Daily 5

When I read the first edition of The Daily Five by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser I loved it, and couldn't wait to get started. Then I hit a few hiccups: I didn't have enough time to get through all 5 activities each day, my listening center kept crashing, my first graders had a hard time brainstorming reasons for the anchor charts, and the "looks like, sounds like, and feels like" sections didn't make sense for them. I'd heard so much about this program from friends, and was disappointed that I couldn't get the results they were getting. Needless to say, I was a little dubious when the 2nd edition came out, and bought it merely for the chapter on the math Daily 3...but what a surprise! Every problem I faced with my initial attempts was answered in this book. All the questions I had and troubles I experienced were faced by the authors themselves. I can't wait to try it again this year (in whatever grade I end up teaching)! I already have most of the displays and handouts, but my I-PICK chart was a little worn out, so I made one to go with my school's mascot. Enjoy this freebie...and read this book!

I-PICK Poster

1,000 Follower Giveaway!

I'm joining up with Jamie Sears of "Diary of a Not So Wimpy Teacher" for her 1,000 Follower Giveaway. Contest begins Monday, July 21. Good luck!



Head on over to her blog to enter  

You Oughta Know About...Writer's Workshop

Writing is my favorite subject to teach, and writing workshop is my favorite program. I have 2 books I use to get me started each year. They're my "bibles" of writing workshop for early elementary grades.

I always begin by watching Eric Carle read The Very Hungry Caterpillar on his website, then watch his interview about using big, bold colors in his books. We look at pictures of his studio, and link that to our classroom tools we can all use to be authors, just like Eric Carle. My kiddos love the fact that he began writing when he was 5! I've taught this lesson with 1st-5th graders, and they all love it! Different age groups take something different away from the videos, so they're well worth the effort, no matter what age you work with.

I make anchor charts with the procedures, tips from authors, and other ideas found in one of my "bibles". 

 I also make anchor charts with spelling strategies. We add to all the charts throughout the year.

The whole idea of writing workshop is for students to work as authors, making books, sharing their books, and using their classmates' books in the class library. At the beginning of the year, I make the books. As the year progresses, students begin to put books together themselves. These are some examples from my first grade class.

Some students need a little help coming up with ideas, so I leave out a menu choice for them. To celebrate this blog hop, I'll offer my Writing Menu as a freebie for a week.

An InLinkz Link-up

New Author

My little sister just published her first YA novel: Malicious. I am so proud, I've been sharing all over the place, facebook, twitter, pinterest, and now  in my teacher blog. Help support a young author with the first of a whole series of books. It's only $2.99 as an e-book. Enjoy a little summer reading!
  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/449174

Independence Day

4th of July is right around the corner (literally)! There is a beautiful little reservoir and a park less than a mile from our house. Every year we celebrate with family and lots of barbecued ribs! As soon as it gets dark we sit in the backyard and watch the fireworks coming from the park. They literally explode right over our heads, and we don't have to fight the traffic and crowds!

This year I'm also having a sale on 2 of my Americana items at TpT: American Hero Research Project and Patriotic Clipart.

Have a happy 4th of July!!!

An Oldie, but a Goodie

Making Words...it's an oldie, but a goodie! One of my favorite activities for building word skills, it self-differentiates based on your kiddos' readiness. I always begin with 2-letter words, then move on up to the mystery word at the end. Some kids need to stick to the CVC words; others are ready for consonant blends, silent e,  and vowel digraphs; still others can put multisyllable words together. There's always at least one kid that figures out the mystery word before the activity's over. I've used the same word lists with both 1st graders and 3rd graders, and they all love it! My daughter likes to play with it at home as well. This edition has 12 different lists with corresponding letter cards. It's been one of my best sellers, so far. Click on the link to see my Making Words product at TpT with word lists, letter cards to cut out, and complete implementation instructions.

Comprehension Graphic Organizers

Our school focused on the CCSS informational text standards this year. First graders naturally love nonfiction--they are absolutely fascinated by the world around them! They always have questions, and as a teacher I love telling them to look for the answers in a book. So, I created a set of graphic organizers for both literary and informational comprehension. I designed them to meet the rigor that common core requires without stifling their love of reading. These can be used whole class, in guided reading groups, or for center practice. You can find them on my Teachers pay Teachers account by clicking on the pictures below.

   

Here are some examples of what you'll find in the packets. Enjoy!