Literacy Week and MLK

Last week we celebrated Literacy week!

On Monday we chose The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss as our class book.  We also happened to be checking out different types of communication such as signs, invitations, announcements, and reading maps.  During our work time students created announcements about our class book!

The announcement I modeled for the class.

NH's announcement, so colorful!

Our book of the month happens to be Martin's Big Words.  As we were reading and discussing The Sneetches I noticed my students making incredible connections between both stories.

"It don't matter what skin color you are." 

"At the end of both stories the sneetches and the people both learned that it doesn't matter how you look, what matters is you are nice."

I loved that they were pulling the main idea out of The Sneetches and connecting it to the non-fiction events in Martin's Big Words.  They dug really deep this week and I'm one proud teacher.

Click here to get the Sneetches and MLK responding sheet for free!

Finally, at the beginning of the month I used Peace and Dreams {A Martin Luther King Jr. Literacy Unit} created by Gladys over at Teaching in High Heels to introduce Martin's Big Words!  Her writing activities were really helpful in kicking off report writing!  I love it!

"Time" for Fishing: Games and Worksheets

Finished just in the nick of time!

I started this unit last summer and was only able to find the motivation to finish it when I actually needed some fresh activities to help my students grasp telling time.

Click here to check out "Time" for Fishing: Games and Worksheets in my TpT store!

All games and worksheets are black line masters and there are 6 colorful posters to display to help students with measures of time vocabulary.  In this pack you will find:

-3 Fishing games
-3 "I have, Who has?" games
-3 Time bingo games
-1 Make your own clock printable
-1 Can you find the time game
-6 Worksheets
-6 Colorful time posters

All activities and games include separate sets for time to the hour, half-hour, and every 5 minutes.

As always, magnetic fishing poles are available in my Etsy Shop!

In the "Download Preview" you will find these 2 FREEBIES:

It's "time" for fishing so check it out today!

MTSS (RTI) Monday

It's been a minute since I've posted about MTSS (formerly RTI) Monday because of the holiday break. I hope you all had a wonderful one!  We went back to school last Wednesday so my students have started a new round of activities for MTSS (Multi-Tier System of Supports).

Tonight I've got a few pictures that I hope will convey how I set up my MTSS activities.  Essentially, I run them as tiered centers.  For almost all activities in my classroom I prefer to have mixed skill levels working together.  MTSS is a great opportunity for my students to work on activities with other students who are operating on similar skill levels.

This is the chart I use to communicate with students what activities they will be working on for the day/week (students names are blurred).  I like to use index cards because I try to keep the groups very fluid and every week or two I'm moving someone to a different group to work on a different skill.  The stars match the bucket they will be using.  I could make it cuter but what-ev!

This is an example of an activity card I use to help them understand what they will be doing.

Below the MTSS chart is this book shelf where the tiered activities are stored.  In the folders there are fluency lists, sight word songs, and books for early finishers to read.

In my first MTSS Monday post I explained that I have 3 groups at this time.  A Tier 2 (REMEDIATION) group, an (ON TARGET) Tier 1 group, and another Tier 1 (ENRICHMENT) group for students working above grade level.  For some reason it's easier for me to think of them as a remediation, on target, and enrichment group instead of which tier they are working on.

I've also got a few pictures and a GREAT resource to share with you tonight that I like to use with my enrichment group.

The first 2 pictures are of the enrichment activity that my students are currently working on.  They chose a story, read it, then draw the characters, setting, problem, and solution.  This isn't a very high order activity but I was trying to ease them into their independent work after two and a half weeks off.  I try to be nice....sometimes :).

I usually prepare a lot of activities at once, paper clip them and then store them in ziplock bags with all of my other activities.

Here are a few activities I have prepared.  I'm looking forward to breaking out the book report and forming questions activities with them over the next month or so!

I got all of these wonderful activities from The Teacher Wife's Reading Comprehension pack!  It's A-MAZING!  There are several games and she provides opportunities for students to predict, summarize, compare, write about the plot and other story elements.  Check it out!

Squirrel's New Year's Resolution

I just wanted to announce a quick little sale in my TPT store.  20% off of everything Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st!  I didn't make a graphic for it so just imagine something fabulous...that's what I did.

TPT Store

Have you ever read Squirrel's New Year's Resolution?

Click here to check it out on Amazon!

Adorable.

I picked it up at the Teacher (super discounted) Scholastic Book Fair a few weeks ago and decided to make a few companion materials to go along with it for when we return to school (in a few short days....BOOO HOOO!)

It's a pretty small pack but it's packed full of hands on, engaging activities!  In it you will find:

-2 word building worksheets where students use the words "new year" and "resolution" to build and list new words.
-Retelling page where students learn the definition of resolution, record each characters resolutions and brainstorm other resolutions that could be made.
-Writing prompt with additional writing page for students to write their New Year's resolution, why they chose it, and what things they can do through the year to achieve their goal!
-Word work sheet where students can read, write, color, pyramid write, & cut/glue the word "resolution"
-Sequencing page where students can color and cut out pictures of the animals in the story and then glue them in the order in which they made their resolutions.
-8 mixed practice story problems with multiple addends.

Click here to check out Squirrel's New Year's Resolution!

During the sale it will be marked down to $2.00!

In the Preview you will find a FREE whole group activity/printable about what resolutions are, what resolutions the animals in the book made, and what resolutions students could make!

I hope you all have a wonderful new years!

Adventures with Ozzy!

Do you Elf on a Shelf? 

A few years ago one of my students came to school every morning talking about his elf Oliver's escapades.  Before we left for the holiday break I asked his mom about Oliver and she told me the story of Elf on a Shelf.  I loved it so much that I considered scooping up one for my classroom but before I could that sweet Mom surprised me with my very own Elf!

I love doing the elf with my class!  If all I have to do to keep their behavior in check is move an elf around the classroom I'm all for it!  I wanted to share pictures of our elf adventures this year!

Ozzy arrived via hot air balloon/solo cup attached to a paper globe the day we returned from Thanksgiving break!

We were just starting persuasive writing so I had my students write letters to Ozzy "convincing" him to ask Santa to put them on the nice list.  They asked if they could read their letters to him when they were done.  How could I say no :).

For the next three weeks leading up to break Ozzy explored every nook and cranny of our classroom.

He brought tootsie rolls...I might call them elf poop next year :)

Ozzy napped it out in the Kleenex box, rode the ABC caterpillar, occupied real estate in the hundreds pocket and took an elf bath.

Everyone was being so good that Ozzy surprised them with peppermint hot chocolate one morning.

During the last week he brought them kisses from Santa, kicked it with our book buddy, had a marshmallow fight, hung out of a paper globe, and scrabbled "goodbye, be good" while he cuddled with the Grinch.  

I hope you all are enjoying the holidays with your family and friends!

Helping Children Cope With Tragedy...

Like so many of you I haven't been able to tear myself away from the news coverage about the tragedy at Sandy Hook.

Over the last 7 years I've imagined what I would do in that situation every time we practice our code red drills.  I've contemplated buying a fence cutter to keep next to the window and a big knife to keep on a shelf in a cabinet that I can't even reach.

I hope for the bravery that the teachers and administrators at Sandy Hook showed in any situation where I have to stand up for my students.  The courage to love and protect them no matter the personal cost.  As heart broken as I am, I've never been prouder to call myself a teacher.

On Saturday morning the parent of a former student contacted me to ask what she should say to her daughter who has seen the news coverage and is devastated.  I didn't know what to say as I don't have children of my own and we are on break so it wasn't something I was considering having to confront.  I started looking online and found the web site for the National Association of School Psychologists.

They have tons of resources, this one in particular is about helping children cope with national tragedies.  Children grieve differently than adults and sometimes aren't prepared to talk about an event until days, weeks, or even months after it happens.  I wanted to bookmark this for myself and share it with you in case it is needed for future reference.

Just a bit of fun!

Looking through portfolios is a great pick-me-up :).

I was filing my students mid year prompts in our writing portfolio's and I'm always amazed at the wonderful progress students make in just a few short months!

The development with illustrations, use of upper and lower case letters and punctuation marks are just a few impressive leaps this student has made!  They obviously aren't consistent but he's getting there!

I don't know how many of you are familiar with the Sid Shuffle.  I posted about it here.  Well my students are obsessed!  We usually shake our tail-feathers on Fridays but some of my girls just couldn't wait.  They asked me to record their shufflin' at recess!  Enjoy!