Manic Monday Freebie

Hi there! Today has been a fabulous day! I was well rested and ready to get my kids reviewed for their end of year math benchmark test. It was a calm and productive day in my classroom. And I have to say, I was thrilled with the math review and the skills they are showing mastery at. But I will post about math at another time...

Then I came home and found out I won a blog prize! Mrs. Bainbridge had a give-away for a class subscription to Samson's Classroom, and I won! Go check it out, she has something for you too.

But I am really popping in to share today. Charity from The Organized Classroom has created a linky party on Classroom Freebies. So I am here sharing a game I created for my first and second graders to practice /oi/ and /oy/ words.

Click on the picture to download. 

(For some reason, Google Docs is not embedding properly today!)

 

Thanks for stopping by. Leave me some comment love. I'd love to get to know you!

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Making Predictions

Hi there! I was a guest blogger over at Kindergarten Lifestyles this week.

Here's the post in case you missed it!

If your class is anything like mine, we spend a lot of time making predictions. I thought I'd share what I do with my students. 

In my room, I keep my comprehension anchor charts displayed in the library area for the students to use for reference. This is the one I made for making predictions. The original idea came from The Inspired Apple.  (Abby has some amazing ideas!)

 

It will be made its way to my whole group area as we reviewed the skill this week. 

After reviewing what a prediction is and the different language used, I modeled  for the students how to make a prediction. I use 2 or 3 different photos to model making predictions. Then I show the students several pictures and have them make predictions about what they think is going to happen. 

 

This week I used this book.  My kids love Mo Willems!

After reading the bus driver's message, I asked the students to make predictions.

They recorder a picture and sentence on this recording sheet. 

 

After the students shared their predictions.  (I forgot to take pictures! ugh...) I continued reading the story, stopping throughout for the students to confirm their predictions or explain how their thinking about their prediction had changed. There are several different sheets I created for making predictions. You can find them at TPT if you are interested. As we progress through the skill. I use different response forms. My goal is for the students to make an original prediction and then stop throughout the story to think about their thinking. I want them to be able to realize and understand how their thinking has changed when reading. So that's how I teach making predictions. How bout you? I'd love to hear how you teach it!

What Does Your Garden Grow? Unit Update...

Hi there friends! We have been busy the past few weeks learning all about plants.

We began the unit by experimenting with seeds. 

The students completed the What's A Coat? experiment. They were excited to dissect the seeds and use their magnifying glass to investigate! They recorded their findings in their plant journal.  

 

The next activity, the students had to predict which would grow faster, a seed with a coat or a seed without? Each students took the coats off 2 seeds and placed them in a bag. They did the same for 2 seeds with the coats on. We hung them outside for 5 days to see what would happen. 

The seeds without the coats grew the fastest! The kids were a little baffled by this, until we went back and redid the experiment. Since we had been learning all about the life cycle, some students realized removing the coat sped up the process of the cycle. They were pretty amazed!

 

We have worked our we through much of the unit. 

Last week we focused on plant needs.

We have been adding to our KWL and it is filling up!

We have been observing our garden grow from this...

to this...

We had to add a trellis because the cucumbers are out of control!

This week we have been working on plant vocabulary.

Which couldn't have come at a better time, because we have flowers on the cucumbers, green beans, and pumpkins!

The kids have been asking what will happen now, so the book From Seed to Plant was a great way to introduce the vocabulary and the next step in the life cycle!

This week will be all about wrapping it up with a life cycle diagram and flipbook. 

 

This is last year's flipbook. I have fancied it up in my new unit. =)

So that is where we are at in the unit!

The rules are simple!

For each one you follow, leave a comment! That will give you 4 entries to win!
Please leave an e-mail with your comment! 

1. Follow my blog

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I will randomly draw 3 winners on Wednesday, April 18th in the evening!

Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

The Grouchy Ladybug

Happy Saturday!

This week we will begin our unit on time.
I am leading into the unit reading A Second is a Hiccup by Hazel Hutchins. I love this cute and catchy rhyming story about the concepts of time.


We are going to be doing a bunch of activities from Step Into 2nd Grade with Mrs. Lemons' It's About Time unit. I love her products, and more importantly, my kids do too! There are lots of lessons breaking down the concept of time.
Between her lessons and my mini-lessons, the math is covered!

I have been trying to be more thematic-like in my planning, so I am pulling in some reading and writing.
I'll be reading The Grouchy Lady Bug by Eric Carle.

I made this quick little planning map and writing paper to tie into the story. I thought it needed a cute ladybug to go with it! Click here!



We'll be doing some activities shared by Fun in First Grade.
And I am sure as I am sitting here planning, I'll come up with some more stuff!
I'll be back later...if I ever stop procrastinating! =)