Tag Archives: Strategies

Is reading MORE..really ENOUGH??

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Consider this my DISCLAIMER…

I read. I read a LOT!

I am NOT A College Professor.

I do NOT have a MASTERS ( or above )

in ANYTHING!

Just a READING CERTIFICATE!

I teach reading!

I am just a teacher.

A first-grade teacher.

A Veteran (27yrs ), first-grade teacher, in a TITLE 1 SCHOOL!

I read! They read!

I have seen a LOT!

Done a LOT!

Hear me ROAR!!!!!

Ok. So again.

I am a teacher.

(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!

Having said this…1 thing most curriculum have in common :

READ!

READ A LOT!

And then…READ SOME MORE!

So …

My little sisters…

YES…both of my LITTLE SISTER’S are

PRIMARY TEACHERS!

We were discussing school.

( I know..we are NOT supposed to discuss SCHOOL during SUMMER VACATION!)

But…um…we were discussing school…

and we are trying to WRAP our minds around the

“READ..READ..READ more”

and they will

“GET IT!”

(way of thinking.)

Well, maybe…

I  LOVE reading with kiddos!

See my post here about the GUIDED READING TABLE!

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 it ALL come TOGETHER?

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

READ, READ, READ philosophy.

Integrate science, social studies, math, technology

INTO  READING!

YES!

Writing and Reading COMPLIMENT and Coexist WITH  each other!

You can’t have one without the other!

THEY NEED EACH OTHER!

BUT…

-Me  SPEAKING-

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…

YOU  MUST  READ!

BUT…to be a better reader who UNDERSTANDS…

You must have skills and strategies

to use

WHEN

you read and write!

NOW…CAUTION!!!

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!

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..

LET  THEM  READ!

and

READ!

and

READ!

and then

WRITE…and write  some  more!

Skills, Strategies, Reading, Writing

They will become “BETTER”

..

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

BETTER!

Need some HELP?

Here are some “HELPERS” for YOU!

Check out ALL my reading & writing products!

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

What Does READ AT HOME really Look like? How to support Reading at Home.

How to get kids to Read At Home?

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 How do I get kids to Read at Home?

I am a BLOG STALKER!

I admit it.

This year I am trying to get my kids to 

Read at HOME.

I am ALWAYS trying to find the BEST,

 FASTEST, & EASIEST ways

to make my classroom run smoother

 & more effective while being 

academically successful.

Aren’t we ALL?

So each year I try to “change” 

a few things for the better.

NO THROWING THE BABY OUT 

WITH THE BATH WATER!

  

So here is something “NEW”

 ( or New to ME ) 

 that I am doing this year!

apple

 Who chooses the students Read at Home Books?

I am NOT ( Ugh…),  NOT  

choosing the Student’s 

TAKE HOME BOOKS

 each week.

( Let it go! Let it go!)

I LET THEM!

The power is in the CHOICE. 

I thought if I chose reading books that were

 ON their reading level

THEY would MAGICALLY 

fall in LOVE with READING!

NOT!

 How Do Their Books get HOME?

I have RAH ( Read AT Home ) envelopes…

Purchased at

REALLY GREAT STUFF

multicolor hook and loop plastic envelopes

BUT ANY envelope will do!

Each WEDNESDAY and FRIDAY

 they bring their RAH folder back.

I have them choose 2 books…

YES…2 books to put in their folder.

( I place a pile 20 or so, of books at each level …

*disclaimer…right now I have 5 Guided Reading groups…

I group their PILES of books

 at the Guided Reading group level…

So they really are taking home books

 at THEIR reading level.

Just a little teacher

 “nudge”

 in the right direction!

They choose two books,

 put them in their envelopes, 

and put them in their cubbies.

They keep them for 2 nights…

hence bringing them back WED. & FRI. 

We change them for two NEW books … 

and here we go again!

 How do I know if they REALLY read their

Read at Home Books?

Some nights I add a 

READING RESPONSE 

page to their homework.

USE ONE OF YOUR RAH BOOKS!

( Your choice!)

You can get my READING RESPONSE Packet HERE

Read and Write Reading response pages

Reading Response forms for ANY Book. Read and Write.

Accountability?

I do have a paper…lined…for parents to sign each night.

DO ALL OF THEM SIGN IT?

 NO!

If YOU take a horse to water…

Can you FORCE it to drink it?

NO!

Let it go! Let it go!

Let It go!

 What happens if a parent doesn’t read at home
with a student?

If you have a parent 

who doesn’t support reading at home…

 READ, READ, READ at school.

YOU may be 

the ONLY adult 

who reads with

 “THAT CHILD”…

We ALL have “that child”.

Don’t fight it!

Don’t PUNISH the child.

IF he/she could read it BY THEMSELVES…

THEY WOULD!

They can’t.

So

Let it go! Let it go!

Let It go!

 How do You REWARD students who do Read At Home?

I do REWARD

 those who make the continued effort

 to read at home

EVERY NIGHT!

When they bring their envelopes back,

 I check the paper.

IF the parent HAS NOT SIGNED…

I highlight in RED that date.

At the end of the MONTH..

I give a reward 

(and a SPECIAL BRAG TAG ) 

to those who have read

EVERY NIGHT!

I know…NOT fair for “that child”.

Fair is NOT Always EQUAL!

I want my kiddos who 

DO THE WORK

to know

I NOTICE!

And so my friends…

I keep stalking.

LOTS of great ideas out there in 

BLOGGY LAND.

And PINTEREST  LAND.

AND  INSTAGRAM LAND.

If you need some ideas…

Check out MY PINTEREST BOARDS.

1stgradefireworks logo

Happy  Reading my Friends

Reading Workshop

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Reading Workshop

“Creating a Community of Readers”

via…LUCY  CAULKINS!

This is my newest FAVORITE thing!

I LOVE Lucy Caulkin’s 

READING, WRITING, 

& 

COMPREHENSION LESSONS

If you get a chance to hear her, see her, and/or youtube her…

DO IT!

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

I want them to have 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

 How?

 

Before reading, take a sneak peek!

What do you do BEFORE reading?

 Take a picture walk. Cover the words. Make them use the visual cues in the story. Frontload any vocabulary that may change thinking, distort comprehension, or unfamiliar to them.

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 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, a friend. The same book can sound new when you are reading it the second or third time!
Lucy Caulkins Units of Study

Lucy Caulkins Thank You

A HUGE THANK YOU to Lucy Caulkins!

So there you are..

GET  READING!

Remember….

When in doubt…

ALWAYS make it

BALANCED  LITERACY

What part of a Balanced Literacy Classroom is reading?

Where is reading in a Balanced Literacy classroom?

Close Reading for Little Ones

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CLOSE READING

If YOU need CLOSE READING info…

just ask

PINTEREST!

From HANNAH @ The Classroom Key

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/430164201886627298/

From Jen @ Teacher Karma

and from

Kristine @  Young Teacher Love

She has a GREAT blog post about

CLOSE READING!

If you are learning…check it OUT!

Gotta know YOUR standards!

And so..

to help US all

DIVE  INTO THE  TEXT…

Here is a little FREEBIE

from ME  to  YOU!

Enjoy!

What’s UP in Room 3?

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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’sOK…I LOVE my HOMETOWN.

Sometimes.

OH…well…  🙂

And so on.

SO now that it’s 80 degrees & FALL..

What’s UP in ROOM 3??

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!)  🙂

English   Language   Arts

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 brthday  ( 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 !)

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!

Need  supplements for ELA  or MATH?

Check out my store for GOODIES!

1stgradefireworks

Balanced Literacy in First Grade! Let’s start with READ ALOUDS!

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I can’t  believe this is year 26!

MY own twins were in first grade MY first year of teaching!

( NOT in my class…TG…)

Each year things CHANGE!

CHANGE is NOT a BAD thing!

It can make you rethink, reevaluate, redo, remake, revitalize!

After 26 years…I can HONESTLY say..

I will NOT throw out the BABY with the BATHWATER!

WHAT????

OK…We have a new curriculum.  AGAIN!

EVERY  7 YEARS..

Whether you want it …or NOT!

And so, here we go again.

It really doesn’t matter  what “program” you give me.

BALANCED  Literacy

 is 

BALANCED Literacy

My “STRESS” level rises when I try to plan .

HOW TO FIT IT ALL IN?

Balanced Literacy

What is a BALANCED LITERACY Classroom? This resource will show YOU!

Reality check…

Some days I can…some days I can’t.

It’s ok. 

Life won’t end if you don’t do it ALL!

BUT..

TRY!

Let’s start with 

READ  ALOUDS!

I  start  my day with a READ ALOUD.

AND

I end my day with a READ ALOUD!

( I try to make ONE of those Read Alouds

 a SCIENCE,SOCIAL STUDIES, or HOLIDAY story)

INTEGRATE whenever YOU can!

After EVERY story…WE Discuss.

Characters.

Setting.

Problem.

Solution.

EVERY Read Aloud.  

Discuss for  10 minutes …MAX!

Highly Effective! 

When students THINK about a story, “turn & talk”

about it, use the “academic language” from the story they are engaged!

They might NOT take it on for themselves the first time…..

but…over time, they will!

This week I heard some “reading partners”

 discussing  our anthology

story.

I heard “MAIN CHARACTER”, “Beginning, Middle, END”, 

“How did they SOLVE that Problem?”

WOWZA! 

 Teacher  Happy DANCE!

If you need suggeastions for Read Alouds…PINTEREST!

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/31806741095305481/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/AZwmwPgKXX2QSsHj0Dpl_ViGF2rF1LZWD7NtyOCvy6BCp-jw7W8kwOg/

I use ANY Science Books,

 Scholastic News,

MY Classroom Library,

 MAGAZINES ( use Non-Fiction also ),

and One Week a MONTH…

We read a chapter book!

Their current FAVORITE!

How do we ask kids to “SEE THE PICTURES IN YOUR MIND”…

If we never teach them HOW TO?

Chapter books are GREAT!

LOTS of dicussion.  Review what you read.

Make connections.

Change YOUR Speed &TONE as you read.

Remember…this generation is VISUAL & ACTIVE!

( Think Video games & Movies…)

So …draw them in with your VOICE, FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, & Reading SPEED!

THEY will LOVE IT!

They ask if it’s a chapter Book week on MONDAYS!

Read Alouds bring children into the WORLD of Imagination!

It allows them to go outside of their daily world,

into new & exciting places!

Think of reading on MOMMY & DADDY’s lap.

NOT all kids get to do that!

( Sniff..sniff)

YOU

May be the ONLY one who does that!

DO IT!

And do it WELL!

Your kids WILL LOVE YOU for it!

If you need a BALANCED LITEREACY RESOURCE…

This  154 page resource binder is AMAZING!

It has ALL of the resources you will need to

create a

BALANCED LITERACY

classroom!

Happy Fall ‘YALL!

From NorCal 🙂

5.5 days left…But Who’s Counting??

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5.5 days left…BUT WHO’S COUNTING????

I admit it.
I AM TIRED!
I am counting the days until vacation.
I am counting the days until I don’t have to leave the house by 7:15 AM.
I am counting the days…until I can have coffee at8:00 9:00AM. 🙂
Ah…I  Am  READY!
BUT…
My teacher BRAIN won’t
STOP!
I want to start getting ready for
NEXT  YEAR!!!
I know…relax, breathe…ENJOY YOUR SUMMER!
I can’t STOP! I want to plan!
We are getting a new reading program next year.
CA JOURNEYS here we come!
And so…I have begun.
I have begun to plan.
MY day, my month, my year!
I am starting my new projects today!
Here’s a PREVIEW!
Focus Wall
Focus Wall Printables
SPELLING for the YEAR!!!!
The BEST PART???
These Packets can be used with ANY program!
( Just because it follows CA Journeys…doesn’t mean it will ONLY work with
that program!)
Here is the FREE Focus Wall Headers… 🙂
How about
DAILY   PROOFREADING    PRACTICE??
More on the WAY!
 Keep checking back!
🙂
All available HERE.
Now…Where is my beach chair? 🙂
Time to relax! 🙂
5.5 days to go…  🙂

I Love the Guided Reading Table!

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What is YOUR favorite time of the day?

Before lunch?

Recess?

Mine is…

GUIDED READING!

The place where “MAGIC” happens!

The “AHA!”..the lightbulb…whatever you want to call it.

Last year I got rid of my

TEACHER  DESK.

This is my

CENTRAL COMMAND.

Then I added stools from IKEA.

My kiddos LOVE IT!

My next favorite “accessory”

from by

BFF….

AMAZON!

Brewster Wall Pops 

WPE99065 Peel & Stick Calypso Dry-Erase Dots

 with Marker

I put  BIG teal dots on my table!

My kids write on them!

After we read… then

we write questions on them

 and then change seats to answer them!

Musical Chairs!

They LOVE it!

Write & WIPE!

The BEST!

And so…we read, we write, we talk, & we learn!

It doesn’t get ANY BETTER than THAT!

Enjoy!

Nibits for Newbies 4.24.16 Supporting English Learners in WRITING

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If it’s Sunday..

It must be time for

NIBITS for NEWBIES!

This week’s theme..

HOW to help EL student’s with WRITING!

I work in a Title 1 school.

I have 24 first graders with  99%  free  lunches.

This year I have 12  English Language Learners in 4 different langauges!

( I have had 18-20 EL’s in the same class!)

12???

A BREEZE!

My kiddos come with a SMALL  amount of ENGLISH print.

MOST..not all..but MOST have enough English to communicate

everyday NEEDS to me.

BATHROOM, Recess, and When is LUNCH?

We are OK.

BUT…

English PRINT?

WOWZA! Another WORLD!

FIRST…

 We begin…BEGIN…with  Phonemic Awareness.

Sounds…

ORAL…

NO PRINT!

Letter Sounds, Vocabulary Words, Rhymes, Alliterations,,

SOUNDS

and LOTS OF THEM!

Next…

We ADD

PHONICS!

A symbol (letter/word) to the sounds.

Alphabet, HFW, Word Families, emergent readers, etc.

For those who make READING a priority…

they excell!

For those who don’t have a LOT of support at home..

It can take LONGER…

But..

THEN…

We WRITE!

We write well and we write A LOT!

Lists, poems, booklets, stories, and they LOVE IT!

The problem occurs when they don’t have an ENGLISH word to attach to the “word” in their head!

Vocabulary MUST be a HUGE paaart of the daily writing minilessons.

And RESOURCES!

We use Step Up to Writing…

and

I “supplement”…Ummm

SUPPLANT

with

LUCY CAULKINS!

YESSSS!!!

http://www.heinemann.com/products/E07729.aspx

Click HERE to see it…

FINALLY..

We  use  my

WRITE ON!

 papers because they have

VOCABULARY

built in!

Available HERE…

My kids are doing GREAT!

(Most could only write their names at first!)

Daily PROGRESS! 🙂

And so..

we

PRACTICE, we TALK, WE SING,

WE CHANT,

AND ..we

  WRITE ON!

🙂

Do YOU Know the SECRET to LIFE? I DO! Nibits for Newbies 4.17.16

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If it’s SUNDAY..

It’s time for

NIBITS FOR NEWBIES

Sorry I was MIA  last week..

I have a great excuse..

 Gma & Gpa ( & Daddy )

took little one

to see…

MICKEY   MOUSE!

So fun!

OK…So

 I KNOW the

SECRET TO LIFE!

No…I have NOT climbed the highest mountain..

or whatever…

I just “FIGURED” it out!

I do my BEST  “THINKING”

when I am GARDENING!

No…the SECRET to LIFE is NOT GARDENING!

It’s great…but I don’t think it’s the SECRET!

Here it goes…

There are 3 things 

you need to KNOW

 to be SUCCESSFUL

in ANYTHING!

Have a PLAN!

DUH!

Heard this before.

BUT, it makes sense.

I am gardening.

If I don’t have a plan for my garden, some things will grow.

Not EVERYTHING in this world needs MY touch!

BUT…If  I really think about the VARIABLES ( Sunlight, water, plants next door..)

I can ENHANCE the outcomes with just a little THOUGHT!

If I have a “PLAN” I know where to put all of my HARD work!

In my classroom…

If I know where we want to go..

I can “PLAN” HOW to get there.

“Winging it” only works for a short time.

You gotta know where you want to go!

I am NOT saying you can not DEVIATE from the plan ( it may enhance it)!

BUT,

having a goal

is the #1 SECRET to Success!

OK..I have a PLAN!

Now what?

The #2 SECRET TO LIFE is….(drumroll)

Have the RIGHT TOOLS!

I am working in my garden.

I have lots of energy…I know where I want things to go.

I have a MASTER plan..

GO!

So I did!

I wore my good athletic shoes!

UGH! Silly!

Now I have to clean them.

REALLY GOOD!

I started with a shovel!

Farmer’s tools!

DUMMY!

Forgot the GLOVES!

OUCH!

Many blisters & very SORE HANDS!

Finally…got out the ROTOTILLER!

To the RESCUE!

I should have gotten ALL of the RIGHT TOOLS

BEFORE I started!

Would have saved aches & pains!

In my classroom,

Have the CORRECT tools READY TO GO!

If I am teaching GUIDED READING,

Get my whiteboards, HFW word cards, books,

EVERYTHING I will need

CLOSE AT HAND!

I don’t need my SCIENCE TE on my reading table when I teach small group reading!

Have the RIGHT  TOOLS for the JOB at HAND!

SOunds like good classroom ORGANIZATION!

So..the #2  SECRET to LIFE is….

Have the RIGHT TOOLS for the JOB AT HAND!

and last…

The # 3 SECRET to LIFE is….

BE FLEXIBLE!

I know how I wanted my garden to be…PLAN

I used the correct tools….TOOLS

BUT….

The SPRINKLER PIPES ARE IN MY WAY!

So…

With the best of intentions…

AND

FLEXIBILITY…

My straight rows ..

are

NOW…

ROUNDED!

Same ending RESULTS…

Just a “LITTLE”  different!

Don’t be afraid to change your “PLAN”

to get to your goals!

It may make YOUR LIFE

a little EASIER!

And so my friends..

There are the 3 Secrets to LIFE!

Are they REALLY SECRETS?

I dunno.

NOT TO ME!

Happy Spring My FRIENDS!

Enjoy the “FRUITS” of your “LABORS”!

🙂    Tee Hee