Tag Archives: Writing

Character Traits for Reading and Writing.

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

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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 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 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. 1stgradefireworks
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 

 

               CLICK

It’s time to focus on WRITING! Here we go!

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It’s that time of the year.

No. Not Easter Eggs.

Not Spring flowers.

Not even putting up the Christmas tree…YET!

In our classroom, it is time to FOCUS ON WRITING!

To each skill there is a time to learn, a time to practice, and a time to MASTER.

In our classroom, it’s time for WRITING. 

It’s probably the hardest for primary ( TK- 2 ) students to MASTER. 

There is SO MUCH to learn!

Phonics, Grammar, Sentences, Spelling, Procedures…etc., etc. 

And what if English is your SECOND language?  Oh my!

And so, we start early. 

We focus on writing.

Work hard. Practice A LOT.

And MASTER it, in time.

We need HELP. We can’t do it alone. 

And we shouldn’t! We need help, support,

practice, and time. 

We teach NONFICTION writing also!

WHAT? Help is here. 

Check out my post on Interactive and Shared Writing

To help support my EL’s and my Emergent Writers, I have a NEW BUNDLE for Writing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Writing BUNDLE for the Elementary Classroom

This is a combination of my top 3 writing products!

WHY? It is time to Focus on Writing!

 

 

 

Good Luck!

Give them time, support, and

LOTS of practice. 

Remember…

It’s time to focus on Writing! 

Here are some MORE ideas to help with writing:

Informational Writing

Balanced Literacy

Literacy “Do-Over”

 

If you want to see MORE goodies from 1stgradefireworks  FOLLOW ME:

FB        IG     Pin   

 TPT     Blog 

 

Happy Thanksgiving from our home to yours!

Wendy

 

 

Bring on FALL! We are READY!

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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’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

GAME CHANGER!!!

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VOCABULARY BANNERS

I love it when SOMETHING WORKS!

YESSSS!!!!

I have

discovered, learned, found a BETTER WAY!

I LOVE  BANNERS

Obviously..

So  Does  PINTEREST!

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/211317407494866485/

and so…

I needed some vocabulary words for MY classroom.

Different ones for EACH MONTH.

FAST & EASY for me.

High Interest for Kiddos.

TADA!

Vocabulary Banners

I have a

GAME  CHANGER

for YOU!

Tie a triple KNOT!

Yes, a TRIPLE KNOT…and staple it to one side of your board ( or window ).

Measure side to side. Add 3-4 inches!

Tie another triple knot and staple to the other side.

( I measured to make sure both sides were LEVEL.)

I know…those of you who know me… I NEVER MEASURE!

EYEBALL  IT!

But…I want to do this ONE TIME…not taking down the yarn until the END OF THE YEAR!

Staple BOTH sides of the KNOT!

The Knot will HOLD the yarn. NO SLIDING!

 

HERE IS THE 

GAME  CHANGER…

After you have laminated the banner ( OR TAPE THE TOP EDGE BEFORE

you HOLE PUNCH!)

Use a hole punch to make two holes at the top.

I went down about ( No measuring there ) a 1/2″.

THEN…

SLIT THE HOLE TO THE TOP!

( SEE  the  PICTURE )

WHAT??????

“NO! Then it will fall off!”

NOT!

No one is pulling on these. They are for

LOOKING…NOT  TOUCHING!

What this does is allows you to change the BANNER page

without having to

remove & put up a new string!

JUST CHANGE THE BANNERS!

YESSS!!!

Alternate sides when you add the vocab. cards.

I wanted an ODD number…

so I could have 1 in the middle.

Add another layer.

Same  directions.

I cheated in the middle layer.

Stapled the middle card ( so the arch would be close to the others).

TADA!

WONDERFUL Vocabulary words at my writing center for kiddos to use!

BIG pictures…spelling…variety

for EL’s, independent work, & everyday  writing!

And i can change them each month…

IN A FLASH!

Just change the cards…not the string!

Here are  my

  vocabulary banners

And so..

A GAME CHANGER

for me!

 

Happy Back to School!

Are YOU  ready?

Can reading be the #1 predictor of academic success?

12 Replies

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.

(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!

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.)

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-


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!!!

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!

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

 

learningattheprimarypond.com

has a great post about

What Does Reading Workshop Look Like In The Primary Grades?

Here are some “HELPERS” for YOU!

Click HERE for more reading & writing products!

   

  

How to Write a Complete Sentence – 3 Steps to Success

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I have a BRAND NEW writing product to add to my TPT Store!

My problem was my students were writing…

BUT, they were not writing complete sentences.

They had a great idea, but could not get the right sequence of words to

make a complete sentence! 

Their stories just did not FLOW! They didn’t make sense.

So WHAT is a teacher to do?

WRITE! And so I did.

I did some research, read some materials, and 

I created a  WRITING CENTER where my students can be successful!

I teach in a high-poverty, low-socioeconomic, Title 1 school. 

I have had up to 50% of my class as EL students.

I have decided to help my students,

we need  Writing a Complete Sentence – 3 STEPS TO SUCCESS!

  1. Visuals for Vocabulary. 
  2. Structured Graphic Organizers for independent thoughts.
  3. Practice, practice, practice!

Product Description:

Writing a Complete Sentence – 3 Steps to Success

How to help your students to write complete sentences? How about 3 steps to SUCCESS? This packet of picture visual cards is sorted into NOUNS, VERBS, and NOUN places for students to select cards and create their own sentences. 40 NOUN cards (80 pictures total), 40 VERB cards ( 80 pictures ), and 30 NOUN PLACES cards are included. Teacher suggestions for implementing the product. I suggest using them at a writing center for the scaffolding of writers and nonwriters.

And so, it begins.

                                     Check out the VIDEO! 

 

    Writing a Complete Sentence – 3 Steps to Success

  Writing Paper for Scaffolding Writers

 

    NOUN  Cards for  Vocabulary  Support

 

                VERB Cards for action

 

 Noun Cards for “PLACES” to complete sentences.

 

       Sample  Writing  Page included.

      Teacher SUGGESTIONS for implementing.

                           THINK  WRITING  CENTER!  🙂 

                                I hope this helps with your planning for 

                                             Back to School.  I know.

   Teachers NEVER stop thinking about SCHOOL!

                                       

                                               Rest and Relax! 

                                    You can’t pour from an empty cup.

                                                 Check it out!

                                          Other posts that can help!

  Balanced Literacy

Literacy Do-Over:  Shared  Writing

 Literacy Do-Over:  Interactive Writing

Helping My EL’s with Writing

Leave me some LOVE and let me know what you think! 

Happy Summer!

Follow me:

FB      TPT     Pinterest     IG

 

 

First Grade Writing – NONFICTION

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First Grade Writing

So…we have taken the step  jump  LEAP into writing

NON-FICTION.

As a Title 1 teacher

with half of my class CELDT Levels 1&2 ( low English),

I am ALWAYS trying to give my kids more vocabulary, visual clues, and

FRONTLOAD information

…before we WRITE!

So this week…was

REINDEER  WEEK!

I was going for REAL REINDEER.

We read books, watched VIDEOS, did real research ( yes, ONLINE!)

We even attempted to watch the

REINDEER.CAM

Can’t show kiddos in my district…

TOO MUCH SANTA!

I know…don’t go there!

So …I kept it real!

ONLY REAL REINDEER!

I was going for NON-FICTION!

They did great!

As an adult, I felt they had mastered

 a LOT

of information!

What do reindeer LOOK like?

Where do they LIVE?

What do they EAT?

( One of our movies mentioned MUSHROOMS…

BOY did they pick up on that!)

And then…

what makes them different

 (special )

from

other ANIMALS?

Here are some of our writings…

(Don’t judge….we have NOT edited for CONVENTIONS..

Just  CONTENT!!  🙂

Sorry pics are turned…

Can’t get them to TURN! UGH!

No where…no how…

did I   MENTION

SANTA  or   RUDOLPH!

99%  of my students wrote

that the important thing about REINDEER is…

THEY PULL SANTA’S  SLEIGH

AND

THE LEADER IS…RUDOLPH!

And THAT is NON FICTION!

HAHAHAHA

But that is their

 PRIOR  KNOWLEDGE!

SO CUTE!

They brought it into their writing!

Let their VOICES be heard!

And so…

ADULTS  BE  AWARE!

The little ones WILL be HEARD!

I LOVE TEACHING FIRST GRADE!

They make me GIGGLE!

If you need some writing help…

WRITE  ON!

ENJOY!

Write On! Journal Pages with Support!

 

What does READ AT HOME really look like?

2 Replies
I am a BLOG STALKER!
I admit it.
 
I am ALWAYS trying to find the BEST, FASTEST, & EASIEST ways
to make my classroom run smoother & more effective while being 
academically successful.
I want my students to continue to practice their reading & writing skills and strategies 
AT HOME!

BUT..What does Read at HOME really look like?

 
Aren’t we ALL?
 
So each year I try to “change” a few things for the better.
NO THROWING THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATHWATER!
 
(  For YOU youngin’s…  Don’t get rid of the good stuff while trying NEW stuff! )
 
So here is something “NEW” ( or New to ME )  that I am doing this year!
 
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!
I have RAH ( Read AT Home ) envelopes…
Purchased at REALLY GREAT STUFF
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 by 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!
 

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  
Some nights I have them do a page or two from my
BOOK CLUBS
Book Reports.
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!
So then what?
If you have a parent who won’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!
BUT…
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.
 
 
 
Happy  Reading my Friends!
 
 

I Needed a KICK IN THE PANTS!

2 Replies

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!

How to Survive the 4th Quarter DASH!

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

SPRING BREAK is Finally HERE!

 

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!

When we go back we have the

4th Quarter DASH!

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! ELA & MATH Centers for first grade 4th quarter!

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

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

My kiddos LOVE LOVE LOVE this!

So much fun going on in Room 3!

And NOW for the FREEBIE!

Click HERE

This GMA wants some

GIGGLE  TIME! 

 And so…

HERE  WE  GO! 🙂

Check out my TPT Store for MORE goodies!