Flash Freebie and More Winners

Howdy!

     Congrats to Rachel, Sarah and Lslouka for being chosen as Thursday's Back to School Giveaway daily winners.  If you haven't entered yet, click on the picture to read about and enter the giveaway. You have two more chances to be a daily winner and then the grand prize winner will be picked Saturday night at midnight.

I have a Flash Freebie for you today that I think could be helpful in your classroom this year.

    Lots of teachers use hand signals in their classrooms so the kids can ask for what they need without interrupting instruction.   I wanted to give them a try, but I wanted a way to make them kinder-friendly so they would be meaningful and easy to use.  I love to anchor new concepts with a book, so I created a shared reader to introduce hand signals and explain the reason for using them.

To reinforce the signals, I made a cut and paste matching activity and an emergent reader for the kids to color and read.  These both will help support the kids in remembering the signals.

To have a consistent visual reminder for the kids, I made classroom posters with clear graphics that even my non-readers could “read.”

Yippee! No more interruptions during small groups, guided reading or conferring. If you want to give hand signals a try with your kinders, click the picture below to grab a copy of the packet. Remember to hurry, it's only free until midnight!

Have a great night!  

Summer Rewind Part 3 - Thinking & Talking About Books

Hiya!
     I'm back with the next Summer Rewind idea that I wish I had shared during the year but didn't.  Taking a look back at the year, I think one of the most important reading units we tackled was our "Thinking and Talking About Books" Unit. Sometimes there is such a rush to get our kids decoding, decoding, decoding that stopping to really think and talk about books is often put on the back burner.  This is such an important part of growing our little readers (especially with the new Common Core Standards), that I knew I had to beef up my unit this year. The CCSS expects you to provide prompts and support as students learn to sustain conversations, so I added lots of visual support for my little emerging readers and boy, what a difference it made!  The kids had the most amazing conversations about what they were reading, both with me during conferences and with their peers during partner work. Take a look and see if there's anything you can use to help your kids really deepen their understanding of the books they read and further develop their comprehension skills.

     During the unit, I tried to use really juicy books that were filled with things to think and talk about. (Some that worked really well were: This is Not My Hat, Chrysanthemum, William's Doll and Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon.)

     First we gradually built this anchor chart, adding the prompts as they were introduced one at a time.  The simple, kid-friendly icons were a great reference for the kids who couldn't access the text yet, and we used them for the rest of the year as visual clues.

     Once the kids had become familiar with the prompts, they practiced in partnerships.  Rolling the "Roll and Talk" cube, they used the picture clue that they rolled to launch their talk.  These conversations were so amazing and pretty funny to listen in on. I also gave the kids bookmarks with the pictures clues to keep in their book boxes and use during independent reading and they did a great job referring to them.

     Finally, once the kids were experts at really thinking about their reading, I transitioned some new Reader's Response sheets that reflected our new learning into the Read Along/Listening Station. I used a vertical hanging folder pocket chart to store the sheets, and the kids could choose which one they wanted to use to write about their thinking.

 

All in all, I was really impressed with and proud of the work my kids did during this unit.  Their talks were both silly and sophisticated, in that way that only kindergartners can pull off.  I'm looking forward to tweaking the unit a little more and rolling it out again this year.  If you think you can use any of these resources, click the last picture above to grab the whole bundle.  Leave a comment if you have any ideas that I can add to my unit this year or just to let me know what you think . . .

Have a great night!

Pete Saves the Day (Freebie)

Hiya Everyone!
     First of all, I'm having a gleeful moment of instant nostalgia. The Sound of Music is on and I feel like I'm 8 years old again, getting to stay up late on a school night to watch Maria twirl around and around on the top of a mountain. Love it! Now on to a great little freebie I have for you...
     If you're anything like me, taking a day off from school ties your stomach in knots. Sub plans to write, materials to prepare, checking the clock every ten minutes and wondering if everything's OK.   It's usually easier just to go in, even if you're under the weather. Taking a day off during the first few weeks of school is even worse - how can your little guys can possibly get through the day without you there?!?
     Well, I faced the unthinkable on Friday.  It was the 7th day of school and I needed to take a personal day - YIKES! My Dad was having surgery (which went VERY well - woohoo!) and I wanted to be at the hospital with my family. I debated for a while about whether I should take the day off, because my class is just settling in to routines and procedures and I felt a little bit like I was abandoning them during a really crucial time. To make things even more tricky, it was School Picture Day. After talking with my AP, we decided that picture day was manageable and the kids would be just fine without me for a day (imagine that).
     So I got to work creating very detailed sub plans that I thought would keep the kids busy, engaged and learning on their first day with a sub. I wanted to give the sub easy to follow plans, knowing that he/she would be not only facing the usual challenges of being a sub, but also tackling them with a class still relatively unfamiliar with each other and the routine. Enter everyone's favorite feline - Pete the Cat!
    I had just introduced my newest group of kinder kids to the first Pete book on Thursday, and as expected, they were in love. I figured that giving them a day full of Pete was the best way to keep them engaged and help the day moving along.  I came up with lessons and follow up activities for reading, writing, word study, math and science and wrote detailed directions for the sub. I prepared all of the materials, left everything labelled and organized, and left school on Thursday feeling OK about abandoning leaving my sweet class in the hands of a well-prepared sub.
     The day's plans came out so well that I thought I would share them as a little gift from me and Pete to make your life a little easier. If you have a day off coming up or just want to prepare an emergency sub kit, everything you need is in the packet.  Just grab a copy of the book, Pete the Cat - I Love My White Shoes, follow the directions for prepping the materials, and enjoy a stress-free day off!

Download Your Freebie Here

Have a great day off!

Jammies, Daiquiris and a Freebie

     I just noticed that this is my 100th post - that's pretty cool!  Many thanks to everyone who's been along for the ride!  So. . . in addition to the usual back to school shopping extravaganza in the Target Dollar Spot and Dollar Tree, I just bought myself a little, "Tomorrow's my last day of summer vacation" present. I was going to drive half an hour to Lakeshore to get some laminating done this morning when self indulgence struck and I headed to BJ's instead. After years on my wish list, I am finally the proud owner of one of these babies:

     I'm SOOO excited! I plan on spending my last day of vacation tomorrow in my jammies laminating my heart out. I might even treat myself to a strawberry daiquiri or two - heaven! (I know, I know, I'm a dork! but these are the things that make me happy . . .)

     First on the list for some wonderful protective shininess are the labels I made for the Meet and Greet we have the day before school starts. We ask the parents to bring their supplies with them and we have them sort everything into bins for us. The labels will go on the bins (some large and some small) and everything will be tidy and organized when the kids and their parents leave. Sweet!  If you'd like a copy, grab them below the picture.

Download the Labels Here

     Well, I'm off to bed to be well rested for my glorious day of jammies, laminating and daiquiris. I hope you have a day filled with your favorite things, too! G'night.

Para Mis Amigos

     I've been chatting recently with some teachers who either teach in a bilingual classroom or work with ELL students. They've mentioned how hard it is to find materials, and how often they stumble upon something cute and useful only to think, "I wish that were in Spanish!" With all the great things floating around on Teacher Blogs, I can only imagine how frustrating that must be! So, to help out my bilingual bloggy buddies a little, I've updated some of my post popular Back to School freebies to include Spanish versions along with the originals. If you could use them or know someone who could, grab a copy and enjoy.  Many thanks to Daysi and Stephanie for their help with the translations!

Grab the Give Me Five Posters Here

Backpack Tags

Pencil Pail Labels

First and Last Day Kindergarten Portraits

Have a Great Night!

"Give Me Five" Freebie

     Thanks to everyone who left a comment or sent a note about yesterday's post. My dad is doing great and he's even got enough spunk to subject the cute young nurses to his horrible jokes! Thanks also for the amazing ideas for my name wall. I've gone from having no inspiring ideas to having way too many! I'm heading into school tomorrow for the first time this summer, so I'm going to visualize my options and ponder when I get there. I think I'm leaning towards jeeps or sailboats but I'll keep you posted.
     I'm really psyched to go into school tomorrow.  Each year, a few weeks before school starts, we host a little summer program for the incoming kindergartners.  It's called S.A.I.L. (Summer Adventures in Literacy) and it's an hour a day for three mornings in a row. We do read-alouds and crafts and it's a great way to meet the kids and let them get a little acclimated to their new "big kid" school and make some new friends. It sure makes the first day of school a little less scary for the kids (and the moms). I have my class list handy so I can scope out who I'll be spending the next 10 months with.  I can't wait!
     I have a whole bunch of stuff to bring with me to laminate since the work room should be pretty deserted. One thing that's ready to go is a new set of mini-posters illustrating the age-old "Give Me Five" behavior management trick. When making visual reminders like this, I think that for them to be effective, it's important to have graphics that really show he kids what the expectations are. I couldn't find any clipart that matched the "Give Me Five" actions, so I tried my hand at making my own.  They're not that fancy, but I think they'll get the job done. Whatta ya think? Leave a comment and let me know! You can grab a set if you think you can use them in your classroom this year. Enjoy!

Grab your freebie here.

A Pinterest-ing Request

Just a quickie to let you know about an update.  Now that it's Back to School time, some things that I posted last year are making their rounds on Pinterest.  I've had a bunch of requests for the First Day of School magnets that I posted last year for grades other than just kindergarten. I've updated the file to include preschool, kindergarten, and first grade versions, as well as a "good for any grade" version.  Just have the kids decorate the magnets and cut them out, add a drawing in the little paper, then attach a magnet-backed clothespin to the back.  Voila!  A magnetic clip to hang on the fridge to display their best work.  You can grab a copy down below the picture.  (For some reason, when you preview the file in Google Docs, it looks like there's a wonky gray shadow around the paper, but don't worry, it's not really there when you download it.)  Have a great night!

Click here to download

A Little Back-to-School Goodie

     Once again I find myself working on cute, little, totally unnecessary things instead of tackling something more important.  Our first day of school is a week from today, so I realize that I need to get to work on the essentials, but for tonight my inability to prioritize led to a cute little project that I thought I would share.
     If your school is anything like mine, backpack tags are all the rage.  The kids come in with so many baubles attached to their bags that they actually jingle.  You know what they say, "If you can't fight 'em, join 'em!"  So, I made some kindergarten backpack tags for my incoming kids to decorate their new backpacks with.  I'm just going to cut them out, laminate them, punch a whole in the top and add a binder ring.  (You could also add yarn to make them into necklaces instead.)  If you'd like a set, click below the picture.  Now I promise I'll move on to more productive projects. Really. I will...

Click Here to Grab a Set

A Chicka Chicka Facelift for my Classroom

     As I mentioned a few days ago, I'm starting the year (like 8257 other kindergarten teachers) with a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom theme.  I know that it's been done to death, but it's just so perfect for so many reasons so I'm going to do it anyway.  Since the theme itself is kind of uninspired, I've been trying to come up ways to make it a little more inspired.  So, where do you go for affordable inspiration?  Ikea!  The result?  My reading corner is getting a facelift!  I picked up two of these cute leaf canopies and two child-sized wicker chairs.

   

     I'll add some coconuts and ABCs to the leaves and we'll be reading under the coconut tree.  I'm pretty excited to see what it looks like when it's all set up!  (It really doesn't take much to make me giddy...)

To share the Chicka Chicka joy that I'm feeling, here's a quick little alphabet sort that you can use with the book.

    

Click Here to Download

I'll Meet You at the Top of the Coconut Tree

     I faced reality today and acknowledged that summer is going to be wrapping up soon and it's time to start thinking about the first few weeks of school.  Like many kindergarten teachers, I like to use Chicka Chicka Boom Boom as a springboard for beginning of the year activities.  It's a book most kids are familiar with, the illustrations are engaging and the rhyme and repetition make it perfect for shared reading.  I've done a gazillion of the favorite activities floating around out there - alphabet matching, counting coconuts, decorating giant letters with band-aids - and I've noticed that the kids always love the band-aid activities.  (What 5 year old doesn't love band-aids?)  So, I came up with this short little book to use for shared reading.  A handful of letters each show their band-aids after their fall from the tree. "P has a band-aid on its foot."  After the shared reading, the kids can make their own version, coloring in the letters and putting real band-aids on them.  They LOVE this! (There's a little picture clue to remind them where each letter needs its band-aid.)  The teeny tiny band-aids are perfect for this project - you'll need 6 for each child.  If you're planning on starting the year with Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and you think that your class might like this book, click below the pisture for a copy of the full-color shared reading version and the black/white student version.  What are some of your favorite Chicka Chicka activities?

Click Here to Download

Don't forget to enter my "Blog-iversary" Giveaway.  The winners will be chosen tomorrow at midnight.  Enjoy!

Pete the Cat at Dollar Tree & Today's Freebie

    After reading so many blog posts about "Brain Bubbles," I decided that I absolutely have to make some for my classroom this year.  How I'm going to make them kindergarten-friendly is dilemma for another day...  So, I headed to Dollar Tree this morning to get the infamous 10-packs of plastic "bubble" containers that I'm going to need to start the project. I've also read a lot about the teacher section, so I was excited to check that out as well. (Boy, blog hopping is expensive inspiring!) Well, I found the containers. (Actually, the incredibly helpful manager found them. In the back room. In the fifth box he tried. At the bottom. Thanks, Mike!)  I was embarrassingly exuberant (I stopped short of hugging him) when he came out with them, but what really had the Dollar Tree employees looking at me like I was a nutball was when I all but shrieked when I saw this bulletin board border:

Could it be any more perfect for Pete the Cat!?!

     Sadly, they only had one pack and the strips are short and I don't think they will go all the way around my bulletin board. I'll have to hit up another Dollar Tree for some more 'cause the cuteness is just too much!  If I can find enough, I'm going to get an extra pack to cut apart into cards for a Pete the Cat Pat matching game or a "making patterns" center.

     On to today's emergent reader.  This one steps it up a notch with three word phrases and introduces color words. I usually display a color chart on the SmartBoard when the kids are working on the mini-books so they have a reference to help them with the color words. (The clever ones will realize they can look on the wrappers of their crayons, but that's a little tricky.)  Don't forget to enter the Blogi-versary Giveaway if you haven't yet. Enjoy!

Click Here to Download

The Best Gift I've Ever Gotten Myself - Birthday Freebie #4

    One thing you should know about me is that I LOVE my dog.  Her name is Sally and she's a 5 year beagle that I rescued when she was about 1.  She is sweet, spoiled and oh, so snuggly.  When I adopted her, they told me that she is blind, but I think she's fooling us all.  Except for the occasional header into a wall, she is unstoppable!  She's a good reminder that no matter what your challenges are, you should run, not walk, through life.

    I love to take pictures of her and have been known to torture her with Halloween costumes and other embarrassing props. Sorry, Sally!  I have an invisible line drawn in my head that has me convinced that if I don't put little sweaters or dresses on her, it's not so bad...  So, in honor of Sally, the best gift I've ever given myself, today's freebie is dog-themed.  It's a syllable sort that I use in my pocket chart station.  There's a recording sheet included so you can hold the kids accountable for their work.  I hope you enjoy it!

 

Click Here to Download

Bonus Birthday Freebie

     I have a bonus freebie today, but you'll have to do a little work for this one. It's a Birthday Packet that includes all kinds of goodies to use to celebrate birthdays in your classroom.  If you'd  like a packet just write about my Birthday Freebies on your blog (with a link) and leave a comment (including your email) letting me know about it and I'll send you one.  (I'm hoping to get word of my new blog out there...)  If you don't have a blog, become a follower and leave a comment with your email and I'll send you one too.  Enjoy!

Included in this packet are:

1. Class Book - Each student fills out a page with a birthday wish for the birthday girl/boy.  Color and b/w versions of the student pages are included.
2. Teacher Coupon – Give a colorful birthday coupon to the birthday boy/girl.  Just write in a treat of your choice (no homework, sit at the teacher’s desk today, etc.) and sign your name.
3. Cupcake Birthday Chart - Includes pieces you can print and cut to make a birthday chart for your classroom.
4. Cupcake Birthday Graph – A math activity for students to complete using data from the classroom birthday chart.
5. Birthday Emergent Reader – A simple book with repetitive text for students to enjoy.  Three versions are included: a mini-book for guided reading, a fill in the blanks version with missing words and a larger version for students to copy the text.

Getting Ready - Birthday Freebie #3

     Even though I'm only a week into my summer vacation, it's never too early to start getting ready for next year. So, after reading so many blog posts about the great finds in the Target Dollar Spot, I headed out his morning to see what all the fuss was about.  OMG!  What a gold mine!  I found dry erase boards (full size and strips,) stickers, reading pointers, note pads, mini pocket charts, handheld classroom signs and Dr. Seuss erasers, stickers and silly bands!  I spent digging around the mixed up bins trying to find the right number of each thing I was looking for - why is it that there is ALWAYS one less than what you need?  I even have a confession to make... I actually drove to a second Target to find 3 more strip-sized dry erase boards.  I had to.  Really.  So, $60.00 later I have a whole crate filled with really cute things I don't really need - WooHoo!
But I feel like the first step toward getting ready for the new school year has been taken. Mission accomplished.

     Today's birthday freebie is in honor of all the "getting ready" that we do each summer.  If Joseph Slate been true to life in his classic book, "Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten," it would have been about 87 pages long.  (Thank goodness the man knows how to edit.)  Many of use this book during the first few days of school, and making a class book is a popular activity.  Below is a great template to use for creating a book that your kiddos will read over and over.  Enjoy!

Click Here to Download

Nuts for Coconuts! Birthday Freebie #2

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, free stuff for your classroom!  I love starting the school year with the classic book, Chicka Chiicka Boom Boom!  It's so well known that most of the kids know it by heart and it's a great way to establish the attitude that we are all readers.  I'm working on a packet of math and literacy centers because I think that using a favorite book to introduce center routines and expectations is a good hook.  Today's freebie is one of the activities I've created to use for my first math center.  Click below the picture to download this activity.  Happy 4th of July!

Click Here to Download

It's My Birthday!

     I love presents!  I love presents!  I love presents!  I just got back from my parents' house where we all together for a cookout (and presents!)  There's nothing quite like a 4th of July burger hot off the grill!  Well,  I got a lot of great gifts and had a very nice day with my family.  Of course, every year on July 3rd we have to revisit the classic "fireworks" story from my childhood.  Until I was WAY to old to believe it, I used to think that the town fireworks, which were always held on the 3rd, were in honor of my birthday.  I actually thought that the whole town walked down to the beach just to celebrate the joy of my birth.  Now, keep in mind that my twin sister (BTW, Happy Birthday, Dan!) never suffered from these delusions of grandeur - just me!  To this day, I still love me some fireworks!  Almost as much as presents.  Almost.

     So in honor of my birthday and my love of presents (because I like to give 'em as much as I love to get 'em,) I'm going to celebrate with a week of freebies.  Check back each day to see what's new! 

     Today's freebie is a birthday themed emergent reader.  It's so hard to find simple, engaging emergent readers for students reading at an A/B level so I've started to make my own.  There are two versions: a full color, full text version to use for guided reading and a black line version with a word on each page missing for the students to fill in and color.  Click below the picture to download.  I hope you enjoy!

Click here to download

My First Linky Party

     There are so many new things to learn about this whole blogging thing, and I've just discovered a really great one - Linky Parties!  Who knew?  Lauren at Just Add Clipart is hosting a Freebie Linky Party and there are some really fantastic freebies already!  My contribution is a math center that I created to practice telling time to the hour.  Students match the clocks on the baseballs to the player that shows the correct time.  Click below the picture to grab my freebie, then click on Lauren's button to join the party!  If you enjoy my game, follow me for more freebies to come!

   Time to Batter Up!