Updates :)

Hello friends!  I know it has been an eternity since my last post- -sorry!   I promise to share more things we've been up to in the classroom as well as new ideas and packets I will be implementing next year!  Tomorrow starts our last week of school!  It is always so bittersweet....you are elated to see what a difference you've made for these little ones, but I am also very excited to start the journey all over again!  Thursday is our last day of school, but the week is pretty jammed pack with some awesome fun!

 

 

Other than school I've been busy with life......

This is my adorable niece, Vaida!  She was waiting for her mommy to finish the race!

 

 

 

I have almost been spending endless hours...like 6 hours a day clearing out trees at our land!
This picture is from inside the land looking towards the road. 
We are getting our lane put it soon!


The biggest thing on my mind here lately....would be the very exciting news that my husband and I are taking the next step in our infertility journey- - IVF.  We start our medication on Memorial day and should have a egg transfer within the first couple weeks of June!  I promise to keep you updated on the process.  The Dr. insists it will be one of the most stressful times of our lives.  We are keeping up the faith that this will be our miracle baby!

Teacher Appreciation Sale!

Oh yes I am excited!  Something about teacher appreciation week.... first off, we are getting acknowledged for all the heart and soul we put into our career and students each and everyday...second, it's in May so that little ticker is quietly ticking down the end of the school year....and last but NOT least, teacher appreciation week equals one big ol' sale on Teachers Pay Teachers!

I will be participating with a lot of other sellers on TpT and offering 20% off my store. Be sure to use the checkout code Tad13 for an additional 10% from TpT {Tuesday & Wednesday only}.  My 20% off sale will actually run through Friday, May 10th.  That way if you find out later you just have to have more ...it will still be on sale! 

ALSO, because it is teacher appreciation week and I DO appreciate each and every teacher I will also be offering a special sale for all of my blog followers!  Here it is; for every 5 products you buy receive a free product $3 and under.  So if you buy 10 items you will get 2 free $3 and under products. All you need to do is send me a quick email after your purchase your items.  Include your TpT username and your choice of free item{s}.

Also, to get your biggest bang for your buck this sale, be sure to leave feedback on all of your previous purchases.  Remember, feedback equals free TpT products!

Click on the shopping bag below to head over to my store!

Keep them learning over the Summer! {and a giveaway!}

Clipart from TeachersScrapbook

Well, here in Missouri the end of the school year is near!  At my school we have 14 more student days!  I noticed that several states go up to June or near mid-June!  This year the only long break we had more than a couple days was for Christmas.  Anyway, I was all prepared to get this post out yesterday, but this is what my view was all day.....


Yes....it is SNOW joke...it's really snow!  They said it was some kind of record 5.3.13

Anyway, today is a little dreary but I know Summer will be here in no time!  I am already planning the folder I will be sending home with my students over the Summer.  Last year I sent home my Summer Review Packet, but this year I planned out a complete folder!
The folder I am using was the kiddos Daily 5 writing folder so I am just repurposing them!

I actually have so many great ideas for my folders that I am fretting about what to include and what to leave out.....So you make your own decision! If you are in the market for a kid and family friendly packet to send home with your kiddos over Summer break I have just the thing {or things if you would like}!  Be sure to read on for a chance to win a packet!

Here is a snap shot of the folder...These are the items I have selected. 
Like I said still not 100% sure!

Here are the items that I've included....

Summer Writing
Summer Common Core Math Review & Calendars
Writing Picture Starters
Blank Writing Paper

 

 

The first up is this super awesome packet I just finished compiling- - Summer Writing!

Product Description:The Summer is near and the little ones have just met or are just about to meet their end of the year writing goals. So, you send them out the door and wait for them to return the next year as writing authors. Only, what we don’t expect is that these fantastic writers get busy having fun over the Summer and sometimes forget those skills they learned. So, fix that problem! Send the students with writing practice that is FUN!

Common Core Aligned: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.K.1, W.K.2, W.K.3

Included in this packet:

Informative Writing
Opinion Writing
Narrative Writing
Procedural “how to” Writing
Fiction Writing
Persuasive Writing

Each writing type is 3 pages {1 page of prompts/instruction and 2 templates}.

Print students pages 3-22, staple, and send home with students over Summer Break.

This packet is versatile...if you don't want to send it home with students over Summer break, then use this packet within your classroom! The templates can easily be used over and over again!

This is a snap shot of the persuasive writing prompt page for parents and the writing template for students to complete their story on.  There is also blank writing pages within the packet.  Which is what I will also be sending home with my kiddos!

This packet is $3.  Click below to view on TpT!




I will also be sending home the review of Kindergarten Common Core math standards!  This packet comes with a 3 month quick daily math skill checks, practice pages, and incentives for completion.

math calendars


practice pages

Product Description:

Common Core Summer Review/Homework Packet {Kindergarten}
This packet can be used as an end of the year classroom review or be sent home with students at the end of the school year for summer review!

Consider this- - Research has shown that students lose approximately 2.6 months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation over the summer months.

Inside the Packet:
Teacher instructions
3 Summer Calendars with daily common core review topics (Standard listed daily)
18 Common Core practice sheets
2 sheets of incentives/reward coupons

Practice Sheets: (standard listed on each page)

Starfish Count K.CC.1 Order the Turtles K.CC.2
Write Them in the Sand K.cc.3
Count them Up K.CC.5
Leaping Lizards K.CC.6 Number Compare K.CC.7
Grab your Shades K.oA.1
Floatie Trouble K.OA.2 Number Bond:5 K.OA.3 (2 pages)
Water Balloon Fun K.OA.4
Addition/Subtraction Timed Practice K.OA.5
Place Value Fishies K.NBT.1 (4 pages)
Ship up or Set Sail K.MD.1
Help out Mr. Crab K.MD.2
Shorts or Suits K.MD.3
Mmmm a Shape Shake K.G.1
Shading the Shapes K.G.3

This packet sells for $6.  Click below to view in my TpT store!

Additional ideas......

Writing Picture Starters {pack of 20}

Inside the Packet:
20 Writing Picture Starter Templates

It sells for $2.50.  Click above to view!

Common Core ELA Summer Review Packet {Kindergarten}
This packet can be used as an end of the year classroom review or be sent home with students at the end of the school year for summer review!


Inside the Packet:
Letter ID Practice (26 pages) RF.K.1
CVC/Vowel Practice (5 pages) RF.K.2
Rhyming Riddles (1 page) RF.K.2
High Frequency word cards (6 pages) RF.K.3
Letter Names/Sounds cards (3 pages) RF.K.3

This packet sells for $4.50.  Click above to view!

 

I L-O-V-E this packet!  However, I handed it out at conferences to my parents.  So, I will not be placing it in their Summer folder.


Product Description:

Ready, Set, First {an introduction to first grade ELA & Math common core standards}

This packet is designed as a reference for Kindergarten parents. It is an overview of the important standards that will be expected of their soon to be first grader. I am more than aware that the transition from Kindergarten Common Core Standards to First Grade Common Core Standards is quite a task. So, why not help prepare these little Kinders? 

A majority of the ELA and Math standards are covered in this easy send home packet. I have 25 students in my classroom so I made this packet quite condensed so it would be manageable to run a copy for each student in the classroom. 

This packet would be great to send home at Spring Parent/Teacher Conferences or for Summer Break! Simply print pages 3-17 and you’re done!

Standards covered in this packet: key details in text, long & short vowels, phoneme segmentation, manipulating beginning, middle, & ending sounds in words, sight word recognition, addition problems with multiple addends, addition & subtraction problems solving for more and less, missing numbers in equations, rote counting, counting on, place value, more than/less than/equal to, time to hour & half hour, and fractions.

This packet sells for $3.  Click above to view in my TpT store!



Now for your chance to win one of these babies.....

 

**** Pin this <> image from above ****

**** Comment below leaving your email address. ****

I will select three winners Sunday evening!  Happy pinning to win!

Short Vowels {and a freebie}

As the year is winding down we are completing our final review of the vowels!  Be sure to read on to grab a freebie!


Here are some of our favorite short vowel videos!

and games....

We will also be working on these practice sheets!

These practice sheets come from the packet below.  It sells for $2

Grab this short vowel freebie below!

Also, check out these adorable ABC journal pages!  We've been using them for our ABC countdown to summer, but they have so many uses! :)

Have a superb weekend!

What's under the bowl? {and a freebie}

 



This week we wrapped up our subtraction unit with some fun hands-on games!  This little easily to implement game needs only; recording sheets, bowls or cups, snap cubes {or any other small manipulative}.

 

How to play:

 

Students get a set number of snap cubes {we were working on combinations of 10}

First, One students closes their eyes

Next, The other student places some of the snap cubes under the bowl

After, the work through the problem and solve to find out how many are under the bowl

Finally, they record their answer on the corresponding sheet

10-3= 7

 

10-5=5

 

 

 

Grab these recording sheets along with multiple versions for $2.  Click below to view!

 

 

I have also compiled several other quick simple packets for subtraction!  They are $2!

 

       

 

 

Now, grab a new subtraction practice freebie!  This practice sheet has subtraction within 10!

 

Have a great Friday! Wooooohooo!

Grammar 1.0.1 {and a freebie}

We are well on our way to the end of the year!  I assume  a lot of my teacher friends are like me and already thinking about next year!  Well, if so how will you be teaching grammar to your little ones at the start of the new school year?


Since starting with our reading series, Journeys, we have had a set time for grammar each day.  It is about a 10 minute block of time right before we move into our writing time.  This year and last I taught the grammar lesson on the Smartboard and then we went about our writing lesson.  I often times go back to the grammar lesson within our writings, but the students were not getting actual pencil and paper practice.  Read on to see how I fixed this problem!

This is a picture of our parts of speech posters!  They come from THIS awesome packet from the Teacher Wife!

As I introduce a new part of speech we add the poster and learn a new dance!

I will do my best to describe our little jigs! :)

A NOUN is a person {point thumbs to chest}, a place {hands on hips}, animal {use to fingers to pretend they are walking like a dog}, and a thing {point to a thing}.

A VERB is an action word {throw up arm like a superhero}.

An ADJECTIVE describes a noun like pretty {touch hair} and cold {shiver}.

Below are also some great videos we like to watch for practice!








So now back to how I am fixing the problem of the no pencil and paper practice.....Grammar Practice Sheets!  I am only kicking myself that I didn't start these earlier.  With these practice sheets I am able to identify immediately who is and is not getting the concept.

Be sure to see below for  list of the activities and a FREEBIE to get you started!



Click below to preview the document!


This packet contains 180 grammar sheets!  It sells for $12.00.  Click below to view on TpT.



Be sure to grab this freebie to get your kiddos practicing grammar!


Have a great evening! :)

Career Day FREEBIE Writing template

A few day ago we celebrated Career Day!  We had some great presenters and the kids learned a lot!  To get the kids excited for career day I sent home a quick career day writing homework assignment.  This could easily be done in the classroom too! :)


Here are a couple of the stories.....



I want to be a doctor because you get to help people with their problems.


Teacher: I want to be a teacher because I like daily five.  - - -don't you just love the guided reading group?   So, glad I don't have 10 back there at once though! :)


Click below to download the freebie template!



Have a great start to your week!