning Meeting resources give you 25 complete days of slides you can project or print. All are aligned with social-emotional learning and perfect for Kindergarten, First and Second Grade. (Each month is DIFFERENT with about 5 repeat activities/greetings that are favorites. When they pop up, the kids get very excited!)

So no more scrambling ten minutes before school starts each day. Just click and project.  Here is a closer look at some of my September Slides.

🗓️ Use It How YOU Want

Teachers have told me they use these slides:

• As part of a Responsive Classroom model (But if not RC, they still are perfect for MM!)

• During Afternoon Meeting/Closing Circle, Circle Time, or SEL blocks

• For sub plans (They’re that easy! I print out one of each and leave for Sub.)

• As a reference tool. Some display only the message but still use everything else in the meeting...just not projected.)

And because there are some slides that are editable, you can add a greeting, share or activity to fit your class needs.

💸 HUGE Back-to-School Discount Coming!

Next week during the sitewide sale, this BUNDLED resource will be an additional 25% off! The bundle is already discounted everyday from $60 to $48 and next week, the bundle will be on sale for $36.

The sale will start on Tuesday, August 5, at 12:01am ET and end on Wednesday, August 6. Use the promo code BTS25.

👉Still not convinced this can make your life easier?  Want to Try Before You Buy? Grab the Free Week of Morning Meetings to see how simple and powerful these can be! 

Whether you’re new to Morning Meeting or just want to start fresh this year, this is the best time to jump in.

✨ Final Thought

Morning Meeting doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, when it’s simple, consistent, and meaningful, it becomes one of the best parts of the day.

Let this be the year you jump in and take the plunge. Less planning. More connecting. That’s a win-win!

Happy teaching,

Thirty Second Game Changer for ANY Grade Level (Problem Solved)

Can you relate to this scenario?

You're having a wonderful discussion about a picture book with your class. Kids have their hands flying in the air to share their thoughts, opinions and feelings, and are ready to make a connection to their own lives or another book the class has read. Their enthusiasm is palpable.

You call on several kids to share out. Lots of their answers motivate even more hands to shoot up and wave wildly in the air.  

The kids are so excited but being respectful trying hard to signal to you that they're sitting nicely, hand in the air, and ready to share. Some are making noises and you're not sure if they want to share or telling you they're sick! :)

 Sometimes, lots of times, you get those begging eyes that if those same eyes could talk, would be screaming, "PICK ME! Look how I'm sitting crisscross applesauce!"

You glance at the clock and think: Do I have time to call on one more student or do I need to line them up now so we're not late for gym?

You decide to call on one more student.

Said child answers and when you say, "Okay, kids.  That's all we have time for today," you hear moans.  Groans.  Mumbling  Grumbling.

Kids are bummed. Frustrated. You overhear at least one kid say, "It's not fair.  You didn't call on me." They want to be heard.

As they line up, some are coming up to you to share. Others are walking to the line, shoulders slumped and muttering under their breath.

I get it. I feel their disappointment.

At least I used to before implementing this SIMPLE 30 second strategy:

When you end the lesson and are about to transition, simply say, "If you didn't get to share out, turn and share with someone next to you."

INSTANT happiness! It's a SUPER DUPER QUICK FIX!

Students immediately feel validated since they've been heard. They feel like an important community member that had something to contribute to the discussion.

This 30 second trick truly helps foster your classroom community because they're making connections with classmates. A bond. Even small shared connections- one word answers- have forged many a friendship.

It's really a gamechanger!

There is no downside. I do it every time. Try it!  Let me know how it goes.

I'm big on "sharing" and feel it's the most important component of Morning Meeting. Totally contributes to turning your kids into a community! 

One thing I learned the hard way when I started teaching: Your SHARING doesn't always have to be WHOLE CLASS sharing which can be tedious at times.  

To see how I handle sharing in class and maybe find a tip or two you can use, you might want to read the post from a few years ago.  Enjoy!

Back to Virtual Learning (And a Freebie!)

We are back to Virtual Learning for two weeks. I have a feeling that the two weeks will turn into 3-4 weeks. I hope I'm wrong. How about you? Are you teaching from home or is it business as usual?  

I'm doing my best to infuse some fun into my daily online lessons while maintaining a sense of normalcy and familiarity.  Our favorite activity each day in school is our Morning Meeting.  It really sets the tone for the day and creates and fosters a strong sense of community...whether at home or in school. Here was my January Morning Meeting for the first day back virtually:

I've been able to use lots of my existing slides in my January packet but have had to change the order around since some activities don't work as well online. But with so many slides to pick from, it was just a matter of quickly cutting and pasting. Whew! It's so nice to keep our Morning Meeting routine intact!

If you want to read my series on implementing Morning Meeting into your classroom AND grab a FREE week of Greetings, Shares, and Activities (and a message you can edit), check out this post Building Classroom Community Through Morning Meeting (Part 1: Greetings)

Over break, I made a January Which One Doesn't Belong? that I've been using virtually as well. Such a great activity! Click to watch the short clip to see examples.

I've also been using my favorite January Poems and Songs to try to keep it as close too in-person learning as possible.  I use these with my Doc Camera instead of screen sharing them but my Doc camera messes up my computer settings.  Need to problem solve that ASAP!

I also added another Goal-Setting January Activity to my bundle BUT I'm not able to use it yet.  If I knew we were going virtual. it would have been fun to copy and send home. Oh, well! 

Here's a picture of what my December Goal Setting Bulletin Board looked like. Cute! You just had to life up the legs to see the goals the kids set for themselves. They are still hanging up so when I get back, that's the first thing I'll need to do!

I was able to send home some of my January Crowns that I had already copied. Yea!

It will be cute to see 18 of my Smarties all wearing one or two of these online.

Off to get ready for the day.  Have a good one!

Morning Meeting Wrap Up and Challenge

Thanks so much for reading this series, Building Classroom Community Through Morning Meeting.

I hope you were able to take away a gem or two and are ready to dive into Morning Meeting with your own class!

If you missed it:

Part 1 on Greetings HERE.

Part 2 on Sharing HERE.

Part 3 on Activities is HERE.

Part 4 on Message is HERE.

It's the quickest path to building a strong foundation for your classroom community.

Once you're comfortable and you're meeting is running just the way you hoped it would...

When you see your class growing closer and bonding...

When your community is strengthening and then thriving...

You know what I want you to do?

INVITE PARENTS IN!

Show off!  Let them see your STRONG COMMUNITY!  Your great control and management. Shine a light on your teaching of CARES!

Building a strong classroom community often is often nurtured by strengthening the home/school connection.

Inviting your parents in is a win-win situation...PROMISE.

That being said, if you are thinking of it, this is what works for me:

1. Send a letter explaining why Morning Meeting is vital to the classroom.  Ask them to email you if they know they can make it one morning during the year.  (Let them know it is NOT for siblings, grandparents, friends, etc. )  It is for the parents/guardians only.

2. Make it clear they are invited for the meeting only.  No early arrivals.  No staying to chit-chat. I send a child to the office when we are actually on carpet and ready.  They leave immediately after a wave/hug from child.  (They know we're busy in First Grade!)

3. Child and parents know beforehand that is is "Official Business" during this time.  Parent sits next to child BUT child can't sit on lap, ask to go home, etc.  MODEL, MODEL, MODEL.  Let your students know expectations.

4. Parents are NOT observing but participating FULLY.

5. Conduct a normal morning meeting.  I have let the child pick the ACTIVITY that day.

6. INSIST the child arrives by bus if that is the usual mode of transportation.  Why?  When a child comes WITH the parent, it's already 25 minutes into our day.  We've unpacked, done our Do-Now, jobs, etc.  Make it clear to parents in your letter.  Remember: Business As Usual!

Seriously, that's it!  I do nothing special.  It doesn't eat into my time.  The parents leave HAPPY and you have a new cheerleader when they SEE the work you are doing with the kiddos and how it's paying off.

It's good PR for yourself.  You are a pro.  Let them see you in action.  We teachers NEVER get enough credit.  Get it!  You deserve it.

If you'd like to see how helpful and easy it is to use PARENT VOLUNTEERS in the classroom, click here.    (I consider parents a vital part of our classroom community.)

If you need a springboard to get started, you can download a week's full of meetings by clicking on the picture.  I hope they are helpful to you!

Thanks for reading!

Building Classroom Community Through Morning Meeting (Part 4: Morning Message)

Today's installment of my series Building Classroom Community Through Morning Meeting is focused on the Morning Meeting portion.

You can find Part 1 on Greetings HERE. Part 2 on Sharing HERE.  Part 3 on Activities is HERE.


A quick word before we start: Yesterday, I wrote a P.S. on the bottom which didn't show up on my phone or my computer. ODD! Offering again in case yours didn't either:

From Part 3: Activities: P.S. My kids also love to play I Have, Who Has games for an activity. I had a love-hate relationship with the game but read this post to see my light bulb moment. I'd like to send you one of my I Have, Who Has games for free to use during your Morning Meeting Activity just for being a reader of mine. On that page, pick one of the vowel games you want (a, e, i, o, or u) and let me know if you want the short or long vowel by emailing your request to me at Lisa@firstgradebloomabilities.com

What is the Purpose of a Morning Message?

It's a message the teacher writes to the students to help kids focus on the day ahead or focus on a particular concept. It is INTENTIONAL. Your purpose should be evident.

I know teachers who spend one minute crafting it while others spend 20 minutes by adding pictures, borders, different fonts, etc.

As long as you're getting the message across, do what you want and invest the time you can afford BUT keep in mind:

Where Do You Write the Message? (Should be visible to all in circle.)

1. Project It 

2. Write it on White Board Easel

3. Use Chart Paper on Easel.

While I use a combination of all, I use chart paper 80% of the time so that is what I'll focus on.

NOTE: Updated 2024: This has changed!  I now use my slides included in my Monthly Morning Meetings 95% of the time so I will show those too!

Here is a slide that is, obviously, editable. I can reuse year after year by just changing the date.

This is a longer one for later on in the year.  My messages are usually (but not always!) on the shorter side BUT ALWAYS relate to the day's events/Learning in some way.

I don't always break down my message but when I do, I ask, "What did you NOTICE about my message?" They are now in control and it's a great informal assessment!

Now the following is from original post: 

What is the Correct Format of the Message?

There is no correct format.  It's up to you.  Most common I see in K-2 Classes:

***Friendly Letter format  (With or without a Do-Now on bottom.  I usually have one. See below.)

***Message with no greeting or closing  (Today we're having our Pizza Party for reading 500 books.)

I use the Friendly Letter format  (date, greeting, body, closing, signature) because we're always writing letters to friends, family and staff members.  Might as well get them used to correct format.  (During the first few weeks, I am constantly referring to the parts of the letter.)

Here are some samples of what I've done in the past.

Some Common Concerns I've Heard about Morning Meeting Messages:

1. They take a lot of time to write each morning. Time I don't have.

The payoff, I think is worth it and if you believe you are not ENTERTAINING kids, they shouldn't take too long. I spend about 5 minutes and although I don't draw pictures, I will BOLD or underline important words or change out a marker color for effect. But consider:

* Writing it after school for the next day. Alleviates time crunch.

* Projecting it in editable format where some fields pre-filled.

* Having a few laminated "generic, good-for-any day" ones ready to go when you are really pressed for time. (I include some in my monthly packets because I know I need to use them occasionally!)

* Subscribe to Short & Sweet (still effective!) and stick with it.

2. My messages seem boring.  Yawnfest!

Switch up GREETINGS: Hey Fabo Firsties, Dear Smarties, Hey, Awesome Readers, Hello, Marvelous Mathematicians, Greetings, Aliens!

3. Since most kids have already read it on their own, why bother reading together?

Slow it down. In first grade, we may Choral read, do an Echo reading, one child may volunteer to read to us, and if pressed for time, simply read to class.

USE your message if your goal leads you there.  (Mine often does!)

Want a peek in how I often USE it to EXTEND the learning with my First Graders?  Of course you do!  

This is a real message I used MANY years ago recycled here from an old post.  I don't do this every day but usually twice a week.  I may even save it for a quick activity after lunch.  (I would read as usual during meeting and EXTEND it after lunch in that case.)

Before reading the message together at MM, we use swatters PRACTICE SIGHT WORDS to "Whack a Word"  

I draw names out of a jar and that child gets to come up, say a word, and whack it.  (Really helps reinforce it for struggling readers.) After we have lots of whackers (and I do allow for kids to repeat words. That in itself is telling!) we read the message together.  

Sometimes I'll ask if anyone wants to read it to us. 

After reading, I simply ask the kids if anyone has a compliment for me (since I've been working SO hard on my friendly letter format!) or if they want to tell me something they've NOTICED.  (Obviously, I am trying to reinforce skills here.)

I'm always amazed what they come up with!  Sometimes they point out that I didn't spell a word right and you know what?  That's never on purpose!  It happens, right?

In this letter, some kids commented on:

*Rhyming words/silly words

*Contraction of Let's (quick mini-lesson)

*The word TO being a "no excuse word" and the child who said it is one who struggled with sight words...I was thrilled!

*I remembered the date!  (Yea, me!)

Someone noticed some short a vowel words

*That the "ir" in First sounds like the -er sound

 A "Chunky Monkey" pointed out that EAR is part of Dear, etc.

But my favorite comment that day was this: (HONEST!)

You made a funny smiley to entertain us.  

As a writer, you have to make it fun for your reader.

I

Kid

You

Not!

Now when the lucky kid gets to take this home, they explain all of the markings.

Parents LOVE it!

Officially, I suppose you are NOT supposed to teach/dissect your letter but it's just too good of an learning opportunity NOT to.  As long as you can justify...

Let me know if you have any questions about incorporating the MESSAGE into your Morning Meeting.  If you do, send them to me and I'll update here.  

As I said in my last post, I recently decided to put all of my Morning Meeting materials together and turn them into a paperless/projectable product. (Unless you want to print out.)  It doesn't mean I show the kids each slide each day when up on screen. It depends. But to me, it's having everything in one place to save me time especially since I have Morning Meeting twenty minutes after arrival.  (On those few days when I don't have time to write a Morning Message, I use one of the five pre-made messages.)

I firmly believe that creating a strong classroom community and positive climate shouldn't be overwhelming or frustrating. Here's a ONE WEEK Morning Meeting freebie that you can download now and have it ready in your Back-to-School file. It might just get your juices flowing for some ideas of your own.

If you're a new teacher or someone who's looking to lay a strong foundation to start building your classroom community on Day 1 but are short on time, (your juices have too many places they need to flow!) you may want to peek at my monthly packets or the bundle.

I'll be back on Thursday to give my final thoughts/tips and a whopper of a suggestion for you to try out during your Morning Meeting time!

UPDATE: Link to Wrap-Up and Challenge

Any questions or something you want to share with me? Let me know!

In the meantime, if you know a teacher who might like or benefit from this post, please send them the link.

Have a great day!

Building Classroom Community Through Morning Meeting (Part 3: Activities)

Today's installment of my series Building Classroom Community Through Morning Meeting is focused on the ACTIVITIES portion.

You can find Part 1 on Greetings HERE. Part 2 on Sharing HERE.

First off: a disclaimer. My ideas presented are just my thoughts and opinions. My way is only one way. There's no right or wrong way to have a Morning Meeting. 

Keep your INTENTIONS and GOALS clear at all times and arrive at them YOUR WAY. 

What works best for my kids may not be best for yours. Take gems you find on your journey but remain faithful to your philosophy. Your purpose. You know your kids best.

When I first started implementing Morning Meeting, I felt they were a bit draggy. No spark. Dry. Didn't flow. 

I didn't feel that I was laying a strong foundation to sustain a thriving community. So I asked a colleague for help.  

Karen opened her smaller special needs classroom to my class for a WHOLE WEEK. Then we joined together each Monday for the rest of the year because our classes benefited from working with one another. 

She changed, thankfully, the trajectory of my Morning Meeting path.

Now that's an awesome colleague, isn't it? Asking her for help was the best decision I ever made. 

Seeing Morning Meeting in action helped me understand all of the components and allowed me to see how flawlessly each section could be transitioned into. 

If you are struggling or not feeling that cohesive element, reach out to someone.

What kind of ACTIVITIES can be integrated into Morning Meeting

It isn't always a game and doesn't have to be. As long as you're moving your goals forward, I think it can be ANYTHING that engages students and fosters the positive classroom community climate you're striving for.

Want to see my kids' favorite?

When I first introduced it, they didn't quite believe me but what better way is there to get to know someone and connect? (See the P.S. below for their 2nd favorite game that I want to give you!)

There are hundreds of activities you can implement.  Ask your librarian to purchase these:

   

   

You don't need the books though because you have ideas all around you!

Need more time to practice balancing equations and you found a game to reinforce it? Play it!

Need to read The Veggie Monster before Writing Workshop but you have music and snack right before it?  Read it here.

That Brain Pop video that you planned for Monday but it's now Friday and you're nervous time won't permit it? Watch it here.

Your kids loving peer editing journals but there is never time to do it? Bring out the erasers!

You're still incorporating all of the social/emotional skills you want reinforced just in varied ways.

Even though academics are squished in above, I still look at the above examples as bonding time. They're still getting to know, interact, and ENJOY the company of our friends while practicing key social skills C.A.R.E.S.

That's why I love Morning Meeting.

You get to steer the ship and decide which direction to go.

Need to change course?  No problem. I'm always adjusting some part of a Morning Meeting.

Sometimes a time intensive activity will be scraped for a quicker one if our Sharing took additional time.  Other times, I've realized kids were sitting too long and changed my activity to a movement activity.

There are no Morning Meeting police. And if your principal or supervisor acts as one, then simply be prepared to JUSTIFY what you're doing.

Some Common Concerns I've Heard about Morning Meeting ACTIVITIES?

1. I don't feel like I can justify taking 15-20 minutes out of my day for Morning Meeting. Activities seem frivolous so I often skip them.

I feel I can't afford NOT to spend time engaging in all of my Morning Meeting components. The payoff certainly, in my eyes, justifies the 20 minutes. While I have a 20 minute block set aside for MM, I no longer think of it as a separate entity.

It's an integrated part of our day where I weave a little of this and a little of that from past lessons into present ones. That mindset switch up has made all the difference to me.  My Morning Meeting often infuses our language arts, math, science, social studies, character ed programs, etc. together.

As I mentioned in Academic Shares in my last post, you can incorporate academic activities as well.  In fact, a large portion of mine are.

Traditional Four Corner isn't academic.  Switch it up.  Think of all the possibilities:

Just like you can have Partner and Whole Group shares, the same is true for activities.  And remember when I said you need to see what your own class needs?  Not going to lie...sometimes it's an individual activity.  Those Mother's Day Cards aren't being written themselves.  Just keeping it real.  (To make more collaborative, you could probably let them peer edit, share their cards, give suggestions to each other BUT maybe not.  Depends.)   

2. Kids aren't satisfied with their partners.  They want to pair up with a best friend.

This happens in all areas from time to time. Again, model. Role play what good sportsmanship looks like AND make sure you provide varied partner match ups. Modeling must happen BEFORE you make partners. Be proactive, not reactive.

3. My kids want to play the same game over and over again.

Mine too! Mine would play POP or POP 1-2-3 every single day if I'd agree. If your kids are hooked on some activities, congratulations! You've created a bonding activity that most likely strengthened your classroom community.

What do I do? I play POP a few times a month BUT will use it as a quick Brain Break, end-of-the day activity, or play when we have a few minutes before lunch.

I'm a big believer in using EVERY SINGLE SECOND of the day. Use it for fun? Heck yes! Why not? Remember: keep your goals and philosophy in sight and you're good to go.

4. Some of my kids who need this social interaction the most are being pulled for small groups (Guidance, Instructional Support, etc.) during Morning Meeting.

Ugh. This happens to me. A lot. TOO MUCH. In fact, I voiced my concern that my ELL students were being pulled from an area they needed most: social interaction and use of language. It was finally switched up this year.

It doesn't hurt to voice concerns. Maybe you can adjust your time a bit? Switch times with another grade level? Push back the time by 10 minutes so kids are present for at least a portion of your meeting? Raise awareness and open a dialogue with a proposed plan in place. Good luck!

5. My kids are way too silly during this time.

Model, model, and model again.  Set expectations WITH the kids.  Never assume that they are maturing and will rise to the occasion without modeling.

The first time I played Me, Too it was a disaster.  Can you guess why?

Yep! Kids jumped way too far and bashed into each other. Kids fell all over and one got hurt. Hasn't happened since and my kids know what happens if they get silly. So, yea, expectations and modeling.  Modeling and expectations.

Let me know if you have any questions about incorporating ACTIVITIES into your Morning Meeting.  If you do, send them to me and I'll update here.  (Lisa@firstgradebloomabilities.com)

As I said in my last post, I recently decided to put all of my Morning Meeting materials together and turn them into a paperless/projectable product. (Unless you want to print out.)  It doesn't mean I show the kids each slide each day when up on screen. It depends. But to me, it's having everything in one place to save me time especially since I have Morning Meeting twenty minutes after arrival.  (On those few days when I don't have time to write a Morning Message, I use one of the five pre-made messages.)

I firmly believe that creating a strong classroom community and positive climate shouldn't be overwhelming or frustrating. Here's a ONE WEEK Morning Meeting freebie that you can download now and have it ready in your Back-to-School file. It might just get your juices flowing for some ideas of your own.

If you're a new teacher or someone who's looking to lay a strong foundation to start building your classroom community on Day 1 but are short on time, (your juices have too many places they need to flow!) you may want to peek at my monthly packets or the bundle.

Updated:

Ready to read Part 4: Morning Message? Click Here!

Any questions or something you want to share with me? Let me know! In the meantime, if you know a teacher who might like or benefit from this post, please send them the link.

Have a great day!

P.S. My kids also love to play I Have, Who Has games for an Activity.  I had a love-hate relationship with them but read this post to see my light bulb moment.   I'd like to send you one of my I Have, Who Has games for free to use during your Morning Meeting just for being a reader of mine.  On that page, pick one of the vowel games you want  (a, e, i, o, or u) and let me know if you want the short or long vowel by emailing your request to me at Lisa@firstgradebloomabilities.com