Fan Freebie Now Available On Our Facebook Page

Whoa, life sure is busy these days and I have every intention of catching everyone up on what’s going on in my life but until then I have linked up a Fan Freebie for you on our Facebook Page.  You can pick up these "sweet" activities just in time for Valentine's Day; all you need to do is stop by our Facebook Page  and click on Fan Freebie.

       Little Reader      

Noun/Adjective Activity

Click on one of the Images to head on over to our Facebook Page

 and  Grab Your Freebie

Have a Great Week!

Alison

January Freebies and a Sneak Peak at a MLK Freebie for Tomorrow

   Oh Boy has the last month been a crazy one around my house.  We have experienced two different snow storms, basketball games,  Christmas;including programs and multiple family dinners, basketball games, and my mom had two back surgeries which kept me away from home for most of December.  Did I say basketball games?  I have been a little frazzled to say the least.  I finally got my tree up three days before Christmas and down about a week ago so blogging really hasn't been on my radar.  My new years resolution  for this blog is to post more, giveaway more, and neglect less.  Teachers are so under paid and give so much of themselves I want to help as much as I can by posting regular freebies. I will not always post them to my store so you will need to check back to take advantage of the freebies.  I will also have items to post to my store but I hope to always have something to give away as well.  Today I want to share with you two items from my 

The possibilities are endless for this freebie during your January Writer's Workshop.  

   Here's a calendar that students can use to fill in the days of the month. I like to start out by having my kiddos look at a December calendar and recall the last day of December, then we discuss what would be the first day in January.  We also say our song about how many days are in January.  You know the one.....Oh wait another freebie.........Here's a copy......

                     

After a short discussion of what the last number should be in the month of January, your kiddos will be ready to  complete their calendar independently or as a group depending on your class.  There's another calendar with question related to the days in my January Printables Pack .  You can check it out here...... 

48 pages for $4

Check back tomorrow for another great freebie.  I have created a 

Martin Luther  King True/False freebie similar to  the very successful Veteran's Day True/False Freebie that can still be  downloaded in my store.  Here's a sneak peak.....

Have a great Monday!  Don't forget to check back tomorrow!!!!

Alison 

Fall Freebies

Fall is definetly in the air and after last weeks post for  my "fall addition color by number freebie" I decided that I had to do something more with Krista's adorable clip art.  As the result of the fall wind storm blowing through my head, here are a few more fall freebies for you to enjoy.

 

 

 

If you have freebies you would like to share please remember to link up with

 

 

Happy Fall!

Alison

 

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A Little Plant Freebie!

Hey all! 

Alison and I just got back from the trip to visit Maria Walther.  Wow!  I absolutely LOVE getting to see other teachers’ classrooms.  It makes me feel so revitalized.  I came in my room today to rearrange my desks and to post a little plant freebie for you!  I hope I can get back in the blogging swing of things.

My kids and I planted seeds in a Ziploc bag with cotton balls and water last week.  I actually have had good luck with dry lima beans, from the grocery store!  When the seed starts to crack and sprout, they can see the changes through the bag.  I've been doing this trick forever so I really don’t know where I found the idea originally. Here is a picture of their bags:

While I was gone on Friday, the kids wrote some observations.  I love seeing them use the plant vocabulary we've been using in our discussions!

If you would like the freebie, click here.  After we see them sprout, we plant the sprouts in a cup filled with potting soil.  They get to water them and watch them grow a little more before they take it home.

I would love to know what you all are teaching in the last few weeks of school!  We are going to delve into some poetry writing (thanks to Maria Walter’s inspiration!) and learn about bugs and arachnids.  Thanks for reading!

~Caroline

Reading Strategies Freebie

I can't believe that spring break is only 2 1/2 days away.  I don't know about you but I have two thoughts here, number one I am more than ready for a break and number two I can't believe we are already heading into the last quarter! Where on earth does the time go? 

 

This week we are spending time DRA testing our students.  DRA testing brings on so many feelings for me; it  is super exciting to see the amazing progress some students have made but also frustrating and sad to see that some students are still struggling to become readers.   But that is A OK because we have sailed into, as I call it ...........

While testing students can be stressful, my many years of teaching first grade has taught me that even though there are only nine weeks left..... amazing things can happen in just four.  Honestly, it does seem like some of those kiddos can barely read a level 4 one day and the next day they are tearing up a level 24!  Believe in the Magic of First Grade

 

Here's an updated version of my reading strategies posters to help get your kiddos through the Magic of March! 



 

Back to the Basics Math Station Freebies

Yes!  I'm obsessed with clip art.  Yes , I love making cute stations for math or just about anything else!   However, sometimes it's nice to simplify a little and  go back to the basics and practice math skills with familiar, simple, no prep type games and such like the ones Math Their Way and Debbie Diller have taught us over the years.(youngins you probably learned with MTW when you were growing up)  So this week in my room you will not find cute little leprechaun, president, or weather related math stations but you will find the following..........

                                                          

      The Estimation Station-This is one of the students favorite stations.  While at this station  students get to roam the room and ask everyone for their estimation of what is in the jar.  During our second rotation this station turns into the "Question of the Day" station.

   Telling Time Station

 

 Rock N Roll Addition- Roll two dice

and add the numbers together. 

 

 

 

 

Domino Addition-Use the two numbers on the Domino to make a number sentence. I have also included a Domino subtraction record sheet. 

 

I didn't get pictures for the "Break Away Subtraction" or  "Tons of  Fun with Tens and Ones" which probably need the most explaining.  Break Away subtraction-We are working  on subtraction from ten so each student has 10 cubes linked together, they "Break Away" part of the tower and then write a number sentence.  Example: 10 BREAK AWAY 4 WOULD BE 10-4=6.  Tons of Fun: students roll two dice to make a number  Example:  Dice one 5 Dice two 3  the number would be 53. Students would then draw and write how many tens and how many ones.    You can down load all of the record sheets for these activities here.

Graphics by Scrappin Doodles, First Grade Brain, and Tales From Outside the Classroom

                                                                               Enjoy

                                                 ~Alisonhttps://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8nk0zAfy9MPaDNNTENUOEIzaDA/edithttps://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8nk0zAfy9MPaDNNTENUOEIzaDA/edit

Verb, Verb, Verb....Verb is the WORD! FREEBIE

OH MY WORD learning about Verbs can be so much fun!  Last week we started a lesson on verbs by playing a little game of Simon Says. This is the kind of  activity that bring about comments like, "You are the best teacher ever" and "This is the best day of my life".  Awww what it would be like to be 7 and so easily excited again.  Ok, so after our game of  Simon Says we made a list of verbs.  Next each student picked a verb they wanted to illustrate using a pipe cleaner and a few pieces of scrap paper.  I had each student  tell me what they were illustrating before we got started because otherwise everyone would have illustrated "jump", true story it happened to me. I have been making these with my class for years and they always turn out so stinkin cute, I love art that shows such individuality.  Grab your copy of the Verb page here. 

Graphics from Teaching in a Small Town

You can find the Verb Write the Room page and 53 other write the room activities in my teacher store just click the picture.



 

 

Later in the week students became word detectives as they looked for verbs in the room during Write the Room.  My write the room activities are simple, a copy of the type of word to look for, a clipboard and a pencil.  The students look around the room for words on the word wall, book titles, charts, posters, etc.  I DO NOT prepost words I want the students to find, if I did I would have never  heard this OH SO ADORABLE conversation. 

....As two students scoured the Calendar area for words I overheard two of my kiddos arguing over whether the word March was a verb.  I wish I could have recorded their argument because as one was saying March is not a verb,  the other one was stomping his little feet in the angriest march I have ever seen and saying, "yes you can march , LOOK! I"M MARCHING!  If you can do it , it's a verb!!!!!!!! " LESSON OVER! 
 
~Alison

 

Snowman Fiction Writing and A Freebie

So I was going to post last weekend but life has been a little hectic.  Both of my little guys got that yucky snotty gross cold thing going around and it has been TONS of fun at my house!  J

When I got back from maternity leave, I really wanted to get my kids going on writing more stories.  Have I mentioned I love teaching writing???  My sub did a fabulous job getting them going with writing using a 4 square plan so we were able to take right off.  I noticed that they were having a problem writing imaginary stories so I came up with a graphic organizer to help them plan their story before they wrote.  Here’s a freebie of it if you want to try it out! 

To provide some background, we read The Snowman by Raymond Briggs, a wordless picture book.  We worked together on a larger version of the graphic organizer first.

The next day, I read Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner to help them brainstorm some ideas for their own snowman story.  I passed out the graphic organizers and we went through each area step by step.  We talked about the characters, the setting, and then the beginning, middle and end.  I did this one section at a time so they had time to think about their story, not just write something quickly without a plot.   

Here is one of my kiddos plans:

We talked about how a lot of imaginary stories start.  Many wanted to write “Once upon a time.”  We decided it would be good to tell the characters and setting on the first page so readers know who and what they are reading about! 

Then we were on our way to publishing their own book.   I have “books” made by stapling half sheets of paper together.  I don’t have lines on the pages because I let them put their words where they wish, just like an author and illustrator would in a real book.  I let them illustrate their own books.  It’s great to see the different levels of writing and drawing in my room!

\

After they wrote and illustrated their story, I introduced the idea of a blurb.  What is a blurb???   I honestly didn't know the name of this until I started teaching first grade!  It is what the author puts on the back of the book so people can find out what the story is about.  My kids are all about blurbs now.  Here are a few of my favs!

Enjoy!

Caroline

New Year's Craftivity and I'm Baaaaaack from Maternity Leave

So…first off…Happy New Year!  This past year was a crazy, busy, exciting, nerve-wracking, and short (?) year.  I had a new baby, finished grad school (for the second time…lol), and started this blog with Alison.  I can’t wait to see what 2013 has in store!

Since I’ve been just a little absent from this blog, I thought I would introduce you to the reason why!

 This is  little guy #2, he was born at 33 weeks due to my severe pre-eclampsia that started a few days before his birth.  Thankfully he’s been growing like a weed even though he started out teeny tiny.  He’s my little cuddly guy.  The sad thing is, I have to go back to work on Monday!  Why can’t he come with me? 

While I hate that I have to leave little guy at the babysitter, I am super excited about seeing my kiddos again.  I had the pleasure of reading their letters to me and I cracked up.  One gave me a multiple-choice quiz:

Dear Mrs. Mason,

How is your baby doing?  fine     not fine   (circle one).  Does Little Guy #1 like him?  yes   no  (circle one). 

Love,

Zach

My hubs doesn’t get how funny/cute I found that.  It went on with about 3 more questions, too.  I can’t believe I forgot it on my desk!

Speaking of desks, lets talk New Year’s Resolutions and my new FREE crafitivity at my TPT store.  It’s a little door that the kids put together and place their resolutions or goals inside.   You can put your students real picture inside or have them draw a self-portrait.  Either one is cute!  There are two different choices, either students write goals or resolutions.  Enjoy!

What does that have to do with desks you ask?  WELL, let’s just say I’m a messy desk teacher and try as I might to keep it clean, stacks of books and papers grow.  So, I am going to do my best to keep my desk neat, if not completely cleared off in 2013.  Any other messy desk teachers out there?   Anyone? 

Here's my resolution:

Let us know what your teaching resolution is!!  If you like what you see, leave a comment!  I'd love to hear from you.  Happy New Year!

***Caroline***

Adjective and Contraction Freebies for If You Take a Mouse to the Movies

Yikes!  I can't believe there are only two more days of school before Christmas break.  I am trying so hard to squeeze in everything I have planned to do before break.  This week we have been reading , "If You Take a Mouse to the Movies".   The kids absolutely LOVED reading this book.  There are oodlees and gobs of fun activities to do with  all of Laura Numeroff's books.  Here are just two of the activities we did with the story.  First we talked about contractions:   

                                            Graphics by Scrappin Doodles & Loreen Leady

                                                            Grab your copy Here


In another activity we spent a little time exploring popcorn while also learning about adjectives .  Everyone knows you can't go to the movies without popcorn!  Right?   We started by talking about how the popcorn felt, looked, and smelled. 

 

Look how incredibly adorable these two are exploring together, they absolutely  cracked me up!  Do they look into this activity or what?  I think they are future Scientist INDEED! 

 

  Once we were finished LOOKIN' and a SNIFFIN' we did a little TASTIN'.  Then we used this Pinterest  inspired chart to make a list of the findings from our exploration.   If you know what blog this originally came from please let me know. 

 

 

Following our group chart and chat about adjectives students had the chance to make their own list of adjectives.  Look how hard this little guy is working to stretch out his sounds as he writes, so sweet. (looks like a vowel sound in the works huh?)

Grab Your Copy Here

 

Well friends I actually had more to share but it's time for this gal to get to bed! 

 

~Alison