Autism Link Up

The month of April is National Autism Awareness Month. One of my favorite bloggers, Danielle from Crayonbox Learning,  is hosting an Autism Linky Party to help support our fellow teachers with activities and lessons for our Autistic students. 

Here are some facts from Autism Speaks.  

You will stop in your tracks and think about what this means for your own kids and your students.

While these facts surprised me when I began teaching 10 years ago, today I find it sad that we are still so far from where we need to be for these children.

Currently, Autism affects 1 in 88 children. For boys, the numbers are 1 in 54. The diagnosis of children with Autism grows every year, around the world. It is currently the fastest growing developmental disability with less funding than other childhood diseases. There is no cure, and there are no tests available to detect if a child will have Autism.  

As teachers, it is more than likely you have or will have an Autistic student. While many of the activities and lessons that one normally teaches are completely appropriate for an Autistic student; there are times when we need certain materials to support specific skills. 

Danielle, at Crayonbox Learning, is having a give-away for some amazing TPT products, as well as books, to support our students with Autism. Click on the puzzle pieces to head over and find the link-ups to all of the participating bloggers! 

Floor Clock FREEBIE

Hi all! This is going to be a short post today. Much to do to get ready for the week and report cards!

Thanks for the sweet feedback on my human floor clock. The kids are loving it and the best part is that they are really grasping the concept of time. 

I just put together a floor clock for you that is ready to go! All you need to do is print and laminate. Thanks to Mel From the Pond and Michelle from The 3 AM Teacher for the great graphics! Just click the picture for google docs. 

 For those who asked, I made the minutes using contact paper, plastic wrap, and pipe cleaners. I cut the pipe cleaners in half and made groups of five. I laid the five down on the contact paper and then put the plastic wrap on top. (I used plastic wrap instead of contact paper because the contact paper was kinda hazy.) 

I hope you are able to use the clock. I would love to hear how it goes in your class.

Manic Monday and a Freebie!

I hope you all got all the goodies from the Jackpot yesterday! I have been busy printing and organizing the ones I grabbed! Thanks for all the sweet comments you left. I am so sorry there was a typo on page 8. See this post to grab the fixed card! =(

I am linking up with Charity at Classroom Freebies for Manic Monday!

Hope you enjoy!

**Google is acting funny, I guess!! To download, click the black corner box in the righthand corner. It has an arrow. This should open for you to download. If that does not work, click here. ***

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!

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! =)

Penguins

Hi all! I have been stuck in the house all day because the tree cutters are here. I had no idea it was an all day project! I had much to be doing other than sitting at home.

So in order to cure my boredom, I got busy with some math stations (among many other things). I am working on a theme unit of penguins for our return in January. My kiddos have been working on comparing numbers, greater/less than, rounding to the nearest ten, and skip counting. So I made these guys with some cute penguins!
Check it out and leave me some comment love...

I am working on penguin poems, can/have/are charts, and a reading response to Tacky...BUT I need some ideas for literacy stations. I am STUCK on word work...I will be implementing the Daily 5 when we return, and I am trying to come up with some word work stations that can be the same each week with just the word or phonics skill changing...but I am at a loss as where to start! So help a fellow teacher out and tell me what you do for word work. (Note-these kids are VERY visual...so the normal dry erase boards and magnetic letters will not keep them working!) =)

Gingerbread Love...

Update: Gingerbread Literacy Activities & Gingerbread Numbers have been posted to TPT and TN. =) Check below for a rounding freebie!

It's the afternoon and I am still in my pj's! =) I *wish* I could say I just rolled out of bed, but that is not the case...I have been busy working on some gingerbead-ish things for my class this week. After blog hopping, well, stalking, I found lots of great stuff (which I will be using!).

Here comes the but...But I really needed something more for my second graders. I needed fun incorporated with skill review because we have a big *theme* test this week in reading!
So I have been busy at work with this...

which led to this...
and three hours later...this...

As if that wasn't enough...I started thinking about math...
and more math
which then became this...

Here's a freebie for you!Click on the picture to grab it.
I think I may have lost my mind. What should have taken me no time to write lesson plans for this week...has now not even been started! =) I have my math stations and my literacy focus...now to spread them across the week!!!
And just to be clear, these are geared toward my second graders...(I know the blog still says first...I have both now! =))

If you have read this far...you are in luck! I think I need someone, well probably more than one someone, to proof these and give me some feedback! So I will give both units AWAY to the first three people willing to proof and provide feedback. =) Just leave your name and email in the comments. I will email them to you! =)

Punctuation...

Over at the First Grade Parade, I got these SUPER cute Writer's Eye bulletin board signs...

Well, I needed some for punctuation. So here they are...idea totally inspired to match Mrs. Caroll's Writer's Eye at the First Grade Parade.

Click here or on the picture to grab them! Let me know if you would like me to add more...My brain ran out of umphhhh while I was working on them. And I really only need these right now.
Please leave me some comment love if you download them! =)

Making Predictions

I cannot believe we are at the end of October already! To celebrate 45 days complete in the school year..I am having a sale at Teacher's Notebook! Everything in my shop is 20% off...including my new mini-unit on making predictions.

Over the next 2 weeks, my students will be learning about making predictions. I have found with this particular bunch of students, the more pre-reading thinking and writing they do, the more concrete it becomes for them. They really struggle with comprehension. Is it just my class or do we have a whole generation of students who cannot think without guidance? They seem to want every answer given to them and if by chance they actually have a thought...they give me this pleading look of "I'm not really sure...but can you tell me if it's the RIGHT answer?" While they are as sweet as can be, I have a loooooonnnnnngggggg way to go with creating thinkers in my class.

Here is a sample from the Making Predictions mini-unit, which is 20% off in my Teacher's Notebook store!

Predictions Sample