Free Editable Resource for Valentine's Day!

Hello all! Valentine's Day is quickly arriving so I am trying to engage my students' (and their energy) as much as possible! I have created a free resource in hopes that you all can use it in your classrooms! I have used Google Slides to create them and I hope I am sharing them with you correctly! :) Please click here to see if you can access it and edit it! Please let me know if you can access this resource!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Word Work and Work on Writing

Hello all!

So let's get this over with...yep. I haven't blogged in almost a year...

This is what I've been up to: 

I hope this is a pretty good reason for me to disappear...again. :) Life is very different for me now and I wouldn't have it any other way! :)

Now I'm a wife, mommy, and teacher-blogger. I am focusing a lot on the first two things since early July but am trying to get back into the blogging thing...again! ;)

My school uses The Daily 5 Literacy Block Model. I am constantly trying to figure out ways to keep my students engaged in their Literacy activities (my group this year is very challenging) while appropriately challenging them.

Last year, I made a free literacy center that used task cards to spell simple CVC words, color words, and number words. The intention was to have students use these cards along with magnetic letters to read and spell words. I have recently updated the file to include a recording sheet for my struggling students and wanted to share the product again in hopes that others can use it in their classrooms!

Check it out on TpT here

Here are some pictures of the product so you can get a better look at what I'm describing! :)

I hope that anyone reading this post finds this freebie useful and that your students enjoy using it! :)

Mary

Sight Words (I NEVER blog! :|)

Hello all!

I know...I know... I never ever blog! :| 

It's been a good 5-6 months since I last blogged here. I had been spending my time watching the BEST sport ever, baseball! ;) When the school year started, I updated my Facebook page a few times but also slacked there too...I'm hopeless! Ha!

This school year has been fun and has FLOWN by! My sweet Kinders started the year with excitement and have kept that excitement throughout! Anywhoo...

I've been really focusing on sight word recognition lately since I have several sweeties that are still stuck on reading Level 1 books. I wanted to share some of the strategies that I've tried that have really worked well for my group! 

1. SpellingCity.com

I created a FREE account on this website and was able to created my own list of words there! Then, I used those lists I created to play "Hang Mouse" which is one of the free games you can have your sweeties play! Check out a picture of two of my littles playing the game!

Ever since we started to play this game during our Center rotations, sight word recognition has increased 10%! That is with only two weeks practice! I'm thrilled that they love this and are learning by using it! :)

2. "Find the Heart" game

I have placed sight word cards in a pocket chart and hidden a small pink heart (for Valentine's Day) behind one word. Students must guess which word I have hidden it behind by saying the name of the sight word. Once we find it, I hide it again! Eventually, with more practice, students will be doing this all by themselves! This has helped even my struggling students with sight word recognition! Unfortunately, I have neglected to take any pictures of this! :|

OH! This game is adjustable to any season/theme! For instance, I plan on hiding a paper tooth behind the words when it is time to study dental health and a pot of gold behind the words during our study of Ireland and Saint Patrick's Day!

3. Have Fun Teaching Sight Word Videos

Alas, these used to be free on Have Fun Teaching's youtube sight. SIGH... These videos are really catchy and my students really like singing along to them and it helps them to use the words in context properly! I caved. I bought them off of Have Fun Teaching's website for $10. Worth it. CHECK THEM OUT!!!!!!

Okay, I've shared my simple tips...what are yours? Do I need to know about an awesome strategy?! Let me know in the comments below!

Hope everyone is having a great week! If you haven't visited it, please check out my Blog Facebook page and "like" it for me!!!! :)

Mary

Back from Hiatus...I hope! :)

Hello all!

I am back from my self-imposed hiatus...I hope! I know I have never been that consistent of a blogger so I am hoping that this time away (and dealing with my personal problems) has helped me realize I need to update my little blog more often!

Since the last time I blogged, I've been trying to take some time for me while focusing on the ending of the school year. I won't pretend...I didn't take many photos to document what my littles learned...I was in FULL ON pity party mode!

I will share a few photos of my littles when they made insects out of candy back in May! :) This group of students really enjoyed learning all they could about insects! It was wonderful to engage their brains in a different way AND assess what they've learned at the same time! I wanted to see if they remembered that insects have 3 body parts and six legs. I was ecstatic to see that some of the students even added antennae/wings!

This idea came to me from DeAnna Jump's Insects pack on Teachers Pay Teachers! Check it out; it has TONS of great resources and ideas to help out with any insect study! Here are some pictures! Enjoy the cuteness!

The kids really enjoyed this culminating project and so did I! Yes, there were a few tummy aches. Yes, I warned them not to eat so much sugar. Yes, it was FUN! Oh, and YES, I would do this again in a heartbeat! :)

If you're still interested in know what I've been up to, I'll share a few more photos! :)

If I haven't mentioned it before (let's face it, I probably haven't), I LOVE baseball. Love it. There isn't a better sport out there, in my opinion! I will watch it on TV, I will read about it, and I will go to as many games as I can possibly afford! ;)

This spring and summer, I got my hubby into/back into baseball (YAY!). I've been convincing him to drive all over Ohio to watch the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians as often as possible! There is nothing better than watching a game of baseball at a stadium! It, along with the beach, is my happy place! Ha! We are having so much fun rooting on our Ohio teams; it has been a great summer so far! Here are a few pics of our baseball adventures!!!!

So much fun!

Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio 

Mascot race!! Mr. Redlegs edged out Rosie for the win!

Love this man!!!! :)

I'm a happy girl!

So there you have it...I have been obsessed with taking care of ME after a very trying time in my life. Selfish? Maybe. Needed? Definitely. Feeling better? Yes. Still going through a tough time? Yes, but definitely getting better. 

Thanks for sticking it out! If you need me, I'll be a the ball field! Ha!!!!!

Mary

The Great Disappearing Blogger!

Hello blogging buddies! I know I haven't updated my blog since February (yikes!). I am going through a tough time in my personal life and just haven't had the time (or sanity) to update my blog. I hope you won't forget about me! I also hope to update you on my classroom happenings soon! :) Thanks for understanding!

Mary

Go to Sleep, Groundhog!

Hello again friends!

On my last blog post, I said I was going to work on a companion for the story, Go to Sleep, Groundhog! I’m happy to say that I kept true to my word and made it!

I’ve uploaded it to TpT for FREE. Go check it out!

That's all for me...busy day ahead! Cleaning the house, prepping my food for the week, and running errands! I hope you all have a wonderful week! :)

Mary

Click here to see it! If you like it, please give it 4 stars!

Groundhog's Day Resources

It is STILL cold here in Ohio! :( Seriously, I'm pretty much done with this cold and wintery weather! I have been to school ONE DAY this week! Only one! I'm not a typical teacher who does snow dances and wears her pajamas inside out... I really don't like to miss school. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy an occasional break but come on! I've been in school 11 days since coming back from winter break. 

I can't get those little sweeties back on a regular schedule! It's been stressful and tiring just to keep up with them and keep them engaged! Whew! Rant over...again...I promise! I hope that this is not a pattern...I want warmer weather STAT! :)

With Groundhog's Day coming up, I was thinking of what activities I could do to keep my crazy littles occupied so I came up with something I PRAY they will love!

I made a story retelling/counting game based on the book Ten Grouchy Groundhogs by Kathryn Heling. If you haven't seen this book, do yourself a favor and GET IT! Click on the picture to see it on Amazon.com!

Click here if clicking the picture doesn't work! :)

Before reading the story, place the picture cards up on a book stand, whiteboard, etc. As you read through the story, take one groundhog card down until the last one remains. As the remaining groundhog finds his friends above ground, add the cards back and count back to ten! Click below to grab the game! I hope you like it!

Try clicking here if clicking the picture doesn't work! :)

If you download it and love it, please let me know by commenting below! If you don't love it, please let me know why (remember to be professional and courteous!) I'm also hoping to work on a cute companion to the book Go to Sleep, Groundhog! by Judy Cox. HOPEFULLY I can motivate myself to work on it later tonight before going to sleep! :)

Okay...ONE more thing to share! I follow Scholastic Teaching Resources on Facebook and they posted a link to a page FULL of Groundhog's Day activities & ideas! Click here to be taken to that page! It has a video about groundhogs and a link to the "Let's Find Out!" magazine that is interactive and helps teach your little people all about groundhogs! I'm geeking out because it is so great! :)

Well friends, I hope to write to you soon discussing all the OCEANS of fun I'm having WITH my Kindergarteners! Have an excellent rest of your week! Keep me accountable and make sure I'm working on that companion to Go to Sleep, Groundhog!

Thanks for Reading!

Mary