BTS Sale! (Freebies!)

I know a lot of you are heading back to school this month...I feel like my vacation just started!  (I have about 3.5 weeks left!)  Hopefully, some of these freebies will help you out!  I can't live without my poems for The Daily Five, Choral Reading, Fluency Practice, Buddy Reading, and Poetry Binders. WHEW!  (The bundle will be on sale this week but these September themed ones are a great way to start off!)  

 

 My must for every first day of school: Magic Play-Doh!  If you've never done it, give it a try!  The kids always say it's one of their favorite memories.

I love Make-A-Word activities and they really come in handy for Daily 5 and to see who is APPLYING the sound/letter combinations we've learned.  This Sept/Oct. packet is yours for free!  And who can't use more story problems?  But these are SIMPLE ones!  Enjoy!

  

Hip Strips are new and this Freebie is great for September if in K/1.  I am SO EXCITED about this fun and unique product that I just created. 

Battle of the Vowels is used for an activity during Morning Meeting.  Would be a great Grade 2 activity to start off year with for a review.

 

 

 

One of my favorite books on tolerance.  If you haven't read The Sandwich Swap, put it on your list.  LOVE IT!  (YouTube Readings as well!)

Here are some calendar pieces you can use in math center as well.

And although not free, here are a few new products that could make your life easier. 

They are on sale today and tomorrow August 6-7 in my TpT store!

 

 And the BUNDLE which, during the sale, is a crazy good deal!

(This is my product that I'm most proud of!  If you aren't happy with your management of 

your Reading Workshop or need to structure it differently, you may want to check this out.  There are TWO versions but this has everything for a $66 savings!

My Friends of Ten is brand new.  Check out full preview!

I've never been one to have had an effective Job Board because I forgot to change jobs.

This system is super easy and everyone is happy!  Read about it here!

Three of my favorites all in one place!  Have you read them all?  If not, please check them out at

the library today!  You can thank me later!

And my most popular product can be read by clicking pic above.  Honestly, the sale is a perfect time to purchase this.  Be sure to look at the feedback! 

Have a GREAT school year!

John's Journal (3 Funny Bear Books.)

Guest Post: John is a K-5 Media Specialist, history buff, author, and my oh-so-sweet husband. He's going to post monthly book reviews/finds here. 

If you’re looking for a great read aloud with a bear as a main character, or simply seek a terrific stand-alone book that has some fun and sneaky surprises, any or all of these work beary well!

The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone-Roach

I’ve read this story to Kindergarten classes over the past two years and I’ve been asked to read it again. It starts with a simple premise: a sandwich is missing, and  it seems certain that a bear ate it. We then learn that a bear accidently ended up in the back of a truck loaded with berries, falls asleep, and ends up in the city where he goes on a number of adventures of discovery. He eventually ends up on a boat and returns to the forest much in the same way he got there. The illustrations are bright, fluid, and bold and move the story along without the need of much text– and the narration creates a hilarious surprise (spoiler alert) – well, let’s just say that the end of the story begs to ask the question – WHO really ate the sandwich?

I see she has a new book out that looks every bit as fun but I haven't read it yet.  It's on my list. 

Now for my second pick...

 

Bear Came Along by J.T. Lewis; illustrated by LeUyen Pham

This brand new story is almost like an amusement park ride. It starts off simply: There was a river that flowed all night and day and then … a bear came along.

The bear falls in the river and realizes what a river can do – like a “Lazy River” ride he begins to flow down the river on his adventure and along the way meets some “new friends”: a frog, some turtles, and a beaver among others. They’re all riding along on a log when a waterfall appears. What next? Is it scary or fun? Or maybe both. The bottom line is that either way, it’s great to have friends to have fun and take on new challenges together rather than alone. This story has  a great deal to offer for a read aloud. It’s great to have a good time on your own, but sometimes it is better to bring some friends with you. It encourages kids to invite others to play – “the more the merrier”. This book has expressive, fun illustrations and text with lots of repetition which adds to the fun…and a great surprise: the illustrations early on are more muted and black and white BUT as each friend joins the bear on the log, they become brighter and more colorful.

Horrible Bear! by Ame Dyckman and Zachoriah O’Hora

Is Bear really horrible? According to the red-headed girl in the story, he is! Bear accidently broke her kite when it snapped from its string and flew into Bear’s cave and she is determined to let everyone know it what a horrible bear he is! Bear really isn’t horrible at all, but after the run-in with the girl, he might have to act horrible to prove his point. Instead, Bear ends up saving the day and helping the girl “fix” her favorite stuffed animal. This story is told with sparse text with bright colors and bold lines. There are hilarious, almost TV sitcom-like moments and some wonderful characters. Repeated readings reveal surprises as the story moves up and down a hill – from cave to house; across a field where a goat is attempting to have a picnic – the story ends with “everything being patched up” even the kite. That is until we see the same goat enjoying a snack, a snack that flies on a string! Horrible Goat! The giggling never stops when I read this book. 

Read on!

Freebie Alert!

I have a new product that I'm excited about!  

It solved a few problems for me: What to do with my overflowing sentence strips and how to display projects in my teeny tiny room?  (And a quick project is best, yes?) So I came up with Hip Strips!  A fun way to review math and display it.  They fit anywhere and really brighten my room up super quick.  Great for Math with Self for Daily 3 and Do-Nows, too.  Honestly, I just feel sunnier when I see them!

I'm making a Language Arts packet for First Grade and a combo math/language arts K one too.  They'll be up by next Friday.  BUT- I wanted to give a freebie away now so I picked one that could be used in K and 1 now.  Grab it if you want it!

Looking for other Freebies?  Click here to see them.

Friends of Ten (Freebie, too!)

TEN is such an important benchmark number!  I love teaching Friends of Ten / Combinations of 10 because it really is a necessary skill to master that leads to soooo many other skills.  This year, my colleague and I really made sure our kids knew the combinations inside and out.  We reviewed it way more than usual and of course that helped solidify mastery.

Our kids really had an easier time counting larger numbers/3 addends and were quite good and looking for combinations of ten and then adding on.  They also seemed to grasp that if they knew 4+6 was 10 then 4+7 was 11 much faster.  I make such a big deal out of the number 10 that one of my kids bowed to it when it was written on the board!


I love these two activities.  The crown was reworked a few times because when I had to fit it to their tiny heads, some combinations were covered.  Now, they are smaller and fit fine and dandy.  My second activity is a display with ten frames and uses the turn-around facts, too.  I use sentence strips for both and when I hand the ten frame Friends of Ten up, it makes a good visual and fun display.

I just posted it to my store.

If you think you'd like to use the poem with your kids, click on the picture.  It's free for my Blog Readers.  Enjoy!

Superhero Teachers!

I woke up at 4:30 today and turned on my local news.  There was a terrible story about an abusive teacher.  Heartbreaking.  It's now 11:43 and I've read 2 additional negative stories about educators.  

Makes me sad but I know there are so many uplifting stories out there and since I heard 3 negative, I'm bringing you 3 positive!  Enjoy!






(Imagine the impact this teacher has had on these kids for them to gift him with Broadway tickets!)

I love reading about Superhero Teachers and it reminds me once again that not all superheroes wear capes!

John's Journal (3 Books About Apollo 11)

Guest Post: John is a K-5 Media Specialist, history buff, author, and my oh-so-sweet husband. He's going to post weekly book reviews/finds here. 

Fifty years ago this July, I was in the living room of a rented beach house in Belmar, NJ watching the spectacular events of the first moon landing and moon walk unfold on a small flickering black and white TV across the room as was millions of other people around the country and the world. Yet somehow, I was watching history being made – alone! 

Even as a six year old I couldn't believe that I was the only one who seemed interested at the time. Where was everyone?! The beach? Porch? Backyard? Gone fishing??  I still don’t know! I did know that is was cool – and it fascinated me for years to come. I collected anything that I could about the Apollo program – newspaper articles, toys, plastic model kits, and of course, books. 

There are numerous books that have been published and many stories told over the years, and of course as the Apollo 11 mission celebrates fifty years, there are many new ones to honor and commemorate the event. I’m familiar with several wonderful editions about the Apollo program for young readers, but the three above stand out as favorites.

Earthrise is my favorite of the three...

To see more illustrations from the talented Christy Lundy, visit this page. 

Earthrise: Apollo 8 and the Photo That Changed the World by James Gladstone with Illustrations by Christy Lundy is one of my favorite picture books of the past year. It tells the story of one of the most iconic and famous photographs ever taken – the Earth from the viewpoint of the Apollo 8 astronauts orbiting the moon. 1968 was a time of tremendous unrest and turmoil in the world - wars, political uncertainty and racial strife. The photograph taken by astronaut ----- as the spacecraft was probing the surface of the moon showed the Earth from far away – a planet not with maps or borderlines, but a place where all humans lived as one. The story is told with clear and concise text; there are not technical and scientific details, instead the story is focused on the astronauts traveling to explore the moon and then being able to take the photograph. The illustrations use muted tones and colors and a style that is reminiscent of the late 60’s. I also noted that many of the illustrations that showed gatherings of people watching the mission on TV contained many people of color which adds to the significance of the period in time.  As a read aloud this books can operate on many levels – it tells a story that was significant to mankind and was a prelude to further amazing feats in the space program; for older children, it can be a lesson on artistic style and symbolism for a spectacular scientific event in a turbulent period in human history. 

Visit this section of Brian's website to see more of his art from the book.  

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca is a visually stunning and great narrative of the first landing on the moon and the process it took to plan and carry out the historic mission. The author is also a Caldecott-winning artist (Locomotive). The illustrations carry the story along – even for the earliest readers, but the book is also an excellent  read-aloud story for all ages as the narrative builds throughout – similar it an actual countdown before lift-off. All three Apollo 11 astronauts are treated as main characters – as well as they should considering the dangerous and daring mission that they completed. This is a great example of narrative nonfiction that reads like an adventure story. For readers who want to know more, there is adequate space at the end of the book that contains facts and figures related to the entire Apollo program.

Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Catherine Thimmesh – In all of human history, the NASA space missions are all to be considered the true example of teamwork. The astronauts were naturally the focal points and the “stars” of the missions, but it took thousands and thousands of dedicated and talented people from varied walks of life all working towards the same goal to actually make it happen. The Apollo 11 mission exemplified the ultimate goal and in this book: landing on the moon – we learn about contributions from  seamstresses (who carefully sewed layers and layers of fabric to make the space suits), engineers, scientists, photographers, navigation experts, telescope designers, and of course members of mission control who all demonstrated expertise in their field to get the astronauts to the moon and back – an amazing accomplishment still do this day. Team Moon is an attractive non-fiction book for all ages as it contains an abundance of photographs, however I feel that this would be more suitable for middle grade students – it works well as narrative non-fiction and is perfect for a book talk – about the Apollo 11 mission of course, but also as an example of the true meaning of teamwork.

This was published in 2006 with a recent reprinting.

Read on!

Simplified Job Board

When I started teaching, I had the cutest job board for my First Graders.  It was a large tool kit with names on wrenches, hammers, screwdrivers, etc.  I loved it. The kids loved it.

For about two seconds.

The problem for ME?

1. Organization. I never rotated it like I should have and kids would keep same jobs forever.  I'm pretty organized but I just never had the time to put into maintaining it.

2. I often had to create jobs that pretty much weren't that great or needed to be done occasionally just so everyone would have one.

The problem for my students? They complained.  A lot.  "When do I get to be line leader?" "When can I be the messenger?" "No fair."  "I never ever get to sharpen the pencils."

I know it's a small problem to have in life but it honestly stressed me out. My sister, who teaches Kindergarten, introduced me to ONE or TWO helpers a day!  My problems were over.

Just.
Like.
That.

I prefer two helpers a day...My Cool Cats!  They do EVERYTHING needed that day.  This way, they pretty much get to experience all the cool jobs every 10-12 days depending how many kids are in your class.  (They take turns being line leader/caboose each time we leave room.)

In the beginning of the year, I go over the rules and have them color in a cat after I type names in.  In my packet, you can have kids color cats or print out ones ready to go.  At the end of the day, I let the kids take a certificate and use special crayons or markers to color in.  Just another way parents can see what their children are up to in school that day.

An added bonus: this takes up so much less space in my teeny tiny room!

It honestly takes 10 seconds to implement each day.  After we say the Pledge, I tell them it's time for our "Cool Cats of the Day."  They give me a light drumroll.  After I pull each name, the kids give a little meow.  It cracks me up.  Every. Single. Time.

For those of you that can have a rotating job board and maintain it...hats off to you!  For the rest of you, I feel your pain!

Have a great day!

Latest Binge-Worthy Shows

Happy Summer!  Today was my last day!  Time to relax and unwind!

When I was home for six weeks recovering, I had lots of time (too much?) to watch TV.  Here are some shows I discovered and LOVED!  Maybe you'll find a gem here for you, too!



This is my favorite of the bunch.  However, I don't love the trailer and it doesn't do the show justice. I seriously cannot express my love of this show enough.  My daughter discovered it and she is the target age...not me!  But I just love the strong female characters and I so love the fact that the head of Scarlet Magazine (JAN!!! From The Office!) is NICE and SUPPORTIVE...no boss from hell here!   A boss I'd want my own daughter to have. Lots of layers and depth to this show.  Three seasons (10 episodes each) have me waiting impatiently for a fourth. On ABC Family.  I watched on Freeform on my iPad.

From Freeform:  A glimpse into the outrageous lives of Jane, Kat and Sutton, who are working at the nation's top women's magazine, Scarlet, while navigating their careers, identities and individual voices. This next generation of unapologetically fierce working women is primed to take on the world and smash the patriarchy — one selfie at a time.




Everyone seems to have watched this!  On Lifetime but streamed on Netflix a few months later.  From Lifetime: Starring Penn Badgley, “YOU” is a 21st century love story that asks, “What would you do for love?” When a brilliant bookstore manager crosses paths with an aspiring writer, his answer becomes clear: anything. Using the internet and social media as his tools to gather the most intimate of details and get close to her, a charming and awkward crush quickly becomes obsession as he quietly and strategically removes every obstacle – and person – in his way. The series also stars Elizabeth Lail, Luca Padovan, Zach Cherry, and Shay Mitchell, with a special guest appearance by John Stamos.  Season 2 will only stream on Netflix.




From Netflix: Jen's husband recently died in a hit-and-run, and the sardonic widow is determined to solve the crime. Optimistic free spirit Judy has recently suffered a tragic loss of her own. The ladies meet at a support group and, despite their polar-opposite personalities, become unlikely friends. A dark comedy.





From Hulu: From Executive Producers Lorne Michaels and Elizabeth Banks comes Shrill, a comedy series starring Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live) as Annie, a fat young woman who wants to change her life — but not her body. Annie is trying to start her career while juggling bad boyfriends, a sick parent, and a perfectionist boss.



A kinder, gentler reality show!  To be honest, this is the only thing my hair salon/nail place has playing so I watch it when I'm there and really enjoy it.  I have watched a few on Netflix and it is strangely calming for me.  I think I've been watching the oldest episodes.  I just love the way it's shot and the spirit of the show.

Would love some recommendations if you have them!

Happy watching and an even HAPPIER SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Puppy Pal Likes (Quick Review Game!)

Here's an easy game I play often at Morning Meeting.  It's a typical review game but my goodness...ever since I added a puppy or another stuffed animal friend, the kids love it!

How to play My Puppy Pal Likes...

1. I hold a stuffed animal puppy and say, "My puppy pal like words that have a short vowel in them." or "My puppy pal likes odd numbers."  You get the idea!  Any subject/area of review works.

2. I then give an example to model for them.  "My puppy pal likes the number 7."

3. If answer correct (odd numbers here), the class gives a bark.  (NOTE: Because it's supposed to be quick, ONE bark that you practice together is best.)  If answer given was an even number such as 202, no one would bark and child tries again.

4. Then I pass the puppy pal to the next person and we continue until everyone has a turn.

Easy and fun, right?  An easy game but really gives you helpful information.  Answers that are 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 are as telling as those who come up with 1003, 28,287, etc.

To change it up, we play with various stuffed animals...usually one bought at Kohls.

Grab the certificates if you feel it would help generate conversation at home.  For this game, everyone would get one...no winners here!

ENJOY!

Four Corners Game

This is a favorite of my First Graders.  Have you played with your students?  If you've never heard of it, here it is in a nutshell.

1. One person is the counter.  Can be teacher.

2. Point out all four corners in classroom. 

3. As you cover eyes/put head down, count to 10 as kids go to one of the corners,

4. After counting to 10, counter says, "Corner, ___"

5. Those kids in that corner are out and you start again until one student left.

(When down to last two-four, I tell them that they all must be in a different corner.)

It's that simple.  The kids really go wild over it and they ask to play it often.  A fun Morning Meeting Activity, great ice-breaker, fun brain break.

Grab the certificate above if you'd like.  Just another way to generate discussion at home!

Another favorite that might be worth checking out in an older post: POP: Six Different Ways!

Updated POP Post to include certificate if you'd like it.

Enjoy!

Sparkle, Sparkle, Poof! (Spelling Game)

Am I the only one that JUST learned this game?  One of my Firsties taught it to me two weeks ago.  How did I miss this game?  What a fantastic way to reinforce spelling/sight words. Although late to the game, we've been having fun playing it to review our sight words before summer break.

(Note: Six months later:  I am playing this game with our sight words in view for all kids to use if needed.  After all, I want them to learn them.  But, in a few months, I'll remove sight word charts and play the game that way.  I think it will motivate them to make sure they master them before I remove them.)

The version I was taught:

1. Have kids stand in a circle.
2. I shout out one of our sight words.
3. The first person says first letter, second person says second letter, etc.
4. When word is spelled, the next player says SPARKLE.
5. The person after them says SPARKLE too.
6. The next player says POOF and is out.  They sit down.
7. Repeat with new word until only one child left.

Isn't that easy?  Fun?  But you probably already knew that! Feel free to grab the certificate by clicking picture above.  I like to send these home just so parents can have another talking point with kids.  Especially those kiddos who don't share any details about their day.

Have a good day!

DAY
D
A
Y
Sparkle
Sparkle
Poof!

PSA: See Something? Say Something!

In my case, it isn't the NY Subway commercial I'm talking about...Nope.  This has to do with the big C.  Cancer.  After not having my period for two years, one night, it magically reappeared for a few days.  It was exactly one month after my mom passed away and my first split second thought was to blame it on the stress I had been dealing with for six months.

Since it was the most stressful time in my life, it made sense.  But I also Googled three seconds later and read that it was the Number 1 sign of Uterine Cancer.  However, in the next sentence, it did say that 90% of cases turned out to be non-cancerous.  I was hoping I was in the 90%.  Nope.

I had surgery (Full hysterectomy) on April 9th and a week later, I found out that I was cancer-free!  No chemo or radiation needed.  Going into the surgery I did know that there are TWO types of Uterine cancer and I did have the "better" one.  Coming out of surgery, I also knew that my sentinel node was clear. So I was expecting good news with fingers crossed.

Anyway, two things:

1. I am shocked how many people I've shared this story with that have bled from time to time long after periods have stopped and didn't get it checked out.  Don't be that person.  Go.  Chances are, it's a polyp.  I'm glad I made an immediate appointment.  My oncologist said that Uterine cancer gives signs/warnings unlike Ovarian.  My ONLY sign was the above and two weeks later spotting one night.

2. If in the NJ area and you find yourself in a similar situation, let me know and I'll help you out in any way I can starting with sharing my Drs. name who trained at Sloan. She was an oncologist/surgeon which is n't that common and her staff was top-notch! Within 45 minutes, I had to appointments books for consultations and I already knew I'd be going with her.  (When I called, I was crying and in such shock, I couldn't speak.  The receptionist kept saying: "Take your time,  I have all day.  We got this.  This is why people come to us.  Breathe."  It took me EIGHT minutes to get out my name and phone number.  Seriously.  Know someone having a hysterectomy? Give them this GREAT SITE: Hystersisters.  Seriously.  Who knew?

After six weeks recovering at home, I went back to school and my Firsties on May 23.  I feel good.  Tired.  Very tired but it is the end of the year.

Here's wishing YOU good health and remember: If you see something, say something and get thee to a doctor! STAT!

Freebie and Updated Products

I know there are so many I Have, Who Has products out there but I just have to say how much I LOVE my long and short vowel games.  They come with the game and a Read the Room Activity. 

I updated all of my packets with new clip art and fonts and I love them even more. 

TIP: I used to get so frustrated playing the game but not anymore...read this old blog post to see how the execution finally is 100% perfect!

FREEBIE ALERT!

Would you like the above Long U packet for your sweet students?  

Leave your email here and I'll gladly send it to you!  Isn't the clip art adorable?

Each pack is $3.00 but I have a great bundle to check out if interested. There is a short vowel bundle and a long vowel bundle (for $12 each so it's getting ONE free in each packet!) and then one with all of them that I'm showing you below.  At $21, that makes each one only $2.10.  You're getting 

3 packets for FREE in this mega bundle!

Have a lovely day!