High Frequency Words…

It appears as if those Houghton Mifflin resources were a big hit to all, so glad that you are enjoying them as much as I enjoy creating them to share with you!

My grade level team has revamped how we test High Frequency Words over and over again!  It just seems as if we cant find a good balance between taking too much time from the classroom to test weekly, and not holding the student’s accountable enough by letting too much time pass!

This year I created “progress reports” to be used at the end of every other Theme!  This way no matter what way we test, weekly or at the close of each trimester, we have a way to give the parents a little glimpse of how their kiddo’s are doing in a more formal manner, more frequently!  I highlight those words that they kiddos do not know, write their percentage next to their name and circle happy if they met my district’s requirement for mastery, and sad if not!  Enjoy!

Chat Soon - Kim

For all my Houghton Mifflin Friends…

Have I mentioned before that my district has had the same reading curriculum for the ENTIRETY of my 9 year teaching career?!?  Oh I have?  Ooops…

Inspiration hunting I went, and man oh man I have found it!  You MUST visit Abby over at The Inspired Apple.  While on one of my stalking, uh I mean visiting,  stops by her blog I stumbled upon her Long and Short Vowel packs that can be purchased at her TPT store.  In each of these packs she has a word hunt page where the kiddos get to use their magic wand (highlighter) to find the designated words!

So…with her permission I have created a very similar doc with the use of PHONOGRAMS!  I love the Houghton Mifflin I Love Reading Books, but hate the double sided copying.  These little docs allow me to print on the printer and only on one side!

Without further adieu…May I present to you Triple Clusters Word Hunt, which goes with HM Theme 4 Week 3!

And…SH/TH/WH Word Hunt, which goes with HM Theme 5 Week 1!

Chat Soon – Kim

Let’s talk Turkey…

So, again I am trying something new this year!  I have done Mr. Turkey Goes for a Walk in many different ways.  First I did him as a 6 page flip book, then I did him as a multi-page full book with a turkey to cut out and glue on each illustrated page.  This year, with our normal Veteran’s Day, a full week of minimum days for conferences, and extra long Thanksgiving break due to a Furlough Day being attached, I feel as if my November is being robbed of me.  I love Mr. Turkey, but couldn’t give it the time I usually do. 

Alas, I created something new.  My first labeling activity!  I have been inspired by Mrs. Carroll over www.thefirstgradeparade.blogspot.com and all of her GOODNESS!!!  I must admit, I kind of like this cuteness on my cabinets this year!

The story gives the kiddos a bit of freedom as they get to choose where three of the words go within the story!  Go ahead…make your own…

Thanks so much to DJ Inkers for Mr. Turkey himself, and Kevin and Amanda for the ADORABLE fonts!!!

Chat Soon – Kim

Conferences. Duh…Duh…Dun…

This year I am trying something new.  Well really I am trying MANY things new, but currently I am referring to how I will go about handling conferences (gasp, how is it really that time already?).  I usually present the parents with their child’s report card and possibly one other activity unless there is an academic concern, at which point, I of course, have every possible paper completed to present to the parents. 

This year, I have kept a selection of activities for each child, and have saved some introductions to challenging programs for my high achievers to be presented during conferences.  The way I began my approach to this was to simply gathering all the “goods” and “shove” them into a folded piece of construction paper.  BORING!!!

It’s amazing what a crisp, clean sheet of white paper with fun print can add to a sheet of folded construction paper.

I came up with this ‘lil guy.  We discussed each topic and I chatted about their choice; easy breezy (EASY, duh), a thinking activity (something that has to be worked at, but can still be accomplished), or hard work (work that is super hard, even with practice).  The kiddo’s circled their thoughts on each subject, and colored each one of those pictures.  Then we discussed the questions and wrote down one of the four topics on each of the dotted lines!

Four simple little staples locked this baby in place on the front of my BORING, sheet of folded construction paper and made it personable and CUTE!!!

Chat soon - Kim

Independent Learning Center Activities

It seems as though I am constantly searching for a few activities to have on hand for centers/stations that can be completed independently (after a little teaching) for those “parent no show”, “Oops!  I forgot to make that copy”, “What do you mean this is too hard?” moments.  I recently stumbled upon this concept from a neighbors son’s bring home work.

I refer to it as “One More One Less”.  Best Kid Part = Playing with Dice.  Best Teacher Part = Numbers to 100 Assessment!  I have included three different levels of this activity to use gradually through the year, or as you see fit with your ever challenging wide spread ability levels!  Simply Print, Cut at the 4.25” mark on the paper cutter, and follow directions at the top of each different leveled activity!

Now…an all time favorite of the students, and mine because I love to give my students activities that fool them into thinking they are having al fun and no learning is “Stamp a Word”.  I have always incorporated this into my classroom, but not in the most organized fashion, more like a “scrap idea”, well literally a scrap idea as it was always done on scrap paper, until now:

Yes, I know I’m using trees, yes I know I’m wasting ink…however, the kids for some reason are more productive, accomplishing more stamping, and now have to write the word they stamp, connecting that hand/eye coordination as they copy!  Oh, and I’ll admit that I am a bit OCD (just a little) and appreciate the appearance of pretty print on crisp, clean white paper, far more than stamped haphazardness on icky recycled paper!  Anyway, here it is in action…

Chat Soon - Kim

Who doesn’t like to eat in class???

How many of you have seen these chewy cuties lying around this fall?

I’ve been able to get mine at Target for the last two years.  Last year I made a simple half sheet with a graph on it, it was cute, what with its Dazzle Graphics and all, but more Preschool-ish than First Grade.  This year I decided to “cute” it up a bit, and create two choices for ability levels.  I have a Kinder Kiddo myself, and I always like to help out those K Teachers.  Well at least I think I am helping by providing fruit snacks and an activity for it, but come to think of it, they may look at it as ANOTHER task on the To Do List.  (Note to Self: ASK said teacher before arriving with time consuming activity!)

Anyway, back to chewy cuties, take your pick from the two activities below, complete the sentences,

or circle your answer!

Pumpkins: no not the amazingly addicting candy corn type

Please forgive me, as I did not know I myself would be blogging a few weeks ago, I do not remember who shared the link to this wonderful Pumpkin Life Cycle activity from AtoZ Teacher.

I mean…how cute!  You may not see the great possibilities here.  The wonderful blogger that I stumbled upon sequenced these on a sentence strip.  I am dedicating myself to “attempt” to get more writing in this year.  We started with letter printing and formation, and have graduated to weekly cloze sentences that fit within our story of the week, or the theme of the moment.  So, I created this to go along with the above cuteness.

Here’s a lil’ sampling of the two together…

There it is…my first posted activity, inspired by all you other fantastic blogging teachers on the web, tweaked for my own sweet students.

Why not give it a Try…

So I have recently become *addicted* to Teacher Blog Stalking!  My district has a new Superintendent, and Assistant Superintendent, and had a shake up of administrators, which means that we are looking as a WHOLE lot of changes in the future.  In addition to all of that, budget cuts have left us with the same ELA program for the entirety of my 9 years of teaching.  All of this leads me to the conclusion that it is the PERFECT time to Shake It Up!  I am loving all of the great inspiration, ideas and SHARING that is going on out on the Internet Highway, so I’m going to merge on in and try to join the traffic!  I won’t be leading the pack, I might be drafting from the back, but either way I’ll try to give you my view on 1st Grade from the California lane!