Summer Fun

So...this isn't really a school post...well maybe a little bit...but not really. After being out of school since June 5th, I have spent every day with my 2 kids and I LOVE it. BUT...out of the 19 or so days we've been out of school, it's rained almost EVERY single day of them. We had maybe 2 really NICE days where we sat out at the pool and I fried myself because I didn't wear sunscreen. Odd that I lather it on my own kids...and lecture my kids at school about it...but I didn't do it myself. So for 1 1/2 weeks I was in pain and learned my lesson. Anyway this past week has been rainy, and I have blog stalked a lot and have gotten most of my lesson planning done for September and 1/2 of October. My husband and I also sat and bailed water out of our sump pump for 2 hours early one morning this week because we lost the power and because of all the rain...we didn't want our basement to flood. I have also have my 2 kids attached at my hips because at almost 4 feet tall they can't let me go out of their sight because of the 1 inch centipede we saw crawling in our bathroom the other morning...and crazy...but they think it is going to find them and eat them up. We have researched centipedes and found they are pretty harmless, but that still isn't preventing them from sleeping in my bed at night. I think I am going to pretend lie and say I found it and vacuumed it up! After this week, and the constant begging of my friend to come with her to Country Fest, and the week I have had...I decided at last minute I was going to go. SOOO...tomorrow morning I leave my babies (yes they are 7 and 9 and I still call them my babies) with my hubby. I was running around and doing last minute things and had to clean all the school pictures off my camera (which I was sad about...but there were over 500 of them since April). I had to do it because I am so convinced Josh Turner is going to find me out of 10,000+ people and sing..."Why Don't We Just Dance" to just me! :) I found this one picture on my camera that I wanted to share before I go because I know many teachers were probably feeling this way during their last weeks of school...and it's how I feel now! I took it during our chick unit at school in April...and NO...it is NOT dead!  Hopefully the rain will clear up for the next 4 days because I am taking mini vacation from my vacation! :)

Getting To Know Your Students

I start every year with a book about us (each child in our class).  I sent home the templates during our Open House in the fall.  As each kid brings them back, I insert them into sheet protectors in a 3 ring binder.  I have a cute cover on the top of the binder,  The first pages are of me and my family.  The kids absolutely LOVE this book.  In the past, I took the pages out and sent them home with the kids, but 2 years ago I did not.  My kids LOVED looking at this book…and loved reading about kids that I have had in my class in the past.  Some of the kids they played sports with, some were neighbors and some they went to daycare with. 

CLICK HERE FOR FORMS

Ending Sounds in Words

In beginning of the year we work a lot on hearing sounds in words.  We listen for beginning sounds and ending sounds.  When doing free journal writing time I will not tell my kids how to spell words.  I will either refer them to their word walls on their desks, the word walls in the room or I will tell them to sound out their words as best as they can.  At first they ask a lot...but they know that I won't tell them...I will only encourage them to use their strategies.  Soon they are hearing beginning middle and ending sounds in their words.  This activity that I am posting works with ending sounds in words.  Students will look at the picture card, say the word and say the ending sound that they hear.  They will then place it on the correct mat that ends with the same sound.  Finally they will record it onto the recording paper.  Enjoy!  If you like this activity leave me a note! :)  Tell me what else you would like to see.

                      Click here for ending sounds in words activity

Fire Safety

I have just completed my fire safety unit.   I will be adding some freebies to my page soon.  Head on over to my TpT store if you want my complete unit.  Here are some samples of my unit.  Included in it is:  ABC order activity, syllable sorting, puncuation posters and worksheets where kids have to finish the sentences, a stop, drop and roll activity and a form to fill out with one question kids have and one thing they already know. 

Hop on over to my store by clicking here-->Fire Safety Unit

Bus Safety

Every year I worry that my first graders will get on the correct bus at the end of the day.  BUT I worry more that they will get home safely.  During the first weeks of school we discuss how to wait for the bus safely, ride the bus safely and get off the bus safely.  I worry that they won't look both ways before crossing the street, or that they will get hit by a car.  When I was younger, I had a cousin that was killed because he was hit by a car...so I want to teach each and every one of my kids the safest way to get to school.  You can check out the mini unit that I created on bus safety at my TpT store.

Click here to go to my Bus Safety Unit

Syllable Sort

I am slowly learning about the Teachers Pay Teachers store and finally loaded my first activity.  I had hoped to upload a whole unit...but learned the hard way that I should have done all the activities in one document, so for now I am going to be uploading a few activities separate from each other.  Go to the link to check out my first syllable activity.  Each card has an apple word that has one or two syllables on it.  First graders will look at the word and decide if it has one or two syllables.  They will then place it on the correct mat and record the word on the recording sheet. 

                                                 Click here to check out my first activity

Apple Day

I have been taking advange of the yucky weather that we have been having and have been continuing to add things to my apple file!  Here is a sheet that I am going to use to teach concepts about print.  I am almost done with some fun games to upload to my TPT store and am really excited about it!

Click here for CAP sheet

                             

Apple Activities

During the month of September, we celebrate Johnny Appleseed's Birthday.  We do lots of different activities leading up to "Apple Day".  On Apple Day, we make applesauce and we do lots of other fun things. 

click here --> Apple Graph

                                                 click here
                                   Apple Graph Data Recording Sheet

                                    click here -->   ABC Order Apple Baskets


One of the activities I do at the beginning of our apple unit (and many units that I do)  is have kids get together in groups of 3 or 4.  I tell them to think of the topic that we are studying and think of as many words as they can that they associate with that topic.  I then give them the ABC chart and have them fill in words that deal with that topic for each letter of the alphabet.  After working for awhile, we make a big chart with all the words that we thought of and hang it in our writing center area.  Whenever they are writing books, or sentences about the topic they can refer to the chart.  So...when writing about apples, they might write A=apple, B=blossoms, F=flower, G=Golden Delicious, M=McIntosh, etc. 

                                            Click Here for ABC Chart

I introduce adjectives when talking about Apples.  We think of all the different ways that we can describe an apple using our 5 senses.

                                            click here -->   5 Senses Web

Parent Volunteer Form

Each year I look forward to a new set of first grade friends and I also look forward to meeting new parent volunteers.  They help my classroom run so much smoother and give me extra time to work with my students.  Below you will find the volunteer form that I send home for my parents to fill out the first day of school.

                   

                                                 CLICK HERE FOR VOLUNTEER FORM

Beginning of the year

Last night I couldn't sleep so I did my website for the fall and created some documents that I was to give to my parents in the fall so that I can get to know my first graders. This is my first attempt at uploading something...crossing my fingers in hopes that it works. :)

                                                                          click here
                                                                  Parent Information Form