A Fox and a Kit Craftivity

I think some of the best activities I have created are my craftivities because they really engage!  They are also easy to display and the kiddos LOVE seeing their own work in the hallway, classroom, ANYWHERE!! I've tried to create a craftivity for all of the First Grade Reading Street stories so over the next few weeks I will try to put them all up on the blog so they are easy to find!

You can grab the Fox and a Kit craftivity HERE.

Friday Featured Freebies

Fridays are freebie days!! Check out these freebies:

1. Chevron Theme Birthday Display

    

2.  Fact and Opinion Anchor Chart

     

3.  Addition Strategy Cards

     

4.  Subtraction Strategy Cards

If you download these freebies please leave feedback. 

Thanks Bunches!!!

Wednesday's Weekly Favorite Pins

Here are my favorite pins from the week:

1.  Interactive notebook storage can always be an issue.  Keep them organized and neat in magazine racks! Easy and inexpensive!

Pinterest Link

2.  These attention getters are perfect!

Pinterest Link

3.  Anchor charts ROCK!  I can totally see this decoding strategies anchor chart in a classroom as one that you add to as you teach the strategies!

Pinterest Link

4.  Build number sense with this great idea. Use the back of the pieces in a 100 piece puzzle.  Write the numbers from 1 - 100 and place in a center.

Pinterest Link

Be sure to follow me on Pinterest:  HERE

Two for Tuesday

It's summer so that means it is time for Two for Tuesdays!  Each week I will offer two products for the price of one! This week's featured products are my Brag Tags and Silent E is a Ninja.  

Brag Tags

See this blog post for how to use brag tags in your classroom:  Do You Brag Tag?

Silent E is a Ninja

Introduce your firsties to silent e with this Ninja unit!

New Product Alert

When someone contacts me and asks me to make a product for them it just makes my heart smile!! Below are two of my newest products that came about through requests:

Mister Bones Dinosaur Hunter Literacy Activities

In 2013 my district purchased the most current version of Reading Street and some of the stories changed. All of my units were based on the stories of the new series because that's what I was teaching. Recently I had a request to create units for those stories that had been replaced.  Click on the link above to purchase the unit for Mister Bones Dinosaur Hunter.  I'm working on units for all of the replaced stories. 
If you would like to purchase Mister Bones directly from me and save $0.50 click on the Buy Now button below! 

My latest edition of my interactive notebooks is Adding With Tens and Ones.  Supplement your math lessons with this interactive notebook.  It is aligned with Envision Math topic 10 but can be used with any curriculum because it is standards based.

Interactive Notebook Adding With Tens and Ones

I have a 3rd grade teacher at my school that is loving brag tags so I've made her some brag tags for the Measurement and Data Standards in Math. When a student masters a standard they get a brag tag and they are loving it!!

Third Grade Measurement and Data Brag Tags

Craftivities are the BOMB!

I love a good craftivity where kiddos are learning and don't even realize it!!! I've been really busy creating some craftivities for some of my second grade friends.  So please share with your second grade friends if you think they can use them or better yet maybe you can use them in your first grade classroom too! 

Bad Dog Dodger is such a fun book and these 2nd graders did a fantastic job with their craftivities. If you are looking for a fun way to teach RL 2.3 you can grab A Bad Dog Dodger Craftivity HERE.

Teach opinion writing W 2.1 with this fun craftivity for A Froggy Fable or supplement your frog unit! Grab it HERE.

I think this unit on community workers is one of my favorites!  You can pair it with the story Firefighters or supplement your community workers unit!  Your students will choose one of the 4 workers included, research that worker and write a narrative about the worker.  Meets standards W 1.3, 1.7, 2.3 & 2.7. You can grab the unit HERE.

The second graders at my school had soooo much fun researching and writing!  Some had so much to write about they wrote across several pages!!!

Before writing their teacher grouped them according to the worker they chose. Collaboratively the groups researched the workers and put their info on large chart paper.  Once that was complete they presented their information to the class.  Sooooo impressed with the work of these guys!!!

For The First Tortilla I focused on teaching standard RL 2.7 and creating 3 graphic organizers focused on character, setting and plot. Grab it HERE.

RL 2.1 is the focus of the Sign Maker's Assistant Craftivity.  I created a GIST graphic organizer and included directions on how to use the GIST strategy. 
Grab it HERE.

Dear Teacher Take a Breath Everything Will Be Okay

Dear Teacher,

Take a breath. Everything will be okay. I promise. 

I just hung up the phone with our oldest who is in his first year as a teacher.  He's stressed...to the max! One of my dear friends was brought to tears on Friday because of her stress level.  You can look at the faces of some of the teachers I work with and see the stress. I can look in the mirror and see the stress.  Our job is tough! Really tough!!! It doesn't matter if you are a first year teacher or a 25 year veteran. So many demands from so many directions. Let's take a moment to breathe and remember why you teach.  It's those little people that love you no matter what.  They are the reason you walk into that classroom every day.  Perspective is everything! Love them, teach them and let go of things that are out of your control.