Help a colleague...get a Freebie!

Alessa from Mrs. Albanese's Kindergarten needs our help.  She submitted a post for a contest on Facebook and the person with the most likes wins!  If you "like" her post, she'll send you a free Write the Room of your choosing.  If you send a friend to "like" the post, she'll send you another!  What a win-win!
Click on her button here to see the info on her blog:

 

 Click here to go to her FB post!

Composing/decomposing numbers....HELP!!

We are winding down the year here in Eagleland and my K's are having a rough time with composing and decomposing numbers.  Does anyone have or can direct me to some fun enrichment games on this topic?  I was thinking if I make it fun, maybe, just maybe, it will sink in to the part of their brains not taken over by end of the yearitis!

If you want your kids to learn...sometimes, you have to bait the hook!

I've been a bad school-related, non-giveaway post blogger!  Even though my stalking has slowed only slightly, I haven't been in my room much to do anything worth posting.  Finally, this week, things have returned to semi normal so we were able to finish up our plant study...including a little "hook" with worms!  Here's the fun:

Our poem for the week...great for the trait of voice!  It is written as the planter talking to the seed and the seed responding, hence it being written in two colors!

 

Working on using descriptive words in our writing.  This lesson went over like a lead balloon, so thanks to my meeting yesterday, I have some new ideas!

 

 

sequencing the growth of a plant

our Grass Heads.  I was so busy doing dirt containment I didn't get any action shots.

 The Grass Head idea came from theteacherwife. I went to link it up with this post and the faces are no longer available.  Sigh!  We also journal about the growth of our plants.  I found it on Primary Perspective.

Hand print sunflowers with labeled parts of the plant. 

Gummy worm addition and subtraction game.

  I got this game from an old Mailbox magazine.  It would be easy to remake though!  The gameboard has 10 worm shapes.  Each child gets a bag of 10 gummy worms and each group has a die with 2 +1s, +3, -2, a sad face and a smiley face.  Smiley face means add one and roll again, sad face means clear your board and start over.  They LOVE it!

Apples and Worms ending sound game

   This came from CTP Phonemic Awareness Songs and Rhymes for Fall.  I see this series as a must have for phonemic awareness fun!

  And I save the best for last...Wormology!  My recording sheet for this is so old I can't post it right now, so I will rework it and post it asap!  This is the one activity I look forward to the most.  To hear them squeal and watch their reactions are priceless!  This year, for the first time in the 10 years I've done this, I actually had every single student touching it and a few even clapped they were so excited!  It was hilarious!  I gave them each a nightcrawler (Thank you, Wal-Mart Sporting Goods Department!) and they recorded a picture, measured it with unifix cubes, and wrote what they thought of it.  Then, we returned them to the ground, so, as one student put it, they can "help the Earth grow".

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this photo!

Bye, little worms!

  Next up...insects!

Giveaway!!!!

Go on over to Eberhart's Explorers TODAY!!! and sign up for her giveaway.  She's giving away some adorable binders and portfolios guaranteed to get you excited for back to school...already!!  :)

Daily Five!

Ok, my peeps, I need some help!  I have been thinking about digging into Daily Five and starting it with my K's next year.  That, and I get to go to....Chicago!....to the Daily Five Conference in October.  I don't want to look like a non-smartie, so help me out!  If you could leave me your best tip on how to start up, manage, integrate Daily Five with a pretty solid and lined out routine of Balanced Literacy and workstations, what would you say?

That being said...
Look what I just found!

Kelli at Castles and Crayons just posted this FREEBIE set of Daily 5 posters and anchor charts.  Click on the picture above to go grab yours!

Thank you for all your help!

Childhood Games

Well, we just got back from Easter Break, I had a sub on Thursday and a MAP kick-off assembly this morning and my desk is covered with notes and papers that need attention.  So what am I doing?  Blog stalking and playing a childhood favorite!  I've got my priorities straight, right?  Ha!

Kaci at Mrs. Hoffer's Spot TAGGED me and so I am playing along.  I have to answer 10 questions from her about myself and in turn, tag others to play.  Here are Kaci's questions for me!

1. What made you want to be a teacher? I have a lot of teachers in my family and I always loved being around and working with kids.  When I was a sophomore in High School, my elementary principal asked me to volunteer in Kindergarten at Summer School.  Thus, the love began...
2. What is your most used school supply? My Mr. Sketch smelly markers...nothing quite as motivating as a smelly smiley! 
3. Where is your favorite school supply store? Sadly, it is 4 1/2 hours away in Columbia, MO...Ann's Teacher Store.  I LOVE THAT PLACE!  My sister went to law school at MU and I also had a lot of my STARR training there, so it was a must for me to stop there when I was in town.
4. What blog inspired you to start your blog?  Actually, it was a former colleague.  She started one and I just had to too!
5. What is your favorite standard to teach?  I love teaching anything with phonemic awareness...it's the one area that I let my creativity take over.
6. What is your most memorable moment in teaching? Last year, I was offered a job in my new district but was then put on hold after the May 22 tornado.  The last day of school was very emotional...I wasn't sure if I was leaving or staying and my kids were really confused.  As we walked to the bus, I gave each of my kiddos a big hug and an "I love you".  One little boy, who was never showed any emotional (Little Mr. Tough Guy), grabbed me, started bawling and wailed, "Please, don't go!!!".  I lost it right then and there! 
7. Do you create on TpT? If so, what is your favorite item?  Not yet, but I would love to.  I have insomnia so I have the time....lol!
8. Do you use centers? If so, how do you manage them?  I need to differentiate my "centers" and "work stations".  To me, centers are the developmental, "play" type areas...house, blocks, Art, etc.
Those, sadly, I do not have although I have in the past.  I use work stations, literacy and math, during my small group time.  I have 13 areas where groups of 2-3 students rotate through.  It takes about a week to get through them all.  We are up to 2 stations a day for 15-20ish minutes each.
9. What are your big plans for summer?  I'm boring...and poor!  Summer School, then about 3 weeks for playing with Little Miss El and the pooch before my year starts back up!
10. Are you counting down to summer?  Who, me?  No.  I'm not one of those people who know there are 29 days left...me....never!


Now, it's my turn to tag!

 

And my 10 questions:
1.  What made you want to become a teacher?
2.  What are your hobbies?
3.  What one piece of advice would you give a new teacher on the first day of school?
4.  If you weren't teaching, what would you like to do for a career?
5.  Teaching pet peeves?
6.  Do you still write a newsletter?
7.  If so, how often?
8.  What is the one thing you can't live without (teaching-wise)?
9.  What one professional resource do you use often?
10.  How many days are left in your year?


Can't wait to see what these ladies have to say!  Tag...you're it!

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