Hope Everyone Is Having A Thankful Thanksgiving!

Holidays are always bittersweet for me. I miss so many of my family members that are no longer here, but I love being with the family that surrounds me now. When you really think about what is important in life, it always comes back to family and loved ones.

I always think about my students also. Past and present. Are they warm and looking forward to a nice family gathering? Do they feel loved and safe in their homes? I know most are having a wonderful holiday, but some I know are feeling frustrated and miss their lunches at school and our tasty snacks, and the feeling that they are safe. To all children, all over the world, I pray that they find a safe and loving place during this season.

Here is my 'Turkey Curtain.' I love making a curtain out of my students' work!

I used this as a center and we made 'at' words. The Turkey on the purple paper was rather difficult for some of mine. I gave them a number, they put the number on the turkey's belly! Then they had to show the number 4 different ways. Most drew the number, tallied the number, wrote the number word, and then make a number sentence such as: 4 red flowers and 2 blue flowers makes 6! It was a cute activity and I am going to make some of these up for the next big holiday coming up!

I also made a pumpkin "curtain" last month. The pumpkins were cute but when we added the turkeys, it was so amazing! Most of the time when my students are doing a 'craftivity' I am pulling small groups. The Mouse Can See Leaves is the best little book to pull at anytime for small groups! 

 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Pam

Letterland Letterland! There is no better land!

My students love Letterland! I have added so many Letterland Supplemental products in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store! Primary Pam.

This is for the beginning of the year, after FAST TRACK. I use this for my first lesson after assessments. it is on pages 43-50 of the Letterland Kindergarten Manual. Lessons 19-20. I use this the entire week, supplemented with my other Letterland activities. I always call my small independent groups, centers but I know many call them stations or specials.
 

You know you hear a song and it plays over and over in your head? Well, that is how the theme song to Letterland is with me and my students. We hum it all the time!

When we first started with Letterland last year I have to say I had some issues with the program! First, the accents were all British and I had to teach little Ks the letter sounds in English! AND nine of my students were ELLs! 

I started using it and really got into the program and now I love it!  The characters are cute! They call the characters, Letterlanders! They live in another land of letters, sounds complicated if you are new to the program, but as you get into the program you can see it does work! Students learn the sounds and letters!

We had a Letterland Parade on the 31st. Students had a month to get their costumes ready. Red Robot on the left hand side was the cutest little guy! They all had fun and parents walked along with us as we went in every classroom in the school.

Notice the crayons.... yes, I am really particular about crayons. That came from my student teaching days. A long time ago! I only have my Kinders take out the crayons that they need. Then immediately put them back in the box. It is easier for early learners to have a plastic crayon box where they can have them spread out more. But still only one crayon at a time.

I make sure not to rush them. It takes more time to be neat and careful than to just hurry up with something. All things take time for early learners and there is no use rushing them.

I made some up with just Annie Apple and Clever cat.  I'll try and upload them here, but will put them in my  TPT store.

Students cut out the pictures and sort them under the /a/ or /c/ sound.

The clip art all came from DJ Inkers and Whimsey Clips.

I wanted my students to identify the beginning sounds of /a/ and /c/ words. Of course, learning to write the letters correctly helps! The clip art all came from DJ Inkers and Whimsey Clips.

I made double copies of the picture cards that are in Annie Apple's center. My Kinders couldn't draw as well as some of the other classes I have had, so they put the picture of /a/ words under their paper and traced. They are getting a lot better now!

I love interactive emergent readers and this is printed back to front. I hope someone who is teaching using the Letterland program can use some of these supplemental centers. I have more centers, powerpoints and all that I have made up,  so please follow my blog and I will put these up as I go. 

Let me know if these links work. I hope this helps someone. Also, I will be putting some freebies up on my TPT store. If you want to be notified, please go to my store and click Follow. I promise I don't out a lot of emails, just when I have a new Free Item.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Primary-Pam

Small Group Reading Time!

Small reading groups is different in the beginning of the year for Kinders than it is for most first - third grade classrooms. In Kindergarten (actually in all grades) you have to make sure each child feels comfortable with you, but also can follow the rules. If they can't follow the rules in most classrooms, they can't fully benefit from the teacher's instruction. Also if they do not feel comfortable with their teacher, they also won't fully benefit from instruction.

All of the above is why I like to start out with 'cozy' small groups with my Kinders. From day one I try let each child know that I am their teacher and their friend. I also have to let them understand that all of us are like a big family in a small room and we need to know the rules and try our best to follow them. In a small group setting there are rules that each student needs to follow so that there is no 'down' time while you are constantly getting a child to follow the directions. 

I have always started out small groups with a very nurturing attitude while patiently showing how to track, how to quickly follow your classmates so that you will know you turn. I have my favorite books (cold reads not books we read in whole group) that I love to start small groups with. These books and activities are not difficult, in fact they are very easy to some students. There are always early learners that know nothing about how to academically read a book. 

 One of my favorite books to use in the beginning of each year is Mouse Can See Leaves. It is usually the beginning of fall when I am ready to start small groups. This book is just perfect to start learning how small groups operate! 

I add lots more activities as the months go by, but first I take my time and my Kinders enjoy our special time together. The book is about a cute little mouse that sees leaves. That's it. In the end he is covered up by leaves and it is always fun to see Kinders reactions to this. We practice tracking with our finger (later I will use witches fingers and other gimmicks.) We also practice taking turns and tracking while our classmates are reading. With many Kinders they can not read the words but they can track along while I slowly read the sentences. We discuss what a sentence is (I have the sentence strips all cut out and ready.)

This is the cover of Mouse Can See Leaves. Isn't that the cutest mouse! This year I added an Easel activity that I know beginning of the year Kinders will enjoy. Nothing is so hard that they feel discouraged or lose confidence in their abilities. I did add audio, my voice..... to the Easel. I don't think anyone likes to hear themselves reading. But Kinders are also very forgiving and will love you and your voice very soon. 

The lesson plan is exactly what Kinders need at this time. They will begin with Phonics and PA and quickly go into the Vocabulary Words for the story. The Phonics and Vocabulary activities are very simple. The focus will be one getting students to sit in a small group and follow instructions. I want them to smile and have fun, but small groups have to be intense at times. If they are prepared and know what to do from the beginning, they will love this time with their teacher.

For books like this, I always include a class book that can be printed out full page size and then just use ring clips to bind if after laminating. I put this in our library after a week of reading the stories. Most of my students can read this or just remember the sequence of the words after our week of small group. I have two different black and white copies of this book. One is bold letters like you see above with tracing only for certain story words. The other is fully traceable. Early learners can trace the words even if their handwriting isn't what it will be in a few months. And if they mess the book up trying, that is okay also. 

More on this tomorrow! I just realized the time. School will be starting soon, such an exciting time! By the way, my store is on sale August 2nd and 3rd. TPT will have their Back to School sale. Whatever you purchase, remember to use the code BTS22 to get up to 25% off on all purchases. 

Pam

The Vocabulary Question Cube

I was teaching 4th and 5th AIG students when we made this little video. It was Quicktime, but not sure all computers can view it now. I can view it on my Mac, but not on my PC.

The Vocabulary Cube is a great way to have Word Study Activities. I used Notebooks and modeled how to use a ruler to make tabs for 'interactive' notebooks. I have included a study guide with my updated Vocabulary Cube packet on TPT, also a Vocabulary card for teachers. I just had students write them on index cards or a sheet of paper.

Read the post below to get some ideas that you can use in your classroom for Voc Study.

I have so much fun with my students when I put an iPad in their hands! They are actually very good at anything to do with Technology. This is great since the Common Core Standards have interacting with technology as a major strand.  I love taking pictures, but my students are the best when it comes to putting their thinking into power points and videos. This is a lesson using the Vocabulary Question Cube. I let them video themselves playing the game. We can spend three to five days on a lesson with everything that is involved.

This is a quicktime video made by 4th grade students. They are on the carpet, with their words and finished cubes. Now they roll the cube and ask each other questions using the words they wrote and defined. Because these are new words, this gives them more practice using the words in sentences and just saying the words. 

I used one of the products I have on my Teachers Pay Teachers Store, the Vocabulary Question Cube. This product is aligned with the CCSS ELA L.3.4d, L.4.4c, L.5.4c.

Vocabulary Question Cube - Comprehension 

I love this little comprehension, question game and my students love it also. The first thing I did was give them a passage (4th grade) or text (The Odyssey, 5th grade.) In 4th I wanted them to practice some of the "testlets" with questions. Mostly these are so boring for students, but this is how they are tested on the EOG so they need to practice! Why not make it fun!

5th Grade with Odyssey and Workbook.

5th Grade Looking Up Vocabulary Words or New Words!

I gave each student an orange post-it note so they could write down 6-8 words while reading that they thought were interesting or that maybe they didn't really know the meaning. Each student had a dictionary so they didn't have to wait for someone else to finish and they could look the word up immediately. Yes, I still use workbooks when I can, I just add a little fun to them!

4th Grade Reading Passages.

4th grader using highlighter.

My 4th grade students needed practice finding the main idea, inference, supporting details and other elements of text. I found these great comprehension books that are common core aligned. Notice that I write notes to my students before copying so they know exactly what they will be doing with the packets. We go over our answers at the end and students make corrections and we discuss WHY the answer is right. I don't have them put Xs on the ones they have wrong, they just erase and put the right one after we discuss it. I encourage my students to voice their opinions and why they thought their answer was right. Sometimes they make very good points and they really should get some credit! With only 3 or 4 questions per passage, it doesn't take long and my students get to discuss the reasoning behind the questions.

4th grade - after finding the words, they glue the I Can statement in their notebooks, and write the word, definition, illustration, sentence and part of speech. We call these notebooks our Vocabulary Word Notebooks. I have used this for years and love them. Nothing like color to keep students interested.

4th grade - You can see the I Can Statement better in this picture. This student loves to illustrate her words! Notice she also has the CCSS Standard in the upper left hand corner.

Some students take great pains in coloring their cubes!

The last day we use the Vocabulary Question Cubes. We have to make them about 3 times a year since they are paper and get messy after being used so many times. After about the 3rd time, (you can see from the picture above,) students really get creative in their coloring!

They might be discussing their words or the story while coloring, but they have to keep their discussion on literacy. Sometimes I will put out recorders on the tables to make sure they follow this.

Finished product and ready to play!

You do not have to "play" a game with these cubes. They can be used as an exit ticket at the end of a class. I have also had students use these independently with whisper phones so they can hear themselves say the word and see if they remember the definition. These are great for buddies to use during literacy centers. Let me know any ideas you have for how these can be used!

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Loving The Photo Boxes for Math Centers!

Just a heads up that the boxes are on sale at Michaels right now. $14.99! Really a good buy and you can use them for so many things! 

Many of the craft stores are selling photo boxes. Some are clear, others have different colored bins. I ordered a set and started to put pictures but then decided to make centers for my Kinders. Colored coded - easy to pack away - exactly what my group of Kinders needed.

http://www.michaels.com/iris-color-photo-craft-keeper/10468242.html

They come on sale every once in a while. I think mine was 19.99. I love these cases for centers. Of course I had to make something for my Kinders.

This is the way I keep mine stored. The math center is all about number sense in Kindergarten.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Centers-Print-and-Pack-Number-Sense-Practice-All-Year-Just-Add-Clips-3123602

The cards are as closely colored coded to the photo boxes as I could get. I just open the case and students take out the boxes that they need to finish or that they haven't done yet. There are over 100 pages with 3 cards on each page. That makes around 300 colored coded math cards. I will be adding more this summer when I start thinking of my Kinders needs at the beginning of the year. 

This is an addition card. Students take the little clips (read about these on another post) Making Centers. (search for December 2013! They have lasted quite a while!) My students love those little clips! They beg me to give them centers just so they can use them. After a few years of use, you do need to add some Gorilla Glue to get them to stay on, but they are well worth the trouble!

The girls love the stars and hearts. I do have sports themed and animals themed clips also. They can choose whatever they want. I keep a lot of them!

Very easy to put everything back in place. 

I keep the clips in plastic take out boxes.

All straightened up! Read for next time!

I introduced this center one small group at a time. I wanted all my students to know how to use the recording sheets that come with the Math Center packet and how to put things back. Plus, there are some cards that might need explaining, especially the number bond cards. I tried to differentiate the cards when needed. Those boxes are labeled with green for grade level and yellow for below. 

The recording sheets are simple. The one pictured is for the number bonds and addition and subtraction cards. Kinders will get lots of practice using this set. My ELL (English Language Learners) will also get a lot of use out of this because it is all visual. They have to count. I do have a few plastic containers of those wonderful small erasers that I use for my ELL students. They can take the erasers and put over the little animal pictures they are counting to help them keep track.

In this picture my student is wearing her Dolphin Headband. We are doing Dolphin Research and next Sharks! I like for them to wear headbands. It is fun and keeps them focused on what they are researching. This is all in my Dolphin Writing and Research packet for Kindergarten. They are doing amazing writing! (because they love the subjects!)

Click on the picture to view this packet on TPT!

Thanks so much for reading my blog! If you got this far I really appreciate your patience! I do 'talk' a lot! 

Beginning of the Year in Kindergarten!

This was my post last year about this time.... not much has changed except I have 20 sweet Kinders this year!!!
Well my time this school year has definitely been spent having a great time getting to know my Kinders! I love Kindergarten! I started out teaching K and now I am hoping to stay with this grade until *****Retirement Time.*****

The best thing about Kindergarten is having 27 little darlings who absolutely LOVE their teacher. They hug me and tell me they love me constantly... even when I am asking them to move their color. The second best thing about Kindergarten is seeing students LEARN! You can actually see the progress day by day. How rewarding is that! Some people get their rewards making money, teachers get their rewards by knowing they are helping little people!

One thing we are doing every minute is Letter Recognition. This is a Standard:

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.K.1d Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.

Having fun with Letter Recognition is what my students love to do best. We play games, we use flash cards, we do all kinds of things. One of the best ways I have found to help students with letter recognition AND know their color names are my "Letter Recognition Practice - 8 Mystery Pictures To Color!"

My students love doing these. At the beginning of the year I gave these out, but I had to color in each 'crayon' for them so they would begin recognizing their colors. Now that 2 months have gone by, (well almost 2) I printed these out again and they have to look at the color words to figure out the colors.

There are 8 different pictures in this set and by this time most students had completed about 6 of them at various times during the month. They are great when someone finishes up their work or as morning work. I kept all of the completed pictures in their folders and had them pick their best work to put up!

Thanks for reading my Blog! 

If you have any questions about anything posted, please just let me know. My email is pamjmmes@gmail.com.

The Mystery Pictures are in my TPT store. . I have two sets, one is the Letter Recognition pictured here and the other is Sight Word Practice. Both are fun for students and they really do LEARN while having fun!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sight-Word-Practice-Mystery-Pictures-to-Color-Centers-Activities-K-1031695

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Letter-Recognition-8-Mystery-Pictures-to-Color-1031156#show-price-update

Thanks for reading!