Back to School 2017 TPT Sale

It's that time again..... the Back to School Teachers Pay Teachers Sale

is happening right now, August 1 & 2.

EXCITING!

All of those items you have been saving on your wish list can now be moved to your cart. 

I want to share with you these two new INTERACTIVE games.  Please go check them out. These games use our new interactive projector and pens.  It is a simple PowerPoint, so there are may ways to share this awesome resource with your students.  The slides transition automatically for complete independent excitement.  They includes sounds, pop-up answers, and time to erase no mater how you are playing.  Don't forget to use the code: BTS2017 at checkout.

Interactive FLASHWRITE Counting Base Ten Blocks 1-10

FLASHWRITE Interactive Initial Sounds

My students have had a blast playing these since we got our new projector in May.   I am working on making many more games for us to use this year.  

Have a great beginning of the year!

"He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God."  Psalm 40:3

Tower Time

Tower Time!! We are learning about more time and less time. The students are building towers based on the number they draw from their bag. Before they can build their tower they must decide with their face partner who will take more time and who will take less time.

For he said to Judah, "Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side." So they built and prospered.

2 Chronicles 14:7

Independent Letter and Phonics Printables

I am excited to be getting everything read for the year again.  As always, I love using activities that my students can work on independently.  This activity set is great for independent center work.  Each page includes tracing, printing practice, phonics, and letter recognition cut and paste activities.  Once I show them how to complete the page, they know exactly what to do the next time they work on it.  They love the feeling of accomplishment when they have completed the page all alone.

For number practice this little set also works on number recognition, 1:1 counting, and printing.

"Love is patient, love is kind." 1 Corinthians 13:4

Start the Year of Right Sale

Counting 1:1 - A Big Mess of Fun

One of the things we continue to work on in the classroom is one to one counting.  A fun way to do this is by using our numbers on the floor.  The kids each get a box of toys or counting manipulatives from the cubbies and start counting.  

It's a big mess of FUN!!!!

What is Kagan Cooperative Learning?

Kagan Cooperative Learning is a way of structuring your daily activities and lessons to ensure that each and every child is actively engaged in the learning process and lesson. The students are taught various structure methods to engage them in classroom activities.  "The Kagan Structures have proven themselves effective teaching and learning tools for cooperative learning, multiple intelligences, character education, language learning, and emotional intelligence. " (Kagan Online)

One example of a structure is Hand-Up, Stand-Up, Pair-Up.  During this the students will be walking around the room while the music is playing.  When the music stops, the children will each find the person closest to them and high five.  Depending on what we are working on they will share information, count, talk/listen, etc.  In the activity below the students were in engaged in active talking and listening while they were sharing their all about me posters.

All About Me: Kagan Hand-Up, Stand-Up, Pair-Up

Another structure is Quiz, Quiz, Trade.  Here the students again walk around the classroom while the music is playing and find a partner when the music stops.  Taking turns, the students one at a time, share/teach their partner the number on their flash card.  When I say trade they switch cards.  Each child is then leaving his or her partner knowing a new number which was just taught to them by a student in the classroom.  We do this with letters, rhyming words, and will eventually use words!!  So EXCITING!!!

Numbers : Kagan Quiz-Quiz, Trade

Here is an example of the Rally/Coach strategy.  The students were putting the letters of the alphabet in alphabetical order.  ABC Order as often we call it.  They were taking turns selecting the appropriate next letter.  If a child happened to pick the wrong letter, their partner would "coach" them as to which letter would be correct.  I often call them the TEACHERS.  That makes it even more exciting because they feel like they are totally in charge!!  

Alphabetical Order : Kagan Rally/Coach

I bet you are already thinking about how you can use this in your classroom. For more information visit Kagan Online.  An engaged classroom is a learning every minute of the day.

"An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge." Proverbs 18:15

Let's Go Shopping and a Freebie

We finished our money unit last week, and keeping with tradition and fun, I set up a store in our classroom for some real life shopping.  Yeah!!!

I start out the unit by exploring the different coins.  We identify and learn about the penny, nickel, and dime.  One of the first things we do is identify the head and tail sides of the coins.  After shaking up their coins, and of course singing a crazy little song, they drop their coins on the table and sort.  Then we draw the coins on the paper, write in the correct amount the coin is worth, and then count.  Grab this little sorting freebie by clicking on the picture.

At the end of the unit it's time to shop!  This is also a great way to encourage and welcome my parents in to engage in their child's learning in the classroom.  It is so much fun and the kids love it.  All of them items in the store were donated by my classroom parents, and we use our classroom money to "buy" a bag full of goodies.

I also created this fun little store organization page for the kids based on the items donated.  They love to keep track of everything they bought, and it is a great way to work on tally marks.

"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

Christmas Crunch Cereal Freebie

Do your kiddos love eating during a lesson?  Mine do and it keeps them sooooo engaged.  Here is a great little graphing activity you can do in your classroom to celebrate the Christmas season while enjoying a little snack too.  Just find a box of Christmas Crunch cereal, download this little freebie, and you are set. Your kids will be sorting, counting, graphing and completely engaged right before your eyes. 

Click on the pictures above to download this yummy little freebie!

Christmas Crunch Graph

The angels rejoiced singing the savior has been born today.

Great to Be Back

Well..... I haven't actually disappeared, but I did take on a new challenge this fall.  Yeah!  I decided to start coaching Jr. High volleyball, and I loved every minute of it.  I am excited to be back blogging again and have missed sharing my classroom activities with you.   With 3 very busy kiddos of my own at home, I kept very busy.  My girls were undefeated in the post season tournament and we shared a lot of laughs.  I had a blast and look forward to next season.

I also wanted to remind you that the big Cyber Monday sale on TpT is December 1-2 .  Everything in my store will be 28% off.  I bundled my new Trace, Glue and Write Sets for Phonics and Math for even more savings.

If you are working on or are ready for Whole, Half, Parts, and Symmetry check out this great unit.

Have fun shopping! May the SPIRIT of Christmas live in you all!