Sickly, but I survived! And a freebie!

I know I haven't been on here...or around anywhere like normal because like

so many teachers lately...I have been sick, coughing, coughing, and more coughing.  But I am feeling a bit better (not sure how long that will last since we still have to take the kids out in the cool air to go trick-or-treating in a bit).  Sooo...I thought I would go ahead and post a freebie that I am planning on using tomorrow as a before/after writing activity (especially since you can never have too many things to keep post-sugar frenzied children busy!)  

click the picture to get your copy!  

If you download it, consider leaving me a comment or even better yet, visit Circle of Moms by clicking the button below and voting for my blog!!

Here is to hoping for a peaceful 'day after' tomorrow!

Trick or Treat Candy Corn Freebie!

A fun freebie for candy corn art using tissue paper and a candy corn poem poster.
Get them by clicking the pictures below

Join us for some fun over at Me and My Gang

 for some fun Halloween treats and goodies!  Members will be posting all week! On a personal note,

today was pretty much a horrid day...and I would ask for a "do over"

...but who wants to do over a day like today??  lol

On a happier note,

 there is a new blogger on the block and she is having a $15 Target card Giveaway:

Click her button to enter and become a follower!!

Let Us Give Thanks for Adjectives!

New Thanksgiving Thinking Maps, perfect to use during whole group and then laminate (or put in a plastic sleeve) for kids to use at the writing station!

 

Find it here on:

TPT 

and 

Teachers Notebook

If you haven't voted for my blog, please consider visiting Circle of Moms 

by clicking the picture below and voting!!

Thanks!!!

It's Turkey Time!

Turkey Time!

A super fun glyph perfect for turkey lovers!

Find it on

TPT 

and 

Teachers Notebook 

Blend Friends and a Freebie!

As I said yesterday, my kids are working on blends this week..and making some real progress! =)

I created a pack of blend friend mats to help them start seeing the patterns in the blended words.  Along with mats for 23 common blends, there is a blend explanation poster, station direction page, 2 different recording pages and a list page for words they may have read, but don't know the meaning.

Find the new pack on

Teachers Notebook

and

TPT

I also created a cute little freebie below for kids to create words with blends..remind them that the blends can be used for multiple words and also be used more than once.

Click the Picture above to get your freebie =)

Don't forget to visit Circle of Moms and vote for First GradeBlueSkies!!!

Click above to vote each day until Nov. 8th!

Thinking Thumbs, an Award, and Nouns (oh, and a freebie, too!)

My this has been a busy week!  My kids are working on blends...and the dreaded "th" which is giving us some major trouble, especially my ELL students...  "th" keeps sounding like "f",  so as we keep working on it (practice makes perfect, right???) I came up with a fun little thing for my kids to create: 'Thinking Thumbs' and I am *hopeful* that it will help them to remember the sound for th!  

I just let them decorate the cut outs and then I added tape to hold them together around their thumb.

Here are a couple of pics of our thinking thumbs!

To get your copy, click below!

 We are also working on nouns and here is a chart we did where my kids got a post-it note and wrote a noun of their choice...then added it to either person, place, or thing.  They loved it!

 Just in case you didn't know about these below...they are shower curtain rings (found at Walmart or Target) which are perfect for hanging charts below you board (if you have a rack)

 And in other exciting news, my blog was nominated for the 

Circle of Moms Top 25 Teacher Mom Blogs!

If you aren't familiar with the site, it is an awesome resource for all things mom/child related!

If you get a chance, please click the button below or the one over to the right side of my blog

to vote for me!  While you are there, check out the fabulous site.  You can vote for your favorite blog once a day until November 8th

 

Halloweenish Writing Freebie

A Halloweenish set of writing activities for free on TPT...

Click the picture to get your copy!

If you download it, please consider following my store =)

By the way, IT IS FRIDAY!!! (in case you didn't know! lol)

And I get to go and have a date with my husband ALL DAY tomorrow!!! 

I couldn't be happier..well, I could...but I am pretty happy!

Fun Freebie

Have you ever had just one of those days weeks where it just doesn't seem to want to ever end?  Well, I am in the midst of one right now.  

Recently we were told we must not only include objectives and standard numbers on our lesson plans...but also a before, during, and after... PLUS strategic teaching strategies for each day...and a whole other list of things that will never, ever fit in the boxes provided by any lesson plan book!  EEK!!

I keep thinking it HAS to be Friday..and then I realize, nope...not so much =/  

SO...on a happier note, here is a little something I did to share..sharing makes me happy =)

Click on either pic to go and pick them up!

They are $2 Now!!

Remember me posting about these little books?  Well, now they are only $2 each!!

 They are from Creative Teaching Press and include the cutest text frames to read sight words, rhyming words, long and short vowel words, and even some phrases!
 

   
Click here  to find them and read below to find out more about how I use them and set up the station!
(and there is a freebie at the very bottom! =)

Oh, and with all that money you'll save getting them for such a great price, you can get in on my  FAVORITE teachers stuff EVER:

DOTS ON TURQUOISE!!!

I mean, you love it, right?

If you would like to pick up the direction page and recording page for the reading pal books:

Click Here

Label It, Brown Bear!

Hope you are all having a great Sunday.  I had to go get groceries...

is it bad that I ate a doughnut before I even made it out to the car? Nahhh....lol

Anyway,

I've been super busy and one of the things I accomplished today was a new set of new labeling mats.

If you are a fan of Brown Bear, Brown Bear..then these are the labeling mats for you!

Find the new listing here:

TPT

Teachers Notebook

Oh, and here is a freebie post for labeling that I did some time back using the class clipart from

Brown Bear:

(if you didn't catch it the first time- it's all the way down the page =)

Here

Table Makeover and a Freebie

Gosh, I wish I had taken a before picture of this table!  

A teacher friend let me have it...

just a plain, wooden table that I wanted so that I could put my computer over to the side of my desk (lower)...all I did was spray paint it red (Dollar Store) and then use white  apple barrel paint acrylic to put dots on it.  Too cute, right?  I had to use my camera phone, and I would love for you to overlook the much, much too full garbage can under the table...lol  The key to making great dots on (everything) is to use these:

I found mine in the craft section at Walmart...and I use them on everything. (as you can see)

Anyway, I created this for my kids.  I know a lot of teachers stay away from poems like this, but for those of you that would like this, I thought I'd share.  I plan on letting my kids paint (or color) 5 orange circles on the fence and then decorate the page.
Kids love this poem, acting out with the hand motions =)
Click the picture to get your copy!

Happy Saturday!!

Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere! Glyph

I had such a good time creating a pack to go along with apple glyphs, that I knew I should make a pack for pumpkin glyphs, too!  

Included in the pack: the pumpkin glyph direction poster, templates for the pumpkins and materials list, a tree map, a writing activity about pumpkins, and a couple of ideas for other pumpkin art activities....also included are some journal prompts and an even/odd math station activity. 

Hope you love it!

Find it at:

TPT

Teachers Notebook

Tomorrow is Friday!!  YEAH!!!

One word: Awesome.

Have you ever had something you bought as a teacher and then put it on a shelf, just to make room, thinking that you will get back to it...and then of course, you forget about it?  Well, I have had that happen more than once.  The other day, I found three books I purchased last year..and then forgot about.  I got them out and within a few minutes I remembered why I bought them...they are awesome.  And the best part? Even at regular price they are a bargain for $7.99 (what I paid for them) but when I looked them up online, I found they are on sale right now at CTP for: $3.20 each!!!  Click here  to find them and read below to find out more about how I use them and set up the station!
(and there is a freebie at the very bottom! =)

If you are a follower of my blog, you know how much I appreciate a good lit station that is ready to use, no muss, no fuss.  These books fit the bill.  They are from Creative Teaching Press and include the cutest text frames to read sight words, rhyming words, long and short vowel words, and even some phrases!  The cute animals were what caught my eye initially...but after I punched them out, laminated them, added a craft stick for a handle- and saw just how easy they were to use...I was in love.  And my kids love them, too.

    The kids use the text frame to show words in the window and read  aloud.  

 I added a recording sheet to each folder for them to record the words they read...and a direction page on the back. 

 Details: I printed the 17+ pages they read on colored paper (a different color for each book...so like the sight words are all yellow...rhyming set are all green, etc) and placed them in plastic sleeves. Then I labeled the text frames on the back with the color word that corresponds with the correct pages and placed each set in a colored folder that goes with whatever color paper is used for that set.  Each set has three frames (the books have three of each frame!! SO if one gets worn out, you have back ups!) 

I use them in my word work station...in one of the half size crates I bought from Walmart.

My kids love using them and it is helping their fluency (not to mention they are super cute!)

If you would like to pick up the direction page and recording page:

Click Here

Homecoming

Homecoming is this week for my school. 

We are a self contained k-12 public school, which presents some advantages and disadvantages.  We only have one principal and one vice principal for the entire school- which can be trying to have our "elementary" problems compare to "high school" problems.  But at the same, it does allow our community to remain tight knit and I am able to see "my kids" (former students) daily as they grow up and graduate. 

ANYWAY...as I said, Homecoming is this week and we made eagles to encourage our team...the Eagles!

Sooo...Go Eagles!  I would be happy to post a pattern if anyone else is an eagle or has a need...it is essentially a brown bowling pin shape, brown hand cut-outs, and then the kids tear up white paper and glue to the head.  Add orange beak, orange talons, google eyes and call it a day...you're done! lol

Anybody else having Homecoming this week? 

Adjectives Say Things!

Adjectives Say Things...because they describe nouns!

Fun Pack just listed with the cutest graphics ever from JW ILLUSTRATIONS.

Find it here:

TPT 

Teachers Notebook

Is it just me, or did the weekend just FLY BY???  

We had a great time at the Pumpkin Patch!

Here are a few of my fav shots from yesterday!

And yes, this would be my son, Jack, showing his "hiney"...one of his favorite things to do =)