Tag Archives: Reading

You QUACK me UP! Math and Literacy Centers.

The Fourth Quarter Classroom – HELP is Here!

AKA… What to use to keep some working, while reteaching to others! 🙂

SUMMER is finally around the corner!

Assessments, report cards, cleaning, paperwork, etc…

Third quarter done! YIPPEE!!

Though I really DO love this time of the year.

Kiddos are making TREMENDOUS progress!

Sniff…sniff…PROUD TEACHER!

So NOW we WORK!

Now we have the 4th Quarter DASH

            Almost SUMMER!

Catch everyone up to grade-level standards

before they go to second grade!

And to HELP…I need it!

Some of my kiddos will work on YOU QUACK ME UP!

 

While I am WORKING with small groups, reteaching concepts they DIDN’T quite get.

DATA tells me that.

Right?

Say this with a SMILE…

“YOU QUACK ME UP!” 

to be taken to my TPT store!

You Quack Me up
You Quack Me Up! 


ELA & MATH Centers for first grade 4th quarter!

You Quack Me Up ELA & Math for First grade table of contents

ELA: rhymes, Read the Room, Sight Word Games,Grammar

MATH:  3 digit addition, Place Value, Guess My Number

You Quack Me Up ELA & Math for First grade rhyme game

You Quack Me Up ELA & Math for First grade word work

You Quack Me Up ELA & Math for First grade story vocabulary

You Quack Me Up ELA & Math for First grade prefixes

You Quack Me Up ELA & Math for First grade task cards

You Quack Me Up ELA & Math for First grade Sight Word Game

You Quack Me Up ELA & Math for First grade 3 digit addition

You Quack Me Up ELA & Math for First grade Place Value

You Quack Me Up ELA & Math for First grade number game

My kiddos LOVE LOVE LOVE this!

So much fun going on in Room 3!

Ready for Summer?

More? 

Here you go…

And NOW for the almost SUMMER FREEBIE!

Click HERE

FREEBIE HFW GAME

This GMA wants some

GIGGLE  TIME! 

baby laughing

cowgirl sisters

smiling boy in John Deere Tshirt

little girl princess

 And so…

HERE  WE  GO! 🙂

Happy Summer and let the Fun begin!

Check out 1stgradefireworks 

for MORE goodies!

Have a great Summer and Check back
for new Back to School Goodies! 

                                                                 Wendy

 

I Needed a KICK IN THE PANTS!

I can tell it’s SPRING…

I’m getting

LAZY!

But I have FINALLY, updated one of my

MOST Valued PRODUCTS!

BOOK CLUBS

HURRAY!

Now…I work 3 jobs…

I get up at 5:00 AM and go to bed at 9:00 PM.

I think I deserve some DOWN time!

BUT…

Then…I..get…really….complacent…

procrastinate…LAZY!

So every once in a while,

I need someone to give me a little

PUSH    SHOVE

KICK IN THE  PANTS!

Time to git ‘er DONE

This has been one of those weeks!

So…

I have a packet I made that I use in my classroom

A  LOT!

If any of you already have this…

DO NOT FEAR!

Help is on its way!

Now,

MY KIDS LOVE THIS!

The packet is full of independent activities, comprehension questions, word work, etc

ALL related to the BOOK OF THEIR CHOICE!

I can use it with ANY book.

My independent readers can read a book

 and as a GROUP

( can we say COLLABORATE )

they can DISCUSS & complete the pack TOGETHER!

Now I don’t use it daily…maybe once every two weeks or so.

It takes them awhile &

I really want them to “get into it”.

Lots of rewards, positive notes, specials when completed.

It’s a GOOD THING!

BUT…

It’s OLD. Really OLD.

It was in need of “A LIFT” ( in all the right places ).

Sounds like me! 🙂 

I DID IT!

I GOT ‘ER DONE!

And here she is.

ALL gussied up and purdy!

She has grown from 14 pages to 44!

She is ALL GROWED UP NOW!

I added a booklet style because

PAPER & INK ARE

AT A PREMIUM!

So now…less paper… less ink… more productive teacher & students!

My Little LOVE…

Book Club

 is available

at my TPT store

1stgradefireworks

You will  LOVE this!

Wendy

Young children love to read during Reading Workshop

How to Prepare for a Successful Reading Workshop in First Grade

Reading Workshop

“Creating a Community of Readers”

When I teach reading, I don’t want my students to stop and ask for help.

I want them to have the skills to be independent readers.

I want them to be problem-solvers.

So, I am…

Making a Community of Readers

How to create a community of readers

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 How?

Before reading, take a sneak peek!

What do you do BEFORE reading?

*Frontload any vocabulary that may change thinking, distort comprehension, or is unfamiliar to them.

Take a picture walk. Cover the words.

Make them use visual cues in the story.

Have them make predictions

PRIOR to reading.

After reading, check their predictions.

After reading, think about it!

When you finish reading, do something!

 I LOVE this!

After reading..then what?

DO SOMETHING!

Reread it for NEW information.

Retell it to yourself or a friend.

We use our 3 fingers to retell.

I love this part…DIGEST IT!

Just as a good meal…when you are finished, appreciate it.

Think about it.

 ENJOY IT!

When you finish readin,g read it AGAIN!

Read MORE!

 You are NEVER done!

When you finish…read more!

My kiddos love to stack ALL of their books on the left..

as they finish reading a book…

place it in a pile on their right.

Keep reading!

Their goal is to

read more every day!

STAMINA!

Reading MATS are used to make goals.

Our goals are to read MORE!

Read with your eyes. No need for fingers.

Use your eyes to read…not your fingers.

 We want kids to quit using

their fingers to read.

Good readers use
their EYES!

“SCOOP” up words (phrases)

with your eyes.

When reading, put 3-4 words together

and read the phrases!

*GREAT time to teach

prepositions & prepositional phrases!

When reading, always reread the text for comprehension.

Always reread text

 Always, always…reread!

You will see more, read more, and understand more when you reread a story.

Read it to a partner, a

parent, or a friend.

The same book can sound new

when you are reading it

for the second or third time!


So there you are…

GET  READING!

Remember…

When in doubt…

ALWAYS make it

BALANCED  LITERACY

What part of a Balanced Literacy Classroom is reading?

For more early literacy

reading and writing resources

Check out

 1stgradefireworks

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Rethinking Literacy in 2023

We get a “Literacy” DO-OVER : Guided Reading UPDATE for 2023

And a FREE Balanced Literacy Resource to get you STARTED!

2023 is the Year of LITERACY!

Because 2022 was so BAD….we get  DO-OVER!

We get a “LITERACY ” do-Over”!

Keep reading to the bottom for a FUN FREEBIE

Free for Followers

Freebie for Followers

Rethinking Literacy in 2023

Rethinking Literacy in 2023

Ready to UPDATE your literacy block? 

Balanced Literacy: Here is your NEW YEAR’s PLAN!

*DISCLAIMER…  I know the Science of Reading is the NEW “go-to” for teaching Reading.

I AM NOT AN EXPERT! I am learning. I have been teaching reading to FIRST GRADERS for 30+ Years. AND I AM ALWAYS  LEARNING. SO… I hope YOU are open to new ideas & “reusing” OLD ideas to help our “littles” learn. If this helps YOU – Yeah! ( Jan. 2023). 

This series will focus on the components of a complete BALANCED LITERACY program. We will focus on clear and concise definitions. Definitions that educators can discuss in collaborations. A “common language” where we can learn from each other and with each other.

The 8 components we will focus on are:

  1. Read Alouds
  2. Shared Reading
  3. Guided Reading
  4. Independent Reading
  5. Modeled / Interactive Writing
  6. Shared Writing
  7. Guided Writing / Writer’s Workshop
  8. Word Work

Each week we will focus on one area of Balanced Literacy and share experiences,  teacher tips, and resources to support and expand our Balanced Literacy repertoire.

BALANCED LITERACY

This week:   Guided  Reading.

Week 1:  We discussed Read Alouds.

Week 2: We discussed   Shared Reading.

This week we jump into GUIDED READING.

Let’s talk to teachers about Guided Reading.

Gay Su Pinnell and Irene Fountas  Video by: Kemberly Meriwether

Guided reading is subject to many interpretations, but Burkins & Croft (2010) identify these common elements:

  • Working with small groups
  • Matching student reading ability to text levels
  • Giving everyone in the group the same text
  • Introducing the text
  • Listening to individuals read
  • Prompting students to integrate their reading processes
  • Engaging students in conversations about the text

The goal is to help students develop strategies to apply independently. Work focuses on processes integral to reading proficiently, such as cross-checking print and meaning information, rather than on learning a particular book’s word meanings. (For example, a student might see an illustration and say “dog” when the text says puppy, but after noticing the beginning /p/ in puppy, correct the mistake.) During guided reading, teachers monitor student reading processes and check that texts are within students’ grasps, allowing students to assemble their newly acquired skills into a smooth, integrated reading system (Clay, p.17)

There has been a LOT of new research into GUIDED READING and SMALL GROUP reading for skills and strategies. I suggest YOU do some research into HOW to make small group reading work for YOU. SOR is a great place to start. GOOGLE IT! 🙂 

Here are some  SOR resources to help you start:

Emily Garcia    Education to the Core

Amanda Richarson  Mrs. Richardson’s Class

Tara West   Little Minds at Work

READ WRITE THINK

The Guided Reading Table

Guided Reading Table

What does a guided reading lesson look like?

It varies based on reading level, but here’s a general structure for a 15-20 minute lesson.

  • Students re-read familiar texts for several minutes. This is a great way to promote fluency!
  • For just a minute or so, the students practice previously learned sight words.
  • The teacher introduces the text.
  • The students read the text out loud or silently while the teacher coaches. They do not take turns reading; instead, each child reads the text in its entirety.
  • The teacher leads a discussion of the text.
  • The teacher makes 1-2 teaching points.
  • If time allows, students do a few minutes of word work or guided writing.

The Measured Mom

Scholastic has 4 Tips for Guided Reading Success:

  1. Establish Routines. Routines for The Lesson format ( this helps with TIME constraints ), routines for when Guided reading happens, AND routines for what the OTHER students are doing while the teacher is teaching at the table.

2. Make SMART  text choices. The text should provide multiple opportunities for students to apply strategies and skills you have identified for the group.

3.  Dive into INSTRUCTION. Before, during & after reading.

3.  Assess and Be Flexible.   Your groups should be fluid and should change as your students’ instructional needs change. That’s where informal and formal assessments come in handy.

Scholastic.com

Tips for Creating Miniature Guided Reading Anchor Charts

Conversations in Literacy

The Next Steps In Guided Reading

Kindergarten Chaos

 

Does guided reading stress you out? Are you having a hard time getting everyone back to your table and teaching tthem meaningful lessons? This post will offer a simple approach to guided reading that helps your to make a plan, organize yourself, and stay relatively stress free. Perfect for first, second and third grade reading teachers. {1st, 2nd, 3rd, grade, elementary school, reading, guided reading}

Guided Reading STRESS?

Learning Lessons  With Amy Labrasciano

These literacy posts may help in YOUR Balanced Literacy journey.

Balanced Literacy

Read At Home

Flexible Seating

Read Alouds

Reading at Home

These Guided Reading resource books for TEACHERS may be helpful for YOUR reading.

The Next Step Forward in Guided Reading: An Assess-Decide-Guide Framework for Supporting Every Reader

Amazon

 

Reading Strategies (Amazon) 

So…Leave me a comment… What does GUIDED READING look like in YOUR classroom?

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Rethinking Literacy in 2023

We get a “Literacy” DO-OVER : Shared Reading

And a FREE Balanced Literacy resource to help you get STARTED

2023 is the Year of LITERACY!

 Because 2022 was so BAD….we get  DO-OVER!

We get a “LITERACY ” do-Over”!

Rethinking Literacy in 2023

Rethinking Literacy in 2023

Ready to UPDATE your literacy block? 

Keep reading to the bottom of this post for a FREEBIE

Free for Followers

Freebie for Followers

Balanced Literacy: Here is your NEW YEAR’s PLAN!

*DISCLAIMER…  I know the Science of Reading is the NEW “go-to” for teaching Reading.

I AM NOT AN EXPERT! I am learning. I have been teaching reading to FIRST GRADERS for 30+ Years. AND I AM ALWAYS  LEARNING. SO… I hope YOU are open to new ideas & “reusing” OLD ideas to help our “littles” learn. If this helps YOU – Yeah! ( Jan. 2022). 

The Why? The What? and The How?

Balanced literacy has been defined as  “an approach designed to help individual students learn how to process a variety of increasingly challenging texts with understanding and fluency.” (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001)

Fountas & Pinnell have been the guiding resource for Balanced Literacy. Today we listen.

It is an approach to teaching. NOT a curriculum. It is HOW we teach our students to be independent readers and writers. It is NOT what books we use to teach them.

Balanced Literacy has been defined in “components” or  “pieces” of literacy instruction.

This series will focus on the components of a complete BALANCED LITERACY program. We will focus on clear and concise definitions. Definitions that educators can discuss in collaboration.

A “common language” where we can learn from each other and with each other.

The 8 components we will focus on are:

  1. Read Alouds
  2. Shared Reading
  3. Guided Reading
  4. Independent Reading
  5. Modeled / Interactive Writing
  6. Shared Writing
  7. Guided Writing / Writer’s Workshop
  8. Word Work

Each week we will focus on one area of Balanced Literacy and share experiences,  teacher tips, and resources to support and expand our Balanced Literacy repertoire. Start 2022 with the plans to implement BALANCED LITERACY!

This week:   Shared  Reading.

Last week we discussed Read Alouds. This week is about  Shared Reading.

How is shared reading different from a read-aloud?

Shared reading, involves quite a bit of pausing to teach or engage kids in practicing a skill. When doing a read-aloud,  go through the book a bit more quickly, stopping less frequently.

The other most important difference between shared reading and a read-aloud is that during shared reading, kids have their eyes on the print. During a read-aloud, you may show the pictures to students, but they are not usually able to see the words clearly. Since students can see the text during shared reading, you are able to teach things like decoding more easily.

Learning At the Primary Pond  

Shared reading is a part of the balanced reading model (read aloud, shared reading, guided reading, and independent reading).

It is a 15ish minute block of time within that model that should be practiced daily.  Simply stated it’s the “We do.” part of the gradual release model.  This element is crucial.  It’s time for the teacher and students to practice together.

Mrs. Richardson’s Class

The READ ALOUD is done BY the teacher FOR the students.

Shared Reading is done WITH the students.

A Poem, a Big Book, A chart. Any text where the teacher and the students can see the text, and read it together.

Shared Reading

Shared Reading vs Read Aloud

Education.com

It is important to teach what “really matters” connected to a shared text. “We always want students to leave each reading experience enriched by the language and the text because of the shared approach, so we shouldn’t find hundreds of vocabulary words and instructional opportunities in a single text.

Some of  the many benefits of shared reading

  • building vocabulary
  • developing understandings of story structure
  • demonstrating reading strategies
  • entire-class reads a common text
  • all read the large text
  • high engagement

There are many types of print for Shared Reading.  Big books, charts, and poetry are some resources for teachers to read WITH students.

Here some great educators share their resources.

What is Shared Reading?

What is Shared Reading?

Learning at the Primary Pond

Shared Reading

Shared Reading

The Teaching Texan

Shared Reading

Shared Reading

Mrs. Wills Kindergarten

The main goal of shared reading is to engage students with the text. It is to share a reading experience. Everyone can read together and then participate in a rich discussion, writing, or response to the text.

In summary, Shared Reading is a reading experience where both teacher and students read a large text, together. A chart, a poem on a smartboard, or any other BIG text, where the teacher reads WITH the students using self-question and think aloud reading strategies. The goal is to model fluent and expressive reading. The students  INTERACT with the text while reading WITH the teacher and then through discussions, writing, and/or thinking for themselves.

These literacy posts may help in YOUR Balanced Literacy journey.

Balanced Literacy

Read At Home

Flexible Seating

Read Alouds

These resource books for TEACHERS may be helpful for YOUR reading.

Shared Reading with Big Books

Shared Reading with Big Books

Shared Reading with Big Books

Shared Reading

Shared Reading

Shared Reading

Kids with Capes

Kids with Capes

HamerayPublishing

I hope YOU are prepared to practice DAILY  Shared Reading in YOUR classroom!

Stay tuned for next week… Week 2 Guided Reading.

Please share with friends.

Leave me a comment…How do YOU use Shared Reading in YOUR classroom?

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Rethinking Literacy in 2023

We get a “Literacy” DO-OVER: Read Alouds UPDATED for 2023

And a FREE Balanced Literacy resource to help you get STARTED!

2023 is the Year of  LITERACY!

 Because 2022 was so BAD….we get  DO-OVER!

We get a “LITERACY ” do-Over”!

    Keep reading to the bottom of this post for a FREEBIE!

Free for Followers

Freebie for Followers

Ready to UPDATE your literacy block? 

Balanced Literacy: Here is your NEW YEAR’s PLAN!

*DISCLAIMER…  I know the Science of Reading is the NEW “go-to” for teaching Reading.

I AM NOT AN EXPERT! I am learning. I have been teaching reading to FIRST GRADERS for 30+ Years. AND I AM ALWAYS  LEARNING. SO… I hope YOU are open to new ideas & “reusing” OLD ideas to help our “littles” learn. If this helps YOU – Yeah! ( Jan. 2022). 

The Why? The What? and The How?

Balanced literacy has been defined as  “an approach designed to help individual students learn how to process a variety of increasingly challenging texts with understanding and fluency.” (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001)

Fountas & Pinnell have been the guiding resource for Balanced Literacy. Today we listen.

It is an approach to teaching. NOT a curriculum. It is HOW we teach our students to be independent readers and writers. It is NOT what books we use to teach them.

Balanced Literacy has been defined in “components” or  “pieces” of literacy instruction.

This series will focus on the components of a complete BALANCED LITERACY program. We will focus on clear and concise definitions. Definitions that educators can discuss in collaborations. A “common language” where we can learn from each other and with each other.

The 8 components we will focus on are:

  1. Read Alouds
  2. Shared Reading
  3. Guided Reading
  4. Independent Reading
  5. Modeled / Interactive Writing
  6. Shared Writing
  7. Guided Writing / Writer’s Workshop
  8. Word Work

We will focus on one area of Balanced Literacy and share experiences,  teacher tips, and resources to support and expand our Balanced Literacy repertoire.

This week:   READ  ALOUDS.

As defined by education.com, the teacher reads aloud various types of text. She often models her thinking aloud as she reads. The students participate by listening to the text and the teacher’s thinking strategies and then trying some of them out by talking with partners. The teacher reads the text, therefore taking away the visual sources of information, so that students can focus on meaning and structure.

The READ ALOUD is done BY the teacher FOR the students.

Marie Clay (1991) writes that when teachers read aloud to students “meanings can be negotiated in discussion before, during, and after the story reading” (p.171). Reading aloud to students should include think-aloud or interactive elements and focus intentionally on the meaning “within the text,” “about the text,” and “beyond the text” (Fountas & Pinnell, 2006, p.33). Read aloud, as part of the gradual release of responsibility, feeds naturally into shared, guided, and independent reading as teachers demonstrate for students the ways the reading process works (Burkins & Croft, 2010).

Among the many benefits of a read aloud, Rog (2001) lists the following:

  • building vocabulary
  • developing understandings of story structures
  • supporting developing connections between print elements
  • encouraging high levels of understanding
  • teaching the reading process in a meaningful context
  • modeling fluency
  • motivating students to read

There are many types of print for Read Alouds. Classroom library books, Big Books, chapter books, charts, and poetry are resources for teachers to read TO students.

Here some great educators share their resources.

first-grade-read-aloud-opt-400x634

15 Read Aloud Books for First Grade

Erica at what do we do all day    

has a list of First Grade Read Alouds.

firstgradereadalouds

19 Perfect Read Alouds

Mia at the Pragmatic Mom also has a list.

Pinterest has many fun and exciting ideas!

The main goal of a read-aloud is to engage students with the text.

To create their own thinking based on their life connections,  and discuss the text with peers. Each will bring their own comprehension based on their life experiences. As they learn to communicate their thoughts and understanding to others, their own comprehension will expand. The teacher has an opportunity to draw the students INTO the book. Use your posters, visuals, artifacts, and storytelling techniques to be the characters, create the world using your voice, and open the doors to new adventures.

Slide1

How to PLAN Read Aloud Lessons

Paige from Our Elementary Lives shows a storytelling Read Aloud Lesson.

And there are MORE. Click the links below for more information on READ ALOUDS.

Upper Elementary Snapshots

The Inspired Apple

Intentional Homeschooling

A Dab of Glue Will Do

In summary, a READ ALOUD is a book, a chart, a poem on a smartboard, or any other text in your classroom supplies, where the teacher reads TO the students using self-questions and think-aloud reading strategies. The goal is to model fluent and expressive reading. The students then INTERACT with the text through discussions, writing, and/or thinking for themselves.

These literacy posts may help in YOUR Balanced Literacy journey.

Balanced Literacy

Read At Home

Flexible Seating

These resource books for TEACHERS may be helpful for YOUR reading.

51Sj5mMOXJL._SY498_BO1,204,203,200_

The Ultimate Read-Aloud Resource

The Ultimate Read-Aloud Resource 

516PEG6FPDL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_

The Read-Aloud Handbook

The Read-Aloud Handbook

I hope YOU are prepared to practice DAILY Read Alouds in YOUR classroom!

Stay tuned for our next literacy experience…Shared Reading.

Please share with friends.

Leave me a comment…How do YOU use Read Alouds in YOUR classroom?

Print

Read Aloud for 15 Minutes

Read Aloud

Partner Reading Comprehension Sticks. Talk about your READING!

For MORE Balanced Literacy Resources…

CHECK out my TpT Store 1stgradefireworks 

HAPPY New Year!

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Wendy

Character Traits for Reading and Writing.

Let’s get EXCITED about Reading & Writing with Character Traits!

Character Traits.

(Yawn)

via GIPHY

Try beginning your lesson with that phrase for your PRIMARY STUDENTS!

Keep reading for a FREEBIE at the end of this post!  🙂

HUH? WHAT’S A CHARACTER TRAIT?

DID YOU SAY CHARACTER TRAIN????

Character Trait. Adjective. Describing word.

OH! I GET IT!

How to help our youngest readers and writers to add more DEPTH to stories?

How to help them analyze a story and determine the details of a character?

WHY?

I want my students to interact with story characters.

I want them to summarize, sequence, use inferences.

I want them to compare and contrast story elements.

I want them to draw conclusions, and problem-solve.

But most of all, I want them to LOVE reading and writing!

My little ones ( First Grade ) are just learning about print.

So, HOW do I help them discover the good/bad qualities of a story character?

And help them decipher the changes that can AND SHOULD, occur?

TALK. WHAT? TALK!

If you want your youngins’ to expand their knowledge base, YOU have to TALK!

TALK…READ….WRITE!

My newest product Character Traits for Reading & Writing , gives the teacher resources for discussion , printables for student work, and visuals for language acquisition.

All of the first steps for expanding vocabulary.

Speaking, Reading, Writing,

What a WONDERFUL World!

Character Traits for Reading & Writing. How to get your students interacting with story characters! 1stgradefireworks
Character Traits for young kids.
Character Traits for Reading and Writing. How to help young students interact with story characters through discussion, and new vocabulary.1stgradefireworks
Character Traits for Reading and Writing. How to help young students interact with story characters.
Character Traits for Reading and Writing. How to help young students interact with story characters with pocket chart and sorting cards. 1stgradefireworks
Character Traits for Reading and Writing. How to help young students interact with story characters through writing and text connections.
Character Traits for Reading and Writing. How to help young students interact with story characters through writing and text connections. 1stgradefireworks
Help YOUR students interact with story characters through CHARACTER TRAITS FOR READERS AND WRITERS
Help YOUR students interact with story characters through CHARACTER TRAITS FOR READERS AND WRITERS

Check out the PREVIEW VIDEO.

Click HERE to PURCHASE  

Try it with YOUR kiddos. Leave me some LOVE and let me know how it goes!

MY KIDDOS LOVE IT!

PS… I Left the word cards up at the writing center! They are adding new words to their writing, daily! WIN! WIN!

Need more GRAMMAR WORK?

Adjectives – Hide & Seek

Winter is WONDERFUL!

Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives 

 

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I SEE PUMPKINS! Meet the “little ones”…

I SEE PUMPKINS! Meet the “little ones”…

My hubby, AKA  Farmer Without a Farm, is growing
pumpkins!
In our backyard.
On the fence.
Across the lawn.
In EVERY garden we own!
And FINALLY…Yes, I say FINALLY…

WE HAVE PUMPKINS!

2 to be exact!
Meet the “little ones”.
Clara the colorful…
She is turning ORANGE the fastest.
Sidewinder SAM.
He is growing SIDEWAYS ON my ladder!
Just like the “STEPS” he can take to grow!
HAHAHA
Pumpkin  HUMOR 🙂 
And this is Junior!
Junior is was growing in our garden at school.
I work at a TITLE 1 school…someone STOLE him!
RIP junior.
You would have made a great  PIE!   🙂

To help my FIRSTIES get into the FALL  SPIRIT…

I have brought out the FALL GOODIES!
 Remember…it’s 95 degrees in NORCAL this week…
hard to feel “FALLISH!”

Fall BUNDLE

Falling for NOUNS ( Common Core Grade 1 )
and
FALL Fluency
BUNDLED TOGETHER to save $$
FALL  THEMATIC   UNIT
Includes:

Reading-
Reading Passage
Comprehension Printable
Reading Response Printables
Vocabulary Pocket Chart Cards
Poem ( And Cut a part printable )

Writing-
Spelling List Forms
Word Family Charts
HFW Lists
Journal Pages & Covers
Interactive Journal Pages
Flap Book Graphic Organizer

Assessments-
BPST printable
Fluency Assessment
HFW List

Grade 1 / 2

AND…
BRING ON ANYTHING  
HALLOWEEN “ish”…
Finally,
MORE TASK CARDS
These are  ADDITION ONLY!
Good starting PACKET
Now…If I could just get the PUMPKINS
to
CARVE THEMSELVES!
( I Hate the SLIME!)
Oh, well.
Stay COOL my FRIENDS!
Wendy
Bring on FAll

Bring on FALL! We are READY!

Have I mentioned…

I  LOVE  FALL!

OK…Many times.

I live in NORCAL.

We don’t have the  TRADITIONAL

4 seasons.

DID YOU KNOW THERE ARE  4   ????

In NORCAL…

we have

Summer ( 90-100 degrees )

Fall   (  80-90 degrees)

Winter   (  foggy…  60-70 degrees…sometimes cooler )

Spring  ( 70-90 degrees )

It’s OK…I LOVE my HOMETOWN.

Sometimes.

OH…well…  🙂

And so on.

SO now that it’s 80 degrees & FALL..

What’s UP in ROOM 3??

Fall Brings…

BRAG  TAGS!

We use Brag Tags on rings during the month.

They earn BRAG TAGS

for

 following classroom / school rules

AND

Lifeskills

At the end of each month…

They transfer their earned BRAG TAGS  from RINGS…

To string necklaces.

They get to wear their necklaces ALL DAY AT SCHOOL

and then

HOME!

( Parents are told at BTS night to

 REWARD their kids for necklaces

 at the end of the month!)  🙂

Fall Brings…

English   Language   Arts

Word Work

Word  Sorts…NO GLUE!

Pick 3 crayons.

Color the words according to the KEY!

Write!

Back from 2 week vacation.

TEACHER…..CLEAN   YOUR   TABLE!

 I don’t have a teacher desk.           #bestdecisionever

Reading  ROCKERS!    #alternativeseating

Birthday  Books.

On each student’s birthday  ( or close  to ),

We make a class BIRTHDAY  BOOK!

We do these during  MUST DO TIME!

Independent work.

We have a “FRAME” style we use.

Everyone makes a page.

We STAPLE together and VOILA!

CLASS   BIRTHDAY  PRESENT!

We sing and dance as we PRESENT ( haha )  it to the birthday  student!

LAST..( whew..what a  week !)

Fall Brings…

GUIDED MATH

My  newest  &  favorite time of the day!

 We are doing

MATH  MUST  DO’s  &  MAY  Do’s

( Same format as ELA centers in the AM )

KEEP  YOUR  ROUTINES  THE  SAME!

We go the the MATH  Calendar  (  next to ELA  Calendar  )

after  lunch.

Math  Calendar

After  we go through the “math board”…

We NOW ( Quarter 2)  do MATH MUST DO’S.

(  Approx.  45   minutes  )

Must DO’s

#1    MATH    JOURNAL

Story  Problem  with  illustrations &  number  sentence.

#2    Math  Paper

A  Workbook Page FROM  YESTERDAY ( review )

#3    MATH   TUB  (center)  with a PARTNER

I do the whole class MATH lesson  BEFORE  centers.

SOMETIMES we do the workbook page together…sometimes they do.

Depends on the Lesson.  We  have a district curriculum to follow.

( Approx.  time    45  minutes  )

What  am I doing?

GUIDED   MATH   GROUPS!

I meet with 2-3  kids at a time.

We work on a STRATEGY.

NO  worksheets!

They need  to have independent  strategies to do ON THEIR OWN!

I  can’t  take the assessments  FOR THEM!

So…

Here is what’s UP  in room 3 in the FALL?

Need  supplements for ELA  or MATH?

Brag Tags

Balanced Literacy

Check out my store for GOODIES!

1stgradefireworks

Can reading be the #1 predictor of academic success?

First and Foremost,

Reading is the #1 predictor of academic success.

Students NEED to READ!

Consider this my DISCLAIMER…

I am NOT  A  College Professor.

I do NOT have a MASTERS ( or above ) 

in ANYTHING!

I am just a teacher.

A first-grade teacher.

A first-grade reading teacher.

A Veteran (27yrs ), a first-grade teacher,

in a TITLE 1 SCHOOL!

I have seen a LOT! Done a LOT!

Students NEED to READ!

Hear me ROAR!!!!!

 So, I repeat.

I am a teacher. I teach reading.

circle of students looking at books

(Aren’t they cute????)

I have been through:

Whole Language

Environmental Print

Interactive Writing

Phonemic Awareness

Leveled Readers ( DRA, GSP, AR, Lexile)

Phonics

Words Their Way

HFW

Sight Words

High-Interest Reading Books

SIPPS

Read Naturally

Daily 5

And 

A MULTITUDE OF PUBLISHER’S CURRICULUM!

New sets every 7 years!

Next, having said this…

1 thing most curricula have in common :

Students NEED to READ!

READ A LOT!

And then…READ SOME MORE!

Young girl reading a book

So …

My little sisters…

YES…both of my LITTLE SISTERS  are 

PRIMARY TEACHERS!

We were discussing school.

Yes… we do that!

 We are trying to WRAP our minds around the

“READ…READ…READ more”

and they will 

“GET IT!”  (way of thinking.)

happy baby

Well, maybe

I  LOVE reading with kiddos!

See my post here about the

 GUIDED READING TABLE!

But then my concern is…

When I “release” them to read,

When I want them to become INDEPENDENT readers,

Where do they “learn” the skills to use when they “get stuck”?

Will they use strategies, when they don’t know what’s happening?

When a story isn’t making sense…do they keep reading?

If they keep reading…

Will all the skills and strategies come TOGETHER?

Students NEED to READ!

At a recent PD, my little sis said she understood the 

READ, READ, READ philosophy.

Integrate science, social studies, math, technology

INTO  literacy!

YES!

Writing and Reading
COMPLIMENT  and Coexist
WITH  each other!

You can’t have one without the other!

Students NEED to READ!

BUT…

-Me  SPEAKING-

on my soapbox

There needs to be a BALANCE of:

Skills & Strategies

in conjunction with independent reading & writing!

THERE!

I said IT!

Reading & Writing SKILLS:

Letter Sounds

Blends

Vowels

Word Families

Chunks

Grammar

Punctuation

High-Frequency Words

Capitalization

Handwriting

and MORE!

Comprehension

Questioning

Summarizing

etc, etc, etc…

(I sound like my Education College Professors!)

I was listening!

ALL of these “lessons” MUST be taught

IN CONJUNCTION with 

Reading & Writing!

Yes…To be a better reader…

Students NEED to READ!

BUT…to be a better reader who UNDERSTANDS…

You must have skills and strategies  to use

WHEN  you read and write!

NOW…CAUTION!!!

baby with glasses

Unless you are teaching ADULTS in a COLLEGE CLASS…

A 40-minute LECTURE on diagramming sentences

IS NOT…I REPEAT…

NOT

the way to do it!

If you WANT to spend 40 minutes discussing grammar…

CHUNK IT!

Read a little.

Discuss it.

Let it soak in.

And do it again. And again. and again!

READ!

Do 2-3 MINILESSONS over a few days…

Let it SINK IN!

Show  kiddos:

  What it looks like.

Where to find it.

How to use it.

Why we use it.

When to ask for help.

Kinder-Grade 1-Grade 2 teachers…

UNITE!

Mini-Lessons with a WORKSHOP!

Use SMALL Groups for STRATEGY & Skill Groups!

Let kiddos have a chance to PRACTICE

what YOU have taught them!

Let it SINK IN!

And Then…

Students NEED to READ!

and 

READ!

and

READ!

and then

WRITE…and write, some more!

2 kids reading books

readl to self

independent reading

small group reading

Skills, Strategies, Reading, Writing

They will become “BETTER”…

and isn’t that what we ALL want to be?

BETTER!

Need some HELP?

My friend, Alison, at 

Learning at The Primary Pond

 

Button from Learning at The Primary Pond

learningattheprimarypond.com

has a great post about

What Does Reading Workshop Look Like In The Primary Grades?

what does reading workshop loolk like in the primary grades?

Here are some “HELPERS” for YOU!

go to: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/1stgradefireworks

Click HERE for more reading & writing products!