January Jumpstart (January Centers, Y as a Vowel, and Loads of FREEBIES)

Boy was it a cold start back after winter break.  I can take a few days of this weather, but I'm just about over it.  Of course the cold did not slow us down in class.  We made the most out of the 3 days and 5 hours that we had this week.  (Monday was an admin. day and Thursday was a delayed start.)
My goals for this week were to introduce our January math and literacy centers (all 21 of them), to do a little Daily 5 retraining, to launch Rocket Math (addition fact drills), to teach all about Y as a vowel, and to work in some fun New Year's activities.  Quite a list for a short week.  I'm happy to report that we fit everything in. :)

My students are all about getting new centers.  I change them out each month.  I intro all of them over a day (or two) during a few mini lessons.  After I explain and model all the centers, they are up and running.

I love the year long review these centers provide.  They also free me up to meet with students to do a little reteaching.

In math this month we are working out of my Baby It's Cold Outside {10 Math Centers for January}. This packet includes work with addition, subtraction, number comparisons, number order, nonstandard measurement, time to the half hour, missing addends, and more.  You can get a closer look by clicking on the picture.

Below is a FREE center from this packet, Snowman Comparisons.  With this center students will practice comparing numbers with the greater than and less than signs.  Click on the picture for your own FREE copy.

   

As for our literacy centers, we'll be working with the companion packet, Baby It's Cold Outside {10 Literacy Centers for January}.

This packet includes work with rhyming words, long and short a discrimination, sentence sorting, contractions, synonyms, antonyms, compound words, sight words, and more.  You can check it out by clicking on the picture.

You can have a FREE center from this packet by clicking on the picture below.  Hot Chocolate Blends provides your students practice with initial blends.  After matching all the initial blend picture cards with the word cards, students will write their answers on the recording sheet.

   

Besides our work with literacy centers and math centers, we also spent a bit of time practicing Y as a vowel.  We started off by going over our anchor chart and brainstorming words that end with y.

If you would like this anchor chart to use with your students, click on the picture.

We talked about how most one syllable words that end with y have the long I sound.  While most two (or more) syllable words that end with y have a long E sound.

Students applied their vast knowledge of Y as a Vowel by doing various sorts, reading, and writing activities.  We primarily worked out of my Words at Work {Seven Word Work Activities for Y as a Vowel}.  You can learn more about this packet by clicking on the picture.

If you would like a free copy of one of the activities from this packet, click on the picture below.  It's a word sort with Y as long E and Y as long I.

With all of this learning going on, we had to fit in some time for a little creativity.  Plus, my walls were bare after all of our Christmas craftivities went home.  We really needed some student artwork to liven the classroom.  

So . . . after reading some favorite New Year's themed books, we discussed resolutions.  Students thought about personal resolutions and wrote them down.  Then we made our New Year's Resolution Kids.  

Using the party blowout was certainly not an original idea, but I love it.  The kids love using them too.  I'm a little worried that the blowouts will be ripped on the Resolution Kids as soon as I send them home.  For first graders, blowouts can be just too fun to resist.  Maybe I need to get another set of blowouts to give my students when they take their projects home.

We had a great week.  Everyone seemed to be rested and ready to get back to our routine.  Next week we'll be celebrating our 100th Day of School.  I cannot believe we are already at the 100th Day point in the year.  Time flies when you're having fun.  Time also flies when you are super busy.

Thanks for stopping by.

Five for Friday: Five Favorite Freebies

Is it just me or do Fridays seem to roll around really quickly on summer break?  When I was a kid, summers stretched on endlessly and now . . .  not so much.  But since it is Friday, I'll mark the occasion by linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching's Five for Friday.
This week I'd like to do a little something different.  Instead of posting five random things from the week, I'd like to repost five of my favorite freebies that I've been honored to share over the past year.

Number 1

Last summer I compiled my Number of the Day printables into one packet, Number of the Day for a Year.
I created these printables to spiral in complexity as the year progresses.  I really like using these number of the day handouts as part of morning work two or three days a week.  I think they serve as a great review for my students.
If you would like more details or to get your own free copy of Number of the Day for a Year, click on the picture below.

Number 2

Word Work It is a packet of five word work printable activities that I like to use as part of my word work time during our Daily Five time.  My students work with manipulatives, the Ipad, the computer, and these printables each week to practice their spelling words.
While I would prefer to keep our word work time all hands on, the reality is my students need a bit of accountability in order to stay focused during this independent practice time.  Mixing in some written assignments along with the other activities has really helped.
These activities are not specifically designed for use with The Daily Five.  So, if you do not do The Daily Five in your class, these printables can still be useful to you.
Click on the picture for your free copy of Word Work It.

Number 3

The next freebie is for the second semester, which seems like a million years away right now, but bare with me.  If you think you might be able to use this activity, you can always pin it.
Make Way for MLK is a packet that includes two literacy centers, two math centers, and a writing craftivity focusing on Martin Luther King Jr.  Having these centers and the writing activity really gave me a great jumping off point to plan for learning about MLK.
If you would like a free copy of Make Way for MLK, click on the picture.

Number 4

If you use Touchpoint Math, you'll want to check out my Rockin' Touchpoint Numbers.  This freebie is a math center that I use at the beginning of the year when my students are memorizing where the points go on the numbers.
If you are not familiar with Touchpoints or Touch Math, do a little research online.  My students have had great success with addition and subtraction accuracy using this method.
For more details about Rockin' Touchpoint Numbers or a free copy, click on the picture.

Number 5

My final freebie is my set of Whole Brain Teaching Class Rules.  Whole Brain Teaching Class Rules and Mini Book is a packet that includes a variety of posters featuring the Whole Brain Teaching Class Rules and a printable mini book for your students.
I use the posters all year and the mini book is great to use early on when your students are learning the rules.
Like all of the goodies above, click on the picture if you would like a free copy of this packet.

I hope some of these freebies will be useful to you.  If you like them, be sure to browse around School Is a Happy Place.  There are many, many more free activities ready to share.

Thanks again to Doodle Bugs Teaching for hosting Five for Friday.  

Easing Into Summer

I don't know about you, but it seems to take me a few weeks to realize I've made it to summer break.  We've been off for about two weeks now and I have not completely unwound.  I've been working on a couple of school projects and trying to get caught up around the house.   A  and I are also spending some QT together; making crafts, playing some games, swimming, going to the park, reading, and doing a little pre-first grade academic work.
This week has also been Vacation Bible School at my church.  I've had a fabulous little group of kids in my "tribe."  It has been such a blessing to see their joy and excitement each evening.  Of course, being a leader in VBS keeps me in teacher mode (just a bit).  So, maybe next week I'll finish unwinding.

I have had a few minutes to start on my summer reading list.  First on my list is the new edition of The Daily Five by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser.  Ever since starting The Daily Five with my class, I try to reread the book each summer.  I especially like reminding myself about all the details of the launch period.  This summer I am so happy to have an updated edition to read.
One new part of the book that I'm extra interested in is chapter 8, The Math Daily 3.  I can't wait to learn about the authors' take on math independence in the classroom.  I'm using a lot of self control to keep myself from jumping ahead to that chapter.
I'll be sure to post about this book after I finish it up.

The other school related project I have spent time on is actually related to The Daily Five.  I started work on a series of word work packets called Words at Work.  Each of these packets include seven consistently formatted word work activities for each short vowel sound.  These activities are ideal for independent practice and are quick prep (just print and go).  I plan on using them as part of my word work time during Daily Five rotations.
A  has been my tester.  Seeing how a young learner responds to these activities is super helpful to me.   It's also a way to get in a little structured summer academics with  A.   Win.  Win.
All of these packets are available at my store, individually or bundled together in one mega pack.  If you would like to find out more, click on the picture below.

I'm planning additional Words at Work packets for long vowels, vowel variants, and more.  Hopefully I'll have plenty of time to get everything accomplished before school starts back.  But it's summer, so we'll see :) .
Thanks so much for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your week.

This Is the Way We Write the Room (Three Write the Room FREEBIES)

It's really not my intent to be a once a week blogger.  But it's that time of year at school when all systems are go and in a blink, Monday becomes Friday.  It's also a great time of the year to mix things up a little bit for young learners.
We haven't "wrote the room" in a while, so I put together a telling time write the room activity for math early in the week.  We were wrapping up our work with time to the half hour and this activity went over really well.  My firsties thought it was fun and I thought it was a wonderful assessment tool (every o'clock and thirty time was somewhere in the room).

If you are interested in using this activity with your class, click on one of the pictures for a FREE copy.

Since our time write the room activity was such a hit, I was really excited to pull out a nonstandard measurement write the room activity I used last year with (one of my favorite books) Measuring Penny by Loreen Leedy.
I love to kick off my unit on measurement with Measuring Penny.  It is a great introduction to measurement since it covers many types.  Every year my students really love this book, with this year's group being no exception.
I used Measuring Penny as an inspiration for a  write the room activity where students use dog bone rulers to measure different Penny related pictures.  You can also use the picture cards with other measuring units, like cubes, paper clips, and even rulers.

For a FREE copy of this activity, click on one of the pictures below.

We also used write the room for a review of r-controlled vowels.  I printed various ar, or, er, ir, and ur word cards and placed them around the room.  With clip boards in hand, students sorted the words on their recording sheets.  I actually used it for morning work one morning, since we ran out of time to do it the day before.  It was a great way to start the day and awesome practice.
As a side note, any of these activities could work as a center as well.  Just don't post the cards around the room.

For a FREE copy of this write the room activity, click on one of the pictures.

Yes, I might have went a little overboard on writing the room this week.  But once I got going, it was hard to stop.  It's a fabulous way to get students moving and can be used with any subject.  It's my goal to use this format once a week for something.  If I come up with anything of interest, I'll be sure to share.  So . . .  check back :).
Best.

The Daily Five: Where Are They Now? (Plus a Free Word Work Packet)

I'm a fan of HGTV's House Hunters.  I really like House Hunters International.  Most of those episodes really make me appreciate the size of my kitchen and closets.  House Hunters: Where Are They Now? gives you a chance to see what people did with their homes after they move in.
We are over half way through the school year and I thought I might do a little Daily Five: Where Are They Now? post about my Daily Five journey with my class and some changes I've had to make.

I am certainly not an expert on The Daily Five, but I have used it for more than a few years.  I figured if I have had some challenges, other teachers have too.
Here are some of the changes that have helped this year's group of students . . .

Below you will find a freebie packet I've put together for some of the paper assignments during Word Work.  You can use these activities even if you are not doing the Daily Five.

Click on the picture for more information and to download your own copy.

If you are interested in getting started with The Daily Five, be sure to read The Daily Five by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser and check out some of my other Daily Five posts.
Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great week.

Bright Beginnings and Freebie Friday

Happy Friday!  I hope you have had a fun Fourth of July.  With the Fourth past and school supplies making an appearance at my Target, I know that the start of school is just around the corner.
One thing I can check off my list for the beginning of school is literacy centers.  I have been working on my back to school center packet to help my new little firsties review and hit the ground running.

This packet is a companion to my Bright Beginnings Match Centers.  It includes work with initial sounds, upper case/lower case matching, sight words, color words, syllables, ABC order, rhyming words and more.  It is available at Teachers Pay Teacher.  Click on the picture above to check it out.
Like I mentioned before, I plan on using it at the beginning of the year with my first graders.  But, I also think it would be great in Kindergarten, more spread out through the year.
My daughter, who is about to start kindergarten, was my product tester.  She and I worked together on the activities.  We had a good time.  While my heart aches when I think about her getting bigger, it is kind of fun that she is in the age range of my kiddos at school.

A is matching upper case and lower case letters from Bright Beginnings.

Below you will find a FREEBIE from this packet, Armadillo ABC's.  It is an ABC order activity using sight words from the Fry word list.  If you would like a copy of it, click on the picture below.

I hope you can use this center.  Be sure to go by Teaching Blog Addict to check out more free items that are being offered during this week's Freebie Friday. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend.