Falling for Word Sorts!

Well...Fall is here!  I love fall, it is my favorite season.  After working with a student who was struggling with the different sound of c and g, I was inspired to create two word sorts. 

Hard and Soft G tree....

Students take leaves that have words with hard and soft g sounds.  Students place the words on the appropriate tree.  (Either the Hard G or Soft G tree)  The best part about this center is there are three degrees a difficulty.  There are leaves where the sound is at the beginning.  There are leaves where the sound is at the middle and end. However, the leaves can be mixed and students can practice with all three types of words.

Hard and Soft C tree...
Is exactly like the Hard and Soft G tree.  It can be played three ways...just beginning sounds, with middle and ending sounds, or with all three sounds.

I also created a center to help students practice their basic addition facts.  Coming soon will be a center for basic subtraction, addition with regrouping, and possible subtraction with regrouping.

In this center students make the worms "eat" the apple by threading the worm through the slits on apple with the addition problem that matches the answer on the worm. 

While you are checking out these items, please check out the other items at the TPT store...Doodlebug's Dittos! 

Synonyms



As I was reading the bedtime story The Napping House by Audrey Wood to my daughter for the 100th time, I was struck with sudden inspiration for a lesson on Synonyms.  The following lesson I did with my students this week, and it was a huge success.  Now they are searching for synonyms all over the place. 

Click on the image below to download the lesson from TPT.  While you are there, check out my TPT store. 

Alternative Seating in the Classroom

Why did I choose to have alternative seating options in my classroom?



Do we all learn the same?  NO!  With that being said, why do we expect all kids to learn in the same environment?  A few years ago I was inspired by two amazing teachers at my school.  I came in after a nice long summer break to see they had replaced the desks and chairs in the their rooms with lower tables, exercise balls, moon chairs, pillows, and other various seating options.
The light bulb went on!  Why do I expect all my students to sit in a chair and desk and learn?  At home I do my best work on the couch with the sound of the TV in the background...I would NOT learn best at a desk and chair.  So I too transformed my classroom.

I added the following items...

a futon. 

I allow two students to sit on here at a time.  Students can get clipboards or lap desks for writing, which ever they prefer.

lower tables and exercise balls.

moon chairs and cubes.

Again students can use clipboards or lap desks to write on.

even lower table and pillows.

Other seating options that are not pictured yet.  (I will post more pictures as my room continues to come together.)

1.  mini stools

2. bean bags

A lot of time is spent at the beginning of the year modeling expectations for sitting in a classroom like this.  I share with the students that they need to try out all spots and decide where they learn best.   When I notice that student is not on task I will have a discussion with that student about how this spot isn't helping them be the best they can and they are not learning all they can.  After time, conversations, and practice students fall into a routine of picking their spot and getting to work.  It is interesting to see how students will continually pick a spot that is best for them.
This is not to say that you will not have any behavior issues...to say so would be a fantasy.  We all know that no matter what setting you have in your classroom, kids will be kids and test the waters every now and again.  However, this arrangement is will provide a comfortable place where learning is conducive.

***Any student that would prefer a desk and chair is always welcome to one.***

Summer Summer Summer TIME!

I have been MIA! Well below is the reason for my absence.

My days have been filled with Cheerios, toys, dirty diapers, naps (Pinterest time for mommy), hugs, Dora, books and lots and lots of FUN!  I am already naming this the BEST summer ever!  Last summer my little peanut was only a few months old, so this summer is totally different and I am loving every minute.

I have however been logging some time on Pinterest and I am getting inspired for this upcoming school year.  I will be blogging about all my "inspirations" as I try them in my classroom.  If I make any kind of resource, I will post it to Teachers Pay Teachers as a FREE resource.

PREVIEW as what is to come!

1. Friday Journals

Students will journal a letter to their parents about what they did during the week. 

2. Daily 5 writing board

A board with activities with independent writing activities to do during Daily 5

3. Organization

The end is near!

Coffee in the morning, Moutain Dew at lunch, and maybe some wine at night.  This is how I'm surviving the end of the year! :)  The end of the year brings such excitement for both students and teacher.  At the same time it can make us all go a little crazy too.
I want to appologize for not posting anything of great importance in a while.  I am finishing up all assessments, report cards, our class DVD, and packing up my room.  Doesn't sound like much, but just when I think I am close to the end, I remember something else that I need to do.  While trying to do all of this...I have to teach a room of twenty-one eight year olds.  However, I would not trade this job for anything in the world.  I love what I do and I love my students.  I am really going to miss them. 

I met The Sisters!

For those of you who have been following my blog, know how much I L-O-V-E the Daily 5 and CAFE!  So when I got to meet The Sisters this week at the IRA conference in Chicago I was a blubbering mess. I wish I would have been a little more coherent and shared with them the impact their books have had on my classroom and my teaching. 
Oh well, who knows maybe I will get to meet them again and be able to compose myself enough to speak professionally.

CAFE and Daily 5

Here is my CAFE menu board.

I use the CAFE board to show students all the areas of good reading.  When I teach a specific comprehension, accuracy (decoding), fluency, or expanding vocabulary strategy I add it to our CAFE board.  Then when I conference with students we put their names on star Post-It notes for them to mark what strategy they are specifically working on.

I teach a CAFE lesson prior to starting Daily 5. My lesson will last any where from 10 to 15 minutes.  Students then use their Daily 5 card to select what Daily 5 activity they will do for the first 30 minute rotation.  After 30 minutes, I ring a bell two times, which signals students to clean up and meet me on the rug.  Then, I will teach another CAFE lesson or I a writing lesson. (10 to 15 minutes)  After the lesson, students use their Daily 5 card again to select what Daily 5 activity they will do for the second 30 minute rotation. 

What do I teach for my CAFE lessons?

A while back I found a teachers website that had a Beanie Baby for each of the comprehension and accuracy (decoding) strategies.  I LOVE this as did my students.  So when I embraced Daily 5 and CAFE I did not want to lose this.  However, with the CAFE board, I no longer had room to display all the Beanie Babies. I came up with a solution!  I added picture of the Beanie Babies to each of the CAFE menu cards.

**The link to the Beanie Baby Reading Strategies, is off of my classroom website. I am NOT the creator of these strategies.  The lady who created them no longer has them up on her website.  The last I heard she was working on publishing them, but has not done so at this time.**

http://aschilb.emsd37.org/reading/ReadingSTR.htm

I do not teach all of the CAFE strategies that "The Sisters" have laid out in their book.  I do use Cross Check, Tune into Interesting Words, and Read Good Fit Books.  I also do not introduce strategies in a specific order.  I introduce what the majority of my students are needing at the time. 

I use trade books for interactive read alouds/shared reading, anchor charts, science and social studies big books (content area) to teach and model each of the various comprehension, accuracy, fluency, and vocabulary strategies. 

My goal is to slowly upload some of  my "go to" lessons that I use to introduce these strategies. Please keep checking back often!