Dr. Seuss Poetry Station

I have created a new station in my classroom and wanted to make something to go along with our Dr. Seuss theme. This is what I came up with....

The page above includes 7 different poems and the students can read the poem, copy it and then illustrate. This will help you assess student comprehension also.

The page above includes four pages with two poems each. The students read and illustrate the poem. This page will also help to assess reading comprehension.

I hope you are able to squeeze them into your week!

Toothfairies and Sight Word Station

Where did this week go? With only four days this week, I just couldn't justify giving any tests on a Thursday. So I loaded them up with tests yesterday and made time for a fun Toothfairy craft. The way our Reading and Math Block is, there is no time for read alouds or crafts anymore (unless I break the rules and do it my way, which I do sometimes inorder to keep my sanity and the students).

notice the beard on one... lol!

On Thursday we did a whole group letter to the Toothfairy. Brainstormed some great questions we would ask the Toothfairy and some things we would want to tell the Toothfairy. Sorry for the lack of pictures. Then the students had a chance to write their own letters.On Friday I gave them all the pages they needed to make the Toothfairy. They cut them out and were able to put the pieces together how they wanted. However, I used the ELMO and showed them a way because some need a little more guidance. I hot glued google eyes on that way it didnt take so long to dry and the student decorated to their liking. I LOVE how they turned out. They really show each students personality. If you like the pattern check it out at fallintofirst.com

As for a station idea... if its not a game, I can't keep my kiddos productive. So I made up a human sight word board for my Sight Word Station.

I wrote fry's 100 words (only got to 30) on half index card ( they are in green with the green hand, my intention is to make the second 100 on blue with a blue start hand to differentiate) and used contact paper to stick the words and foam hand to the floor. I love contact paper, it stays down even with mopping and pulls up with no sticky film left. The students could either work with someone or on their own. They used a number spinner from the Dollar Tree. They would spin and move that many spaces. What word they landed on they would say it and write it on a sticky note. When they finished they went back to their seats and wrote a sentence with one of the words they wrote down. This has been a hit so far.

I hope to get some more things made this weekend. I am so excited about teaching with Dr. Seuss Theme this week. I hope to take more pictures.





Book Character Parade

Here is the template for the book character parade I promised yesterday. Click on the picture below to get it for free.



New Look

After months of looking at all these GREAT teacher blogs, I decided mine needed a vamp. However, I am fairly new to all this and I am still learning how to create the blog look I want. One thing I am still trying to figure out is how to make an icon for my blog (button) and how to put a button of someone elses on my blog. Before the weekend is over, I hope to have that done.

In the mean time, I am creating a home based project for Dr. Seuss and Read Across America Week. In the past years, we have had students choose a book and write book report on their book. Then the students all dress up as a character in their book and we have a parade throughout the school. This is  really a fun project we look forwards too. Be on the look out tomorrow for the parent letter going home and the book report.

Completely different subject, but I am hooked on Quibids. Do any of you quibid?

Presidents Day Writing Activity

I absolutely LOVE Target. I find the greatest things in the dollar bins. My latest find were cards of the Presidents. I don't do much with teaching Presidents but I thought, what the heck for a buck maybe my kiddos would like to just look at them.


Instead, I decided to laminate them and  do a little first grade research writing. So I made up this worksheet and they filled in the information on two Presidents.



The backside of the cards contained information that the students could easily locate for their writing. 

Here is what the finished products looked like. I displayed them in Presidental order on the hall wall for all the older students to see. I was amazed at how many great reactions I got.

I still have 6 more to add to the wall- once I can convince a few more kiddos to do an extra one for me. I actually had 3 students who wanted to do an extra today :-)

I noticed most of the students wrote the names in capitals... due to the cards having the names wrote all in capitals. UGH!!! Oh well, great teaching moment! They are still super awesome.

Productive Station Time!

I am in need of some productive station time. This has been my most challenging year with stations. No matter what I put in stations, they end up doing what they want to with the materials and "playing". I have gone over expectations, role played and still they work for 5 minutes and "I'm done!" What do I do! I spend more time making games and activities to keep them busy, when all I want to see is them enjoying learning.

So after putting much thought into this, I have decided to revamp my reading stations. I will post pictures tomorrow of the new ideas but here is a sneak peak.

I have a T.V. that I never use since we got ELMOs last year. Ya, I am still waiting for the time to come when we get smartboards. So my thinking is to utilize the T.V. and plug in my Leap Frog Word Launcher game where students need to find the correct sound to make words. (Technology and learning, sounds like a good match!) As for accountablility, I will need to make up some little worksheet to go along.

Then for writing station, I am going to paint my writing table in chalkboard paint and let the students write their created sentences on it, their name and date, then take a pictue of it. (Technology again!) Plus what student doesn't like to see their work on a camera. What an easy way to assess too.

One other idea is to put the LeapFrog Tag readers into my reading station. There are comprehension questions /games throughout and those that need a little extra help can hear the word read to them. SUPER!
As for assessment, a quick graphic organizer will be thrown in.

Is there anyting you are doing that your kiddos really enjoy?

Oh, NO! It happened....

Last year I had all my files erased from my little junk drive and I was devestated. I thought that was never going to happen again. I bought an external hard drive and backed up my computer then started using it as a way to save files, since it holds so much more and I could throw it in my purse to take to school with me. In the meantime, our laptop had problems and my husband had fixed it many times (I am not the most technology inclined). He had to reset it back to a different starting point to many times ( I say we need a new computer, he says "I'll fix it"...Ugh)

So anyways, I got thinking the other day I really needed to get another external hard drive because when I plug this one in, the computer detects it but if you touch it, its like you pulled it out of the computer. I really think the cord wires are coming out from too much use. Ha, Ha... back to the point, I didnt want to lose anything but also needed to wait for payday to get another. 

I woke up this morning and Oh,No! It happened, I plugged my hard drive in and my computer can not detect it. I am devestated right now. Instant panic says I need to go to school and see if its just my computer, maybe another computer will work. But inside I'm crying because I know I have probably lost hundreds and hundreds of files :-(  

In the meantime, its snowing here in TN and fridgid cold out so Im not attempting to make it to the school until later this afternoon. 

How do you keep up with all your files and the constant changing in technology?

I have created a long ea  and color adjective packet. This packet contains 12 activities that include:
1- word works activity for each leveled group
1- Valentine's game board
1- game board cards for each leveled group
1- spelling page
1- adjectives page
1- writing page for each leveled group

I hope you like it, check it out at my teacherspayteachers store for FREE here.